Here, an abundance of free-flowing freshwater springs support hundreds of thousands of olive and fruit trees and date palms, which also shade and cool the valley's mudbrick villages as they rest concealed in the greenery.
The lighter examples from Oregon and Burgundy were a touch too delicate for the steak, but the velvety-textured 2010 Arista Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir, from California's cool Anderson Valley, overperformed, with a bright bolt of acidity balancing all its rich, ripe fruit.