Today I paired my second dish from Sous Chef by Cardinal™ with a red and a white wine. The dish was Szechuan Braised Beef with seasoned long grained rice. The white wine was the Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude Pinot Gris 2024, which I tasted with the Chicken Tikka Masala. I thought that this wine with its fruit flavour would calm any pepperiness in the Szechuan Braised Beef. The red wine was Domaine Duseigneur Catarina Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 coming from the Rhone Valley. The wine made with 100% Grenache grapes, which should also have a fruit-forward flavour. Let me give you my impressions of the wines and the dish.
My Wine Tasting and Food Tasting Notes
Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude Pinot Gris 2024 (BC $26.97)
I’ve already reviewed this wine, so here is my final tasting note.
Rating: 
– 
Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude Pinot Gris 2024 shows a clear peach-toned hue and enjoyable aromas of ripe and dried stone fruits, layered with a touch of bramble. The palate is dry with fresh acidity, showcasing a medley of stone fruit, notably peach, complemented by hints of honey, pepperiness, and stony minerality. After decanting, the wine takes on a leaner structure, while the fruit flavours remains intact.
Domaine Duseigneur Catarina Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 (BC $69.99)
Catarina is a blend of three different soil types : round pebbles, sand and limestone. The three plots are located in Colombis, Bois de la Ville and Grand Devès lieux-dits, near the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The vines are 60 years old on average.
The grapes of each plot are vinified separately. Depending on the vintage, part of the harvest is not destemmed. The juices are vinified using natural yeasts for 4 to 5 weeks in cement tanks. The aging is carried out in old French oak demi-muids during 12 months. This is a biodynamic wine.
This wine was named after Catherine of Siena, Saint and Doctor of the Church, who went to Avignon in 1376 as ambassador of the city of Florence. She persuaded Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome to relocate the Papacy back where it belonged.
Appearance: It has a clear, deep, almost opaque garnet colour.
Nose: Medium intensity, deep, rich aromas of meat, red fruits, plums, black cherries, oak, and a touch of vanilla. Same, rich, deep aromas after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium body, with a smooth, thicker mouthfeel. Deep, black fruit flavours: black fruits, black berries, black cherries, and black plums, plus anise and nutmeg spice. Medium acidity and medium intensity tannins. The wine has a lighter mouthfeel after decanting and the tannins are lighter and finer, plus the fruit flavours are more juicy. I did not notice any anise or nutmeg spice after decanting.
Finish: Medium-plus to long length finishing with lingering dark fruit and dark berry flavours, some pepperiness, and candied cherries with swirling. Medium-plus drying tannins on the finish. No change to the finish after decanting.
A delicious, top-quality wine. Great rich, dark fruit aromas and flavours. No need to decant, so you can enjoy it over the next day.
Rating: – Domaine Duseigneur Catarina Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 offers a deep garnet hue and a rich, complex nose of red and black fruits, black cherries, with a savoury touch of meat and oak. On the palate, this wine is smooth and full of dark fruit intensity, with nuances of anise and nutmeg spice, balanced by medium acidity and tannins. After decanting, the wine softens, revealing juicier fruit notes and finer tannins, while the finish remains long and structured with dark fruit and a touch of pepper.
Szechuan Braised Beef by Sous Chef
This dish has tender chunks of beef that are nicely bite-sized. The beef is very flavourful together with its Szechuan spices. The dish has medium pepperiness and gets more peppery as you eat more mouthfeels. There are Szechuan peppercorns in this dish, which I avoided, but if you want to amp up the heat, chew on the peppercorns. I liked the dish as it is not too salty, had a touch of sweetness, which should temper the pepperiness, and some tomato flavour.
The Township 7 Interlude Pinot Gris wine was opened earlier, so I tasted it with this dish after decanting. I enjoyed tasting the stone fruit flavours and sweetness of this wine as it calmed the pepperiness in the dish. The acidity in the wine, also brightened up the flavour. The light body of the wine helped to lighten up the dish. An enjoyable pairing.
The Domaine Duseigneur Catarina Châteauneuf-du-Pape‘s fruit flavours were at the same strength as the spicy flavours in this dish. I think the pepperiness in the dish was enhanced by the anise and nutmeg spice flavours in the wine, increasing the spiciness of the dish. I did enjoy the meaty flavour of the beef with the black fruit flavours of the wine. The pairing was not as nice for me as the Pinot Gris, as the wine brought out the pepperiness in the dish. If you enjoy spicy pairings, then give it a try. You may also want to decant this wine as the wine becomes rounder and shows juicier fruits, which should lessen the pepperiness of the dish.
I also recommend trying this wine with a grilled strip loin steak. It should be a spectacular pairing.
Where Can I Buy These Wines and the Szechuan Braised Beef?
You can purchase the Township 7 Interlude Pinot Gris 2024 at the winery website.
The Domaine Duseigneur Catarina Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 is available at BC Liquor stores.
The Szechuan Braised Beef is available through Sobeys, Walmart, and Costco stores.
