Drink, don’t think: Crossbarn Pinot Noirs

Trying to live more like Cathy Huyghe in her new book Hungry for Wine, where at the end of the book she re-learns to turn off the critique in her head and just enjoy a glass of wine. (Or two, in my case.) Luckily, tonight I chose the 2013 Crossbarn Pinot Noirs, both the Sonoma Coast and the Anderson Valley. Pinot noir originates in Burgundy, a northern wine region, and this evening we had a nice autumn dinner, with foods that are also northern in origin and flavor: deconstructed Shepherd’s Pie, sweet potato, broccoli.
This pairing worked very well with both of the wines because though they were slightly different the wines’ flavors complemented the food nicely. Why? Well, that would involve analysis, which I been hoping not to do. Briefly, it involves the bright acidity, berry flavors and mild tannins in the wines, as well as the mildly herbed meat and potatoes; even the broccoli worked with the wines’ acidity. Darn it! I said I wasn’t going to think, just enjoy…