This classic braise, adapted from Stone Edge Farm Cookbook ($60; stoneedgefarm.com), tastes even more flavorful made a day ahead, and chilling makes it easier to discard the fat. For the cooking wine, McReynolds believes that quality matters: “Certainly above $5 a bottle but maybe not $85,” he jokes. He serves the ribs with steamed potatoes, carrots glazed in herb butter, watercress, and a rémoulade salad.
Recipe: Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs
Pairing: Choose Stone Edge Farm Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (Sonoma Valley, $85) for its cassis, black pepper, and intense but polished sweet tannins, or Punch Vineyards 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon ($35).