TWIN FIN CALIFORNIA SHIRAZ 2006

I’m not one who thinks a low-priced wine has to be cheap.  I’ve had plenty of wines at less than ten dollars per bottle which I found quite nice.  Even at the five-dollar mark, it’s not impossible to find quality.  Twin Fin Shiraz is a six-dollar wine which was given as a gift from a casino in Las Vegas.  I happen to like the casino, so I’ll leave them out of this.

Produced at the Constellation Wines facility in Woodbridge, CA, Twin Fin shares the corporate umbrella with labels like Mondavi, Ravenswood, Estancia, Blackstone and a number of other perfectly decent wines that are found in a lot of supermarkets.

I cannot locate any information on where the grapes are sourced for the 2006 vintage, but in the past, Twin Fin has taken Syrah from Monterey County, Lodi, North Coast and Paso Robles. I would guess this changes from year to year, and that the most affordable grapes are used.

The nose is big, but not that enticing.  Blackberry aromas struggle to fight through the alcohol.  It’s only 13.5% abv, so something doesn’t smell quite right.  Speaking of, there’s a bit of a barnyard fragrance coming through that’s not entirely pleasant.  There's quite a bit of oak effect in it, too.  The smell of a wine is supposed to make me want to drink it.  This bouquet makes me want to pour it down the drain.

Thin and harsh are two words I hate to use when writing about a wine, but this wine simply can’t offer anything better.  The dark fruit is there, along with a peppery spice note.  The flavors, which should be so nice, seem too heavily influenced by oak.  Between the off-putting odor and the weak quality on the palate there’s not much nice to say.  It’s a pretty, dark purple. Maybe I can just look at it while I drink something else.

The wine does mellow a bit after an hour or so in the glass, losing some of the heat and a bit of the funk, but it still has a rather hollow mouthfeel and contrived flavor profile.  Two nights later it had mellowed even more, but the weight was still thin and the taste was off.  

Six dollars isn't a lot to pay for a bottle of wine, but I still think it's overpriced.  The fact that it was a gift doesn't make me feel any better about it.  I'd have been happier had the casino given me Two Buck Chuck.

RIBOLI FAMILY WINEMAKER DINNER AT SAN ANTONIO WINERY

The winemaker dinner I attended at San Antonio Winery in downtown Los Angeles  on October 9, 2010 was eye-opening in more ways than one.

Not only was it my first visit to the oldest working winery in Los Angeles, I’m ashamed to say,  but it was also the first visit for many at my table - including someone who lives next door to one of the principal figures in the winery!  I was also corrected on my uninformed opinion that San Antonio Winery was a lonely, neglected building hidden among a bunch of warehouses.

True, the landscape in this part of downtown L.A. is a bit industrial.  True, Lamar Street, on which the winery is located, has a fairly large population of big trucks - even on Saturday afternoon.  But forget the notion that San Antonio Winery is a forgotten building.  Denise and I sat in the car for a few minutes before going inside.  The foot traffic we observed going in and out of the front door was amazing.  It seemed to never stop - or even slow down.  Paso Robles or Santa Barbara wineries would kill for that kind of business.

Once inside, looking to the left - where the tasting bar is - there was no way to muscle my way in.  It was was simply too crowded.  I was told by one of my table mates that the crowd on this early October Saturday was nothing.  “Just wait until the holidays,”  she said.  “They really start getting the crowds then!”

History

For the uninitiated, San Antonio Winery has been a historical landmark in Los Angeles for about 45 years.  The winery was founded in 1917 by Santo Cambianica , at a time when the California wine industry was changing from sweet and fortified wines to dry red wines.  The winery is still family-owned and operated.

For this once-a-year event, Michael and Anthony Riboli presided over the festivities, sharing time talking about the various wines and pouring them, too.

The dinner was staged in the barrel room in the rear portion of the winery.  There were about a dozen or so large round tables seating up to eight diners each.  At our table, we joined Adrianna, Virginia, Diane and Jim.  I think I was the one person at our table most interested in the wine - it’s usually that way for me.  Jim admitted he was “not much of a wine person,” but even he was really getting into the fun of tasting and pairing.

Tasting the wines was somewhat eye-opening for me, too.  I was actually familiar with only one of the wines served at this dinner, so I had the chance to sample a variety of the San Antonio Winery’s product.  I was impressed by all of them.

Heritage

The Riboli family takes their tradition very seriously.  The word “heritage” kept popping up throughout the evening as Michael and Anthony spoke of the winery and wines that are their own heritage.  The word even appears on a series of wines designed to celebrate the history of the winery and the family.

Grapes for the Riboli’s wines are estate-grown, not sourced from other growers.  They own vineyard land in several areas of California you may have heard of - Paso Robles, Monterey County, Napa Valley.

“The vineyard is the most important part of winemaking,” Anthony explained.  “If the grapes aren’t good, the wine won’t be good.”  Echoing a wine industry axiom, he said, “The best wines are made in the vineyard.”

Michael got philosophical when ruminating on his family’s history as winemakers.  “Making wine is our business,” he said, “but it’s great to have a business where making people feel good is the end result.”

Anthony selected the wine pairings for the evening’s meal, and the pairings were very smart.  Having good wine is a great first step, but knowing how to pair it with foods that will accentuate the wine’s highlights is a special ability.  Anthony showed he knows how to pair wine as well as make it.


Maddalena Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles 2009 - served with glazed, marinated albacore salad with an avocado and ginger paste.

The 100% varietal wine sees mostly steel - just two months in neutral oak.  It shows a slightly grassy nose with abundant minerals.  On the palate, it’s rich and round with a citrus tartness and lemon zest.  I wish for the finish to last longer, but I’m left with the bracing sensation of wet rocks afterward. 

This was the pairing of the night for me, as the wine and the food combined to create an entirely new taste.  The wine, mixed with the avocado and ginger paste, spawned a mustard-like flavor which surprised and delighted me.

Heritage Blanc, Central Coast 2009- served with seared sea scallops with white frisee, Dijon vinaigrette and tarragon puree.

An “oddball blend” of Viognier, dry Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc.  The different wines are blended and stirred during the two months the wine spends in neutral oak barrels.  The nose is aromatic and floral, with honeysuckle predominant.  The taste is of tart apples with a layer of minerality and citrus.  This is a zesty wine, too, with great acidity. 

It scores in combination with the scallops.  It’s one of three wines now offered with a distinct “retro” label which images the winery’s own heritage.

Windstream Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands 2008 - served with grilled, five spice marinated quail, with bacon fried rice and an orange hoisin sauce.

I had tasted this wine at a Pinot show in Pasadena earlier in the year, and it was my favorite at that show.  Still showing a huge nose of cherries and plums, this wine seems very dark for a Pinot Noir, both in color and taste.  The effect of the French oak is tastefully apparent..  The palate is huge and intense, with cherries and raspberries on a dark earthiness.

It paired quite nicely with the intense flavors of the five spice and hoisin, and brought an extra dimension to the slightly gamey bird.  I would love to have this wine with a steak, too.

San Simeon Syrah, Monterey 2007 and Heritage Red Rhone Blend, Paso Robles 2006 - both served with pappardelle pasta with white chanterelle mushrooms.

The Syrah has a nose of blackberry and black pepper with an intense palate showing jammy, spicy fruit.  The wine is in French and American oak for two years, and it shows the effect of both.  There are nice vanilla notes from the American oak and spiciness from the French.

The Red Rhone Blend contains Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre and Grenache.  This wine shows earth on the nose and tastes of fruit and beef.

To choose one of these wines as the pairing winner, I’d go with the Rhone blend because of its earthiness, matching so well with the mushrooms.

Riboli Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2007 (Library Selection) and Riboli Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2008 - both served with herb-roasted beef tenderloin with sautéed Porcini mushrooms.

The ‘07 has an earthier nose with plummy fruit, while the ‘08 has a fruitier taste and a graphite edge.  Both are drinking very well and have a nice, full mouthfeel with very smooth tannins.

Both of these wines paired well with the beef.  I couldn’t name a favorite between the two Cabs.

La Quinta Crema Marsala, California NV - served with chocolate terrine with spiced dried fruit compote and a cinnamon cream.

The Marsala’s nose of raisins, spice and honey could serve as dessert on its own, but you really wouldn’t want to miss tasting it.  A sherry-like flavor of candied fruit pairs well with both the fruit and chocolate. 

This brown-colored, fortified wine is 18% abv and would be right at home after a big Thanksgiving meal or Christmas dinner.

GRAPE CAPERS

Several news items from the wide world of wine caught my eye recently.  You may have heard about these incidents involving the theft of grapes, right off the vines.

In Kirkland, WA, an estimated one and a quarter tons of Bushvine Mourvèdre grapes were taken from the Grand Reve Vineyard.  The crooks apparently left the outer row untouched in an effort to hide the fact that the fruit from the inner rows of bushes was gone.  Other grape varieties nearby were not taken.

Then, a few days later, the BBC reported that Villeneuve-les-Beziers was hit by grape thieves.  According to the report, illegal harvesters used the light of a full moon and a harvesting machine to strip the French vineyard of its 30-ton crop of Cabernet Sauvignon.  A farmer in the area said he had heard of similar crimes being committed in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.  Using a harvesting machine, the farmer said, would have meant the grape caper could have been pulled off by only two people.  The vineyard was reportedly quite isolated, so the robbers probably worked unmolested.

A German vineyard near Hamburg was stripped of nearly its whole crop of grapes intended  to be a premium wine used primarily as a VIP gift.  The Telegraph states that only a basket of those grapes remained.

In at least the French and U.S. cases, the vineyard owners registered some surprise at the lack of solidarity among grape growers that the crimes represent.  To say the least.

These thefts indicate a professional level of expertise, not only to pull of the heist but also to know what to do with the grapes once they are stolen - or at least to know who would be interested in buying the illegally obtained fruit.  One would imagine that it's rare for a truck to pull up unannounced at a winery and offer to sell a ton - or thirty - of grapes.  These criminals had to know what they were doing.  A French detective is quoted in the Telegraph that he believes a “wine mafia gang” is to blame for that theft.

I asked a few wine people for their feelings on these events.  I was curious about how common grape thefts like these are, and whether there were any personal stories that mirrored these actions.

Dave Potter, of Municipal Winemakers, told me these are the first crimes of this nature he's heard of in the U.S.  However, when Potter worked in Australia for a Bulgarian winemaker, he heard stories about how it was not uncommon for roving thieves to do their worst in the dark of night in the winemaker’s homeland.  "He said they'd come and take the crops at night before the winemakers were ready to pick.  It ended up being a bit of a race, and the wineries always struggled to get the fruit ripe."  Potter added that because of this, "that winemaker was always surprised at how the Aussies were able to get the fruit so ripe."

Amanda Cramer, winemaker for Niner Wine Estate in Paso Robles, took a break from a busy harvest to say she had never heard of grapes being stolen from a vineyard.  “It’s quite a bold crime, to pick all that fruit without being seen.”  Cramer wondered about the possibility of an insurance scam.  However, at least in the French case, the vineyard was insured but not the grapes themselves.

Richard Maier, proprietor of St. Helena Road Vineyards and Winery in Napa Valley was also unaware of these events, or any others like them.  Maier says, “We have never had a problem here, a little out of the way and hard to find.”

Peggy Evans, Executive Director of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, echoed the previous sentiments.  She was familiar with these recent events, but had never heard of them happening in California.

Tyler Coleman, under his guise of “Dr. Vino,” asked in his blog, “Will this outburst lead to the rise of Chateau Razorwire, a fenced vineyard with a panopticon in the center?  Of course, back in the day, some of the best vineyards in Burgundy were 'clos,' or walled vineyards.  Chateau Razorwire would have a tad less charm.”

While searching the internet to see if any other incidents of this type appeared, I came across an article from the California Farm Bureau Federation website from harvest time 2007.  In it, accounts of metal theft from California vineyards in Kern and San Joaquin counties were discussed.  It was pointed out the money made by selling the metal equipment for scrap was a pittance compared to what the thief could have earned had he simply asked the grower for a job.

There was also an account of a half ton of grapes stripped from a vineyard, but the van the thieves were using to carry away the loot got stuck in the mud and was abandoned.  Another 700 pounds of grapes were dumped on the ground behind the vehicle.  Vineyard thieves have apparently upgraded their skills in the few years since then.

PEACHY CANYON INCREDIBLE RED 2007

Browsing in Trader Joe's wine section recently, my eye was grabbed by the name Peachy Canyon.  It was familiar to me, because it was one of the first wineries I visited on my first trip to Paso Robles quite some time ago.  I thought I'd grab a bottle and see how it tastes today.

This Paso Robles Zinfandel is a 96/4% blend with Petite Sirah.  It has a beautiful deep ruby hue and a nose of jammy blackberries and cherries, with cedar and spice.  On the second night it was open it was showing some tar, which I didn't notice when it was first uncorked.

The palate tastes of black cherry with a licorice note that lingers into the rather lengthy finish.  The mouthfeel is full, with smooth tannins and a nice minerality.  It's not a particularly big or brawny wine.  At only 13.9% abv, the alcohol is really restrained.

CHARLES KRUG SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009

Despite the calendar inching closer and closer to something called Autumn, I’ve been on a bit of a Sauvignon Blanc kick lately.  Here in Southern California, we don’t do autumn.  It’s not that we don’t want to, it simply doesn’t happen.  When people elsewhere are braying about the “changing color of the leaves,” whatever that is, we see the same green and brown shades exactly where they have been all year.  For those who move here from somewhere else, the lack of autumn is usually their number one complaint.  That, and “You can’t get a decent cheesesteak here.”

One good thing about extending summer a bit: it means more time for summery wines.  We went to Fabrocini's for lunch, and if I were more of a FourSquare person, I would be the mayor of their calamari and scungilli salad.  I’ve gone on and on and on about that before, so I won’t belabor the point.  The wine paired very well with it.

Charles Krug is part of the Mondavi empire in Napa Valley.    The Sauvignon Blanc is a 100% varietal wine which is oakless, all stainless steel.  The 13.5% abv is light enough for lunch, certainly.

The wine is a rather pretty pale greenish-gold color.  I was looking forward to the promised array of tropical notes on the nose, but it was served quite cold and I could really only detect a slight grassiness.  I do wish restaurants would serve their wine at the proper temperature.  Too cold, and the bouquet is lost.  The taste was great, with canteloupe rind and orange zest leading the way in a full mouthfeel.  The acidity was bright and produced a zing that went with the seafood very well.

The bottle retails for $18, and at the restaurant it was $10 by the glass - not a bad deal.

LOUIS JADOT CHARDONNAY MACON-VILLAGES 2008

Since the maison's founding in1859, Louis Jadot has been a well-respected name in Burgundy.  Producing a number of different Chardonnay wines - and red wine, of course - the house of Jadot is one of the largest wine producers in the region.

This white Burgundy wine is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes grown in the Mâcon-Villages area in Burgundy's Mâconnais region.  The alcohol level is 12.5% abv.  This wine was purchased at Trader Joe's for $12, if memory serves me.

The wine is colored very lightly in the glass.  There is a funky little nose unchilled, which is diminished only slightly when chilled.  Herbal, spicy aromas join a restrained citrus note in the bouquet.  This white Burgundy is clean and crisp on the palate, with a nice acidity and a somewhat tart taste of lemon zest that plays big on the palate and even bigger on the finish.  Did I mention the minerals?  They show up by the truckload, as the the chalky soil of the Mâconnais is on display.

LA VIEILLE FERME, RECOLTE 2009

Dry rosés are a favorite around the Now And Zin household, and we recently tried a 2009 version of one we liked in the 2008 vintage.

The earlier vintage of La Vieille Ferme, Récolte 2008, was from Côtes du Ventoux, produced by Jean Pierre Perrin of Chateau de Beaucastel fame.   The wine is a blend of 50% Cinsault, 40% Grenache and 10% Syrah.  It shows a good strawberry red color in the glass which is quite reminiscent of a Spanish rosado.  Strawberries on the nose lead to a full mouth which is also dominated by strawberry, raspberry and some great earthy notes.  It's a dry rose – not bone dry, but it pairs very well with Thai food.

Récolte 2009 utilizes the same grape varieties, but I don’t know if the percentages are the same.  My guess is they are, because I didn’t find anything really different to note in the newer version.  It shows the same deep hue, the same intense strawberry characteristics and the same good acidity.  Instead of Thai food this time around, I had it with a pair of cheeses.  It paired with the Reblechon triple cream Brie better than the stronger Mahon reserva.

For a bargain basement six dollars, it would be hard to do better.

RN13 VIN DE PIQUE-NIQUE BLANC

A Sunday trip to the Larchmont Village Farmers' Market - which is a superb experience, by the way: great produce, lots of shade - played directly into a lunch for two at a nearby restaurant.  I love when that happens!  And yes, there was wine.

RN13 is a Vin de Pays wine from l’Herault in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.  It’s named after a road which leads to the south of France.  No doubt, on this road, you’ll be drawn to stop the car and have a good ol’ French pique nique on a blue checkered blanket along the way.  The makers of this wine would recommend you have a bottle on hand in case that desire overcomes you.  At only 13% abv, it is a great wine to have for lunch.

The wine is made by Bioghetto, a collaborative effort between Gilles Valeriani and Alain Coumont.  The latter heads up the organic French restaurant chain Le Pain Quotidien.  That’s where we were served this wine - they also have the accompanying rosé - at the fairly decent price of $5.75 per glass.

Showing a light, golden color, the RN13 has grassy and citrus elements on the nose, but not overwhelmingly so.  On the palate, it’s more herbal than fruity.  Some pear comes through, but herbs get my attention first.  The finish has basil and lemongrass in it.  Good, but not great, acidity makes me think it will mate with food well.

The wine itself is quite ordinary, but pairs well with food.  We ordered two dishes, a roasted corn Caesar salad and a ham and Gruyere sandwich.  The sandwich was great, but the salad was boring - uncharacteristic for the food here.  It was also virtually corn-less, a real black mark for a salad with “corn” in its name.  Denise fixed the salad with a little mustard-based dressing she whipped up at the table.

The interesting thing is that the wine and food went hand in hand.  The wine - plain and unassuming - made the boring salad seems better than it was.  The sandwich - which deserves a food group all its own - lifted the wine to place higher than it probably deserved.  The way the wine and food worked together was impressive, and it’s the reason a meal simply isn’t complete without wine.

Online information showed RN13 Blanc to be a blend of 40% Viognier, 35% Chenin Blanc and 25% Sauvignon Blanc.  It was billed on the menu as a Sauvignon Blanc/Airen blend, but that seems a little sketchy to me.  I’m going with the website’s information.

ALMAZA PILSENER BEER

Almaza Beer is a Lebanese brew which appears to be under the Heineken umbrella of international beers.  I tried it at Carousel Restaurant in Hollywood, an Armenian/Lebanese restaurant.  The location pictured on their website is in Glendale, and is considerably more ornate than the one in the Hollywood strip mall.

The beer has a golden color with a white head that disappears quickly.  There is a slight floral nose, not too hoppy, and rather nondescript.  The taste is decent, rather grainy with a sweet edge to it.  I enjoyed the taste more than I thought I would, but I would not have this when all I wanted was a beer.

Beers like this have trouble making it on their own, but they pair wonderfully with food.  It tasted great with the hummus, lentils, mouhamara (pomegranate/walnut dip) and a flatbread dish.

SHELF TALKERS GET SMART

You see them nearly everywhere you buy wine – the shelf talker.  That's the little card which tells which flavors to expect in the wine and – most of the time – how the wine scored in the various wine publications.

Cellar Key can do that - and more.  Cellar Key's information is on a QR code – a two-dimensional interactive icon - which would usually be printed on a tag around the wine bottle's neck.  You scan the code with a QR reader in your smartphone, and, voila!  Everything you could possibly want to know about that wine is at your fingertips.  Scanning the code automatically launches a content-rich microsite, optimized for smartphone.

Cellar Key launched in September, 2010, and is featured on six wines - Argyle Pinot Noir and Vintage Brut from Willamette Valley, Oregon; St. Hallett Faith Shiraz and Poacher’s Blend from Barossa, Australia; Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand and Argento Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.

The Cellar Key technology offers digital access to information about the product on which its code appears, potentially providing the user with a virtual connection to wineries around the globe through the use of a smartphone.  Cellar Key was launched by Lion Nathan Wine Group in partnership with Scanbuy and its ScanLife technology.

You may start seeing the Cellar Key icons popping up in different places – not just as shelf talkers in wine stores.  The code could appear on wine menus and in printed articles or advertisements.  Users will instantly access resources such as winery videos, reviews, winemaker information and food pairings.  Of course, you can also share and engage on social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.

Argyle's founder and winemaker Rollin Soles is thrilled to be a part of the launch.  “Cellar Key is a giant step toward bringing my story and the story behind the wine directly to the consumer,” Soles said, “establishing an instant connection to the wine through the palm of the hand.”

Lion Nathan USA General Manager Steve Myers said, “Premium wine consumers desire to learn more about the wine that’s in the bottle.  We are very excited to be...putting them in the driver’s seat.  Cellar Key not only lets us connect with our consumers, it effectively conveys a sense of place, personality and deeper understanding of the wine’s region and the winemaker.”

Plans to expand Cellar Key to other wines are slated for 2011 and beyond.

RIBOLI FAMILY WINE DINNER

The only working winery in Los Angeles - San Antonio Winery - invites you a Winemaker Dinner on Saturday October 9th, 2010 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.  The dinner will be hosted by Anthony Riboli and Michael Papalia.

San Antonio Winery, at 737 Lamar Street in downtown Los Angeles, has been functioning since 1917, and that includes Prohibition.  The winery was allowed to continue producing sacramental wines during that period.  Today, the Riboli family still owns it, and makes wine produced from estate vineyards in Napa Valley, Monterey, Paso Robles and other California grape-growing areas.

It's well worth a visit to San Antonio Winery anytime, to see their wine store and the gourmet restaurant, Maddalena Cucina.  It's a particularly good time to visit for this Winemaker Dinner, a once-a-year event.  It's $78 per person, and you can buy tickets through their website, or call 323.330.8771.  The four-course gourmet menu will be paired with wines from the Riboli family library.


Among the wines to be sampled are:


2009 Maddalena Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles

2009 Heritage Blanc, Central Coast

2008 Windstream Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands (this was my favorite wine at a Pinot Noir event in Pasadena earlier this year)

2007 San Simeon Syrah, Monterey

2006 Heritage Red Blend

2007 Riboli Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford - Library Selection

2008 Riboli Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

La Quinta Crema Marsala


These wines will be paired with the following dishes:


Glazed marinated albacore salad with avocado and ginger

White frisee with Dijon vinaigrette and tarragon puree

Grilled five spice marinated quail and bacon fried rice with orange hoi sin sauce

Sweet potato gnocchi with fourme de ambert cheese sauce and roasted shallots

Herb roasted veal strip loin with sautéed porcini mushrooms and baby turnips

Chocolate terrine with spiced dried fruit compote and cinnamon cream.

PASADENA WINE FESTIVAL 2010

The Pasadena Wine Festival will be held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum on Saturday October 9, 2010 from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m.  The main attraction is, of course, the wine - over 125 wines will be poured for your sampling pleasure.  California wines from Sonoma to Santa Barbara will be featured, along with special attention to the wines of Australia and Spain.  There's even more to look forward to at this annual event.

What's wine without food?  Great cheeses will be offered and this year the food trucks will roll out to keep the masses fed.  Some of the wildly popular mobile restaurants on hand will be The Grilled Cheese Truck, World Fare, Dosa Truck, Crepe'n Around, Border Grill Truck and Sprinkles Cupcakes.

The lovely grounds of the Arboretum and Botanical Garden will provide a beautiful backdrop for the festivities and a welcome respite awaits those who choose to take a break and stroll around.

You can challenge your friends to a game of bocce ball, pitch some horseshoes, try the ultimate golf challenge or just throw around a Frisbee.

Live music will entertain the festive crowd and you are advised to bring a blanket or beach chair so you can really relax after the sensory overload that's likely to occur.  Festival planners also advise you bring some sunscreen for the afternoon.

MORTON'S AND MONDAVI: CELEBRATING THE LEGENDARY BLEND

Morton's The Steakhouse restaurants will close out thePrime Events at Morton's campaign with an innovative wine dinner which will bring the Mondavi family into the restaurant by video.

Thursday October 7, 2010, from 5:00 - 7:30 p.m., Morton's steakhouses will stage a wine dinner to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This dinner, broadcast live to participating Morton's restaurants, will feature members of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th generations of the legendary California wine family, Mondavi.

The event will originate from the Carriage House at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena, CA. It will be in the form of a wine dinner broadcast live into the Morton's dining room, where you will taste along with the Mondavi family. New menu items from Morton's will be paired with various wines from the Mondavi wine empire.

Included in the broadcast will be Michael Mondavi of Folio Fine Wine Partners, Tim Mondavi and Marcia Mondavi Borger of Continuum Estate and from Charles Krug Winery, Peter Mondavi, Sr., Peter Mondavi, Jr. and Marc Mondavi.

Proceeds from the evening's live and silent auctions will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Among the items to be auctioned are a 27-liter bottle of an exclusive blend made by the 2nd and 3rd generations solely for the event.

Tickets for this special wine event are $175 each, which includes tax and tip.  Click on theMortons link to make a reservation online or by phone.

Celebrating the Legendary Blend Dinner Menu:

Reception

Smoked Salmon Pizza
Tenderloin Crostinis
Miniature Crabcakes

Paired with:
Charles Krug - Peter Mondavi Family, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009

Salad

Harvest Green Salad, topped with Sea Bass and Roasted Caper Vinaigrette

Paired with:
Isabel Mondavi, Sonoma Carneros, Chardonnay 2008

Entree

New York Strip Sirloin
Baked Sweet Onions with Gruyère
Roasted Tomato stuffed with Leaf Spinach
Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes

Paired with:
Continuum, Napa Valley, 2007
M by Michael Mondavi, Animo Vineyard, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Charles Krug - Peter Mondavi Family, Napa Valley, VS Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Dessert

Cappuccino Cream

Paired with:
Charles Krug - Peter Mondavi Family, Napa Valley, Zinfandel Port, Lot XIII

UNEXPECTED GRAPES FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES: LODI

"Unexpected Grapes From Unexpected Places," as I have pointed out before, is only directed at the average wine consumer.  I'm not the average wine consumer.  I enjoy trying different grape varieties from different regions and actively seek out things with which I'm unfamiliar.  The average consumer is not confident enough to stray from what they already know.  In fact, if a survey is to be believed, a large segment of the American wine buying public would rather not have to think about it at all.  23% of US wine buyers feel overwhelmed in the wine aisle of their supermarket!  Another 16% just drink the same thing all the time so they won't have to make choices.  That's not me at all.

So I'm a little surprised that some still consider places like Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and Lodi to be "under the radar."  That indicates to me that some new radar is needed.

There are many multigenerational winegrape growers in Lodi.  Many family farms started out growing other crops; some still grow other crops in addition to grapes.  They say that great wine begins in the vineyard, and that suits the farming tradition of Lodi just fine.

Most of the farms which have turned at least partially to winemaking, did so when grape prices dipped below the level of survival and they could no longer turn a profit by selling the fruit.  Success stories like Michael and David Phillips - who turned Phillips Family Farms into Michael-David Winery - are rare so far.  More common are stories of how the wines of Lodi, as a group, are winning over wine drinkers at a furious pace.  I know I'm not the only person who reacts favorably upon seeing the word "Lodi" on a wine label.

Shannon Harbert (pictured), Marketing & Communications Coordinator at Lodi Winegrape Commission, poured the wines of Lodi for me.  Here are my tasting notes:

Loredona Viognier 2009 - very floral nose, melons and citrus on the palate

Harney Lane Albarino 2009 - tropical, nutty, flinty, good acidity

Michael David Syrah 2007 - beautiful violet nose - blueberry to taste with pepper, earthy notes

Mettler Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - estate grown - dark, with black plums - tannic grip, earth, pencil lead

Lange Twins Malbec 2008 - red single-barrel wine from "green" winery - cherry nose - Jamant Woods Vineyard - exclusive to wine club members

Peltier Station Teroldego Reserve 2006 - Cal-Ital - cherry, spice and leather on the nose - the feel of a dessert wine, but not sweet, very dry

Grands Amis Barbera 2008 - funky floral nose with bright red fruit on the palate - substantial

Mokelumne Glen Vineyards Dreirebe - winery in the Mokelumne River sub-appellation - they specialize in German-style wines from German varieties grown in their vineyards - late harvest Dreirebe - sweet and delightful

UNEXPECTED GRAPES FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES: VENTURA COUNTY

When the great wine regions of California are enumerated, Ventura is often missing from the list.  It may be because they grow more strawberries than grapes in Ventura County.  They actually grow more strawberries than anything else in Ventura County.  But wine grapes don't even make the top ten.  Raspberries, celery, lemons, tomatoes, peppers, avocados and cabbage beat out grapes.  Even plants grown for nurseries and cut flowers are in the top ten.  But that doesn't mean nobody cares about wine in Ventura County.  Far from it.

The name of the event was "Unexpected Grapes From Unexpected Places," seemingly tailor made for an area which, for many, flies below the radar as a wine region.

There are only a handful of vineyards in Ventura County, so the winemakers have to source much - if not all - of their fruit from elsewhere in the state.  The passion for winemaking is not diminished, however.  They will put their wines up against any others.  Gary Stewart of Four Brix Winery says "It's not all Sonoma and Napa - other regions have good grapes, too."  Good winemakers as well.

Stewart, John Whitman of Old Creek Ranch Winery, Mike Brown of Cantara Cellars (left in image) and Jim Galicia of Rosenthal Malibu Estate (right in image) poured their wines for me, all at one table.   The wasn't even a hint of friendly rivalry.  They were all there working for team Ventura.

Here are my notes on what the guys poured for me:

Cantara Cellars Zinfandel 2008 - Lodi fruit - lightly tinted - lovely nose with cherry and spearmint notes

Cantara Cellars Tempranillo 2008 - rich and full, smokey fruit

Old Creek Ranch Loureiro 2009 - Santa Ynez Valley fruit - 12%abv - beautiful nose of peach, pear and citrus - tart taste of grapefruit, zesty

Old Creek Ranch Carignane 2008 - minty note under a big, bright cherry and blueberry palate

Old Creek Ranch Sangiovese 2008 - Sangio/Primitivo blend - SBC fruit, White Hawk Vineyard - big cherries with a long finish

Four Brix Scosso 2008 - super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cab Sauvignon and Merlot - beautiful floral nose - cherry on the palate is rich

Four Brix Temptress 2009 - Tempranillo, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel - will be released in Nov 2010 - dark and bright fruit both at once - complex

Rosenthal Surfrider Red Wine 2005 - fruit from Malibu Newton Canyon - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot - big nose of red fruit, tastes smokey, cherry, earthy

Tomorrow: Stuck in Lodi again - and loving it.

UNEXPECTED GRAPES FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES: TEMECULA

The recent Wine event, "Unexpected Grapes From Unexpected Places," gave a throng of wine industry and media types a chance to sample the wares of some grape growing regions in California that are considered "off the beaten path," at least for the average wine consumer. 

Temecula may be off the path, but they are quickly blazing one of their own just east of the I-15 Freeway.  After exiting the freeway, you may feel the urge to stop and gamble at the casino.  Continue east, though, and in just a few miles it's a sure bet you'll find some wines you like.  You won't get those kind of odds at the casino.

I was a little disappointed at first that Hart Winery, a favorite of mine in the Temecula Valley, was not represented at the tasting table.  Even without Hart, an admirable array of very good wines were assembled and it seemed to me visitors to the table were leaving happy, and maybe a little surprised.

Peggy Evans, Director of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, was kind enough to pour some very good wines for me while singing the praises of the grapes and wines of Temecula.

Baily Winery Dry Riesling 2008 - made to commemorate 150 years of Temecula - crisp, with pears and floral notes

Palumbo Rosato Secco - 100% Sangiovese rose - dry, with cherry and a flinty edge and good acidity

Miramonte Grenache Rosé 2009 - a little residual sugar - pink and sweet

Danza del Sol Tempranillo 2009 - smokey, brambly nose - very earthy and delicious

Wilson Creek Mourvèdre 2006 - not very dark and kinda bright - "mourvèdre lite" - fruity, tasty, dry

Cougar Montepulciano 2006 - "Full Monte" - funky nose, brambly palate, dry

Robert Renzoni Vecchio Fratte "Old Friar" 2007 - 90% Lagrein, 10% Merlot - big, rich, 21 months in French Oak - very dry with full mouthfeel - deep, expressive nose - coffee notes

Leonesse "Melange de Reves" 2007 - Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Grenache - smells and tastes darker than it looks - full of fruit

Stuart Cellars White Port NV - late harvest Muscat and Chardonnay - reminds me of vermouth - herbal and spicy - quite good

Tomorrow we head into Ventura County.

AMERICAN WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL 2010 - BY DENISE FONDO

Since 1982, Wolfgang Puck (left) and Barbara Lazaroff have raised over $15 million dollars for Meals on Wheels Programs of Los Angeles.  The Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation has raised millions primarily through the wildly popular American Wine and Food Festival.  Meals on Wheels Programs of Los Angeles is an extraordinary and vital service serving thousands of meals every day to homebound senior and disabled people.  Each year prestigious chefs and many businesses donate their time, talents, and wares to the festival.  Ticket prices are steep for the event but worth every dime for what people get in return, channeling money to a very worthy cause and enjoying a world class event.

This year’s American Wine and Food Festival is over but we can all continue to donate money and time to Meals on Wheels Programs of Los Angeles.  You’ll find plenty of useful information on their websites.  There are a number of Meals on Wheels programs in Greater Los Angeles including St. Vincent Meals on Wheels and Meals on Wheels of West Los Angeles.

I attended the Saturday evening (September 25th) Grand Tasting of the American Wine and Food Festival.  It was held on the Universal Studios Old Europe backlot.  As I pulled up to the festival, on one of the ubiquitous Universal Studios trams, the aroma of roasting meat was a very appropriate welcome to the evening.  Inside the festival, just to my right was Floyd Cardoz and his staff from Tabla, from New York City, grilling lobsters.  This was just the beginning of an evening of sensory satisfaction.

Everywhere I turned I saw chefs whose careers have been very important to the advancement of my own cooking skills.  I was, in all honesty, humbled.  It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with Chef Paul Prudhomme (left), the man responsible for bringing Cajun cuisine into the national and international spotlight.  He spoke to me about the struggles in New Orleans, a region still in recovery from Hurricane Katrina and now the Gulf oil disaster.  Chef Prudhomme urged me to come back to New Orleans and talked about how the food is as wonderful as it always has been.  He, like so many of his fellow New Orleans cooking brothers and sisters, are working so hard to breathe life back into the city.  He knows how to use his celebrity for good and found the time to come to Los Angeles to help out our own charities.

Everyone who participated deserves recognition for their contribution.  The food, wine, and other beverages served were all deserving of the $300 ticket price.  Not one table served up a sub-par meal. I talked to people who raved about the fried clams from Chef Jasper White and Chef Dean Fearing's fried quail.  The raw bar at the Bouchon table was very, very popular.  I was a little surprised that Nancy Silverton and Mozza decided to go with corn dogs and frozen bananas dipped in chocolate.  The more I thought about it, the more I understood the joke.  Yes, this was food more appropriate to the Los Angeles County Fair, but it struck a chord with people.  It was fun and the frozen bananas were a welcome treat on a sweltering evening. 

I think a lot of chefs made last minute changes to their menus based on the hot weather.  Chef Amar Santana from Charlie Palmer Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza served a cooling avocado gazpacho and a tequila and lychee juice cocktail, El Lychedor.  People loved both.  Both Chef Santana and Charlie Palmer worked the table.  Fiji Water was a big sponsor of this year's festival and Chef Santana used Fiji in the dishes he presented.  Please check out the complete list of chefs who were there at the festival website.  My one regret is that I didn't take the opportunity to speak Chef Jose Andres outside the Cosmopolitan (air conditioned!) cocktail lounge.

My favorite foods of the evening were the sandwich from The Hitching Post, featuring their very delicious house-made bacon and the pork belly sandwich from Slanted Door.  What was up with the location for Slanted Door?  Hidden away.  No line.  Is this San Francisco gem unknown to Los Angeles diners?  Chef Charles Phan playfully beckoned me to his table, where I was the only diner.  Buttery, tender pork belly.

Chef Wolfgang Puck was wearing a smile on his faceas he worked the crowd and talked with his friends from the culinaryworld.  It was great to watch everyone, including the chefs, (ThomasKeller lobbing beach balls!) having fun.  I know setting up and workingin the heat must have exhausted everyone before ticket holders even gotinto their cars to drive to the festival.

There was a very poignant end to the evening for me.  When I arrived at the tram pick-up, there was a huge line.  Hundreds of people were waiting for the tram to take them back to their cars.  The heat caused a number of the trams to suffer hydraulics failure.  So, in a small way, as we waited for the one working tram, we experienced what it feels like to be inconvenienced by a very brief lack of mobility.  However, unlike those who are housebound and dependent upon Meals on Wheels for daily sustenance, our inconvenience was temporary.

- See more of Denise Fondo's work at Truffles, Chestnuts, Cherries.  Follow her, tweeters:@DeniseFondo.

UNEXPECTED GRAPES FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES: SAN LUIS OBISPO

The celebration of California Wine Month, "Unexpected Grapes From Unexpected Places," was a Southern California tasting event designed to shed some light on grapes and wine regions in the Golden State that typically don't get a fair shake.  San Luis Obispo County may not be as well known as Napa or Sonoma, but to those of us who have experienced their wares, SLO wine is not a well-kept secret.

The reds of Paso Robles and the whites of Edna Valley are favorites of mine, but the wealth of wine in the San Luis Obispo area goes further than that.  Santa Margarita, Cambria, Arroyo Grande and Avila Beach all have a lot to offer a wine lover.  The area is particularly beautiful, too.

Becky Gray, Executive Director of the SLO Vintners Association, poured the wines at the SLO table for me.  Here are my tasting notes:

Tolosa Viognier 2009 - very rich nose, melon rind and citrus dominate flavors - tons of minerals, as expected from Edna Valley (Edna Ranch Vineyard)

Ancient Peaks Sauvignon Blanc 2009 - Paso Robles fruit - grassy nose, fresh lemon taste, good acidity

Tangent Albariño 2009 - tropical nose, nuts and orange peel on the palate, lots of minerals (Edna Valley Paragon Vineyard)

Claiborne and Churchill Vintners Gewürztraminer 2007 - dry Alsatian style - tropical and grapefruit on nose and palate, good acidity

Zocker Wines Grüner Veltliner 2009 - (Paragon Vineyard) - minerals apparent, hint of pepper

Salisbury Vineyards Syrah 2007 - (Avila Vineyard) big, rich cherry and blueberry nose with a fruity, peppery taste

Tolosa "Salaal" - 90% Syrah, 10% Viognier fermented together - (Edna Ranch) - big berries and pepper, great finish

Trenza Tinto 2008 - Grenache and Mourvèdre from Paso Robles, Syrah from Edna Valley and Tempranillo from Arroyo Grande Valley - lovely floral aspect with blueberries and lots of earth

Tomorrow I'll take a look at Temecula's table.

AMERICAN WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL: HOT TICKET

The scene was set at Universal Studios backlot Saturday September 25, 2010.  The extremely hot - and humid - weather during the day persisted into the evening, but the makeup stayed in place and all the participants were ready for their closeups, Mr. DeMille.  Lights, sterno, clapboard, please!

The American Wine and Food Festival went off almost without a hitch.  That's saying a lot considering how the hot weather caused quite a few last-minute changes for chefs who had planned on serving hot food, only to realize something cool would be more appropriate.

In fact, the biggest hitch I found was at the end of the evening.  When waiting to board the tram back to the parking garage, I found about 300 other people already waiting.  A nice Universal employee named Dave informed me that due to hydraulics problems, they were down to their last tram.  They were trying to cope as best they could by pressing vans and small buses into service.  Those options were not much help in replacing trams which carry 160 people at once.

The event itself, though, was nothing short of spectacular.  The food samples handed out by some of the best chefs in the world were of uniformly high quality.  The wine tasting was great, too.  I only wish the food temptations hadn't been so great.  I wanted to spend more time in pursuit of the grape, but I can't honestly say I was disappointed by dabbling in one culinary treat after another.

The backlot - which you've probably seen on TV and in movies a thousand times - provided several different settings to walk through.  As I turned one corner after another, the cobblestone streets were lined with food and wine booths.

O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery was my first stop.  Eager to pour some big Napa reds, the guy manning the booth seemed a little peeved that I asked to start with the Sauvignon Blanc.  I had just arrived, and already I was dry and thirsty.  The O'Shaughnessy Sauvignon Blanc hit the spot with bracing acidity and a cool grapefruit profile with a sweetness to it that relieved my palate.  I liked his reds, too.  Two Cabernets, the Howell Mountain and the Mount Veeder, were full, rich and intense expressions of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.  If I had to choose one, It would be the Howell Mountain, but the Mount Veeder runs behind only by a nose.

C. Donatiello Winery offered a wonderful Chardonnay, lightly oaked, crisp and laden with citrus.  The Healdsburg outfit has five different Chardonnays available, and I have no idea which one this is.  I liked it, though.

The Whitcraft Winery table was capably manned by Drake Whitcraft.  He talked a little about how his father Chris got him into the family business, and he seems to be getting the hang of it quickly.  Drake is a 100% whole cluster guy.  His winemaking setup includes actual foot-stomping of the grapes, for real, not for show.  As I understand it, he's working on the second vintage which is all his.  His father is battling poor health and couldn't be prouder of the way Drake has stepped in to handle things.

Drake poured a really nice Chardonnay he had just bottled two weeks ago.  His Grenache is bright and full of cherries on the nose, with a very fruity taste and a great finish.  A pair of Pinot Noirs are Drake's real pride.  The '07 vintage is clone 667 from San Luis Obispo, while the '08 has 20% Anderson Valley fruit.  Drake likes the '08 better, and I have to agree with him.  It's full of bright cherry flavors and has an excellent finish.

From Au Bon Climat: Hildegard, a white blend showing bracing acidity and an interesting blend of grapes.  Hildegard is 55% Pinot Gris, 40% Pinot Blanc and 5% Aligote.  It's a very complex white wine with a zesty lemon finish.

Hitching Post Rosé '09 is made from what used to be called "Napa Gamay."  Turns out the grape is actually Valdiguie, with roots in the southern France region of Languedoc-Roussillon.  There is some Pinot Gris in the mix, as well.  This is a bone dry pinkie that's loaded with fruit and great acidity.

Paraduxx, the pun-laden label from Duckhorn, poured a stunning blend of Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, vibrant and rich.

Lest you think it was all California wine being poured - not that that's a bad thing - Dr. Loosenwas there.  A dry, bracing Riesling was tasty, of course.  I asked for something with a bit of gasoline in it, but the pourer shook his head and said, "Sorry, nothing is showing the petrol yet."

An attempt at getting into the "Sherry Yard's Sweet Sanctuary Champagne and Port Lounge" proved successful, in that I was able to get into the roped-off area.  Live music and the promise of an after-hours "scene" produced such a crushing throng that I was unable to navigate within the area very well, and was completely unable to locate any Champagne or port.  Which was sort of the idea.  As the kids say these days, "#fail."

That's when I decided to check out, completely satisfied.  A full evening of snapping photos of celebrity chefs left me unfortunately unmoved when I saw Robert Wuhl, the guy who plays Arliss Michaels in the TV show "Arli$$," looking about for the next sample to go for.  I might have been more impressed had some other member of the cast been present, say, oh, I don't know, Sandra Oh.  She was after all in "Sideways," too!

Talking with Denise afterward, we ruminated on how much money must have been raised for the Meals On Wheels Programs of Los Angeles in this event and the accompanying auction.  It was inescapably ironic that an event in which food is handed out as a disposable commodity - we noticed how many "unempty" plates went into the garbage cans - was actually helping get food to people who are unable to get out and get their own.

The American Wine and Food Festival 2010 was a success from the standpoint of a food and wine lover who likes to scarf down free samples from world class chefs and winemakers.  It was also a success from the standpoint of someone who is old or ill and can't get to the market to buy broccoli.  And that is the real achievement.

Please see Denise Fondo's guest blog on the American Wine and Food Festival.

UNEXPECTED GRAPES FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES: SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

Santa Barbara County is one wine country within an easy drive of Southern California, so it's not unexpected for me to find great wine originating from there. I've certainly tasted enough of it. Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein counts SBC as a "once removed" wine region, meaning just slightly less well known than Napa and Sonoma, the "big two" of California wine AVAs.

At the recent Grand Tasting event, "Unexpected Grapes From Unexpected Places," their table was definitely one I had circled on my program.  Palmina winemaker Steve Clifton (on the right in the picture) was pouring when I stopped by, and he patiently went through eleven Santa Barbara County wines for me despite the crowds which kept him pretty busy the whole time I was there.

The Santa Barbara County AVA is one region that is getting a lot of recognition beyond the Central Coast, with good reason.  The five distinct winegrowing areas of the county - Santa Maria Valley, Los Alamos Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and Happy Canyon - make up an extremely diverse wine region.  The ocean breezes sweep eastward through the transverse valleys and bring a rather cool growing climate far inland.

Clifton's Palmina Wines specializes in Cal-Italia - Italian grape varieties grown and produced in the Golden State - but his wines weren't the only ones on the table utilizing what Evan Goldstein calls "quirky grapes."

Here are my notes on the wines from the Santa Barbara County table:

Palmina Tocai Friulano 2009 - lovely floral nose with grapefruit and zest on the palate - Santa Ynez Valley, Honea Vineyard

Palmina Malvasia Bianca 2009 - very floral nose and taste - tastes like flowers - Santa Ynez Valley, Larner Vineyard

Silver Viognier 2007 - nuts and citrus with great acidity - 13% Grenache Blanc

Buttonwood Sauvignon Blanc 2009 - citrus nose and palate, nice acidity - lemon zest on finish - blended with Sémillon - winery has a new winemaker

Rancho Sisquoc Sylvaner 2009 - melon, pear and peaches with some residual sugar - don't know of another winery producing Sylvaner in California

Palmina Nebbiolo 2006 - floral nose with a taste of very bright cherry and raspberry - spices

Mosby Sagrantino 2006 - big, dark nose, reminds me of Mourvèdre - smooth and fruity - Bill Mosby imported the cuttings from Italy - first vintage

Hitching Post Merlot 2007 - dry, with big blackberry and cherry flavors - winemaking team of Hartley and Ostini

Bridlewood Zinfandel 2007 - Santa Ynez Valley grapes, estate grown - herbal notes and a minty aspect - full and rich

Ampelos Syrah 2006 - spicy and fruity - Sta. Rita Hills fruit

Star Lane "Astral" Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - extremely full and very dry, with black plum and pencil lead flavors

Tomorrow we'll visit the San Luis Obispo table.