Well, it has been a while… Time to pull up my boots and get back in the saddle.

Pairing: Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin with a New York State Frontenac Noir.

Food: Pork Tenderloin [the ‘other white meat’] is a very versatile protein. It can be prepared in a variety of ways and served with a variety of wines. For this meal, we rubbed the meat with ‘Berbere,’ a spice blend from Ethiopia, and let it mellow while other ingredients were prepared. Coleslaw is fine on a Summer evening and fingerling potatoes take about 20 minutes to roast in a hot oven. The meat was pan-seared on all sides, but it could have been grilled.

Wine: This grape was developed at the University of Minnesota. In their quest for cold-hearty wine-grapes, they crossed Landot Noir 4511, and Vitis riparia UMN 89. When the grape was released to the public in 1996, it was dubbed ‘Frontenac’ after an early administrator of colonial New France. This vine will tolerate temperatures down to -30F! The grape is used to produce hearty red [‘noir’] wines, but Frontenac has hybridized to produce a ‘gris’ or ‘blanc’ grape, yielding a white wine. Our wine is from Thousand Islands Winery in Alexandria Bay, New York, a gift from the dear sister who lives in the Saint Lawrence River Valley.

Tasting Notes: The color is very dark red — almost black. The nose is difficult to describe — is that plum? or dark berries mixed with strawberries? Definitely sweet and ripe. The palate is lush and fruity: purple plums, black fruits, notes of strawberry. Towards the end of the glass, it was like sitting on the porch in Summer eating fresh, sweet Concord grapes. This makes it sound like a sweet wine, but we found it to be just right.

Pairing: The Frontenac paired perfectly with every element of the meal.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Pork Tenderloin: Rosé (Provence), Vernaccia (Tuscany), Verdicchio (Marche, Italy), Sauvignon Blanc (California)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Frontenac noir: Chicken Fajitas, Duck Confit, Pâté and Terrines, rich stews, game, roasted meats.

Maps and Views of the Saint Lawrence Wine Region: There are many wineries on both sides of the Saint Lawrence River Valley — in New York State, in Canada’s Quebec Province — where the cold-loving Frontenac grape is right at home.