It started with chocolate soufflés. Raspberry-filled chocolate soufflés, to be precise. They went ridiculously well with syrahs, syrahs that just happened to be from Washington state.

From there, we were hooked.

Washington wines just might be the hottest wines that you aren’t drinking. Sure, everyone knows Napa, Bordeaux, Tuscany, Mendoza, regions of New Zealand, maybe South Africa as hot wine-producing areas. But Washington state has been sorely overlooked — and we think it’s time to take serious notice.

Despite its relative youth in wine production, Washington has a perfect climate for yielding more than 30 wine varieties including riesling, syrah, merlot, chardonnay and semillon. There’s plenty of daylight in the growing season for full fruit ripening. And with more than 30,000 acres of grapes planted, the state is second nationally in wine production, behind California. (Maybe you’ve heard of a little wine from Columbia Crest, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Reserve. It just happened to win Wine Spectator’s 2009 Wine of the Year.)

Those who love strictly Old World wine should take note: Washington is located on just about the same latitude line as Burgundy and Bordeaux. Not too shabby.

After sampling several syrahs, we took note ourselves when we found a box of merlots sent to us for potential review. As we stared at the bottles, a germ of an idea was born: Why not celebrate the wines of Washington, Swirl Girl style, with fabulous food and good friends? This is how we came to plan the feast described below.

FIRST COURSE: PRETTY AND TASTY
By (Bold) Lynn Kalber

Taking chances is part of the fun in life. So I took a leap on my wine selection and opted for a non-Bold wine. I ran with a 2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle-Dr. Loosen “Eroica” riesling from the Columbia Valley ($21.99 at Total Wine; $23.99 at Crown).

This wine is off-dry, light gold with a crisp nose. It paired well with my crab, orange and radish salad. In fact, I thought the fairly floral wine was better with the food than by itself.

“Very zippy,” was one remark from the table.

“This is a riesling for people who don’t like really sweet wines,” was another.

Wine Spectator calls it a lively, refreshing wine with a delicate, sweet edge and a focused finish. We all just called it a good first course!

CRAB, ORANGE AND RADISH SALAD

(Serves 4)

3 large oranges
1 bunch red radishes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces fresh crab meat
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Chopped Italian parsley or sprigs of watercress

With a knife, trim the peel off the oranges, removing all the white and exposing the orange flesh. Working over a bowl, cut along either side of the membranes to cut the oranges into wedges. Let the orange sections drain in a colander or sieve. Trim the stems off the radishes and slice thin. Arrange radishes and oranges in overlapping slices and rings on a large glass platter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Pick over crab to remove any bits of shell. Put crab in a bowl.

In a small screw-top jar, place the reserved orange juice (you should have about 3 tablespoons), lemon juice, oil and mustard. Cap tightly, and shake vigorously until completely blended — it will be a smooth mixture, with no separation.

Moisten the crab with the dressing, seasoning with salt, pepper and parsley. Moisten the oranges and radishes with the remaining dressing. Just before serving, make a small pile of crab on top of the oranges and radishes. Garnish with more parsley or watercress.

(Recipe from winespectator.com)

SECOND COURSE: AN ENTICING MÉLANGE
By (Earthy) Jennifer Podis

I love a challenge — and the hunt for a divine food and wine pairing is no exception.

Throw in the other Swirl Girls at a dinner party, and the challenge becomes a lively, good-natured competition to see who can come up with the perfect pairing.

Armed with a bottle of 2006 Northstar Merlot from Columbia Valley ($44.99 at Total Wine), I took on the mission to craft an appetizer that would marry so lavishly, be so unforgettable, it would make Nat King Cole envious.

And I can thank Dry Gwen for helping me accomplish just that, since she offered the book 100 Perfect Pairings, by Jill Silverman Hough (John Wiley & Sons, 2010).

In the chapter “Merlot” was a dish titled “Spiced Balsamic Mushroom Mélange.” I loved the way the name rolled off my tongue, but what made it more palatable was its simplicity.

All I had to do was toss a mound of meaty mushrooms in a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and an array of spices that mimic garam masala, an Indian seasoning, and then bake for 15 minutes.

We’re talking “wow!” factor here. That was the exclamation from the table of Swirl Girls and their mates.

The aroma of the wine offered exotic spices and smooth tannins. We tasted plum and blackberry, integrated with toasted oak and vanilla. The wave of those soft spices was perfectly matched by the warm, sweet spices of the mushrooms, which included cinnamon, cloves and allspice.

This pairing was Cary Grant accompanied by Ingrid Bergman. A bit mysterious, sophisticated, elegant. And definitely enticing.

SPICED BALSAMIC MUSHROOM MÉLANGE

(Serves 8)

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound meaty mushrooms, such as white, brown, cremini, baby portobello or shiitake, larger ones cut in half, stems removed from shiitakes (about 8 cups)
3 tablespoons crumbled feta (optional)
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat parsley

Preheat oven to 450°. In large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and spices. Add the mushrooms, tossing until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to rimmed baking sheet and bake until browned and tender, about 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Serve hot.

(Recipe from “100 Perfect Pairings”)

THE PERFECT MAIN COURSE: STEAKS AND SYRAHS
By (Dry) J. Gwendolynne Berry

Sometimes I just fall in love with the story behind the wine. These Gramercy syrahs are the perfect example. The winery was founded by Greg Harrington, who in 1996, at the ripe young age of 26, became the youngest American to pass the master sommelier exam. He and his wife fell in love with Washington wines and dreamed of retiring to their own small Walla Walla vineyard.

But rather than set that dream aside to the land of “somedays,” these two whippersnappers took a leap of faith and founded Gramercy Cellars in 2005.

And in the few years since, Harrington has been recognized as one of the best new winemakers in the state, producing high quality wines that reflect the uniqueness of the place from where they came.

Even with success, the young couple don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. This is obvious from the stories on their website (wife Pam’s 2008 title of “Best Food and Beer Gopher”) and in the names of their wines (Princess Bride fans everywhere should cheer the release of the 2007 “Inigo Montoya” Tempranillo). A toast to the Harringtons, for keeping wine fun and also delicious!

I found two different versions of the Gramercy syrah at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits in Palm Beach Gardens.

One was the 2006 Lagniappe Columbia Valley Syrah ($35.99), a blend of 97 percent syrah and 3 percent viognier from a few select vineyards around Columbia Valley. The second wine was the 2006 Walla Walla Valley Syrah ($39.99) made from 100 percent syrah sourced from Walla Walla Valley.

They both looked so good and I couldn’t decide. So why not try one of each?

I was in charge of the main course and I knew I’d need something big and bold to stand up to these syrahs. It was the perfect opportunity to try a recipe from Morton’s The Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2009), which I’d received for review last year. There were great-looking recipes to choose from, but I decided on the spice-rubbed Rancher’s Rib-eye Steak recipe served with au jus. The cookbook suggested an Australian shiraz as the perfect pairing, but our Washington syrahs certainly stood up to the dish.

Of course I couldn’t help but tinker with the original recipe. I decided to marinate all of the meat overnight in red wine (I chose to sacrifice a less expensive California blend of grenache, syrah and mouvedre for the marinade) along with shallots, thyme, salt and pepper, before applying the spice rub and following the cookbook recipe.

And as usual, the wine really added that extra element that put the meal over the top. We started with the Lagniappe syrah because I guessed the addition of viognier would make it slightly lighter and softer than the Walla Walla wine. The Lagniappe was a beautiful dark maroon color in the glass with aromas of cigar box, leather, smoke, currant, cranberry and black pepper.

The wine had both the intensity, spiciness of syrah with an elegant floral character coming from the viognier. It was a really lovely wine I’ll definitely buy again.

Both of the syrahs were excellent with the steaks, but the Walla Walla syrah was probably a better match because it was the bigger wine of the two. It was deeper in color, with more dark fruits coming through on the aroma like plum and blackberry. It had a great black pepper kick, a lovely dusty earth quality, and was fuller in body but still smooth and dry with a long finish. These syrahs were a one-two knockout from Gramercy.

RANCHER’S RIB-EYE STEAK

(Serves 6)

1/2 cup ancho chile powder or pure chili powder
1/2 cup mild paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Six 16-ounce aged rib-eye steaks, each about 11⁄2 inches thick
6 tablespoons au jus (optional)

In a mixing bowl, stir together the chile powder, paprika, salt, sugar, and pepper. Transfer to a large, shallow glass or ceramic pan. You will have about 11⁄2 cups of rancher’s rub.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator about 40 minutes before cooking. Lay the steaks, one at a time, in the dish and press the rancher’s rub into each side of the steaks to cover completely. Remove the steaks and lightly pound each 4 to 5 times on both sides with a meat mallet or small heavy skillet to soften but not flatten more than a little. (I also added a second layer of the rancher’s rub at this point). Discard any remaining seasoning in the pan. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 35 minutes.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the broiler and position a rack 4 inches from the heating element. The coals should be medium-hot for the charcoal grill. The burners should be on high for the gas grill.
Grill or broil for about 8 minutes. Turn using tongs and cook the other side for 8 to 9 minutes for medium-rare, or until desired degree of doneness. To serve, spoon some of the au jus over the steaks, if desired.

AU JUS

(Makes about 1 generous cup)

1 cup reconstituted store-bought veal demi-glace
2 1/2 teaspoons commercial beef base (I found a ready-made veal/beef demi-glace sauce at Publix Greenwise which I used instead of two separate bases)
1 1/4 teaspoons commercial chicken base
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups water with the demi-glace, beef base, chicken base, peppercorns, garlic powder, thyme, bay leaf, and white pepper. Whisk well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook at a boil, uncovered, whisking occasionally, for about 25 minutes, or until glossy and smooth.

Strain through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Discard the solids. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until chilled. Scrape off any fat that has congealed on the surface. Use right away or transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

(Recipes from “Morton’s The Cookbook”)

DESSERT COURSE: PEACHES AND LAVENDER DREAMS
By (Sweet) Libby Volgyes

I eagerly volunteered for the dessert course. I scoured the stores and asked my Twitter friends for recommendations before settling on the Apex II Late-Harvest Semillon ($9.99 at Total Wine for 375 ml bottle). By doing a bit of research, I learned it would likely have aromas and tastes of apricots and honey.

Of course, it’s not apricot season — so I settled on peaches. I decided to make peach cobbler. At the last minute, I found a really interesting recipe for honey lavender ice cream. The honey would play up the wine’s flavors — and the lavender? Well, I just wanted an excuse to use my homegrown lavender.

I must mention that all of this pairing and planning was not done without a good deal of consternation. I wanted it to be absolutely perfect.

The cobbler was a piece of cake, er, cobbler, I suppose. I found the recipe on epicurious.com and threw in an extra cup or two of frozen apricots and some blackberries. The ice cream had all the potential to be a disaster. I had forgotten to freeze my ice cream bowl the night before, so I wound up just freezing it in a stainless steel bowl and mixing it up a couple of times every hour or two. It did manage to set up (miracles!) and was so light and sophisticated I was glad I didn’t give up.

The wine, it turns out, smelled more strongly of peaches than apricots, although both fruits were present. It had a rich, honeyed aroma that reminded me of a great sauternes.

And how did they pair? At the table, it was quiet for the first time that night.

HONEY LAVENDER ICE CREAM

(Makes 1 quart)

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup mild honey
2 tablespoons dried edible lavender flowers (I used fresh lavender flowers from my garden)
2 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt

Bring cream, half-and-half, honey and lavender just to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove pan from heat. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes. (Sweet’s note: unless you love lavender, I recommend steeping for only 15-20 minutes)

Pour cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard lavender. Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and heat over moderate heat until hot.

Whisk together eggs and salt in a large bowl, then add 1 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour into remaining hot cream mixture in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170° to 175° on a thermometer, about 5 minutes. (Do not let boil.)

Pour custard through sieve into cleaned bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

(Recipe from epicurious.com, originally published in “Gourmet,” September 2003)