The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

This weekend is Spring Release. Get out and sample the newest wines offered by our local winemakers during this international event. You might even be surprised to find a celebrity elbow to elbow in the tasting rooms. One spring release I had musician Boz Scaggs belly-up to the bar at Wildberries Café a Vin, where a bar of wild winos enjoyed the pouring of an aromatic Saviah Cellars, Syrah, a wine I will get back to later in the column.

In the meantime, the farming news is that Corn will have plenty of low ground moisture during the summer months across the Midwest and here locally. If you are committed to the field and garden, you'll be happy with the smattering of summer moisture as predicted, rejuvenating the earth and our garden vegetables. Also recognized is the recent trend in Agri' advertising, written columns in farming journals, news- papers and radio farm talk shows, who's orators have steered recent topic of conversation in the direction of genetically modified seeds and feed that has flooded the market, left to destroy the chromosomes and genetic structure of the world's food, wool and cotton products.

At a recent NAMA convention, (National Agri-Marketing Association) a record attendance of young graduates from American Agri' institutes attended the event. These well-ed- ucated youths spoke openly about greening the globe. In fact, so much was said that Monsanto representatives, who also attended the convention could be heard earshot from where I was standing, asking the young farmers to join a think tank with the old Monsanto guard to try and turn around the GMO producing division of the company that partners so closely with the worlds food chain and textile producers. "Hip-Hip- Hooray." Maybe writers like me who've remained committed to the field will find some relief in exposing this most difficult part of the green movement. I'll keep you posted.

OK, back to local winery Saviah Cellars, where I recently sampled winemaker/owner Richard Funk's newest Syrah, appropriately named, "The Funk." This vintage is an estate syrah red wine. If you love the highly spiced profile of the syrah grape naturally marbled in a grating of sassafras spice, then this could possibly be the wine for you.

Wine pairing notes start with first swirl; nose buried deep in the glass, a profusion of punched grapy fruits opens the senses. With first sip, broad strokes paint the mouth and cheeks in grated whole allspice, a lingering layer of cedar swipes the tongue in a long "scrummy" finish. If interested in this wine and other wines by Saviah Cellars, call for times open and Spring Release events @ 509-520-5166.

Readers, until next week, "Eat Art, Drink Imagination!"

Braised Short Ribs in Syrah Glaze

½-pound cooked and chopped bacon (save fat)

1-teaspoon each: rosemary, oregano, parsley chopped

1-sweet onion 1-carrot 1-celery chopped well

1 ½-cups syrah red wine

1-cup beef stock

1-tablespoon local honey

Braise ingredients above in bacon fat; reduce by half; strain all and re-reduce sauce to just 1-cup. Drizzle sauce over warm pre-prepared ribs, creamy polenta and steamed spring asparagus paired with Saviah Cellars 2011 Funk Syrah. Hear Judith's food and wine commentary and Moveable Feast selections @chefjudithhenderson.com.