By Sara Perry - October 26, 2003 Oregonian
Admit it. Even for those special occasions when you decide to try a great-tasting recipe that calls for wine, more than likely you'll turn to the opened bottle in the fridge, a Two-Buck Chuck or some other inexpensive wine you picked up at the supermarket. After all, it's pretty hard to swallow the notion that you should cook with the same special wine you buy to enjoy with the meal.
You say to yourself it doesn't make much sense to spend a lot of money on a wine that is mixed together with other ingredients and then simmered or baked away to a whiff and a promise. You're not alone. There are some tried-and-true cooking professionals out there (and yours truly) who would think twice before using a wine costing more than 10 bucks a bottle in a bourguignonne, bordelaise or brulee. And when it comes to pasta with meat and tomato sauce, it's time to pass the jug.
These folks have yet to meet Mary Davis or taste her rich and memorable ragu -- and learn how she discovered the difference a good bottle of wine makes as a cooking ingredient.
Davis, 35, is an ardent cook and wine enthusiast who also happens to work at Beaux Freres Winery, one of Oregon's premier pinot noir producers. She hails from Columbus, Ohio, where she grew up taking turns cooking the evening meal with her six siblings. A whiz in math, Davis ended up as an industrial engineer with a degree from Northwestern University and a job in Chicago's high-tech industry.
"It made sense at the time, and I needed to pay back my college loans," she says. "And even though I didn't follow my passion and pursue cooking, my job gave me the luxury of eating out often and tasting a lot of diverse cuisines."
After several years, it was apparent to Davis that she needed a fresh start and a new career. Friends in Portland convinced her to move here, and soon she was working as a prep cook at the famed Zefiro restaurant during chef Chris Israel's reign. The experience taught her the importance of quality ingredients and thoughtful technique. ("It also elevated my standards," she adds.)
After her Zefiro stint, Davis worked as a manager and chef of a ski lodge and, with a move to the coast because of her husband's career, she became involved in marketing and public relations. In 2000, Davis joined the Oregon Wine Advisory Board as its public relations manager. The work was rewarding and gave Davis a grand overview of the industry as well as the opportunity to meet and work with Beaux Freres co-owner and winemaker Michael Etzel. After a year with the board, Davis joined the other six full-time workers at the winery, where the close-knit group is devoted to its goal of producing world-class pinot noir with minimal intervention and indigenous yeast.
This time of year, when the ripe grapes are ready to harvest on the tightly spaced vines, the hours are long, the work is hard and the appetites are hearty. While Davis may be out in the fields with the rest of them, she's made sure there is a family-style meal waiting for the crew when it's break time. When it is her turn to cook, everyone looks forward to one of Davis' pasta dishes, especially her Baked Pasta With Ragu and Gorgonzola Sauce.
Davis' ragu is rich, hearty and complex, and it's worth the extra time it takes to prepare. She likes to use a combination of meats, especially lamb, because she savors the way the meat suits the pinot noir that is used in the sauce and enjoyed with the meal. What makes this dish such a winner is its versatility. The meat from the bone can be flaked off and used in the sauce or enjoyed alongside as its own course. The Gorgonzola-infused pasta can be topped with the ragu before its final baking or can be presented at the table in its crusty splendor and topped with the ragu according to each diner's preference.
To settle on which pinot noir to use for this dish, Davis devised an experiment to see what flavor component the wine contributed to the recipe and whether the quality of the wine made a difference. With the help of Kate Bolling at Oregon Wines on Broadway ("I may work in the industry, but I always appreciate the knowledge of a wine steward," Davis says), she tested a series of affordable pinots by slowly heating and reducing each one in a process similar to deglazing. She cooled the wine using a bowl of ice and, on top, a stainless steel bowl. She then tasted the cooled wines.
"The process was really illuminating," she said. "I could immediately taste the differences and see which wine in its reduced form had depth and character." She also discovered that some wines, when reduced, have off tastes and unpleasant qualities that ultimately are infused in whatever recipe in which they are used. So, if in doubt, try the experiment yourself and find out how your wine stacks up as an ingredient in your next recipe.
Read more about Beaux Freres
Visit Sara Perry's web site