Maryhill’s 2020 Winemaker’s red consists of Shiraz/Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with 14.1% alcohol.

This wine is called a “red blend,” which, like most wines, consists of multiple types of grapes blended together. However, you cannot call the wine any specific varietal unless it has 75% or more of that varietal in it.

Maryhill’s red blend starts with earthy and smokey notes with hints of red fruit. The best way I could describe this wine’s flavors is alcoholic dark chocolate.

This wine is quite astringent and alcoholic; however, these perceived negatives give the very complex flavors of this wine a distractor. This distraction makes your brain try to focus on many things at once and, in my opinion, creates an almost “symphonic” tasting experience where your mind is perceiving multiple notes at the same time.

If you love tannic wines that pucker your mouth, this one is for you.

I paired this wine with a creamed spinach recipe of my own making. To give you the best context of my pairing, here’s a quick description of my recipe.

I sauteed mushrooms with some oil and butter, and added garlic, cream, cream cheese and mozzarella. I then mixed in spinach, topped it all with Romano and baked it. Finally, I served the creamed spinach over a flatbread made by my lovely partner, Kestra Engstrom.

I usually make this recipe with onions instead of mushrooms. However, this time I used mushrooms instead because they made the recipe match the more earthy and fulfilling taste of the wine.

This wine pairs well with this meal because the creamy spinach mitigates the bitter notes of the dark chocolate-tasting wine and allows the tannins to breathe a little. Once the bitterness of the wine has been pushed to the back burner, the notes of red fruit and oak can shine.

To consume this wine at its best, I would recommend opening this wine while at room temperature and putting it in the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Winery: Maryhill

Varietal: Red Blend

Vintage: 2020

Locations: Spokane, Washington

Price: $15–19

Pairing: Creamed Spinach Mushroom Flatbread

I would like to emphasize that this column is not a review; my purpose for writing this series is to provide as much information about a wine as I can so that you can find your niche.

If you would like to inquire about anything I have talked about in these columns or recommend wines for me to pair in the future email me at [email protected].

Drink up!