One of the great things about “the journey that is wine” – which is definitely a lifetime journey — is its ability to transport us to another place or another time, or sometimes a combination of place and time, while offering something new, and perhaps even providing revelations to guide future travel and/or purchasing plans.
A recent rendezvous with traveling partners from past wine adventures for a quick getaway to the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains can provide a case in point.
In 2012 our gang traveled to South Africa on a trip that included a safari in Kruger National Park, a trek up Table Mountain, and, of course, visits to wineries and restaurants from Cape Town to Franshoek to the Grand Karoo to Stellenbosch. Our final visit of the trip was a tasting at Ken Forrester Vineyards and a lunch at the winery’s 96 Winery Road restaurant just up the road. At the tasting our server asked if it was our first visit to the restaurant, and since it was, he told us that we should order any appetizers that we wanted to go with the flagship Chenin Blanc known as "The 
FMC." Step two was to then ignore the rest of the menu and go straight for the signature dish, known as "Duck and Cherry Pie," which we did, paired with the winery’s Grenache/Syrah blend known as "The Gypsy."
Now picture the intrepid travelers at the airport, completely sated and laid out at the gate waiting to return to the States, lost in the bliss of a truly sublime mix of food and wine. We learned later that the "locals" travel from a wide radius around Stellenbosch just to partake of this dish. It’s not a complicated offering — roast duck, with cherries, marjoram, onions and garlic with a puff pastry crust — but it’s a gorgeous mix of flavors that complemented the Gypsy perfectly…and vice versa. The best pairings always seem to be a sort of “mutual admiration society” where each component elevates the other. No doubt you’ve had a similar experience, in which the stars align and everything just works as we imagine that it should.
Next, fast forward a few years. A friend that owned (but was closing) a San Diego wine shop sent out a list of wines to some fellow aficionados to give them a shot at some of the best offerings before the general public got wind of the closure. In scanning the list, I noticed bottles of both "The FMC" and "The Gypsy" on offer, and snapped them up quickly, intending to save them for a stateside re-creation of the original event. We had made the recipe (it’s available online) once previously at home and served it with similar wines to our guests’ delight, but procurement of these particular wines boded well for a future experience.
Jumping to the very recent past (last night) and the re-creation event, at altitude, with InstantPot roasted duck, the cherry sauce awaiting the folding in of the meat and a long simmer to perfection. Then, the bake, and after a brief hiccup when we realized that 200 degrees in the recipe was listed in Celsius, not Fahrenheit, dinner was served, with a simple spinach and arugula salad with an avocado oil vinaigrette, and the 2009 FMC and the 2007 Gypsy.
The wines alone were stunning. It’s not often (read, never) that I get to taste an eleven-year-old Chenin Blanc, and to find a wine so fresh and elegant was a true delight. Fresh stone fruit, citrus and pear were layered and lovely, with just a slight hint of bottle bouquet beginning to show itself. It could easily age beautifully several years into the future — though I can tell you that this one didn’t make it much more than an hour or two until it was consumed – much of it by me. The Gypsy acquitted itself in similar fashion, with complexity of black, red and blue fruit, well-folded spice and oak, and full integration through the long finish.
Now add the food. Some charcuterie with a glass of the Chenin, leaving enough to have another glass with the salad. A perfect fit in both cases. Then the main course with the Gypsy. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect union of wine and food, the flavors from a bite getting a lively elevation from a concurrent sip of the wine. Bliss achieved once more!
So – what’s next? First, a newfound source for duck means that the dish will likely make more frequent appearances at our table. Second, the search is on for more of the two wines so that more virtual trips back to South Africa can happen. During these times, while we wait for travel to open back up, this sort of reminiscence is just what the psychiatrist ordered.
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