My dad was a meat and potatoes kind of gourmand. Growing up, pot roasts, briskets, roast duck, beef tongue, stuffed veal leg, steaks, and stews were meals I can remember repeatedly being enjoyed by him. That being said, my recollections of my father’s relationship to wine swayed in only one direction-red. If there was a bottle of white in the house, I never saw it. But, I can vividly remember, hidden in the basement, under the stairwell, there was always a stash of three or four wooden crates with bottles of French wine that had images of grand castles and magnificent chateaux surrounded by vineyards. Bordeaux and Chateauneuf du Pape were some of my parents’ favorites, and when I moved to California, and became exposed to California’s wine world, it gave me great joy to introduce my father to the Cabernets and Rhone blends from my new home. So, in remembrance of my Dad, and to all the fathers that share the same meat and potato outlook, here are some reds to make the day (and meal) special: