La Fenêtre's Adopt-A-Barrel Program

The bad economy has many winemakers doing business a little differently in an effort to stay profitable, or perhaps, to stay in business.

Retail prices have dropped for some brands and tasting rooms have been hurried open to create new revenue streams.  Now we hear that the very winemaking equipment is being used to get those dollars flowing.

Santa Barbara winemaker Joshua Klapper at La Fenetre Wines has instituted a program he's calling "Adopt-A-Barrel."  Here's how it works: Pony up $1000 - the cost of a new barrel - and you can personalize your barrel any way you'd like, get two cases of the wine you have adopted, an invitation to an "'I Adopted A Barrel' Dinner" during the 2010 harvest and a personalized "Thank You" message on the website.  The "Thank You" will go directly on the wine's label if you adopt all the barrels for a given wine.

Klapper unabashadly says that "the rising cost of barrels set against the cash crunch our economy is in has necessitated some kind of action."  Is it a dire situation?  "Adopt a barrel or we start crushing for Gallo"?  Klapper assures me the scenario is not that severe.  This is a proactive measure designed to cover some production costs with a promotion which allows a nice spin to be placed upon it.  It gives a more interactive feel to the tried-and-true "futures program" and, Klapper hopes, will bring in extra money during a time of year when many small wine producers find themselves stretched a bit thin.

The winemaker explains that he is only buying 20 new barrels for 2010, and encourages those who wish to take part to get in early for the best choice of varieties and vineyards.  He is certainly lucky to be involved in a business which his customers find attractive in a participatory way.  How many folks would want to "Adopt-A-Vat" for Budweiser, or "Adopt-A-Grinder" for Jimmy Dean Sausage?  Not many, I'm guessing.  But wine drinkers always seem to want to be in on the action.

Well, here's your chance to have direct involvement with the winemaking process without even having to roll up your sleeves.  Just get those check-writing fingers limbered up.  If you'd like to find out more about Klapper's offer, you can email him - josh@Lafenetrewines.com - or call him at 310-977-5615.

Edna Valley Vineyard Islay Peak Petite Sirah 2006

I have had both a Petite Sirah and an Edna Valley wine recently.  I thought I'd combine the two and jog down memory lane to a past visit to one of my favorite wine areas, and one of my favorite wineries there.  Here are my notes on that bottle:

"This is from Edna Valley Vineyard's tasting-room-only series of wines. A $20 purchase in their lovely and busy tasting room, this Petite Sirah from the San Luis Obispo area of California's Central Coast claims 14.5% abv.  There's a beautiful artistic rendering of a vineyard against the hills on the label, but no artist information.  It does look just like Edna Valley, though.

"The aromas here are very pungent, and quite nice.  I get lots of big cherry, leathery notes, licorice, and a dark vibe from the aromas.  A bit of alcohol on the nose burns off after a resting time.  It's a very jammy smell, one that I find very inviting.

"The taste comes on a little hot at first - give it some time after pouring or decanting.  The flavor profile is a powerful followup of what was present on the nose.  The fruit is very forward, and it's a big blueberry fest.  It doesn't appear as dark and forbidding as suggested by the nose.  In fact, it's  very welcoming.  The tannins are a bit strong, but the structure is good and the finish is medium long.  I had this with some Pinches Al Pastor tacos we brought home from the restaurant on Sunset Boulevard.  It fit quite well."

Variety:  Petite Sirah
Appellation: California > Central Coast
Vineyard:  Islay Peak
Vintage:  2006
Alcohol Level:  14.5% abv
Price:  $18
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author at the winery tasting room

Cornarea Roero Arneis 2007

Jeff Zimmitti - aka Joey Bagadonuts - at Rosso Wine Shop in Glendale has never steered me wrong.  His recommendations on wine have always been right on.  As a matter of fact, his recommendations on music have always been full of insight, too.  But that's for another blog.  Jeff's very first recommendation to me - about wine - was to carry home a bottle of the Cornarea Roero Arneis.  I'm glad I did.  This all took place a couple of years ago, and I made some notes about the wine.  Here they are:

"The Bottle is stately looking, with an oval front label. 12.5% abv.  It is 100% Arneis varietal, from the Roero Hills north and east of Alba in southeastern Piedmont.

"The Nose is very floral, and quite lively and inviting.  I'd say "honeysuckle" because that's what it reminds me of, but I can't be sure.

"The Taste is floral, with a nice streak of minerals.  There is some peach and apple, too.  A sort of nutty flavor decorates the finish. It went great with manchego cheese, and with an egg and sweet Italian sausage dish my wife whipped up while I was enjoying the wine."

Naiades Bodegas Naia 2005

Spanish wines always seem to amaze me.  I see images of smallish vines growing out of clumps of dusty rocks set about 10 feet apart from each other so there will be enough water for them all.  It seems a miracle that they grow at all, let alone produce fruit from which such wonderful wine is made.  I purchased this wine at a Spanish wine tasting event at Santa Clarita's All Corked Up some time ago.  I ran across my notes and thought I'd post it here because I loved it so much.

The bottle is a relatively big and clunky Burgundy-style container.  The label tells us the wine is from the Rueda region in northwest Spain.   It's 100% Verdejo from vines that are 90 years old, and sold at this event for $23, although it usually runs a bit more in stores.

Naiades has a golden-green tint in the glass, it's really a beautiful wine.  The citrus on the nose is a mixed plate of lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit.  There is a strong scent of minerals in there, too.

On the palate, it's mainly a grapefruit show, but not in an overpowering way.  That's good for me, as I'm not a huge fan of grapefruit.  There's enough peach, pear and even honeysuckle coming through to make it a lively and varied taste, and the minerality keeps things crisp and fresh.  It's not a favorite wine of mine for sipping, but pair this with a woven wheat cracker and some of that strong Danish Castella cheese from Trader Joe's, and it absolutely rocks.  I'm sure seafood of all sorts would find this a good mate, too.

Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author at a discounted price during a tasting event. 

Bogle Petite Sirah 2007

Don't you love it when you go to restaurant that had found itself  "off the list" for one reason or another, and find that it's back "on the list"?  That happened with Tart on Fairfax.  I don't remember why we stopped going there, but one night it was convenient and - lo and behold - there was a parking space right in front!  That was the clincher.  In we went, and right away the Bogle Petite Sirah jumped off the wine list at me.  It's a good wine, a very good one.  I'd had it before and was impressed with not only the aroma and taste but the price, too.  It seems like it was in the $10 per bottle range.  Here at Tart, $9 per glass.

The nose is full of cherry cola, with a lot of plum and blackberry in there.  You find that on the palate as well - tons of jammy dark fruit with a bit of an earthy taint that just hints of its presence.  It's darkly lush and quite intense.  I had the blackened tuna burgers appetizer and it went quite well with the seared tuna, hitting the nail on the head both with the charred exterior and the extremely rare interior.

Variety:  Petite Sirah
Appellation:  California
Vineyard:  Clarksburg and Lodi
Vintage:  2007
Alcohol Level:  13.5%
Price:  $9/glass
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Chardonnay 2008

Edna Valley is one of my favorite wine areas to visit.  Do I say that too much?  This time I mean it.  From the rolling hills to the lovely vineyards to the zany, unofficial mayor of Edna Valley - and her eclectic restaurant - it's a place that reveals something new every time we go there.  Not that it's got any wild nightlife or exotic attractions - the wine and the wine people are enough to make us thirst for a return visit.  

Edna Valley Vineyard  is one of the "showier" places in Edna Valley.  Calling anything in Edna Valley "showy" may be a bit of a stretch, but Edna Valley Vineyard's facility - among a few others there - is definitely ready for visitors.

I wouldn't call their Paragon Chardonnay a wine that defines what Edna Valley is all about, but it certainly shows its address well.  A golden straw color in the glass, one would expect quite an influence from the oak in this wine.  The nose betrays some of that influence with a fairly good dash of spices.  There is also a nice whiff of pears and minerals.  The rocks are something I expect in any white wine from Edna Valley. 

The taste is pretty incredible.  I get the kind of sweet fruit flavor that's in a can of fruit, like pineapple, pears or peaches - that heavy juice in the can.  There's a good bit of citrus, lemon zest, too.  The wood comes through in healthy fashion, with strong notes of vanilla and traces of holiday spice.  This would be a great white on the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table.  But don't wait until then.

Variety:  Chardonnay
Appellation:  California > San Luis Obispo County > Edna Valley
Vineyard:  Paragon
Vintage:  2008
Alcohol Level:  13.9% abv
Price:  $11
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author at a wine store

Summerland Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 2007

A recent Saturday took us to not one, but two movies.  We're not talking Netflix here, either.  These were bona fide, real live, sit-in-the-theater movie shows.  The Square was a bit of a disappointment.  Some Aussies took the Coen Brothers' Blood Simple and threw it in with some "movie helper."  They came up with a product that had plenty of the Coens' quirkiness but little of their inventiveness.  We saw it at one of the single-screen artifacts of Hollywood's past that dot Westwood Village, so it was worth a lot in the "experience" category.  Next, to Hollywood for some film noir at The Egyptian.  Broderick Crawford and Richard Conte in New York Confidential was the offering of the night.  We were very troubled that the audience laughed at some extremely inappropriate moments during the film.  It figured that a full house, which turned out to see a 1955 noir that hadn't been viewed since shortly after its release, would be somewhat reverent.  The misplaced laughs and hoots might have been more suitable at a midnight movie.  It's too bad they were allowed to ruin the event.  One of the actresses who appeared in the movie was present in the audience, as was Richard Conte's son.  I wonder what they thought of the crowd's reaction?

Aah, there.  I feel better now.  Let's go have an apres-noir snack at the venerable Musso & Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard.

Musso & Frank has a menu that runs the gamut from the extremely affordable to the ridiculously expensive, with not too much in between.  The wine list tells the same story, running from Beringer to Opus One.  By the glass, their selections are varied enough to suit a number of tastes and not terribly expensive.  At $14, the Summerland Pinot Noir is one of the more expensive by-the-glass choices at Musso & Frank.

The nose on this Pinot has a rather lovely floral component.  I smell violets and some really ripe and lucsious plums.  The aromas don't give fair warning of what to expect on the palate, though.  A bit of darkness surrounds the flowers, but the brambly, earthy, meaty taste really comes as a surprise.  A very pleasant one.

181 Merlot 2007

The 181 Merlot clone has thrived in the red clay soil of Bordeaux's Pomerol region.  Now we find that the red clay soil of the Clay Station Vineyard in Lodi is producing some excellent Merlot from that clone.  Rich in minerals that have drained from the Sierras, Lodi's soil is said to be near-perfect for growing this transplant.

On a Saturday afternoon visit to The Den on L.A.'s Sunset Boulevard, I tried a glass to see what all the fuss was about.  It's about a luscious nose, an explosive palate and an earthy quality that would have Merlot-hater Miles Raymond taking a second sip. 

Big black cherry flavors abound, along with some nice smokey vanilla and cedarbox notes and a hint or two of cassis.  The backbone is great and the finish lingers long.  It's got a lot going for it, especially considering the price tag is barely over $10 a bottle in some places.

Winemaker:  181 Wine Cellars

Variety:  Merlot

Appellation:  California > Central Valley > Lodi

Vineyard:  Clay Station

Vintage:  2007

Price:  $8/glass

Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author, by the glass

Gallegas Destino Blanco

 As I researched Destino Blanco, I found that it was extremely hard to find out anything about the wine.  Even the website for Vinos y Bodegas Gallegas, the producer, has no information about it that I could find.  Hence, the informational aspect of this entry may seem a little skimpy.  I apologize for that, and I invite you to leave any comments which may shed some light on this lovely and affordable wine.

There are a few bits of knowledge I was able to come across.  It's produced in Galicia, on Spain's northwestern coast.  It's 11% abv and it costs a paltry $7.  Also, it is not to be confused with the Napa Valley boutique winery called Destino.  The Gallegas export manager, Hay Sprunken, informs me the wine is 100% Airén, a popular grape in Spain, although I understand the acreage devoted to it is dwindling in favor of other grapes like Tempranillo.

First you'll notice the pale golden color.  Then the aromatics.  The nose sports a floral component mixed with wet rocks.  There are a lot of minerals apparent in the aroma, and they carry over onto the palate.

There is no oak influence, so I would assume this to be a wine fermented in stainless steel.  The taste is a bit tart, but very clean and refreshing.  Citrus notes mix with the minerals and produce a satisfying flavor profile which is backed up by a nice acidity.  A slight floral sense is present and lingers in the finish.

Destino Blanco may be a trifle hard to find, but if you do find it, snap up some for the summer months ahead.  I found mine at Wine Expo in Santa Monica.   It may become a standard at your place, like it has at mine.

Marques de Caceres Rosado 2007

Temperatures are warming up in Los Angeles - again - this week, and this afternoon's "Sunny and 81" has me in mind of a Spanish rosado I tried a while back, Marques de Caceres.

This Rioja rosado is either a light strawberry color or a darker salmon.  Either way, it makes a beautiful statement in the glass.  13.5% abv, it's a dry rosé made from 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha.  Let's smell it.

Aromas of raspberry dominate the nose for me, but there's a very nice floral layer underneath it.  I wanted to say hibiscus, but I don't know how accurate that is.  I'll just say it's a beautiful fragrance without any further elaboration.

Don't worry about this rosé being too sweet for you.  It's nice and dry.  The strawberry flavor is matched with raspberry notes and the taste lingers quite nicely afterward.  The label suggests the usual pairings (paella, chicken, seafood) and I wouldn't argue with any of those.  However, I had it with a dessert my wife made and the taste was exquisite.  She created a mascarpone-based whip which we put on a cracked pepper and olive oil Triscuit.  The wine really had a good time pairing with that unlikely match.  We were duly impressed. Not to mention a bit surprised.

Two Spanish Wines at Luna Park

We met a couple of friends at Luna Park on La Brea recently - great for the food and wine, not so great for conversation - and amid the pounding of the dance floor music I spied an interesting note on their small list of daily "Blue Plate Specials."  Two Spanish wines - unidentified red and white -  for $6 per glass.  That seemed too special to let it pass by, so I had one of each.

The Spanish Quarter is the producer of the white.  It's a delightful blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Albariño from the Costers del Segre region in Catalonia.  The Albariño, I expect in a Spanish wine, but the Chardonnay is a surprise.

The wine is a rich golden color in the glass, but the deeply chilled wine bears a nose that is a bit closed.  That disappoints me, as I love the wonderfully aromatic aromas of Albariño.  The taste is laden with minerals, with a clean and crisp edge to the tart peachiness.  It's quite a nice white, with a good acidity to lift it above the level of a mere sipper.  It paired nicely with veggie risotto.

The red wine is a Syrah - they call this "Shiraz" - from Opera Prima, a winery located in La Mancha.  There's a lot of blackberry on the nose along with the scent of meat.  It's quite an earthy aroma.  On the palate, Opera Prima also shows an earthy, beefy edge to the fruit with peppery notes.  It drinks like a much more expensive wine.  I'll keep them in mind.  As for the picture, I'm sorry I neglected to take a photo before consuming the wine.  As you can see, I enjoyed it.

The kicker is that Luna Park had a special of half off the entire bill that night!  So these two $6 wines actually only cost $3 each.  I love a good wine bargain, and I got two of them on this trip.  It eased the headache produced by the loud music in the restaurant.

San Luis Canyon Chardonnay

The San Luis Canyon Chardonnay was pitched to me as a second label from a fairly well-known winery in California's Central Coast region.  I could not confirm that, so I'll skip past it and get on to the wine.

The nose of this non-vintage wine is very aromatic, and the wood is the most noticeable component.  It's not a very fruity aroma, in fact this is what I would call a big, buttery Chardonnay.  If that's your thing, you'll be alright with this wine.  If it's not, the taste will linger in your mouth all night as an ugly reminder of it.  And I do mean linger.  The finish on this wine is amazingly long, but that won't be a good thing if you didn't like it to begin with.

On the palate, there is some fruit.  It's big with pears, and a butterscotch flavor that dominates even that.  As I said, if you are a fan of the big California Chardonnay, this is it.  If you prefer minerals with your white wine, you will be disappointed.  Fortunately, I like variety.  So a big California Chardonnay happened to be right up my alley this night.  Tomorrow, I'll probably want to go the other way.

Santa Barbara Winery ZCS 2008

ZCS - the letters stand for the blend, Zinfandel, Carignane and Sangiovese.  60% Z, 24% C and 16% S, it's an obscure blend, to be sure.  I like 'em that way.  The Zinfandel comes from 50-year-old vines and all the fruit comes from Lodi.

Santa Barbara Winery's ZCS is a very aromatic wine, with full black cherry coming across strongly on the nose.  The jammy Zinfandel is offset by the Carignane's depth.  The taste is quite rich and dark.

Upon opening, the acidity was a bit high for me. It felt almost carbonated in my mouth.  A full hour later it still felt a bit grippy.  You should allow plenty of air to get to it before pouring.

The second night I drank it, it had settled down considerably to a smooth drink.  An earthy, brambly taste had also come over it, which I found terribly enticing.

Winemaker:  Bruce McGuire
Variety:  Zinfandel, Carignane, Sangiovese
Appelation:  Lodi
Vintage:  2008
Vineyard:  Wild Rose Vineyard
Alcohol level:
Price:  $13
Acquisition Disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

Cambiata Monterey Albariño

Cambiata Winery is located in "cool, coastal Monterey" and has a penchant for growing and producing wine from grapes which are largely unheralded in the U.S.  

Cambiata offers an Albariño and a Tannat, a couple of offbeat choices which I happen to like quite a bit.  Under another flag, Ludwig Winery, winemaker Eric Laumann produces Gewurztraminer and Dornfelder.

He explains on the Ludwig site how 26 years of making bulk Cardonnay drove him to make wines of which only he had to approve.  You go, Eric.  Let your freak flag fly!

A warm afternoon visit to the Helms Bakery location of My Father's Office - may I just say, if you are going to serve french fries, serve ketchup too - prompted a little chiller.

The nose of the Cambiata Albariño was richly delicious - all pineapple, pears and honeysuckle.  It seemed to lack acidity while drinking it, but long afterward my mouth told me I had been wrong.  The taste really stayed with me a while.  The palate was floral with lime zest and good minerals. It's a very nice sipper when chilled a bit.

Winemaker:  Eric Laumann
Variety:  100% Albariño
Appellation:  California > Monterey

Vintage:  2008

Alcohol Level:  13.5% abv
Price:  $9/glass
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

Talus Collection Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

I will nearly always part with a few dollars for the opportunity to try a Lodi wine.  I found the Talus Collection Lodi Cab at BevMo's five cent sale.  Two bottles of this nice juice for less than $10 is a pretty good deal, since I like the wine.

The nose consists of dark fruit - blackberries and plums - with licorice and some pencil shavings meeting a trace of barnyard notes.

Very soft tannins are a surprise at the price point. It's really smooth, even just after opening and pouring. A little more grip might be nice for heavy beef, but I think Talus would do nicely paired with pasta or pork.  The mild approach certainly served well for sipping.  Graphite rides herd over the juicy fruit.  Blackberrries and plums are the palate, too, with herbal notes throughout the four-day span of the bottle.

Appellation:  California > San Joaquin Valley > Lodi
Vintage:  2008
Alcohol Level:  13% abv
Price:  $9
Acquisition disclaimer:   Purchased by the author at a store sale

Summerland Syrah Paso Robles

Just a quickie here about the Summerland Syrah I had at Baby Blues BBQ
in West Hollywood.

It's a jammy, blueberry-laden wine with notes of black pepper. Very
smooth, and it went just fine with pulled pork and a smoked link.

Summerland is a Central Coast winery just east of Santa Barbara, but
these grapes were sourced further north in Paso Robles.

Oreana Malbec Rose 2007

I've been trying to prepare myself for warmer weather in Los Angeles, even as it has already begun.  I have been flipping through some of my tasting notes on rosé wines I have had in the past which impressed me.

I ran across my thoughts on the Oreana Winery Malbec Rosé I tasted a few years ago at their garage-cum-winery.  I like an institution to pay tribute to its heritage.  From their website:  "The name Oreana comes from the grand ranching days of California's Central Coast.  Oreana is a term used by cattle ranchers for an unbranded calf that strays onto your property and is therefore yours to keep.  Think of it as a found treasure or the renegade spirit of this beautiful region and the wines we produce here."  What a nice tip of the hat!

Here are my thoughts on a wine I do not believe is available anymore, but one I liked quite a bit on my visit.

"13%...Central Coast, Santa Barbara. Pig on label?

"'Take care while pouring not to disturb the flavor buddies' - that advice jumps out from the label with a picture of a pig on it.  Flavor buddies are the tartaric sediment in the bottle which they say is an antioxidant, so bring 'em on.

"A pig?  Maybe that's there because Malbec was once considered the bastard cousin of the more noble Bordeaux varietals.  Maybe they just like a touch of barnyard on their wine.

"The wine is a beautiful color - not pale at all, but see-through cherry red.  The nose reminds me of a childhood memory, perhaps mayhaw berries we would collect roadside for a wonderful jelly.  The flavor is quite full and fruity - you might call it juicy.  There was a bit too much heat on the tongue - I found that to be odd - and it tingled a bit too much for my taste.  It would probably be food friendly, I'd say with a chopped New York salad or antipasti.  Maybe I'd try it with with salmon, chicken or pork.

"Quoting again: 'Limited batch made each year in the traditional French method of "bleeding-off" the early juice and fermenting in stainless steel tanks. The result is a lucious, dry fruit-packed explosion.'"

Ecker Gruner Veltliner 2007

Hailed as "the next great white wine" for several years now, with the drumbeats really rolling lately, Gruner Veltliner certainly brings a lot to the table.

Some are getting so chummy with the variety they have taken to referring to it as "Gru-Vee."  I tried that at the Veranda Room at Casa del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica  recently and felt rather foolish when the waitress registered a complete blank.  I quickly recovered, ordered "the Ecker Gruner" and got the evening back on track.

The wine is widely regarded as one of the better "cheap wines."  $10 per glass is pretty cheap at the Veranda Room, and I would imagine a bottle of the stuff goes for less than that.

I liked the stoney minerality right away, but also enjoyed a floral quality on the nose and palate that complemented rather than competed with the tartness.  A nice acidity told me this Gruner won't be satisfied relegated to the porch or patio all summer.  It will want to be up on the table, if not for dinner, at least for lunch.

Variety:  Gruner Veltliner
Appellation:  Austria > Donauland 
Vintage:  2007
Alcohol Level:  12% abv
Price:  $10/glass
Acquisition disclaimer: Purchased by the author, by the glass

Kalyra Black Muscat 2005

There are certain places in the wine world to which I seem drawn back over and over.  The Santa Ynez Valley is one of those places.  Its rolling terrain, sprawling vineyards and bounteous farm land beckon me each time good fortune takes me there.  Denise and I have stopped so many times at fruit stands there for unbelievably delicious strawberries and blueberries.  We've even stopped at a winery or two.  Insert smiling emoticon here.

Kalyra Winery is one of those places in the Santa Ynez Valley from which I can't seem to stay away.  They offer a full line of wines, but I am very partial to their dessert wines. Kalyra's 375ml bottle is adorned by label art which I think of as Australian Surfer Hieroglyphics. The surf motif is in full effect at their winery tasting room in the Santa Ynez Valley as well as at their more recently opened tasting room on Santa Barbara's Urban Wine Trail.

The Kalyra Black Muscat looks rather like a rosé when in the glass. The nose is aromatic and rich. There are notes of licorice candy and candied fruit flavors in there too. The wine tastes somewhat like a port, maybe a young one. It's a very nice and sweet berry flavor that makes a fine dessert on its own, or drizzled over ice cream. It could accompany an aged cheese fairly well, too. It's not as strong as a "real" port, but at 15% abv, it's not weak, either.

Winemaker:  Mike Brown
Variety:  Muscat
Appellation:  California > Central Coast > Santa Ynez Valley
Vintage:  2005 
Alcohol Level:  15%
Price: $15
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author at the winery

Vallons des Glauges Rosé 2008

Salads can be one of the most boring food items on a restaurant menu.  But sometimes you find a place that makes them right.  Denise and I favor salads, but even as a fan of the leafy dish, sometimes they can be too, well, leafy.

We have found a place that does salads right.  Salades de Provence  makes salads that have eggplant and zucchini in them.  Their salads have haricots verts in them.  I know that's only French for green beans, but don't they taste better when they call them that?  Bacon's in there, Saint Marcelin cheese, smoked salmon and fresh fried potatoes!  Fresh fried potatoes!  How can you go wrong with a salad which has fresh fried potatoes in it?

They also do quiche, but there's no need to make a list of what's in them.  It's hard to screw up a quiche.  They even have a "quiche of the day."

They also have plenty of French wine which all seems to go great with their food.  Most of the offerings are not special, high-dollar wines, but everyday offerings of, mainly, Provence.

I had a quiche, with a side salad, and a wine that seemed to have been made for the occasion.  Vallons des Glauges rosé went hand in hand with my dinner, as all the other wines I've had here have gone with those light dinners.

The rosé had a tight nose - it was quite chilled - but a light fruitiness came through, peaches, or some such sweetness.  The taste, though, was dry and flavorful.  It was great with my quiche.    

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Counoise 
Appellation: France > Provence > Coteaux d’Aix en Provence
Vintage: 2008 
Acquisition disclaimer: Bought, by the glass, by the author