Winery Adventure: Special New Year's Edition!

Readers will (or perhaps won't :) remember that Mock Turtle and I have a long-standing New Year's tradition of visiting a new wine region, tasting, and generally having fun bringing in the New Year together. This year was no exception, and on New Year's Day we headed up to Healdsburg, CA at the edge of Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley appellation to see how many tasting rooms we could find open.

We quickly gave up on the wineries outside of town, and parked near the little Healdsburg Plaza to walk around and see what we could find. We wandered into Thumbprint Cellars - an elegant, art-filled tasting room that was a perfect setting for tasting some lovely wines. The 2009 Reisling and Viognier were each floral, dry and pleasant, although I think I would have enjoyed a little crisper acidity in each of them. I particularly enjoyed the 2008 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. It had a cherry nose, with notes of red currant, tobacco and cocoa powder. I loved the balance.

We also tasted the 2007 Alexancer Valley Syrah, with a velvety mouth feel and notes of cassis and dried cherries, the 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel with flavors of black cherry, nutmeg and chocolate covered blueberries, and the 2007 Alexander Valley Cabernet, with an earthy nose and notes of cassis, blueberry and dark chocolate.

The folks at Thumbprint sent us down to Camellia Cellars, where we got a chance to taste some older wines. The 2001 Sangiovese had an earthy nose with notes of tobacco and cherry. The 2006 Zinfandel had notes of black cherry and cassis with some black pepper, and I thought it would pear nicely with a bolognese sauce. The 2002 Cab was very smooth, with notes of mushrooms, cassis, cocoa in the finish. I wanted a pot roast with it. My favorite was the 2002 Diamo Grazie, a blend of Sangiovese, Cab, Cab Franc and Petit Sirah - a very nicely balanced wine with notes of cigar box and currant. If you visit, say hi to Brett!

Longboard Vineyards was a great find. I loved every wine we tasted, and plan to return with friends. With seven wines to taste, I'll just hit the highlights: The 2008 Chardonnay was the standout of the whites. This was a beautiful wine, richly flavored yet only lightly oaked with just a bit of butter and hints of pie spice in the finish. We also loved the 2008 Dakine Merlot, composed of 82% Merlot and 18% Malbec. I really tasted the Malbec - it lent lots of "blue" notes, and the wine was spicy and balanced. We wanted to pair it with smoked turkey!

We had the added plus of being able to chat at length with winemaker Oded Shakked as he poured for us. He told us about his love of Syrah and his desire to build more of a Syrah following in Sonoma County. I think he has a good shot at it, in light of how lovely the two Syrahs we tasted were! The 2006 Russian River Dakine Vineyard Syrah (90% Syrah, the rest a blend of Rhone varietals that I didn't write down) had a mushroomy nose, notes of blueberry and cedar, with black pepper and some sort of baking spice that I don't bake enough to be able to discern. We wanted a big steak with it! The 2006 Sonoma Coast Rodger's Creek Syrah had a deeper color and darker fruit than the Dakine - earthy, spicy, velvety with notes of cigar box, blackberry and a hint of custard in the finish. Beautiful!

Go visit Longboard. And say hello to Oded!

Last stop of the day was Topel Winery. Once again, there were a large number of wines to taste, so I'll just mention my favorites. I particularly enjoyed the 2007 St. Helena Battuello Vineyard Cabernet with notes of leather and dried cherries. It was just released, an I'd like to go back to see how it develops. Another favorite was the 2006 Le Mariage bordeaux blend - it had a soft mouth feel with notes of blackberry and black pepper. Quite lovely. Interesting honorable mention goes to the 2006 Topel Estate Syrah Noir (a Syrah clone), with lots of black fruit, blueberry, white pepper and a hint of chocolate.

MT and I rounded out our tasting weekend with one more stop the next day to Audelssa, very close to my home. The tasting room was elegant and uncrowded, providing lots of opportunity for conversation, and the wines were lovely as well. Here are the highlights: First was the 2008 Sonoma County Chardonnay with a tropical fruit nose, and hints of citrus, white peach, pineapple, and a custard finish. Nice acidity, very nicely balanced. Then came the 2007 Zephyr - a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) with notes of black cherry, leather, cassis, plum and cocoa in the finish. This was a big favorite! The 2007 Alder Springs Merlot had hints of black cherry, plum and mocha, and I wanted to serve a beef roast with it. The 2007 Tempest was beautiful, 95% Syrah, earthy, spicy, notes of pepper and cassis. Finally, the 2007 Reserve Cabernet was lovely, smooth and balanced with notes of leather and candied cherries. We loved these wines, and I look forward to returning. If you visit, say hello to Andy!

That's the report from this year's New Years Wine Weekend! Some great finds here in Sonoma County!

Planting Party & Wine Tasting

As I have reported in the past, CornerStone in Sonoma is a fun collection of gardens, wine tasting rooms and shops focused on design. An added plus is the frequent community events they host, such as this weekend's Fall Planting Party.

So I showed up looking forward to creating a pot full of bulbs that will brighten up the little balcony of my new home! The event featured a lovely (and well priced!) selection of bulbs, planting pots, and CornerStone's own horticulturist, Dawn who assisted participants in creating our own pots full of bulbs that will bloom from late winter through spring, year after year.

So I headed off to visit my friend Tom at Potter Green & Co., and selected a beautiful celadon colored pot for my bulbs, plus some worm casings for fertilizer. Then I came to the Planting area.

I selected a variety of bulbs - some narcissus, some tulips, some crocuses and muscari and anenomes - and brought them over to a work table to build my planter.

I added rocks on the bottom, soil and fertilizer, and a row of the tallest growing bulbs, some more soil and the shorter bulbs, and then topped the planter of with some violas, since I wanted the instant gratification of Color Right Now. Here is the end result!

But no visit to CornerStone is complete without wine tasting, and the Fall Planting event included complimentary tastings. How great is that? So my first stop was Meadowcroft tasting room, a relatively new addition pouring a selection of wine labels under Meadowcroft's ownership.

I got two free samples, and selected the 2009 Thomas Henry Verdelho, as it was unfamiliar to me. Verdelho is a varietal from Portugal, and this one was grown in Lodi (Borden Ranch AVA). It was floral in the nose, with notes of white peach and a pleasant though not exactly crisp acidity, and I found it quite enjoyable. I also tasted the 2006 Magito Cabernet Blend, with grapes from Chalk Hill and Alexander Valley in Sonoma County. It contained 60% Cab, 20% Merlot and 20% Cab Franc, had a jammy nose, Big Black Cherry flavor and some cassis in the finish. Very nice!

My next stop was the Keating Wines tasting room, also a relatively new addition.

I really enjoyed these wines! First I tasted a 2008 Sonoma Valley Merlot, with a berry nose and notes of red and black cherry and rasberry. I found it young, and dare I say it, a little thin. However, the 2006 Rockpile Malbec was much more impressive - very soft with cherry and blueberry notes. Better still was the 2007 Rockpile Petite Sirah - a rich wine with notes of blackberry, black cherry and cassis. My server John and I thought it would pair beautifully with grilled tri-tip.

Last were two cabs. The recently released 2008 Montecillo Cab was a bit young and tight, with some red current notes. I am curious to see how this wine will develop as it ages. However, I really enjoyed the 2008 Napa Beckstoffer Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon - a 100% cab sourced from the Rutherford appellation which officially hasn't even been released yet. A lovely claret color, an herbaceous nose with hints of eucalyptus, and notes of red current. I really loved this wine, and savored sipping it while I chatted with my server about things to expect from this year's challenging vintage.

All in all, a very enjoyable afternoon of planting, sipping and chatting with friendly folks! And here is the end result of my adventure on my little balcony.

Weekly Winery Adventure: Scribe Winery

My friend and fellow blogger, Bon Vivant, and I had wanted to visit Scribe Winery ever since this spectacular write-up came out in Food & Wine Magazine.  We had our chance recently, when I made us an appointment on a sunny Sunday afternoon.  It was quite a treat!  Here's the story.

The winery and tasting room are located on a little hill overlooking the valley.  

Nora was our server, and she sat us down at a pleasant table and chatted with us while we tasted.  First up was the 2007 Chardonnay with grapes from Carneros.

This was a lovely wine, with a mere suggestion of butter in the nose (it spent 9 mos. in French oak), and notes of tart apple and tangerine, with a hint of lemon in the finish.  We thought it would pair nicely with a creamy, lemony pasta dish, perhaps some rich shellfish - unctuous foods.

Next up was the 2008 Pinot Noir, also from Carneros.

I found red fruit in the nose, and notes of pie cherries, a little white pepper, and blueberry in the finish.  It was quite soft, with a nice mouth feel.  We thought it would pair well with smoked salmon, or roasted poultry.

The next wine was the 2004 Syrah, made of grapes from Atlas Peak.

I noted red fruit and something herbaceous in the nose, flavors of black cherry, blackberry and black pepper.  We thought this wine would stand up to fattier meats - perhaps a leg of lamb, a marbled beef roast, or even pork belly.

Our last wine was the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, also from Atlas Peak.

I enjoyed this wine.  It was velvety, softer and less tannic than the typical Napa Cab, with notes of Big Black Cherry, blackberry, and cassis in the finish.  BV also noted green peppercorn.  We thought the wine would pair particularly well with with braised pork and ancho chiles.

BV and I are trying to convince our fellow Supper Clubbers to attempt to replicate the Scribe pairing meal described in the Food & Wine article.  Stay tuned for that report!

And when you check out Scribe Winery, say hello to Nora!

Wine and Food Pairing Party Redux: Pinot Blancs and Pinot Gris

The Format:

As at my last pairing party, guests and I provided wine and food items.  This time the theme was Pinot Blancs and Pinot Gris or Grigios from around the world.  I wanted to see how these two different varietals compared both with each other, and within their regional examples.  We shared food items which we hoped would pair with one or the other varietal.  Interestingly, several foods paired well with both.

As it happens, these varietals are related.  Pinot Blanc is, in fact, a mutation of Pinot Gris, which is in turn a mutation of Pinot Noir.  Widely cultivated in the Alsace region of France, Pinot Blanc is being produced in a number of other regions, including Monterey County, where our domestic example hales from.  While its profile differs depending on the terroir and winemaking style of its region, Pinot Blanc often produces fairly full bodied wines with higher acidity.  Pinot Gris, also produced in Alsace, has taken hold in a big way in Italy, and of course, in California and Oregon.  Oregon growers such as our example below tend to produce medium-bodied, aromatic wines, while Italian examples tend to be crisp and light-bodied.*

The Wine Lineup:

2007 Graff Family Chalone Pinot Blanc (100% Pinot Blanc, French oak fermented and aged, 14.3% alcohol) – creamy, floral, hint of tangerine, hints of smokiness and something woody

2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot D’Alsace (blend of Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc, biodynamically grown, 13.5% alcohol) – herbal, a bit floral, hints of lemon

2008 Willamette Valley Elk Cove Pinot Gris (stainless steel fermented, 13% alcohol) – tangerine (some said naval orange instead) and green apple, bright acidity, mineral notes

2008 Bivio Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie (100% Pinot Grigio, stainless steel aged, 12.5% alcohol) – meyer lemon, nutty, a bit herbal

2008 Motos Liberty California Pinot Grigio – our bonus opening wine had honeysuckle in the nose, notes of melon, honey, citrus

The Cuisine:

A lovely goat cheese with crackers

A tasty pâté

Prosciutto, Ricotta & Arugula Crostini

Grilled Ahi Tuna

Smoky Citrus Shrimp with Parsley

Sour Cream Herring

The Votes:

As before, our pairing preferences varied in an ever fascinating matter.  However, here are some generalizations.  The Graff Family Pinot Blanc paired particularly well with the ahi and the crostini.  The Zind Pinot d’Alsace was exceptional with the pâté, and was also quite good with the shrimp.  The Elk Cove Pinot Gris was wonderful with the goat cheese, but also stood up well with the ahi, shrimp and crostini.  Finally, the Bivio Pinot Grigio was excellent with both the crostini and the pâté, but complimented almost all the food items nicely.  We all agreed that the sour cream herring – which had been a bit of an experiment on my part – didn’t pair very well with the wines, although the Graff Pinot Blanc handled it better than the others.  There was also a bit of a consensus that the Bivio Pinot Grigio was an excellent food wine, pairing pretty well with all of the food items.

Once again, a fun experiment, and a good time had by all!

*  Wine descriptions come primarily from The Oxford Companion To Wine, Jancis Robinson editor, 2d ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press (1999)

Weekly Winery Adventure: Gundlach Bundschu

Restless on a beautiful weekday afternoon, I decided to head over to Gundlach Bundschu for a tasting.  I’ve had their wines in the past, but had never visited the tasting room, even though it’s minutes from my home.  Well, it turns out it’s an interesting spot.  Their grounds are beautiful, and the winery hosts musical concerts and special events throughout the Summer and Fall.  Visitors with reservations can also take a tour of some of the vineyards and the Barrel Cave (seen below). 

Tito was my server for my tasting, and he had time to chat with me throughout because they weren’t very busy – this is one of the reasons I like tasting mid-week.  Gundlach’s vineyards enjoy cooler weather than that of many vineyards nearby, and I think it shows in all their wines.  Here’s what I tasted:
·    2008 Chardonnay – nicely balanced, pleasantly crisp, and not over-oaked notwithstanding that it is 100% barrel fermented.  I tasted toffee and a hint of tangerine.  I couldn’t get the classic Chardonnay-lobster pairing out of my mind.
·    2008 Tempranillo Rosé – 100% Tempranillo, very dry, and sort of smoky.  Notes of plum and kiwi.
·    2007 Pinot Noir – lovely nose, with hints of red cherry and blueberry.  I wanted a grilled salmon salad with it.
·    2006 Mountain Cuvée – A Bordeaux blend of 70% merlot, 29% cab and 1% petit verdot, with black cherry, spice and dark chocolate in the finish.  Lovely for the price; I bought one.
·    2007 Zinfandel – Tito brought this wine to me blind, and I didn’t guess it was a Zin because it’s not as huge and brash as many other Zins produced nearby, a pleasant contrast.  At first the nose was an explosion of strawberry jam, but in a minute or two, some interesting floral aromas emerged.  I tasted strawberry, black plum and white pepper, a hint of chocolate in the finish.  We discussed pairing it with lasagna or pasta with sausage, or something similar.
 

·    2007 Cabernet Franc – notes of black fruit, coffee, dark chocolate in the finish, nicely balanced.  I wanted a simple grilled steak.

I took the time to wander about the grounds a bit.  Lovely!  Quite pleasant wines, and a beautiful setting.  I suggest you visit!  Bring a picnic and enjoy the scenery!  And be sure to say hi to Tito!

Weekly Winery Adventure: In which we taste some Superb Napa Cabs and a Knock-Your-Socks-Off Cab Franc

My friend and fellow blogger, Bon Vivant, recently scored an invitation to a private tasting at the Napa Wine Company and, lucky me, I got to participate too!  BV had tasted a couple of these wines at JV Wine & Spirits recently, and after her enthusiastic review, I was eager to give them a try.  The wines we tasted were from Hoopes Vineyard, and its sister label, Liparita, produced by the same winemaker, Jason Fisher.  Both labels make well structured 100% Cabernet Sauvignons, sourced from various Napa appellations.  What a taste treat! 

We were greeted by our host, Brian Bowman, who escorted us into the barrel-storage facility at Napa Wine Company, where these wines are made.  Our first sample was the 2006 Liparita Stags Leap District Cabernet.  I tasted black cherry, with hints of chocolate and raspberry, and dreamed of a classic roast beef pairing with it.  Next up was the 2006 Liparita Oakville Cab, also lovely, fascinatingly different from the first wine.  I tasted berries, plum, and a hint of unsweetened chocolate, and craved a braised or even grilled preparation to pair with it.  Next we tasted the 2006 Hoopes Vineyard Oakville Cabernet, with notes of cassis and leather and black pepper, with a hint of vanilla in the finish.   

I simply can’t pick a favorite – I loved them all, though I’d probably pair them with different things.  If I need a reason to return to my early love of Napa Cabs, these wines might do the trick!

Brian also treated us to barrel tastings of the 2008 Liparita Stags Leap Cab (black fruit, blueberry), the 2008 Liparita Yountville Cab (strawberry jam), and 2008 Hoopes Cab (black current, black pepper) – all of which promise to be amazing! 

Back in the tasting room with just a few minutes to spare before our next appointment, we tasted the 2006 Volker Eisele Napa Valley Terzetto, a blend of Cab, Merlot and Cab Franc.  It had lots of currant notes, and BV and I thought it would be The Bomb paired with a Turkey Molé. 

Our next stop was a trip to Sullivan Vineyards, one of BV’s favorites.  I had never visited before, and wasn’t disappointed.

Here is the list of wines we tasted, each one a big hit:

·    2006 Napa Valley Chardonnay – floral, lightly oaked, hints of honey, tangerine, Meyer Lemon
·    2006 Red Ink – a blend of 81% Cab, 19% Merlot, delicious.  I think it would pair wonderfully with the Kobe Beef Burger I had at the Boon Fly Café not long ago.  I bought some.
·    2006 Estate Merlot – big and balanced with eucalyptus notes
·    2007 Right Bank Bland – 75% Cab Franc, 25% Merlot, probably my favorite of the day, delicious currant notes.  I am a huge fan of well-made Cab Francs, and this wine was so big and complex, I gotta say I was blown away.

·    2005 Cabernet – smoky with notes of black cherry and blueberries
·    2005 Coeur de Vigne – delicious Bordeaux blend of 50% Merlot, 37% Cab, 5% Cab Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, with notes of cassis, leather, a hint unsweetend chocolate

Every bit as delightful as the wines themselves was our host, Asa Baird, who regaled us with stories and food pairing tips while he poured the wines.  Thanks Asa!

Winery Adventure – Special (Belated) New Year's Edition

Mock Turtle and I have a long-standing New Year’s tradition of visiting a new (or revisiting an old) wine region, tasting and generally having fun bringing in the New Year. This year’s annual New Year’s Wine Tasting Weekend took place in Napa, close to home for us both. We visited four wineries over the course of the weekend: Nicholson Ranch, Plumpjack, Turnbull, and Peju. (We usually hit more, but the wine tasting was interrupted by Bon Vivant’s fantastic New Year’s Day Karaoke and Bubbly Party! No posts on that topic however; all wild behavior will be kept secret.) One of these four wineries stood out – although it stood out in a mixed manner, as you will see. The grounds and the wines were great, but the wine tasting experience was a mixed bag. But first things first.

Peju Winery in Rutherford is an exceptionally beautiful facility, and the sculpture-filled gardens and the art exhibit are tasteful and elegant. I’m linking to the website’s photo gallery, so you can get a taste (no pun intended, although I like it). Peju Gallery.

And we also loved the wines! It was a generous tasting; we sampled nine wines, and there wasn’t a single one I didn’t find to be quite lovely. A few of them I thought were jaw-droppingly good! In particular, I loved the well-balanced 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, with pear and citrus in the nose, and a fuller mouth-feel than many Sauvs, and grapefruit and pineapple notes. I also loved the 2005 Estate Cabernet Franc Rutherford Reserve, balanced and lush, with notes of spice and leather and plums and cocoa. Wonderful! The 2005 Estate Cabernet Rutherford Reserve was superb as well (Bing cherry, milk chocolate), and honorable mention goes to the 2006 Fifty/Fifty Red with notes of cherries and coffee and a very soft mouth-feel.

However, the tasting setup itself is one I take some exception to (as do many of my local friends, I’ve found). In lieu of one large tasting room, Peju has numerous (I don’t know how many, but I saw at least three) small tasting stations set up for a max of about 8 -12 people, and tastings are done in groups. We actually had to wait in line for 10 or 15 minutes before we were escorted to our tasting area. Once there, the tasting was almost like a small – very basic - wine class, in which all 8 of us tasted each wine together after listening to the server’s comments about it, and the approach seemed to be geared toward folks who are wine novices. Which generally isn’t what I want when I go tasting.

Why does Peju do this? I can but speculate, although it does utilize their lovely space well, and it does enable them to move people through a tasting on a set, predictable schedule. However, MT and I like to linger over our tastings, discussing each wine in excruciating detail (along with discussing the latest movies, fashion, gossip, or whatever else flits across our minds). And we both felt rushed by this tasting experience. Don’t get me wrong; our server, Jeff, was engaging and friendly and well informed about the wines. He also quickly figured out that MT and I were very knowledgeable, and he tried his best to let us take our time, and I have no complaints whatsoever about his excellent service. But the scheduled “roll ‘em up, move ‘em out” tasting format just isn’t my cup of tea, to mix metaphors.

Having said that, I will certainly return to Peju to purchase wines. Nor would I discourage anyone from visiting – again, because the wines are worth it. And I might even consider taking friends there who are perhaps newer to wine, and might enjoy the “wine class” tasting approach.

Weekly Winery Adventure!

Jacuzzi Family Winery is of particular interest to me for at least two reasons:  they focus on Italian wine varietals, which is different and fun, and their farming practices are “natural and sustainable,” which appeals to me.  At a recent Face 2 Face networking event I attended, Harry Miller of Jacuzzi Family Vineyards gave me a Complimentary Tasting card.  So, I brought my dear friend Erica along with me to take advantage of the offer.  We had a great time tasting a big wine lineup, chatting together about cooking, and chatting with Harry about the wines.  I enjoyed all the wines we tasted, but these were the stand-outs for me.

The 2007 Moscato Bianco is delightful!  It has a lovely, floral nose with grapefruit notes, and is quite crisp and clean.  We thought it might make a nice Thanksgiving wine, and each bought one (for that very purpose, in my case).  I also loved the 2007 Nebbiolo, a juicy wine with notes of pomegranate, Bing cherries and black pepper.  We thought it would pair wonderfully with braised beef.  The next favorite was the 2006 Primativo – I understand this is the grape from which American Zinfandel vines were cloned.  It has a wonderful nose, with notes of candied red currants, red cherry, black pepper, truffle, and a hint of raspberry in the finish.

Jacuzzi wines are, in my opinion, a great value for the quality.  I’m sure they will become a regular presence in my wine fridge!  If you visit on a Sunday, say hi to Harry!

Weekend Whirlwind Winery Tour

I have a group of friends who, for the last several years, have converged together for an annual weekend wine tasting trip.  This year, where else could we go but my new home region of Sonoma!  With three days to run wild and all of Sonoma Valley to play in, we visited Landmark, Chateau St. Jean, the Mayo Reserve Room, Arrowood, Imagery, Jacuzzi, Rochambo, Larson, Sebastiani, Bartholomew and Ravenswood.  Whew!  Here are some memorable moments!

Naturally I had to bring my friends to one of my favorites, the Mayo Reserve Room, where every wine was a hit, and we tasted some wines I hadn’t tried during my last visit.  This time, I particularly liked the 2007 Los Chamizal vineyard Zinfandel, which was jammy with hints of white pepper, candied blueberries, bittersweet chocolate.  Yum!  (And my thanks to Noah for outstanding service, even though they were super busy that day!

We had a lot of fun at CornerStone in Sonoma, with its shops focused on design, modern lines, whimsical art pieces and amazing gardens.

We were lured there, however, by the tasting rooms, and in particular, Roshambo Winery.

I enjoyed the 2006 Scissors Rhone varietal blend, with its fresh, light notes of white peaches, lime and a hint of anise in the finish.  I also really liked the 2006 Rock, a big, inky blend of petite sirah, syrah and zinfandel, with notes of black currant, ripe blueberries and white pepper.  An added bonus – the tasting room Rocks!

Finally, we visited the lovely tasting room at Ravenswood, where there are delicious wines available that can’t be found in grocery stores.  Although I usually think Zin when I think of Ravenswood, this visit I especially enjoyed the 2005 Pickberry, an earthy, herbaceous blend of merlot and cab, with spicy notes of tobacco, currant and eucalyptus.  Outstanding!

My Wine Girlz and I had a blast bombing all around the valley, sharing wine and wine notes, sharing great meals (a stunner at La Salette on the Plaza, a lovely lunch at the renowned Girl and the Fig, and of course, incredible breakfasts at Chez Moi – SonomaSipper’s own kitchen), and sharing friendship.  Does it get any better?

Weekly Winery Adventure

I set out for my winery adventure yesterday with a list of errands to run after my visit - errands which didn't get accomplished.  Who knew I would wind up spending a happy 1 1/2 hours relaxing, chatting with chefs and fellow tasters, and sipping great wine!  It seems that's what one does at the Mayo Family Winery Reserve Room in Kenwood.  http://www.mayofamilywinery.com/mayofamily/page/reserve_room.jsp   Mayo also has a tasting room in Glen Ellen, I discovered, but the Reserve Room is the one I drive by frequently, so it's the tasting room I stumbled into, and boy am I glad!

The Reserve Room does Food & Wine Tastings, in which their chef and his crew prepare interesting small bite dishes to pair with each of their wines.  I only did a wine tasting there, but will certainly want to go back for the food and wine tasting in the near future, because all the dishes looked and smelled fabulous, with innovative flavors and interesting pairings.

I enjoyed every wine I tasted, but there were some standouts.  The 2007 Saralee's Vineyard Viognier was quite amazing - a delicious nose, a very smooth and full mouth feel, lots of butterscotch with hints of vanilla and tangerine.  I loved it; I bought one, and can't wait to serve it.  Chef Max even gave me his crab cake recipe to pair it with!

The crew also let me have a little vertical tasting, so I could compare the 2006 and 2007 Ricci Vineyard Zins.  Wow!  I loved them both.  They were each quite spicy, the '06 showing more black fruit (cassis, leather, hint of vanilla in the finish, very smooth), while the '07 had more red fruit notes (red currant, rasberry) and was perhaps a bit more complex.  I was particularly intrigued by the dish being paired with the '06 Ricci Zin - Shaved chicken breast with smoked heirloom tomato salsa cruda - I asked Max about this, and he explained it's the smoked tomatoes that pull it all together with the Zin.  An idea to experiment with!

Finally, I loved the 2005 Los Chamizal Cab Franc, soft and luxurious, with currant notes.  Max brought me a sample of his Niman ranch skewer with molé spiced shell (yes folks, that's chocolate covered beef - how creative is that?), which was incredibly delicous, and a perfect match with the wine!

All in all, a very enjoyable winery visit, and my thanks to Noah, Max and Khambay at Mayo Family Winery Reserve Room.

Weekly Winery Adventure

This week I arrived at Valley of the Moon Winery about 10 minutes before their closing time, and they were gracious enough not to make me feel rushed. I selected the $5 Standard Tasting (still broke, dontcha know), and had pleasant chats with the various servers there. My favorite white was the 2008 Sonoma County Pinot Blanc. It had a lovely nose, and flavors of pineapple, apple, and a hint of kiwi.

It was very smooth and delicious. I thought of pairing it with a salad, or perhaps a grilled chicken salad.

My favorite red was the 2006 Sonoma County Sangiovese. It was a very pretty color, with lovely notes of chocolate and a dried cherry finish. I thought it would pair wonderfully with a Bolognese sauce or a chicken cacciatore.

I also tasted the 2008 Unoaked Russian River Chardonnay (tangerine!), the 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir (red cherry, smokey finish – I would pair with blue cheese or perhaps salmon), and the 2006 Sonoma County Syrah (chocolate covered blueberries – yum!).

Of course, I rounded out the evening with happy hour at what is becoming my favorite local hangout, the Meritâge Martini Oyster Bar & Grill, where I had a lovely caramelized onion (etc.) pizza, which paired well with the Inama Carmenere from Verona, Italy. And I met new friends, as I always do at Meritâge.

All in all, a happy weekly winery day!

Weekly Winery Adventure

This week, I visited Robledo Family Winery. http://www.robledofamilywinery.com/ This winery had been recommended to me by the bartender at The Plaza Bistro, where I had a lovely glass of Rose last Friday evening. Robledo has a beautiful tasting room with tables for visitors to sit, each decked with fresh roses. The server and the other tasting room guests were all a lot of fun.

Due to my budget, I tried the Estate Tasting for five bucks, and tasted three whites, three reds, and two dessert wines. The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc has won awards, and it’s true – it was particularly nice! I tasted grapefruit, with a hint of stone fruit (apricot maybe) in the finish. I also enjoyed the 2006 Pinot Blanc, which had a nutty, toasty flavor with hints of honey and tangerine. Of the reds, although it was the Cab and the Los Braceros blend that won the awards, my personal favorite was the 2007 Petite Sirah, with notes of pie cherries and a soft vanilla finish. I note that for the winery’s upcoming (Sept. 12) Mexican Independence Day Celebration event, they plan to pair it with Shredded Beef Sopes! Sounds like a wonderful pairing to me!

Pork and Pinot

Well friends, in a previous post I said I would test the 2007 Schug Carneros Pinot Noir against a really nice pork dish, and here is the report. For this pairing I brought out the big gun: my favorite Crispy Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder (Food and Wine Dec. 2003). I love this dish. I first made it for Christmas dinner in 2006. Since that time, my dear friend GourmetGal (http://thefrugalgourmetla.blogspot.com/) has stolen it from me after I served it at a dinner party – she makes it much more often than I do – but nonetheless, I still count it one of my favorites. The garlic and ginger caramelize after the long roasting, yet the meat stays really moist. Yummy!

So I prepared this dish with some rosemary roasted potatoes and a lovely spinach salad. I have to say that I did enjoy the wine with this dish. It showed notes of dried cherries, which rounded to more of a black cherry over the course of the evening. It’s really a delicious Pinot.

And it was a really fabulous meal! I wouldn’t say it was the perfect wine-food pairing however. The spices in the meat produced just a hint of harshness in the wine. There are many other wines I’d like to try with this dish. Possibly a Zin. Or even a substantial Gewurztraminer!

And of course, now I'll have to buy another bottle of the Pinot in order to continue my search for its perfect pairing! I'll keep you posted!

Weekly Winery Adventure

Now that I live in the lovely wine region of Sonoma County, I decided I’d like to visit a winery a week. My goals are to explore what my amazing new home region has to offer, meet wine industry folks, and above all, “shop local” (which is big around here, I find).

So today I set off to visit Schug Carneros Winery tasting room. I selected it in part because the website says it has no tasting fee (about which, more in a moment), and let’s face it, I’m trying to spend as little money as possible given the fledgling state of my business. However, although I had looked at the map and the directions on line, I failed to take the map with me in the car, and took a couple of wrong turns and an extra 20 minutes or so to get there. "Geeeze!" #1. However, I persevered and managed to find the tasting room.

Of course, as may have been expected because there are practically no (i.e., virtually zero) free tasting rooms any more, there was a tasting fee of $5, which would be no big deal except that (and here is “Geeeze!” #2) I had no cash and no debit card on me because yesterday, when I walked the Sonoma bike path (lovely walk btw!) I had put them in my pocket so as not to carry a purse and of course failed to take them out of my pocket and return them to my wallet. AND since I hated to put a mere $5 on my Visa (at least, this was my rationale), when the tasting was done I just had to buy a bottle of their actually quite lovely 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir! Which is "Geeeze!" #3! But shuckie-darn, it’s really a quite lovely Pinot, just enough complexity to stand up to, say, a really nice pork dish, which I intend to try pairing it with sometime very soon. I’ll let you know how it goes!

And that was my first Weekly Winery Adventure!