Tastes Of Life

Marimar Estate 2005 Dona Margarita Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2008-06-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Marimar Estate 2005 Dona Margarita Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir just got rave reviews from Wine Enthusiast, 96 point, and seeing it in my local wine store for "only" $35.99 I had to bring it with me home. Said and done, excited about this "gem" we tasted it that very evening.

It has a dark, clear, intense, garnet color in the glass.

On the nose it shows black cherry, dark raspberry, currant, sweet floral, and earth. It is luring with both darker and more floral/red fruit elements. Curious at this point how it will play out on the palate.

In the mouth is expresses dark fruit, red cherry, wild berries, and oak. Again both red and dark fruit intermingling with oak and also earthy components. The acidity is vivid, and the tannins young and firm.

Overall it is supple in nuanced fruit and has good complexity with some elegant elements reminding slightly of a Burgundy with a more silky and lean texture once you get past the young tannins.

Find this wine at the winery's website for $45, or for a better deal go to Wine-Searcher.com where you can find it from $37.95.

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Rusack 2005 Santa Barbara County Syrah

2008-05-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Rusack Winery 2003 Santa Barbara County Syrah is made with grapes from the estate vineyard and two neighboring vineyards in Ballard Canyon. The grapes were cold soaked and then fermented in small open-top bins, with punch downs, by hand, twice a day. Aged in 47% new French oak for 16 months. At blending 7% Petite Sirah and 5% Grenache was added for complexity. Bottled unfiltered.

In the glass the wine has a dark, dense, ruby color with hints of purple.
The nose reveals dark cherry, blackberry, ripe black currant, and sweet oak with vanilla.
The palate is equally lush with big fruit, red cherry, blackberry, spice, earth, and a note of pencil lead at the medium length finish. It also has elements of a slightly more elegant style with the red cherry, slight dusty quality, sleek acidity, and moderate tannins.

This wine is big and fruit-forward upfront, but as you dig into it and discover the elegant sides to it, it leaves an impression of a balanced and enjoyable wine. Don't get me wrong though. It is still quite a dark, dense Syrah.

At $25 from the winery I would say it is a good value. Finding it at Wine-Searcher.com from $20 it is even more worth seeking out and enjoying.

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Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

2008-05-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

Waltzing Bear Winery is an artisan winery where owner and winemaker Brad Lowman focuses on producing small lots of ultra premium wines.
The Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir is made from the first fruit of a new block planted and grown by James Ontiveros in the southern end of Santa Maria Valley, near Bien Nacido Vineyard. Only 74 cases made.

The wine has a dark garnet color in the glass.
The nose showing deep cherry, earth, mushrooms, and oak. The earth/mushroom components being dominant.
On the palate is earthy and rich with dark cherry, dusty raspberry, and red fruit. The wine is nuanced with good acidity, and a long, smooth, finish with soft, lean, tannins.

This is definitely a slightly different, very interesting Pinot Noir. I can't quite put words to it so you just have to experience it yourself. The winery is right now selling it to a reduced price of $33.75. Give it a shot! I do not think you will be disappointed...

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Melville 2006 Estate Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay

2008-05-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

Melville Vineyards and Winery puts out a good quality Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir year after year. The Melville 2006 Estate Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay is no exception.

It has a light golden straw color with a hint of green in the glass.
The nose displays light citrus, pear, and tropical fruit. The aromas are elegant and subtle in character. (I suspect my wine is a smidge to cold as well...)
The palate is round and soft with creamy citrus, light green apple, tropical fruit, and a light note of caramel at the mid palate. Slightly round mouth feel from 10% malolactic fermentation, but remains soft, crisp and fresh. The acidity is sufficient, but I would have wished for just a tad more to accentuate the crisp and fresh side of the wine.
Despite a relatively high alcohol level of 15.3% there is no trace of heat on the palate, which definitely is a big plus.

Over all a nicely balanced, very good quality wine that is sure to please many palates. Especially if you like me prefer the not overly oaked, buttery Chardonnays. This one offers a more round and soft palate that is refreshing, lively, and not to heavy. I know I'll be pouring, and enjoying, it this summer...

Buy it directly from the winery for $30 or find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $22.99. A great deal for this wine!

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Ramey Wine Cellars wine tasting

2008-05-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to our local wine store, Capitol Cellars in Roseville, for a Ramey Wine Cellars tasting. Five wines were poured, and to my excitement they tasted one of my favorite Napa Valley wines, the Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard. But let's stat at the beginning...

First to be poured was the 2006 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($39). A round chardonnay with tropical fruit, creamy lemon, cooked apple and oak notes, with good acidity. A good start indeed with nice acidity backing up the fruit and oak.

Next was the 2006 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($39). This wine had some more complexity to it and was fitting my palate better with tropical fruit, citrus, white floral, and again the slightly buttery oak. Good acidity balance the fruit and makes it complex, and refreshing/crisp, at the same time.

The third wine was one of their vineyard designated Chardonnays, the 2006 Hyde Vineyard ($61). This chardonnay was the most multifaceted of the three. It shows tropical fruit, white floral, pineapple, and light peach. This wine is supported by great acidity and minerals that really lifts the wine and makes it stand up to the more concentrated fruit and round oak. Full-bodied and complex with a long finish. It is perfect for me to enjoy right now, but can definitely rest quite a few years in the bottle for the palate that prefers a more mature Chard.

On to the two Cabernet Sauvignons that was poured.
The first one was the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($51) displaying concentrated fruit and berries with black cherry, sweet dark currant, plum, and chocolate. Tart, green tannins dominates after the fruit lingers off. Needs a year or two in the bottle for the tannins to melow out and become more balanced.

On to a favorite that I have enjoyed previous vintages, the 2005 Jericho Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon ($111). This was the first taste for me of this vintage. It has a dark garnet/purple color in the glass. The nose exuding blackberry, earth, strawberry jam, violet, and oak notes. The palate is intense and jammy with black cherry, blackberry, dusty black currant, earth notes, and oak. Full bodied with good acidity and young, green, massive tannins. Definitely a bottle to lay down for a couple of years before revisiting. This is going to be a beauty!

What a great flight of wines to taste on a sunny terrace! A perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

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The Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2008-05-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Visiting Selland's Market earlier this week, to bring home some of their fabulous carnitas for dinner, I could not resist taking a look at their wines and of course "accidentally" one of them ended up coming home with me...

Tonight it was time to try the "errant bottle", a Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Made by Hirsch Vineyards from 97% estate fruit for the cost of $29.99 (at Selland's), compared to the Hirsch Vineyards 2006 Sonoma Coast for $55 (made from the same fruit), I hoped for it to be a high quality wine for a bargain price.

It has a clear ruby red color in the glass.
The nose displays cherry, raspberry, red currant, tobacco leaves, tea, and vanilla notes.
The palate showcasing light plum, cherry, sweet tobacco, and heat from the alcohol (14.6%), backed up by good acidity and sturdy tannins. The heat being a little unflattering, but as you sip the wine and get to know it, it becomes less noticeable.

Overall I definitely enjoyed this wine. As I said, it is certainly a flaw that the alcohol shines through but considering the relative complexity and balance of the red ripe fruit/berries, acidity and tannins, I have a tendency to forgive. At $25 this is definitely a wine to enjoy, alcohol traces or not. This wine will give you a good idea of what the Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is about, for under half the price. Don't miss out!
Surprisingly enough the best deal I could find online is actually from the winery itself for $25.

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Foxen 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard - Block Eight Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

2008-04-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Foxen makes some of our favorite Central Coast Pinot Noirs. We opened a bottle of their 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard - Block Eight Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir a few night ago, and got to enjoy it close to, or at, its peak.

The grapes are 100% destemmed prior to enjoying five days of cold soak. They then go through whole berry fermentation before being aged in 65% new French oak for 16 months. Finally it is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The result is a Pinot with a clear, dark, ruby red/purple color in the glass.
On the nose; dark raspberry, cherry, vanilla, and earthy components.
On the plate the wine shows of raspberry, cherry, and plum with a hint of spice and vanilla. It is a harmonic, balanced, and concentrated, medium to full bodied Pinot, that receives a lift from the fresh acidity and slight edge to the tannins. Drinks beautifully right now. Unfortunately this was the last bottle I pulled out of our stash...

Looks like it is still available at Vinfolio.com for $42. Check it out if you want to have a sip of this star this spring.

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Bonaccorsi 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

2008-04-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Not the first time I have had and reviewed a Bonaccorsi Pinot Noir, and although I always think they are stellar, for some reason I am particularly enjoying the 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir tonight.

I decided to try all new recipes for dinner and served it with BBQ red wine flank steak, bulgur/roasted beet/mushroom/red onion pilaf, and a red wine vinegar braised carrot and leek dish. It turned out awesome! (both the food and the pairing)

The 2003 Santa Maria Valley has a dark, dense, slightly cloudy, garnet color in the glass. To me indicating big, lush, savage, fruit. But I should have known better. Bonaccorsi usually leans toward the more elegant side, although the dark fruit is there. It stays true in this case as well.
The nose, sure enough, displays black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, vanilla cola, and notes of dried grass. All powerful but with the recognizable finesse.
On the palate dark raspberry, black cherry, a touch of blackberry and subtle spice. The berries are accompanied by good acidity that keeps the wine lively, and well integrated but still noticeable, on the firmer side, tannins.

This wine definitely makes a statement with its dark and powerful, but more on the elegant side fruit, balanced nicely with proportionate acidity and tannins. All laced with oak.

Find it at...(?) I am frankly not quite sure where to find it. No sources online that I usually use seem to offer it. I paid $35 for it about 3 years ago. If you can get your hands on it now, 3 years later, for under $55-60, I would jump on it and give it a try. This Pinot is definitely worth it.

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Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

2008-04-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir has a dark dense garnet color in the glass.
The nose shows vibrant dark raspberry, cherry, and vanilla.
The first thing that hits you on the palate is ripe, deep, blackberry, supported by cherry, spice, and a nice vanilla/oak component. The acidity is still going strong and the tannins are smooth and well integrated. The balanced medium to long finish has beautiful, elegant, dark fruit and berries, with a trace of pencil lead at the very end.

I bought this wine in a local wine store, Capitol Cellars, about 3 years ago for $60. After some research at the Internet I come to the conclusion that this wine is hard to get a hold of. I could not find a single store/website that carries it.
It really drinks beautifully at this point and if you can get your hands on a bottle do not hesitate to get it.

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Sofia Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine

2008-04-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have seen this pink little can in the store for a long time and it was finally time to put it in my basket. At $3.99 the Sofia Blanc de Blanc definitely won't empty your wallet.
This sparkling wine is made from Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat. The producer is Francis Ford Coppola (the famous movie director with a winery in Napa Valley) and it is named after his almost equally famous daughter, Sofia Coppola.

It was a little but weird, but on the other hand fun, to pour this bubbly from a can into a crystal champagne glass.

It has a pale straw color in the glass and has a lively stream of bubbles shooting towards the surface.

On the nose it displays sweet pear and gooseberry.

The palate shows pear, sweet white floral, and citrus. It is crisp and fresh.

The first thing that came to my mind both smelling and tasting this wine is Italian Prosecco. It is sweet and vivid in flavor, missing the yeasty and earthy components of a champagne.

This sparkling wine is a fun, refreshing, festive option for that casual spring/summer party and will not brake the bank at $16 for a 750 ml bottle.
Give it a try next time you see it and let me know what you think...

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Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir by Talley Vineyards

2008-04-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Strolling through Winecask Wine Store in Santa Barbara we saw a bottle of the Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir produced by Talley Vineyards. We have enjoyed several vintages of their Rincon Vineyard and Rosemary Vineyard Pinot Noir, and having heard about the newer Stone Corral Vineyard, but never tasted it, we just had to give it a try. At $55 a bottle we saved it for enjoyment with a Saturday night dinner.

This wine has a clear, dark garnet color in the glass.
The nose shows floral notes, raspberry, and subtle round oak.
The palate displaying raspberry, restrained cherry, spice and notes of green tea. The fruit persistant and showing throughout the whole palate. Relatively high acidity and tight tannins with a “green” finish.

We really liked this complex, still refined pinot with plentiful fruit that made a statement without being to large or lush. Although very enjoyable right now I would definitely put this away for a year or two as for the tannins to loose the green edge and become more integrated.
Only 2328 bottles were produced of this vintage and you can find it at Wine-Searcher.com form $44.99.

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Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

2008-04-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

I picked up a bottle of Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir at El Rancho Market in Solvang when I was in Santa Ynez Valley a couple of weeks ago. I was on the hunt for something new to try and this bottle came highly recommended by the “wine guy” that helped me in the store. El Rancho has as lot of wine from local wineries that can be hard to find in other grocery stores/wine shops. This bottle was no exception. The only other place I could find it online was at WanderingDogWinebar.com, located in Solvang, for $32.

The color in the glass; a dark, dense garnet color.
On the nose smoky oak, dark raspberry, blackberry and vanilla.
The palate showing dark cherry, dark raspberry, blackberry and a hint of pencil lead at the very finish.
This is initially a very mouth full and fruit forward wine on the palate that unfortunately goes a little thin on the mid palate and finish. Moderate acidity and young light tannins. Thin finish or not, we still enjoyed this wine and think it is a great effort from Jonathan and Clarissa Nagy.
John Nagy is the winemaker for Byron Winery and Clarissa Nagy is the wine maker for Bonaccorsi Wine (a favorite of mine). I believe this is the first vintage they have made together under their own label Nagy2, but don't quote me. Only 60 cases produced of this Pinot. Hurry up and get one yourself before they are all gone. I think greatness is to be expected from this winery in the years to come…

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Walter Hansel 2005 South Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

2008-03-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last night we opened and old favorite of a new vintage, the Walter Hansel 2005 South Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
The apperance in the glass; a light, clear, garnet red color.
The nose showing raspberry, red cherry, slight hint of strawberry, herbal tea, and touch of basil at the end.
The palate tasting of fresh raspberry, cherry, earth, and pencil shavings at the very finish. This pinot has great acidity and young but relatively soft tannins.

A beautiful elegant style Pinot Noir with bright red fruit and good structure. We really enjoyed it , as we have earlier vintages of this wine, and at $ 33.99 I dare to say that it is good value for the buck at this level of quality.
Find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $33.99.

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1994 Cristal, 1995 Chateau Gazin and 2001 Pahlmeyer

2008-03-19T10:25:00.001-07:00

We spent last weekend at Lake Tahoe with good friends who brought a magnum of the 1995 Chateau Gazin, Pomerol, Bordeaux Blend (among others). It was opened a couple of hours prior to dinner and at first we thought the wine was a little bit off and did not particularly enjoy it. We wondered if it could have gone past it's peak. However after enjoying some champagne, 1994 Cristal Champagne, Louis Roederer, (that unfortunately according to my palate was past it's peak) we revisited and discovered a major improvement.

But first, let's back up to the 1994 Cristal Louis Roederer. It had a relatively dark straw color with a beautiful stream of small bubbles rushing up the glass. The nose showed dominent aromas of green apple, with citrus and slight caramel notes, accompanied by the traditional yeast and earth components. Our friends insisted on chocolate/mocha notes but I could not pick it up. I wish we would have opened this bottle a couple of years ago at what point I think it would have been more vivid and "refreshing". Never the less a great champagne that you don't have the opportunity to enjoy to often...

Find it at WineZap.com from $369.90.

After breathing for a little bit over 4 hours the 1995 Chateau Gazin Pomerol was starting to come into it's right. Deep ruby red in the glass with a slight brick color. The nose surprisingly vivid with fruit and berries, backed by spice and oak. The palate showing more restrained and subtle fruit with currant, cherry and raspberry, along with earth, smoke and a meaty quality. A medium to full bodied wine with refined, elegant, medium length finish. Certainly a wine that is best enjoyed with a meal. In this case a whole roasted beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce, roasted beets, pureed parsnips, and a cauliflower-broccoli- spinach gratin.

Find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $82.99 for a 750 ml bottle.

After the Pomerol we moved on to a 2001 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red, Napa Valley. This wine is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petite Verdot, and 1% Malbec. Aged in 100% new French Oak and the bottled unfined and unfiltered.

This wine showed massive, lush fruit on the nose with dark cherry, black raspberry, blackberry and heavy vanilla. The palate did not disappoint. Dark cherry, black currant, blackberry with earthy smoke, made us all happy. Full bodied with well integrated tannins and good acidity. This powerful wine was a great end to the evening and perfect with my Maldon and vanilla salt topped fudge brownies with vanilla bean ice cream.

Find this beauty at WineZap.com from $102. Definitely worth it's price.

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Recchiuti Confections

2008-03-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

I spent they day in San Francisco yesterday, and having lunch in the Ferry Building, I walked through the Market Place and salivated, as usual, upon the sight of fresh bread, cheeses, oils, caviar, wine bar, chocolates, cultivated mushrooms, and all the other incredible food, beverages, and merchandise that is offered there.

We had an incredible lunch at Boulettes Larder, where I also picked up honey and vanilla sea salt (amazing sprinkled on a chocolate souffle or on vanilla ice cream). After that I stopped by Recchiuti Confections to pick up a few truffles.

I have tried Michael Recchiuti's chocolates before and today I thought I would write a short review on it. I was a good girl (it took all of my will power) and did not touch them until later when I got home and had finished my dinner.

I started of with the Fleur de Sel, a pleasantly chewy burnt caramel with fleur de sel (French sea salt) coated with dark chocolate. This is a combination I always enjoy immensely and can never resist, and Recchiuti was not an exception.

Lemon Verbena was up next. A dark chocolate ganache with a bright and clear taste of Lemon Verbena, and it's lemon and herb aromas. Coated in dark chocolate with a white beautiful leaf pattern adorning the top surface. Rich and refreshing at the same time.

Ecuador Varietal, 65%, made from plain chocolate with vanilla/caramel and earth notes. Beautiful.

Burnt Caramel, a dark chocolate ganache with burnt caramel. Nicely balanced flavors as you foremost see this as a truffle, and secondarily discover the pleasant caramel.

Force Noir. This was my favorite truffle made with extra bitter chocolate ganache and vanilla bean. The extra bitter chocolate gives a pure, clean, intense chocolate experience and the vanilla bean give that sweetness you need to balance the bitterness. Beautiful and intense.

All truffles had perfectly smooth and dense textured ganache, with intense flavors of high quality chocolate. This is a chocolatier I can highly recommend. Do not miss out if you are in the Ferry Building Market Place, San Francisco. If you can't get here simply online order and enjoy at home. Their Easter boxes are beautiful and I might just treat some friends this year...

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Melville 2006 Estate Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir

2008-03-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

Melville 2006 Estate Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100% Melville fruit from their Los Alamos Estate. Aged in 20% new French oak.

The wine has a ruby red color in the glass with slight cloudiness.
The nose shows ripe lush raspberry, strawberry, sweet red cherry, sweet floral, and a hint of baked rhubarb.
The palate displays raspberry, cherry, and red fruit with spice. Soft and round on the palate with young tannins matching the fruit, good acidity and a long savory finish.
The wine is medium bodied, fruity, and was really nice with salmon, or great just to sip on it's own.

Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com from $19.99, a great price for this very enjoyable wine.

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Lorca 2001 Gary's Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir

2008-03-03T19:55:00.000-08:00

Lorca Wines is located in Rutherford, Napa Valley, and produces Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc with grapes from Monterey County, Pinot Noir form French-clone vines of Gary Pisoni and Gary Francione of Santa Lucia Highlands, and an old vine Petite Syrah from Napa Valley.

The Lorca 2001 Gary's Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir has a dark ruby red color in the glass with a hint of purple.

The nose is pretty intense and complex with dark cherry, raspberry, dried herbs, earth with a hint of smoke, vanilla, and a trace of liquorice.
The palate is less intense with more dusty earth accenting the black cherry and dark raspberry, all with a touch of spice. The tannins are somewhat smooth but still has a "wood" quality to them. We are not talking splinters in the mouth but still a notable amount. Moderate acidity.

I found this wine at my local Total Wine & More for $23.99 and it is sold for a surprisingly higher price online. They best deal I could find was at WineZap.com from $45.99.

This was an enjoyable wine for the price I paid. However if I have to pay closer to $50, as seems to be the case in most stores, I have several better options in mind.

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Coast Restaurant and Bar at The Canary Hotel, Santa Barbara

2008-02-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

This review is way overdue but here it finally is. Two weeks ago when I visited Santa Barbara during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, my cousin, Anki, and I went to a newly opened restaurant, Coast Restaurant and Bar at The Canary Hotel. Formerly Andalucia Hotel, the property was purchased last year by the owner of Shutter Hotel On The Beach in Santa Monica, where they also have a Coast.
I have stayed several times in the past at the Andalucia hotel, and we've always enjoyed our stay, although the restaurant was never a hit. Now being the Canary Hotel the whole property including the restaurant has been remodeled and redecorated. Peeking in through the windows during the renovation I certainly liked what I saw for the restaurant.

As we entered the restaurant a great ambiance greeted us (along with the pleasant hostess) with dimmed lights, leather and wood furniture, rich fabrics, wood shutters, and a spacious bar in wood and leather, crowded with people visiting the film festival. A happening night I would say. We were both excited about the sophisticated but still casual and relaxed atmosphere, and the reasonably priced menu. A future favorite we were sure of as we discussed the menu.

We started of by sharing the Dungeness Crab Cakes ($12). Very tasty, packed with fresh crab meat, lightly seasoned and not to much of anything else to take away from the crab. Since it's been over two weeks ago I can't remember what the little salsa/salad on the side was but I do know that I thought it made a great addition.
For entree I ordered the Rigatoni with Beef

Ragout and Parmesan ($15), and my cousin the Arugula Salad with Rock Shrimp and Crispy Pancetta ($12). My pasta was tasty but the meat should have been better cleaned of fat. Flavor would some say but I would prefer it without finding pieces of almost all fat/no meat in my pasta. Otherwise good flavors. The salad was a disaster. Sure looked pretty and tasty on the plate but as Anki bit into the shrimp she got a weird look on her face and had to force herself

to swallow. Cold, tasteless, and of jelly-like texture, as if they had been frozen and not given enough time to thaw. Would definitely expect fresh shrimp at a place like this. Our waiter sensed the problem and came over, and when hearing about the food, offered to bring in something else. The halibut was highly recommended and so she ordered the Broiled Halibut with Asparagus ($22). I was just a couple of bites into my dish and they whisked that away to keep warm as well. A while later a new plate of pasta arrived for me (bonus points) and the new entree for Anki. The plate consisted of a long narrow piece of halibut and steamed asparagus spears. Looked plain and boring but not to say it couldn't be delicious. Two bites into the fish she looked at me and declared "I can't eat this. It is horribly over cooked and dry". I reached over for a bite to confirm, and sure enough, she was not exaggerating. It was one of the worst pieces of fish I'd had in a long time. By this time our table was swarmed by waiters and managers approaching us every other minute asking how everything was. When finding out about her second bad dish, they apologized, assuring us that this is not usual how it's prepared, was there anything else from the menu she would like. At this time she had eaten half of my pasta, was no longer hungry, and we decided to move on to the dessert.
A Warm Chocolate Lava Cake ($6) with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate sauce arrived on the table and it was as good as it looked. Warm, molten, chocolaty, what else could you possibly want at the end of a meal?

We ordered wine by the glass with the meal and I really appreciated their selection of mostly wines from local wineries, offered by the glass at a reasonable price. A big plus for them in this section.

The staff made a real effort throughout the whole meal to correct the mishap with the two bad entrees, which certainly made us feel a little better about the experience. The restaurant is beautiful and we expected so much more from the food, and I would be lying if I didn't say that I walked out of there disappointed at the end of the night. Our starter and dessert were really good but they have to be able to serve up better main courses. It is a new restaurant and hopefully they will be able to pull their act together as the get a little warmer in their clothes. Could also be that we just had horribly bad luck with the food. I will return at some point to give it a second try and hope to find the same tentative, hard working to please staff, this time serving up a great meal.
This place certainly have everything else going for it...

Coast Restaurant and Bar at Canary Hotel
31 West Carillo St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 879-9100

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Ramey 2005 Larkmead Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-02-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

The Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has been a favorite of mine for years, and for Valentine's dinner it was time to try the Larkmead Vineyard.
The Ramey 2005 Larkmead Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon consists of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petite Verdot, and 1% Malbec.
It has a beautiful dark red/purple garnet color in the glass.
The nose shows dark fruit and berries, spice, oak, and toasted brioche.
On the palate cherry, plum, black currant, and oak, with earthy mushrooms and elegant fruit on the finish. The tannins are well integrated, but still has that tart edge that you would expect for its youth.

We really enjoyed this fruity, earthy cab with good spice and oak, showing of its elegant side on the finish. Jericho Canyon Vineyard is still a noch up for me but this one was truly great as well. For a few less dollars I would say they both match their quality with price point.

I paired this wine with a Stilton topped filet mignon, served with a red wine reduction, luxurious mushroom laced "grown up" mac and cheese, and asparagus. For dessert a dark chocolate souffle with vanilla bean ice cream, sprinkled with vanilla salt. The food and wine paired beautifully.

Find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $64.99. Normally retails for around $80-90. Retailing in my local store for $74 I know I will stock up on a couple of bottles...

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Seagrass Restaurant, Santa Barbara

2008-02-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

Saturday night me and my cousin went to dinner at Seagrass Restaurant, a newly opened restaurant located in the old spot for Sage and Onion (that I miss so much!). Seagrass' chef and owner team is the same as that of Bouchon, a highly regarded restaurant in Santa Barbara. As the name suggest this newest venture has extensive seafood options on the menu, but also beef, chicken, etc.

A small remodeling has been done to the space, with new colors, wall coverings, light fixtures and removal of the bar. It certianly got a face lift even if I did not quite agree with everything in the decor.

We had reservations and were promptly seated upon arrival. Fresh warm bread was served shortly after menus were presented, as I decided on a bottle of Roar 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir with dinner. I have had this pinot before and is was as lush in red fruit and berries with, raspberry, cherry, and earthy notes, as I remembered it to be. Great supporting acidity and tannins, and developed a great smoothness in the glass as it got a chance to breath for a while.

We started our meal with sharing the Seared Gigant Sea Scallop. It comes with a choice of three preperations. We chose the coconut black rice with green curry and spiced apricot chutney. The scallop was perfectly cooked and the curry gave the dish a slight bite countered by the sweet chutney, fragrant from ginger. Very nice dish!

For entree I had the Buffalo Tenderloin with Demiglace, Creamed Corn and Potatoes au gratin. The chef recommended the tenderloin medium rare and it was perfectly prepared and tender. The creamed corn and potaoes au gratin made wonderful side dishes, the corn sweet and flavorful, the potatoes creamy and rich. A very satisfying dish.

My cousin had the Crispy Skin-on Pacific Wild Salmon on Sauteed Kale (or was it spinach?), with Saffron-Salsify Israeli Couscous, Gingered Carrots Julienne, and Beurre Noisette. I tried the dish which was light and delicate compared to mine, but also packed with flavor. Delicious.

The dessert choice was easy as soon as we saw the Warm Chocolate Molten Lava Cake with Cardemom, served with coconut ice cream. The hint of cardemom was very subtle and added a little twist to the chocolate cake. Altough I am not usually a huge fan of coconut, the flavor in the ice cream was so delicate that it only played a supporting role and married perfect with the chocolate and faint cardemom. A great ending to a delicous meal.

Service throughout the night was very attentive but never to much. I assume they have brought over staff from Bouchon or hired experienced staff as the whole evening ran very smoothly. That is unfortunately not always the case for a newly opened restaurant.
The clientel was definitely more mature and we felt slightly out of place to start with. But we soon forgot about that as we indulged in the food. I don't know if this was just a coincidence for the night, or if it is the normal case for this spot. Could perhaps use a little bit more "young and hip" influence to attract an extended clientel.
"Well done" would be my comment for this new spot in the Santa Barbara dining scene.

Seagrass Restaurant
30 E. Ortega St
Santa Barbara
(805) 963-1012

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Crushcake Cupcakery, Santa Barbara

2008-02-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

Finally Santa Barbara has it's own cupcakery like so many other cities. One can wonder what took Santa Barbara so long...
I had the privilege to step into Crushcake Cupcakery yesterday afternoon, their very first day open. As to not overeat I had already decided that I could only get two cupcakes for myself, so imagine my thrill when discovering that they offer mini cupcakes. That meant that I could get four of them instead, perfect for trying multiple flavors. I headed home with bag in hand and decided that I had to try all four of them so I could blog them right away. Needless to say I could not limit myself to one bite out of each and after a few minutes there was only a few crumbs left where a moment earlier four pretty cupcakes had been.

These are the four flavors I tried.
First one to disappear from the plate was the Chococlate Chocolate. A moist dark chocolate cake topped with chocolate frosting with a note of coffee. Very nice indeed.
Second up was the Chocolate Bliss, the same moist chocolate cake, but this time topped with a delicious vanilla frosting. Perfect if chocolate on chocolate is to heavy for you...
The Strawberry Blush was surprisingly enough my favorite of them all. I am as you know a full blown chocoholic and expected the two previous ones to be on the top of my list. The cake in this one was amazingly moist with a light, sweet, taste of strawberry. The pink frosting was out of this world, with a delicous, more intense, strawberry flavor. I can only imagine how popular this one will be for bridal and baby showers...
Last but not least I had their signature cupcake, the Crushcake. A red velvet cake topped with a white sourcream frosting. Crowned with a chocolate heart (made a perfect little treat at the end) and a rain of red sprinkles. The perfect little treat for Valentines Day.

Delicious cakes, friendly staff and a good location (right on the corner of Anacapa St and Arlington Ave). I know I will return for more of the same in the near future.

Crushcake Cupcakery
1315 Anacapa St
Santa Barbara
(805) 963-9353

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Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards wine tasting

2008-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Spending the weekend in Santa Barbara I decided to go to the Alma Rosa wine tasting at East Beach Wine Company last night. Stepping into the shop the place was packed and it took a minute before we reached the counter and could pay for two tastings and get our glasses. To our delight the owners, Thekla and Richard Sanford was there themselves, with their daughter Blakeney, to pour and talk to the customers. Nothing beats the opportunity to talk to either the owners or wine maker as you taste a winery's wine. Both Thekla and Richard where very nice and pleasant, and spent quite a bit of time with us. It was a true pleasure to talk to them, and you could tell how passionate and excited they are about their wines.

A short bio: Richard Sanford was the first to plant Pinot Noir in Santa Rita Hills in 1970. 1981 him and Thekla started Sanford Winery, and after parting with it in 2005, they founded Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards at the location of their old winery. All grapes are grown organically with sustainable agricultural methods.

The tasting started of with the Alma Rosa 2006 Santa Barbara County Pinot Gris. A light crisp white with pear, citrus and notes of honeysuckle. Nice acidity and minerals on the finish.
Next up was the Alma Rosa 2006 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Blanc. This wine showing creamy citrus in a dry, still very crisp wine.
The Alma Rosa 2006 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay was fermented in partially new French Oak and then aged in stainless steel tanks, not undergoing malolactic fermentation. I really enjoyed this clean, crisp chardonnay, with notes of tropical fruit. Perfect poured chilled a warm spring or summer day.
The Alama Rosa 2005 El Jabali Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay went through a different process. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged in 20% new French Oak. The grapes comes from a older vineyard then the 2006 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay and you can tell the difference. This wine is heavier/denser in the fruit on the palate, with ripe tropical fruit, white fragrant floral, and round oaky vanilla notes. Still on the lighter side and with good fresh acidity, but the first Chard was my favorite.
On to Pinot Noir, which is what I really came for.
The Alma Rosa 2005 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir has light bright fruit with raspberry, red cherry, and notes of oak/vanilla. All wrapped in good acidity and integrated, but slightly woody, tannins.
The Alma Rosa 2005 La Encantada Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir shows darker, deeper fruit with black raspberry, cherry, blueberry, herbs, and spice. While the 2005 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is made from all six clones in La Encantada vineyard this is only made from two of them. In this case resulting in a more concentrated Pinot.

Find all these wines at Alma Rosa's website.

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Young sommeliers setting the trends

2008-01-31T18:21:00.000-08:00

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.

Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

2008-01-30T16:54:00.000-08:00

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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Pahlmeyer and Vineyard 29

2008-01-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

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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Roar 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah

2008-01-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

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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Epiphany Restaurant and Bar in Santa Barbara

2008-01-19T12:55:00.001-08:00

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.

Taz 2005 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

2008-01-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

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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Fiddlehead Cellars 2003 Lollapalooza Santa Rita Hills Fiddlestix Pinot Noir

2008-01-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

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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Amador Foothill Winery 2005 Shenandoah Valley Sauvignon Blanc

2008-01-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

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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Marshall Family Wines 2006 Barry's Blend California Pinot Noir

2008-01-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

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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Pisoni Vineyards and Winery 2004 Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

2008-01-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

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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Trecini 2005 Vicini Vineyard Russian River Valley Sonoma County Merlot

2007-12-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

It is not very often that I buy a Merlot but when I saw the Trecini 2005 Vicini Vineyard Russian River Valley Merlot as a half bottle I had to give it a try.

Trecini Cellars was founded in 1999 by John and Cathy Vicini and their son David. Originally from Tuscany, Italy, John comes from a long tradition of wine, actually around 150 years. In 1994 the family started growing grapes in Russian River Valley and after that it was only a natural step for them to start their own winery. They are offering five varietals at this point, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Merlot Rose, Zinfandel, and Syrah.

This Merlot shows an intense ruby red color in the glass.
The nose offers ripe red fruit, herbal notes and rather heavy vanilla with creme brulee character.
On the palate, bright fruit with slight tartness, black cherry, boysenberry, plum, and vanilla. The long finish has plentiful fruit, decent acidity, and round, soft tannins with an ever so light green edge at the finish.

I was pleasantly surprised by this Merlot considering the price point ($14 for a 375 ml bottle). Many times I find Merlot to be gray and boring, but this has nice fruitiness, with enough structure to back it up and make it interesting. I would say this wine has a potential to be a crowd-pleaser at any gathering. Try it out and see how pleased you are?!

Find it at SophiesCellars.com for $24.99 or visit the wineries website where it's sold for $28.

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A Swedish Christmas Eve in America

2007-12-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Spending Christmas in the States this year I asked my husband if he wanted a Swedish or American Christmas. He responded without hesitation -A Swedish Christmas! That meant that I cooked and served up the traditional Julbord, the Swedish Christmas Smorgasbord, at Christmas Eve. Since there is just to much food involved for two persons to even come close to finish, I invited our good friends and neighbors to join us.

I thought I would share a photo with you of what the Julbord looked like this year.

The Julbord is a buffet with traditional Swedish food like pickled English cucumber, sausage, deviled eggs, cold smoked salmon with dilled creme fraiche, oven baked omelet with mushroom sauce, Swedish meatballs, mustard glazed ham, creamed spinach, potato au gratin (usually you julienne the potato and add anchovies to make Janson's Temptation, but I knew that would be a slightly odd one for our guests so I opted for a simpler, more familiar version, a potato au gratin with thyme, Parmesan and Gruyere), bread and crispbread, salami, Herrgards cheese, and instead of the pickled beets I did a slight update by serving roasted beets over arugula with Chevre. A few really traditional dishes like pickled herring, red cabbage salad, liver sausage, and our Christmas bread, Vortbrod, were missing at my table. They are all very hard to find here, and not all of them a favorite, so we did without.

For dessert we had Ris a la Malta with strawberry sauce. This one and only acceptable dessert for Christmas Eve is a rice porridge sweetened with whipped cream, confectioners sugar, vanilla and orange segments.

With the meal I served white and red wine, a variety of Christmas brews, and the infamous Aquavit, the traditional Swedish snaps that is accompanied by a song or two...

Our friends had never experienced the Julbord before but assured me that everything was delicious. I know that I felt like I was home in Sweden for a couple of hours Christmas Eve...

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday and enjoyed it as much as I did!

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August West 2005 Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

2007-12-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

We ordered half a case of the August West 2005 Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir after a restaurant visit this summer and having a bottle with dinner. We are now down to our last bottle and I thought I better review it before it is all gone!

It has a beautiful dark, clear, ruby red color in the glass.

The lush nose reveals raspberry, ripe cherry, sweet vanilla, and notes of herbs.

The palate follows with black raspberry, cherry and spice. The fruit carries nicely all the way through the long finish, with a hint of red liquorice at the very end. The acidity is sufficient, and the tannins are well integrated and matches the ripe fruit nicely.

Medium to full bodied, this wine is sure to not disappoint. We have not been as you can see, with only one out of six bottles remaining, although I planned to cellar a few... Oh well, very enjoyable right now.

Find it at WineZap.com from $45.

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Jayson 2003 Napa Valley Red Wine

2007-12-20T21:26:00.001-08:00

A short review on a wine we had with dinner tonight.
Jayson 2003 Napa Valley Red Wine is produced by Pahlmeyer, and is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec. It is made from the grapes/juice that is left over after producing the "big brother wine", Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red.

The wine is dark ruby red in the glass. The nose shows black cherry, plum, blackberry, and vanilla. The palate follows in it's path with black berries, oaky vanilla, and relatively smooth tannins that however shows notes of green wood. The nose is a step above the palate, which is a little thinner in the fruit at the finish then you are lead to believe.

Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com from $ 59.99. For the price it is a pretty decent bottle, but there are certainly better wines in that price range out there.

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Robert Craig 2002 Mt. Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-12-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

I went over to my neighbors last night to give them some homemade Christmas treats and I got a treat right back in form of a glass of Robert Craig 2002 Mt. Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
I have had the Robert Craig Affinity (their Bordeaux blend) at several occasions before and always enjoyed it, but this wine was definitely a notch up.

The color in the glass is a deep red garnet color. Big ripe berries, black cherry and black currant meets you at the nose with oak and vanilla notes. The palate is equally lush with dark berries, black currant, and a long finish with violet candy, black liquorice notes, and supple, well integrated tannins with matching acidity.

This was a really good glass of wine and as soon as I finished my glass I wished I had a bottle waiting at home. The quality of the wine very much matches the price tag; available from $60 at Wine-Searcher.com. I would happily spend my money on this wine any day.

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Barham Mendelsohn 2003 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

2007-12-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

This wine is made by winemaker Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat. His only bottling from Russian River Valley. 800 cases produced.

It shows a medium dark ruby color in the glass with medium dark berries, floral perfume, tea notes, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla oak on the nose. The palate shows young red fruit/berries, tart red currant, earthy spice, and a hint of black liquorice (?) and minerals at the very finish.

This medium bodied wine has good acidity but slightly harsh, still green tannins that shows on the the full length of the palate. The nose unfortunately promises more fruit than the palate carries.

Nice effort but, to me, not worth the $35 I paid for it. At $20 I could have seen it as a good value. The tannins and the tartness of the fruit did not quite fit my palate. It might however be the perfect match for someone else... I would love to hear your opinion if you have had it, and agree or disagree.

If you are interested in giving it a try it can be found at Winerz.com for $28.80.

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Valhalla Cellars 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-12-13T18:14:00.000-08:00

I could not resist picking up a bottle of Valhalla Cellars 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon when I saw it on the shelf in the local grocery store. Being from Sweden with our heritage of Norse Gods and Valhalla I just had to try this wine that I had never heard of before. I just loved the label with the viking ship!

Valhalla Cellars was founded in 2001 by Todd Martin and Madeleine Beeler Warner, both of Scandinavian decent. Therefore the name of their label. They are small producers that buy grapes from top vineyards in areas that produce the best quality grapes for the wine they intend to produce.

This wine was fermented in open top fermenters with the cap punched down 3 times daily. It was then aged for 21 months in 60% new and 40% two year old French Oak. Only 70 cases produced.
The wine has a very dark dense ruby color in the glass with slight cloudiness. Red cherry, dark red currant, liquorice and vanilla meets you on the nose. It is relatively smooth on the palate with red fruit, spice, vanilla, good acidity, and young, slightly tart tannins that step in at the very finish.

The color of the wine through me off a little bit to start with. I expected more darker nuances in the fruit and berries, but they are young and red. Never the less, I enjoyed this wine and for $23 I would not hesitate to long to get it again.

The only site I can find it at online is at the winery's web site for $28. They do not have a store online but I am sure you can contact them to purchase and have it shipped.

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CraftSteak at MGM Grand Las Vegas

2007-12-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

While in New York earlier this year we dined at Tom Colicchio's CraftSteak. My husband loved the meal and I thought it was very good as well, and when given the opportunity to dine at CraftSteak in Las Vegas we had to try out this "sibling restaurant".

The restaurant is located next door to Emeril's, Fiamma and other fine dining restaurants at the MGM Grand. The space is contemporary and has a sleek, clean look with dark wood, leather, stainless steel, warm colors at the walls, and a large bar at the entrance.

As a party of six we got seated promptly at arrival. We all started of by sharing some starters as the portions are huge and more than enough for two. I had the Roasted Baby Beets, red and pink beets slowly rated in the oven and served over a few micro greens. Simple, flavorful and delicious. I also tasted the Arugula Salad tossed in a simple vinaigrette. Fresh and light. The third couple had the Romaine Hearts "Caesar" and gave it thumbs up.

For entree I choose the Rack of Lamb and my husband and friend shared the Porterhouse for Two. When I ordered my lamb I was recommended to order it medium as it is two thick pieces of meat that will come out more like medium-rare, my usual preference. I ordered as suggested and to my disappointment, cutting into it upon arrival at the table, it actually came out as a true medium. Never the less a very nice cut of meat with great flavor. The Porterhouse came out as ordered and was juicy, tender and full of flavor as well.

We shared an array of side dishes at the table. Trio of Mushrooms, a blend of roasted chantarelles, hen of the woods, and baby shitake was my favorite, along with the Yukon Gold Puree, the most delicious, rich and creamy potato puree I have ever tasted (I do not even want to think about all the butter that went into that dish). The top pick at the table as it did not last long.
Other good side dishes were the Green Beans topped with almonds, and theFries that was perfectly seasoned and crisp.

Moving on to dessert we were all stuffed but me and my friend had to try a couple of them and we picked the Liquid Chocolate Cake with Persian Mint Chip Ice Cream, and the Pumpkin Cheesecake. Both wonderful although the chocolate cake disappeared of the plate very quickly.

When it comes to the wine selection I started by ordering the Brewer-Clifton 2005 Cargasacchi, Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir, which I have enjoyed before and turned out to be a great start for the meal.
For the entree I selected the Barnett Vineyards 2002 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon. Big and chewy with plenty of fruit and balanced tannins, this was a "crowd pleaser" at the table, and went perfect with our steaks.

Over all everybody in our party thought that the dinner was great, and I was very pleased to see that the quality in service and food that we experienced in New York also made it to the Las Vegas location, which is unfortunately not always the case when a restaurant branches out. If you are looking for a good steak house next time you are in Vegas this one should definitely be on your list.

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Wine.com lets public choose its top 100 list

2007-12-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

The following article was published in the Sacramento Business Journal. The subject is about the top 100 list from Wine.com. Based entirely on quantities sold it is an interesting approach to having the public rate wines...
Read and judge for yourself.

Wine.com lets public choose its top 100 list
Sacramento Business Journal - by Chris Rauber San Francisco Business Times

Taking after the popular "American Idol" TV show, Wine.com unveiled its Wine.com 100 on Wednesday, touting it as "the industry's first top 100 list based entirely on customer preferences."
The top 100 list reflects the top 2 percent of wines sold nationally on Wine.com during 2007, based on unit volume, according to the San Francisco-based company, which bills itself as the nation's top online wine retailer.
"We wanted our first-ever top 100 list to be unique," Rich Bergsund, Wine.com's CEO, said in the Dec. 5 statement. "Many publications rank wines based on the opinions of their wine critics. We wanted our customers to be the judge, voting with their wallets to determine the Wine.com 100."
The top five best-sellers on the list are:
Hogue Genesis cabernet sauvignon, 2003, Columbia Valley, Washington.
Sticks chardonnay, 2004, Yarra Valley, Australia.
Cristalino NV brut cava, non-vintage, Spain.
Big House Red, 2004, Central California coast.
Veramonte Primus, 2004, Bordeaux red blend, Chile.
Northern California's highest-placed wine, a 2006 Hanna Russian River sauvignon blanc, came in at No. 9.
Despite the customer-first approach, Wine.com noted, wine critics also got in their digs. Eighty-four of the top 100 were rated 90 points or higher by industry periodicals such as Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (18), Wine & Spirits (18), Wine Enthusiast (15) and Wine Spectator (8), and 91 were reviewed by customers on the Wine.com web site.
Seventy-five of the best-selling wines are priced at $20 or below. Red wine represented three-fourths of the top 100, led by Cabernet Sauvignon (18), red wine blends (17), Syrah (10), Malbec (5), Pinot Noir (5) and Merlot (5). Of 17 white wines on the list, Chardonnay (6) and Sauvignon Blanc (5) were the front runners.
In contrast with many U.S. wine retailers, where an average of just 1 in 4 wines sold is imported, according to Wine.com, its list contains 60 imported wines. California is the leading region with 29 wines, but eight foreign countries are represented, led by Australia (18), Spain (12), Chile (7), France (6), Italy (6), and Argentina (6).
In May, Wine.com led a list of online wine sellers put together by Internet Retailer Magazine, making it the third consecutive time the San Francisco vendor has topped the list. It also ranked No. 13 on the food and drug list and was No. 199 among all Internet retailers, based on 2006 revenue.

See the complete top 100 list here!

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Vino Volo and Caymus Vineyards 2005 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-12-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Going to Las Vegas last weekend our flight out of Sacramento was delayed for 4 hours, which gave us plenty of time to kill in the airport's wine bar, Vino Volo. Vino Volo is a chain of airport wine bars with five current locations; Seattle, Sacramento, Washington DC, Baltimore and New York, and with plans to expand and open many more locations in the upcoming year.
Having the option to visit Vino Volo made me very excited as airport food and drinks, in general, gives me the shivers... Vino Volo adds a touch of sophistication with good quality wine by flight, glass or bottle. Small plates are also served. We tried the cheese plate, chicken panini and the New York skewers with mashed potatoes and peas. All a step above all other airport food I have ever had.

I started of with the Pinot Noir wine flight featuring a California pinot from the Molnar Family 2005 Poseidon's Vineyard, from France the Louis Latour 2002 VOLNAY, and from New Zealand the Nevis Bluff 2003 Pinot Noir. A nice flight showcasing the many faces of Pinot Noir.

Not having killed enough time it was time for a second flight, this time the California Syrah. From Mendocino County came Saracina 2003 Estate, from Dry Creek Valley the Olson Ogden 2005 Unti Vineyard, and from Russian River Valley the Mesics-Tomerlin 2000 Timbervine Ranch, a small production wine according to the staff, and a favorite at our table.

Having an additional hour before boarding we decided to hit it big and ordered in a bottle of the Caymus Vineyards 2005 Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We were on our way to Vegas after all. Why not start celebrating early? Cost was $165 plus a $12 corkage fee. Not to bad for retail price. Best price online I can find after brief research is $139.99 at Wine-Searcher.com.

On to the wine. Deep dark red/purple in the glass, and tons of big fruit on the nose with black cherry, dark raspberry and blackberry. On the palate the fruit and berries are equally big and intense with cherry, plum, blackberry, black currant and a hint of dark chocolate. Surprisingly smooth with soft tannins showing a green edge that hits at the end of the palate, with the long lush fruit notes.

I thought this would be to young to drink but it actually was very approachable thanks to the softer tannins. The fruit is definitely overpowering the tannins at this point, but with age I expect that the two will become more balanced. This is certainly a wine to enjoy now and in the future.

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Vosges Chocolate Truffles

2007-12-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

I just got back after a weekend in Las Vegas with to much good food and wine. Trust me, you will hear all about it later, but today I thought I would start with telling you about the truffles I got from Vosges Chocolate.

Vosges Chocolate is located in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and has a very chic, modern decor, and beautiful display of their chocolates.

I picked out four of their truffles to enjoy later. They were put in a classy box that got a bow around it.

Balsamico is a dark chocolate truffle flavored with a 12 year old Modena balsamic vinegar. The notes of the vinegar is pleasantly intense and measures up really nice to the dark chocolate. It is topped with chopped hazelnuts for a nice crunch and contrast of texture.

Red Fire has a nice spicy kick from Ancho chili and subtle notes of cinnamon. The heat is perfectly balanced with the dark chocolate. Sprinkled with red chili powder it looks like it tastes.

Black Pearl is a dark chocolate truffle flavored with ginger, wasabi and topped with black sesame seeds. The ginger really dominated and my initial impresson was that it all reminded me a little bit to much about the pickled ginger in sushi restaurants. Very good, but not entirely my cup of tea.

Naga is a beautiful truffle with Indian curry and coconut in milk chocolate. Although I love spicy curry this sweeter, flavorful version is perfect for this truffle. The coconut lends a perfect tropical sweet touch to the palate. Very nice!

Vosges truffles really impressed me with its high quality chocolate, ingredients and great texture of the truffles. I wish I could have tried them all, but I guess I have all the more to enjoy at a later date. And I can't wait...

They make an array of additional products like caramels, chocolate bars, toffees, marshmallows, drinking chocolates, brownies, etc. Something for every taste as long as chocolate is your thing...

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The Candy House of Davis, Davis CA

2007-11-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

My friend brought me some truffles from The Candy House of Davis, after a visit there, knowing I am a chocoholic.
After eating them (all of them in one evening...) I thought I would share my thoughts with you in case you ever run into them.
All the truffles are pyramid shaped and handmade. They also make supposedly amazing fudge, that I have yet to try.

I started with biting into the Amaretto Truffle that has a pleasant mellow almond/nutty flavor. As I am usually not overly thrilled with liquor added to my chocolates I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle flavors, and the lack of alcohol "flavor".
The Kahlua Truffle has a mild coffee flavor with a texture falling right in between a soft caramel and truffle. Covered in dark chocolate.
Black and White was my next victim. White chocolate filled with a dark chocolate sticky ganache, with a slight hint of mint. Very nice.
Praline was just that. A milk and white chocolate shell filled with semi firm, sugary, sweet caramel/praline. A touch to sweet, but surely satisfying.
Gourmet Dark was my favorite. A dark chocolate ganache covered in dark chocolate. Simple, clean and pure. They way I like it...

The truffles were all very tasty, and if flavored with liquor they just had a soft touch of it , which I really appreciate. The Praline was a tad to sugary, and the Kahlua had an odd texture, but they were all charming with a small scale, handmade, touch.
For the holidays the store adds an array of different shapes and flavors that goes with the season. A great place for a holiday gift for that friend with a sweet tooth...

The Candy house of Davis
901 3rd Street
Davis, CA
(530) 758-3652

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Three reds...

2007-11-18T20:30:00.001-08:00

The other night we had neighbors over for a glass, or two (or three) of wine. I took some brief note that I thought I would share with you...

We started of with the Alexander Valley Vineyards 2003 Alexander Valley Syrah. A slightly cloudy and dark red/purple wine. On the nose bright black cherry, blueberry and vanilla. The palate showed raspberry, blueberry, ripe cherry and oak. We all thought this medium to full bodied wine was enjoyable on its own, with integrated firm tannins and long fruity finish.

Find it from $14.99 at Wine-Searcher.com

Next up a bottle that our friends brought, Summers Winery 2004 Villa Andriana Vineyard Napa Valley Charbono. It is not very often you see a 100% Charbono and I was very excited to try this wine. The color in the glass was extremely dense purple/black color. On the nose first perfume with violet and rose. Then dark cherry, blackberry and a touch of creme brulee at the end of the nose.

Palate was lively with ripe, dense fruit and soft tannins with a slight edge. A very interesting and quite nice wine.

Find it from $24.99 at Wine-Searcher.com.

Third out was the Fratelli Ponte 2004 Barbera D'Asti Superiore. I was recommended this bottle in our local grocery store for $10.99. At that price I had nothing to lose and grabbed a bottle.

This was a medium bodied wine characterised by fresh yeasty bread, dark cherry, and a slight touch of plum and raisin. For the price I guess it was not to shabby, but I would personally not buy this wine again.

This was a night with a wide variety of flavors and impressions. Isn't that what makes wine tasting (and drinking) so much fun? You never know what's next and what surprises it might bring...

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Achaval Ferrer 2006 Mendoza Malbec

2007-11-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

Achaval Ferrer was founded in 1998 and is located in the province of Mendoza, Argentina, at the foot of the Andes mountain range. The area's desert-like conditions are perfect for growing Malbec, giving low yields, poor and well drained soils, and warm days with cold nights, which concentrates and gives depth to the final wine.
Roberto Cipresso is the winemaker and he also owns a winery in Montalcino, Tuscany.

Achaval Ferrer 2006 Mendoza Malbec has a beautiful, dense, dark purple color.

Heavy dark cherry, blackberry, blueberry, lingonberry, and vanilla greats you on the nose.
Tasting the wine it shows big, ripe, dark fruit with blackberry, sour cherry, plum, and touch of smoke at the finish.
This wine is big, pleasant, and a great wine for a cold night in the fall. Don't expect great things but certainly good. Serve it with a hearty stew and light the fire place...

I found this wine at Costco for $16.99 and thought I would give it a try. I am glad I did. I would describe this wine as something in between a Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has the big fruit of a Zin, but the finesse of a Cab.
Find it at your local Costco or at Wine-Searcher.com from $16.99.

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Stags' Leap Winery 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-11-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

Stag's Leap Winery is located in the heart of Stags' Leap District, Napa Valley, on a 240 acre estate. Founded in 1893 it has a rich history. Read more about it at the winery's web site.

The grapes for Stags' Leap 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was handpicked and fermented in small lots in a combination of open and closed top frementers. During frementation it received frequent punch downs. Thereafter it was aged in 50% new and 50% used French oak for 24 months. 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot was added for structure and depth.

In the glass this wine has a dark, dense ruby color.
The nose is heavy and earthy with dark plum, cherry, and coffee. Notes of cloves and vanilla enters at the end.
The palate displays dusty fruit of plum, dark cherry, and black currant, with earth, spice and a hint of coffee. The tannins are course and firm in moderate amount, and the acidity plentiful.

This wine showed the heavy and earthy qualities Cabernet Sauvignon can display. We enjoyed it although I would give this wine some time in the bottle as I believe the tannins will become more integrated and mellow out with age, and the fruit become more elegant and structured.
You can find it at WallyWine.com for $44.99.

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Robert Craig 2003 Central Coast Syrah

2007-11-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

Robert Craig 2003 Central Coast Syrah is made from fruit from vineyards in Los Olivos, Santa Ynez Valley, and Paso Robles.
It shows a vivid clear, dark garnet color in the glass. Lifting the glass to my nose black currant, dark cherry, dark raspberry, black licorice and a hint of smoked meat and vanilla meets me. On the palate an array of big ripe, and at the same time slightly earthy, fruit and berries with dark cherry, blackberry, with peppery notes, displays. The tannins are big and soft in this medium to full bodied wine.
I enjoyed this wine. It has a lot of nuances and is big and bold at the same time as it has some finesse. For the price it is a good choice.

The original price at the winery was $30. I found it at the local grocery store at sale for only $ 20.

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Zaca Mesa 2004 Z Cuvee Santa Ynez Valley Red Wine

2007-11-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Zaca Mesa Winery is located in Santa Ynez Valley on an 750 acre estate whereof 244 acres are planted vineyard. The winery was founded in 1972 and was one of the first in Santa Ynez Valley since the prohibition ended. It was originally planted with varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, etc. In the early 1990's it was determined that Rhone varietals such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier, and Roussanne grew best on the site, and it was decided that these were the varietals the winery would focus on. Since 2002 an additional 100 acres have been replanted with new clones of Rhone varietals.
All grapes used in their wine is grown on their property with sustainable wine growing as the goal.
An interesting trivia is that their Syrah was served in the White House by President Clinton to the French President Chirac.

The Zaca Mesa 2004 Z Cuvee Santa Ynez Valley Red Wine is a Chateauneuf-du-Pape style blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsaut. The different varietals were fermented and barrel aged separately for 7 months. They were then blended and aged an additional 9 months in French oak.

This dark ruby red wine shows raspberry, sweet vanilla, cherry and a hint of strawberry on the nose. Once in your mouth the palate reveals soft raspberry, cherry, blackberry and a big kick of peppery spice at the end. The finish is at first fruity but is soon overpowered by the earthy, tart tannins.
This wine did not make me jump with joy but neither was it totally off. I wish it was more balanced and had softer, more integrated tannins for a smoother finish. The vanilla on the nose was also slightly overshadowing the fruit.

You can order this wine direct from the winery for $18. Or you can find it for as low as $13.95 at both Wine-Searcher.com and Winezap.com.

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Chateau St Jean 1996 Sonoma County Reserve Merlot

2007-11-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today I am doing a quick review of a wine we had a couple of nights ago with good friends. We bought this bottle at the winery as a library wine, I would guess about 5 years ago. This was our only bottle, and this is the first time we have tasted this wine (they did not pour it at the winery when we purchased it). 400 cases was made.

Chateau St Jean 1996 Sonoma County Reserve Merlot has a dark ruby red/brick color in the glass. The nose displays surprisingly concentrated fruit with dark cherry, plum, slight notes of raisin, and soft vanilla. On the palate, plum, cherry, and dark raspberry with an earthy note. The tannins are moderate and silky, but still with an edge, in this medium to fullbodied wine.

My impression of this wine is close to what I had expected. With a little bit more fruit/berries then I thought would still remain (which is a good thing), this was certainly a very good, but not a great wine.

For the price you can find better wine but I would not rule this one out if you prefer older vintages. It can be found at Wine-Searcher.com for $100 at this point.

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Paul Martin's American Bistro Grand Opening

2007-10-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

As we had a good friend in town last night we decided to take him to Paul Martin's American Bistro where we went for the soft opening last Friday (read my review here). This was their first night open to the public and we thought it would be a great opportunity to try out the dinner menu.
We originally had reservations for 7:15 pm, and because we were awaiting a third party we had to change the time. Though they were booked up, the staff was very accommodating to our needs and demonstrated first rate service.

At arrival we sat down in the bar while waiting for our friend to arrive. I was very pleased to see that they had quite a few wines by the glass and not afraid to put some more pricey wines in that category as well. We ordered the Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($19), as we had this a while back and really enjoyed it (read my review here). A new bottle was opened for us, and we were not disappointed by our choice. A nice touch is that wines by the glass are served in a small carafe on the side and you fill up your glass as needed.
The wine list over all has a relatively small selection (they all fit on one page), but they are well chosen with something for every wallet. The only negative with the wine list is that it does not display vintages. As someone who knows a little bit about wine I am very interested to know whether I will be receiving a 2002 or 2005... Of course you can ask, but I just prefer to know upfront as I am looking at the wine list, and making my decision.

As our friend arrived we were seated and I ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that was new to me, Kelly Fleming 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($94). Kelly Fleming is the wife of Paul Fleming (one of the founders of the restaurant) and as I did some research today I found the following facts: The grapes are organically grown on a 12 acre site in Napa Valley with Jim Barbour as the vineyard manager. He is very experienced and highly regarded, and the list of vineyards in Napa Valley he is working with is never ending. Celia Welch Masyczek, formerly of Staglin Family Vineyards, is the consulting winemaker, and works with a limited clientele in Napa Valley such as two other favorites of mine, Hollywood and Vine Cellars, and Husic Vineyards. 500 cases was made of this wine and it is available at the wineries website for $85.
From my mental notes this wine displays a dark ruby color in the glass with hints of purple. The nose displays dark, ripe fruit and berries with notes of fresh bread and vanilla. The dark berries carries on to the palate with dark cherry, blackberry, black currant, vanilla and a slightly earthy note. Great acidity and young, firm, but still lush, tannins. I was pleasantly surprised by this wine and really enjoyed it. This is a new favorite added to my list of wines that I will keep my eyes open for in the future.

On to the food. We started with a Butcher's Board ($9.95 per person) for the table that consisted of an orange and fennel salami, pork tenderloin, a third cold cut, Point Reyes blue cheese, a soft Laura Chenel goat cheese drizzled with olive oil, a semi firm aged Gouda, olives, caper berries and whole grain mustard. Well put together and a great start to the meal.
We tried two new entrees not reviewed in my last post. My husband had the New York Steak with Fries and Zinfandel Butter ($29.95). The steak was cooked as ordered, nicely marbled, juicy and had a great flavor. The fries were short of fantastic, crisp almost all the way through, just slightly soft in the center, and perfectly seasoned with salt and parsley.
I had the Mesquite Grilled Tuna with Tomato and Olive Salsa ($19.95), and sauteed yellow and green beans. This was a very fresh dish that felt light and healthy. The quality and cut of tuna was great, and the flavor paired very well with the tomato and olive salsa. The beans just lightly sauteed with a nice crunch to them.
For dessert we had the same dessert as Friday, the Devil's Food Cake ($6.75) and the Pear and Huckleberry Crisp ($6.75). The Devil's food cake has less ganache in the layers this time which was an improvement, but as a true chocoholic I still missed that really intense dark chocolate flavor that I personally prefer in my cake. On the other hand it is chocolate so I can't really complain...

Two highlights of the evening were that Paul and Kelly Fleming was there, and Mr. Fleming came up to our table and chatted briefly. A very pleasant and charming man.

The second surprise was that the executive chef Peter Serantoni came up to our table and recognized me as reviewing the restaurant Friday. Turns out he is Swedish as well, originally from Stockholm, and came here when he was twenty years old, and has since then moved around in different states and now lives in California. It was certainly exciting to speak Swedish, and a great pleasure to meet a fantastic chef.

The service throughout the night was excellent. The attention to our, and all other tables as well, was great, with managers, several servers etc., coming up to make sure that everything was ok. Was there anything we needed? A great effort from the whole staff on grand opening night!

I can really recommend this restaurant as the reasonable prices are surpassed by the quality of food and service.

Go there, eat, and let me know what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

Paul Martin's American Bistro

1455 Eureka Rd

Roseville, CA 95661

(916) 783-3600

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Paul Martin's American Bistro, Roseville

2007-10-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

Paul Martin’s American Bistro is having its grand opening tomorrow, Monday, at Eureka Rd in Roseville. I got a preview and tasted their food at the soft opening Friday at lunch with my husband and a friend.
The restaurant is a joint venture by Brian Bennett and Paul Flemming. Executive chef is Peter Serantoni and the Day-to-Day Head Chef is Scott Rose that has previously been at Spataro Restaurant and Bar, and Paragary's Bar and Oven, among others. The goal for the restaurant is to concentrate on seasonal, sustainable, and organic ingredients, sourced from local farmers/producers.

The restaurant has a modern, sleek, warm, decor with brick wall accent, brown leather, and a lot of wood. The large bar covers a full wall of the restaurant and serves up a long list of specialty drinks made with their own fruit infused vodkas, and more.

We were seated promptly and ordered a bottle of ZD 2006 Chardonnay (a wine we have enjoyed many times), and were served bread and butter. The butter is hand churned in the restaurant from organic cream. A nice touch. Although there was a wide array of great looking starters we went straight for the entrees. I ordered the Cedar Plank Salmon topped with Bacon and Shallots ($17.95) served on top sauteed spinach, criminis, and jus. The salmon was cooked medium just to my liking and the bacon/shallot topping added a big punch of flavor. A really good dish.
My husband ordered the Braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes and Horseradish Sauce (18.95). I am a big fan of short ribs and these make it to my top 3 list of best that I have had. And I have tasted a lot! Succulent, incredibly tender and big flavor. A true rustic comfort dish and the best out of the three entrees we tried.
My friend tried the Grilled Skirt Steak with Maple-Bourbon Glazed Roasted Sweeet Potatoes and Arugula ($17.95). The beef came out as ordered, and this dish with its sweet accents was very tasty as well.
For dessert we ordered the Devil’s Food Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream and Sour Cherries ($6.75), and the Pear and Huckleberry Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream ($6.75). The cake is a dark chocolate cake with medium dense ganache (I would guess that a semi sweet chocolate was used). It was a little bit to heavy on the ganache and I wish it had been bitter sweet instead. But that is just a matter of taste. It was still very good. The crisp was not to sweet, flawless, warm, and delicious.

The service was really good for being a soft opening and the manager came up to our table several times to check in and make sure that everything was to our satisfaction.

I am leaping with joy that there is finally another quality restaurant in our area. I can’t wait to go here for dinner real soon to try some items from the dinner menu. Two members of the staff independently told us that the Braised Lamb Shank is the best item on the menu. I will have to find out...

Paul Martin's American Bistro
1455 Eureka Rd
Roseville, CA 95661
(916) 783-3600

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Vino Noceto 2004 Shenandoah Valley Sangiovese

2007-10-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Vino Noceto, a small family run winery in Amador County, was founded in 1987 by Suzy and Jim Gullet. They concentrate on the Italian varieties Sangiovese, Barbera and Muscato Bianco. They also grow Zinfandel which the area is known for.

I picked up a 375 ml bottle of the Vino Noceto 2004 Shenandoah Valley Sangiovese the other day at our grocery store, and tonight we are giving it a try.
The wine shows a bright ruby red color in the glass with a slight dark pink hue.
The nose gives of aromas of dark cherry, rose hip fruit, sweet vanilla and black tea. In the mouth notes of cherry, cranberry, spice, earth, and a touch of pencil lead at the very finish. The acidity is relatively high and the tannins slightly tart.

This wine has good balance, is very approachable at this point in time, and a really nice wine with food (I can definitely see it with spaghetti and meatballs...) or enjoyed on it's own.

For $12.99 at Wine-Searcher.com and WineZap.com it is a really good deal. I really like the fact that it comes in a 375 ml bottle as well. Great if you only want a glass and don't want to open a full 750 ml bottle...

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Cosentino 2002 M.Coz Napa Valley Meritage

2007-10-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

This is a bottle that we got a couple of years back in our wine club member shipment from Cosentino Winery. Tonight it was time to pop it open to go with a nice Filet Mignon.

This is a unfined and unfiltered wine made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

It has an extremely dark, dense garnet color in the glass. The nose reveals dark cherry, blackberry, black currant, and vanilla. The wine is equally concentrated in fruit and berries on the palate with black cherry, blackberry, plum and black currant with some dusty earth. The tannins are plentiful and very firm. The finish is relatively long with fruit, earthiness and with a slight heat from the relatively high alcohol level (14.6%).

This is all over a very intense, although not overly ripe, wine on both nose and palate. With the firm tannins this makes for a young 2002 that I wish I would have kept my hands off another couple of years, at least... Not to say it's not a really enjoyable wine at this point in time, but you will see the benefits if you stash it in the back of your pile for 5 years or so.

My wine club member price was $90 and the winery sells it at their web site for $120 to the public. You can make an even better deal at Wine-Searcher.com where you can find it from $75.

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Bargetto 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

2007-10-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

In 1918 immigrant brother, Phillip and John Bargetto, from Castelnouvo Don Bosco in Piedmont, Italy, purchased the land in the Santa Cruz Mountains where Bargotto Winery was founded. During the prohibition (1919-1933) they made wine for family and friends, and in 1933 they started to sell it to the public. Two generations later the winery is still in the family...

The Bargetto 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir has a clear, ruby red color in the glass. The nose is dominated by cherry, dark raspberry and perfume aromas. It is vivid, but with a light touch to it, on the palate with bing cherry, plum, raspberry and a fruity finish with pencil lead at the very end. The oak is present but far from overwhelming, the acidity is plentiful and the tannins are slightly "tart" but still silky.

I found this wine at BevMo on sale for $19.99 (regular price $25.99). If you can't find it there check out MissionLiqour.com wher you can find it from $19.98.

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ZD 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir

2007-10-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

I am finally back after having had family in town for the two last weeks with a lot of traveling (and no blogging). Thank you for being patient...

Tonight we opened the ZD 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir with dinner. It is made from fruit sourced from two vineyards in Carneros. After crush it was fermented in small open top fermenters with hand punchdowns every six hours, then aged for 10 months in French Oak barrels.

This wine shows a dark ruby red, clear color in the glass. The nose is lush but still elegant with ripe red cherry, rose, vanilla and a slight hint of thyme. In the mouth it expresses red cherry, dark raspberry, dust and smokey oak. The tannins are soft in this medium bodied wine with a moderate finish, that could use a little bit more punch.
At first I was slightly disappointed at the very restrained fruit but as I let it open up about 30 min the more lush, ripe berries emerged and made this elegant wine quite enjoyable. After an additional 30 min it was even more fruit forward and round. I strongly recommend to let this bottle sit open for about 1 hour (or decant it) before enjoying, as it only opens up and develops to the better.

You can find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $29.99 which I would say is a fair price for this level quality bottle.

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Bonaccorsi 2003 Fiddlestix Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

2007-09-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday night and we are revisiting an old friend of ours, the Bonaccorsi 2003 Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills. I had this bottle for the first time in Dec-06 in Las Vegas (after which I had to get some for home), could not wait and opened one in January this year. Time for a new taste tonight, and then there is only one bottle left in my stack for future enjoyment.

The color in the glass is a dark ruby red with a slight purple shade. The nose is still bursting of bright fruit and berries, with dark cherries, dark raspberry, plum and for the first time I am noticing an herbaceous note. On the palate the dark cherry rules again with dark raspberry, and oak notes. The acidity is mouth watering and the tannins are well integrated and have mellowed down a bit from last time I had this wine, at that point I remember them being firm with an edge. The edge is gone...

Hard to get a hold of I found just a fews site online where you can order it, Wine-Searcher.com for $54.99. Winezap.com also has it for a slightly higher price.

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WhiteHaven 2006 Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

2007-09-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

Before summer comes to an end it's time to try a couple of more Sauvignon Blanc. Last night we opened a WhiteHaven 2006 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. I have enjoyed several great Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough this summer and this was a new arrival on the shelf in my grocery store that I had try.

Greg and Susan White, and wine maker Simon Waghorn, established the winery in 1994. The production in 1995 was 5000 cases and next years production, 2008, is estimated to 200,000 cases so this is a winery that have grown quite a bit over the years.

The wine has a clear, very light straw color in the glass. The nose is vibrant of citrus, under ripe white peach, and hints of grass. The palate is equally pungent with apple, citrus and kiwi, with really nice acidity. This is a dry and very refreshing wine but intense and bright on the nose and in flavors. If you like more austere whites with more emphasise on the mineral component my guess is that this is not so much for you.

I found it fun and tasty and for $11.95 at Wine-Searcher.com and Winezap.com you can't really ask for a much better "budget" wine for late summer evenings...

Lucia 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

2007-09-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

This is a favorite of mine year after year along with the on-step-up Lucia, Gary's Vineyard. During my Santa Barbara trip last week I found a 375 ml bottle in a local grocery store and was very excited to find a good half bottle for once...

The Lucia 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir is primarily made from grapes from Pisoni Vineyards and Gary's Vineyard. Wine maker Jeff Pisoni uses classic Burgundian wine making methods such as fruit sorting, gravity feeding, hand punch downs during fermentation, and ageing in French oak. 850 cases made.

In the glass it has a clear, dark ruby red color. The nose displays loads of ripe raspberry, red cherry, lingonberry, floral, and sweet tobacco at the end. Tasting it, the raspberry pops in your mouth again, with red currant, hint of fresh herbs, oak, and soft, ripe tannins. The good acidity dominates the finish with some cherry.
This wine is ripe and fruity but still clean and towards the more elegant style. After my first sip of this wine, that I revisit vintage after vintage, I was definitely not disappointed.
You should be able to find this wine in wine store around the country for around $40 for a 750 ml bottle.

Enjoy! I know I did...

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Mesa Grill, New york

2007-09-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

After some interruptions I am moving back to our New York trip.
Enjoying Bobby Flay's cooking at the Food Network it was time to visit one of his restaurants. He has quite a few places in New York and we narrowed it down and decided to go to Mesa Grill because of the heavily south western influenced cuisine.

After being seated promptly we ordered drinks. My margarita was surprisingly average and really stiff, my husband's Mesa Fresca on the other hand was a big it. A very refreshing tequila drink with grape and lime juice and a splash of soda. Only last week I watched Boy Meets Grill at the Food Network to see Bobby Flay mix it up. I was very excited to get the recipe... Check it out here.
On to the first course. My husband had the Baby Romaine Salad with Chorizo and Cotija Cheese in a Roasted Garlic Dressing. He loved this relatively light dish with bold, spicy flavor from the excellent chorizo mellowed by the semi soft, milder Cotija cheese. I had the Shrimp and Grouper Ceviche with Tomatoes, Serrano Chiles and Lime Juice. Quite delicious. Fresh seafood with a nice spicy bite to it.
For entree he choose the Sixteen Spice Chicken with Garlic/Mango sauce and Blue Corn Tamale. It looked fantastic on the plate but biting in to it, despite of the sixteen spices, he found it surprisingly dull in flavor and slightly over cooked. My Ancho Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon with a Black Bean Sauce, Tomatillo Salsa and Jalapeno Crema was really good. The salmon was perfectly cooked, juicy and still opaque in the center. All the surrounding sauces adding a great melding of flavors.
We were stuffed at this point and could not bring ourselves to ordering dessert.

Service was friendly and prompt, but just that. The food met my expectations just at the mark, but my husband walked out of there a little disappointed.
Let me know what you think if you have dined here. I am curious to see what your experience have been!

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Ella Dining Room and Bar, Sacramento

2007-09-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated, official Grand Opening of Ella Dining Room and Bar took place last night. If you live in the Sacramento area I am sure you are familiar with, and maybe have been to, The Kitchen Restaurant or Selland's Market-Cafe, both run by the Selland family. This is their newest venture and the restaurant is named after Randell Selland's grand daughter Ella.
Located at the corner of 12th St. and K St. in the Cathedral Building, a sleek, light wood entry meets you as you step in through the door. The large open restaurant with a big, square bar in the middle of the room, with plenty of seating, has hundreds of Hungarian window shutters decorating the ceiling and part of walls, giving the space a very rustic feel. The seating is a smart mix of smaller contemporary tables with upholstered chairs, and rustic large wood tables and wood chairs for eating community style. Behind the bar sits a large wine room enclosed only by dark glass walls. A lounge area with more bar stool seating and couches also adds to the scene. As you can see contemporary meets rustic in this very cleverly and tastefully decorated restaurant. Private dining rooms are available as well, and chef's tables with a specialized menu.

Moving on to the menu, it offers a wide selection of eclectic cuisine. Our waiter explained the different sections of the menu, and encouraged our party to share a variety of dishes to experience the many flavors.
First on the menu is the cold bar section featuring everything from oysters to ceviche. We tried the Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi with a Salad of Frisee, Radish, Almonds and Citrus Segments ($14). The fresh burst of citrus in the salad and the different textures made a great pairing with the very fresh, delicate yellowfin.
From the next section of the menu, the small plates, we ordered the Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine Reduction ($10). Served on top a parsnip puree and scattered glazed carrots. Succulent, tender, and flavorful, this rustic dish won the heart of all of us. Another fantastic small plate was the Gnocchi in Cream Sauce with Broccoli Rabe, Parmesan and Prosciutto ($12). The gnocchi impossibly fluffy/pillowy with almost a creamy texture as they melt in your mouth when you bite into them. The accenting ingredients were a perfect match as well as you can see.
Next section was Salads and then Vegetables. We ordered the Heirloom Tomato Stuffed with Burrata Cheese ($9.50) with a side of super sweet cherry tomatoes tossed in basil and olive oil. Burrata is an Italian fresh cheese made from Mozzarella and cream that is mixed until it obtains a soft texture. Mild and creamy it made the sun bursting flavors of the heirloom tomato shine. We also tried the White Corn Soup with Chives and Creme Fraiche ($8). Simple and delicious with bright sweet corn flavor.
On to the Entrees with three different sections, pasta, fish and meat. Us girls had the Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes, Tapenade and Olive Oil ($24), and the Slow Roasted Salmon with Baby Artichokes, Preserved Lemon and Lardons ($24). Both great dishes, my salmon moist and melting in the mouth. The guys had the Grilled New York Strip with Tomato, Mushrooms, and Gremolata ($28) and the Grilled Hereford Ribeye with Bordelaise, and Bearnaise Sauce ($48). Great dishes as well, the only mistake being the New York Strip coming out at the table as medium rare when being ordered medium.
Although stuffed at this point we had to try a few of the desserts as well, three to be exact... A Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Soft Ganache Center, Cocoa Nibs, and Toasted Coconut Almond Ice Cream, and the Profiteroles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce, both really good, although the profiterole eating guest thought the profiteroles were slightly dry. Despite being a chocoholic, I have to admit that the third dessert was the most interesting. A French Toast with Cinnamon, Maple Syrup and Coffee Ice Cream. Excellent marriage and balance of the flavors.

This massive feast was enjoyed with three fantastic bottles of wine. Roar 2005 Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, Jayson 2002 Napa Valley Red Wine and Plumpjack 1995 Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We had brought the 2002 Jayson with us, the other two bottles were from their well put together wine list. With a limited but very well choosen selection under each varietal, it concentrates mostly on new world wines but does not forget about the wines from Europe. It has something to offer for everyone, with prices for a bottle of wine starting at under $30 and climbing from there, and with a section dedicated to half bottles. The library section has a great selection of Napa Valley Meritage and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The setting, ambiance and food exceeded my expectations for an opening night. The service was very attentive, courteous and knowledgeable, but as with the stress of any grand opening, just a little off in the timing. Small mistakes like serving first course before our wine had arrived, and forgetting to offer us coffee at dessert time, should be easily overcome as they hit their stride. I have been to grand openings before and not a single one has been able to offer that impeccable service right of the bat. Having dined many times at their other restaurant, The Kitchen, that offers service second to none, I am confident that it is only a matter of days or weeks until this is also achieved at Ella Dining Room and Bar.
Over all I can highly recommend this restaurant and I am one for sure that will be back very soon.

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Cosentino Winery 2003 The Poet Meritage Napa Valley

2007-09-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

This meritage consists of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Merlot. Each lot was aged separately in French oak for 30 months, then blended and bottled unfined.

The color in the glass is a very dark, clear, ruby red, whispering of intense fruit. Dark floral and tons of black liquorice greets you on the nose with black tea, blackberry and black currant. On the palate, more blackberry, black currant, cherry, oak, and semi firm, well integrated tannins that balances out the intense fruit well.

I thought this was a great full bodied blend that is big and intense but still well balanced and never goes out of hand on the fruit. Will age well for many years to come. I got it in a wine club shipment a while back at the cost of $65. You can find it at the wineries website at that price, or at Wine-Searcher.com from $39.99.

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Duck Pond Fries' Family Cellars 2005 Oregon Pinot Noir

2007-09-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

The Duck Pond 2005 Oregon Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown in the Willamette Valley, with 91% from the south Salem Hills and 9% from the Red Hills. The soil in these vineyards are primarily "Jory" soil, a week volcanic ash and rock type that promotes a low-yielding crop, giving the wine special characteristics.

It shows a clear ruby/purple color in the glass. The nose offers soft fruit and berries with red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and obvious smokey tobacco aromas.
In your mouth it continues on the more elegant fruit notes with red cherry, raspberry, and here the tobacco and especially the smoke stands out and lingers, way past the fruit is gone, on the palate. It is definitely of the more elegant style with lighter red fruit and berries. I wish this medium bodied wine was a little bit more complex on fruit/berries, which are on the thin side, to stand up better to the smokey aspect of it.

Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com from $17.49.

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A Taste of Sacramento

2007-09-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Friday night we went to a food, wine, and beer event in Sacramento, A Taste of Sacramento, a benefit for Easter Seals. It featured over 70 local wineries, breweries and restaurants who showcased their wine, beer and food to ticket holders. As you understand there was not enough time, nor room in my stomach to tasted everything at the event but I did want to share a few thoughts with you on some of the participants that I particularly enjoyed (or not).

Let's start with the food. Best BBQ in town was served up by J.R.'s Texas Bar-B-Que who plated mesquite smoked brisket and baked beans. This is what BBQ should taste like. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse had sliced steak with mashed potatoes. Yummy. Rubio's flavorful, juicy and tender carnitas in flour tortilla with guacamole was surprisingly good considering it being a chain restaurant. Someone was serving a good mahi mahi taco roll as well, but I can't recall who it was... I also had shrimp with a great cocktail sauce that I think it might have come from Pilothouse Restaurant...
For dessert I had two favorites, The Berry Factory (owned by Shari Fitzpatrick of Shari's Berries) with their chocolate dipped strawberries (to die for) and a local chocolate maker that I had not heard of before, Chocolate Silk The Chocolate Architect. They had a wide variety of fudge. The toffee chip chocolate fudge and espresso chocolate fudge were my two favorites.

On to the wine. Holly's Hill Vineyards from Placerville, produces Rhone varietals, and poured a 2006 Viognier that really stood out with intense white peach on the nose and pear at the palate. Sometimes viognier can be a little bit over the top for me but this one did not have to sweet fruit and was lighter and more refreshing then most viogniers. They also had their 2005 Patriarche, a blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, and the lesser known Rhone varietal Counoise. Very nicely balanced with large, but not to ripe fruit, and savory tannins. Good wine for food.

Montevina was there and I only tasted their Barbera and it was a disappointment to me. The entry level Barbera was bland and diluted and lacked the concentration this grape can have. Tasting the one-step-up Terra d'Oro Barbera didn't do it for me either. I moved on...

Cosentino Winery was there and poured a long line of wine. As a former wine club member I know their wines very well. I tasted their 2005 Franc (Cabernet Franc) and the 2005 CigarZin (Zinfandel). These two wines have a very constant quality trough vintages and these were not an exception. They were as big, concentrated and plush as ever, with good tannins.

R. Merlo Estate Vineyards, poured one of the few Pinot Noir that was at the event. The style of this 2002 Pinot Noir was more delicate and less concentrated, compared to the central coast Pinot I usually drink, with red cherries and red berries and only hints of darker fruit. I usually prefer some more of the later, but it was never the less a really nice Pinot Noir. I also tasted their 2002 Syrah. This one full of ripe, big berries and tannins to match. Very good.

Last but not least M2 Wines was there, with owner/winemaker Chris Matheny and his wife Diana pouring the wines. This was one of the best pourings at the event. I have tasted their wines at a wine tasting a while back and reviewed them in a prior post. They had the same line up at this event and you can read my thoughts on their wines here. One extra wine was poured that I had not tried before, the 2004 Clone Six Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. A great wine with dark cherry, black currant, oak and high on firm tannins. Will definitely drink well for many years to come.
Chatting with Chris and Diana they told me about the M2 Autumn Winemaker Dinner they will be hosting October 20th at Fair Oaks Nursery. When seeing the menu and the wine they'll be pairing with the four courses, it was hard to say no, and we did not... They are hosting a gourmet meal with appetizer, choice of crab bisque or roasted beet salad, for entree beef tenderloin or plank grilled salmon, and then a chocolate creation for dessert. All paired up with M2's exciting wines, for a very reasonable $80. To get more information, and join in on the fun call Diana at (916) 838-7914 or email her at dmatheny@m2wines.com. Maybe I'll see you there...

With that I am wrapping up my thoughts on the 2007 A Taste of Sacramento event. I'll be back next year.

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Jayson 2005 Wayfarer Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2007-09-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is Pahlmeyer's second label Jayson's first vintage of Pinot Noir. They also made a first vintage of Pinot Noir that is to be released in October this year under the Pahlmeyer label.

The Jayson Wayfarer Vineyard Sonoma Coast 2005 Pinot Noir has a dark, ruby red color in the glass and is slightly cloudy. On the nose it shows cherry, dark raspberry, blackberry and notes of fresh cut hay. This Pinot is huge on the palate with ripe dark raspberry, notes of cherry, tobacco and coffee. Big and chewy, this medium to full bodied Pinot has good acidity and rather big tannins, with a slightly elegant note to them. 14.9% alcohol.

This was a pricey Pinot Noir at $64.95 per bottle. Loving their Proprietary Red I just had to try their Pinot to see if it had the same high quality. I would definitely not hesitate to have this wine again but I would definitely put it away for a couple of years as it is very young at this point and will drink even better in the years to come with the big fruit given a chans to mellow out and leave room to the more elegant componants in this wine.

Find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $54.99.

Foley Estates 2005 Sta. Rita Hills Rancho Santa Rosa Pinot Noir

2007-09-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

A couple of nights ago we popped a bottle of the Foley 2005 Sta. Rita Hills Rancho Santa Rosa Pinot Noir. We used to drink a lot of Foley and Lincourt (same owner and wine maker) Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but for some reason it has been a while since last time we had one. Opening a bottle tonight I immediately, at the first whiff and first sip, recognized the style, and it felt like seeing an old friend...

This wine was fermented in open top fermentation tanks and had its cap punched down three times per day, then aged in 30% new and 70% used French oak for 12 months in small barrels.

It shows a dark garnet color in the glass. The nose is vibrant with red and black cherry, dark raspberry, black tea, and earth. On the palate, red and black cherry, blackberry, good acidity, and firm but integrated tannins. Rich, fruity, and medium to full bodied. Not bad at all... I really enjoyed this wine. You can taste and feel that maritime influence in this wine. It is fruity and voluptous but on the other hand has a more elegant, sublime side to it. This is my cup of tea.

If you like fruity but not over the top Central Coast Pinot Noir this is the one for you. Find it at WineSearcher.com from $24.99 or at the winery for @40.00.

Del Posto, New York

2007-09-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Another chef's food I have been longing to try, while in New York, is Mario Batali's. He has a total of eight restaurants + one wine shop in New York (as far as I know). Choosing one was not easy but I ended up deciding to go to Del Posto. It is located next door to CraftSteak, were we had been the night before (I will review it later in another posting), at 85 Tenth Avenue.
The restaurant is very elegantly decorated but still welcoming with a lot of dark wood and warm colors in the textiles.

On to the dining. We were seated promptly and after being handed the menu and wine list a basket filled with a varietal of still warm bread arrived. The olive foccacia was my favorite...

After that four small plates with amuse bouche were presented, Shrimp "Puff" (awesome!), Green Tomato with Jalapeno Cream Sauce, Tuna and Artichoke Tea Sandwich, and a Vegetable Broth Soup with Fresh Herbs. All very good!
For starter we shared the Porcini Mushroom, Arugula Risotto. This risotto was one of the best ones I have had since our trip to Italy four years ago. The arugula was pureed, and colored the whole risotto in a vivid green and gave it a nice peppery note, while the fresh porcini gave it a great earthy taste. The rice perfectly creamy with the right al dente bite to it. Excellent start!
For main course I ordered the Turbot with Sweet Corn, Chantarelles and Sangiovese. The turbot was a little bit over cooked but the accompanying ingredients made the dish shine. This was not great but never the less very good. My husband had the Pork Chop. He thought that was a little bit over done as well, but as he got toward the center it was more juicy and full of flavor.
For dessert we shared the Chocolate Souffle with Brandied Cherries and Espresso Gelato. Could not go wrong with this one. Souffle was warm and still slightly liquid in the middle, and the gelato made the perfect pairing. And as if this was not enough a cart of sweet treats arrived at the end of the meal were I had to taste an "Italian" Oreo, dark caramel, and a divine dark ganache in a chocolate shell.
After a delicious, although not perfect, meal we left this well worth to visit restaurant.

The wine: Drinking mostly California and other new world wines we had the sommelier help us pick out a wine for dinner. He gave a few suggestions and among them a Barbaresco, Ada Nada 1999 Valeirano (made from the Nebbiolo grape) that we ended up deciding on. It turned out to be a delicious bottle that paired well with all courses of our meal.

One point I have to make is that the service was a little bit off. At all points during the meal the service was slow enough as to where it was just raising the question "where are they?", and right then they would show up with more water, the dessert menu, or whatever it might be... (Coffee was served a the last couple of bites of dessert, whereas I prefer to get it right before dessert is served). Nothing that can't be corrected with just a few adjustments...

We had a very good meal here, the highlight being the risotto. I can recommend this restaurant with one reservation, the service. It is just a little bit off, not very noticeable, but still there.

Gordon Ramsay at The London, New York

2007-09-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

We just spent a week in New York during US Open. While my husbands biggest pleasure during the trip is the tennis, mine is researching, selecting and finally eating at restaurants with (supposedly) fabulous food and wine.

This years trip we started with a night at Gordon Ramsay at The London. My cousin had dinner there earlier this spring and have been raving about the exceptional service, food, and ambiance. A must try for us after all the praise, plus the fact that we had not been to a Gordon Ramsay restaurant before.
Upon arrival we were sent to the bar as our table was not quite ready yet. 35 minutes later we were finally seated in a half empty dining room. The dining room is made up of one single rectangular room, elegantly decorated, and with high ceilings. It might seem intimate to some, having a limited number of tables, but to us it felt like we were at a wedding party. I like when a restaurant has something to break it up. Be it partition walls, pillars, or booths to create the feeling of separate areas.

After being presented with menu and wine list the first amuse bouche arrived. A fantastic Tuna Tartare and Avocado in a crunchy cone. The tuna tartare was short of amazing. One of the best I have had. Simply fresh tuna with just a few other, not over shadowing, ingredients to showcase its freshness and beauty.
After our order was taken a plate with small nibbles of Parmesan Crusted Cherry Tomato, a Veal Cube (of some kind), and Mushroom Filled Pastry Bread was brought to our table, all very tasty as well.

After this, bread and butter was placed at the table and a final amuse bouche to clean the palate before our ordered meal appeared. A Lemon Sorbet on top of Watermelon, Tomato and, if I remember correctly, Grapefruit. Refreshing and cleansing indeed.
My first course arrived shortly after this, Curried Scallop on a Cauliflower Puree. The scallop, lightly dusted with curry would have been perfect was it not for the fact that it was halved and therefore was a smidge overdone when being pan seared. Otherwise a lovely dish with great combination of flavors.
My husband has the Foie Gras on top of shaved plum and a green bean salad on the side. Good but not great was his verdict.
I had the Lamb with Truffle Dusted Potato, Zucchini and Tomato in Lamb Juice. This was a big disappointment. I ordered it to chef's recommendation (medium rare), and although it came out close to that specification, slightly overdone, the meat was rather tough and tasteless. I know lamb can be difficult, but nothing a five star restaurant can't handle...
My husband had the Suckling Pig Tenderloin and was only so impressed as well.
Time for dessert! Hoping things would get better I had the Vahlrona Chocolate Fondant with banana ice cream and a frothy vanilla drink, and my husband had the Chocolate Mousse with Ginger Ice cream. Both of them very good (mine was a step better). Satisfying enough for a chocoholic...

At the very end of the meal a cart of caramels, chocolates and other sweet treats was brought to our table for selecting a few pieces. We were all but hungry at this point but had to try a few of them of course. A nice end to the meal.

Overall this was a decent meal but we were disappointed with the overall impression we got from the promptness of seating, the food, the "ball room" setting, etc. The highlights of the meal were the tuna tartare and the wine we ordered, Vision Cellar Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir (a great pinot that I can not recall the vintage of). Other than that it was good but far from great...

Have you dined here? If so I would love to hear your thoughts because I am dying to hear that I am wrong and that we just had an "off night"...

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Plumpjack Estate 1999 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-09-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

We got half a case of the Plumpjack Estate 1999 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon at their winery in Napa Valley when it was first released, and after drinking all of them but one bottle during the first two years it was now time to have the last bottle. We were expecting pretty good stuff and were not disappointed...
Dark cherry, dark raspberry, black currant and pencil lead on the nose made for a good beginning. On the palate, black currant, spice, and earthy mushrooms. It still has nice dark fruit and berries, and surprisingly high in tannins. I would have expected it to have mellowed out a little by now, but it is still going strong and drinks really well right now. Will definitely aged well for several more years to come...
If you want to give it a try you can find it online at Winezap.com from $ 95.99.

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Ely Winebar, Dublin

2007-09-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

I just came home from a week in New York and I have so much to tell you about the great food and wine we had, but before I go there I wanted to wrap up our England/Ireland trip by writing about a great place in Dublin.

Ely Winebar opened in 1999 and immediately turned into a hot spot, and two other location in Dublin has been opened since. They serve simple, delicious food, made with meat from an organic farm and the produce sourced from local suppliers.

We got seated promptly upon arriving and started of by ordering a bottle of Felton Road 2003 Central Otago Pinot Noir. A great Pinot from New Zealand packed with red cherry, dark raspberry, slight spice, all well balanced with moderate acidity and slightly firm tannins.
For starter I had the Cucumber and Crab with Mango Sauce. Cucumber wrapped around a light crab salad topped with the mango sauce, set around a baby lettuce salad. Subtle flavors marrying beautifully.
The entree of Pea, Mint and Lemon Essence Risotto with baby spinach and prawns were equally good. The risotto was a tad bit over cooked (wish it was a little more al dente) but the great combination of ingredients made up for that.
For dessert I just had to try the Sticky Toffee Pudding as I had never had this before. What a satisfying ending to the meal! Moist cake with a great sticky caramel/butterscotch flavor and sauce topping, served up with a side of vanilla ice cream. Yummy!
Our waiter Tony provided us with excellent service throughout the evening. Thanks Tony!

Me downstairs in the wine bar/dining area.

We all loved this place for its low key atmosphere, great food and service, and if you walk down stairs you will discover a wine bar and more tables packed with dinner guests in a cave like setting. Definitely a place to visit while in Dublin!

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A.P. Vin 2004 Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

2007-08-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

We picked up a new Pinot Noir today at Selland's Market while getting some of their unbelievable carnitas to bring home for dinner. Selland's has a small but extremely well chosen selection of wine, thanks to Josh, and there is always a new small production winery among all the other options every time you go there.

Today's choice for us was the A.P. Vin 2004 Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Having had wine from several producers from this vineyard before I was expecting a wine that I would enjoy. This wine was aged in French oak for 11 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Only 50 cases made.

In the glass a dense, slightly cloudy, dark garnet color. The nose promise me great things to come with black raspberry, blackberry, some floral, thyme, and wet stone. I take my first sip and can't help but smile. This is gooood..... Dark berries dominate the palate again with some dark cherry and light notes of earthiness. The oak is there but does not stand out, just playing a supporting element together with good acidity and relatively firm but well integrated tannins. The long beautiful finish with earthy berries makes this a wine to remember.

Owner and winemaker is Andrew P. Vingiello has a pretty impressive list of people to thank for advise and help through his start up years. Read more here. No wonder his wines are so high in quality...

At $44.99 this is not cheap wine, but oh so worth it. I am sorry to say that I can't find it online available for purchase. Give Selland's Market above a call for a bottle or two.

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Matchbook 2005 Dunnigan Hills Chardonnay

2007-08-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is the second wine I review from the Crew Wine Co, John and Lane Giguiere. Read more about the Mossback Pinot Noir I reviewed not to long ago here.
On to the Matchbook 2005 Dunnigan Hills Chardonnay. This wine consists of 86% Dunnigan Hills fruit, a warm weather climate, and 14% Russian River Valley fruit, that has the coastal influence and adds structure and intensity to the wine. Aged in french oak for seven months.
I got white floral, apple, pear, a hint of pineapple and toasty oak on the nose. This wine has weight in the mouth with a round, creamy body of apple, citrus and vanilla oak. Doesn't sound to bad, but it is (to me)... The heavy weight and creaminess stayed with me much to long and leaved a cloying feeling in my mouth after swallowing, despite the relatively good acidity and tannins. This was not so much the case at first when it was really cold, but as it moved toward room temperature the viscosity level increased significantly. Not my cup of tea...
Maybe I am just not in a Chardonnay mood today. I will vacuum pump it and taste it again tomorrow. I will let you know if I have changed my mind.

I am also curious to see what you have to say about it. Have you tried it? If not you can find it at WineSearcher.com from $14.75. Won't empty your wallet. Try it and share your thoughts with me...

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MWC 2006 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

2007-08-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

MWC stands for Margerum Wine Company and is a small winery run and owned by Dough Margerum. Margerum wines are produced in a 240 sq ft space behind Brander Vineyards facility in Los Olivos. All wines are hand crafted by Dough and he strives for individuality and to make wine he himself wants to drink.

The 2006 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir shows a vivid, clear, ruby red color in the glass. On the nose slightly perfumey with raspberry, red cherry, earth, vanilla and a hint of herbs. In the mouth this wine shows bright, soft, red fruit/berries with earthy notes. This is not a power house pinot but more elegant and velvety with good acidity, and moderately firm, young tannins. For $24.95 at our local wine shop, Capitol Cellars, I honestly can say that this is a really good wine for the price.

Looking online I can only find this wine on one site, Los Olivos Wine Merchant (a great wine shop in the center of Santa Ynez wine country with the perfect lunch cafe), for $28.

Find it and try it...

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The Chocolate Society, London

2007-08-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Running into a chocolate shop when in London I could not resist but had to try their creations.

Hiding on 32-34 Shepherd Market in London The Chocolate Society offers bars, truffles, cooking chocolate and a full counter of a wide variety of handmade chocolates. It also had a small cafe with hot chocolate, ice cream, brownies and more. I picked up a few of the chocolates to give them a try.

Dark Chocolate Truffle: Velvety, creamy ganache covered in a shell of dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. Pure, high quality chocolate. Great with the glass of Cabernet Sauvignon I had with it...
Tarte Tatin: The interior of this treat was a vanilla caramel mixed with an apple jam with flavor of cinnamon. The jam gave it a slight odd texture, but never the less it was really good and tasted like apple pie covered in milk chocolate.
Creme Caramel: This vanilla caramel had a more sugary texture then chewy. I prefer the chewy... It did however have a really nice buttery caramel flavor and was covered in dark chocolate and sprinkled with dark sugar. Very edible after all...
Champagne Truffle: This was the highlight of the pieces I tried. Looked like, and was made of the same velvety, dark chocolate ganache as the Dark Chocolate Truffle but with a subtle taste of Champagne. Just the way I like my champagne truffles! Again dipped in dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. Wish I had more of this one...

What a great find just walking around London, offering a wide range of chocolate products and all of high quality. If you don't make it there you can order online at The Chocolate Society's website as they ship internationally.

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M2 Wines

2007-08-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to a wine tasting at our local wine store, featuring M2 Wines. I was not familiar with this winery and excited to try something new. Chris Matheny, owner and winemaker, did all the pouring and was very informative and loved to talk about his passion, and wine in general. Needless to say, I had a great time.

Chris Matheny and Layne Montgomery

M2 Wines got it's name from the first letter in two gentlemen last name, Layne Montgomery and Chris Matheny. The two of them met in 1999 and in 2000 they started making wine as amateurs. In 2004 it was time to go commercial and since 2006 they have their own winery in Lodi. M2 does not own their own vineyards but buys grapes from premium vineyards throughout California. That way they can source the different varietals from the areas where they express the best characteristics.
Chris explained to me that their goal as winemakers are to intervene as little as possible to let the vineyards and grapes express themselves in the wine, showing the essence of the location and the grape varietal. Getting there they use only the highest quality yeast, barrels, etc. Another amazing fact that only proves their commitment to producing great wine is that they actually punch down the cap 2-3 times per day. Far from always the case at many wineries...

On to the tasting:

The 2004 Dos Arkies California Red Wine (named after the fact that they are two guys from Arkansas) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. Great blend for $18 that is a tad bit low in complexity but easy and pleasing to drink. Red cherry, black berry, and blue berry dominates on the nose. The palate offers red cherry, black currant, some spiciness from black pepper, and smokey oak. Great value for this medium bodied wine that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
The 2005 Singularity Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley($35) is a Cabernet Sauvignon blended with a small amount of Syrah and Petite Sirah. Did not take any tasting notes on this one as I was preoccupied talking to Chris... I do remember that I liked it...
Next up was the 2005 Duality Red Wine Sierra Foothills ($20). A blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah. Again, talking to much with Chris but I do remember the strong impression of the dried, smoked meat and dark berries that hit you big time on the nose. The palate again carried that dark fruit and berries along with mouth puckering firm, high tannins . Big wine, big tannins! This one demands a good BBQ!
The 2005 Row 23 Herzog Vineyard Clarksburg Petite Sirah ($28) was poured next. This wine offered floral/perfume on the nose with dark berries. On the palate vivid, round dark fruit and berries again, with smooth, round tannins. Different at that point from the previous wines that all had more edgy, firm tannins.
The last wine was a surprise as it was not on the tasting list. Chris had pulled a barrel sample that morning from the 2006 Clone 6 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (3-pack for $120) and poured is as a future. This one made me really excited. Only 175 cases produced this will be bottled in March and released in October next year. Straight out of a French oak barrel that morning this wine was bright in fruit with red cherry, black cherry and violet on the nose. The red and black cherry shows up on the palate again with black currant and oak notes. Very high in mouth puckering tannins at this point, I can not wait to see what it has to offer next October when my shipment is arriving.

This is a realtively new, up and coming winery and I am looking forward to follow them as they develop over the years. Their wines are all really nice and leaves a promise of things to come in the future.
Find their wines at their website.

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Atrium, Edinburgh Scotland

2007-08-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

Atrium was established in 1993 by Andrew and Lisa Radford and is located in the Usher Hall with the Traverse and Lyceum Theatres. They have had a consistent reputation throughout the years of being one of the best restaurants in Edinburgh, having won several awards, and they use only premium ingredients sourced from local suppliers. This small, candle lit, restaurant served us the best meal we had during our 2 1/2 week long trip through England, Scotland and Ireland.

We were promptly seated upon arrival and after ordering wine and food an amuse bouche was served and this particular night we were treated to a Carrot Soup with Sesame Oil. Subtle flavors and great taste of summer through the baby carrots the soup was made from.

We went from there to sharing two starters. The Scallops with Tomato Risotto was exactly just that: small, sweet, tender scallops served on a bed of very creamy, rich, risotto with diced tomatoes. This was absolutely delicious and the perfect starter as it would have been to heavy as a full entree due to the risotto that was loaded with cream and cheese.

The Shaved Artichoke was served on a salad of baby lettuce, tomatoes and shaved Pecorino cheese. All surrounded by traces of olive tapenade, perfect to soak up with the homemade warm bread that was served at the table. The salad was very vivid in color and flavor, and delicious.

For entree my husband had the Maize Fed Chicken. This was hands down the best chicken I have ever tasted. The meat so moist and incredibly flavorful. Served with Vegetable Medley my husband raved about it for days. And still does...

I had the Halibut with Crab Salad on a bed of home made tagliatelle with green onions, yellow onion and tomatoes. The halibut again was out of this world in flavor and cooked to perfection. The crab salad it was topped with made a perfect match. The pasta was very good but a little bit overcooked. Al dente instead and this would truly have been an amazing dish.

Dessert made me scream for more! Chocolate....(something).... with Coffee Creme Anglais. Best chocolate dessert ever! Hard to describe but kind of like a gooey, cake/brownie batter baked in a pie pastry shell, beautifully cut and decorated, and then baked to perfection. Served warm on a mirror of coffee creme anglais. Warm, gooey, intense dark chocolate. Could you ask for anything more?

On top of this complementary after dinner treats was served. I was stuffed at this point, but had to taste the Chocolate Chip Biscuit, Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Truffle, and a "Oat/Granola Bar Cookie". All delicious of course.

The other highlight of the night was the wine. I choose a Pinot Noir from New Zealand that I hadn't heard of before. At a price of around 35 British pound we did not expect greatness, but it turned out to be delicious. One of the best bottles we had during the trip. So what bottle then? It was the Momo 2005 Seresin Estate Marlboruough Pinot Noir. Intense in raspberry, cherry and great acidity and tannins. Medium bodied with a long finish. A great wine that I almost cried over when getting back and realizing that it is not available in the US. Retailing for US$20-25 in England it would have been a great everyday drinking wine! Let me know if you have found it somewhere out there and know something I don't know. I want this wine!!!

The service throughout the evening was attentive but not over the top. Being used to "American" service we thought it was a little bit slow at times, but we were in no hurry and enjoyed our evening.

If you ever find yourself in the Edinburgh area this establishment is a must visit!

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Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2007-08-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is composed of grapes from seven vineyards, Abbott, Baranoff, Clay, Koos, Leepin, Nunes and Zephyr Vineyards. It spent 20 months in oak barrels, 50% being new French Oak.

This was my first time having a wine from this winery and it was thanks to my husband who brought it home after finding it at BevMo and thought it looked like it was worth a try. BevMo's price was $54 for this bottle and the only other place I can find it online to purchase is at the winery's website for $60.

On to the actual tasting. A big, dark ruby red color greats me in the glass just before discovering dark cherry, dark raspberry, blueberry and an earthy quality with some grass/herb nuances, on the nose. I am very excited at this point can't wait to take a sip. Again the black cherry is there with some involvement of red cherry as well. Dark berries makes an impact as well with some oak notes at the end. The acidity is definitley there in the right amounts and the tannins are pronounced yet round and velvety.

Not knowing quite what to expect I was very pleased with this wine. The balance between ripe fruit and berries,the notes of earth and grass/herb and the beautiful tannins, plays out great. At the end resulting in a lush, ripe Pinot Noir that still possesses the more delicate nature of a cool climate Pinot. This is a Pinot I will definitely have again. You should try it to!

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Theo Randall at The Intercontinental, London

2007-08-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

We just came back after spending 2 1/2 week in London, Scotland and Ireland and I have a few places that I would like to share with you. Today I am starting with Theo Randall at The Intercontinental Park Lane in London.

Theo Randall just opened his first own restaurant in fall of 2006 at the Intercontinental after 17 years at The River Cafe in London. The restaurant has a sleek, contemporary interior design with extensive wood flooring and wood paneling on the walls, and accessories in brown and green colors. The food is Italian with Theo's personal twist, and both the ingredients and presentation are simple with stunning results.

My husband started with the Insalata Mista with greens, big chunks of sun ripe tomatoes, and Pecorino cheese. With great quality green and intensely flavored tomatoes this was a simple but delicious light start to the meal. I had to try the Scottish Scallop with Lentils. Beautiful sweet scallops with a salty and spicy component as it was topped with capers and thin slices of green chili. The scallops was sitting on a bed of subtly seasoned and flavored lentils. A delicious pairing that gave a flavor and texture contrast but in no way competed with the scallops.

For main course seafood, duck and rabbit were the options and my husband not eating any of these had to ask for a special dish. They presented him with a Roasted Chicken with a Vegetable Medley. I did not taste this dish but he was happy with the dish, although far from blown away. I on the other hand was thrilled to see all the seafood options and choose the Linguini with Brown Shrimp and Shredded Zucchini. The brown shrimp was the smallest shrimp I have ever seen (about the size of my thumb nail). Very flavorful although some of them a tad bit tough as I am sure they can't be easy to cook to perfection because of their size. The shredded zucchini was a great match, and the home made pasta perfectly al dente. A subtle and delicious dish! I would love to recreate this at home and will have to go on a hunt for brown shrimp as I have never seen them here in the States...

Time had come for dessert. Seeing a Soft Chocolate Cake on the menu I knew I had to try it. This soft chocolate cake was in the style of a fallen souffle cake and was paired with vanilla mascarpone whipped to a velvety, airy texture. Delicious!

We had a bottle of 2001 Barolo with our meal. I do not remember or take notes on the producer but it was a really good bottle and although it was not the best choice to go with my seafood dishes I still enjoyed it.

All in all my husband was not to impressed with this restaurant although he though he had a good meal. I on the other hand really enjoyed my meal and would definitely go back for a second visit had I lived in London. Each dish has few, but high quality ingredients and Theo Randall really works magic with them. The simplicity is just beautiful. It proves again that less is more...

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Demetria 2005 Gaia Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay

2007-08-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

The grapes for the Demetria 2005 Sta. Rita Hills are from Gaia Vineyard (as the label suggest). What you might not know is that Gaia Vineyard is the former Ashley's Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. 600 cases was produced of this wine. The estate owner, John Zahoudanis, has hired Michael Roth as winemaker. Micheal Roth has previously made wine in Napa Valley, Sonoma County and at Koehler in Santa Ynez Valley.

This wine shows pale straw color in the glass. Sticking your nose into the glass citrus, tropical fruit, and bread yeast stands out, with a hint of oaky vanilla. On the palate, pronounced citrus, ripe apple, wrapped up in a round mouth feel. Towards the end mineral steps in with high acidity which balances the slightly creamy, round palate perfectly. It all makes this wine medium to full-bodied with a refreshing lingering finish.

I really liked this Chardonnay as it showed some round creaminess and oak, but to my taste it was immediately complemented and balanced by really good acidity. Round and refreshing at the same time. Perfect!

Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com from $22.62, a price that I would easily pay again for this gem.

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Artesa 2001 Elements Red Table Wine

2007-07-31T02:45:00.000-07:00

The Artesa 2001 Elements Red Table Wine is a blend of predominantly red Bordeaux varietals with 79% of the grapes coming from Sonoma County and 21% from Napa County. It was aged for two years in 50% new and 50% used French oak.

This wine shows a dark red ruby color with a purple nuance. There are tons of ripe, heavy, dark fruit on the nose with earthiness, an aroma of salty ocean, and vanilla.
On the palate the ripe fruit follows through with dark cherry, plum, black currant accompanied by firm tannins and firm acidity. Both of them crucial to balance this very plush and ripe wine. All in all nothing to write home about but neither is it a bad wine. Big and ripe with ok balance, but lacks in complexity.

Find this wine at WineZap.com from $ 17.69. For a decent, California-style, easy-to-drink, Bordeaux blend: not to shabby.

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