Robert Sinskey Vin Gris of Pinot Noir 

As much more eloquent voices than ours have often noted, the arrival of Fall is always at least a little bittersweet. Sure you’ve got changing foliage, root vegetables, maybe a new cardigan, to keep things interesting. But cooler weather and longer nights can’t help but furrow the collective brow with a layer of frost. It’s an adjustment at the least - and we feel the chill especially acutely here in Rosé club, as it’s also the time of year when folks tend to abjure all tipples pink in favor of  the murkier libations.

Which makes no sense when you think about it. After all, what better way to get evening's empire to go pound sand (if only temporarily) than with a nice bottle of blush? And so we are toasting the beginning of hibernation season with one of the best: Robert Sinskey’s iconic Vin Gris of Pinot Noir. The great Carneros vigneron’s been making this bottling for thirty five years, which explains why the word ‘rosé’ itself appears nowhere in the title. Back then, as the winemaker himself recalls, “the category had been tainted by overly sweet pink confections that sold well in grocery and liquor stores while fine dining restaurants treated any pink wine as if it were vampire repellant.” Hence, Vin Gris of Pinot Noir. 

Talk about the Dark Ages though, amiright?  But much like garlic, rosé has come such a long way since then, now celebrated rather than tolerated, in this more enlightened epoch, for its unabashed dashes of flavor and light-and-life preserving qualities. You can pair this bottling in particular with all kinds of cuisine - French brasserie fare, BBQ, fish tacos, Pad Thai, Indian curries, picnic sandwiches, pimento cheese and crackers, or shrimp and grits (see recipe from winemaker below) - in whatever weather. And it still works as vampire repellant too, keeping all seasonal bats at bay whilst in the glass. 

As Sinkey concludes, “with this Vin Gris, it’s always rose season.”  Which makes it the perfect selection with which to wrap up our club year. See you in the spring and….

Think Pink!

          The PlumpJack Wine & Spirits Team

SINSKEY SHRIMP & GRITS  (serves 4) 

Ingredients 

4-5 cups water

 Kosher salt 

4 – 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 

1 cup stone-ground grits, Jimmy Red variety if possible

 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 

4 strips thick cut bacon, sliced horizontally into ¼ inch pieces

 24 large 16/20 peeled and deveined shrimp, sliced in half along vein line

 ½ cup water or simple shrimp stock

Freshly ground black pepper 

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions for garnish 

Instructions

1. Bring 4 cups of water, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of butter to a rapid boil in a heavy saucepan (you can start with 4 cups of water and add a 5th as needed while cooking).

2. Whisk in grits and stir well until water boils again. 

3. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and continue cooking for 35-40 minutes, stirring often, adding water if needed. 

4. When the grits are thick and grain is tender, season to taste with salt and add additional butter if you like richer and creamier grits. Cover and set aside off heat. 

5. While the grits are cooking, fry the bacon over medium heat in a nonstick or cast iron skillet until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to set aside on a paper towel lined plate. 

6. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet. Place skillet over medium high heat. 

7. Quickly pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook until just cooked and pink about 1 minute per side. 

8. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and ½ cup of shrimp stock and stir until melted and liquid is hot. Reserve in the pan. 

9. Remove the cover from the reserved grits. If they have stiffened, add a little hot water and stir to loosen. Stir in the cheese until melted. Season to taste with salt. Add a little more butter if desired. 

10. Spoon the grits into a serving bowl or individual bowls. Spoon the shrimp over. Spoon the skillet juices over the top. Sprinkle with the bacon and sliced green onions. Serve immediately. 

SIMPLE SHRIMP STOCK (Yield: 1 cup)

1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced 

1 cup dry white wine, unoaked 

Shrimp shells from 24 shrimp

1. Add the shallot, white wine and shrimp shells to a small pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. 2. Press through a strainer to get all of the juices from the shell. Use immediately or refrigerate.