The Perfect Pair: Wines That Stand Up To Flavorful Foods

The impressive co-productions of a talented triumvirate of men (a chef, a winemaker, and an entrepreneur), Marvelous Yellow and Marvelous Red put lie to the old saw that "three's a crowd."In fact, in this instance, three's the charm. 

The wine-making trio's vision is clear upon first tasting: these are wines that have been specifically created to complement food. And not just any food; spicy, smoky, gamey, full-of-flavor food that scares off lesser contenders, and both are super-value priced at $14.99.

The very pretty pale gold Yellow is a great blend of 60 percent South African-style (dry, zesty) chenin blanc, 30 percent body-building chardonnay, and a 10 percent fillip of viognier to add a bit of elegance and a floral quality to the nose.

Throughout the meal, Marvelous Yellow revealed real structure, round on the palate, the lush tropical fruit and pear tempered by a surprisingly long acidic finish. It stood up to a spicy Thai fish curry with real grace. Don't over-chill it, or you'll lose the lovely floral nose.

The Marvelous Red 2011 was no less impressive. A deep inky red in the glass with a peppery, dark fruit nose, this wine is mostly syrah (83 percent). The winemakers built in complexity and a notable tannin finish with the addition of 9 percent grenache, 5 percent mourvèdre and a tiny 3 percent hit of viognier.

This wine can handle pretty much any food, though the Trio specifically recommends lamb, which, prepared with fresh thyme and rosemary, proved to be a felicitous combination. It would also complement any meat you toss on a barbecue; the smokier, the better. Like Marvelous Yellow, a very good value.