Matrix Winery 2005

Dry Creek Valley

Zinfandel Perfectly Paired with

Focaccia Bread

If a grateful diner were to select just one word to describe both the wine and the recipe chosen by Matrix Winery to share with Wine Country This Week readers that word would undoubtedly be “complex.” Will Seppi, general manager of Costeaux French Bakery in Healdsburg, only had to think for a moment and take a couple of sips from a bottle of the Matrix Winery 2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel to come up with a perfect companion – his personal version of the popular Italian bread “focaccia.”
“The Matrix Zinfandel is 100% Zinfandel and, although it was created 100% from grapes grown in the Dry Creek Valley, it is a very complex wine,” says winemaker Antoine Favero. “It is a harmonious blend of fruit from ten highly respected Dry Creek Vineyards. Each contributes an individual and distinctive element and together the aromas and flavors speak of ripe plums, blackberry jam and hints of cherry. The finish is long and the wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. Rich and full enough to drink immediately, this vintage will continue to improve for another four to five years.”
As for the complexity of the focaccia, Will points out that the ingredient list can be as simple as patting out the tasty yeast dough into a flat round that is brushed with olive oil and topped with a sprinkle of sea salt before being baked in a 400 degree oven for about half an hour. Or as Will shows in his photograph, the focaccia round can be cut in half and filled with any favorite sandwich combination. Will is particularly pleased with combining fresh, seasonal garden vegetables with artisan cheese or cured meats. In the picture, Will’s choice is smoked salmon, crisp bacon, thin slices of perfectly ripened tomatoes and baby greens. The final ingredient to bring the sandwich to perfection, he says, is to enjoy it with a glass of the 2005 Dry Creek Matrix Zinfandel.
Although you will not find this tasty focaccia prepared in the Matrix Tasting Room, we’re sure you’ll want to add the recipe to your personal recipe collection along with several bottles of the Matrix Zin for your wine cellar. The tasting room is located at 3291 Westside Road in Healdsburg. For more information, call (707) 433-1911 or visit the website at www.matrixwinery.com.

Related Information

• Matrix Winery