Fighting the SADs

Winter may be gloomy, but these food-wine pairings will cheer you up By [Josh Perilo] Until very recently, I had never understood the idea of â??snowbirds, that group of (usually) elderly folks who are retired, yet not old enough to have their kids throw them in a home. Like a true ignorant â??young person, I always looked at this activity as a waste of time, money and energy's in addition to the fact that I can"t think of any place I"d like to spend my time less than Florida. No offense to any Florida natives. It"s just not for me. Then, suddenly and without warning, I woke up one January morning and decided I was completely over winter. This was incredibly disconcerting to me. Winter had always been my favorite season; I loved the idea of being holed up inside with warm drinks, warm food and a stack of quilts and comforters. Now, instead, those feelings of contentment and coziness were being replaced with pangs of anxiety, loathing and depression. I searched desperately to remember what it was about winter that I had always loved. Was it the isolation? Was it the quietude of the post-holiday hush that fell over the city? Was it the wardrobe? I realized, after much soul searching, that the main thing that I always came back to was the food. In that category, winter has every other season beat! Roasts, braises and bakesâ?¦these are the building blocks of any great winter cuisine. I knew that in order to get through the rest of this latest bout of the cold weather blues, I needed to fire up my oven and get to cooking some feel-good grub. And, of course, match those comfort vittles with the right styles of wine. So, today, I would like to offer those of you out there who are also in need of some food therapy a couple ideas for wine pairings with some of the greatest winter dishes in the land. One of my favorite things to make on any Friday night is also one of the easiest. A simple roast chicken is something that anyone who has an oven can make, no matter what level of kitchen experience he has. I prepare mine as simply as possible, with carrot, onion, celery and half of a lemon stuffed into the cavity. Trussed and rubbed with olive oil then seasoned with salt and pepper, this bird always comes out juicy and succulent. The classic pairing for this classic dish is an oaky California chardonnay, like the Arcadian Vineyard â??Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay 2007 ($33.99 at Astor Wines, 399 Lafayette St. at E. 4th St., 212-674-7500). Even if you aren"t a natural-born â??oaky wine fan, the buttery notes of the chicken match amazingly well with those of the wine, canceling each other out and pointing up more subtle flavors in both. No discussion of winter food is complete without a tip of the hat to my absolute favorite thing to make's not just in the winter, but perhaps ever: braised short ribs. There is, quite simply, nothing better than this. The cut is inexpensive and you don"t need a ton of ingredients to make this dish sing. Onion, celery, carrot and about half a bottle of cheap red wine and you are good to go. The longer you let it cook, the better. Naturally, the best wine for this dish is also a red. But I like to forgo the expected cabernet sauvignon and instead grab a bottle of the underrated carmenere. Carmenere is a grape that originated in the Bordeaux region but is now grown primarily in Chile. The Vina Montes Carmenere Alpha 2007 ($18.99 at Yorkshire Wines and Spirits, 1646 1st Ave. at 85th St., 212-717-5100) is a great example of this fantastic grape. The ribs present dark and rich flavors, from the caramelized note of the onions to the earthy flavor of the crust on the meat itself. Carmenere is a wine that has equally deep and dark flavor notes's coffee, chocolate and earth are typical flavors, and the two are a match made in heaven. So fire up the stove, pour yourself a glass and eat yourself happy till spring! Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshperilo.