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RayLen winemaker Steve Shepard describes this red as "round and open textured...balanced with ripe cherry and pomegranate. The finish is firm with spicy yet silky tannins and hints of bittersweet chocolate."

RayLen considers its Syrah - in this case Shepard has adopted the Aussie monicker of Shiraz - as North Carolina's ideal Lexington-style barbecue wine pairing.

With that in mind, we took a different twist on the concept with this slow-cook dish.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 large garlic cloves—2 minced, 2 halved

1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus four 3-inch-long strips of zest

One 6 1/2-pound boneless pork butt

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brandy

1 bunch of scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths

2 tablespoons coarsely cracked rock candy or granulated sugar

Steamed rice, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the five-spice with the salt, minced garlic and grated orange zest. Place the pork fat side down on a work surface and open up the meat. Rub all over with the spice mixture and fold up the meat.

Set the pork fat side up in a large roasting pan. Add the halved garlic, orange zest strips, soy sauce, brandy, scallions, sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder to the pan along with 1 1/2 cups of water. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 325° and bake for 45 minutes, basting twice. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 45 minutes longer, basting twice, until the pork is richly glazed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 175°. Transfer the pork to a carving board, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Strain the pan juices into a saucepan; skim off the fat. Boil over high heat until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 6 minutes. Slice the pork and serve with the pan juices and rice