Music
“Crazy” by Patsy Cline (1932-1963)
“Drinking again” by Dinah Washington (1924-1963)
 “Nocturne” by Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
Wine
C Nagy 2013 Syrah
Cheese
Gorgonzola
Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds with Himalayan Salt
 

March is Women’s History Month, and we loved honoring women composers, winemakers, musicians, and other flavor artists through our program entitled, “The Playful Palate,” which we presented with our dear friends at V Wine Room in West Hollywood. We featured guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Lois Blaisch, her daughter Jenny McNabb on backup vocals as well as pianist Jacquelyn Schreiber and violinist Lacy Rostyak.

The three women we feature this segment left us too soon, and it is their legacy that we honor in our pairing. The 2013 Syrah by Clarissa Nagy is the, dare we say, funkiest of the wines we showcased in this tasting, and the combination of sweet and salty from the dark chocolate almonds and Himalayan salt (in addition to the saltiness of the blue cheese) offset the leathery, earthy flavors on the nose and the palate. We know you’ll go “Crazy” for it and be “Drinking again” with us very soon once you’ve tasted this flavorful combination.

Lili Boulanger was only 25 when she died, but her output in such a short amount of time was nothing short of remarkable.

The “Nocturne” smoothes out the dustiness in the wine, a characteristic of the Santa Maria valley where this wine originates and complements the strong flavors in the blue cheese.