Yesterday was Vancouver, today was Victoria. I love both cities and we had cooperative weather as well. If in Vancouver and one is truly interested in Food, a trip to Granville Market is a must. The produce from the Okenagan Valley is really beautiful. We also saw some extremely great produce at the Victoria Farmer's Market as well.
But what really was interesting were the wines of the Okenagan Valley. Last night after dinner and the show, Jessica and I took a taxi to the UVA Wine Bar on Seymour Street in Downtown Vancouver. It's downtown, but at least a 20 minute walk from the pier. Add into the navigation of the rabbit warren that makes up Canada Place and you need to figure in at least 40 minutes to get back to the ship. Take a taxi, it's easier.
But I digress, back to UVA. In 2005, we could not find any local wines anywhere we looked. Not the case this time through. At UVA, the manager (I did not get his name) gave us a brief guided tour through several of the wines. Generally speaking, the whites were far superior to the reds. The first wine I tasted was a Laughing Stock 2010 Pinot Gris. The nose had citrus, honey and pear. As the wine warmed I found some surprising notes of toast and vanilla, this wine had some new oak! On the pallat there was refreshing acidity, notes of grapefruit pith, a rich mid pallet and a creamy long finish. I really liked this wine.
Next was a Rollingdale Pinot Noir. Very up front cherry nose, with a slight touch of smoke. However that smoke was not present on the pallet at all. There was nice acidity, but a hollow mid pallet. Some tannins and a mid minus finish. OK wine, but I would not purchase it.
The 2010 Desert Hills Gamay had a really funky nose. As this wine did not go through the traditional carbonic fermentation, it did not have the trademark gamay grapiness. I would pass on this one as well.
We finished our tour of the Okenagan wines with the Desert Hills Cactus Red, a Bordeaux blend. It had a dusty nose with hints of olives, green peppers and cassis. There was dark fruit on the pallet, but hardly any tannins. It was obvious that this wine did not see any new oak. It would have been much better if it did.
The final wine of the night was not from Canada, but from Sardinia, and it was a knock out. Montessu Winery is owned by the same parent company that makes the legendary Sassicaia from Tuscany. This Sardinia Sassicaia (that's what is on the bottle) has the same blend and winemaker only from Sardinia, not Tuscany. The nose had pine smoke, dark fruit, black cherry, some jolly ranchers snacks. The pallet had some surprising acidity with a richness and full body that had smooth tannins and a very long finish. It was spectacular!
Today, in Victoria, we visited the Mission Hills Winery Tasting Room. Most of the wines were totally dismissible. However, the Riesling Ice Wine was definitely world class. Uncious and rich with essence of melons and honey and a bright acidity under the tongue, I'd put this wine against almost any sweet wine from anywhere. It was that good.
My final feeling is that while the Okenagan wines are nice and interesting, they are really in their infancy. My gut tells me that they have not yet figured out what grows where, kind of like where California was 35 years ago. However, as the Mission Hills Ice Wine shows, they are capable of producing a world class wine. Let's see where they are in 5 years, about the time for me to go back to Alaska again.
Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
You Can Always Tell When There's a European Chef Behind a Dish
Yesterday was Neptune's Dinner, a dinner that features various seafood dishes. I found one that was particularly interesting for all the wrong reasons, and a rare slip up for a Crystal kitchen. In culinary school we had a saying that French Cuisine can be summed up in one sentence; Saute a hunk of protein, deglaze the pan and finish with butter or cream. Of course, the cuisine is more than that, but probably 75% of the dishes are a variation of that formula. I have worked for several European chefs, and all of them had a hard time incorporating ethnic trends into their cooking.
This was not the case with American chefs. We have been eating cuisines from around the world since we were kids. By the time I really got serious about cooking, I was on familiar terms with Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Med-Eastern and Japanese food. Stretching my cooking to incorporate these cuisines was not a hard stretch of my imagination. European trained chefs start at 16 working in kitchens, and may not experience these foods until well after they've learned their culinary chops.
Last night's dinner showed what can happen when a European chef gets loose and tries Asian fusion. We had a wonder Ahi tuna fillet, served with bok choy and Basmati rice. So far so good, but where does red onion confit fit into this flavor pattern, or for that matter green apple vinaigrette. The sweetness of these accompaniments did not work, and only could come out of a European tradition. Teriyaki glazed something, roasted veggies, even grilled veggies with a soy marinade would have worked. To me, it was a bad conception, however, I was the only one who noticed this. By the way, the tuna was great and cooked to perfection. We enjoyed an August Kessler Riesling from the Rheingau that was spectacular.
Well, tonight is another night. I forgive Crystal for the Red Onion Confit, which by itself was very nice, just not put on the right dish.
Tomorrow, Victoria and then melancholy as we head home. Thanks for reading.
This was not the case with American chefs. We have been eating cuisines from around the world since we were kids. By the time I really got serious about cooking, I was on familiar terms with Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Med-Eastern and Japanese food. Stretching my cooking to incorporate these cuisines was not a hard stretch of my imagination. European trained chefs start at 16 working in kitchens, and may not experience these foods until well after they've learned their culinary chops.
Last night's dinner showed what can happen when a European chef gets loose and tries Asian fusion. We had a wonder Ahi tuna fillet, served with bok choy and Basmati rice. So far so good, but where does red onion confit fit into this flavor pattern, or for that matter green apple vinaigrette. The sweetness of these accompaniments did not work, and only could come out of a European tradition. Teriyaki glazed something, roasted veggies, even grilled veggies with a soy marinade would have worked. To me, it was a bad conception, however, I was the only one who noticed this. By the way, the tuna was great and cooked to perfection. We enjoyed an August Kessler Riesling from the Rheingau that was spectacular.
Well, tonight is another night. I forgive Crystal for the Red Onion Confit, which by itself was very nice, just not put on the right dish.
Tomorrow, Victoria and then melancholy as we head home. Thanks for reading.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Prego, Now That's Italian 2
On all our past cruises, we have had dinner only 1 time in each specialty restaurant. As we received and invitation from our Travel Agent to join him and his wife in Prego last night, we were able to have dinner a second time in this wonderful Italian outlet.
This time, I had their signature Mushroom Soup, Beef Carpacio, and a half order of the Lasagna. The soup is sublime. I've made mushroom soups in the past, but have never come close to this one. I will have to google the recipe so I can once again give it a shot. My guess is that they saute a variety of mushrooms, then deglaze them with cognac, cooking this liquid down to a paste, then add mushroom stock. Mushroom stock is made by simmering mushroom stems in vegetable stock for a considerable time. It is the type of thing you can do in a restaurant, but difficult to do at home. The added stock is then reduced, probably by half. At that point reduced cream is added to the brew. My guess is that the cream is reduced with mushroom stems, which are then strained out before it is added to the soup. This soup is then served in a freshly baked focaccia bowl. Heaven on Earth, and the best part is eating the mushroom soup soaked bread at the end of the course.
The Carpacio was also quite good. In short this is an Italian version of beef tartare, except the raw beef is dry cured and aged, then frozen and sliced paper thin before arranging it on a plate. The product is then dressed by the waiter with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and parm. A very nice version indeed.
My main course was the Lasagna, and it was spectacular. They use layers of bechemal, mushrooms, ground beef and tomato sauce all wrapped in house made pasta. One of the best I've ever had!
As we just survived the Vintage Room, I decided to go by the glass on my wine selections. My first glass was a Brunello from Casteli Banfi. Very nice, aromas of berries, nice balance tannins and a delicious acidity that went well with the soup and the carpacio.
My second glass was a Chianti Classico Riserva from the same producer who makes Tiganello. This was a fantastic, food friendly wine, It was funny, but I had three different wines at Prego, all sangiovese based, all very different, all very good to great.
Dessert was simple, more cannolis, and these were the best I've had since Venerio's on First Ave in NYC. I could probably eaten a plate of them for dinner.
Tonight, it's back to the dining room. Oh well, foie gras and caviar instead. Tough choices, but someone has to make them.
I ask forgiveness for my spelling and gramatical errors. These will get better when I get back to land and have the time to really work on them. Thanks for reading.
This time, I had their signature Mushroom Soup, Beef Carpacio, and a half order of the Lasagna. The soup is sublime. I've made mushroom soups in the past, but have never come close to this one. I will have to google the recipe so I can once again give it a shot. My guess is that they saute a variety of mushrooms, then deglaze them with cognac, cooking this liquid down to a paste, then add mushroom stock. Mushroom stock is made by simmering mushroom stems in vegetable stock for a considerable time. It is the type of thing you can do in a restaurant, but difficult to do at home. The added stock is then reduced, probably by half. At that point reduced cream is added to the brew. My guess is that the cream is reduced with mushroom stems, which are then strained out before it is added to the soup. This soup is then served in a freshly baked focaccia bowl. Heaven on Earth, and the best part is eating the mushroom soup soaked bread at the end of the course.
The Carpacio was also quite good. In short this is an Italian version of beef tartare, except the raw beef is dry cured and aged, then frozen and sliced paper thin before arranging it on a plate. The product is then dressed by the waiter with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and parm. A very nice version indeed.
My main course was the Lasagna, and it was spectacular. They use layers of bechemal, mushrooms, ground beef and tomato sauce all wrapped in house made pasta. One of the best I've ever had!
As we just survived the Vintage Room, I decided to go by the glass on my wine selections. My first glass was a Brunello from Casteli Banfi. Very nice, aromas of berries, nice balance tannins and a delicious acidity that went well with the soup and the carpacio.
My second glass was a Chianti Classico Riserva from the same producer who makes Tiganello. This was a fantastic, food friendly wine, It was funny, but I had three different wines at Prego, all sangiovese based, all very different, all very good to great.
Dessert was simple, more cannolis, and these were the best I've had since Venerio's on First Ave in NYC. I could probably eaten a plate of them for dinner.
Tonight, it's back to the dining room. Oh well, foie gras and caviar instead. Tough choices, but someone has to make them.
I ask forgiveness for my spelling and gramatical errors. These will get better when I get back to land and have the time to really work on them. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
A Truly Vintage Day!
What can I say, the Vintage Room on Symphony is an experience every wine and food enthusiast should be able to experience. 8 Courses matched with 8 great wines.
But before I deal with that, a word about Silk Road, Symphony's Asian Fusion restaurant. I only have four words, Miso Marinated Black Cod. It is one of the best dishes I have ever had, at land or at sea. Black cod is really sable fish, and for those of you who are from the NYC area, it is a staple smoked fish that is enjoyed on a bagel with cream cheese. Here it was marinated in miso and mirin wine and the quickly grilled on high heat which creates a carmalization of the skin and fish that is oh so good. If you google the recipe, please be aware that cod is not as good as sable fish.
Back to our amazing day today. We started with a walking tour of Haines, the town that Northern Exposure's Cicily is based on. In fact, we ate lunch in a restaurant called the Bamboo Lounge which could have been the prototype for the Brick. The Halibut Fish and Chips were probably the best fish and chips I've ever had anywhere, including England. Fresh halibut with a delicate beer batter is expertly fried to an exquisite crispness that can't be beat. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I don't know the next time I will be in Haines.
After getting back on board we were invited to attend a reception in the Captain's quarters. You can't say no to beluga caviar and Mumm's Champagne!
Which brings me to the Vintage Room. This room holds only 12 diners and serves a wine and food pairing based dinner. We were greeted with Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne. I've had their rose on several occasions, but truly enjoyed this wine. It was slightly off dry, with crisp acidity.
We then sat down to a Georg Breuer Riesling Nonnenberg from the Rheingau. This is a single vineyard non-predikat wine that was slightly off dry with pink grapefruit, great minerality, and a hint of petrol on the nose. On the palate the fruit comes to the front with a great acidic finish. A truly wonderful wine. It was served with Mini Cannelloni filled with King Crab meat. Great pairing, the acidity matched the richness of the crab.
Next was a Caners Chardonnay from Shafer Vineyards. What can I say, buttery, toast, caramel, creme brule and butterscotch on the nose with some nice apples and pears on the pallet. It was paired with Lobster Thermador served on a spinach puree. It was magical.
We then moved on to the most interesting wine of the night, Passopisciaro, Andrea Franchetti from Sicily. What can I say, it had a color between a Nebbiola and a pinot noir, with great acidity, red fruit and the slight aroma of balsamic vinegar that marks most Italian reds. Matched with a Pink roasted duck breast served with pumpkin gnocchi and dried cranberries, the fruit of the wine was a great match with the fruitiness of the duck.
Our main course was a delightful Gorgonzola crusted filet Mignon. The wine was wonderful, a 2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte from Graves. As I am not the greatest fan of Bordeaux as I have a new world pallet, this wine was spectacular. A very vegetal nose with hints of olives, broccoli, pine and eucalyptus, the dark fruit snuck up on you on as you drank it. The tannins were long and smooth and the finish bound up with the richness of the meat creating a combination that was truly memorable.
We had a cheese strudel with the Kracher TBA. Suffice to say the wine was as great as it was in previous encounters, and the strudel was just delicious.
Next was a 1994 Vintage Port from Dow's served with a trio of chocolate desserts. Port and chocolate, not match there... just kidding. I loved it.
A great evening, and tomorrow is a return engagement with Prego. Too much good stuff!
But before I deal with that, a word about Silk Road, Symphony's Asian Fusion restaurant. I only have four words, Miso Marinated Black Cod. It is one of the best dishes I have ever had, at land or at sea. Black cod is really sable fish, and for those of you who are from the NYC area, it is a staple smoked fish that is enjoyed on a bagel with cream cheese. Here it was marinated in miso and mirin wine and the quickly grilled on high heat which creates a carmalization of the skin and fish that is oh so good. If you google the recipe, please be aware that cod is not as good as sable fish.
Back to our amazing day today. We started with a walking tour of Haines, the town that Northern Exposure's Cicily is based on. In fact, we ate lunch in a restaurant called the Bamboo Lounge which could have been the prototype for the Brick. The Halibut Fish and Chips were probably the best fish and chips I've ever had anywhere, including England. Fresh halibut with a delicate beer batter is expertly fried to an exquisite crispness that can't be beat. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I don't know the next time I will be in Haines.
After getting back on board we were invited to attend a reception in the Captain's quarters. You can't say no to beluga caviar and Mumm's Champagne!
Which brings me to the Vintage Room. This room holds only 12 diners and serves a wine and food pairing based dinner. We were greeted with Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne. I've had their rose on several occasions, but truly enjoyed this wine. It was slightly off dry, with crisp acidity.
We then sat down to a Georg Breuer Riesling Nonnenberg from the Rheingau. This is a single vineyard non-predikat wine that was slightly off dry with pink grapefruit, great minerality, and a hint of petrol on the nose. On the palate the fruit comes to the front with a great acidic finish. A truly wonderful wine. It was served with Mini Cannelloni filled with King Crab meat. Great pairing, the acidity matched the richness of the crab.
Next was a Caners Chardonnay from Shafer Vineyards. What can I say, buttery, toast, caramel, creme brule and butterscotch on the nose with some nice apples and pears on the pallet. It was paired with Lobster Thermador served on a spinach puree. It was magical.
We then moved on to the most interesting wine of the night, Passopisciaro, Andrea Franchetti from Sicily. What can I say, it had a color between a Nebbiola and a pinot noir, with great acidity, red fruit and the slight aroma of balsamic vinegar that marks most Italian reds. Matched with a Pink roasted duck breast served with pumpkin gnocchi and dried cranberries, the fruit of the wine was a great match with the fruitiness of the duck.
Our main course was a delightful Gorgonzola crusted filet Mignon. The wine was wonderful, a 2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte from Graves. As I am not the greatest fan of Bordeaux as I have a new world pallet, this wine was spectacular. A very vegetal nose with hints of olives, broccoli, pine and eucalyptus, the dark fruit snuck up on you on as you drank it. The tannins were long and smooth and the finish bound up with the richness of the meat creating a combination that was truly memorable.
We had a cheese strudel with the Kracher TBA. Suffice to say the wine was as great as it was in previous encounters, and the strudel was just delicious.
Next was a 1994 Vintage Port from Dow's served with a trio of chocolate desserts. Port and chocolate, not match there... just kidding. I loved it.
A great evening, and tomorrow is a return engagement with Prego. Too much good stuff!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Swimming Through Juneau
It was hard to believe that yesterday was July 24, with how much it rained, I could have sworn it was January 24 and I was in Northern CA. But, being on vacation we got out and slogged our way through Juneau to the Mendenhall Glacier and then took the tram up to the top of Mt. Roberts.
However, the real treat of the day was Tracy's King Crab Shack. This hole in the wall is literally a trailer with some tented seating, and it was packed. We shared a small order of their superior Crab Bisque and then dug into a bucket of King Crab Legs. They were perfectly cooked and served with a delicious Cole slaw and garlic rolls. Yum, yum.
At dinner, Jessica and I shared a bottle of Roederer L'ermitage Brut Rose with our table that we brought with us from home. It is one of my favorite sparkling wines and we both had something called a Crab and Ahi Tuna Sandwich on Pineapple Carpacio. This dish turned out to be a two slices of tuna surrounding a king crab salad with the whole assembly perched on top of a micro thin slice of pineapple. Great stuff and it went extraordinarily well with the sparkling wine.
It was also Bananas Foster night, and Crystal does not know the meaning of small dessert portions. I asked for a half order and it only seemed slightly smaller than our dining companions full orders. I found it in me to eat the whole thing. To be perfectly honest, it was good, but I've had better, namely my own version when I've made it. Just a really small quibble.
Tonight is the cutting edge fusion cuisine of Nobu Masashita (please forgive my spelling) at Silk Road. Our last encounter was truly memorable. All you have to know there is Miso Marinated Black Cod. And by the way, Black Cod is not cod, it is sable fish. I learned that yesterday at the Alaskan Chef's Table Excursion.
Tuesday is the Vintage Room and Wednesday finds us back at Prego. And last night we had a really big surprise waiting for us in our cabin, an invitation to cocktails with the Captain in his quarters. First we are at an officer's hosted table, next an invitation from the Captain, we must really be moving up in the Crystal universe.
Thanks for reading.
However, the real treat of the day was Tracy's King Crab Shack. This hole in the wall is literally a trailer with some tented seating, and it was packed. We shared a small order of their superior Crab Bisque and then dug into a bucket of King Crab Legs. They were perfectly cooked and served with a delicious Cole slaw and garlic rolls. Yum, yum.
At dinner, Jessica and I shared a bottle of Roederer L'ermitage Brut Rose with our table that we brought with us from home. It is one of my favorite sparkling wines and we both had something called a Crab and Ahi Tuna Sandwich on Pineapple Carpacio. This dish turned out to be a two slices of tuna surrounding a king crab salad with the whole assembly perched on top of a micro thin slice of pineapple. Great stuff and it went extraordinarily well with the sparkling wine.
It was also Bananas Foster night, and Crystal does not know the meaning of small dessert portions. I asked for a half order and it only seemed slightly smaller than our dining companions full orders. I found it in me to eat the whole thing. To be perfectly honest, it was good, but I've had better, namely my own version when I've made it. Just a really small quibble.
Tonight is the cutting edge fusion cuisine of Nobu Masashita (please forgive my spelling) at Silk Road. Our last encounter was truly memorable. All you have to know there is Miso Marinated Black Cod. And by the way, Black Cod is not cod, it is sable fish. I learned that yesterday at the Alaskan Chef's Table Excursion.
Tuesday is the Vintage Room and Wednesday finds us back at Prego. And last night we had a really big surprise waiting for us in our cabin, an invitation to cocktails with the Captain in his quarters. First we are at an officer's hosted table, next an invitation from the Captain, we must really be moving up in the Crystal universe.
Thanks for reading.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Prego, Now That's Italian
One of the true joys of traveling on the Symphony are the alternative dining areas. Friday we had the Asian Pool Buffet and then we dined at Prego for dinner.
A few quick thoughts on the buffet. The food, like the roast duck and the braised pork belly, was dynamite. I preferred the old set up with service stations around the pool. However, as a hospitality professional, I understand why Crystal moved the buffet inside. The food is served in smaller batches, resulting in hotter food that is refreshed at a much quicker pace. Things change.
Now to Prego. While this is not cutting edge Italian food, it is about the most competently and best prepared examples of the cuisine that you find almost anywhere. In fact, it is better than almost any Italian restaurant that I've eaten in outside of NYC. We started simply with an absolutely great Caesar salad. Lots of garlic, anchovies and acid. Garnished with a long, house made crouton, this was what a Caesar should be all about.
Moving to our next course, Jessica had the house signature Mushroom Soup in a Foccacia bowl and I had the Spaghetti Pescatore. The pasta had a wonderful array of seafood in a zippy tomato based sauce. The Mushroom Soup was an example of where change can be a good thing, as they cut the portion down by about half. The after having this dish the last time, I was so filled up I could barely eat anything else, and it was an appetizer! By cutting the portion size down you had a few ounces of soup, a little bread and on to the next course.
My Veal Parmigiana was the best version I have ever had of this dish. The veal was lightly breaded and quickly sauteed, then finished with a delightful marinara sauce and melted cheese. Served over an airy cappelini pasta, all the nuances of the sauce and the veal were preserved and allowed to show for themselves.
Jessica had the Gnocchi over Pumpkin Puree. This was also spectacular. Finished with a quatro formagio sauce, they were quickly browned under a salamander, a type of oven used in commercial kitchens to finish foods. The gnocchi were light and fluffy and quite delicious.
Dessert was the sampler of Panna Cotta (very light and airy), Tiramasu (well done in a chocolate cup) and about the best cannoli I've had since Venerio's on First Avenue in NYC. A crispy, cookie like cup filled with ricotta based cream. It was like I died and went to heaven.
Which is what I did while drinking our wine. Since taking the wines of Italy during my wine immersion program, I've been waiting for an excuse to have Tiganello again. Prego was the excuse. Aromas of cocoa, leather, dark fruit with exotic spices that had a texture of pure velvet going down. There was excellent structure on the pallet with great acidity and smooth tannins. The finish went from here right back to San Francisco. It truly is one of the great red wines of the world.
Some quick notes on other venues. We went on an Alaskan Chef's Table excursion yesterday, and it was quite fun. Some of the dishes were very good, some ok, but the company that hosted the event were very nice and I recommend this excursion to anyone.
Last night's dining room dinner. I started with another great Caesar salad, then had an exquisite Quail Consume with a single feathery quennelle. It was outstanding. My main course was a half order of the Roast Capon, which was well prepared and served with some excellent sour kraut. I have learned a lesson this week, half orders are a good thing, something that I will be doing with greater frequency!
Tomorrow is Silk Road, and that is the cutting edge cuisine of Nobu Masushita (I hope I spelled that one correctly). Tuesday is the Vintage Room and Wednesday finds us back in Prego as guests of our travel agent. And now its up to the gym for my daily work out!
A few quick thoughts on the buffet. The food, like the roast duck and the braised pork belly, was dynamite. I preferred the old set up with service stations around the pool. However, as a hospitality professional, I understand why Crystal moved the buffet inside. The food is served in smaller batches, resulting in hotter food that is refreshed at a much quicker pace. Things change.
Now to Prego. While this is not cutting edge Italian food, it is about the most competently and best prepared examples of the cuisine that you find almost anywhere. In fact, it is better than almost any Italian restaurant that I've eaten in outside of NYC. We started simply with an absolutely great Caesar salad. Lots of garlic, anchovies and acid. Garnished with a long, house made crouton, this was what a Caesar should be all about.
Moving to our next course, Jessica had the house signature Mushroom Soup in a Foccacia bowl and I had the Spaghetti Pescatore. The pasta had a wonderful array of seafood in a zippy tomato based sauce. The Mushroom Soup was an example of where change can be a good thing, as they cut the portion down by about half. The after having this dish the last time, I was so filled up I could barely eat anything else, and it was an appetizer! By cutting the portion size down you had a few ounces of soup, a little bread and on to the next course.
My Veal Parmigiana was the best version I have ever had of this dish. The veal was lightly breaded and quickly sauteed, then finished with a delightful marinara sauce and melted cheese. Served over an airy cappelini pasta, all the nuances of the sauce and the veal were preserved and allowed to show for themselves.
Jessica had the Gnocchi over Pumpkin Puree. This was also spectacular. Finished with a quatro formagio sauce, they were quickly browned under a salamander, a type of oven used in commercial kitchens to finish foods. The gnocchi were light and fluffy and quite delicious.
Dessert was the sampler of Panna Cotta (very light and airy), Tiramasu (well done in a chocolate cup) and about the best cannoli I've had since Venerio's on First Avenue in NYC. A crispy, cookie like cup filled with ricotta based cream. It was like I died and went to heaven.
Which is what I did while drinking our wine. Since taking the wines of Italy during my wine immersion program, I've been waiting for an excuse to have Tiganello again. Prego was the excuse. Aromas of cocoa, leather, dark fruit with exotic spices that had a texture of pure velvet going down. There was excellent structure on the pallet with great acidity and smooth tannins. The finish went from here right back to San Francisco. It truly is one of the great red wines of the world.
Some quick notes on other venues. We went on an Alaskan Chef's Table excursion yesterday, and it was quite fun. Some of the dishes were very good, some ok, but the company that hosted the event were very nice and I recommend this excursion to anyone.
Last night's dining room dinner. I started with another great Caesar salad, then had an exquisite Quail Consume with a single feathery quennelle. It was outstanding. My main course was a half order of the Roast Capon, which was well prepared and served with some excellent sour kraut. I have learned a lesson this week, half orders are a good thing, something that I will be doing with greater frequency!
Tomorrow is Silk Road, and that is the cutting edge cuisine of Nobu Masushita (I hope I spelled that one correctly). Tuesday is the Vintage Room and Wednesday finds us back in Prego as guests of our travel agent. And now its up to the gym for my daily work out!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Symphony's Sommelier
Upon getting back to our stateroom, there was an urgent message to get in touch with the Head Sommelier about our Vintage Room reservation. Let me first explain, the Vintage Room is a multi course wine and food pairing extravaganza featuring rare wines and food specifically created to match those wines. Indeed this was an urgent message. I also enjoyed having an excuse to sit down and meet the Head Sommelier.
As it turned out, I totally enjoyed having the opportunity to meet Brigitta Fureder and spend several minutes discussing what she does aboard the Symphony. Currently stocking between 30,000 and 50,000 bottles, they are kept in a temperature controlled room below decks. According to Brigitta, the room is so crowded, only the smallest of her staff can get to some of the cases.
As I already suspected, the selection of wines is brand driven, they cannot afford to schlep wines around the world that will not move. So we can forget about finding great Rieslings from the NY's Finger Lakes Region or Italian varietals from Amador County. With that being said, the selection is truly amazing. If you can afford it, there are verticals from all the First Growth Bordeaux, as well as from most of the the DRC estates of Burgundy. In addition, all the cult wines of California are on the list.
But there are plenty of delicious, and well priced selections in the $50-$100 range. Yesterdays Dr. Loosens Riesling was an example. Others are Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay as well as many US pinot noirs and some very nice Zinfandels.
Did I mention the by the glass program, it is stunning. The above mentioned Beringer is on it, as well as the Dr. Loosens, several pinot noirs, Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet, and the Kracher TBA that I had yesterday. Also found on the dessert by the glass selection are six 10 & 20 year old Tawny Ports as well as Chateau Rieusac (I'm sure my spelling is way off) by the glass. Again, brand names, and no off the beaten path discoveries.
Finally, I asked Brigitta how she goes about order, and as someone who has dealt with overseas logistics before, I found it very interesting. She orders once every 3 months, and by the container. This has to do with maximizing Crystal's wine spend to make for the best pricing possible. And the pricing to the guest is also quite reasonable.
So what did we have for dinner last night. It was the Captain's welcome dinner, and as a first for us, we were seated at a table hosted by the Assistant Engineering Officer. He was delightful company, and all the wine was his treat. These were the Crystal House Brand Reserve Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Nice wines from the Central Coast of California, nice fruit and toast. Simple and drinkable.
I ordered the caviar, which was out of this world. Not a fishy as some, and with an extremely creamy texture. For dinner I opted for the Quail stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms with a Madeira sauce. Perfectly roasted and perfect with the pinot noir.
Tonight is Prego, and I am looking forward to Tiganello with dinner.
As it turned out, I totally enjoyed having the opportunity to meet Brigitta Fureder and spend several minutes discussing what she does aboard the Symphony. Currently stocking between 30,000 and 50,000 bottles, they are kept in a temperature controlled room below decks. According to Brigitta, the room is so crowded, only the smallest of her staff can get to some of the cases.
As I already suspected, the selection of wines is brand driven, they cannot afford to schlep wines around the world that will not move. So we can forget about finding great Rieslings from the NY's Finger Lakes Region or Italian varietals from Amador County. With that being said, the selection is truly amazing. If you can afford it, there are verticals from all the First Growth Bordeaux, as well as from most of the the DRC estates of Burgundy. In addition, all the cult wines of California are on the list.
But there are plenty of delicious, and well priced selections in the $50-$100 range. Yesterdays Dr. Loosens Riesling was an example. Others are Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay as well as many US pinot noirs and some very nice Zinfandels.
Did I mention the by the glass program, it is stunning. The above mentioned Beringer is on it, as well as the Dr. Loosens, several pinot noirs, Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet, and the Kracher TBA that I had yesterday. Also found on the dessert by the glass selection are six 10 & 20 year old Tawny Ports as well as Chateau Rieusac (I'm sure my spelling is way off) by the glass. Again, brand names, and no off the beaten path discoveries.
Finally, I asked Brigitta how she goes about order, and as someone who has dealt with overseas logistics before, I found it very interesting. She orders once every 3 months, and by the container. This has to do with maximizing Crystal's wine spend to make for the best pricing possible. And the pricing to the guest is also quite reasonable.
So what did we have for dinner last night. It was the Captain's welcome dinner, and as a first for us, we were seated at a table hosted by the Assistant Engineering Officer. He was delightful company, and all the wine was his treat. These were the Crystal House Brand Reserve Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Nice wines from the Central Coast of California, nice fruit and toast. Simple and drinkable.
I ordered the caviar, which was out of this world. Not a fishy as some, and with an extremely creamy texture. For dinner I opted for the Quail stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms with a Madeira sauce. Perfectly roasted and perfect with the pinot noir.
Tonight is Prego, and I am looking forward to Tiganello with dinner.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Crystal Symphony Day 1
Coming back to the Symphony is almost like coming home. It's a great ship, and has a wonderful crew. And what makes the crew's service so wonderful is its attention to the little things that most guest would not notice.
Like how orders are taken in the Main Dining Room. The waitress (in our case) takes orders from female guest oldest to youngest, then gentlemen in the same order. The food is then presented in the same order. This is classic European service at its finest, the way they taught it to us in culinary school. I've never seen it done as well anywhere else, on any continent or sea.
So what was for dinner? As I will be here for 12 days, I really have to pace myself. So my strategy is one drop dead dish at each meal. At lunch, that meant I had the cold seafood plate. Perfectly cooked and seasoned marinated shrimp, tender mussels, and a fantastic Alaskan King Crab salad, all accompanied by a delicious Champagne. I'm sorry, but they were pouring it so quick, I did not catch the producer.
The crab and brie soup that I started dinner with was sublime. An extremely flavorful crab stock swimming with large pieces of crab and thickened with brie, as opposed to the traditional cream. It was brilliant, the astringency of the cheese perfectly offset the sweetness of the crab meat.
Keeping with my strategy, my entree was a simple perfectly broiled rock fish. Accompanied by sauteed spinach and perfectly roasted potatoes. I would not like to be on the prep staff of this kitchen as they must have to turn God knows how many vegetables.
Dinner wines were all Rieslings. Dr. Loosen's Kabinett from Mosel was the white wine with dinner. Great acidity balanced the slight off dry character of the wine. Delicious fruit. With dessert (a fruit plate) we had one of the greatest sweet wine of the world, Kracher TBA Riesling. It was the nectar of the gods. Honey and melons, refined acidity and a finish that just went on forever.
Tonight is the Captain's welcome dinner, and I have no idea what I will have. Tomorrow Prego. I will check back in after Prego.
Like how orders are taken in the Main Dining Room. The waitress (in our case) takes orders from female guest oldest to youngest, then gentlemen in the same order. The food is then presented in the same order. This is classic European service at its finest, the way they taught it to us in culinary school. I've never seen it done as well anywhere else, on any continent or sea.
So what was for dinner? As I will be here for 12 days, I really have to pace myself. So my strategy is one drop dead dish at each meal. At lunch, that meant I had the cold seafood plate. Perfectly cooked and seasoned marinated shrimp, tender mussels, and a fantastic Alaskan King Crab salad, all accompanied by a delicious Champagne. I'm sorry, but they were pouring it so quick, I did not catch the producer.
The crab and brie soup that I started dinner with was sublime. An extremely flavorful crab stock swimming with large pieces of crab and thickened with brie, as opposed to the traditional cream. It was brilliant, the astringency of the cheese perfectly offset the sweetness of the crab meat.
Keeping with my strategy, my entree was a simple perfectly broiled rock fish. Accompanied by sauteed spinach and perfectly roasted potatoes. I would not like to be on the prep staff of this kitchen as they must have to turn God knows how many vegetables.
Dinner wines were all Rieslings. Dr. Loosen's Kabinett from Mosel was the white wine with dinner. Great acidity balanced the slight off dry character of the wine. Delicious fruit. With dessert (a fruit plate) we had one of the greatest sweet wine of the world, Kracher TBA Riesling. It was the nectar of the gods. Honey and melons, refined acidity and a finish that just went on forever.
Tonight is the Captain's welcome dinner, and I have no idea what I will have. Tomorrow Prego. I will check back in after Prego.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Here's To Paso Robles
In my 17 years living out here on the West Coast, I have been through Paso Robles several times Until last Sunday' Grand Tasting, I never had the opportunity to really explore the wines from this region. Outside of zinfandel, some cab based blends and some massive syrah based wines from Cypher Vineyards (previously 4 Vines) I really had no idea what was going on in this area.
Well, it just so happens that a lot is going on, like GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre blends) and many other variations of Rhone Grapes. As Paso is a very warm region, even in the cooler climate of Paso's West Side sub region, you are not getting the sleek wines of Cote Rotie or Hermitage. But you certainly are getting some very interesting wines with non Bordeaux or Burgundy varietals. In fact, there were few chardonnays, few pinot noir, and very few cab blends to be found.
Ancient Peaks, our first step in this Grand Tasting set us up nicely for this adventure. Their Renegade blend of Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot was very interesting. Malbec predominates both the nose and the pallet,but being blended with these other two varietal, the strength and boldness of Malbec toned down, the fruit of the Grenache come up making the wine delicious andvery interesting.
Which brings me to the best white wine that I tasted, a Muscato from Bianchi Winery. Redolent of orange blossoms and kumquats with a spritz of honey added to the mix, this wine was magnificent. Their zin was jammy with lots of toasted wood. Good stuff all around.
Cypher Winery, formerly know as 4 Vines, is known for their off beat blends as well as their single vineyard syrahs and zinfandels. Being game, we bellied up to the bar and we dug right in. All of their wines showed exceptional balance, richness and excellent acidity, which means they will go great with lusty and full bodied foods. I really enjoyed The Peasant a GSM style blend of Grenache, syrah, mouvedre, tannat, counoise. It had a very pretty nose with strawberry, cedar, and smoke that had a tremendously long finish. Also enjoyed their 100% Grenache, and loved the Louis Cypher. The latter is a blend of the traditional Portuguese red varietals. This is a winery to watch.
Justin was one of two wineries having outstanding Cabernet based wines. Isosceles, their Bordeaux style red blend has always been one of my favorites. Dark and dense with hints of green peppers and olives, there was great depth of fruit with smooth tannins leading to a long finish. Justification, their right bank Bordeaux blend (cabernet franc and merlot), had nice dark fruit, scents of pine forest, and was full bodied with a long finish.
L'Aventure is the other winery producing primarily cabernet based wines. Their 07 cab was very nice. It had great fruit, bracing acidity and a very long finish. Their Cote a Cote, a GSM blend, was very nice as well with grenache dominating the wine. The question here is value with each wine is costing over $80 at retail. While he wines were very well made, and really quite delicious, I have questions as to the value they present.
Tablas Creek is another interesting winery. One of the first Paso wineries to plant Southern Rhone varietals, I find their production to be a mixed blessing. Their top GSM blend, Esprit De Beaucastel, was excellent. Great fruit, acidity, smooth tannins and a very long finish. This is a top drawer product and worth seeking out, frequently available at Costco. The rest of the line is mixed. The whites are interesting, but not interesting enough to seek out, the reds are kind of nice, but again, not worth seeking out.
Which brings me to my final winery Peach Canyon, an excellent producer of value priced wines, none priced over $20. I stumbled over this winery 15 years ago when our local market had their Incredible Red on sale. Then it was a non vintage zinfandel based wine is nowvintage dated and still a great value. Great jammy fruit with essence of prunes and berries, great acid and at $11.99 a great value. Their 08 Westside zinfandel was briary, tannic and deep. It needs a year to settle down and should be absolutely fantastic.
Several last thoughts on Paso. First, it is a region that needs to be more fully explored. Second, their Rhone based wines are very interesting, and very different. From a marketing perspective it is brilliant, from a wine drinking perspective it is very exciting. I look forward to traveling back to this region so I can explore it much greater detail.
Tomorrow we're off to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. With specialty restaurants by Nobu and Valentino of Santa Monica, it is a foodie's dream come true. I hope to blog about my meals, and my wines, on board.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment.
Well, it just so happens that a lot is going on, like GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre blends) and many other variations of Rhone Grapes. As Paso is a very warm region, even in the cooler climate of Paso's West Side sub region, you are not getting the sleek wines of Cote Rotie or Hermitage. But you certainly are getting some very interesting wines with non Bordeaux or Burgundy varietals. In fact, there were few chardonnays, few pinot noir, and very few cab blends to be found.
Ancient Peaks, our first step in this Grand Tasting set us up nicely for this adventure. Their Renegade blend of Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot was very interesting. Malbec predominates both the nose and the pallet,but being blended with these other two varietal, the strength and boldness of Malbec toned down, the fruit of the Grenache come up making the wine delicious andvery interesting.
Which brings me to the best white wine that I tasted, a Muscato from Bianchi Winery. Redolent of orange blossoms and kumquats with a spritz of honey added to the mix, this wine was magnificent. Their zin was jammy with lots of toasted wood. Good stuff all around.
Cypher Winery, formerly know as 4 Vines, is known for their off beat blends as well as their single vineyard syrahs and zinfandels. Being game, we bellied up to the bar and we dug right in. All of their wines showed exceptional balance, richness and excellent acidity, which means they will go great with lusty and full bodied foods. I really enjoyed The Peasant a GSM style blend of Grenache, syrah, mouvedre, tannat, counoise. It had a very pretty nose with strawberry, cedar, and smoke that had a tremendously long finish. Also enjoyed their 100% Grenache, and loved the Louis Cypher. The latter is a blend of the traditional Portuguese red varietals. This is a winery to watch.
Justin was one of two wineries having outstanding Cabernet based wines. Isosceles, their Bordeaux style red blend has always been one of my favorites. Dark and dense with hints of green peppers and olives, there was great depth of fruit with smooth tannins leading to a long finish. Justification, their right bank Bordeaux blend (cabernet franc and merlot), had nice dark fruit, scents of pine forest, and was full bodied with a long finish.
L'Aventure is the other winery producing primarily cabernet based wines. Their 07 cab was very nice. It had great fruit, bracing acidity and a very long finish. Their Cote a Cote, a GSM blend, was very nice as well with grenache dominating the wine. The question here is value with each wine is costing over $80 at retail. While he wines were very well made, and really quite delicious, I have questions as to the value they present.
Tablas Creek is another interesting winery. One of the first Paso wineries to plant Southern Rhone varietals, I find their production to be a mixed blessing. Their top GSM blend, Esprit De Beaucastel, was excellent. Great fruit, acidity, smooth tannins and a very long finish. This is a top drawer product and worth seeking out, frequently available at Costco. The rest of the line is mixed. The whites are interesting, but not interesting enough to seek out, the reds are kind of nice, but again, not worth seeking out.
Which brings me to my final winery Peach Canyon, an excellent producer of value priced wines, none priced over $20. I stumbled over this winery 15 years ago when our local market had their Incredible Red on sale. Then it was a non vintage zinfandel based wine is nowvintage dated and still a great value. Great jammy fruit with essence of prunes and berries, great acid and at $11.99 a great value. Their 08 Westside zinfandel was briary, tannic and deep. It needs a year to settle down and should be absolutely fantastic.
Several last thoughts on Paso. First, it is a region that needs to be more fully explored. Second, their Rhone based wines are very interesting, and very different. From a marketing perspective it is brilliant, from a wine drinking perspective it is very exciting. I look forward to traveling back to this region so I can explore it much greater detail.
Tomorrow we're off to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. With specialty restaurants by Nobu and Valentino of Santa Monica, it is a foodie's dream come true. I hope to blog about my meals, and my wines, on board.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment.
Friday, July 15, 2011
My Credo
Once before I blogged about what was on my mind concerning the wine world. This stopped after two entries. However, my interest in wine has continued to deepen. Combined with my knowledge of food, I have decided to look at the topic from what I hope is my own angle, and God knows what that is.
I hope to enter my thoughts on a fairly regular basis, covering events that I attend, wines that I have enjoyed, thoughts about the industry and so on. I hope that my observations are on target and hopefully thought provoking, as my views on wine are certainly changing all the time.
I'm going to finish this post with several of my favorite sites for wine news.
1. The Daily Grape. I find Gary Vaynerchuk to be erally obnoxious at times, but he has one hell of a pallet.
2. Natalie Mclean. Always thoughtful, always upbeat.
3. Wine Spectator.com. I find that I disagree as much as I agree.
4. Robert Parker. Interesting, but you have to be familiar with his pallet.
My next post . . . My CIA Wine Immersion Program experience.
I hope to enter my thoughts on a fairly regular basis, covering events that I attend, wines that I have enjoyed, thoughts about the industry and so on. I hope that my observations are on target and hopefully thought provoking, as my views on wine are certainly changing all the time.
I'm going to finish this post with several of my favorite sites for wine news.
1. The Daily Grape. I find Gary Vaynerchuk to be erally obnoxious at times, but he has one hell of a pallet.
2. Natalie Mclean. Always thoughtful, always upbeat.
3. Wine Spectator.com. I find that I disagree as much as I agree.
4. Robert Parker. Interesting, but you have to be familiar with his pallet.
My next post . . . My CIA Wine Immersion Program experience.
Sonoma in the City Version 2011
Rarely have I attended such a well thought out event as the Sonoma in the City Grand Tasting. Someone spent a lot of time figuring out how to best promote the wines of this county by not presenting Sonoma as a monolithic region, a la Napa County, but as a sum of many different and unique regions. This made for a very informative as well as exciting event.
How was this accomplished? By making it easy to taste the various climates and appellations by themselve.As you entered the event there was an anteroom where could individually explore the various climates of Sonoma County. So at the cool climate table, there were chardonnays and other wines that were produced with fruit from this region. From the warm area, zinfandels. You get the idea, by tasting individual samples from each cliemat.you developed an appreciation for the wide range of growing regions that Sonoma offers. Cleverly, these tables were manned by growers from these climates leading to some very informative discussions their wines as well as the wines from their neighbors. In many cases a grower had wines made by several different wineries. Here you were able to find out which grower where produced where.
Then there was the main tasting. Most walk around tastings have the wineries in alphabetical order. Not here, they were organized by AVAs and growing regions. So there were tables for Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley and several new and exiting areas such as West Side (Sonoma Coast), Petaluma Gap (Believe it or not also Sonoma Coast), and Rockpile. While there were some confusing elements as some wineries produce wines from multiple AVAs, for the most part it worked very well as you were able to understand the particular subtle differences between appellations.
Being that Sonoma County Vintners has embraced the concept of being a sum of all AVAs, each region had a regional table that highlighted the wines from that region. That allowed you to sample the regions and then go to the wineries that interested you. A great way to prioritize your tasting.
So how were the wines, as always some great, some very good, and some not so good.
The area I was most excited by was the West Sonoma Coast Winery area. Flowers, Freeman, Peay and Martinelli (they were at the RRV area) were all pouring some outstanding pinot noirs and chardonnays. They all will be participating in the West of the West event being held in Occidental August 5-7. Mark your calendars.
Other standouts included Arrowood's Syrah which had great structure with some interesting acidity, bright cherry and a smooth finish with a touch of oak. Beringer was pouring a Meritage and Cabernet from Knight's Valley. Knights Valley cab has always been one of my go to wines and it was the same here. A great wine for current drinking while waiting for the Private Reserve to come around. Great dark fruit, a subtle undertone of forest floor and firm tannins that allowed the finish to flow smoothly through you pallat.
Buena Vista Carneros is a consistantly underrated producer of Carneros Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, and this tasting re-enforced my opinion. The Ramal Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were very typical Carneros wines with great acidity and wonderful fruit. Right at the next table, Chateau St. Jean was pouring their signature Cinq Cepages Cabernet blend It was delicious, dark fruit, casis, an earthy undertone and a very long and smooth finish.
Cloud's Rest 2006 Limited Release Sonoma Coast was without a doubt the best pinot noir I tasted The are going to pour at the West of the West event. Another reason to get tickets. Freeman, another WOW winery, was pouring an absolutely wonder chardonnay from Ryo-fu vineyard in the Russian River. It had great acidity, with pear and green apple with vanilla and toast. Great stuff, and their 09 Pinots were great as well. I liked the Russian River Valley bottling the best as it had an refreshing minerality and acidity.
Hartford Family, one of the wineries that had wines from several appellations had their wonderful Russian River Valley zin on display. Great briary, brambly, pruney and jammy. In other words get out the BBQ.
My favorite wine of the event was poured by Hook & Ladder. Founded by the DeLoach after they sold that namesake brand, their Station 10, a field blend of mixed black woods, was a revelation. Deep and inky, it showed tremendous dark fruit, some refreshing acidity and silky tannins. And at $17 a bottle, a steal. Go to the web site and get some.
Some other hightlights inclulded Ravenswood which was pouring their 08 Old Hill Zin. Great stuff. The Sbragia Family Vineyards was pouring a Monte Rosso Cabernet. For those who do not know, Monte Rosso is one of Sonoma County's great vineyards with outstanding zin and cab. This wonderful cab in the hands of Ed Sbragia made for a memorable wine, the best cab at the tasting. Priced at $50 a bottle, it packed a lot flavor at a semi reasonable price.
Last but not least was Seghesio's Omaggio, their version of a Super Tuscan. It had many of the great characteristics of these wines, but is a touch on the pricey side at $60 per bottle. However, the wine tasty and delicious, but there are many quality Super Tuscans avaiable at half that price. The Seghesio zins are always worth seeking out, and they showed well.
That was a lot of wine for an afternoon, But someone had to taste it!!!!!!!
This weekend it the Paso Robles grand tasting in San Francisco, and it looks like a great one. And after that my family is taking a cruise to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. With restaurants by Nobu ( NYC and LA fame) and Valentino (of Santa Monico and Las Vegas) and a great wine list administered by a Master Sommelier and service done by certified soms, it will be some trip. I will be blogging from the ship on the food and wine aspects of the voyage. I am especcially looking forward to a wine and food pairing dinner in their Vintage Room.
Thanks for reading my blog, and please feel free to send me your comments.
How was this accomplished? By making it easy to taste the various climates and appellations by themselve.As you entered the event there was an anteroom where could individually explore the various climates of Sonoma County. So at the cool climate table, there were chardonnays and other wines that were produced with fruit from this region. From the warm area, zinfandels. You get the idea, by tasting individual samples from each cliemat.you developed an appreciation for the wide range of growing regions that Sonoma offers. Cleverly, these tables were manned by growers from these climates leading to some very informative discussions their wines as well as the wines from their neighbors. In many cases a grower had wines made by several different wineries. Here you were able to find out which grower where produced where.
Then there was the main tasting. Most walk around tastings have the wineries in alphabetical order. Not here, they were organized by AVAs and growing regions. So there were tables for Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley and several new and exiting areas such as West Side (Sonoma Coast), Petaluma Gap (Believe it or not also Sonoma Coast), and Rockpile. While there were some confusing elements as some wineries produce wines from multiple AVAs, for the most part it worked very well as you were able to understand the particular subtle differences between appellations.
Being that Sonoma County Vintners has embraced the concept of being a sum of all AVAs, each region had a regional table that highlighted the wines from that region. That allowed you to sample the regions and then go to the wineries that interested you. A great way to prioritize your tasting.
So how were the wines, as always some great, some very good, and some not so good.
The area I was most excited by was the West Sonoma Coast Winery area. Flowers, Freeman, Peay and Martinelli (they were at the RRV area) were all pouring some outstanding pinot noirs and chardonnays. They all will be participating in the West of the West event being held in Occidental August 5-7. Mark your calendars.
Other standouts included Arrowood's Syrah which had great structure with some interesting acidity, bright cherry and a smooth finish with a touch of oak. Beringer was pouring a Meritage and Cabernet from Knight's Valley. Knights Valley cab has always been one of my go to wines and it was the same here. A great wine for current drinking while waiting for the Private Reserve to come around. Great dark fruit, a subtle undertone of forest floor and firm tannins that allowed the finish to flow smoothly through you pallat.
Buena Vista Carneros is a consistantly underrated producer of Carneros Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, and this tasting re-enforced my opinion. The Ramal Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were very typical Carneros wines with great acidity and wonderful fruit. Right at the next table, Chateau St. Jean was pouring their signature Cinq Cepages Cabernet blend It was delicious, dark fruit, casis, an earthy undertone and a very long and smooth finish.
Cloud's Rest 2006 Limited Release Sonoma Coast was without a doubt the best pinot noir I tasted The are going to pour at the West of the West event. Another reason to get tickets. Freeman, another WOW winery, was pouring an absolutely wonder chardonnay from Ryo-fu vineyard in the Russian River. It had great acidity, with pear and green apple with vanilla and toast. Great stuff, and their 09 Pinots were great as well. I liked the Russian River Valley bottling the best as it had an refreshing minerality and acidity.
Hartford Family, one of the wineries that had wines from several appellations had their wonderful Russian River Valley zin on display. Great briary, brambly, pruney and jammy. In other words get out the BBQ.
My favorite wine of the event was poured by Hook & Ladder. Founded by the DeLoach after they sold that namesake brand, their Station 10, a field blend of mixed black woods, was a revelation. Deep and inky, it showed tremendous dark fruit, some refreshing acidity and silky tannins. And at $17 a bottle, a steal. Go to the web site and get some.
Some other hightlights inclulded Ravenswood which was pouring their 08 Old Hill Zin. Great stuff. The Sbragia Family Vineyards was pouring a Monte Rosso Cabernet. For those who do not know, Monte Rosso is one of Sonoma County's great vineyards with outstanding zin and cab. This wonderful cab in the hands of Ed Sbragia made for a memorable wine, the best cab at the tasting. Priced at $50 a bottle, it packed a lot flavor at a semi reasonable price.
Last but not least was Seghesio's Omaggio, their version of a Super Tuscan. It had many of the great characteristics of these wines, but is a touch on the pricey side at $60 per bottle. However, the wine tasty and delicious, but there are many quality Super Tuscans avaiable at half that price. The Seghesio zins are always worth seeking out, and they showed well.
That was a lot of wine for an afternoon, But someone had to taste it!!!!!!!
This weekend it the Paso Robles grand tasting in San Francisco, and it looks like a great one. And after that my family is taking a cruise to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. With restaurants by Nobu ( NYC and LA fame) and Valentino (of Santa Monico and Las Vegas) and a great wine list administered by a Master Sommelier and service done by certified soms, it will be some trip. I will be blogging from the ship on the food and wine aspects of the voyage. I am especcially looking forward to a wine and food pairing dinner in their Vintage Room.
Thanks for reading my blog, and please feel free to send me your comments.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Hurray For Mixed Black Woods
Back when Italian immigrant families were planting vineyards in Northern California, they instinctively knew that they needed a variety of vines to ensure that odds were on their side to get a crop each year. These "Dago" Red field blends usually included, among others, Zinfandel, Allicante Buchet, Mouvedre, petit Sirah, Carignane, Grenache, and whatever else they could mix in. As single varietal and single vineyard plantings gained in favor, a lot of these heirloom vineyards were pulled and planted over to more profitable grapes, such as cabinet and Merlot.
What a pity. If you have ever drank a wine from one of these heirloom vineyards you are in for a treat. They are usually dark as night, smokey, fruity and headonistally full of flavor and umpth. These were the wines that the Italian immigrants made for themselves. Many of these vineyards were in the Sierra Foothills and Mendocino, and we almost lost them.
Then as an unintended consequence to a totally commercial development, White Zinfandel. As this wine gained in popularity, vineyards yielding Zinfandel had to be saved to feed the nation's craving for this product. Along with these Zin vineyards were many mixed black vineyards as well.
The first major producer to make use of these gems was Ridge. They developed a whole range of Zinfandel based wines that were field blends. In the 80's they even took Zinfandel off the label and only identified the wine by where it was from, Geyserville, Litton Station, Paso Robles, etc. These wines showed amazing depth and terroir and were immediate sensations. I remember participating in a vertical tasting of the Geyserville wine and a question came up about something or another. As it was 7:30 New York City time, we called the Ridge winery in Cupertino to speak with Paul Draper, their winemaker. He took the call and then participated long distance with us for the rest of the tasting. Getting his comments on what he was trying to do with each wine was priceless.
Recently I had the rare opportunity to sample Rudd Winery's Edge Hill Mixed Blacks. Edge Hill Vineyard is a small block located off Highway 29 in St. Helena, it contains all the varietals you expect to find in Mixed Blacks. It was a revelation, showing just how unique and wonderful these field blends really are. Edge Hill Mixed Blacks received a 96 from Parker, is very rare (under 100 cases), and very expensive ($100). And it is very worth seeking out.
Ravenswood, a Zinfandel that brags about making No Wimpy Wines (you can get bumper stickers and buttons with this slogan in a myriad of languages from the winery) has their own field blend called Icon Mixed Blacks.Dense with black fruit and black pepper, and with firm tannins, this wine is also worth seeking out. At 1000 cases and only $75, it is probably available from fine wine dealers in numerous places.
And that finally brings me to last Wednesday. While attending a tasting at the Meritage Hotel in Napa, I stumbled upon Trintas Winery's Old Vine Cuvee. It was a stunning mixed black blend from Mendocino County. At $20 per bottle it was the steal of the year. While not as dense as the Edge Hill or Icon, it packed plenty of power and all that brambly fruit that these blends are designed to deliver. Look for this and buy it by the case, values like this are hard to find and must be acted upon immediately.
All of these wines are part of the California wine heritage and should be treasured. We as serious wine drinkers cannot let these wines disappear.
What a pity. If you have ever drank a wine from one of these heirloom vineyards you are in for a treat. They are usually dark as night, smokey, fruity and headonistally full of flavor and umpth. These were the wines that the Italian immigrants made for themselves. Many of these vineyards were in the Sierra Foothills and Mendocino, and we almost lost them.
Then as an unintended consequence to a totally commercial development, White Zinfandel. As this wine gained in popularity, vineyards yielding Zinfandel had to be saved to feed the nation's craving for this product. Along with these Zin vineyards were many mixed black vineyards as well.
The first major producer to make use of these gems was Ridge. They developed a whole range of Zinfandel based wines that were field blends. In the 80's they even took Zinfandel off the label and only identified the wine by where it was from, Geyserville, Litton Station, Paso Robles, etc. These wines showed amazing depth and terroir and were immediate sensations. I remember participating in a vertical tasting of the Geyserville wine and a question came up about something or another. As it was 7:30 New York City time, we called the Ridge winery in Cupertino to speak with Paul Draper, their winemaker. He took the call and then participated long distance with us for the rest of the tasting. Getting his comments on what he was trying to do with each wine was priceless.
Recently I had the rare opportunity to sample Rudd Winery's Edge Hill Mixed Blacks. Edge Hill Vineyard is a small block located off Highway 29 in St. Helena, it contains all the varietals you expect to find in Mixed Blacks. It was a revelation, showing just how unique and wonderful these field blends really are. Edge Hill Mixed Blacks received a 96 from Parker, is very rare (under 100 cases), and very expensive ($100). And it is very worth seeking out.
Ravenswood, a Zinfandel that brags about making No Wimpy Wines (you can get bumper stickers and buttons with this slogan in a myriad of languages from the winery) has their own field blend called Icon Mixed Blacks.Dense with black fruit and black pepper, and with firm tannins, this wine is also worth seeking out. At 1000 cases and only $75, it is probably available from fine wine dealers in numerous places.
And that finally brings me to last Wednesday. While attending a tasting at the Meritage Hotel in Napa, I stumbled upon Trintas Winery's Old Vine Cuvee. It was a stunning mixed black blend from Mendocino County. At $20 per bottle it was the steal of the year. While not as dense as the Edge Hill or Icon, it packed plenty of power and all that brambly fruit that these blends are designed to deliver. Look for this and buy it by the case, values like this are hard to find and must be acted upon immediately.
All of these wines are part of the California wine heritage and should be treasured. We as serious wine drinkers cannot let these wines disappear.
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