A great day!

Today was my Monday, but with the great lunch I had you would have thought it was my Friday. I met a friend at Rosso, a local pizza place in Santa Rosa. But this isn't any ordinary pizza joint. It's dedicated to pizza made, wine and great starters and appetizers all made with local ingredients.

I'm kind of surprised that this restaurant has lasted though. Saying it is off the beaten path is an understatement. If you didn't know someone who knew about it, you wouldn't find it. But the place was packed. There were people waiting on and off the whole time we were eating.

They have a huge wine list. In fact, it's much larger than the food menu. I'm okay with that. They have everything from great valued wine to the last bottle on the list here....Seriously, don't even ask. Funny I didn't see that next to any of the Sonoma wines on the list.

We started with some local asparagus sauteed in lemon butter.... Then we moved on to their "Beppo" pizza - pepperoni, olives, red onions and fresh mozzarella. It was the perfect combination. Their crust is so tasty. It's crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and still overall very light. I don't know how they do it, but I'd love to be able to recreate it.
I would have been content if that's where my exciting food for the day ended. But it was far from over.

Most Tuesday nights I am treated to the cooking of my mother-in-law because my wife works late. On this night, we decided that a Cabernet would pair best with the meal.... Chateau St. Jean is located in Sonoma Valley and is known for their Chardonnay and Cabernet wines. This particular one is their "Sonoma County" meaning at least 85% of the grapes were sourced from Sonoma County. The aromas in the glass were all dark fruits like blackberry and black cherry and some cooking spices. In the mouth, this wine was extra rich with the flavors continuing. The finish wasn't extremely long, but it was a very pleasing cab - especially with a price point in the upper $20's.

The wine was paired with this tasty dish....
Beef and Guinness Pie. I know what you're thinking, have a Guinness with it, but I felt like a hearty red would work well on this rainy evening. The richness in the gravy and the meat was an ideal match with the richness in the Cabernet.

As if these two meals weren't enough, it was topped off with this.... My daughter (with help from grandma) made the crust on the bottom out of pie crust, cinnamon and sugar. Then we topped it with ice cream, caramel and whipped cream. Simple, but amazing. If I wasn't so full, we would've opened up a dessert wine to go with it. Next time.

Cheers!

Dinner with the in-laws

My in-laws are not what you think of as the proverbial in-laws. We actually get along (and quite well). They watch our kids 3 days a week - sometimes more - and I bring them wine. I think we're getting the better end of the deal. But once every couple of weeks we cook them dinner. It's something I always look forward to.

On this night, we started with this wine....It's an Italian Prosecco (sparkling wine) from Trader Joe's. This wine is a great start to an evening. There's just something about bubbles that makes it feel like a special occasion. And at less than $6, this wine can make almost any day a special occasion. It also makes great mimosas for that Sunday brunch.

Dinner preparation was a bit of a fiasco. When I opened the tri-tip, it smelled bad. Not taking any chances, my father-in-law and I ran out to Sonoma Market - love that place - to get a fresh one.

I made a rub out of espresso powder, cayenne, ginger, brown sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. I think it turned out really tasty. And to pair with it, we opened this.... It was the first time I tried this Syrah from Sonoma Valley. I've had their Zin on several occasions. Amapola Creek is a private winery started by Richard and Alis Arrowood. Richard has been making wine in Sonoma Valley since the 70's and has a special way with grapes. Amapola means Poppy in Spanish and the winery was named for the creek that runs through the property that is lined with California Poppies every Spring.

This wine is sourced from estate fruit that is organically grown. The color was deep purple. In fact, it was so dark, I would have mistaken it for a Petite Sirah if I didn't know what was in the bottle.

The fruit was plum and blackberry with hints of cooking spices and smoked meats. It was a perfect selection for the grilled tri-tip. I don't have many "rules" for wine, but when it comes to foods coming off the grill they are usually paired best with Syrah. There's just something about it. This wine was perfectly balaced and had one of the best mouthfeels I've ever experienced with a Syrah. I have to get some more of this before they run out!

In addition to the tri-tip, we had tri-color potatoes and cheese biscuits. I'd never had a purple potato before, but they were really good. We also finished up with a Lemon Meringue pie that my mother-in-law baked with fresh lemons from her garden. Sorry for no picture, but we gobbled it up so fast, there wasn't a chance....it was spectacular.

I'll continue to look forward to our dinners and the food and wine that goes along with it. It's also a small way to say thank you for watching our kids. But there's some good bonding that happens too! Invite your in-laws (or parents) over for dinner....you never know what will happen.

Cheers!

Quivira

Quivira Winery is located in Dry Creek Valley. It is known for crisp Sauvignon Blancs and stunning Zinfandels. But they do some other interesting wines as well. From Petite Syrah and Grenache to a dry Rose and this little beauty....
Mourvedre traces it's roots back to Spain, but it wasn't until it reached France's Rhone Valley in the 16th century that it found its true home. Often blended with a little Grenache to soften it, but this particular one is 100%.

Wine Creek Ranch is Quivira's home vineyard and it is farmed not just organically, but biodynamically. Biodynamic farming is all about putting back in the vineyard (and land) what you take out, but it goes so much further than that. It's a mix of science, farming and spiritual awareness. Based on moon phases, there may be many different things that need to happen, including: certain ways to stir, cow horns buried in the vineyard and making fertilizer.

But what does this all mean to you? I believe that all wineries are striving to make the best wine they can. Some do it in this biodynamic way, others choose different paths. To me, I choose to take the path of let's try it and see how it tastes. Because after all, if I like it, I'll buy it and I believe Quivira does a great job. You can read more about Demeter Biodynamic Certification here.

The winery itself is powered by solar panels and everything they do is in a conservation manner. They have estate gardens, a chicken coup, honey bees, and Ruby....

Isn't she cute? They do a pig roast every year (because their wines go so well with pork), but I was informed that Ruby is here to stay. Good news, because my kids would be disappointed if we showed up and she wasn't there.

The Mourvedre that I'm drinking tonight has beautiful bright fruit flavors like blueberry, blackberry, plums and bramble. In addition, there's this underlying spicy character followed by a nice weightiness, soft tannins and a pleasant black licorice finish that goes on and on....


I would consider this a rare varietal on its own, which makes it fun and interesting. If you find a bottle, snatch it up and throw some pork chops on the BBQ. I can almost guarantee you a good time.


Cheers!

Spring is here!

Driving around wine country today, it is very clear that Spring is in the air. Here are some pictures of bud break.....

Some vines have already made some pretty decent progress....

Look at all the little buds - it's so exciting!

The wind machines are a reminder that Spring is actually a dangerous time for grapes. These machines will move air around on nights that the temperatures drop to freezing or below. The theory is that moving air is warmer than air standing still. Generally, this works.Some growers use a sprinkler system that coats the grapes with water which then freezes. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the frozen water around the grapes actually keeps the grapes from freezing.

Here's an example of the sad reality for some growers right now....

This vineyard, and many others I drove past, haven't been pruned. It's not uncommon for growers to wait until early March to prune. This can protect them for an additional 7-14 days from frost by delaying bud-break. However, this late in the game, the reality is that this vineyard likely isn't being pruned because it has fallen out of contract. In other words, the growers don't have anyone to sell their grapes to. Bummer.

The canes that the new buds are on were last year's canes. These vines should have been cut back to the thicker part of the stalk as shown in the pictures above.

Stay tuned for more signs of Spring in the coming weeks.

On another note, I just had to make some cookies today. Now I'm enjoying them with a glass of this Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc. The cookies are lemon macadamia with white and milk chocolate chips. The Meyer lemon aromas and flavors, along with the acid in this wine pair perfectly with the dessert.

That's all for tonight.

Cheers!

Simple meal

We had a simple meal tonight. Very good, but simple.

Okay, don't laugh my wife made pizza made with Bisquick, veggies and sauce....

I was little skeptical, but was really surprised that it tasted wonderful.

What does a simple meal call for? A simple wine....

This is a Red Table Wine from Loxton Winery in Sonoma Valley. Loxton was founded by Chris Loxton in 1996. Originally from a grape-growing family near Adelaide, Australia, Chris moved here in the early 90's for a different reason, but quickly found his way back into the wine biz.

I don't remember the exact blend of this wine, but I know there is a lot of Syrah and Zinfandel. I originally bought it for my Dad some time ago (because I know he liked it when he tasted it), but decided to give him something better.

The aromas and flavors were quite good, but singular. In other words, there wasn't a whole lot of complexity. It was very fruit forward with a lot of body and tannin - perfect for pairing with pizza (any kind).

When it comes to food and wine, it's okay to think about simple wines with simple foods or complex wines with more complex foods.

Sometimes, it's the simple things that make life great. Tonight was a great example of that. After all, we can't eat (and drink) like Kings and Queens every night!

Cheers!

A Washington wine

First, it was such a beautiful day in Sonoma, I just had to share....

Okay, I'm a little out of my comfort zone tonight - I opened a Washington wine. I know, I know, it sounds silly, but my focus has and remains to be Sonoma County. So when I open something out of the area, I never know what to expect. Despite what you just read, this is a good thing. I really do enjoy exploring other areas though I generally have little time to do it.

This wine, however, is not entirely an unknown. I did taste it a few years ago upon purchase. We were travelling in Seattle and I tasted this in a little wine shop in Pike Place market. That was in 2006. Almost four years have passed since I tasted it and, from what I remember, it hasn't changed significantly.

Camaraderie Cellars sits on the west side of the Cascade mountains. If you know anything about Washington, it's cold and rainy most of the year on the west side of the mountains. Not an ideal place to grow grapes. But that's the interesting part. The winery is on the west side, but the grapes come from the dry east side of the Cascade mountains.

99% of Washington's grapes are grown on the east side of the mountains. Just like in California, a winery can source grapes from any place grapes grow. In the case of this Cabernet Franc, the grapes are grown in the fairly well known Yakima Valley.

The wine has aromas of blackberry and cherry with a bouquet of white pepper and clove. The difference between an aroma and a bouquet? Aromas are generally characteristics that are associated with a young wine and a bouquet will develop with time in the bottle.

On the palette, it's full and rich with a strong backbone. It doesn't have a lot of complexity, but it's a good drinking wine on its own - especially for the $25 I paid for it. It's easily a wine I would compare in the $30-plus category.

And that pretty much sums up Washington - a great value. Washington still hasn't been fully recognized as a premium wine growing region. As a result, there is still great value to be had. A good example was the sweepstakes winner in the dessert category at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition this year: Watermill Winery's 2008 Gewurztraminer from Walla Walla Valley.

I think we'll see more and more from this growing region in the future. Keep your eye (and your wallet) out.

Cheers!

Wine and Cheese Class

Last night I was lucky enough to go to a wine and cheese pairing class at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in San Francisco. If you haven't been to the Ferry Plaza, check it out next time you're in SF. There is plenty to keep yourself busy, most of which is food focused.



It's not often that I venture into the city, but I thought it was worth it for this event. The class was just $65 and included seven wines and cheeses.



But first, a trip to the Ferry Plaza isn't complete without a stop at Taylor's Refresher. The original one is in St. Helena, but this one works for me too.



I had a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a 1/2 bottle of Silverado Vineyards 2005 Cabernet...

Of course, I had a good friend with me to help share the wine and fries!

They poured us a glass of Prosecco (Italian Sparkling wine) which was very crisp and refreshing with lots of fruit flavor on the palette.

Next came these six still wines and the seven cheeses.

The wines from left to right:

Godello (Spain)

Gelber Muskateller (Austria)

Chardonnay (Carneros, CA)

Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA)

Petit Verdot (Napa Valley, CA)

Solera 1847 (Spain)

The wine from Spain had almost no smells at all and was very light in the mouth. The cheese that was paired with it was a soft cow / goat cheese that overpowered the wine a little. But the same cheese with the Prosecco was outstanding.

My favorite white was the Austrian Gelber Muskateller (don't even attempt it!). It had amazing aromatics (like CA Guwurtztraminer) and was full of body and flavor on the mouth without having too much oak. The cheese with it was perfect - a fresh pecorino from Italy. It was so soft and creamy. I was thinking it would make a great cheese for the next time I make pizza.

I was really surprised about the Chardonnay. This Chard was representative of CA: big, buttery and oakey. On its own, I didn't like it. BUT, with the Carmody cow's milk cheese it changed significantly. The wine became more creamy and most importantly the wine had this elegant long finish that was a result of this creamy cheese interacting with the wine. Cool.

The cheeses from top clockwise:

Largo, Andante Dairy (CA)

Pecorino Toscano (Italy)

Carmody, Bellweather Farms (CA)

Pilota (France)

Mimolette (France)

Noord Hollander (Holland)

Bleu d'Avergne (France)

The fourth wine was a Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast, CA. Pinot is not typically my favorite type of wine and this one wasn't an exception. But, yet again, with the Pilota cheese (sheep's milk from the Basque region of France) the wine evolved into something I would drink.

The last dry (all the sugar was fermented out) wine was a Petit Verdot from a small producer Napa Valley. Just 110 cases of this wine were produced. This is a grape variety that has been used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, France since the beginning of time. Well almost, anyway. It's fairly uncommon to find this grape bottled on its own because it usually doesn't have enough interesting qualities. However, with this one, that was not the case. Tons of fruit on the nose and palette and a pleasing long finish. This paired wonderfully with the sheep's milk cheese from france. I think this cheese would work well with many CA Merlots as well.

The final wine was a Sherry from Spain. Slightly sweet this wine had outstanding smells. Everything from toffee to petrol (like the late harvest Riesling from an earlier post) to caramel and coffee. It was by far my favorite of the night and at just $18 it was a bargain too. This was paired with two different cheeses - a 24 month old Gouda and a Bleu from France. The Bleu was my favorite with it and that's not uncommon for me and sweet wines.

Overall, this was an excellent experience that I would highly recommend.

There was even a dog there, to ensure the proper wine country reception....

In case you were interested, her name is Sheeba. Isn't she cute?

I hope I have inspired you to pair some of your wines with cheese. There are no "rules" when it comes to this, but there are some cheese that work better with some wines. The problem is it's hard to generalize both cheese and wine, so it's difficult to say that this cheese will work with this wine. The best thing to do is to try.

Cheers!