Archive for the ‘California’ Category
Napa Valley Trip 2011
This past August my boyfriend Andrzej and I were finally able to take a trip to California and tour Napa Valley. I decided to tack the trip onto my Vegas business trip so we would have three full days of tasting to do. Not a huge amount of time but enough to visit quite a few vineyards on my list and it gives us an excuse to keep going back. Prior to our trip I consulted with my Opus Vino book, friends, and co-workers and began to map out the wineries and tasting rooms I wanted to visit. From touring Long Island I knew we would only be able to hit 5-6 wineries per day so as to not overdo it. I only chose wineries where you didn’t have to make an appointment. I wanted to be on our own schedule and not have to rush and watch the clock all day.
Day 1
Plumpjack was recommended to me by a very good friend who loves their wines. I had heard only great things about their quality and since their wines are higher in price than the majority of what I normally buy and write about, visiting is an excellent way to get acquainted. We sampled a flight of five wines the highlights of which were the Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The trip was off to a great start!
Our second stop was also due to a recommendation from a vendor of mine. He raves about Peju and served their wines at his wedding. We were guided through our flight by Alan who was very knowledgeable but made the tasting very entertaining as he “rapped” about the different wines they produce. I really enjoyed the Provence and the Cabernet Sauvignon. The grounds are very pretty and there is a cute gift shop you can browse in before or after your tasting.
Sterling Vineyards (Calistoga)
I made sure to add Sterling to our itinerary. Even though their wines are readily available almost anywhere, the tasting room is perched on a hilltop and is accessible by a gondola ride. Once up top you walk through the facility and get your wine samples at different stations around the property. It is a genius format so that you can learn and sip as you go. The views from the terrace are stunning and great for photo ops. The tasting flight was of five wines. I particularly enjoyed the Cellar Club Riesling and the Cellar Club Malvasia Bianca which was a dessert wine.
Castello di Amorosa (Calistoga)
From the top of Sterling you can see Castello di Amorosa down the road. It is a replica of a medieval European castle built by Dario Sattui. This winery features Italian style wines. I initially didn’t want to stop here as I thought it would be too “touristy” and that the wines wouldn’t be all that good. I am happy to say that this was not the case. With the purchase of your tasting you can tour the entire castle and grounds. The tasting is done in the cellar that also houses an incredible gift shop offering all kinds of cool medieval themed items as well as all things wine. We enjoyed all of the wines that we tasted here. The stand outs for me were the Fantasy red, Sangiovese, and the sweet Gewurtztraminer. Since these wines are only available at the castle I ended up placing an order to ship home.
With our first day of tasting at an end we headed to Morimoto for dinner. I cannot say enough about this restaurant. Of course how could it be bad when an Iron Chef owns it? For appetizers we had the pork gyoza with bacon foam and the rock shrimp tempura. I am still dreaming of the rock shrimp tempura and it is one of the best things I have ever eaten! My entree was Alaskan halibut with ginger and for dessert we had the trio of ice cream sandwiches. Definitely a meal I won’t ever forget!
Day 2
Turnbull Wine Cellars (Oakville)
We began our second day at Turnbull Wine Cellars. This was a quick visit but we got a nice overview of their wines. I recommend their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
While we were in Las Vegas we had dinner at my all time favorite restaurant Prime in the Bellagio Hotel. To pair with our steaks we ordered a bottle of Franciscan Merlot and we loved it. I had to add the winery to my list for our trip. This winery makes some excellent wines and I loved my tasting flight. The Rose 2010 and the Clos Reserve were amazing but my favorite was the Fountain Court named for the fountain out front.
This winery is located in a beautiful restored Victorian home surrounded by pretty landscaped grounds. The front porch is very welcoming and the decor inside is full of old fashioned charm. Again on offer was a flight consisting of five wines mainly red varietals. Highlights of this winery are the “Napa Valley” Chardonnay (Carneros), “Napa Valley” Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Oroppas. The Oroppas is a blend created with grapes from six appellations in Napa and is rated 90 points by Robert Parker Jr. All were very consistent and excellent quality wines that I would purchase in the future. There is also a patio on the property to enjoy your wines and live music on the weekends.
Rombauer Vineyards (St. Helena)
Rombauer was recommended to me by several co-workers who raved about their Zinfandel. Since Andrzej isn’t a huge Zin fan I chose a flight for us to share that had other varietals. My favorites were the 2006 Diamond Selection Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2010 Carneros Chardonnay. I can’t say enough about the Chardonnay. Definitely one of the best I have tasted so far and I went on to purchase a bottle to drink on the trip.
This was another quick stop as we were getting tired after a long day of sampling. We were under the gun as the wineries were about to close. We were able to squeeze in a tasting here and we were very impressed with what it had to offer. The best wines of this tasting were the 2010 Rose of Cabernet Franc, the 2006 Terlato Cabernet, and the 2007 Terlato Galaxy.
After a quick rest at the hotel we headed to Yountville for dinner at Pacific Blues Cafe. Very quaint and not expensive we had a very good dinner. The chicken tortilla soup was very satisfying. I loved the blue burger with blue cheese and jalapeno jelly, while Andrzej enjoyed a huge pork chop with mango salsa and garlic fries. A perfect ending to our second day in Napa.
Day 3
Our last day was the most special because we had friends drive up from San Fransisco to join us.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (Napa)
It is very easy for people to become confused as there are two wineries with the name Stags Leap and they are on the same road not that far away from each other. I chose this one since we weren’t required to have an appointment. I hate to write anything negative but this was the winery that disappointed me the most. Even after we were there early right after they opened it took forever for someone to bring out our glasses and menu to choose the tasting. The staff was also less than enthusiastic while explaining the wines in the tasting. I chose the Napa Valley Collection Tasting flight of four wines. While none of them were what I would consider bad wines I wasn’t wowed either. The 2007 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon was the best of the four. I would not go back to this winery again but would check out the it’s neighbor of the same name to compare.
One of my favorites of the entire trip! I cannot say enough about these wines. Everything we had we loved. We were given samples of wines that weren’t on the tasting and you could say we were hooked. Enough so that we as well as our friends joined their wine club. Our favorites were the 2008 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District, and the special tasting of the 2000 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pine Ridge Vineyards (Stags Leap)
Another spur of the moment stop that wasn’t planned but turned out to be well worth our time. They have a very cool wine vault that you can explore and the tasting was very relaxed and informative. Our tasting was again of five wines and while they were all good I gave stars to four of them. The 2008 Dijon Clones Chardonnay, 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Onyx, and 2007 Fortis were all excellent.
I would nickname this the party winery. Known for it’s picnic grounds that is exactly why we went there. This winery has a huge on site deli with all kinds of food including an incredible selection of cheeses and meat. Our friends purchased a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and we relaxed with our goodies on a picnic table under the shade of the trees. V. Sattui was very crowded partly due to the BBQ they serve on the weekends. The atmosphere was great and the food and wine were worth stopping for.
If you love bubbly like I do then you must visit Domaine Chandon. This winery features pretty scenic grounds and indoor or outdoor tasting bars as well as an on site restaurant. You can choose from four different tasting menus that vary by price. My choice was the Reserve tasting that featured Reserve Chardonnay Brut, Reserve Pinot Noir Brut, and Reserve Pinot Noir Rose. We all picked different tastings and everyone was happy with the wines.
I saved the best for last! I read about Ma(i)sonry tasting room because I was interested in trying wines from Blackbird Vineyards. The tasting room is housed in a charming stone building that is also an art gallery with an outdoor garden with plenty of intimate seating. The Blackbird tasting consisted of five of their wines and I was completely blown away. These are now some of my all time favorite wines. The 2010 Arriviste Rose is one of the top rated Rose’s in California. The 2009 Arise is a great, everyday drinking wine. My two favorites were the 2008 Illustration and the 2008 Contrarian. I ended up placing a nice order while I was there but then ordered more when I returned home. Though the majority of these wines are more than my budget normally allows for wine they are well worth splurging on.
This marked the end of our time in Napa and though I was sad to leave I think I could have only done one more day of tasting before I would need a break. I look forward to visiting Napa again in the near future and have discovered that when in doubt you can’t go wrong with many of the wines from this region.
Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
There is a new wine love in my life-Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Napa Valley, CA. At a recent business dinner at Porterhouse in the Time Warner Center I was put in charge of selecting the wine for our large group. I had heard of Vineyard 29 previously so when the sommelier had it on his list of suggestions I knew we had to try this bottle. This glorious red is comprised of my favorite grape varietals: 83% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot, 4% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, and 3% malbec. When poured it is very deep ruby with an almost purple hue and has a very pronounced aroma of dark fruit. I found the wine to be extremely well balanced with lots of blackberry on the palate leading to subtle spices that I always love in a great red wine. The tannins are very smooth and don’t overwhelm your mouth.
I love to pair Cabernet with my steak and the food at Porterhouse is always excellent. I began with the roasted beet salad with goat cheese and then moved on to the filet mignon with classic bearnaise sauce. Accompanying our steaks were my two favorite side dishes: truffle mashed potatoes and the macaroni and cheese. For dessert I chose the ice cream sundae. Hands down this is the best sundae I have ever had. They bring you a huge bowl of hot fudge sauce on the side along with candied nuts so you can put on the toppings to your liking. Between the amazing wine and the always wonderful food I think I came extremely close to having the perfect meal!
I am looking forward to drinking many more bottles of Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon and even though it is pricier than the wines I normally buy it is well worth it’s price tag. This wine can be found online for approximately $50.
Rodney Strong Chardonnay 2009
A while back I had purchased two bottles of Rodney Strong wine at my local wine store and blogged about how much I enjoyed their pinot noir. I finally got around to trying the chardonnay and like the pinot noir it did not disappoint. Located in Sonoma, Ca this winery is environmentally friendly, using sustainable farming methods for the vines as well as harnessing solar power. I love that more and more winemakers are being more conscious about their production methods especially since I have been pushing myself to make more environmentally sound choices in my daily routine. Rodney Strong Chardonnay is a pale straw color when poured and has pronounced aromas of citrus and pear. When I choose a chardonnay I am one of the rare wine drinkers who prefer a more oaked and buttery style. I found this wine to have a really good balance between fruity acidity and the butter notes and would appeal to the wine lovers who tend to avoid the flavors that oak ageing brings. The lemon and apple flavors touch the tongue first while the creaminess that I love comes toward the end of each sip. I served this wine with shrimp and tomato orzo with feta cheese and it made a nice pairing with this meal. This chardonnay has 13.5% alcohol and is very well priced around $20 per bottle. Overall I have to say that these wines by Rodney Strong are an excellent value and I would definitely purchase them again in the future.
Apothic Red 2008
On a recent trip to my favorite discount wine store I spied a special display of wines signed “Robert Parker’s Picks”. Always curious as to what he has to recommend I ventured over to take a closer look as to what was being displayed. Apothic Red from California caught my eye for it’s cool, Gothic looking label as well as it’s very low price tag. Produced by the Gallo family, this red blend is perfect for red wine drinkers who may not always want the heaviness of a zinfandel but enjoy it’s bold flavors. The wine is a genius blend of syrah, zinfandel, and merlot grapes. In the glass it has a very dark ruby color and aromas of luscious berries and fragrant spices. Apothic Red has striking black cherry flavor combined with chocolate and vanilla notes that I usually find present in a red zin. It is full bodied, has a nice overall balance to it, and is a little over 13% alcohol. My cousin recently told me this is his new favorite wine and I have since purchased a few more bottles as it is great to have on hand and just pop open after a long, tedious day at work. At less than $15 per bottle it is a fabulous deal and a bottle that you can’t go wrong with so stock up and enjoy!
Rodney Strong Pinot Noir 2008
On my latest trip to replenish the wine fridge I purchased both a pinot noir and a chardonnay from Rodney Strong Vineyards. For dinner we were serving a roast pork tenderloin and a red onion quinoa salad. Instead of selecting a white to pair with the pork I decided to reach for the pinot. It turned out to be the perfect pairing. Rodney Strong Pinot Noir 2008 from the Russian River Valley in California is a pretty ruby red color that gets progressively lighter towards the outer edges until it’s almost clear. It is produced from pinot noir grapes but there is 2% syrah mixed in. It is aged in 100% french oak barrels giving a more flavorful taste profile to this wine. It has a sweet, strawberry and vanilla aroma and intense cherry and strawberry flavors with a hint of cinnamon. This red wine is very well balanced and medium bodied. There are subtle tannins present and a good acidity. Rodney Strong Pinot Noir is almost 14.5% alcohol and is an excellent value at under $20 per bottle. I will definitely be purchasing this wine on a regular basis!
Le Petit Pauvre Chardonnay 2007
I may have been on a temporary break from writing about wine but I was certainly drinking my share since my last post! For my birthday my boyfriend purchased me a membership to the Zagat Wine Club. My first case has arrived and I am already diving in and tasting the offerings. Le Petit Pauvre Chardonnay 2007 is one of their white wine picks. Produced in Monteray County, CA this dry and full bodied white is created from 100% chardonnay grapes sourced from several wineries in the state. In the glass it was a very pale straw color. It had a minerality to the aroma as well as hints of lemon and pear. The flavors in this Chardonnay were very different from the Chardonnays I have been drinking lately. I don’t think this wine has undergone malolactic fermentation since there wasn’t a strong buttery flavor that I have come to love. It was however refreshing and crisp with very tropical fruit flavor and great acid. This wine is aged in French oak and is on the stronger side with the alcohol at 13.9%. I enjoyed Le Petit Pauvre Chardonnay with citrus halibut and an orange and red pepper couscous. Paired with poultry, fish, or cheese it is a great choice and is very reasonably priced at under $20 per bottle.
Pinot Noir at Le Bernardin
Last week I dined at Le Bernardin, one of the top five restaurants in NYC and one of only a select few to be awarded three Michelin stars. For foodies everywhere this is culinary heaven and the epitome of fine dining in the Big Apple. I was given the wine list which was quite literally a book-pages upon pages of every varietal you could imagine. Being that Le Bernardin is known for their fish and seafood dishes I knew it would be quite a challenge to select wines that would not only please the six other guests at the table but would also complement every-one’s meals, especially when everyone agreed they wanted red wine only. My two picks for the evening were both Pinot Noir from the West Coast.
Our first selection was Brick House Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir 2007 from the Willamette Valley. This wine was very light red in the glass, so much so it had a pretty dark pink hue at the edges. The aroma was of sweet red berries which led into flavors of strawberries and raspberries. A slight spiciness was detected on the back end of each sip. This pinot is 13.4% alcohol and had pleasing acidity which led to a long and crisp finish. It didn’t overpower my starter choices of smoked salmon topped with caviar and salted cod salad with white gazpacho sauce. This wine retails for under $40 and has been rated 92 points by Robert Parker.
The second Pinot Noir was Lynmar Estate 2006 from the Russian River Valley. This was my favorite of the two. Darker ruby in color, it had more body and more intense aroma and flavor. The nose was earthier with cherries and strawberries. There was a higher concentration of fruit flavors with more pronounced spiciness, but overall it was extremely well balanced. This pinot noir is slightly higher in alcohol at 14.4% and is available for under $45 in stores. My main course was served with this wine-black bass with a sauce of ham and green peppercorns. The combination of the sauce with the wine seems a bit unconventional but the wine didn’t detract from it at all.
Pinot Noir proves to be an extremely versatile red wine that can work for any occasion and can compliment almost any dish. Oregon is becoming a top producing region with most wineries using sustainable methods of production and organic grapes.
Au Bon Climat Chardonnay
I never thought I would say this but I have found a 100% chardonnay that I am currently enamored with and have actually been buying on a regular basis. The discovery of Au Bon Climat Chardonnay 2008 was made at a recent Court Street wine tasting. I cannot stress enough to people who want to learn about wine how important it is to attend tastings and try as many different wine varieties as possible. They are not only educational but so much fun to sit through. They have led me to many excellent wines including this current pick. Not one to ever order or buy a bottle of Chardonnay since it has always been my least favorite white wine variety, I was amazed with Au Bon Climat from the first sip. Produced in Santa Barbara, CA this wine is medium bodied and aged in French oak, adding to it’s flavor and depth. The aroma was soft and buttery with notes of melon. The flavors of tropical and citrus fruits marry well with a good acidity and a slightly mineral finish. Au Bon Climat works well with food but is also great on it’s own. It is well worth it’s price tag and can be purchased for less than $20.
Mark West Pinot Noir
I have spent the last two days shopping Hoboken’s various wine retailers to see what new selections would catch my eye. At several locations Mark West Pinot Noir 2008 was prominently featured so I decided to see for myself what this much respected red wine had to offer. Produced in Graton, Sonoma County, CA by Mark West Winery this pinot noir has a lot of bang for the buck and won’t empty your wallet. Their focus at Mark West Winery is to create affordable wine that anyone can enjoy by retaining the same elements and quality of a pricier pinot. After two nights of drinking heavier, more tannic cabernet sauvignon this wine was a most welcome change. It had a beautiful light translucent ruby color in the glass and a mouthwatering strawberry aroma. The palate was very fruit forward with concentrated cherry, raspberry, and strawberry flavors with some spiciness from it’s oak aging. I paired this wine with three different cheeses: brie, Port Salut, and aged gouda. It paired well with all of the cheeses and would be the perfect red wine to pair with just about any dish. I am not surprised that Mark West Pinot Noir won it’s category in a blind tasting. If you prefer a lighter style red wine that is full of fruit but not too sweet you will really like this pinot noir. It is a delicious and versatile red wine and is available for under $13.
Ridge Geyserville Red 2007
From time to time I will include in my blog wines that aren’t necessarily expensive but go slightly above the $25 per bottle parameter that is the premise for this blog. One such wine is from the ever popular producer Ridge out of Sonoma County, CA-the Ridge Geyserville Red 2007. Ridge has been producing highly rated red wines for over 40 years. This is the first of their wines that I have tasted. The Geyserville Red is a zinfandel blend composed of 58% zinfandel, 22% carignane, 18% petite syrah, and 2% mataro. This variety has an earthy aroma with flavors of blackberries and plums. Notes of pepper, spices, and some light oak were also present. The presence of tannins and acidity give way to a really nice finish. This wine has all the character and flavor that I look for in red. If you are looking for a good quality wine to take to a dinner party this would be an excellent choice. It retails for approximately $35 per bottle and can be held for a decent period of time. Ridge Geyserville Red has been rated 91 points by Wine Spectator.