We revisited an old friend tonight and the meet-up was wonderful.  On our trip to Paso Robles in 2006 we discovered Ovene, a boutique winery whose tasting room is housed in Wines on Pine in the center of Paso. We tasted three 2004 vintages: the Chardonnay; "The Puzzle" Pinot Noir; and the Rose of Syrah. We bought two Pinots, nestled them in the cellar, and, frankly, forgot about them.  Until today.

Gary had whipped up a Szechuan turkey tenders and green bean stir-fry (better than it sounds) and wanted a Pinot to accompany this spicy mix. Lisa went to the basement, found a Pinot, which turned out to be the '04 Ovene.  Would it hold up?

Absolutely! This purple beauty's solid tanin structure, smooth palate, and balanced fruit flavors met the food head-on and was a great match.  How? The wine offset the hot & spicy chili peppers just enough to let the flavors of the garlic, ginger and meat sail on through.  The finish on the wine is not eternal, but just enough to let you know that you're consuming a quality, elegant Pinot.  When we first tasted this wine, we knew that it would be a winner.  The folks at Ovene really know what they were doing and we're glad to have found this bottle in our cellar.