By Bruce Neyers

Saturday 24th May, 2025

The 2021 Sage Canyon Red – Wine shouldn’t always be a big deal

In his recent book, ‘Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King’, noted British historian Dan Jones provides an enlightening portrayal of this remarkable leader. At the same time, he gives us an updated look at the monarch whose image was forever burnished by Shakespeare in one of his most popular historical plays. Much of Jones’ book concerns the time just before and immediately after Henry became King of England, and highlights his successes in the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. Early in his reign, he attempted to assume the throne of France — which he believed was legally his — so he invaded France. The turning point of the war, in 1415, was the Battle of Agincourt, a town just south of Calais. Henry’s forces, weary from travel, weather, and battle — and greatly outnumbered — were faced on three sides by the French army. On the fourth side was the English Channel. On the eve of battle, Henry walked through his camp, meeting with his troops in an attempt to comfort and motivate them. In Shakespeare’s play ‘Henry V’, he rallies his men, identifying with them with the words, ‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.’ It became one of Shakespeare’s catchiest and most memorable lines. The subsequent English victory at Agincourt was overwhelming, but Jones’ retelling of the king’s inspirational meeting with his troops is different. One London chronicler, Jones writes, gives Henry the briefest but most believable three-word speech as he sends his men into battle. “Fellas,” he says, “Let’s go.”

This type of lily gilding is sometimes seen in the wine business, but hardly necessary. One of the wines that Barbara and I enjoy often, for example, is our Sage Canyon Red, a blend of four different grapes that are all historically identified with the wines from the Southern Rhône Valley. None of the grapes that we use in our Sage Canyon Red are grown in the Napa Valley. The land is simply too expensive for them to be farmed here economically. As a result, we travel to several different locations in California to source the fruit, moving from the Sierra foothills, to Mendocino County, and into Contra Costa County near the Delta. The result is a wine that is both charming and drinkable, engaging and refreshing, and — perhaps most importantly — affordable. Our 2021 Sage Canyon Red is easily one of the best examples of this wine that we’ve produced, and it’s still available. The blend is 50% Carignan, 20% Mourvèdre, 20% Cinsault, and 10% Grenache. It’s an ideal bottle to open for anything from Roast Chicken to grilled ribs, and it finds a spot on our dining room table regularly. I love Shakespeare’s work as much as the next reader, but when I open a bottle of the Sage Canyon Red, I’d prefer to hear “Fellas, let’s go.”

Asian Chicken and Mushroom Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 pound mushrooms, a mixture of shitake and white button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 8-ounce can sliced bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
• 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
• Steamed white rice for serving

Preparation

1. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices and place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon water, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Toss ingredients together and marinate for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Refrigerate if marinating longer than 15 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl whisk ¾ cup of chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Using a cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the marinated chicken. Cook the chicken on both sides until lightly browned. Add more olive oil as needed. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, carrot and ginger to the pan. Stirring occasionally, cook until the ginger is golden brown.
5. Stir in the mushrooms and add the remaining ¼ cup of chicken broth. Simmer until the mixture has reduced by half.
6. Add the chicken, sugar snap peas, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts to the mushroom mixture and simmer over medium heat.
7. Whisk the reserved chicken broth mixture again and add to the pan. Over medium heat, stir until everything is combined and the sauce has slightly thickened, the chicken is fully cooked, and the mushrooms and vegetables are heated through. This may take a few minutes.
8. Serve with the cooked rice.