Three Nights Of L.A. Rosé

Rosé wine is more popular than ever now. Even the guys are getting into the pink. There's a good reason for rosé to be popular. It's delicious, it's refreshing, it's festive and it's food-friendly, not to mention pretty.

So, it’s great that there is a fantastic rosé wine event coming to Los Angeles in May. It's also coming to New York and London in June. It was just in Miami, and the winter event was held in New York.

It’s called La Nuit en Rosé - French for Rosé Night - and its organizers say  it is the world’s first food and wine tasting festival specializing in rosé wines. La Nuit en Rosé's founders contend that rosé wine is not just an emerging trend, but rather a movement that is here to stay. This culinary experience will highlight the diversity of rosé wines from all around the world.

The festival will span three big nights at Mondrian Los Angeles, May 13th-15th. Tickets are available by logging onto their website.

• Friday night  is a VIP Rosé Wine Pairing Dinner Under the Stars at Mondrian's Ivory on Sunset.

• Saturday night it’s a Rosé Sunset Soirée poolside at Skybar.

• Sunday afternoon, wrap up the weekend with a Rosé Pool Party, also poolside at Skybar.

May is thought to be "just right" for rosé, but don't forget that it's always a good time to drink pink.

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Spanish Food, Spanish Wine In L.A.

The Spanish winery Azul y Garanza is a triumvirate of María Barrena, Dani Sánchez and Fernando Barrena, the former two concerned with growing and winemaking, the latter, María's brother, taking up the business end.  The bodega is located in the northern desert of Bardenas Reales, in Navarre. Clay soils and big temperature differences between day and night make it a good place to grow grapes, especially since the terrain makes the vines work for their water.

The trio condense their varied interests to four, which they say are the most important to them: Love, Music, Wine and Revolution.  Their love of the land leads to their organic approach in the vineyards.  The music pushes them through the day, whether it’s from their digital collection or the throat of a nightingale.  Their wines express their own selves, and the revolution is figurative. "Don’t be scared, we’re not going to take the Bastille," the website offers. It’s more a reference to concrete tanks and biodiversity. They say, "In a world of stainless steel and chemical products, this is a revolution."

I sampled the 2014 Azul y Garanza Viura in Los Angeles at Moruno, the brainchild of Mozza alums, David Rosoff and Chris Feldmeier, presents southern Spanish cuisine in the former Short Order space, and I wish them well there. I feel they may be a little pricey for the Farmers Market crowd, but I hope they succeed for purely a selfish reason. I want to go back and enjoy more meals there. The Esqueixada is a beautiful salt cod salad similar to ceviche, The fried Bhatura bread is crisp and spicy and the delicious chicken and cilantro sandwich also comes as a skewer. So does the lamb.

The Rueda wine is golden-green, smells fresh with a nice savory, vegetal side to the fruit, tastes of citrus and pear and has great acidity to make it a perfect match for a ceviche-type dish.  At 12.5% abv, it’s easy to drink and it is 100% Viura, a grape that gets a bad rap for being a little less than interesting. It’s usually teamed with Verdejo, but it stands alone here. The concrete tank fermentation gives a nice, full mouthfeel.  It was the only Spanish white on the list at Moruno, and it holds up its end well.  $8 by the glass.


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Lunching Los Angeles: Ludo's Petit Trois

Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s tiny Petit Trois restaurant - in a strip mall on Highland at Melrose - occupies the former space of a Thai takeout place. His next-door dinner spot, Trois Mec, is in a former Raffallo’s Pizza joint.  The signage from the earlier incarnations are still on top of the building, so trust the directions and just pull in.  Yes, an actual parking lot!  No reservations, no cash and no tip calculator needed - an 18% gratuity is added to the bill.

A recent Sunday lunch at Petit Trois found the wife and me living it up like the rent wasn’t due.  Ludo’s food is like no other I have had.  My croque monsieur sandwich of ham and Mornay sauce was a rich, gooey delight.  All others from my past - dry and handheld - just fell off the list.  The omelette for Denise was perfectly done, soft and creamy.  She commented, “If you can’t cook simply, you simply can’t cook” - citing Madame Mallory in “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” who asks potential chefs to make an omelette by which they are judged.  Judging by my wife’s reaction, I’d say Ludo passed the audition.

The wife splurged on a cocktail of bourbon, lime and rosemary while I deliberated over the wine list.  The waiter answered my “red or white” solicitation with a quick reply, “The Chinon.”

Chinon - a town in France’s Loire Valley - is unusual, in that the focus is on red wine there and not white.  Cabernet Franc is their grape of choice, and they work wonders with it.  The wines of Chinon can range from light and fruity to dark and tannic, all bearing the mark of minerals.  The Domaine Grosbois Chinon 2011 falls somewhere in between.

Loads of delightfully grapy cassis aromas mix with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.  The palate also conveys a grapelike sense with the cherry and blackberry flavors.  Nice acidity and moderate tannins make for an easy sip.  The finish is rather lengthy and a slightly floral berry tartness is left behind.  I thought briefly that I might have preferred a white with the sandwich, but I certainly had no complaint about the Chinon.  It paired quite nicely with the ham and cheese.


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Jacquart Champagne

As October turned toward trick-or-treat, I was treated to a small tasting of Champagnes from Jacquart of Riems, France.  The tasting took place at one of my favorite Los Angeles cheese shops, Artisan Cheese Gallery on Ventura Boulevard, so the treats were plenty.  Mrs. Now And Zin sent me there with instructions to enjoy the tasting and don’t come home empty-handed.

Jacquart’s head winemaker, Floriane Eznack, was quoted in The Drinks Business when she joined the house in 2011, “My role is not to make a big change but to define the style and stick to it.”   The style, as she defines it, is smooth and textured, with a focus on bright acidity.

The Mosaic Collection was introduced to mark Jacquart’s 50th anniversary.  It’s a fine tribute to the house, if the three wines I tasted are an indication.  Any - or all - will be welcome at holiday festivities of any sort.

Floriane Eznack, photo courtesy maison.com

The Brut Mosaique sports some flinty toast aromas along with apples and pears. Three grapes are used, Chardonnay (35-40%), Pinot Noir (35-40%) and Pinot Meunier (25-35%). There is a minimum of 20% reserve wine in the mix, which receives a light dosage and more than three years of aging.  Flavors are toasty, with apples and lime zest leading to a rich, long finish.  It’s the flagship Jacquart cuvée.

For the Jacquart Rosé Mosaique, Pinot Noir - vinified as a red wine - brings the color and structure, while Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier play their roles, too.  This pretty wine brings a funky, toasty quality on the nose, with red fruit smelling very nice.  Great acidity makes the sip quite refreshing, while flavors of toasty cherries and strawberries are a delight.

The Jacquart Blanc de Blancs 2006 vintage shows apple and citrus on the nose, with a lovely palate of lemon peel and a slight hint of toast.  All Chardonnay, the wine leaves me wanting more, with a beautiful expression of creme brûlée on the finish.


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Cimarone Gran Premio Sangiovese 2012

courtesy NileGuide

Guido and Tina invited us to a Hindu vespers service, and we went with them.  The sanctuary  (left) is probably the quietest place in Los Angeles, and I was quietly happy to chalk up another event on the list of things I've done while living in L.A. which probably would not have occurred had I been elsewhere.  The list includes chainsaw juggling, performance art featuring stories told by trombones, an eight-hour stage play and a man playing piano upside down while drinking beer.  And that's just the stuff I planned to attend.

There are countless unplanned events - seeing crazy radio head guy outside of rock’n’roll Denny’s, watching parking lot standoffs, buying earthquake T-shirts sold on street corners hours after the temblor, driving home during a martial law curfew, and seeing a possum chased by a professional baseball player in the middle of a game.  These are the sort of events that make people shake their heads and say, "Only in L.A."

Back at the sanctuary during the quiet meditation time, Guido leaned over to me and whispered, "Christopher Isherwood said the nuns here all look like axe murderers."  My wife leaned over from the other side and whispered, "Don't fart."  Years of radio experience allowed me to keep a straight face through all the heckling.  That nun did look a little severe, though.

Afterward, at their place, we had homemade lentil soup and cracked open Cimarone's 2012 Gran Premio Sangiovese.  It was served Italian style, in large shot glasses - which is very cool and continental but not good for swirling and sniffing.  We did our best anyway.

The estate grown grapes are from Three Creek Vineyard in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA.  Winemaker Andrew Murray created a lush and ripe wine that hits 14.5% abv on the alcohol meter.  Neutral French oak barrels were used for the aging process, which took place over 16 months.  Only 98 cases of this CalItalia wine were made.

Gran Premio's nose is dominated by black cherry and rich oak spice.  Even in the limited swirling space the aromas couldn't help but escape.  Flavor-wise, the fruit is a little more cherry than black cherry, while the effect of the oak is pronounced but not overplayed.  Clove notes grace the ripe, ripe, ripe fruit and spices add a nice angle that will be greatly appreciated during the holidays.


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Wine And Food: Los Angeles Indian Restaurant Gets It Right

We have all dined in at least one restaurant - many more, I'm sure - in which the wine list left much to be desired.  A flimsy little sheet of paper bearing the names of a few wines you passed up at Ralph's on your way to dinner is nothing for a wine lover to get excited about.  And isn't it a shame that so often, that's what a wine list is?

Owners can blame it on the distributor, blame it on the customers, blame it on the economy or blame it on the Stones.  The thing is, if you run a restaurant where adults are expected to dine - and you want to be taken seriously - you'd better bring something to the table besides the bill.

Given this blustery preamble, it may surprise you to learn that I will eventually get around to writing about a good experience here.  A Los Angeles Indian restaurant that Denise and I frequented - for its dependable food and convenient location - changed hands.  For several reasons, we thought this was probably a good thing.  

The wine list there was something I rarely bothered to scan.  It was completely unimaginative, appearing to be the result of the distributor's desire to push some cheap wine that was in large supply.  The restaurateur did not drink wine and had no feeling for wine or the way it complements food.

Under new ownership, as Cardamom, things are quite different.  British chef Manju Choudhury is responsible for the changes in the kitchen and the place has taken on the stylish look of a modern London restaurant.  The food has definitely stepped a notch or two, from "dependable" to inventive and delectable Indian-inspired cuisine.  The wine has made an even greater leap forward under the guidance of Stewart Prato of Southern Wine and Spirits.

What was, at the previous incarnation, a completely uninspired and misdirected wine list has been transformed in one that displays wines chosen specifically to compliment the spicy dishes.  Fresh, clean whites and reds that are not too heavy on oak are perfect choices for this type of food.  To nitpick, the  wine list is a little French-heavy.  Four of the five whites, the rosé and two of the three sparkling wines offered by-the-glass are from France.  (The lone non-Franco white is an Italian Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige.)  France accounts for four of the five reds, too, with Beaujolais making a welcome appearance alongside Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhône.  There is also an Argentine Malbec by the glass.

Breaking one of the cardinal rules of restaurant dining, Denise and I decided to go there on the first night they were open under the new regime - for our anniversary.  Expected missteps did not materialize, so we felt that Cardamom had earned a spot on our short list of favorites.

An amazing chutney tray is served with the papadum openers and the naan is more like Indian pizza than bread.  I like that thick, doughy naan, but Denise prefers the lighter, easily-tearable style.  The tandoori prawns were some of the best-tasting shrimp either of us had ever had, while the chef's curry is delicious - and very spicy.  

I chose the 2012 Marc Bredif Loire Vouvray to go with these dishes.  It was perfect with the shrimp, but a little too acidic for the curry - acidity and heat do not mesh well for my palate.  According to their website, the winery was “established in 1893 under the original name of Château les Roches.  In 1919 Marc Bredif took over from his uncle and renamed the property to mark the change of ownership."

The wine has a greenish tint in the glass.  Unfortunately, as is the case in many restaurants, it was improperly chilled.  The wine was ice cold and, as such, the aromas were difficult to sniff out.  The nose eventually offered minerals and flowers.  Denise claimed to get an aroma of cheese, Edam or Jarlsberg.

The wine's great acidity makes it a wonderful food wine, but just sipping it isn't too bad either. Minerals and citrus notes make for a refreshing mouthfeel.  It's a little too acidic for the spice of the chef's special curry but is perfect with the tandoori prawns.  

We mentioned on our way out of the restaurant that it was our anniversary.  The manager insisted that we sit down again and have a glass of bubbly to celebrate.  It was Barton & Guestier sparkling wine.  The Vin Mousseux de Qualité is made entirely from Chardonnay grapes which undergo a second fermentation in vats and three months of aging in vats while resting on the lees - the spent yeast cells - for added complexity and weight.  The wine offers fine bubbles, a fruity nose and peach on the palate.  

Before a week had passed we were back at a Cardamom again, this time with an occasion no more special than Thursday night.  The Sancerre fit the crab cutlet and the Shahee Jhinga lobster in cream sauce to a tee.

The Michel Girault La Siliciese Sancerre 2012 features a fresh lime nose that refreshes, and aromas of flowers that add a pretty side.  The palate shows a round mouthfeel, while citrus and herbs have a mingle on top of some really great acidity.  The long, green finish brings those herbs back into play. 


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Drink Pink: A (Very) Late Summer Rosé

Hopefully, by this point, we SoCal residents have survived another annual heatwave known as October - or Rocktober, if you are still getting your music from the radio.  As we ease into the season we laughingly refer to as “autumn,” I was reminded via social media that it’s time to start drinking pumpkin spice lattes and pretending that 65 degrees calls for a sweater.

One warm October evening found us stopping in at Le Petit Bistro on La Brea.  Minnesota was facing a weekend of snow, but we still had - as Randy Newman sings - “the Santa Ana winds blowin’ hot from the north.”  The heat of the day had passed, and the balmy dusk put me in mind of a rosé.  I had a decent one.

It was a réserve Saint-Esprit, a lovely pink little Côtes de Provence wine, the kind that offers nothing too extraordinary except its nose of summer strawberries, watermelons and slight herbs.  The palate is light and breezy and full of cherry and strawberry flavors.  A nice bright acidity carried the food well.  The pasta with shrimp, snow peas and capers in a light cognac sauce paired nicely.


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The Malbec Surprise

She is ordering a glass of wine?  Red wine?  My wife likes a little vino now and then, but hardly ever has a glass when we go to out dinner unless we are at an Italian restaurant where she can get her Vermentino on.  She loves to get her Vermentino on.

Feeling a little pressure lately to watch her health, she decided to go with a red wine, that healthful elixir shot full of the resveratrol that will surely keep us healthy - maybe even grant us eternal life, if we consume in moderation.

A Malbec, she orders.  An Argentine Malbec.  It's from Bodega Catena Zapata, and it is from the Vista Flores appellation in Tunuyán, of the Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina.  Based on the altitude of the Vista Flores area - around 3,100 to 3,200 feet - it would seem that the grapes were taken from the Catena family's La Pirámide vineyard.  However, they do like to blend different microclimates - from the different elevations of their various vineyards in the Andes mountains.

The Catena Vista Flores Malbec shows a beautiful ruby color and offers a lovely nose full of cherry and plum aromas. In the mouth, it's full of nice, peppery, red fruit with juicy acidity and firm tannins.  The 13.5% alcohol level is moderate and the wine is nicely balanced.


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An IPA For The People, Especially When The People Eat Seafood

We have several favorite restaurants, the wife and I, and one of them is Connie and Ted’s, the awesome seafood place on Santa Monica Boulevard.  They do lobsters, clams and oysters for those who are religious in their pursuit of such items.

She likes the lobster rolls, usually.  I had the smoked mahi mahi on this visit and will not rest until I have it again.  Pictured are the Stuffies, incredible little breaded balls of smoky Portuguese sausage and garlic.  You can get a great calamari or octopus salad there, too.

I had the Eagle Rock Populist IPA with my meal.  It’s made for seafood, with aromas of citrus - lemon rind - and hops, of course.  It is not crazy hoppy, although in my book crazy hoppy is quite alright with me.  This West Coast India Pale Ale from Southern California has a 7% abv number.


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Wine Event: Rhone Rangers Los Angeles 2014

Early September held a great treat for Los Angeles lovers of the Rhône style of wine.  The Rhône Rangers convened for their annual SoCal event at Vibiana in downtown L.A.  The repurposed church is a great place to hold an event for those who worship the grape varieties of the Rhône Valley.  A more irreverent reverence you will not likely find, church or no church.

For the unordained, the Rhône Rangers are an organization formed solely to celebrate the grapes of Rhône, especially as realized in California terroir.  Bring on Syrah, bring on Grenache, bring on Viognier, yeah verily, bring on Roussanne - and plenty of it.  Our prayers have been answered.

Cornerstone Cellars’ managing partner Craig Camp (right) poured a single vineyard Syrah rosé, the 2013 Corallina by Stepping Stone.  It's one of my favorite California pinks.  The Napa Valley vineyard from which these grapes come is west of the Oak Knoll district, almost in Carneros.  The aromas and flavors, while fruity, are more complex than those generally found in pink wines.  This is one Syrah rosé in which the Syrah really shows up for work. It's deeply-colored and richly textured.  It looks pink, but it drinks red.

Camp had been in Maine the previous week on a sales trip.  He noted that "the sales of whites and rosés just fall flat there after Labor Day,” which is a shame, considering how much lobster there is to be consumed there.  Camp says his Corallina rosé does hit it off with lobster, but it will really go great with the Thanksgiving turkey, so there is no need to retire it until spring.

The Stepping Stone 2012 Syrah comes from a vineyard “right at the top” of Atlas Peak in Napa.  It’s beefy and rich with a brilliant acidity.

The Crux Russian River Valley GSM rosé was the next stop.  Terribly warm day out, so plenty of great rosés were more than welcome.  In this one, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blend to make a bright and vibrant wine.  Very nice acidity marks this fruity but dry pink wine.  The Crux Viognier has a five percent splash of Sauvignon Blanc.  Floral and fruity, this was another real refresher.

When I told Zaca Mesa’s Dane Campbell of an upcoming Now And Zin series on holiday wines, he said, "Rhone wines go great with Thanksgiving."  The Zaca Mesa Roussanne fits that bill, with a great nutty flavor and bright acidity.  The Zaca Mesa Viognier throws pear and peach flavors into the acidity and comes up with a lovely, savory finish.

Tercero Wines’ Larry Schaffer (left) always seems to be going for the title of “Hardest-Working Wine Man in the Santa Ynez Valley.”  At every event - and he’s at them all - Schaffer is always pouring.  One more taste for one more potential customer.  It's why my pictures of him always feature one blurry arm.  He pours his reds from huge flasks, which is always an attention-getter.

The Tercero Mourvèdre rosé is “foot-stomped, with only an hour of skin contact,” he says. Great fruit is on display here, with only a slight funkiness.  It’s the funky part that makes this another of my favorite rosés.  Tercero's Grenache Blanc has a bold savory note and great acidity.  The Tercero Roussanne shows complex aromas and flavors, led by almonds and apricots.

Paso Robles producer Summerwood Winery makes a Grenache Blanc which is fermented half in concrete and half in neutral oak.  It's great nose has bushel baskets of peaches and a fabulous savory component on the palate.  The grapes were grown at an elevation of 1,800 feet, and the cool nights makes for wonderful acidity.  It's a really beautiful wine.

Pomar Junction's Rosé of Syrah has a very deep color, quite like a Spanish Rosado.  It is loaded with fruit and flavor.  The Pomar Junction blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier is a natural choice for the holiday table.  It has great body, yet it's fresh and crisp.  The spicy palate is a treat.

The Kenneth Volk table is the one to which the genuine grape nerds always gravitate. Volk was not present at this event, but his assistant filled in ably, chatting with the tasters about vineyards and clones and proper ph levels.  The Volk Grenache has a very nice, light color.  It looks like it may be trying to slip by as a rosé. Fantastic acidity will make this a hit at the dinner table. An unbelievably savory note gives way to a bright cherry flavor in one of the most dramatic start-to-finish changes I have experienced.  Of the few wines time allowed me to taste, this was my favorite.


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Still Blazing Hot In L.A.: Italian Rosato Helps Out

A warm September Saturday evening, al fresco at Fabrocini’s Beverly Glen, one last rosé before the memory of summer slips away.  Aaah.

Wait a minute, who am I kidding?  It’s early September in Los Angeles.  The really hot weather hasn’t even gotten here yet.  October’s Santa Ana winds and brushfire hell still awaits.  Screw it.  I’ll have the rosé anyway.

Acquagiusta Rosato 2012 is made completely from Alicante grapes, harvested in the Levante Vineyard on the La Badiola estate right in the center of the Acquagiusta Farm in Maremma.  Alicante is also known as Garnacha Tintorea in Spain.  The farm is a 19th-century land management project initiated by the Grand Duke of Tuscany.  With a title like that, one might be expected to do a lot, but could also probably get away with doing very little.  I like to think this particular Grand Duke was a beehive of grand activity.  He was at least smart enough to name the farm after the underground spring located beneath his property.

The grapes of Levante Vineyard are described on the website as vigorous, rigorous and salubrious - descriptive in the peculiar way only a digitally translated text can be.  Alicante grapes are red through and through - not just in the skins - and this rosé is the result of an attempt to make a white wine with them.  They are gently and quickly pressed to minimize color extraction.

The effort to minimize the color leaves the wine a pale salmon tint.  The color may be minimized, but the smells are not.  Big strawberry and melon fruit aromas come forward, along with some of the green stems on which they grew.  There is a beautiful and refreshing acidity which joins the great fruit flavor - light and a bit tart, with a touch of watermelon candy.  The wine feels quite full in the mouth, owing to the vigorous, rigorous, salubrious nature of the Alicante grape.

It goes well with my penne and mushroom marinara.  So well, I’ll keep it mind for that late summer L.A. weather yet to come.


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Smog City Hoptonic India Pale Ale

When you have an India Pale Ale, do you wonder where it got its name?  There is never anything pale about an IPA’s appearance.  Sit one next to a Budweiser, and it is obvious which of the two has the yellowy tint which prompted Firesign Theater to produce the fake ad for Bear Whiz Beer.  “It’s in the water!”

What is in the water with India Pale Ale is hops.  Plenty of hops.  Hops are flowers which are used in brewing to add a bitter offset to the sweetness of malt.  They also help in preserving beer.  I have always heard that the first India Pale Ale was made because spoilage was a problem on the long ocean voyage from England to India.  It appears that’s not actually correct, if I am to believe Wikipedia.  That source says the highly hopped beer became a favorite in India because of the taste and was given the name due to that popularity.

Wikipedia also offers a listing of the kinds of hops used in American craft IPAs today: “...distinctively American hops, such as Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Columbus, Chinook, Simcoe, Amarillo, Tomahawk, Warrior, and Nugget.”  Hop nerds must be the beer world’s equivalent to the wine world’s grape nerds, especially those grape nerds who actually know - and talk openly about - what clone they are drinking.  It might be fun to ask a bartender, "Is this Cascade or Chinook I'm tasting?"  Of course, the bartender might then decide that it's fun to not wait on you anymore.

Smog City Brewing Company was named, no doubt, after the most iconic element of life in Los Angeles - bad air.  They are located in Torrance, in the South Bay area of Southern California, even though I have never noticed too much smog down that way.  We keep our excess smog in the San Gabriel Valley.  It sits well against the mountains there.

Smog City’s head brewmaster Jonathan Porter - great beer name, right? - presides over the brews, collects awards and works with chefs in L.A. to pair his beers with great food.

Smog City’s Hoptonic IPA goes for $7 a glass at Westside Tavern on Pico.  It was hot that day, and a good IPA is one of my favorite warm-weather refreshers, so I drank it pretty quickly.  I did take time to note the aromas and flavors of citrus and a floral hops element that I love in this style of beer.

Smog City elaborates on Hoptonic a little more, citing “the exceptional flavor and aroma of west coast hops with notes of orange, citrus peel, tropical fruit, guava and floral honey. The lightly toasted caramel malt balances the resinous hop flavors and firm, yet balanced bitterness that make this beer a full bodied hop lovers' paradise.”  I'll try to drink it slower next time.


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Lebanese Wine With Lebanese Food

If you are one of those people who looks at a restaurant wine list in search of something different and special, you probably know the feeling of disappointment very well.  Big names, corporate wines and the same old grapes always seem to leap from the page. That’s not to mention the eateries which serve wines having no apparent connection to the food prepared there.

It was a great surprise to find Lebanese wines on the menu at Open Sesame, the simple and delicious Lebanese restaurant in Los Angeles on Beverly Boulevard.  There is also a location - the original - in Long Beach.  Ali Kobeissi, the restaurant’s founder, makes a commitment to authenticity in his food and beverage selection.  His food is amazing and his attention to the wine is greatly appreciated.

Open Sesame's beverage menu offers five Lebanese wines by two different wineries - by the glass and bottle - as well as a Lebanese beer.  I had a white blend by Ixsir, from the winery’s Altitudes line.  An explanation of the name appears on the winery’s website: “IXSIR derives from “Iksir”, the original Arabic word for “Elixir”, a word common to many languages, defining the purest form of all substances, a secret potion that grants eternal youth and love.”

Photo from beirut.com

The wine is made from 40% Muscat, 30% Viognier, 15% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon grapes, all grown in the vineyards that stretch up and down the length of the nation at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea.  The winery on the outskirts of Batroun - in the northern part of Lebanon, close to the sea - is an award-winning piece of architecture named by CNN as one of the greenest buildings in the world.

There is a golden straw tint to the wine and a nose of vanilla sweetness, citrus peel and minerals.  The wine feels fairly full in the mouth, with a savory start and tons of minerality.  A bit of sweetness comes through on the finish, which was much more noticeable to my wife than to me.  It paired very well with my lamb pita sandwich.  The simultaneous earthiness and sweetness of the lamb - due to the sumac spice? - married very pleasingly with the slightly sweet minerals in the wine.


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Italian Wine With Italian Food

Everybody loves a good wine value, and I find great values over and over again in the wines of Italy.  The Italian restaurants of Los Angeles - there are so many great ones - are particularly adept at finding wines that offer a lot of quality for the money.

When you drink wine in a restaurant, especially by the glass, there simply is no way to think of it as a deal.  So today’s wine - at $9 a glass on the wine list at Da Pasquale in Beverly Hills - may not look like such a great deal at first glance, but it sure does taste like one.  And, considering that you can find this jaw-dropper for under ten bucks a bottle, the value is definitely there.

The 2011 La Maialina Chianti - named “Little Pig” to honor a centuries-old Tuscan pig breed - is crafted by respected Tuscan winemaker Attilio Pagli, who now also creates wine in Argentina’s Mendoza region.  This wine offers a great expression of the Sangiovese grape and yet another good reason to pair Italian wine with Italian food.  The grape's acidity makes for a perfect meal accompaniment.

The wine has a medium ruby tint and beautiful aromas of cherries and roses, hot from the sun, dominate the nose.  Tobacco notes come forward after it has been in the glass a while.  On the palate, there is more great cherry expression, also turning darker with time.  Great tannins, nice acidity and a medium-full mouthfeel make for a wine that’s easy to drink and pairs well with food.  It was particularly nice with my lasagna Napolitana.


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Thirsty For Wine From Hungary

In the U.S., it’s probably a safe bet that the name Tokaji doesn’t register a very high recognition factor - even with wine aficionados.  The Tokaji region of Hungary is best known for the sweet dessert wines produced using grapes which have been blessed with botrytis - the noble rot which causes the grapes to be ultra ripe and super sweet.  So beloved is this type of wine, it is name-checked in Hungary’s national anthem.  I do not speak the language, but I am told the name is pronounced "TOE-coy."

The area does produce dry wines, too.  I recently had the opportunity to order one by-the-glass at Manhattan Beach restaurant Post.  The South Bay hotspot is in a repurposed post office building a couple of blocks from the beach.  I don’t often ooh and aah over restaurant food, but I did join my table mates in a round of high praise for each small sharing plate that was brought to us.  It’s very popular, but I was told they hold 40% of their tables for walk-in traffic.  We were able to sit right away at about 6:00 on a Saturday evening.

From the wine list I was attracted by a Hungarian wine made from Furmint grapes, the premier grape of the Tokaji region.  Furmint grapes have very thick skins initially, but as the growing season progresses, the skins become thinner.  This allows the sun to evaporate the moisture in the grape, making for more concentrated sugars.  A second skin then grows to protect the grape from botrytis, although the noble rot will eventually make its mark on the grape.  For dessert wines, the grapes may be harvested as late as December or January.

The dry 2011 Furmint I had was produced by Royal Tokaji, and is a 100% varietal wine made from estate grapes.  The winery’s first vintage for this type was in 2003, so it's still a newborn by European wine standards.  The wine costs $10.50 by the glass at Post.

The wine is a pale straw color with a bit of a greenish tint, very fresh looking.  On the nose, fresh pears and herbal scents are backed up by a strong sense of minerality.  The palate shows a beautifully refreshing acidity and a very fresh collection of fruit flavors, notably pear, apricot and citrus.  The wine finishes with a lemon-grapefruit zing and leaves a slightly nutty sensation, much like a Roussanne does.  I paired the wine with diver scallops, Hoisin sauce green beans, grilled Brussels sprouts and an amazing bacon and cheese biscuit  with no problem at all.  It was perfect for each dish.


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Carol Shelton Monga Zin Old Vine Zinfandel 2012

Have you ever found something you didn't know was lost?  Stumbled across something you would have sought out had you known it was available?  As many times as I have driven the eastbound 210 to the northbound 15, I never knew there were grape vines growing down there, just on the other side of that big rig making its way around the transition.  There are, though - right under my nose.  I never knew they were there.

Carol Shelton's winery in Santa Rosa makes a Zinfandel from grapes grown in Southern California.  As an L.A.-based wine guy, I thought it was a shame I hadn't tried it.  Ms. Shelton was happy to provide a sample for the purpose of this article, and plenty of information about this truly old-vine Zin - along with a few pictures, which I will share here.  Also, her Karma Zin Bastoni Vineyard Sonoma County Zinfandel gets good mention in this article by Jon Bonné on SFGate.

Shelton says this wine's name, Monga Zin, comes from repeatedly chewing the mouthful of an AVA, the Cucamonga Valley.  I can't help but think of Mel Blanc offering up his line from the Jack Benny Show: "Train leaving on track five for Anaheim, Azusa and Cooooooo-ca-monga."

The grapes are all Zinfandel from Lopez Vineyard, a CCOF organic plot located right at the intersection of the 210 and 15 Freeways, 70 miles east of Los Angeles in the desert known as the Inland Empire.  The dry-farmed bush vines date back to 1918, so there can be no argument that it is an old vine Zin.  Tiny grape clusters are a third the size of typical Zinfandel clusters.  They yield only one-quarter to one-half tons of fruit per acre, a very small offering.

Monga Zin 2012 spent 14 months in American oak, 30% of which was new.  It's a hefty wine, clocking in at 14.9% abv and 1,330 cases were produced.  I see it retailing online for around $25.

Shelton's wine has a medium ruby hue and a wonderfully complex nose.  Aromas of brambly cherry are layered with a dusty chalkiness and a whiff of caramel on the side.  Pretty floral hints even peek through that aromatic display.  The palate brings brilliant cherry and raspberry notes on a bed of spices.  Anise, allspice, cinnamon, sage and nutmeg show their colors one after the next.  Lively acidity and toothy tannins make for a great food wine - pair it with a grilled rib eye laced with rosemary.


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14 Hands Merlot 2010

Lunching at Wood Ranch restaurant in Los Angeles is always a bit of a treat, but especially on Tuesdays, when all their wines are half-price.  At $7.50 by-the-glass and $12 per bottle retail, $3.75 was a true bargain for a glass of 14 Hands Merlot 2010.  Even if I didn't like it.  But I did.

This Washington wine, from vineyards in Columbia Valley, is a blend of  78% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Syrah, 1% Grenache and 1% Cabernet Franc.  The various varieties are aged in American and French oak and blended after vinification.  Alcohol hits 13.5% abv.

Medium ruby in the glass, this Merlot gives a jammy nose of blueberry, strawberry and raspberry.  The palate shows a beautiful collection of oak-tinged fruit.  Dusty cherries lead the way, with clove and nutmeg rounding out a great flavor profile.  It does have a rather thin feel, but the finish is medium-long with spices lingering.

While you may have something a little more special in mind for your holiday spread, this bottle should be appreciated when you bring it to holiday parties, as long as they are okay with drinking some "@#$%! Merlot."  It's reasonably priced, good tasting and easy to find, even at the supermarket.  

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Wine Tasting: Simply Italian Wine Tour

When you get a chance to sample a lot of Italian wine, don't ask questions - just RSVP and show up.  You'll be glad you did.  France is probably the giant in the global wine arena, but Italy rivals its neighbor to the north for quality and a sense of place.

The Italian Wine tour moved through Los Angeles on October 30, 2013, and those in attendance at Mr. C in Beverly Hills were all the richer for it.

A number of wine presenters were actively seeking representation in the US wine market, and are deserving of such.  I have noted those wineries looking for distribution.

Azienda Agricola G. Ricci Curbastro - Lombardy

Franciacorta Rosé Brut NV - Very slightly tinted, this sparkler showed nice acidity and great bubbles.
Franciacorta Satèn Brut 2008 - All Chardonnay, dry and toasty after four years aging in bottle on the lees.
Franciacorta Extra Brut 2008 - A mixture of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this bubbly provides plenty of bubbles with a bready note on nose and palate.  Four years in bottle on the lees.
Curtefranca Bianco 2012 - 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Bianco, this white is savory and full in the mouth.

Cantina Tudernum - Umbria (looking for distribution)

Grechetto di Todi 2012 - Nutty nose, savory minerals on the palate, very good acidity.
Rojano Todi Rosso Superiore 2010 - Great red fruit and acidity.
Todi Sangiovese - Very bright cherry and oak spice.
Montefalco Sagrantino 2008 - Bold, brawny, dark and spicy.

Sasso Dei Lupi - Umbria

Simone Carpinelli poured a range of wines which all seemed a little light on acidity, but possessed of a lovely nose and flavor.
Blush NV - Pinot Grigio, beautiful gold color, Spumante, light bubbles, dry and fruity.
Quartanota 2012 - Light acidity, fruity and plain.  Steel.
Sestavia 2012 - Chardonnay.  Savory, light acidity.
Secondoatto 2012 - Sangiovese and Merlot, 50/50.  Beautiful, pure fruit.  Slight smoke.  Steel

Bissoni Rafaella Allesandra - Emilia Romagna

Girapoggio 2012 - Sangiovese, very light on its feet, easy drinking.
Bissoni Sangiovese di Romagna Sangiovese Sup. Reserva 2008 - Very deep, dark, Sangiovese.
Bissoni Vino Rosso 2011 - Late harvest, beautiful cherry candy on nose, raisin and caramel on palate.  Great 100% Sangiovese dessert wine that had folks talking.

Tre Monti - Emilia Romagna

Simone Tremiti poured.
Vigna Rocca 2012 - Albana grape, gold, nutty, steely with nice acidity.
Campo di Mezzo 2012 - Great tannins, pure cherry, a bit tart. Sangiovese. Steel.
Petrignone 2010  - Six months in new French oak.  Nice acidity

Casa Vinicola Antonutti - Friuli Venezia Giulia (looking for distribution)

Nicola Durandi poured wines from the winery established in 1921.  Their line of everyday wines is called 921.  The ones I tasted show a sweet edge.
Prosecco Collevento 921 2012 - Refreshing, bubbly, fruity. 100% Glera.
Pinot Grigio Collevento 921 2012 - Sweet edge, nice acidity. Steel.
Rosato Collevento 921 2012 - Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, 50/50.  Reminds me of white zin. Very light color. Steel.

Talis Wine - Friuli Venezia Giulia (looking for representation)

While pouring, Mauro Cencig told me, "If it is good wine, you can sell it with no problem."  That will be a great comfort to every winemaker I have ever spoken with.
Friulano 2012 - Fresh, big, fruity nose of pears and peaches.  Nice acidity and minerals.
Pinot Grigio 2012 - Mineral-driven nose and palate.
Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - Very herbal and grassy, lotsa lime, nice acidity.
Cabernet 2012 -  Fresh, with a bit of oak, nice tannins.
Merlot 2012 - Dusty cherry aroma and flavor.  Good acidity.  Nice and spicy.

Cantina del Castello - Veneto - (looking for distribution)

Arturo Stocchetti spoke lovingly of the volcanic soil in Soave.
Castello 2012 - Fresh. 90/10 blend of Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave grapes.
Carniga 2011 - Savory nose, great fruit and minerals on palate.

Parol Vini - Veneto

Barone Nero 2011 - Recommended by Shawn Burgert, a writer, broadcaster and photographer known as @awanderingwino on Twitter.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Refosco.  Medium ruby color with an easy mouthfeel.  Cherry flavors dominate.  Seems it would take a chill well.  A nice savory note on finish.  They told me they sell it big on the East Coast.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2011 - Really funky nose and palate.


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Italian Wine: Walch Pinot Bianco

Denise and I celebrated our fifteenth wedding anniversary the way like to celebrate - a nice meal in a nice place featuring the things we like best.  It doesn’t always mean expensive, and it hardly ever means fancy - we like our dining and our food to be simple and delicious.

We get a craving for cheese every now and then, and one of our favorite places for a fantastic cheese plate is Cube.  Cheese and more are on the menu - they are feeding the current frenzy for fried chicken in L.A. - and they have a wine selection that has never failed to exceed expectations without putting undue stress on the bank account.  They specialize in Italian wines, as suggested by the “What’s up D.O.C.?” sign above their La Brea Avenue location.  We love supporting Cube and we would be terribly disappointed if it suddenly were not there.

A mess of cheese and meats from all over the world were ordered to be brought on the slate platter, and an extremely nice Pinot Bianco from Italy’s Alto Adige region got my attention.  Wines from this part of northern Italy always get my attention.

Elena Walch took over the wine estates of the family into which she married - kind of makes it sound like a coup, doesn’t it?  Well, if the family isn’t happy with the job she has done, I don’t know what’s wrong with them.  She has instituted sustainability measures at her vineyards which encompass biology, society and economics - which she calls the “triangle of sustainability.”

The Elena Walch Kastelaz Pinot Bianco is a single vineyard wine - the Kastelaz vineyard - that sells for around $20 online, making the $10 by-the-glass price seems downright courteous.Two-thirds of the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks, while a third is treated to new French oak, and aged there for five months after fermentation.

The color of this wine is simply stunning - a beautiful, golden tint with copper and green highlights throughout.  A wonderfully savory aspect is apparent on both the nose and palate.  Aromas of smoke and minerals join the smell of apples while the flavors of savory nuts and wet rocks are lifted by a fantastic acidity.  It worked with all the cheeses on the platter, but it took on a transcendent quality with the Swiss cheese from Hoch-Ybrig.


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Craft Beer From Milwaukee: Lakefront ESB Ale

Man does not live by wine alone - just ask a winemaker.  They'll tell you how important beer is.  Today, a bit about a craft beer from a town known more for its big breweries, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Lakefront Brewery proudly declares that their suds are "Brewed in Milwaukee for people who like beer."

A recent visit to Real Food Daily in Los Angeles put us in the belly of the organic beast.  Denise introduced me to the place years ago with the caveat, "Great food, just stay away from the bread products."  She is a person who knows her bread, so I took her word for it.  Everything else we have had there has been great - organic, healthy, vegetarian and tasty - even if seitan sounds more like something that wouldn't play with the Sunday School crowd.  Try the lentil pâté - it's to die for.

In keeping with the healthy surroundings, I scanned the organic wine list first, but was drawn to an organic beer, the Lakefront ESB Ale.  It cost $6 in a 12-ounce mug.

Lakefront bills this brew as "the country's oldest certified organic beer," made with organic malted barley and organic bravo hops.  It's a British-style ale - extra special bitter - and hits 5.8% abv on the alcohol meter.The beer pours up with a beautiful copper color and a light frothy head.  The nose is mainly citrus, owing to the hops, while the palate shows a great nutty character and has the bitter finish its initials promise.  Unlike organic bread, this organic beer fit the food perfectly and would serve very well on a shady porch after mowing the lawn or gardening.


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