Wine Outlook

Saturday the tasting room staff had planned to go to dinner with one of our growers and to taste through several older vintages of the Planchon Vineyard Zinfandel, one of my favorites. Unfortunately, things changed last minute and we had to reschedule. Since we were all a little sad about missing out on the yummy wine, Kelley—who works with us every other Saturday—brought in a bottle of 2001 Rosenblum Annette’s Reserve Zinfandel from the Rhodes Vineyard in Redwood Valley. The 2005 is currently another favorite of mine for its raspberry, blueberry, and loads of Chinese 5 spice. The 2001 showed some of the same, just to a deeper degree. On the nose, I found raspberry jam, cocoa, clove, raisin, and then later coffee. Upon tasting, it was plum, raisin, rich chocolate, anise, and hint of pecans. Pam found chocolate and coconut, like a Mounds bar in her glass. And LaMont seemed to agree with me when he wrote “ripe raspberry with cocoa—followed by dark chocolate with an Asian spice finish.”

The wine had aged beautifully, becoming a richer version of what it tastes like in youth. And our least expensive reserve, it’s quite the deal at only $35.

2001 Rosenblum Annette’s Reserve Zinfandel

Last week, Pam Maners brought us a Friday treat. She had picked up a bottle of 2005 J & H.A. Strub Riesling Kabinett, along with some Saint Agur blue cheese and Starr Ridge black pepper crackers. The wine was quite enjoyable. Slight traces of petrol faded into peaches and stone. The palate had a little sweetness in the front, highlighting the orange blossoms peach pit, and more stoniness. Now, I’d never had Saint Agur before or even heard of it. All I knew was that I had to stop myself from taking more than my fair share. Its mild taste yet wildly creamy texture made for a lovely combination with the almost spritzy Riesling.

A bit of quick research tells me that Saint Agur hasn’t been around that long (less than 20 years) and really is quite rich (60% butterfat). Oh, well. Good thing I didn’t have as much as I wanted. We also got to sample some Point Reyes blue that Gail brought (of which I was already a fan), but unfortunately, I had to leave early for a wedding before tasting the Jacuzzi Merlot she brought as well.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my co-workers? What a great crew. We’re always bringing stuff for each other… wine, cheese, baked goods.

For another interesting wine and cheese experience, check out Gillian’s post. Her words will have you hungry in no time. As a matter of fact, I think it’s time for some more cheese. And wine. Anyone?

2005 J & H.A. Strub Riesling Kabinett, Saint Agur blue cheese

That bottle being opened in the picture is the 2005 Rosenblum Mourvedre from San Francisco Bay. The grapes come from the Castanho Vineyard in Contra Costa. Mourvèdre is known as Monastrell in Spain where it originated…though some sources seem to think that Monastrell is really Graciano. However the DNA may fall, Mourvèdre tends to be high in alcohol and tannins with an often gamey flavor. When grown in southern France, the structure is good, as is the intensity of fruit. It’s called Mataro in Portugal and the New World, and almost vanished into oblivion until the Rhône Rangers rescued it and brought it back to life in Contra Costa County.

You may recognize my girl Shauna from the post about the Paso Robles Grower Day, in which she attempted a smile and I couldn’t even keep my head up. What you may not know is that in addition to drinking wine, this girl can make it, too. She’s been working her way around the winery, in all areas, including up in the tasting room with us. This wine was released at the August Open House, but we actually tasted it a couple weeks earlier. Shauna was excited, since she had given it some TLC before it went to the bottling line: six hours of aeration and the addition of a tiny amount of old vines Zin. We tasted and enjoyed: flavors and aromas of roasted coffee beans, chocolate, plums, blueberries, pepper, and traces of minerality. Good tannins and medium+ acidity. And quite a deal at $18.

2005 Rosenblum Mourvedre, Mourvèdre, Monastrell, Mataro

Our friend, the tax man, invited a few of us to Le Colonial a little while back. I’d never been there before and almost walked right past it in the alleyway. But I’m glad I made it to this dimly lit Vietnamese restaurant. The wine list had plenty of choices (including many split bottles) to make my choice that much harder. But with a need for a red (for me and my Irish friend) and a white (for the gents) due to our choices in entrees… I had a time making a decision. However, I was pleased with both bottles AND with the fact that the server had me taste them both as I had ordered them! (more…)

Le Colonial

Sometimes the food you’re planning to eat doesn’t fit the wine you want to drink. So you can tweak the ingredients a bit to fit. That’s what happened when I had scallops the other night. I’d planned to have them cooked in garlic butter. But I wasn’t feeling a buttery white at the time, so I changed the sauce. Wanting to have a rustic red, I made a sauce of fresh tomatoes cooked in chicken stock and truffle oil with a splash of cream.

The wine came from a trip to Livermore last summer: the 2002 Murrieta’s Well Zarzuela. I seem to recall that winery being my first and favorite visit of the day. Zarzuela means ‘operatta’ in Spanish, or a romantic musical. Just as a musical makes use of different voices and sounds, this wine is comprised of different grapes, each aged separately in oak for about 20 months before being blended. Listed at $30 at the winery, it’s made from 65% Tempranillo, 26% Touriga Nacional, and 9% Souzao (which I was not familiar with but just read is a “black grape variety planted in Portugal’s Douro valley, where it is regarded as a useful, if slightly rustic, ingredient in Port for its color and obvious fruit character in youth” source:Oxford Companion to Wine).

This wine smelled of nutmeg, blackberry, and earth. When I tasted it, I found red peppercorns, chocolate, and cherry. It was nice pairing for the scallops in their hearty sauce, and the slight hints at sweetness highlighted that in the roasted corn. Definitely a wine I’d buy again, though it might mean making another trip over to Livermore.

2002 Murrieta’s Well Zarzuela, Livermore, wine pairing for scallops, Murrieta’s Well

….Farley Walker

Now, I definitely don’t mean I don’t want to drink any Sauvignon Blanc; it’s usually one of my favorite whites. The name of the wine I drank the other night was the 2004 NO Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit came from Lake County and the NO Vineyards and Winery reside in Healdsburg, according to the label, but in my brief time online, I couldn’t find a website. I bought this bottle a few months ago at K & L for $6.99 and wasn’t sure if it would be any good. But the back label sounded right up my alley: ” NO oak aging. NO cork. NO malolactic fermentation. NO attitude. NO kidding.” Just how I like SB.

This one I had with my trusty salad of crabmeat, grapefruit, and goat cheese (no avocado, sadly). The wine itself seemed to have the smell of too much sulfur at first, but once that blew off, I found grapefruit, grass, and a touch of cat pee. On the palate, there was more grapefruit, along with lemon and pineapple. Not my favorite Sauvignon Blanc ever, nor my second or third. But for the price and the pairing, it got the job done. Though I haven’t seen any other NO wines around, so I’m not sure how easy it is to find.

2004 NO Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County

Readers and drinkers, everything seems to be just a little off these days. I was outside of the price range for Wine Blogging Wednesday, I was 2 days late with my wine column, and at a private tasting the other night, my normal banter with the crowd was constantly interrupted to be translated into Japanese. It seems appropriate, then, that the picture to the right is a little blurry and that the wine itself was not quite what I expected. BK wanted to share the NV Rymill “The Bee’s Knees” sparkling red from Coonawarra. He’d never had red bubbles before, though I may have mentioned once or twice that I adore them. This particular wine is a blend of 4 grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Shiraz (in order of highest percentage to least). I have to say my first reaction was that it ‘tastes like a Cab,’ which stemmed from the fact it had more tannin and didn’t taste as rich as the red sparklers I’ve had in the past. I got coffee, as opposed to the chocolate I often find, and bing cherry, instead of the more typical raspberry. Once I got past the expectations, I could enjoy the glass(es) based on what the wine was, rather than what it wasn’t. And it was a delightfully dry sparkling red that matched the salty goodness of sauteed mushrooms over bread.

I’m just glad John Innes, the winemaker, decided to share it with all of us, instead of only with family and friends, as it seems those were his original plans for The Bee’s Knees…

NV Rymill “The Bee’s Knees”, sparkling red

The other night I opened up a bottle of unlabeled wine. My co-worker Ryan (I’d call him my friend, if he’d let me) makes wine on his own label he dubbed Bonfire Vineyards. With the help (and storage space) from some friends, he’s been producing Barbera, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, and some blends. A couple weeks ago as I was leaving The Villa, he handed me a bottle, on which he scribbled ‘2006 Blue Moon Sauvignon Blanc.’ I just called him to see where the grapes are from, but he couldn’t remember…so I don’t feel guilty for not providing any more information. (Edit: got a call back. Mendocino.) (more…)

Bonfire Vineyards

Last week my teacher friend kept me company while making use of a cookbook I recently received. Love Rachael Ray or hate her, but admit she knows how to make a good meal in no time. I chose to construct flank steak sandwiches, marinating one half in lemon and thyme as she suggested, and the other half in Worstershire, garlic, and dijon mustard. A nice sear before cooking in the oven, on the rack below sweet potatoes sprinkled with brown sugar and olive oil. The other side was salad dressed with a blue cheese/dijon vinaigrette and topped with pears.

I chose to serve the 2003 Ridge Independence School Zinfandel, thinking that grape would be a nice match for the blue cheese, as well as the spicy components of the mustard and garlic. It was. Turned out to also pair well with the spunky transvestite in Kinky Boots. Almost qualified as ‘a feel-good movie’ and while not quite making it (think Billy Elliot, The Full Monty), it was still a good choice. (more…)

flank steak sandwich, 2003 Ridge Independence School Zinfandel, Kinky Boots

My past few posts have been grounded in the abstract, so I’m feeling the call to be more specific. And you can’t get more specific than a wine review. Er, well, minus the subjectivity of the whole thing…. I drank the 2004 Martella Grenache the other evening. The grapes come from the Oleta Vineyard in Fiddletown, courtesy of Richard Martella, Michael’s brother. The bottle itself was given to me in exchange for writing some letters or such for Michael. (He’s a great winemaker but he doesn’t like to write, and I don’t mind getting paid in wine). On the nose, and it was a beautiful one, there was cinnamon, cedar box, and plum. More plum, pepper, and a little bit of soy sauce filled the mouth with a nice smoothness. Definitely easy to drink a glass or two.

Without trying too hard, I made for a rather appropriate pairing. I had a couple boneless pork chops marinating in a mixture of soy sauce, orange juice, and garlic for a few hours in the fridge before I even knew what wine I was going to have. With a little salt and brown sugar sprinkled on top, I baked them in the oven (350 degrees for about 20 minutes). The savory quality in the wine was very similar to soy sauce and the slight sweetness to the fruit went nicely with the brown sugar finish. While the sides–asparagus and smoked gouda cous cous–were not as wine friendly, they did help make a great meal.

Hmmmm, I wonder if Michael needs any more writing done.

2004 Martella Grenache, Michael Martella, pork chops

Last week was almost all about white wine for me. One that I didn’t get to writing about was the 2004 Hiedler Gruner Veltliner. I had the 2005 at The Slanted Door several months ago.) The older vintage definitely seemed rounder than what I recalled the other being, though there were still citrus and herbal notes, along with pepper and apple. I was actually scared the wine might have been cooked, as there appeared to be a bit of leakage and a quick sniff before uncorking was dangerously akin to Madeira. However, those fears were put aside once open.

With two pears (1 Anjou, 1 Bartlett) needing to be used, I decided to make a salad. Without any Gorgonzola in the fridge, I opted for a sherry dijon vinaigrette tossed with romaine lettuce, sliced pears, shaved parmasan, and crumbled walnuts. The pairing was exactly what I wanted. The pepper in the wine stood up to the dressing’s high kick, and the round, fruity flavors made eyes with the juicy pears. The only thing that would have made it better would be to have a little balcony or patio to sit outside and enjoy the weather.

2004 Hiedler Gruner Veltliner, white wine, warm weather, pear salad

The other night I was feeling rather fancy. That, coupled with the fact I’ve been craving white wine lately and needed to drink the 2005 Twisted Oak Viognier that El Jefe sent me for review ages ago, led to a damn fine meal. To make use of some of the goodies I bought on my road trip, I steamed the artichoke while preparing the rest of the meal and pouring myself a glass of wine. And what a tasty treat that was. On the nose, I picked up peaches and pears, with delicate floral notes, most notably gardenia. Taste followed through nicely. For a brief moment, I was tricked into thinking it was slightly sweet, until I realized the flavors brought me back to my grandmother’s homemade peach ice cream on a hot summer day. The finish was round and smooth, with an unexpected dash of spice–making it a perfect pairing for fish swimming in cream sauce with its own curry kick. (more…)

2005 Twisted Oak Viognier

This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday theme is a little off the beaten path: Roger over at Box Wines chose non-traditional packaging. Initially skeptical, I became excited about the possibility. If the wine were actually good, I would suddenly have wine with an extended shelf life and could therefore avoid pouring so much out.

The first wine I tried is already dear to me. The Coppola ‘Sofia’ Blanc de Blancs is one of my favorite sparkling wines. (See previous post.) It’s happy and easy to drink with its citrus, apple, and pear flavors. But what could be more fun than putting it in a pink can and attaching a straw? Perfect to take on a picnic or on a romantic walk down a beach. I highly recommend buying yourself a Sofia Mini 4 pack for around $12 at Bevmo.

At $14.99 from Bevmo, the 2004 Hardy’s Shiraz wine box could have been a great value, seeing how it equals 4 bottles. However, that was not to be the case. On the nose I found pepper and heavy alcohol. The palate wasn’t any better: very thin, rather bitter, with very little fruit or any other flavors. *Coming back to it the next day, I did find some berry essence and changed my mind about not even using this for Sangria.

I’m still open to finding a good box of wine. So here’s to hoping someone else had better luck.

Wine Blogging Wednesday, Coppola ‘Sofia’ Blanc de Blancs, 2004 Hardy’s Shiraz, boxed wine

….Farley Walker

The two crabs we shared on Open That Bottle Night had me wanting more… So last week I picked up a small container of lump crabmeat along with other items for my new favorite salad. For the dressing, squeeze 1/8 of a grapefruit into a bowl. Add a splash of white vinegar and a splash of white wine (sparkling if you have it): this time I used the Clos LaChance Rose’. Whisk with salt and pepper–I also chose to add a bit of minced garlic–then stream in olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Then mix the greens and add sliced avocado, small pieces of grapefruit, and the lump crabmeat, with crumbles of goat cheese on the periphery. I drank the same wine with the salad that was in the dressing, but secretly I was wishing for Sauvignon Blanc.

Therefore, the next night I had the same salad. Only this time I paired it with a 2006 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. I love New Zealand for its SB: acidic, grassy, and tons of fruit. And this one did not disappoint. Aromas of citrus and grass welcomed me into flavors of grapefruit and passion fruit. A perfect wine for my salad, seamlessly matching the sharpness of some ingredients and subtly contrasting the creaminess of others.

A culinary coup.

2006 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc pairing, grapefruit vinaigrette, crab and avocado salad

….Farley Walker

Thanks to John over at Quaffability for bringing my attention to the 2005 Vigna del Gelso Malbech. How could I turn down a grape I’ve recently rediscovered, unexpectedly from the Veneto region of Italy and at $5, no less?

Well, I couldn’t and picked up the bottle last week while getting a few items from Trader Joe’s, as I planned to try my hand at a pasta bake with leftover spaghetti sauce. While the food could have been better (by using ziti or penne instead of long noodles–I know, I know– and probably more cheese), the pairing was just what I wanted. Malbec is supposed to go well with tomato sauces and beef, and I was working with one of the best tomato sauces ever (maybe one day I’ll share the recipe…) and ground beef sauteed in garlic and onions.

With the aroma of cedar and flavors of plum and cherry cola, I was digging the smooth, medium-bodied Malbec(h). But then, I’m always a sucker for Italian food and Italian wine (especially at only $5).

malbec, Italian malbech, pasta bake