Red Meat

California's Napa Valley tends to produce a much different style of zinfandel than fruit from Sonoma County or other parts of the state. This offering from Ravenswood is an excellent example, with its hints of raspberrry, vanilla and spices. Some zins "shock and awe" the palate; this one seduces it. It's racy rather than rumbling. There's something to be said for each style. It's fully ready to drink now, and the wine's finish is long and smooth. Serve with roast poultry, pasta and red meat.

For this month's Make Over My Meal came a novel subject -- the man who never eats in. "I eat out 21 meals a week, 52 weeks a year, year in and year out," real-estate lawyer Stuart Kaplow wrote to us. "And no, I never do takeout." Working hard and playing hard are firmly in Kaplow's repertoire. But cooking? Not so much. He says he doesn't generally bring food into his Brooklandville home. Nor does he set foot in grocery stores. Late-night munch-ies? Because he likes to be ready to wake up early, that's not a problem.

It's hard not to stare. The piece of meat is thick as a Baltimore phone book, wide as a pie tin and shaped like a human heart. It's got a presence on the dinner plate, on the table, perhaps even the room. It challenges: Go ahead, eat, take your best shot. Some people have dogs that don't weigh this much.You need a moment to absorb the 3-pound mass of this Porterhouse steak, not to mention the notion that soon this steak will be consumed and followed by another just like it. Chew on this thought: two 48-ounce steaks eaten in one sitting by a man not playing in the National Football League.

As summer's warm weather and long days lead inexorably to parties, so parties lead to varying degrees of terror. Whether it's a bridal or baby shower, a graduation celebration, a retirement party, a first Communion or a confirmation, even a confident cook may quake at the prospect of preparing a meal for a small crowd.But giving a party needn't be a traumatic event. We've talked to a variety of party-givers to construct a master menu that's easy to prepare and designed to appeal to a broad range of guests.

1995 Codice Rioja, Bodegas Sierra Cantabria ($8).This Spanish red wine is a mind-boggling value. It has all the structure, fruit, length and complexity you could hope to find in a wine three times its price. It offers exquisite flavors of blackberry, vanilla, red meat and white pepper. Though it goes down wonderfully now, it could still improve for the next five years at least. No wine lover will regret buying this wine by the case.Pub Date: 1/11/98@

1995 Cecchi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($12).This medium-bodied Tuscan red wine offers penetrating black cherry and Italian herb flavors and racy acidity that never crosses the line into volatility. It's made in a style that is perfectly suited for serving with pasta, chicken or red meat. Drink it now or keep it for two or three years.Pub Date: 9/02/98

Because of incorrect information provided to The Sun, the safe cooking temperatures for red meat and poultry were reversed in yesterday's Tidbits column in the A La Carte section. Ground beef should be cooked to 160 degrees, and whole poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees.The Sun regrets the error.Fudge in your tummy, song in your heartAre you ready for low-fat fudge? It's new at the Fudgery, now on the first level of Harborplace's Light Street Pavilion. Even if fudge ($4.99 a half pound)

In the battle to cut down on fatty foods, I've won some and lost some. I've been able to let go of French fries with no problem; I can watch the dessert cart sail by without jumping out of my seat. But I still find it hard to fight my craving for a succulent, juicy, rosy-rare filet or chop.So, I've been searching for the meat-lover's holy grail: a red meat that's lean and tender, high in protein, low in fat and delicious whether simply grilled or embellished with an elaborate sauce.Though it took a trip halfway around the world, I finally found it: venison.

MARYLAND DEMOCRATS apparently believe the Second Congressional District may be their best chance for unseating an incumbent, hoping that dissatisfaction with Newt Gingrich has softened support for one of the House speaker's star pupils, Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.State Republicans, however, have long had their eyes on another district that they think is ripe for the taking: the Fifth District seat held for eight terms by Rep. Steny H. Hoyer.Even before the '94 Republican revolution, GOP leaders sensed that Mr. Hoyer was vulnerable.

THERE WAS A time when I generally avoided any restaurant you couldn't drive through. That was when the kids were small. That was when, in my mind, a successful dining experience meant nothing was spilled, stained or broken. For the kids, it meant the entree came with a toy.Now the family attitude toward restaurant dining has changed. The kids, 15 and 11, are fans of eating in "real" restaurants. They like the idea of going to a place where you sit down, where a waiter serves you. And where Dad picks up the bill.

This lush, ripe red wine from the hills of Sicily is surprisingly supple and elegant. Though it has exquisite concentration and powerful blackberry and chocolate and game flavors, it's more balanced than blockbuster. Easily drinkable now, I see no point in holding it beyond three years. 2008 Tenuta Rapitala Campo Reale Nero d'Avola From: Sicily Price: $13.50 Serve with: Hearty pasta, red meat

2006 Concannon Petite Sirah, Limited Release From: Central Coast, Calif. Price: $15 Serve with: Red meat, game Concannon is one of the recognized masters of petite sirah, a red varietal whose quality is increasingly recognized in California. This wine once again shows why. It's full-bodied, with a great tannin backbone that's concealed by lush fruit. There's appealing blackberry, coffee, chocolate and earth flavors. Think of a vintage port without the sweetness.

2007 The Other From: Lodi, Calif. Price: $16 Serve with: Red meat, hearty pasta dishes Despite its velvety veneer, this lush, concentrated red wine from Peirano Estate Vineyards packs a real punch. It's a palate-grabbing blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah with a whopping 15.8 percent alcohol concealed under ripe blackberry fruit and portlike flavors. This isn't a wine for delicate European palates, but those who appreciate a big California-style red will love it. -

2006 Bin 36 Cabernet Sauvignon From: Central Coast, Calif. Price: $18 Serve with: Red meat, pasta The Bin 36 on this label is a well-known Chicago restaurant, which is producing this line of wines in conjunction with California's Hahn Estates. The Bin 36 wines - chardonnay, merlot, syrah and cabernet - all appear to have been made with restaurant consumption in mind. That can be either positive or negative, depending on the results in the glass. In this case, the cabernet comes up as a real winner because of the purity of the fruit and the intensity of the black-cherry fruit.

2007 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel From: California Price: $10 Serve with: Pizza, pasta, red meat Here's a widely available, affordable zinfandel that provides a load of simple pleasure. It's a medium-bodied, smooth red wine with bright flavors of black cherry and blueberry, finished with lively acidity. If you're looking for a blockbuster zin or a paragon of complexity, this isn't your wine. But if what you're looking for is value, and a simple red to share with friends, it's a great bet.

Tendency to text makes roads deadly Dan Rodricks usually nails the important topics in his columns. Sadly, Sunday's column "Confessions of a texting-while-driving addict" (Commentary, March 29) was not just unworthy of him but may encourage negligent behavior with far-reaching consequences. I, for one, am happy not to know Mr. Rodricks personally and have to worry about being in his car while he's texting-while-driving. I am also happy not to be his insurance agent. But as a driver who shares the roads with Mr. Rodricks, I do worry that he, or those like him, will cause me and my loved ones to have a major car accident because of their self-centered need to text rather than attend to their driving.

I am a 64-year-old office worker, overweight, a recent veteran of a triple bypass operation and a recovering red meat addict. Every day I crave the stuff - sausages, Big Macs, New York strip steaks, cheese steaks, bologna, hot dogs, chili - you name it and if it's red meat, I love it. My doctors have warned me, my wife has pleaded and still I yearn for red meat. Each time I slip and eat the stuff, I tell myself that it's not that bad, that my normal diet is generally healthy - oatmeal for breakfast, a salad for lunch and chicken or fish with veggies for dinner.

2007 Evil Cabernet Sauvignon From: Southeast Australia Price: $12 Serve with: Red meat, pasta This medium-bodied, nonvintage red wine is a blend of seven red-wine varietals - from the well-known cabernet sauvignon to the less-well-known carignane. (Its white counterpart is a comparably charming and identically priced seven-grape melange.) The red wine is well-balanced, fruity, ready to drink now - with flavors of blackberry, black pepper, cherry, vanilla and smoked meat. It finishes with good acidity and finds a good middle ground between simplicity and snootiness.

When President Herbert Hoover promised a chicken in every pot, he probably had some insight into the future of Maryland's poultry industry. Maryland ranks eighth among states in broilers produced each year and 12th in total pounds of chicken production. With sales of about $535 million in 2006, poultry production is by far the largest segment of Maryland agriculture. Sales of chickens account for about a third of farm sales in the state. The industry's impact on the regional economy is huge.

2004 Raymond Reserve Merlot From: Napa Valley, Calif. Price: $24 Serve with: Roast turkey, red meat For about two decades, I have been a nonfan of Raymond. The chardonnays have been too oaky, the reds undistinguished. What a surprise then to open this merlot and find a complex, structured, full-bodied, penetrating red wine that hits all the right notes. Its chocolate, black-cherry and sweet oak flavors are pure and pleasing. It has enough backbone to cellar for five to eight years but is quite drinkable now.