January is a great month to enjoy hearty meals paired with full bodied wines. We are past the holidays, the air is cool and venison is still at hand. No better time to beat the cool weather and short days then head for the kitchen and create a memorable meal. This months wine selection is the Merry Edwards Russian River Pinot Noir 2005 vintage from the Coopersmith vineyard. Pinots produced by Merry are of the greatest examples of the varietal. Merry Edwards is at the top of the list when it comes to growing and making pinot wines. Since the movie "Sideways" wine makers have jumped on the bandwagon producing this tough to grow and make wine. Often the selections in this category are light and thin. Merry has been working with pinot since the seventies, has her own clone "37", and has international acclaim for her wines. The Coopersmith vineyard is small with just 8.5 acres of grapes and this wine is from it second harvest.

Merry Edwards also makes her wines with the mindset of food pairing. The Coopersmith Pinot Noir is a great example of a wine that goes well with venison dishes laden with complex flavors coming from tomatoes, jalepenos ,garlic and spices. This pinot is full and rich with notes of raspberry, blueberry, ripe plum, and spice. The wine is velvety on the palate with a smooth finish.

The wine is only available in a 1.5 liter Magnum (equals two bottles). The price is $150.00 per magnum or $75.00 per 750ml ( standard size bottle). The Coopersmith Pinot is well worth the price for a special occasion with a great meal. Serve the wine with our culinary selection of the month "Soupa da pinot or your own creation!