Home >Wine Store >Enkidu Odyssey Syrah

Maraschino cherry, herbs, menthol, walnuts and rosemary.

Winemaker and owner Philip Staehle makes wines of distinction and personality focused on varieties of the Northern Rhône Valley and Burgundy. After working in various roles with other notable wine producers, he started Enkidu. He says he wanted to "return to working with my hands, to use all my senses, and to live according to the seasons of the year." He takes a non-interventionist, minimalist approach that maximizes the expression of the fruit from the three acre Odyssey Vineyard in the cooler part of the Russian River Valley.

Lamb and beef pair especially well with Syrah, whose intense flavors, plump texture and considerable tannins is well balanced by richly marbled steaks, roasts and chops. For seasonings, take inspiration from the wine's pepper and spice notes, and play these up in a rub, marinade or sauce. The ripe fruit of the Enkidu will nicely complement sweet-and-savory accompaniments, such as roasted fruits (peaches, plums, apples) and mild chutneys. A pork roast with a crisp, crackling skin and lots of dried fruit in the stuffing, or lamb chops with tomato jam and fresh mint, would be superb. If you want to keep it simple, make my Grilled Lamb Chops, which incorporate my Herbes de Napa.

Enkidu refers to the hero warrior fashioned from clay by a goddess, from the epic poem Gilgamesh, the oldest known work of fiction.