Thursday, January 31, 2008

Young sommeliers setting the trends

I just read an article in Sacramento Bee today regarding the annual Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, the largest conference of the year for the U.S. wine industry.

It talks about the explosion in the last couple of years of young sommeliers in restuarants, and how they are influencing the future trends of what we drink. Sommeliers are responsible for only a fraction of wine purchased for consumption, but has a considerable influnce over the wine trends that are set. So what rocks these young sommeliers? The answers seems to be rare, obscure, "boutique", regional, rich-in-history wines. Any of these ingredients rise the flag of interest for this younger generation of wine professionals.

It also discusses the steadily increasing retail wine sales where imported wine market share is on the rise. Not surisingly the imported wine has a higher market share in restaurants, where 43% of the wine puchased is imported and 57% is domestic, then in retail, where 31% is imported and 69% is domestic.

Read more about all of this in the article at SacBee.com.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

We went to check out the newly opened Total Wine and More (an all beverage super maket) in Roseville last Sunday, and after spending more than 40 minutes walking through the seemingly endless ailes of wine and other alcoholic beverages, we left with three bottles of wine.

We opened the first one, the Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir, a couple of nights ago for a glass of wine before dinner.
It showed a dark garnet color in the glass.
The nose had red ripe berries and fruit with massive cherry, red currant, light strawberry, and dried herbs/grass.
On the palate the cherry dominated, with blueberry and ripe currant backing it up with some smokey and grassy notes. This wine has a round mouthfeel with a spicy, hot quality to the finish. Good acidity and slightly edgy tannins.

At the amazing value of $11.99 at Total Wine and More I can't deem this anything but a good-great value. Normally retails for around $ 26-32 according to winery and other website. You can also find it at BevMo.com for $14.99.
FYI: Won Silver Medal at the 2007 Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition.


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Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Pahlmeyer and Vineyard 29

Sunday night we had dinner with good friends and had two bottles of really good wine.


We started of with a bottle of Pahlmeyer 2003 Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine. Winemaker Erin Green made this from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petite Verdot, and 0.5% Malbec.
This wine shows a dark garnet color in the glass.
On the nose, dark fruit and berries with oak and a smokey note.
The palate exudes dark plum, black cherry, black currant, and again notes of smoke. The wine is surprisingly smooth for being relatively young. Rich in fruit and full bodied, with good acidity, and velvety well integrated tannins. All this and a long beautiful finish make this a great bottle of wine.


Next up was Vineyard 29 2005 Cru Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were sourced from six vineyards across Napa Valley, hand sorted and gently processed in the full gravity flow winery. Aged 18 months in French Oak, 60% new.
This wine has a dark, ruby red/purple color in the glass. The nose screams of ripe, dark fruit and berries, dark cherry, and vanilla.
The fruit on the palate is equally lush with dark cherry, black currant, and coffee. All with a spice note. The acidity is sufficient and the tannins soft. This wine is young, but very approachable and drinks nicely. It's lush and fruity with a lengthy finish and I can't wait to revisit it in the future.


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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Roar 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah


Roar 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah shows a vibrant dark garnet color in the glass with a purple hue.
The nose is dominated by blackberry with vivid dark fruit and notes of floral and violet.
The palate is again all blackberry upfront with dusty earth, coffee, and black cherry at the finish.
This rather complex, medium to full bodied Syrah has great acidity and tannins that create a perfect backbone for the lush, creamy, fruit and berries.

I found this wine exciting and, although young, still very approachable. I would however like to revisit this wine in a couple of years and hopefully find it even more in harmony and balance, without having lost that "big and lush" quality.

Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com and WineZap.com from $39.99.


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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Epiphany Restaurant and Bar in Santa Barbara

My brother is visiting from Sweden and last night we had reservations for dinner at Epiphany Restaurant and Bar while in Santa Barbara over the weekend. We have been there a couple of times in the past for a drink in the bar, but never for dinner.
The restaurant is located at 21 W. Victoria St, and the building in which the restaurant is located, was built in the 1800's. The decor is warm and modern with rustic architectural feature like the brick archways in between the small intimate dining rooms.

After arriving, being seated, and presented the menu, we were served an Amuse Bouche, White Asparagus Salad with Truffle Vinaigrette on Endive. Very light with subtle flavors. The salad also contained Granny Smith apples which added a juicy, sweet/tart crunch to the dish.


Warm, rosemary foccacia was placed at the table with olive oil and balsamic vinegar prior to our starters arriving.

For starter I had the California Halibut Ceviche ($12) which was served in butter lettuce cup. The halibut was tossed with citrus segments in a citrus/sesame marinade, and topped with semi dried, grated, carrots. Wonderfully fresh and delicate, with quite a bit of punch in the flavor. The serving was huge and would have been sufficient as a lunch, or even lighter main course.


The Dungeness Crab Cake ($14) my brother ordered was a big hit with him. Served with a cucumber/radish salad and a chipotle butter sauce. I had a bite and the cake was dense with fresh crab and the sauce added a nice spicy note.


My husband's Celery Root and Cauliflower Soup ($8) was also great according to him.

For main course I just had to have the Cracked Pepper Filet Mignon with Chive Mashed Potatoes ($32). Served with a cognac shallot cream sauce, topped with mushrooms, and on the side tender green beans and carrots. This dish was very satisfying. The filet was cooked exactly as ordered and the meat was incredibly tender and flavorful. A great dish!

Both my husband and brother had the Pan Roasted Herb Chicken ($25) with roasted golden potatoes, green beans and carrots, and natural jus. They both agreed that the chicken was moist and delicious. Not the best they had ever had but pretty darn good...

At this point we were all stuffed, but upon finding out that there was a chocolate souffle on the dessert menu, we decided to order one for the table. The Fire and Ice Molten Chocolate Souffle ($9) with vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry coulis was warm, gooey, outrageously good, and way to small, we realized as we fought over the last crumbs.


Now you can't have a good meal without a good bottle of wine, and last night was no exception. We had a bottle of the Demetria Estate "Jours de Bonheur" Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Unfortunately I forgot the vintage but I suspect it was a 2005. The wine showed medium bodied qualities with dark cherry and raspberry with good acididty and well integrated, relatively smooth tannins, and a nice earthy complexity. Quite nice wine that worked well enough with the whole meal (although I would have preferred a big Cab with my steak).

The service was attentive, but relaxed, throughout the dinner and the staff was knowledgeable when asked questions about the wine list. I love when they actually have tasted the wines and can speak from first hand experience.
We will definitely put Epiphany on our list of restaurants that we return to frequently.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Taz 2005 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir


Today I am starting of with a fun little trivia: The name of the winery, Taz, is short for Tasmanian devil, which is winegrower Robert "Taz" Steinhaur's nickname.

The grapes for the Taz 2005 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir comes from Northern Canyon Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, and Fiddlestix Vineyard in Santa Rita Hills. 1/4 of the wine was aged in new oak and the rest in neutral barrels.

This wine shows a clear, bright, ruby red color in the glass.
On the nose red berries, red currant, a hint of blueberries, vanilla and some floral notes come through.
When tasting the wine darker berries emerges with dark cherry, ripe raspberry and spice. The acidity is good and tannins, although slightly light and tart, are also there in sufficient amount.

This wine is relatively light and lacking a little in complexity, but despite that I really enjoyed it. Bright, fruity and with the slight spice it is a great wine considering I only payed $14.99 at Costco. Normally price at $25 at the winery, this was a real find and a great value.

You can also find it at Wine-Searcher.com and WineZap.com from $17.95.


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Sunday, January 13, 2008

Fiddlehead Cellars 2003 Lollapalooza Santa Rita Hills Fiddlestix Pinot Noir

Only 312 cases was made of the Fiddlehead Cellars 2003 Lollapalooza Santa Rita Hills Fiddlestix Pinot Noir.
Lollapalooza is an old English word for "the best of its kind".

A clear, dark, ruby color, with a touch of purple, meets you in the glass.
The nose shows dark cherry, raspberry, spice, and from 15 months in French oak, vanilla and oak.
The palate has similar character with dark cherry, ripe red currant, raspberry, nice, light spice, and brandied cherries at the very finish. Great acidity and well integrated, silky tannins, with a firm touch at the finish makes this wine a winner.

We had this wine about a year ago in a restaurant and picked up a bottle to enjoy it again at home at a later time. It is as good as I remembered it to be and wish I had picked up some more... Great balance between the fruit, acidity and tannins. The fruit is supple, beautiful, and not overwhelming. This is a great wine to enjoy with a meal, or by its own as we did.

Hard to find online but available through WineZap.com from $50, which is a good price for this bottle.


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Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Amador Foothill Winery 2005 Shenandoah Valley Sauvignon Blanc


Another half bottle from my local grocery store that I had to try... The 375 ml bottles are convenient and perfect when you just want a glass of wine and don't want to pop open a whole, 750 ml, bottle.

The Amador Foothill Winery 2005 Shenandoah Valley Sauvignon Blanc is made from 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon.
It has a golden, light, straw color in the glass, and the nose shows prominently apple, but also citrus and green pear.
The wine has a round mouth feel with apple, citrus, slight spice, and touch of minerals. The finish is long and carries good acidity.

The very round mouth feel made this wine feel slightly to rich for my preference, considering it is a Sauvignon Blanc. I prefer a more lighter and crisper style. However if this is not the case for you I would deem this to be a good wine at a great value, available at Wine-Searcher.com from $9.60.

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Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Marshall Family Wines 2006 Barry's Blend California Pinot Noir


The Marshall Family Wines 2006 Barry's Blend California Pinot Noir is made from grapes from Russian River Valley and Mendocino, and was aged in French oak prior to bottling.

The color in the glass is dark ruby red and slightly cloudy.
The nose shows dusty berries of cherry and raspberry, earth, and floral notes.
On the palate medium to full bodied, with a meaty quality, cherry, dark raspberry, earthiness, and spice. Good acidity and young, green tannins on the relatively long finish.

This Pinot Noir can be found at Wine-Searcher.com from $19.95 or at the winery's website for $25.
This pinot has a slightly different style than I prefer. The more fruit forward tend to be my favorites but this was certainly not a bad bottle at all. For $20 I would say it's a good value, although I would most likely pick another bottle for that price range.


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Saturday, January 05, 2008

Pisoni Vineyards and Winery 2004 Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir


Last night we opened a bottle with dinner that I had very high expectations of. I have had several vintages of the Pisoni Vineyards and Winery Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir before, and they have always been great. I assumed and hoped that the 2004 wouldn't let me down either.

The color in the glass is a vivid deep garnet.
The nose exudes black cherry, dark raspberry, notes of blackberry, sweet violet, and a touch of tobacco (?).
On the palate big, broad fruit and berries with ripe cherry, dark raspberry, vanilla, an earthy touch, and slight tart fruit at the finish. The acidity is plentiful and the tannins integrated with a young edge to them. This wine has a great backbone and complexity, and I wish I had another bottle to open up in a year or two to see how it develops.

As you understand this wine did not disappoint me what so ever and I would say that this is one of the more complex vintages of this wine. The earlier ones that I have had have been even more ripe, lush and fruit forward but perhaps lesser in depth and complexity.
My first encounter with this wine was the 2001 vintage at The Kitchen restaurant in Sacramento and I distinctively remember saying out load as I had my first sip: -This tastes like liquid blueberry pie! This vintage definitely does not warrant that expression but definitely shows its fair share of beautiful fruit and berries.

Find it while you can at RobertsMarket.com for $64.99 or at BlackTieWines.net for $76.99.


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