Wine and cheese, right? Time-honored, but curiously not always as simple as that. This year’s Artisan Cheese Festival taught me that pairing the two is no scattershot matter. Creamy brie, for instance, may render big red wines metallic; other curds provide cover for middlin’ vino, while deflating better vintages. If only we had some good people on the job, crafting balanced, food-friendly table wines and matching them to just the right sweet, salty or richly flavored cheeses… Of course we do.
A half block east of the Healdsburg Plaza, Dawn and Bill Williamson offers a slice of this or a wedge of that with each wine–often cheese with house-made truffle salt or chutney–all for no fee. These days it’s hardship enough to find so much as a breadstick at a $15 tasting, which makes Williamson Wines all the more beloved to those who find them. Here you get a little nosh while wetting the whistle–but you won’t escape their dry Aussie sense of humor.
The 2006 “Seduce” Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($57) opens with red-berry aromas and bay leaf, showing soft claret-style structure, cranberry and vanilla notes. The finish is just mildly astringent; the real fun begins when a rich little bite of gorgonzola quickly focuses the Cab to the center of the palate like a lens. No doubt the Williamson’s recipe for peppered tri-tip will do the trick as well; hard cheese for you, if not.
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Peppered Tri-Tip with Cabernet Balsamic Sauce 
2 pounds tri-tip, cut into 8-ounce pieces
4 tablespoons black peppercorns, lightly cracked
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat grill to high.
Cut steak into 8-ounce portions and lightly tenderize with mallet. Dust with crushed black pepper and kosher salt. Press salt and pepper into steak with the palm of hand. Transfer steaks to a baking dish and place in the refrigerator. Let marinate for 4 to 8 hours.
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add extra-virgin olive oil and onions and lightly sauté until onions are caramelized. Add garlic and cook until garlic begins to turn brown. Deglaze with wine and balsamic vinegar. Add sugar and let simmer and reduce for 20 to 30 minutes until mixture reduces to 3/4 cup.
Place steaks over a hot grill. Move once on first side to mark the steaks, cook for 5 minutes and flip, again only moving once to mark steak, cook for 4 minutes. When desired doneness is achieved, remove steaks from grill and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes.
Strain wine mixture and return to heat to reduce for 5 more minutes or until thick syrup is created.
Serve with the steaks and Williamson Seduce Cabernet Sauvignon.
