WineCanine

A Côtes du Rhône Villages, the Domaine Grand Veneur Les Champauvins 2006 comes from a single vineyard located right next to the appellation d’origine contrôlée of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. When poured straight from the bottle, its nose can only be described as meaty, but don’t let that put you off – given a little time in a decanter, it opens into aromas of dark, brambly fruits, spice and cigar box.

In the mouth it is full-bodied and dry, its spicy plum and dark berry flavors supported by subtle tannins. The finish is long, dry and clean, with just a hint of unsweetened chocolate.

Robust yet refined with well-integrated flavors, this wine is a pleasure to enjoy by itself, and would make an excellent companion to a variety of meals including game, pork roast, stews and fowl. (If you’re thinking of making coq au vin, keep this wine in mind!) At $14.99, it’s a terrific wine that compares favorably to many Rhône-style blends that cost much more – including some of its neighbors.

Ingredients:
10-12 slices bacon, fried until crisp then crumbled
1 9" unsweetened pie shell (or make your own tart pastry)
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups cream or Half & Half
1 1/4 cups Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 cup onion, chopped and sautéed (optional)
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425°F. When oven is up to temperature, cook pie shell for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned on the inside. In the meantime, sauté chopped onion in butter until slightly softened. Drain on paper towel.

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg and cayenne and whisk until well mixed (a food processor works well for this).

Remove pie shell from oven and distribute onion and crumbled bacon over the bottom. Sprinkle a layer of cheese over the onions and bacon, then carefully ladle the egg mixture over all.

Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325°F and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Look for a second Petite Chou to open soon in Carmel’s Clay Terrace shopping center, between Dick’s Sporting Goods and the David and Mary salon. A new wrinkle for this latest addition to the string of restaurants from Patachou: In addition to the usual breakfast and lunch, it will be open for dinner.

This will bring the total of Patachou restaurants up to seven. The others are Petite Chou in Broad Ripple, Patachou on the Park in downtown Indianapolis, and four Cafés Patachou (49th and Pennsyvlania, River Crossing, 126th and Gray Road in Carmel and in the Civic Plaza at Indianapolis International Airport).

Fans of Kent Rosenblum’s style of winemaking should be deliriously happy with the 2006 Heritage Clones Petite Sirah.

The first clue to this wine’s personality is its deep purple color, so dense that light doesn’t penetrate it. After a brief decant, aromas of dark berries and briar dominate the spicy nose. There’s mulberry, plum, blackberry, chocolate and just a touch of anise on the palate, supported by enough tannic structure to keep it from being just a flabby fruit bomb. It’s rich and full-bodied, with a creamy mouthfeel and a long, pleasantly dry finish – delicious, wonderful stuff!