We have missed our friend Matt and we want him to know how special he is to us.

So, we invite him to our house for dinner. No fatted calf mooing in the pantry. So, I’ll make filet mignon. With bacon, baby.

And for a special friend, I decant a special wine, the 2010 Grand Detour pinot noir from Landmark Vineyards in Sonoma, an elegant shift from the beefy Zinfandel or hefty Cab you might expect with filet. This thoughtfully crafted pinot plays perfectly with the salad as well as the beef, carrying us happily home to a dessert of lush, ripe strawberries and blueberries.

Expect a well-balanced blend of berries and plums. The wine is soft and round, with pleasing, earthy and slightly spicy notes. The finish is silky and lingering. Hmm. This also would be luscious with lamb.

Grand Detour gets a big thumbs up from my husband and Matt, too. Expect to pay about $35 for a bottle for this approachable, food-friendly special-occasion red. (Don’t forget, a special occasion can happen at any time!)

Written off red meat? Grand Detour would swim nicely with wild salmon or an assertive mushroom dish.

If you fancy a white, Landmark’s 2010 Overlook Chardonnay is a classy choice, with notes of fresh bread, citrus, vanilla and peach. Expect creamy tones, not too much oak and a huggable price point of about $20.