Hitching Post Gen Red Cabernet Franc Blend 2010

Hitching Post wines are created in California's Central Coast by owner/chef Frank Ostini and former fisherman Gray Hartley.  Gen Red is a Cabernet Franc blend made from grapes grown in several Santa Barbara County vineyards.  The Cabernet Franc, some Merlot, and Syrah are from Alisos Vineyard, there's Merlot from McGinley and Buttonwood Vineyards and Cabernet Franc and Valdiguie from the French Camp Vineyard in San Luis Obispo County.

As the website decribes, "The Cabernet Franc adds the intense aromatics, the Merlot adds body and roundness, and the Syrah and Valdiguie add color, richness, and fruitiness."

The wine is medium-ruby in color with an extremely fresh nose showing brilliant cherry fruit and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.  The palate is full to bursting with bright cherry flavors, some cedar notes and a great acidity, which lends this wine its freshness.  I'd love to get this for the holidays and right now I am going to write myself a note reminding me to do so.

Gen Red was on the wine list at the Westside Tavern, which is the best excuse to see a movie at the mall on Pico.  The restaurant is just down the escalator from the theaters, so it's great for grabbing a bite or a sip before or after a film.  The wine cost $10 by the glass and $32 by the bottle, and both are pretty good prices in the realm of Los Angeles restaurants.  Westside Tavern's wine program is one of the better efforts in L.A., and the food is out of this world.


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Texas Wine At IAH

Waiting at Houston Bush International Airport for my return flight from Texas to Los Angeles, there was one more Texas wine for me to try.  CapRock Moscato was $10 by the glass at Bubba's Bar and Grill in Terminal C.

Founded in Lubbock in 1988, CapRock Winery is in the Texas High Plains AVA.  Sold earlier this year - for the second time in three years - CapRock is one of Texas' biggest wineries.  Like many Central and West Texas wineries, CapRock specializes in Spanish, Italian and Rhône grape varieties.

This Moscato has a yellow-green tint and an aromatic nose of flowers, pears and peaches with a slightly herbal note underneath.  I was surprised by the little hint of petrol in the background, very much like a Riesling.  It's on the sweet side and the fruit is the star of the palate.  Sweet peach, nectarine and pineapple juice flavors reside in a nectar-like setting.  It's rather viscous, and completely delicious.


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Gamling And McDuck Santa Ynez Valley Chenin Blanc

Another trip to the movies was improved by wine.  That seems to happen to me a lot, I'm told.  It could be that everything is improved by wine, or it could be that movies generally need a little added excitement.  Maybe I'm just lucky.

We found ourselves at the mall on Pico again, with tickets to see "The Company You Keep" and "Trance."  There was just enough time in between for a bite and a drink.  We'd had a good experience at Westside Tavern before, so it didn't even need to be discussed.

The specials: Lobster Cobb and short rib grilled cheese.  It's a go.  Flipping open the menu to quickly choose a glass of wine, I see the phrases "Chenin Blanc" and "Santa Ynez Valley" adjacent to one another.  I'd better investigate this.

Our waiter tells me the Gamling and McDuck wine is "made by our head bartender, he's right over there."  The waiter motions to the bar behind him and across the room.  "He and his brother and his brother's girlfriend all collaborated on it.  The name of the wine is their nicknames, or something."  He later brought me the bartender's card.  Since he wasn't too busy, I stopped by to do a mini-interview with Dan McClary (right).

As it turned out, the other two-thirds of the company - Gabrielle Shaffer and Adam McClary - are in Napa.  "They are the winemakers," said Dan, "I write checks and act as the Los Angeles face for the wine.  We get our grapes from different sources.  The Chenin Blanc is from Jurassic Park Vineyard, out in the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley.  We used Napa fruit for our Cab Franc."

In an email, Adam McClary told me that Gamling and McDuck is something he and Gabrielle do on the side.  "She's the Viticulturist at Stagecoach, and I make wine and manage a boutique Calistoga winery called Lava Vine."

Oh, those nicknames?  They are their pet names for each other.  Adam explains, "She was in a secret spy club with her neighbor when they were 5 years old, and her secret spy name was Galadrielle Gamling, which I found to be adorably precocious, and she became a Gamling.  I'm McDuck because ... I evidently waxed poetic about Scrooge McDuck's detailed lineage.  Gabe just started calling me McDuck."

So there you have it.  Their sense of humor bleeds over into the company's website.  It shows tasting notes like "The clean, white vinyl interior of Wonder Woman's invisible jet" and "The urge to tell the truth."  I must confess I get neither of those elements, but I still find plenty to like.

2013 will be the trio's fifth vintage of Gamling & McDuck.  They started with 150 cases produced in 2009, and will make about 800 this year.

The Gamling and McDuck Chenin Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, Jurassic Park Vineyard 2011 is poured for $14 by the glass at Westside Tavern.  Suggested retail is $22.  Alcohol content is quite low, at 12.8% abv.

A greenish tint emanates from the glass while a bountiful nose full of herbal and mineral aromas assures me that I made the right order.  Green melon and minerals appear as the dominant smells.  There is a hint of lemongrass in the bouquet, along with a trace of caramel.  The olfactory show alone is worth the price.  The mineral-driven palate shows citrus - lime and lemon jump out at me - and the acidity is zippy.  The full mouthfeel lends itself to pairing with comfort food and any sort of seafood.

The oak effect is very well played.  I imagine it is responsible for the caramel on the nose and the butterscotch note on the palate.  This wine spent seven months in neutral French oak, on the lees.



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Cabernet Franc Saves The Night

We hadn't been to Vitello's Restaurant in a while, so Denise and I were taken aback by the new look at what was once a tried-and-true, old-style Italian-American eatery in the San Fernando Valley.  The restaurant was sold quite a while back, and the owners apparently took their time about making changes.

The changes they made to the old Rat-Packy restaurant really brought it into this century.  Gone are the red leatherette banquettes.  Gone are the old straw basket Chianti bottles.  Also gone, unfortunately, are the old recipes.

The very modern-looking redesign is nice enough.  Muted green fabric has replaced the red leatherette, the tablecloths are gone, swanky music is piped in through the sound system and there's a tree in the middle of the main room decorated with tiny white Christmas lights.  I suppose, since they are now used year-round nearly everywhere there is a tree in Los Angeles, that they are called "decor lights" or something like it.

The trouble is, some of us are clinging to the few remaining old-line, East Coast-style Italian restaurants with a death grip.  They are disappearing, these old haunts, and it's hard to see them slip away one by one.  If the ghosts of Sinatra, Martin, Davis and Bishop should materialize in Los Angeles, they will now have one less place to "try the veal."

I don't know whether or not the recipes at Vitello's were a part of the deal when the place sold, but even if the previous owners took the cookbook with them it should have been easy to find a new one.

Miso dressing on the chopped salad tastes OK, but it should be Italian.  The garlic bread doesn't look like garlic bread.  It's dark toast, with a lot of stuff on it besides butter and garlic.  Garlic bread isn't broken.  No need to fix it.  The chicken cacciatore, I don't even want to think about any more.  I don't know what kind of sauce was on it, but it wasn't tomato.  It seems as if the food is prepared by people who don't know what Italian-American food tastes like.  It's on par with the kind of cuisine one gets at an airport.

The food wasn't the end of the trouble, either.  Between the salad and the entree, our server was instructed to kick us off our two-top so it could be placed with a four-top to accommodate a larger party.  I don't mind moving, but I don't recall a restaurant ever asking me to do so.  Our server - who apparently knew a lot more about the restaurant business than the owners - was obviously mortified.  She offered us several different extras, on the house, which we politely declined.  She did take 20% off the check for our trouble, however.

Even so, we didn't feel that our dining dollars were very well spent.

With all that, at least the wine was good.  Vitello's wine list seems to be the one thing that changed for the better.  There are quite a few interesting choices by the glass, and a good number of bottles from which to choose.  It's a bit unusual to find a Cabernet Franc by the glass on a Los Angeles restaurant list, so I was happy to find it there.  Of course, their customers who liked the old cheap Chianti and cheap Pinot Grigio may not be too happy about it.

Napa Valley producer Cosentino is responsible for the Cab Franc that saved the evening for me, although it's not a Napa wine.

Cosentino's 2011 Cabernet Franc carries the Lodi appellation and a 14.3% alcohol number.  The grapes are 76% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot.  The wine spends 20 months in oak - French and Hungarian - a quarter of which are new barrels.

The familiar Cab Franc spices and herbs grace the nose, while a beautiful green edge touches the blueberry and cherry flavors. There's a surprisingly light touch of vanilla and clove.  The wood is used to really great effect in this wine.

Hopefully, Vitello's can breathe some life into the food service the way they have done with the wine.  Until then, for me, it's a stop which will be reserved for happy hour only.


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Bodega Vinae Mureri, Xiloca 2009

Spanish wine is a favorite of mine, and I love Garnacha in particular.  It’s a nice dining experience when the restaurant offers some Spanish choices on the wine list. Bow and Truss is such a place.  

The NoHo Arts District area of the San Fernando Valley is crammed with attractive dining options to accompany the theater options there. We stopped in to Bow and Truss before a screening of Les Miserables at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre.  

There’s a bit of a courtyard seating area in front of the eatery, and inside it’s all concrete floor, brick walls and wood nearly everywhere else.  From the kitchen in the rear, comes a blast of shiny aluminum. I ordered a Spanish Garnacha to pair with the pork belly tacos.

Bodega Vinae Mureri is located just a short distance outside the Calatayud region, in Aragon.  Its wines bear the designation of Vina de la Tierra.  This area is just as known as Calatayud for its high-altitude, old-vine Garnacha.

The Vinae Mureri Xiloca carries an alcohol content of 14.5%, is 100% Garnacha and sells at retail for around $12.  It cost $8 by the glass.  

Big, dark cherry notes burst from the glass as if they have been imprisoned there.  A meaty, beefy aroma supplements the fruit and a little essence of barnyard creeps in, too.  On the palate, cherries, cola and dusty minerals prevail in a wash of complexity.


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Castellari Bergaglio Fornaci Gavi 2008

It seems a shame sometimes to just write about wine, when the food so often steals the show.  That was the case at the great Los Angeles Italian restaurant, Locanda Veneta.  My wife will tell you that I wear out the phrase "this may be the best ever," but it was impossible to stifle it at this lunch.

I opened with grilled calamari, spicy enough for me to wave off the offer of fresh ground pepper.  The grill flavor permeated the squid and the portion would have been sufficient for lunch, had I not also ordered the porchetta - stuffed with fennel sausage and served in a confit of onion.  Was it the best ever?  I'm saying "yes."

The wine was great, too.  It may not be a list-topper, but it's right up my alley.  The Gavi region in located within Piemonte, and wine production there dates back a millennium.  The white grape Cortese - the grape from which this wine is made - has no recorded history there until the mid-1600s.  It is usually fermented in steel and consumed quite young, but this one - four years old - showed some fairly complex aromas and flavors.  those who know Gavi better than I do say you should cellar it for a while before enjoying it.

Produced by Castellari Bergaglio, the Fornaci Gavi shows no trace of oak, in fact it's as steely as a white can get.  The golden hue belies the mineral-driven nose, although after a bit of warming, herbal notes start to appear that we're not apparent upon pouring.

On the palate is a savory note coming through the curtain of minerality.  Notes of tart apples and a hint of pineapple also find their way to my taste buds, but the minerals define this wine.

Was it the best ever?  Maybe not.  But like a good Italian wine should, it served as the perfect complement for this meal.


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Wines Of Spain: Ribera Del Duero

Spanish wine publicists have been beating the streets for the past few years, trying to carve out a bigger piece of the American wine pie.  Spain is trying to claw their way to higher visibility among U.S. wine drinkers.  They are presently fourth on the list of America’s favorite European wine, and struggling to nudge producers like Australia, Argentina, Chile and South Africa out of the way.  Individual wine regions within Spain sometimes seem to be fighting each other for attention, purporting that their taste is the true taste of Spain.  The Taste Ribera wine tasting event, held at The Red O restaurant in Los Angeles on November 8, 2012, had its timing just right for pouring in Tinseltown.  It was International Tempranillo Day.

Tempranillo - or Tinto Fino, as it is locally known - is the main grape variety used for making wines in Ribera del Duero.  The region is located about two hours north of Madrid in Spain's northern plateau, on the Duero River.  Its diverse soil - rocky limestone in the higher elevations and sandy clay near the river - and extreme climate give Ribera a distinctive terroir.  Winemaking dates back two thousand years there, but the region did not achieve Denominación de Origen status until 1982.

There are three main types of wine made from Tempranillo in Ribera.  Crianza is required to age in oak for a year and another year in the bottle.  Reserva wines spend a year in oak and two years in the bottle.  Gran Reserva wines age in oak for two years, then rest for three years in the bottle.  Tempranillo is sometimes blended with Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, but it is most often seen as a 100% varietal wine.

At Taste Ribera, the wines of Tinto Pesquera displayed the highest minerality.  Their '08 Reserva beat out their '09 Crianza for the title.

Convento San Francisco was built on the ruins of a 13th-century convent.  Their '06 Tinto Fino contains 10% Merlot and is aged twelve months in oak.

From Bodegas Felix Callejo, the '10 Flores de Callejo and the '07 Callejo Crianza both show restrained oak with a nice touch of spice.  The Callejo '06 Reserva has loads of fresh fruit despite the extra year in barrels.

With all the rules about oak in the wines of Ribera, it was refreshing to taste a Tempranillo aged in stainless steel tanks.  The Bodegas Valdubón 2010 Consecha was fresh and lively, showing pure fruit flavor unfettered by wood.

The Valduero '09 Crianza and '05 Reserva are both smooth, lush, fruity and floral.

Strong minerals come forth on the Protos '08 Crianza and their '09 Tinto Fino.  The former presents great tannins while the latter has a strong fruit profile.

Besides the wines that are already distributed in the U.S., there were some wineries present which are looking for representation.  One of the notables was Bodegas y Viñedos del Linaje Garsea.  Their 2011 Garsea Roble is an easy drinking and impressive showcase for plum flavors, while their '09 Garsea Crianza is muscular and chewy.  Six months oak for the Roble, 15 months for the Crianza.  Their wines are made using an extended maceration, so you get plenty of color.  The skin contact lasts from eight to ten days.


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Weller-Lehnert Spatlese Riesling 1998 at Sausage Palooza

A Los Angeles restaurant named Cook's County has become a favorite place for Mr. and Mrs. Now And Zin to drop in for dinner.  Incredibly fresh, local food plus a lean but extremely interesting wine list keeps us coming back to see what new additions have come to the menu.

They did a series of Oktoberfest Monday dinners, and we managed to snag a reservation for the last one, Sausage Palooza.  You had me at sausage.

The menu - prix fixe at $24, including the glass of wine - featured spretzels with mustard dipping sauce, a sausage platter - veal, lamb mergez and bratwurst - with bacon stuffed dumplings,  brussels sprouts and roasted squash.  It was an autumnal feast.

Sausage and Riesling happens to be one of my favorite food and wine pairings.  Sausage and anything, actually.  Riesling and anything, for that matter.  It's like bacon - and that was on the plate, too.

The wine was a 15-year-old Weller-Lehnert Spätlese Riesling, 1998.  Like many wine lovers, I thoroughly enjoy the aromas and tastes of a Riesling that is showing its years.  Strange things happen in Riesling, I understand, because of acid hydrolysis.  A compound whose name has more letters than the alphabet - which I’ll just call TDN - is credited - or blamed - for those offbeat smells and flavors in aged Riesling.

The rich, golden-orange hue looks exactly like it belongs with a fall meal.  Tons of honey on the nose are joined by apricots and a touch of petrol.  The palate also features flavors of sweet apricot along with a sense of rubber.

The sweetness of the wine was a little distracting for the food pairing, but I just sat back and sipped.

The night's menu closed with a quote from Julia Child:  "Life itself is the proper binge."  Eat more sausage, drink more wine.

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Provenza Tenuta Maiolo Lugana Bianco, Lombardia 2010

Santa Barbara’s Olio e Limone restaurant is a favorite place to hit when I’m anywhere near the downtown area.  The Italian food is great, the service is top-notch, the setting is quiet and the wine list is loaded with some fantastic choices.

It was just a short stop on a trip home from Los Olivos when I tried an Italian wine from Lugana.

Lugana is a white wine area in Italy’s Lombardy region.  In the northwest part of the country, Lombardy is landlocked, but has the benefit of a number of lakes to offer a cooling effect in the vineyards.  Lugana, in fact, is located at the south end of Lake Garda, where the clay soil is loaded with minerals.

All the wine made in Lugana is white, and 90% of it must be made from the Trebbiano di Lugana grape.  This may be a variant of Trebbiano, or a completely different grape - there seems to be some confusion on the topic.  It makes a fairly full-bodied wine which is said to age quite well in the cellar.

The Lugana I had was a 2010 wine from Tenuta Maiolo, an $11 offering by the glass.  It shows color beautifully, has a nose dominated by salinity and minerals and tastes of lemon curd and rind.  That lemon peel flavor lasts into the finish.  The acidity is fantastic.  It should pair well with any types of seafood, but I had mine with bread, oil and olives and it was a winner in that simple setting.

India’s Oven Wine Pairing Event, 9/21/12

One of the most exotic cuisines in the world, to my palate, is Indian food.  Spices like cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and turmeric mark the food and lend aromatics and flavors you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else.  With so many different spices used - sometimes in the same dish - it can be a challenge to pair wine with Indian food.

In Los Angeles, there are numerous options for dining in Indian style.  One of my favorites is India’s Oven, located at 7233 Beverly Boulevard, just a little bit west of the New Beverly Cinema.  Kamal Singh and his staff serve home cooking, Punjabi-style - from Northern India.

How does wine fit into the Indian food scene?  Come find out.  Now And Zin and India’s Oven would love to have you come over for an Indian food and wine pairing event, Friday September 21, 2012 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.  For only $12, you can sample four of the best dishes at India’s Oven and pair them with selected wines.  Personally, I think once you try the food at India’s Oven you’ll be a regular.

The complexity of the spices and the heat of the food - if you order it that way - can make for a difficult wine pairing situation.  But it’s possible to get the wine right by looking beyond the meat/fish aspect and going with the spice makeup of the dish.

Samosas and biryani rice dishes:  Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay

Dal, coconut milk curries and chickpea curries:  Fruity reds work well - Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir - or silky whites like Pinot Grigio.  

Tandoori chicken:  Shiraz, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir

Saag paneer and other green dishes:  Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay

In general, when pairing wine with Indian food, you want to choose wines with a minimum of oak influence.

Save the date and come try the pairings at:

India’s Oven
7233 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
Friday September 21, 2012 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 
$12 for four pairings

We hope to see you there!


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Green Sauvignon

When I try a wine at a restaurant, I usually jot down a few notes so I won’t forget any details later when I’m writing about it.  Sometimes the information given on a wine list is so sketchy it’s difficult to track down the wine online to find out more.  Sometimes I just don’t take very good notes.

I had a wine at Terroni a while back which was identified only as Green Sauvignon.  I could only find a Douglas Green Winery in South Africa and a Patricia Green in the Willamette Valley, and I don’t think either of those Sauvignon Blancs is the one I had.  The South African winery makes a Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend, which would seem more like it, based on what I experienced.

The Green Sauvignon was served too cold - whites are always too cold in restaurants - but the nose did give hints of vanilla over considerable minerality.  A sweetness showed after warming a bit.  In the mouth, it was just off-dry, with minerals and melons in the flavor profile.  The acidity was good, but not overwhelming.

This Sauvignon Blanc wasn’t such a great match with the honey-vinaigrette salad dressing, or with the blue cheese, really.  It fit in nicely with the salami plate, though.

Italian Wine: Eisacktaler Kellerei Sudtirol Lagrein 2009

A new Italian restaurant has opened in Los Angeles, Victor Casanova’s Gusto.  Just down 3rd Street from the Beverly Center, Gusto is tiny - probably no more than a few dozen seats.  That makes the wine list seem even bigger, and I like that.  It’s an eclectic and wide-ranging menu of wines which offers a lot for a grape geek to get excited about.

I couldn’t resist the call of the Lagrein, a grape which is terribly underrepresented on L.A. wine lists - even in Italian restaurants.  This Lagrein comes from Eisacktaler Kellerei, a winery in the Valle Isarco region of northern Italy’s Sudtirol in Alto Adige.  I’ve had their Kerner before and was quite impressed with it.  Their website describes the area beautifully: “where glaciers meet the gentle hillside landscapes of the Mediterranean.”  The Lagrein is grown in the gravelly soil of Gries near Bolzano.

The Kellerei Lagrein also made an impression on me.  It’s a richly aromatic wine which broods darkly in the glass.  A tarry nose has a floral element, but it puts me in mind of a rather mean flower.  The whole essence of the wine seems very dark visually as well as aromatically.  The palate shows very nice acidity with fairly stiff tannins. Blackberry and smoke flavors are deep and imposing. 

The pairing with my fennel sausage pasta was good, but this wine will stand up to much heavier, beefier plates, too.


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FIRESTONE WALKER TAPS PASO FOR NEW RESTAURANT

Here's the press release about a new restaurant for Paso Robles set to open on March 15, 2012.  Locally-grown food ingredients and local wine and beer are promised.

Paso Robles, CA — Firestone Walker Brewing Company is advancing its commitment to local flavor with the upcoming official opening of The Taproom restaurant in Paso Robles on Thursday, March 15.

 

Located adjacent to the brewery at 1400 Ramada Drive, The Taproom offers a full-service dinner menu with a focus on locally grown ingredients and wines as well as a broad selection of fresh-brewed Firestone Walker beers.  The restaurant and accompanying bar are open daily from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

 

“The Taproom is an extension of our brewing philosophy—the finest and freshest ingredients, prepared with care and presented from a distinctively regional perspective,” said co-proprietor Adam Firestone.  “It fits the larger celebration of the culture of food, wine and beer on the Central Coast.”

 

The Taproom menu blends traditional California cuisine with other influences to create what co-proprietor David Walker calls “brewhouse bistro cooking.”  Signature dishes include Grilled Pork Chops brined and prepared with a DBA beer mustard demi-glaze, and served with sweet potato fries and sautéed broccolini;  Beto’s Fish Tacos made with crispy halibut, avocado and paprika lime dressing, and served with jicama fruit salad;  a Taproom Burger with Kobe beef topped with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions and chipotle mayo on a potato bun;  and the 805 Salad made with fresh, locally sourced organic greens tossed with shallot thyme vinaigrette and topped with goat cheese and crostini.  The menu also includes five different wood-oven pizzas, including a steak and cheddar pizza and portabella mushroom pizza. 

 

Themed specials will be offered each night of the week as well, such as pasta specials on Mondays and steak specials on Saturdays.  Featured local ingredient providers include Windrose Farm, Thomas Hill Organics, Olea Farm olive oil and Joebella Coffee Roasters.  Ingredients from the brewing process will also be incorporated into select dishes, such as spent grains used to make pizza crusts, and “beer honey” made with sweet beer from the early stages of fermentation.  

 

“The motto at the brewery is ‘fresh and local,’ and we want that to be reflected in our dishes and wine list as well,” said General Manager Rob Giesler, noting that Brewmaster Matt Brynildson has developed friendships with numerous winemakers whom he has conscripted into his annual blending team for crafting the brewery’s acclaimed anniversary ales.  “Matt’s team has a prominent presence on our list.”

 

Designed and built by local craftsmen, The Taproom features a spacious modern ambiance that echoes the brewery environment, including brushed steel, corrugated metal, rustic wood and copper appointments.  Design touches include a mini “bottling line” with bottled beers circling over the bar;  a deconstructed brewing tank that serves as the entrance to the restrooms, with the floor of the tank serving as the host station;  and the original Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system mounted on the far wall.

 

Seating includes booths and tables, as well as long-table seating, whereby patrons sit side-by-side for a community dining experience.  A patio offers outdoor dining, and the bar features numerous Firestone Walker beers, including ongoing special releases.  The restaurant is staffed by 64 local employees.  Maximum inside seating for the main dining room and bar is 234 patrons.

 

“Whether you are a visitor or a local, we want the dining experience to have a real neighborhood feel, with high-quality but friendly food that goes great with our beers and wines,” Giesler said. 

 

The Taproom accepts reservations at (805) 225-5911 ext. 800.  For more information, visit Firestone Beer.

I'm told the wines featured at The Taproom will include selections from Tablas Creek, Curtis, Saxum, Terry Hoage, Linne Colado, Thacher, Andrew Murray, Cass, L'Aventure, Jarhead, Hearst Ranch, Storm, Brochelle and Halter Ranch. 

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BARON HERZOG OLD VINE LODI ZINFANDEL 2008

Sometimes, when you take a chance on a wine by the glass, you get lucky and like it a lot.  Sometimes you just sit and ponder on it.  I pondered on an $8 glass of Baron Herzog Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel at Wood Ranch at the Grove recently.  It's produced by Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California.  They source the grapes from the Watts Vineyard, far, far away in Lodi.  The wine cost $8 by the glass and retails for $13 per bottle.

The reason for my pondering is not that it is a bad wine - it's just not what I expect from a Zinfandel.  The nose is candied up, which doesn't bring images of gnarly, old, head-trained vines to my mind.  There is some bramble on the palate with a big, spicy blackberry flavor which I do find appealing.  Gentle tannins also lead me to believe that maybe these vines aren't as old as they are cracked up to be.

A little research showed that Watts Winery in Lodi has some vines which date back to 1937 - old vines, to be sure, even though they're just teenagers by California Zinfandel standards.  To my knowledge, there are no government regulations on the use of the phrase "old vine" on a wine label, but, as I pondered, I thought, "maybe there should be." 

The thing that may be making me ponder this wine so much is the fact that Herzog ages it in stainless steel, not wood, for a year.  The Herzog website indicates that they feel this preserves "the fruit's essence."  I can't argue with that.  It's a fairly pure fruit expression.  Most of the Zinfandel I drink has the stamp of oak on it, to one degree or another, and this unoaked version left me a little baffled.

I suppose I prefer a little oak spice with my Zin, but this is a Zinfandel worth trying.  Its clean flavors and candy-like aromas are a different shade of Zin - one that's worth pondering for a glass or two.

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ROSSESE DI ALBENGA "U BASTIO" BIO VIO, LIGURIA

A high point of a doctor's visit in Beverly Hills - and they are few in number - is a lunch visit to Da Pasquale Trattoria.  The family-run restaurant on Little Santa Monica Boulevard features Southern Italian cuisine in a cozy setting with some very nice wines on the list.

The tuna salad sports big chunks of the fish with cucumbers and black olives.  Taking a cue from the spring-like Southern California weather in January, I went directly to the rosé on the menu.  It turned out to be not a rosé, but a lightly-hued red wine made from the Rossese di Albenga grape grown in Liguria.   

The wine is made by a producer called Bio Vio in Italy's Liguria region.  They farm organically, they say, not because of an economic or technical issue, but because that's the cultural attitude in that region.  In addition to grapes, Bio Vio also grows olives and herbs for export.

The Rossese Di Albenga grape is thought to have originated in France, and is a fairly obscure variety today, even in Liguria.

The U Bastio cost $9 by the glass, and appears cherry red in the glass, somewhat like a rosado.  The nose shows off some brilliant strawberry aromas with raspberry and an herbal note, with some earthy qualities as well.  The taste is earthy, too, with flavors of cherry and black cherry dominating.  The tannins are almost nonexistant, so it drinks quite smoothly.

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GENUINE RISK MERLOT 2007

A holiday gathering of friends found me back at Little Dom's in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.  It's a cozy little spot with good food and a wine list which features a lot of labels I don't run across every day.  Their selection of wines, for me, is enough of a reason to drop in occasionally.  The food is an added bonus.

We were still getting our Christmas weather in L.A. - a little chilly.  The sunbathing warmth that always occurs in time for the Rose Bowl had not yet arrived.  Coat racks at the end of each booth - mere decoration for most of the year - were actually in full use this evening.  It made me feel for a minute like it really was winter.

Genuine Risk is produced by Black Sheep Finds, the Lompoc-based wine project of the husband and wife team of Peter Hunken and Amy Christine.  You may be familiar with their fabulous line of Holus Bolus Syrah and Pinot Noir.

The Genuine Risk '07 Merlot is actually a Bordeaux-style blend of 49% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.  All the grapes hail from a single vineyard in Ballard Canyon, in the Santa Ynez Valley portion of the beautiful Santa Barbara County wine country.  It sells for $14 by the glass at Little Dom's - around $23 per bottle retail.

The wine is dark in color and sports a nose which is dense and dark as well.  Tons of blackberry and blueberry aromas just about knocked me over, with a trace of herbal and olive notes adding complexity.  It's a brawny quaff, with a good tannic grip.  The fruit is right up front on the palate and a slightly smoky bramble accent really sets it off.  I think I had a pizza with it, but it was just something to pick at.  The wine really stole the show.

Only 250 cases of Genuine Risk were produced, and Hunken tells me they have now moved into their '08 vintage, which blends the same grape varieties but in a more Cabernet-heavy fashion.

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TASTING PANEL MAGAZINE SPARKLING ROSE EVENT

People say Champagne should not be reserved for special occasions, that we should drink it all the time.  I'd be alright with that, if it weren't for the fact that I like the variety of the wine world and I often have only one glass a day.  I usually go for a still wine, given the limitations.  

Sparkling wine corks don't pop as often as they should at our place, but that's my choice and I'll live with it.

It was especially nice, considering my wanting Champagne ways, to be invited to The Tasting Panel Magazine's tasting event featuring about three dozen sparkling rosé wines from France and California.  The event was held during the afternoon of December 15, 2011 at Waterloo & City in Culver City, CA.

The elegance of sparkling rosé is undeniable.  The variance in color, taste and aroma is quite noticeable when given the opportunity to sample so many side-by-side.  Those in attendance were buzzing about their favorites.  Much of the talk I overheard centered around the most expensive examples being poured, naturally.  Even among wine trade and media types - maybe especially among them - it's a rare treat to sample a $300 bottle Champagne.

There were, however, plenty of much more affordable bottles on display with as much presence on the palate as the top-shelf stuff.  I did hear quite a few comments on some of the mid-range wines, and I imagine a few mental notes were being made for the next time a sparkler would be purchased.

The wines started in the $14 range and went up from there.  I'm listing here the ones I found to be well above expectations, and I've noted the ones I thought were exceptional sparklers.

Here are the bubbles that really tickled my fancy:

Scharffenberger Cellars  

NV Brut Rosé, Mendocino County ($23)

A nose of earthy fruit and tasting of minerals and orange peel, this was possibly the best value in the room.  Great finish.

Exceptional.  Best value.

Roederer Estate

NV Brut Rosé, Anderson Valley ($27)

It's earthy and spicy, with a hint of tartness.

Schramsberg

NV Mirabelle Brut Rosé, North Coast ($27)

Flinty and yeasty on the nose with a raspberry and citrus palate.

Domaine Carneros  

NV Cuveé de la Pompadour Brut Rosé, Napa Valley ($35)

Aromas of smoke and toast lead to beautiful cherry and mineral flavors.

Exceptional

Frank Family  

NV Blanc de Noirs, Napa Valley ($43)

A light golden tint with an earthy nose and fabulous almond notes in the flavor profile.

Exceptional

Argyle

2008 Brut Rosé, Dundee Hills ($50)

Muted wild cherry aromas with a really dark fruit expression.  Creamy, with a hint of coffee.  Heavy on the Meunier.

Heidsieck and Co.  

NV Monopole Rose Top Brut Rosé ($50)

Pink salmon color with a tangy taste of strawberry and tons of fizz. 

Exceptional

Piper-Heidsieck  

NV Brut Rosé Sauvage ($55)

Almost red, this beauty tastes of toast and cherries.

Exceptional

Pommery  

NV Brut Rosé ($55)

Hardly any color at all, it's extremely bubbly with the smell and taste of nutty apples.

Moët & Chandon 

NV Brut Rosé Imperial ($59)

Deep salmon color, with a lovely, dry, strawberry/apple flavor.

Exceptional

G.H. Mumm

NV Brut Rosé ($75)

Salmon-colored, with a funky nose and earthy berries on the palate.

Delamotte 

NV Brut Rosé ($90)

Very pink salmon hue, with red berries and a splash of citrus.

Exceptional

Billecart-Salmon  

NV Brut Rosé ($99)

Just a "pinkish hue" with a yeasty nose and nutty, tropical flavors.

Exceptional

Bollinger

NV Brut Rosé ($100)

Light salmon in color, the nose is an earthy strawberry/banana while the palate shows tart lemon balanced with a sweet note.

Nicolas Feuillate  

2003 Cuveé Palmes d'Or Brut Rosé ($200)

Very deep pink with a striking nose and palate of smoke and cherries.  An explosive palate in an "alligator skin" bottle.  

Exceptional.  My favorite.

Krug

Brut Rosé ($299)

Very light pink, it tastes of earthy peaches.  Quite dry with an excellent finish.

Exceptional

Perrier-Jouet 

2004 Belle Epoque Brut Rosé ($300)

More orange than pink, the toasty nose leads to a taste of nuts and sweet apples.

Exceptional

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FEUDO ARANCIO SYRAH SICILY

Feudo Arancio is a Sicilian winery owned by the large producer Gruppo Mezzacorona.  Their 1,700 acres of vineyards are located on Sicily's southern coast, and the winery specializes in single-variety wines including Grillo and Nero d'Avola, in addition to the Syrah I'll write about here.

I had the Arancio Syrah at the Los Angeles Italian eatery Fabroncini, near Beverly Glen and Mulholland.  It's a favorite place for Denise and I to drop in for some great Italian food and wine.  They sell the Arancio Syrah for $8 by the glass, and it appears to be available for about that price by the bottle in retail.

The waiter did not recommend the wine very highly, but I love Syrah and don't get the chance to experience it in its Italian form very often.  I waved off his admonition and ordered it anyway.  I'm glad I did.

It's very inky in the glass, with a nose that is just as dark.  Herbal notes lace around a tarry aroma with blackberry fruit on display, although it is not so pronounced as one might expect in a California or Australian Syrah.

The flavor of blackberry and black cherry dominate the palate, however, and there's a little tar evident.  Licorice notes join a very nice minerality and the acidity is in top form.  The tannic structure is very soft, possibly not what many Syrah lovers may like.  I find it quite nice, and at less than $10 per bottle retail, it's a great wine to look for when you're in the mood for an easy-drinking, food-friendly Italian.

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SEGHESIO ZINFANDEL AT M RESORT

Anthony's Steakhouse at M Resort in Las Vegas put a positive spin on a day of visiting my mother-in-law - my favorite mother-in-law - in the hospital.  Actually, the visiting itself was fairly positive.  She was doing much better by the time we got there, and we were overjoyed to see that.

No special occasion is needed, though, to enjoy this spacious Vegas eatery located a few miles south of the Strip in an area that was once considered to be out of town.  There's a fantastic view of the strip through the wall of windows on the restaurant's north side.

It's customary for me at steakhouses to not order the steak.  I have nothing against beef, I just can't resist the siren call of a big pork chop on diced candied apple.

That was a great choice for the Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel 2009.  Nice and dark in the glass - inky wine holds a great allure for me, too - the aromas of blackberry, blueberry and peppery spices are joined by whiffs of tar and anise.  The nose is huge - it even wins the fight with the overly perfumed air in the casino.

The Seghesio's flavors are very dark and earthy.  Blackberry dominates, but that tar really comes forward.  Great tannins and minerality make a natural for pairing with steakhouse cuisine.

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GOLDEN ROAD BREWING POINT THE WAY IPA

Due to my "real job" schedule, I get very few chances to join in on a happy hour.  Recently, a meeting ran shorter than anticipated (!) and I found myself near Marie Callender's.  I strolled in to see if they could make this newfound hour a happy one.  They did.

Hopping onto a seat at the bar, I watch a football game on television between two college teams I don't care anything about - Northern Something University vs Eastern Something State.

Beers are $5 - that's happy - and I spy the magic letters on one of the tap handles:  I.P.A.  It's called Point The Way IPA, from Golden Road Brewing of Los Angeles.  Turns out it's an IPA lover's version of a light beer. 

The brew registers an abv number of 5.2%, fairly low when you know that IPAs generally run well over 6%.  Master brewer Jon Carpenter says this is the beer for which the brewery was founded.  They're a new kid on the beer block, with doors open just a 

couple of months at the time I am writing this. 

Point The Way IPA has a beautiful and rich amber color with an off-white head, shows citrus and flowers on the nose and tastes quite hoppy with a strong lemon note.  It's nice and creamy and a slightly bitter nuttiness flows into an extremely lengthy finish.  It's very refreshing and makes me wish I were having it in the backyard while barbecuing - even though it's dark out and quite chilly.  

I'm sure it will still be around when summer comes back.

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