I was in Ponte Vedra Beach this past weekend for a "consensus conference" in my area of work. This meant that there were lectures for Continuing Education credit on Friday, but then the schedule on Saturday afternoon had the dreaded words, "Breakout Sessions" and "Discussion Groups." Yeah, I blew those off and went to the beach. There wasn't really much to report with regard to food or wine down there, though.
The reason I'm posting is because there will be a "Best of the Oenophile" tasting this Thursday (7:00 to 9:00) as part of JavaMonkey's Thursday wine series. All the wines will be ones that were rated highly on the blog in the past year. I'm really excited because I know I'll like everything, and now that I've seen the proposed lineup, I think others will, too.
So, come on out to JavaMonkey on Thursday and actually taste some of the things I've talked about.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Restaurant Reviews: Leon's Full Service, Parker's On Ponce
Good progress this week on the writing front. I submitted a short story that I've gotten favorable critiques on to the Writer's Digest Annual Contest. Yes, this is in spite of Ed(itor)'s insistence that "writers are paid to write, they don't pay to write!" But hey, if I didn't spend any money, I wouldn't have anything to say on my blog, would I? I'm also sending in a short short story to Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine tomorrow. Yep, aiming for the stars -- no pun intended.
Hubby and I have been doing our part to keep the Decatur economy afloat even without expectation of government assistance, although starting my own company last year meant that Hubby was over-withheld, so we'll be getting a refund. Of course, the parents and Restaurants.com (see end of post) also helped to make dining out more affordable.
Two weekends ago, my parents came into town for a brief visit to hang out with us and go see the King Tut exhibit at the Civic Center, somewhat misnamed because he's not actually there. Nor are the sarcophogi, but the Egyptians did have some impressive bling and stuff, and my cats always like me to be reminded that at a high point in human civilization, they were regarded as gods.
On Saturday night, we went to the Brick Store guys' new restaurant Leon's Full Service. Going on a Saturday evening was probably not the smartest thing to do. We got there at about 6:50 and were told that the wait would be an hour and a half. It was nice outside, so we found a place inside at the bar and had beers and shared Pub Frites with mayonnaise and sauce verte. I didn't try the mayo, but the frites and sauce verte were very good. All of it earned high marks from my mother, who is from Belgium, where frites were either invented or perfected depending on who you ask. We were pleasantly surprised to be seated at 7:30. Hubby got the burger, I had the Bistro Steak sandwich, Mom had the veggie sandwich, and Dad got the entree trout. I think Dad and Hubby liked theirs the best. Mom's and my sandwiches were good, but we were disappointed that the cheese didn't come melted, and the veggie sandwich wasn't served warm, which may have been intentional. Hubby got the Mesclun Greens for a side, which was excellent. Mom and I each got the sauteed spinach with egg and sherry vinegar, which was very good, but I liked Hubby's greens better. The salad wasn't at all spicy, as I feared it would be.
We'd had beer before dinner but shared a bottle of wine with the meal and got the 2002 "Siskiou Terrace" Foris Claret. For Pinot lovers, Foris is one of those labels that you know is going to give you a great bottle, so we were curious to see what a blend would be like. It was a little green on the nose at first, but it had nice round, dark fruit and was very food-friendly.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Casual and open, maybe a little noisy at the bar; I liked the bocce courts outside but hope they'll turn one of them into patio seating
Food: Very good
Wine list: Good variety, as one would expect from this crew
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Limited but looked good (didn't try)
Vegetarian friendly? Somewhat, but very limited selection with only one sandwich and no entrees
Kid friendly? There were kids in there, but this is Decatur
Would I go back? Yes
Last weekend took us to Parker's On Ponce, where we celebrated Hubby's birthday with BabySis and her boyfriend. The timing ended up being a little complicated with us moving our reservations back to 8:30 so BabySis could pick up Boyfriend, which left a couple of hours for Hubby and me to kill after church. The weather was cold and rainy, so we hunted down parking and snuggled up to the bar, where he had a Scotch and I had a fruity Cosmo-like cocktail called "The Confession." No, I didn't reveal anything interesting.
The rain caused people to linger, so we ended up being seated a good 20 minutes after our reservation, and I have to admit that I wasn't too pleased at being seated right near the door, which provided a draft each time someone went in or out. We quickly ordered appetizers, fried green tomatoes with basil pesto, goat cheese, and toasted pecans, and the special, mussels with garlic and tomatoes, which they may add to the menu. The appetizers were very good, although the tomatoes were maybe a little tough. BabySis and I got the baby spinach salad, a good balance of sweet, salty, and savory with goat cheese, strawberries, pancetta, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette. Hubby and Boyfriend got the house salad, which came with bacon, toasted pecans, dried cherries, and a gorgonzola vinaigrette that wasn't at all the creamy dressing I had expected it to be. The pancetta with he spinach salad came in a couple of whole fried pieces rather than crumbled.
Then came the steaks. BabySis, Boyfriend, and I each got a 6 oz. filet, and Hubby got the Ribeye. We traded around sides, all of which were excellent, Merlot Mushrooms for me and Babysis, Black Truffle Mac & Cheese for Boyfriend, and Steak Fries for Hubby. All of the steaks were very good and cooked perfectly. BabySis described her filet as "meat butter," it was so tender. Hubby's ribeye was also really good and big enough for leftovers.
We did order dessert. BabySis and I got the special, a flourless chocolate espresso cake that could have used a bit more chocolate. Hubby similarly found the Grand Marnier chocolate mousse to be too heavy on the orange peel. Boyfriend liked his Bananas Foster cheesecake.
Hungry yet? Let's talk wine. We knew that steaks would want a big ass red, so we ordered a Cab. The 2006 Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles) had nice caramel/toffee overtones on the nose and good, smooth dark fruit with a little berry. Overall, it was well-balanced with enough acidity to handle the food.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Modern with lots of black and metal; look for the painting on the back wall by Decatur's own J.D. Isaacs, owner of Rose Squared Custom Framing; can be a little noisy, and as I mentioned, seats by the door are drafty
Food: Excellent
Wine list: Adequate
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Need a little work on allowing the chocolate to shine through
Vegetarian friendly? Uh, it's a steakhouse
Kid friendly? Probably not
Would I go back? Yes
Helpful hint: We made our meal at Parker's more affordable with a gift certificate from Restaurants.com. They always offer discounted gift certificates (e.g., $25 gift certificate for $10), but sometimes they have ridiculous specials that allow you to get $25 for $2. Parker's is on there. Leon's isn't.
Hubby and I have been doing our part to keep the Decatur economy afloat even without expectation of government assistance, although starting my own company last year meant that Hubby was over-withheld, so we'll be getting a refund. Of course, the parents and Restaurants.com (see end of post) also helped to make dining out more affordable.
Two weekends ago, my parents came into town for a brief visit to hang out with us and go see the King Tut exhibit at the Civic Center, somewhat misnamed because he's not actually there. Nor are the sarcophogi, but the Egyptians did have some impressive bling and stuff, and my cats always like me to be reminded that at a high point in human civilization, they were regarded as gods.
On Saturday night, we went to the Brick Store guys' new restaurant Leon's Full Service. Going on a Saturday evening was probably not the smartest thing to do. We got there at about 6:50 and were told that the wait would be an hour and a half. It was nice outside, so we found a place inside at the bar and had beers and shared Pub Frites with mayonnaise and sauce verte. I didn't try the mayo, but the frites and sauce verte were very good. All of it earned high marks from my mother, who is from Belgium, where frites were either invented or perfected depending on who you ask. We were pleasantly surprised to be seated at 7:30. Hubby got the burger, I had the Bistro Steak sandwich, Mom had the veggie sandwich, and Dad got the entree trout. I think Dad and Hubby liked theirs the best. Mom's and my sandwiches were good, but we were disappointed that the cheese didn't come melted, and the veggie sandwich wasn't served warm, which may have been intentional. Hubby got the Mesclun Greens for a side, which was excellent. Mom and I each got the sauteed spinach with egg and sherry vinegar, which was very good, but I liked Hubby's greens better. The salad wasn't at all spicy, as I feared it would be.
We'd had beer before dinner but shared a bottle of wine with the meal and got the 2002 "Siskiou Terrace" Foris Claret. For Pinot lovers, Foris is one of those labels that you know is going to give you a great bottle, so we were curious to see what a blend would be like. It was a little green on the nose at first, but it had nice round, dark fruit and was very food-friendly.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Casual and open, maybe a little noisy at the bar; I liked the bocce courts outside but hope they'll turn one of them into patio seating
Food: Very good
Wine list: Good variety, as one would expect from this crew
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Limited but looked good (didn't try)
Vegetarian friendly? Somewhat, but very limited selection with only one sandwich and no entrees
Kid friendly? There were kids in there, but this is Decatur
Would I go back? Yes
Last weekend took us to Parker's On Ponce, where we celebrated Hubby's birthday with BabySis and her boyfriend. The timing ended up being a little complicated with us moving our reservations back to 8:30 so BabySis could pick up Boyfriend, which left a couple of hours for Hubby and me to kill after church. The weather was cold and rainy, so we hunted down parking and snuggled up to the bar, where he had a Scotch and I had a fruity Cosmo-like cocktail called "The Confession." No, I didn't reveal anything interesting.
The rain caused people to linger, so we ended up being seated a good 20 minutes after our reservation, and I have to admit that I wasn't too pleased at being seated right near the door, which provided a draft each time someone went in or out. We quickly ordered appetizers, fried green tomatoes with basil pesto, goat cheese, and toasted pecans, and the special, mussels with garlic and tomatoes, which they may add to the menu. The appetizers were very good, although the tomatoes were maybe a little tough. BabySis and I got the baby spinach salad, a good balance of sweet, salty, and savory with goat cheese, strawberries, pancetta, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette. Hubby and Boyfriend got the house salad, which came with bacon, toasted pecans, dried cherries, and a gorgonzola vinaigrette that wasn't at all the creamy dressing I had expected it to be. The pancetta with he spinach salad came in a couple of whole fried pieces rather than crumbled.
Then came the steaks. BabySis, Boyfriend, and I each got a 6 oz. filet, and Hubby got the Ribeye. We traded around sides, all of which were excellent, Merlot Mushrooms for me and Babysis, Black Truffle Mac & Cheese for Boyfriend, and Steak Fries for Hubby. All of the steaks were very good and cooked perfectly. BabySis described her filet as "meat butter," it was so tender. Hubby's ribeye was also really good and big enough for leftovers.
We did order dessert. BabySis and I got the special, a flourless chocolate espresso cake that could have used a bit more chocolate. Hubby similarly found the Grand Marnier chocolate mousse to be too heavy on the orange peel. Boyfriend liked his Bananas Foster cheesecake.
Hungry yet? Let's talk wine. We knew that steaks would want a big ass red, so we ordered a Cab. The 2006 Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles) had nice caramel/toffee overtones on the nose and good, smooth dark fruit with a little berry. Overall, it was well-balanced with enough acidity to handle the food.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Modern with lots of black and metal; look for the painting on the back wall by Decatur's own J.D. Isaacs, owner of Rose Squared Custom Framing; can be a little noisy, and as I mentioned, seats by the door are drafty
Food: Excellent
Wine list: Adequate
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Need a little work on allowing the chocolate to shine through
Vegetarian friendly? Uh, it's a steakhouse
Kid friendly? Probably not
Would I go back? Yes
Helpful hint: We made our meal at Parker's more affordable with a gift certificate from Restaurants.com. They always offer discounted gift certificates (e.g., $25 gift certificate for $10), but sometimes they have ridiculous specials that allow you to get $25 for $2. Parker's is on there. Leon's isn't.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Metapost: Where I've Been
Greetings, fellow oenophiles!
If you've been wondering where I've been the past couple of weeks, the answer is absolutely nowhere interesting. Okay, that's not technically true. I haven't traveled, but we did eat at Leon's Full Service last weekend and Parker's on Ponce last night, and I promise that reviews will be forthcoming, as will more about our recent journeys in California. But, for once, we weren't eating alone. My parents were in town last weekend, and BabySis and her boyfriend visited this weekend, so the blogging time has been scarce to nil. Or it has been taken up by watching dumb YouTube videos (is there any other kind?) with Hubby and BabySis. I'm not going to confirm or deny that, but do you think there will ever be Stick Figures on Wine, and did the Conan O'Brien Superbowl Commercial reference Swedish pop star Gunther?
Okay, obviously it's time for bed. Or another glass of wine, but I have to work tomorrow. So, good night fellow oenophiles! I promise to check back in soon.
If you've been wondering where I've been the past couple of weeks, the answer is absolutely nowhere interesting. Okay, that's not technically true. I haven't traveled, but we did eat at Leon's Full Service last weekend and Parker's on Ponce last night, and I promise that reviews will be forthcoming, as will more about our recent journeys in California. But, for once, we weren't eating alone. My parents were in town last weekend, and BabySis and her boyfriend visited this weekend, so the blogging time has been scarce to nil. Or it has been taken up by watching dumb YouTube videos (is there any other kind?) with Hubby and BabySis. I'm not going to confirm or deny that, but do you think there will ever be Stick Figures on Wine, and did the Conan O'Brien Superbowl Commercial reference Swedish pop star Gunther?
Okay, obviously it's time for bed. Or another glass of wine, but I have to work tomorrow. So, good night fellow oenophiles! I promise to check back in soon.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Famous Drunk Guys: Vivaldi
I had lunch today with one of my friends and faithful readers, and she mentioned that she can't wait to hear all about the wine and chocolate festival in Lodi. However, I wanted to be sure to acknowledge a very important person in the classical music world.
Today is the three hundred and thirty-first birthday of Antonio Vivaldi. While he may not have technically been drunk, he was Italian in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, so it's highly likely that he drank wine. Caricatures show that he had a big nose, all the better to get that important first sensory smell impression, so -- this is pure speculation -- he could have even been an oenophile, or wine lover.
Vivaldi's best known work is, of course, The Four Seasons, four violin concertos that have been used as background music for everything from commercials to movies to the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT when I was there in 2002. He composed many many other pieces of music including operas and sacred works.
What should you drink while listening to Vivaldi? It depends on your mood. Some describe his work as playful, so perhaps a fun red like the 2007 Quattro Mani Montepulciano, which is smooth and fruity, like a blackberry pie in a glass, would be appropriate. Also, I believe that "Quattro Mani" means "four hands," and The Four Seasons has been transcribed for piano in a four-hands arrangement. I wouldn't recommend it after having drunk a lot of wine, but it may be fun to try after a glass or two as long as your playing partner is someone you know fairly well.
If you're in a more effervescent mood, try a Prosecco. These can be a little rough, but I do like the Zefiro Prosecco (Veneto), which has a lovely cream soda nose and is mellow on the palate.
Okay, now that I've given a nod to culture, I have to admit that I don't really have any Vivaldi playing in the background. The CD that is currently living in my stereo system is U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon. However, Vivaldi influenced everyone after him including the great J.S. Bach.
So, happy birthday, Vivaldi! Your music will always make me think about cute Italian guys, gelato, and, of course, wine.
Today is the three hundred and thirty-first birthday of Antonio Vivaldi. While he may not have technically been drunk, he was Italian in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, so it's highly likely that he drank wine. Caricatures show that he had a big nose, all the better to get that important first sensory smell impression, so -- this is pure speculation -- he could have even been an oenophile, or wine lover.
Vivaldi's best known work is, of course, The Four Seasons, four violin concertos that have been used as background music for everything from commercials to movies to the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT when I was there in 2002. He composed many many other pieces of music including operas and sacred works.
What should you drink while listening to Vivaldi? It depends on your mood. Some describe his work as playful, so perhaps a fun red like the 2007 Quattro Mani Montepulciano, which is smooth and fruity, like a blackberry pie in a glass, would be appropriate. Also, I believe that "Quattro Mani" means "four hands," and The Four Seasons has been transcribed for piano in a four-hands arrangement. I wouldn't recommend it after having drunk a lot of wine, but it may be fun to try after a glass or two as long as your playing partner is someone you know fairly well.
If you're in a more effervescent mood, try a Prosecco. These can be a little rough, but I do like the Zefiro Prosecco (Veneto), which has a lovely cream soda nose and is mellow on the palate.
Okay, now that I've given a nod to culture, I have to admit that I don't really have any Vivaldi playing in the background. The CD that is currently living in my stereo system is U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon. However, Vivaldi influenced everyone after him including the great J.S. Bach.
So, happy birthday, Vivaldi! Your music will always make me think about cute Italian guys, gelato, and, of course, wine.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Opening That Bottle: Pinot Noir, anyone?
So here's the bottle of wine we opened tonight:
2005 Lange Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
For those who don't know, Open That Bottle Night is an occasion to open that special bottle of wine you've been saving. It happens toward the end of February, and we were technically a day late, but Hubby went to a hockey game last night, so we were a little delayed.
We bought this bottle in October, 2007 on our trip to the Pacific Northwest. Although Lange has pretty wide distribution, the stuff at the tasting room was really good, and we fell in love with this Pinot Noir. We've been saving it because it's a bit beyond our typical price point. The nose is of currant, dark cherry, and eucalyptus, and the palate has a bit of smoke with smooth tannin, dark fruit, and a little pepper on the very end of the finish. It's an incredibly elegant wine, and I'm glad we drank it tonight.
2005 Lange Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
For those who don't know, Open That Bottle Night is an occasion to open that special bottle of wine you've been saving. It happens toward the end of February, and we were technically a day late, but Hubby went to a hockey game last night, so we were a little delayed.
We bought this bottle in October, 2007 on our trip to the Pacific Northwest. Although Lange has pretty wide distribution, the stuff at the tasting room was really good, and we fell in love with this Pinot Noir. We've been saving it because it's a bit beyond our typical price point. The nose is of currant, dark cherry, and eucalyptus, and the palate has a bit of smoke with smooth tannin, dark fruit, and a little pepper on the very end of the finish. It's an incredibly elegant wine, and I'm glad we drank it tonight.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
California, Day 2: Napa
I started this blog post yesterday with a comment about how the weather was very similar to Napa with a high in the low 50's and rain showers. Yeah, that changed today at around lunch time when big, heavy snowflakes gradually replaced the rain. Now it looks like it should be January, not March. It's a good thing we have plenty of wine in the house.
We took off from Healdsburg on the morning of February 13 -- yes, Friday the 13th -- after a very hearty breakfast at the Camellia Inn, another one of those "we liked it so much we had to do it again" places from our previous trip. Breakfast was an egg casserole with a rich, creamy mushroom topping, yogurt berry parfaits, and fresh French bread. And coffee, lots of coffee, of course. Oh, yes, I was a happy woman. I'm a sucker for a good breakfast.
I volunteered to drive the first leg, which took us through Alexander Valley, where we did not stop and taste because it felt a little too early in the morning to drink wine yet. Then we went up near or through Robert Louis Stevenson State Park with the emphasis on "up" -- yes, there was snow at the top, so maybe this post is related to the weather after all. I'm so very glad we hadn't tasted anything yet because the road twisted and turned over the mountain, and I likely would have lost my lovely egg and mushroom casserole on the other side, especially if I hadn't been driving. As it was, I had to take a moment at our first stop and have a couple of crackers to settle my stomach.
Langtry Estate and Vineyards, named for late nineteenth-century British theater actress Lilly Langtry, who originally owned the property, is actually in the Guenoc Valley AVA of Lake County. The tasting room sits high on a hill overlooking some beautiful countryside and (surprise!) a lake:
The wines were pretty good, too, and we debated over purchasing one of their excellent Petite Sirahs, the 2005 Serpentine Meadow, I think (I was not good about taking notes this trip). However, we once again came up against price point; this one was $40.00. We're not stingy about wines, but we've been doing this long enough to know that you can find a great bottle for under $30 and really good bottles for under $20. Plus, when we've had expensive bottles of wine, we tend to save them for a really long time, and I just know we're going to lose one at some point. So, we saved those coveted spots in Bertha and moved on.
Side note: Last night was Open That Bottle Night. We'll be opening ours today. I'll let you stay in suspense as to what that fabulous bottle will be. It will be one of the nicer ones we brought back from the Pacific Northwest a couple of years ago.
Back on the road with Hubby driving this time, we headed back toward Napa through Pope Valley. Being in Napa made us a little rebellious. We didn't want to go to big, commercial wineries. Nor did we want to waste time at places that had wines we could get back home. So, Pope Valley Winery seemed to be a perfect stop. The tasting room is in a little shed-type building off the main winery, which was build at the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries and dug out of the hillside by Chinese railroad workers. The son of the owner poured in the tasting room as the winemaker racked the wine next door. It felt rustic, classic, and miles away from the mass-production facilities that we would pass later that day. We came away with a bottle of their 2002 North Coast Zinfandel Port and a couple of pictures:
After another fun drive over a mountain, we arrived in St. Helena in time for a late lunch. Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is a charming restaurant in downtown St. Helena with upscale but accessible "California cuisine." I had the Chinatown duck burger with housemade shiitake ketchup and fries, and Hubby had the soup of the day, Manhattan clam chowder. Kudos to Cindy because that was the best burger I've ever eaten.
Napa Valley is, as promised, a true valley with straight roads and lots of wineries and vineyards. We started our afternoon in the Carneros region at Madonna Estate, which I had heard of and was curious about. We lucked out and found that their reserve tasting room, where they have a display about the four generations of Bartolucci winemakers, was open. Their 2005 Dolcetto earned a spot in Bertha, and we liked everything else so much that we joined the wine club.
After that tasting, we drove into Napa itself and left our car and stuff at the Cedar Gables Inn. If the Camellia Inn was a charming house in the California countryside, the Cedar Gables Inn is a beautiful manor that could have been plucked from the English Countryside and plopped in downtown Napa. It's definitely one of the prettiest B&B's we've stayed at, and my inner Gothic writer loved the setting with its rich colors and dark wood.
The weather seemed to have chased most people out of downtown Napa because the streets were fairly deserted. Our first stop was the Ceja Vineyards tasting room (warning - web page has loud music), where we tasted some good wine but nothing spectacular. Then it was on to the joint tasting room of Trahan and Olabisi, two wineries that make less than a thousand cases per year. In Napa terms, that's tiny, not just small, scale, but quality definitely outshone quantity. The wines from both wineries were excellent. We enjoyed talking to Chuck Custodio, the owner and winemaker at Trahan and bought a bottle of his 2005 Suisun Valley Petite Verdot.
By dinnertime, downtown Napa had come alive. We ate at Ristorante Allegria. I had an Insalata Mista and the Pappardelle Allo Zafferano, which is pasta with shrimp, artichoke hearts, wild mushrooms, and tossed with shrimp bisque. Everything was fresh and very good.
Next stop: Lodi
We took off from Healdsburg on the morning of February 13 -- yes, Friday the 13th -- after a very hearty breakfast at the Camellia Inn, another one of those "we liked it so much we had to do it again" places from our previous trip. Breakfast was an egg casserole with a rich, creamy mushroom topping, yogurt berry parfaits, and fresh French bread. And coffee, lots of coffee, of course. Oh, yes, I was a happy woman. I'm a sucker for a good breakfast.
I volunteered to drive the first leg, which took us through Alexander Valley, where we did not stop and taste because it felt a little too early in the morning to drink wine yet. Then we went up near or through Robert Louis Stevenson State Park with the emphasis on "up" -- yes, there was snow at the top, so maybe this post is related to the weather after all. I'm so very glad we hadn't tasted anything yet because the road twisted and turned over the mountain, and I likely would have lost my lovely egg and mushroom casserole on the other side, especially if I hadn't been driving. As it was, I had to take a moment at our first stop and have a couple of crackers to settle my stomach.
Langtry Estate and Vineyards, named for late nineteenth-century British theater actress Lilly Langtry, who originally owned the property, is actually in the Guenoc Valley AVA of Lake County. The tasting room sits high on a hill overlooking some beautiful countryside and (surprise!) a lake:
The wines were pretty good, too, and we debated over purchasing one of their excellent Petite Sirahs, the 2005 Serpentine Meadow, I think (I was not good about taking notes this trip). However, we once again came up against price point; this one was $40.00. We're not stingy about wines, but we've been doing this long enough to know that you can find a great bottle for under $30 and really good bottles for under $20. Plus, when we've had expensive bottles of wine, we tend to save them for a really long time, and I just know we're going to lose one at some point. So, we saved those coveted spots in Bertha and moved on.
Side note: Last night was Open That Bottle Night. We'll be opening ours today. I'll let you stay in suspense as to what that fabulous bottle will be. It will be one of the nicer ones we brought back from the Pacific Northwest a couple of years ago.
Back on the road with Hubby driving this time, we headed back toward Napa through Pope Valley. Being in Napa made us a little rebellious. We didn't want to go to big, commercial wineries. Nor did we want to waste time at places that had wines we could get back home. So, Pope Valley Winery seemed to be a perfect stop. The tasting room is in a little shed-type building off the main winery, which was build at the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries and dug out of the hillside by Chinese railroad workers. The son of the owner poured in the tasting room as the winemaker racked the wine next door. It felt rustic, classic, and miles away from the mass-production facilities that we would pass later that day. We came away with a bottle of their 2002 North Coast Zinfandel Port and a couple of pictures:
After another fun drive over a mountain, we arrived in St. Helena in time for a late lunch. Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is a charming restaurant in downtown St. Helena with upscale but accessible "California cuisine." I had the Chinatown duck burger with housemade shiitake ketchup and fries, and Hubby had the soup of the day, Manhattan clam chowder. Kudos to Cindy because that was the best burger I've ever eaten.
Napa Valley is, as promised, a true valley with straight roads and lots of wineries and vineyards. We started our afternoon in the Carneros region at Madonna Estate, which I had heard of and was curious about. We lucked out and found that their reserve tasting room, where they have a display about the four generations of Bartolucci winemakers, was open. Their 2005 Dolcetto earned a spot in Bertha, and we liked everything else so much that we joined the wine club.
After that tasting, we drove into Napa itself and left our car and stuff at the Cedar Gables Inn. If the Camellia Inn was a charming house in the California countryside, the Cedar Gables Inn is a beautiful manor that could have been plucked from the English Countryside and plopped in downtown Napa. It's definitely one of the prettiest B&B's we've stayed at, and my inner Gothic writer loved the setting with its rich colors and dark wood.
The weather seemed to have chased most people out of downtown Napa because the streets were fairly deserted. Our first stop was the Ceja Vineyards tasting room (warning - web page has loud music), where we tasted some good wine but nothing spectacular. Then it was on to the joint tasting room of Trahan and Olabisi, two wineries that make less than a thousand cases per year. In Napa terms, that's tiny, not just small, scale, but quality definitely outshone quantity. The wines from both wineries were excellent. We enjoyed talking to Chuck Custodio, the owner and winemaker at Trahan and bought a bottle of his 2005 Suisun Valley Petite Verdot.
By dinnertime, downtown Napa had come alive. We ate at Ristorante Allegria. I had an Insalata Mista and the Pappardelle Allo Zafferano, which is pasta with shrimp, artichoke hearts, wild mushrooms, and tossed with shrimp bisque. Everything was fresh and very good.
Next stop: Lodi
Sunday, February 22, 2009
California, Day One: Sonoma
Hubby and I had been talking for the past year about taking a trip out to Lodi, which is a wine-growing region about 85 miles east and slightly north of San Francisco. All of the Lodi wines we'd tasted were big and fruity, our favorite kind. I had suspected that February would be slow, and Hubby had Monday, February 16 off, so we decided to take advantage of low air fares and flew from Atlanta to San Francisco on Wednesday, February 11. Lured by happy memories of Sonoma wines, we decided to go to Healdsburg on Thursday, to Napa on Friday, and then end up in Lodi for the Wine and Chocolate Festival over Valentine's weekend.
Wine tasting during the off-season was an interesting experience. Disadvantages included the inconsistent weather. I wished several times that I had brought a warmer jacket as the wind whipped the rain at me and speckled my glasses under my hood or umbrella. On the other hand, with harvest and bottling over, many of the winemakers were around and willing to chat, and we got behind-the-scenes tours of a few places. We also didn't have to fight the crowds, at least not until we got to the festival in Lodi.
On our way into Healdsburg, we stopped at J Winery, which we had been very impressed with on our first visit in 2005. We had wanted to join their wine club then, but since they had a distributor (you can get their sparkling wine here), we were unable to. We took advantage of the laws having been loosened and signed up. Our favorite was probably the 2005 Pinot Noir from the Robert Thomas vineyard, which was smooth and nicely balanced between earth and fruit. Yeah, it's $65 a bottle. No, we didn't get any since space in Bertha the wine safe (see bottom of blog) is limited, and we didn't want to kick off the trip with such an expensive bottle.
We checked into our B&B, had a good lunch at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill, and continued our tasting with a visit to the Selby tasting room (web site is down, so link not provided). We already belong to Selby's wine club but couldn't resist a bottle of their Dolcetto. I'm afraid I can't give a vintage year since that one didn't make it back with us.
Then it was up West Dry Creek Road to taste in Dry Creek Valley, which we had not made it to on our previous visit. The highlights were Wilson Winery, where we got a bottle of their 2005 Bordeaux Blend (37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 28% Cab Franc), and then Unti Vineyards, where we had to make an appointment, but which was worth it. We came away from there with a bottle of 2006 Sangiovese blended with %15 Montepulciano and a recipe for Amatriciana sauce, which should go well with the Sangiovese blend with its smoky ("popcorn," Hubby said) nose and smooth underlying fruit. We ended the day back in Healdsburg at Longboard Vineyards, where we bought a bottle of 2006 Old Vine Carignan.
Our theme of revisiting favorites continued that evening as we went to Zin Restaurant and Wine Bar for dinner. We both elected to do the tasting menu -- as if we hadn't had enough wine, right? -- wherein wine was paired by the chef with the first and second courses. We both had mixed green salads for our first course, and then I had the "Blue Plate Special" of spaghetti and meatballs, and Hubby had chicken with mole sauce. The harried server only gave us a brief glimpse of the wine menu and what we were drinking, so I'm afraid I don't remember, only that we didn't finish it. Oh, and dessert was an incredible and decadent chocolate brownie sundae.
We stayed the night at the romantic Camellia Inn.
Wine tasting during the off-season was an interesting experience. Disadvantages included the inconsistent weather. I wished several times that I had brought a warmer jacket as the wind whipped the rain at me and speckled my glasses under my hood or umbrella. On the other hand, with harvest and bottling over, many of the winemakers were around and willing to chat, and we got behind-the-scenes tours of a few places. We also didn't have to fight the crowds, at least not until we got to the festival in Lodi.
On our way into Healdsburg, we stopped at J Winery, which we had been very impressed with on our first visit in 2005. We had wanted to join their wine club then, but since they had a distributor (you can get their sparkling wine here), we were unable to. We took advantage of the laws having been loosened and signed up. Our favorite was probably the 2005 Pinot Noir from the Robert Thomas vineyard, which was smooth and nicely balanced between earth and fruit. Yeah, it's $65 a bottle. No, we didn't get any since space in Bertha the wine safe (see bottom of blog) is limited, and we didn't want to kick off the trip with such an expensive bottle.
We checked into our B&B, had a good lunch at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill, and continued our tasting with a visit to the Selby tasting room (web site is down, so link not provided). We already belong to Selby's wine club but couldn't resist a bottle of their Dolcetto. I'm afraid I can't give a vintage year since that one didn't make it back with us.
Then it was up West Dry Creek Road to taste in Dry Creek Valley, which we had not made it to on our previous visit. The highlights were Wilson Winery, where we got a bottle of their 2005 Bordeaux Blend (37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 28% Cab Franc), and then Unti Vineyards, where we had to make an appointment, but which was worth it. We came away from there with a bottle of 2006 Sangiovese blended with %15 Montepulciano and a recipe for Amatriciana sauce, which should go well with the Sangiovese blend with its smoky ("popcorn," Hubby said) nose and smooth underlying fruit. We ended the day back in Healdsburg at Longboard Vineyards, where we bought a bottle of 2006 Old Vine Carignan.
Our theme of revisiting favorites continued that evening as we went to Zin Restaurant and Wine Bar for dinner. We both elected to do the tasting menu -- as if we hadn't had enough wine, right? -- wherein wine was paired by the chef with the first and second courses. We both had mixed green salads for our first course, and then I had the "Blue Plate Special" of spaghetti and meatballs, and Hubby had chicken with mole sauce. The harried server only gave us a brief glimpse of the wine menu and what we were drinking, so I'm afraid I don't remember, only that we didn't finish it. Oh, and dessert was an incredible and decadent chocolate brownie sundae.
We stayed the night at the romantic Camellia Inn.
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