A big, gutsy Zin like Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma County 2010 is perfect for a lasagna, pasta with a meat sauce or rich braised short ribs, veal shanks (oso bucco), and various stews. The big briary, lipsmacking blackberry flavors goes well with these flavors. Here’s a recipe for a nice winter dish, braise beef short ribs served with a celery-done-two-ways side dish we found in Bon Apetit Magazine

Daniel Boulud’s Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine with Celery Duo
yield: Makes 8 servings
Chef Boulud says that the success of this dish rests on browning the short ribs well at the beginning of cooking the dish to get the best flavors.
Ingredients
•    3 bottles dry red wine
•    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•    8 short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
•    Salt and crushed black peppercorns
•    Flour, for dredging
•    8 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, split, rinsed and dried
•    2 medium-sized carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
•    2 ribs of celery, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
•    1 medium-sized leek (white and light-green parts), coarsely chopped, washed and dried
•    10 cloves of garlic, peeled
•    6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
•    2 bay leaves and 2 thyme sprigs
•    2 tablespoons tomato paste
•    3 quarts unsalted beef broth
•    Freshly ground white pepper
Preparation
1. Pour the wine into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When the wine is hot, carefully set it aflame. Let the flames die out, then increase the heat so that the wine boils; allow it to boil until it cooks down by half. Remove from the heat.
2. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F.
3. Warm the oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and the crushed pepper. Dust half of the ribs with about 1 tablespoon flour. Then, when the oil is hot, slip the ribs into the pot and sear 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until well-browned. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat with remaining ribs. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot, lower the heat under the pot to medium and toss in the vegetables and herbs. Brown the vegetables lightly, 5 to 7 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine, ribs and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and place in the oven to braise for 2 1/2 hours or until the ribs are very tender. Every 30 minutes, skim and discard fat from the surface. (It’s best to make the recipe to this point, cool and chill the ribs and broth in the pan overnight; scrape off the fat the next day. Rewarm before continuing.)
5. Carefully transfer the meat to a platter; keep warm. Boil the pan liquid until it has reduced to 1 quart. Season with salt and white pepper and pass through a fine strainer; discard the solids. (The ribs and sauce can be combined and kept covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently, basting frequently, on top of the stove or in a 350°F oven.)
6. To serve, spoon the celery root puree into the center of 8 plates and top each with a short rib. Cross 2 pieces of braised celery over each serving. Pour the sauce onto the plate around the puree.

Celery Duo
Ingredients
Celery Root Puree:
•    4 cups whole milk and 4 cups water
•    2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
•    2 pounds celery root, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
•    1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in half
•    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
•    Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Braised Celery:
•    2 bunches celery
•    1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•    1 carrot and 1 turnip, peeled, trimmed and quartered
•    Salt and freshly ground white pepper
•    2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth
Preparation
For Celery Root Puree:

1.Place the milk, water, salt, celery root, and potatoes in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Lower the heat; simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes; drain and return them to the pan.
2.Place the pan over low heat to cook off excess moisture; transfer the vegetables to a food processor. Add the butter, then puree until just smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
For Braised Celery

1. Trim the bottom of each celery bunch (make sure the ribs remain together); then measure 5 inches up from the bottom and cut off the celery tops at that point (you’ll be using the bottom end). Remove and discard the 3 or 4 tough outer ribs. Remove any stringy parts with a vegetable peeler; cut each bunch of celery lengthwise into quarters.
2. Warm the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, turnip and celery quarters; season with salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.
3. Adjust the heat so that the broth simmers steadily. Cook the vegetables for about 25 minutes or until they are very tender and the liquid is nearly gone. You should have tender vegetables lightly glazed with the broth. Remove and discard the carrots and turnips. Serve the celery immediately.