The Sizzle – a Culinary Collaboration of Sriracha and Wine

What does the Godfather of Zin and an artisanal chili sauce producer have in common? Let’s just call it the sizzle, which is similar to the feeling when Joel is in the room.

California’s Ravenswood Winery has partnered with Brooklyn, NY’s Jolene

Collins, who handcrafts all natural small batch sriracha from locally grown peppers, to create two custom wine-friendly sauces, one made with Old Vine Zin, and one made with Petite Sirah.

Don’t let Jolene’s sweet appearance fool you, however. Her sauces pack serious red-faced nasal clearing eye-watering Asian style heat, which is somewhat ameliorated with the addition of the deeply and very lusciously fruity red wines.

Grilled rib eye or flank steak would do the pairing trick nicely, though brave heat-loving souls may want to try this sizzling sauce with popcorn. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though. Each 6.4 oz jar of jojo’s sriracha is $14 but at the Sonoma winery’s website they are co-packed with a bottle of the matching wine for a special promotional price of $22, a very good deal.

Author and Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis with Ravenswood winemaker Joel Peterson