May Wine Club Pairing Recipe

Photo: Katie Foster / Tasting Table

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 ½ pounds rapini (broccoli rabe)
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine (preferably different Zinfandel)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic (about 4 cloves)
• ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

DIRECTIONS:
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rapini and cook for 3 minutes or until just tender. Transfer the rapini to a baking sheet and let cool. In the same boiling water, cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. (The pasta will finish cooking in the wine.) Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta and set it aside. Return the empty pasta pot to the stove.
• Add the wine and sugar to the pasta pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced by half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the pasta and shake to prevent the pasta from sticking. Gently stir with tongs until coated and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• While the pasta cooks in the wine, heat a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the garlic until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the rapini, red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, or more if desired, and stir to combine.
• Add the rapini mixture to the pasta pot, toss gently and transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve. © Recipe courtesy of Tasting Table, adapted from Michael Chiarello’s Bottega (Chronicle Books).

Cline Family Cellars
Single Vineyard Series
Heritage Zinfandel
Contra Costa County, California

Family-owned and operated, Cline Family Cellars was built on a passion of winemaking and rooted in the land. Founded in 1982, Fred Cline made his first vintages from original plantings, some of which dated back to the 1880s. As one of the original Rhone Rangers, Cline has been committed to nurturing the land and using sustainable farming methods. This luscious Zinfandel comes from Cline’s prized Big Break, Live Oak and Bridgehead vineyards located in Oakley. All within a two mile radius of one another, these vineyards are managed by farming practices that were originally used by the Italian and Portuguese immigrants that inhabited the area before the turn of the century. Pairs well with roasted or grilled meats or a hearty pasta dish.

Winemaker Charlie Tsegeletos

“The Heritage Zinfandel is big and flavorful, with notes of chocolate, sweet berries, spice and coffee – a classic example of the big boned Zinfandels for which Cline Cellars has become known. The wine’s acidity and tannins are firm, but balanced, creating a luscious wine. The Heritage Zinfandel is delicious now and will age beautifully over the next decade.” – Charlie Tsegeletos, winemaker

Winemaker: Charlie Tsegeletos
Appellation: Contra Costa County, California
Varietal Blend:  Zinfandel
Analysis: 15.0% alcohol / volume
Critical Acclaim: Reviewed and approved by Doug Frost, Master Sommelier and Master of Wine