By Bruce Neyers

Thursday 16th March, 2023

In a recent review, wine writer James Suckling had some flattering observations on our newly released 2020 Sage Canyon Red wine. Here’s what he had to say:

Neyers Vineyards 2020 Sage Canyon Red
“Spicy nose with red dates, red cherries and dried Mediterranean herbs. This is juicy and transparent on the palate, with medium body and silky, savory tannins. An unassuming blend of Carignan, Mourvèdre and Grenache from Napa that shows Southern Rhone-style typicality. Drink now. 90 POINTS”
James Suckling

Our 2020 Sage Canyon Red wine is a blend of 55% Carignan (from 140 year-old vines), 30% Mourvèdre (from 120 year-old vines), and 15% Grenache. It’s soft and approachable now, and combines exotic aromas of herbs and spices, with bright fruits that make it a suitable wine with a wide range of dishes. Barbara likes to serve it with Couscous Salad, or a whole roast chicken. I like them both equally, but I tend to favor the Couscous Salad, just because I see it so infrequently. Her recipe is below.She tells me that she’s planning to make it tonight, so we’ll try the Sage Canyon Red with a bottle of older Châteauneuf du Pape, probably the 2004 from Domaine Vieux Télégraphe. We’ll raise a glass to Daniel Brunier while we drink the wines, as it was Daniel who suggested we work with a blend of these grapes from old vines growing in some of the outlying regions in northern California. It was a grand idea.

Couscous Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried couscous
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half – Sweet 100 and Sungold tomatoes
• 1-2 Cucumbers, Persian or Armenian — peeled and sliced ¼ to 1/8-inch thick
• 2 chicken breasts, boned and skinless
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Fresh basil torn into pieces for garnish
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 Teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ Teaspoon paprika
• ½ Teaspoon coriander
• ½ Teaspoon turmeric
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1. Cook the chicken breasts on a grill using mesquite charcoal.
2. Cook the couscous as directed on the package. Refrigerate the couscous if not using immediately.
3. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.
4. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and then into ½-inch pieces.
5. In a bowl combine the couscous, chicken breasts, chickpeas and vinaigrette.
6. Season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
7. Serve the couscous with cherry tomatoes and cucumbers on top and garnish with basil and feta cheese.