We’ve been celebrating Merlot for the past month with #MerlotMe. Today is the culmination of the celebration, Merlot Day. We celebrate with the last of the sample bottles that arrived for our #MerlotMe tastings, a bottle of Silverado Vineyards 2018 Mt. George Merlot.
*This wine was received as a media sample. No other compensation was received and all opinions are our own.
Siverado Vineyards in Napa Valley (photo courtesy of Silverado Vineyards)
About Silverado Vineyards
This winery was founded with a bit of magic, Disney magic. Ron and Diane Milled founded the Vineyard in 1981 with Diane’s mother, Lillian Disney, an illustrator & ink artist, who worked at Disney Studios and was the wife of Walt.
They had owned the estate before the founding of the winery and for many years sold their prized fruit to other reputable Napa Wineries. The name of the vineyard comes from an abandoned mining town where Robert Louis Stevenson stayed.
The 3rd generation of this family now sustainably farms 360 acres on 6 estates in Napa. Winemakers Jon Emmerich and Elena Franceschi create the wines from this beautiful fruit.
Winemakers Elena Franceschi and Jon Emmerich of Silverado Vineyards (photo courtesy Silverado Vineyards)
About the Mt. George Vineyard
This vineyard is located in Coombsville east of Napa. The Mt. George Vineyard was first planted in 1868 by William Woodward. The Millers replanted this vineyard in 1989. Currently, it is 181 planted acres with almost 24 of those acres planted to Merlot.
Henry Hagen is thought of as one of the early vignerons in this area and the stone gate that he built still stands at the entrance to this vineyard on the southwest side. The vineyard sits on the low slopes of Mt. George an ancient volcano.
The soil here is gravelly loam.
2016 Silverado Vineyards Mt. George Merlot
This wine is 100% Merlot from the Mt. George Vineyard. It macerates for around 16 days then spends 16 months in 40% new French Oak. This vintage saw February rains and an early summer with a late bud break. The summer was steady, without nasty heat spikes so ripening was slow and extended into the fall allowing the grapes to build complexity and flavor without being overly ripe.
My Notes
The elegance of raspberry played against brighter red cherry notes and deeper notes of plum. There was a bit of jamminess with notes of peppery dried lavender, anise, and white pepper. Underlying notes of nutmeg and clove, toast and cedar, and a hint of cocoa powder. There were hints of tertiary notes of tobacco and wet leaves. The tannins were sticky and suede-like and will likely soften with age.
14.7% abv – 3068 cases produced – SRP $48
Merlot and ‘Za!
I will admit to being completely out of pairing ideas and at the time a bit too exhausted for another full day of cooking. The great thing about Merlot is that it can pair widely. So, I decided that a take-out pairing was appropriate.
I ordered online from Blaze Pizza and chose a BBQ Chicken Pizza, with some adjustments. We did classic dough, no sauce, shredded mozzarella, grilled chicken, roasted garlic, gorgonzola, pineapple (yes we are those people who like pineapple on our pizza!), and BBQ drizzle.
The other pizza was a White Top with Classic dough, white crème sauce, mozzarella, applewood bacon, chopped garlic, arugula, and balsamic glaze.
So why these ingredients? Grilled meats, garlic, blue cheese, bacon, peppery arugula, balsamic glaze, and BBQ sauce… all things that go great with Merlot, and the pizzas did not disappoint. The pizzas are also cooked in a super hot pizza oven so, the crusts have bits of char that blended well with the wine.
Where can you find Silverado Vineyards?
You can find Silverado Vineyards Tasting Room which is open Thursday through Monday.
They are located at 6121 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
In the 1970s Napa had about 20 wineries and Cab was King. Dan Duckhorn was going to school in Berkley. He and Margaret would head to Napa to get out of the city. They fell in love with the wine industry and in 1973 they moved to Napa with their 3 young kids.
They didn’t have an option, they had to make this work to support their young family. Margaret became the school nurse (the only school nurse) in Napa Valley.
They fell in love with Merlot, a variety that at the time was taking a backseat to Cab. They loved Merlot, it was not so bold, it didn’t require the aging that Cabernet Sauvignon did and it had a velvety texture (all things I love about Merlot also).
Duckhorn Vineyard Estate House and Tasting Room (photo courtesy Duckhorn Wines)
*These wines were provided as samples, no further compensation was recieved. All opinions are our own.
They went to Bordeaux to learn about the varieties and the classic styles of making them, visiting Pomerol and St. Emilion. They studied the cellar techniques and found that all the houses there had their own styles and blends.
In their first vintage, they made 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 Cases of Merlot. The Merlot they priced at a hefty $12.50 a bottle (at the time Cab Sav was going for around $7 per bottle). This raised some eyebrows and gained interest.
They have been making world-class Merlot ever since.
#MerlotMe
The Duckhorn family launched #MerlotMe in 2013. The idea was to celebrate Merlot during the month of October, leading up to National Merlot Day on November 4th. This is the 9th year of this celebration. This year 111 wineries will participate along with countless writers and fans of this grape.
There are still too few female winemakers out there, but that is changing. At Duckhorn, Renee Ary runs their winemaking program.
Renee hails from New Jersey and studied chemistry and art in San Francisco. When looking for jobs doing lab work, she was hired for a job a Robert Mondavi, which started her passion for wine.
She joined Duckhorn in 2003, working in their lab. She became the Assistant Winemaker under Mark Beringer. In 2013 she became the winery’s 4th head winemaker. In her first vintage in 2014, the Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot was named the #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spector Magazine.
Dana Epperson Winemaker Decoy (photo courtesy Decoy Wines)
Dana Epperson, Decoy Winemaker
Add another to the list of prominent female winemakers in the Duckhorn Portfolio.
Dana Epperson is a third-generation Sonoman. She studied food science, wine, and viticulture and interned then worked at Ferrari-Carano, Edna Valley Vineyard in SLO Wine Country, and Atesa in Napa Valley. She, like Renee, had the opportunity to be mentored by Mark Beringer. She worked with a handful of other wineries before coming to Decoy.
Decoy sources from many vineyards and they do over 100 individual fermentations, some in lots as small as 5 tons. This gives them lots of room to play with blending.
“If you want to achieve small-lot quality in your wines, you have to apply the same small-lot attention to detail, including hand-sorting, the use of the finest coopers and French oak, and a commitment to artful blending. From the wealth of viticultural and winemaking talent, we can draw from to our world-class cooperage program and more, Decoy benefits greatly from the remarkable resources of The Duckhorn Portfolio.” Dana Epperson, quote courtesy Duckhorn winery
2019 Decoy California Merlot
This wine comes from vineyards across 3 appellations; 60% Sonoma County, 32% Central Coast and 8% Mendocino County
The Blend
80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvingon, 2% Cabernet Franc
It ages 12 months in 35% New French Oak
13.9% abv – $25.99 (on Wine.com)
My notes: red currant, cranberry, and anise with notes of nutmeg and baking spice on the nose. In my mouth, more cranberry and currant with red cherry notes and a smooth finish with nutmeg. and vanilla
2018 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot
A blend from vineyards in Carneros, Oak Knoll, Calistoga, Napa Valley, and Yountville this wine is 82% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.4% Cabernet Franc, 0.4% Petit Verdot, and 0.2% Malbec.
It ages 15 months is 40% New French Oak
My notes: This wine had more complexity than the first with notes of black currant, black plum, cranberry, stewed fruits, fennel, and wet stone on the nose. There were notes of cloves and cedar with wet leaves in the background. It was like fall in a glass. This wine was delicious, but it will continue to age and round.
14.5 abv – $56 SRP (on the Duckhorn site)
What to pair? Curry, inspired by the Winery!
We were doing the #WinePW Twitter chat for #MerlotMe and someone had paired a dish with coconut milk with their wine (I think it was a soup that Gwendolyn Alley of Wine Predator made). Duckhorn had mentioned that it made them wonder how curry would pair. I still had my two bottles of Duckhorn and Decoy to pair so, my research began.
I knew that I wanted to include a protein that would stand up to these wines and that I did not want anything too spicy. I came across a couple of recipes for Beef Massaman Curry and combined them with a few updates. We plated this with an ancient grain mix that was cooked in beef stock.
The curry sauce is shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, ground coriander, ground cumin, coriander seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, cardamon, fish sauce, brown sugar, and coconut milk. I charred the garlic, shallot, and ginger before tossing them with the other ingredients into the food processor. I did toast all my dry spices to release the oils and fragrances before I tossed them in.
The beef is stew meat, tossed with flour and pepper and seared, then tossed in a dutch oven with the curry paste, beef stock, and coconut milk. This all cooks together for a little less than 2 hours, then carrots and potatoes are added and cook for another 20 minutes.
We plated this with an ancient grain mix that was cooked in beef stock and garnished with lime wedges, toasted peanuts, and fresh cilantro.
The pairing worked wonderfully and made for a cozy dinner, perfect as the weather is cooling. The spice notes in the dish play against the fruit notes in the wine beautifully.
Yield: 8 servings
Massaman Beef Curry
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours45 minutes
This hearty warming Massaman Beef Curry has warm spices without the heat. It is the perfect dish for fall, served with ancient grains cooked with beef stock.
Ingredients
1 large shallot
5 cloves of garlic
1 thumb-size piece of fresh ginger
1 stem of lemongrass
1 tsp ground coriander
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp coriander seeds
1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground Madagascar clove
¼ tsp ground cardamon
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbs coconut milk
1 ½ lb stew beef cut into cubes
1 2/3 cups of beef stock
1 can of coconut milk
½ lbs baby gold potatoes
3 carrots
Juice of one lime
Cilantro, toasted peanuts, and lime wedges to garnish
Instructions
Peel the shallot and garlic, char in a rod iron skillet with the ginger
Chop the shallot into quarters, peel the ginger and cut into chunks
Grate 1 stalk of lemongrass on a fine grater
Toast your dry spices in a dry skillet
Toss the shallot, ginger, and the whole charred cloves of garlic in a food processor with the grated lemongrass and the toasted spices.
Add the fish sauce, brown sugar, and 2 tbs of coconut milk. Process until the paste is relatively smooth.
Toss the beef with flour, salt, and pepper to coat.
Heat a rod iron skillet with 2 tbs of vegetable oil over medium-high.
Brown the beef for 5 minutes, flipping after 2 minutes.
In a dutch oven heat 1 tbs of vegetable oil, add the seared beef.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Today, May 7th is Sauvignon Blanc Day. We have enjoyed quite a bit of Sauvignon blanc in our glasses this spring. This one from St. Supéry in the Napa Valley comes with a story that we will get to shortly.
This is also the month for Middle Eastern Food & Wine Pairings with the #WinePW Crew. I was excited to tie in this Sauvignon Blanc with my community-style Middle Eastern dishes.
You can join us for a conversation on Middle Eastern Food and Wine Pairings on Saturday, May 8th at 8 am Pacific time on Twitter. Just follow and use the hashtag #WinePW to join the conversation. You’ll find links to all of my colleagues’ articles below.
What to include in our Middle Eastern feast?
When I think of middle eastern food I am taken to my days right out of college when my palate expanded and falafel and hummus became a regular part of my life.
I was excited to get back to these flavors and create a meal (mostly from scratch) with dishes meant to share at the table. Meze if you will.
The Middle East covers a large area and multiple countries. Hummus likely came from Egypt and spread across the Middle East where chickpeas are abundant.
Tzatziki you will of course find in Greece, but there is a variation in Turkey known as Cacik.
Naan is known in India and comes from the old Persian word for bread. It can be found in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, and Iran.
Falafel’s origins are contentious, Israel claims it as one of their national dishes, Palestinians think of it as an Arab specialty. In Lebanon and Yemen, they also claim to have invented it.
It most likely originates from Egypt and was likely first made with fava beans and it is from those beans that it takes its name.
Baba Ghanoush is of Lebanese origin. Whew, so that is quite the gastronomical trip around the Middle east.
These were the dishes that would grace my table today. I will leave the tabouleh for another day, although it would have been lovely with the Sauvignon Blanc.
St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc and Middle Eastern Meze
What wines pair with a Middle Eastern Meze?
If you want to search for a Middle eastern Wine to pair with these dishes I would suggest perhaps an Emir from Turkey, which is a fresh white wine with notes of green apple and lemon and sometimes a mineral note or a Narince which can be crisp and saline.
Or perhaps a Merwah from Lebanon (which may be a version of Semillon).
My colleagues with Wine Pairing Weekend are bound to have many more suggestions!
Less far afield you could go with an Albairño from Spain or an Assyrtiko from Santorini in Greece.
Our Sauvignon blanc was a good pairing as it picked up on the garlic and lemon in many of the dishes. The falafel worked with the acid in the wine as did the creamy baba ghanoush and of course the green cucumber notes in the tzatziki again just called for a Sauvignon blanc.
Simple Easy Dishes?
I thought of this as a simple meal, that would not take much time to whip up. Well, I was partially right.
Each of the dishes were fairly simple, but…I was making several of them.
This ended up being an afternoon in the kitchen, going from one dish to the next and back again but it was all well worth it.
I started with making the naan. It is simple, just water, sugar, yeast, oil, flour, salt, and yogurt. Mix it up and let it rise for an hour. I found my recipe at Rasa Malaysia
Then there were eggplants to roast for the Baba Ghanoush, hummus to make with my recipe from Inspired Taste
Cucumbers needed to be shredded and drained for the tzatziki with a recipe from The Mediterranean Dish
Then back to the Baba Ghanoush now that the eggplant was roasted and cooled with another recipe from The Mediterranean Dish.
Now it was time to toss together the falafel. I did cheat, and I picked up a box of falafel mix. While these drained after frying, I cut and rolled my naan and fried it up in the rod iron skillet, topping it with a brush of clarified butter.
I added a dish of feta and olives and some almonds to finish off our table.
These are community dishes, meant to be eaten with your hands and to be shared. Which leads me to our wine.
St. Supéry
If you have visited Napa Valley you may have visited St. Supéry. They sit on the east side of Hwy 29 in Rutherford. I remember visiting one early morning, more than a few years ago before the tasting room was busy.
We had the space to wander and enjoy an exhibit on wine aromas and then take up all the attention of the gentleman running the tasting room, who was so generous with his knowledge. These are fond memories, and it reminds me that I need to get back and visit again.
Dollarhide Ranch Vineyard
Around the winery, you will find the St. Supéry Rutherford vineyards, but they also have vineyards in the northeastern hills of the Napa Valley. East of Howell Mountain before you reach Lake Berryessa you will find Dollarhide Ranch.
The elevation here runs from 600 to 1,100 feet with 7 different soil series and some unique microclimates.
The Dollarhide Vineyard is full of biodiversity, with over 1,500 acres and only 500 planted to vines. Far from the main roads in Napa the ranch, the property has 7 different lakes and they encourage wildlife corridors and bird corridors. Much of the native wildlife and plants have not been disturbed.
They mention ducks, geese, egrets, owls, bees, foxes, otter, and largemouth bass among other animals who call the ranch home.
They also have 1,200 heirloom fruit trees on the property (if you get to the St. Supéry tasting room you can pick up preserves!)
St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc 2019 and the story of the 2020 vintage
Sauvignon Blanc I received from St. Supéry in Napa Valley was their 2019 Vintage. It is delicious and brighter than most California Sauvignon Blancs, with notes of lime zest, grapefruit, floral notes, and a bit of wet stone. SRP is $22 abv is 13.5%
(I found this available on wine.com).
*This wine was received as a media sample. All opinions remain our own.
But here is where the story comes in.
They have released their 2020 Vintage of this wine. The Sauvignon Blanc is the only wine they produced from the 2020 vintage. It was just the second day of harvest with the fires converged on the Dollarhide Ranch.
Neighbors pitched in helping the team to protect the ranch with firebreaks, bulldozers, and water trucks.
The grapes for the 2020 vintage Sauvignon Blanc were harvested before the fires. Once the fires began they could not guarantee that the grapes they pulled in would not have smoke taint. They made the decision not to bottle any of the post-fire wine.
The amount of Sauvignon that they had already picked amounted to 2% of the normal vintage.
The 2020 vintage is available in their tasting room. $5 from each bottle goes to the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. They do this to honor the neighbors who came to their aid and made this wine possible.
St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc and Middle Eastern Food
This is where we return to the idea of community and our shared dishes. Humbly eating with my hands and sharing food while enjoying this wine, seemed right.
The #WinePW Crew
I am so excited to see what the Wine Pairing Weekend Crew has put together. A shout out to Wendy of a Day in the Life on the Farm for leading us into this exploration.
While I didn’t find a Middle Eastern Wine, I expect that in these peices my colleagues have written, I will find new wines to explore and new dishes to try…
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Cabernet has always drawn people to the Napa Valley. Dennis and Judy Groth were no exception. They visited the area in the 1960s at the beginnings of the Napa Valley and by 1985 had decided to move there and make it their home. These were the early days and Dennis was part of the founding of the Oakville Winegrowers that formed in 1993.
They raised their children here and have become a generational business. Their daughter Suzanne now runs the business.
Groth is in the Oakville AVA on the valley floor in Napa. It is family owned and sustainably farmed. The Groth Estate vineyard in Oakville is 121-acres planted in the early 1970s by Justin Meyer. Oakville has great temps day and night, not too hot, not too cold, as well as a variety of soils.
In 1994 they replanted the eastern section of their Estate Vineyard. Previously this had all been Cab. They realized that the clay soils here would be great for Bordeaux whites and replanted these blocks to Sauvignon Blanc and more recently Semillon.
Sustainability is an important issue for me, so before we even get to the wine, let’s talk about their sustainability program.
Certified Napa Green
What does that mean? Groth received their Napa Green certification in 2014 as well as their Fish Friendly Farming Certification. These certifications are set up to prevent erosion and sediment runoff, which is really important for the “fish friendly” aspect. The plans work to reduce and finally eliminate harmful inputs and restore riparian habitats.
They also work to conserve water, which we all know is very important especially in Napa with the recent fires. Methods for water conservation include efficient irrigation and frost protection. This is a program that continues to evolve and will become stricter in the upcoming years.
Other sustainable practices at Groth
They are in the process of a replant program that began in 2018. This process will change the row orientation allowing breezes to flow through the vineyard from San Pablo Bay, decreasing the need for fungicides.
Their use of cover crops means the soil holds water and nutrients so that they don’t have to irrigate as often or as much. Pests are kept down by owl, raptors, and bluebirds who are attracted and kept by the boxes and perches throughout the vineyard. They also have an insectary for beneficial insects which adds to the healthy biodiversity of the property.
A great neighborhood that is more than just Cabernet
This of course is where Robert Mondavi first planted To Kalon and their neighbors at Groth include Opus One, Plumpjack & Silver Oak, so Groth is in good company.
This is Cabernet country and the Groth’s came here to make Cab, but like Bordeaux, they can and do grow more than Cabernet here!
Groth 2019 Estate White
We received a bottle of the first Estate white released by Groth as a sample. This is a blend of 79% Sauvignon Blanc and 21% Semillon.
Before I give you all the geeky wine details, I want to share with you Michael’s first comment on tasting this wine.
“I like it and I would buy more.”
That’s quite an accolade after his first sip (he tends to be a harsh critic). Okay, now to the details.
The details:
79% Sav Blanc, 21% Semillon
Whole cluster pressed
Fermented in a variety of vessels
Second fill Acacia barrels
Neutral French Oak
Stainless Steel tanks
A concrete egg
3 months sur lie aging and 3 months blended aging
5% abv
365 cases produced
$50 SRP
The Groth Estate White Story
There is so much to this wine’s story. I was able to sit in on a Zoom Tasting that Suzanne and Groth winemaker Cameron Parry did recently with Karen MacNeil and the two gave us some details on how this wine came about.
Groth has been making a Napa Sauvignon Blanc since the mid-90s. It’s a blend of grapes from throughout the Napa Valley. They noticed that of the lots of Sauvignon Blanc that came in, the lots from their own estate had great depth and quality and so they decided to showcase this fruit from the Estate.
The Estate White is their first new wine in over 40 years and 2019 is its Inaugural Vintage!
Building complexity
Since they were not blending grapes from multiple sites and soils, they needed new ways to build complexity in the wine. This is where the addition of a concrete egg to their fermenting method came in. They fermented and aged these wines in a variety of vessels, stainless steel tanks, neutral oak, second use acacia as well as concrete eggs.
Word has it they even did a little bit with extended skin contact, but they are not revealing the details of that secret ingredient.
The vintage & the vineyard
The grapes for this blend are all grown on the Groth Oakville Estate that sits East of St. Helena Hwy on the northside of Oakville Cross Road. The 2019 season was mostly cool until an August heatwave and then pendulum swings of temperatures through harvest, which began with the Savignon Blanc on September 3rd.
Map of the Groth Oakville Estate Vineyard courtesy Groth Vineyards & Winery
The soils and the blocks
This wine tells the story of the Estate Vineyard. With 121 acres in the middle of Oakville, they have a variety of soils. The blocks for this blend are far from their reserve block for their Cabernet Sauvignon. This side of the vineyard has more black clay for better vigor which is good for white wines.
There are just 3 blocks of Sauvignon Blanc on the Estate and they chose the richest for this wine. In addition, there is a Semillon block. This 11-acre block is the largest planting of Semillon in Oakville. They pick these grapes together, almost like a field blend, and crush and ferment them mostly together.
Interesting grape fact: Semillon is a large viscous grape and on its own in a pressing tends to clog the press. By co-pressing with the Sauvignon Blanc, they lessen this issue although they still do one dedicated Semillon press with press aids.
This blend is more than just Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the two blend to create something that goes beyond the individual varieties.
Our tasting notes on the Groth 2019 Estate White
The wine pours a pale lemon and the nose begins dusty with green notes of grass (not cut lawn, but more like a long feather grass) and green apple and white peach. There is bright but round citrus notes like Meyer lemon, and something exotic like starfruit. Ginger and a hint of pear round out the nose.
On the palate, this is dry with a round full body. In my mouth, I get nectarine, lime, and Meyer lemon with a long pleasant finish.
Pairing the Groth 2019 Estate White
Groth suggested pairing with a grilled peach and arugula salad and that sounded too delicious not to try! But I also wanted to explore some other pairings, so we also did steamed mussels and pasta with homemade pesto.
This pasta played just a little outside the lines, with Italian and Thai basil, almonds, and pine nuts in addition to parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. We roasted lemon slices for garnish.
All the pairings went well, but they were right, the grilled peaches were the kicker. Something in the richness of the grilled fruit was magical with the wine.
We luxuriated over this as afternoon turned to evening, and did a simple sweet finish of lemon curd on butter waffle cookies. Those Meyer lemon notes in the wine and the tartness of the curd made for a perfect bite.
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
#MerlotMe…while this is my first year participating in this event with the writers at #WinePW, it is the sixth year for this event, where writer’s partner with Merlot producers to celebrate Merlot Month.
The official celebration day is Saturday, October 10th. You will see pieces roll out the day before, and we will all gather that morning at 8 am Pacific time on Twitter under hashtags #MerlotMe & #WinePW. We will discuss Merlot and all the wonderful things you can pair with it. Jeff Burrows of Food Wine Click leads us on this journey into the variety, you can read his invitation post here.
I received 5 Media #Samples, from producers in Washington, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Paso Robles. We will start out with 2 in this post and promise to share more with you about the other 3 later this month. I recieved these bottles as samples, but received no othercompensation and the opinions shared here, are my own.
I have always been a Right Bank girl. When it comes to Bordeaux, the right bank Merlot driven wines have always been more appealing than their left bank Cabernet Sauvignon driven counterparts. Perhaps, it’s just my love-hate relationship with Cab Sav. I don’t want to have to wait so long for it to be ready to drink, and I don’t want to spend that much! Or, perhaps I just like the way it tastes more. It’s approachable and nuanced, I don’t care what Miles says.
As this was my first year participating, I was surprised at the range of samples I received. They included L’Ecole 41 2017 Columbia Valley Merlot, Selby 2018 Merlot from Sonoma County, Bonterra 2018 California Merlot, Peju 2016 Merlot from Napa Valley, and LaZarre 2017 Merlot from Paso Robles.
UPDATE* We took this shot and then yesterday 2 more wines arrived from Rutherford Hill, the 2017 Atlas Peak Merlot and the 2019 Rosé of Merlot.
We begin with two wines that, while both are Merlot, are decidedly different. This is the wonderful thing about wine. It can remain attuned to its variety, in this case, Merlot, but through where and how it is grown, winemaking techniques, as well as vintages, it can exude its own personality.
My title says from “elegant to badass”. You will find this difference in the wines, but also in the personality of the two wineries. Both were delicious, but in quite different ways.
The Wineries
Peju Province, Napa Valley
Tony Peju was born near the Caspian Sea. That sounds so romantic, doesn’t it? The Caspian Sea is of course close to the region where we believe wine grapes first evolved. So perhaps wine was in his blood from an early age. He traveled Europe and in 1960 found himself in LA. Here, he and his wife Herta, built a thriving nursery and florist business.
This love of growing things led them to purchase 30 acres in Rutherford, where they could farm, and Tony decided he wanted to grow wine grapes and learn to make wine. A degree at UC Davis and some Garagiste winemaking led them to build a winery in 1991. This winery grew, along with its gardens. Today the 50-foot tower is a landmark in the Valley.
The property sits in Rutherford, east of the St. Helena Highway. The drive is lined with sycamore trees, the gardens are whimsical and transport you to another world. There are sculptures, manicured gardens, a creek, and fountains.
Peju Tower – Courtesy of PEJU Province Winery, Rutherford
Map of Peju Vineyards – courtesy Peju Province
They have 5 vineyards: the HB Estate Vineyard at the winery in Rutherford, two in the Pope Valley, Persephone and Tess, Wappo Vineyard in Calistoga, and one in Oak Knoll. This allows them to have estate fruit in 4 different Napa Valley sub AVAs.
They have been lucky in that they were safe from the recent fires. It’s not been easy in Napa this year. I spoke with Christine Lilienthal at the winery. She said they felt very fortunate.
“The fires came too close for comfort in Calistoga and evened brushed up against several rows of vines. We don’t know what the full results will be but we do encourage wine lovers to show their support for all of Napa Valley Wineries… the best way to do that is purchase Napa Valley wines or visit us in person. Covid regulations and the fires have impacted our small, hard-working community and we appreciate all the support. Also, we are donating 10% of all online wine sales in October to support Fire Relief and our community.”
Christine Lilienthal, Director of Marketing Peju Province Winery
They do have another property in Carneros called Calmére, where they focus on Pinot Noir and Viognier.
LaZarre
Angie and Adam LaZarre of LaZarre Wines – Photo courtesy LaZarre Wines
LaZarre Wines is the wine love child of Adam and Angie LaZarre and is meant to showcase Central Coast fruit. The two are co-winemakers, both with long careers in the industry. They do have a bit of a “Rockstar” vibe. The photo above is for an event that they typically do annually called “Metal & Merlot”. This year, I guess you just need to grab a bottle of their Merlot and crank up the Metal at your house!
Adam worked with Hahn, Villa San-Juliette, and helped to create Rex-Goliath & Cycles-Gladiator labels. Angie has worked in wine from hospitality to hands on work. She is the “boots on the ground”, “get this wine to the people” force at this winery in addition to spending time out in the vineyards, checking and tasting the grapes to see if they are ready. (Check that our on their IG page).
“We invite you to experience the wine we love to drink. After all, wine is a gift from God and should be enjoyed responsibly, or at least naked…”
Adam LaZarre, winemaker (from their site)
The Wines!
2016 Peju Merlot and 2017 LaZarre Merlot
The Elegant – Peju 2016 Merlot – Napa Valley
This wine is sourced from the Estate vineyard in Rutherford and the Persephone vineyard which is located on the east side of Howell Mountain in the Pope Valley. They practice sustainable farming, and the Rutherford property is Certified Organic. They are working to certify all their vineyards in the next few years. They also have a solar array covering over 10,000 square feet of the winery’s roof.
The details:
95% Merlot, 5% Cab Sav
They describe the 2016 season as “near-perfect”
17 months in French & American Oak (40% new)
4,857 cases produced
15% abv
SRP $48
The Badass – LaZarre 2017 Merlot – Paso Robles
This wine is from the Casa Grande Vineyard in the Adelaida District. They note that this vineyard is on Vineyard Road almost as far as where it meets Adelaida Road. The Merlot is grown on a south-facing slope in this cool-climate vineyard. This is an area I love in Paso. The trees and winding roads make for a heavenly drive.
The details:
100% Merlot
18 months is 60% New French oak, the rest in American Oak
160 cases produced
14% abv
SRP $48
What to eat with these?
Before we go into our thoughts on the wine, let’s tell you what we paired them with.
Red meat is a given for this, and we did steaks in garlic and Worcestershire. That’s pretty simple, buy we kicked it up with our sides doing a medley of sautéed carrots and potato swirls with parmesan. The kicker was dessert…
Steak in garlic and worchestshire, sauteed carrots and parmesan potato swirls
Molten chocolate cake with raspberry mousse
The potatoes were the time-consuming part of the meal; boil, cool, rice, add delicious stuff, pipe into swirls, freeze then bake! Whew! But they were delicious.
Now to dessert which was heaven…. Molten chocolate cake with raspberry mousse!
The chocolate cake? Okay, this felt like a cheat, but man it works well. I did a chocolate mug cake in the microwave. You can find the recipe here. We did this once before, the problem is, it’s too big for one person to eat. It’s just too rich. So, we share. It’s perfect for two.
The Raspberry Mousse was a bit more time and work, gelatin, water, raspberries, sugar, and crème. There is some soaking and boiling and mixing and whipping and folding and chilling. But it’s all worth it. This is lovely and not too sweet, which contrasts beautifully with the rich sweet chocolate cake.
I spooned the warm chocolate mug cake into 2 very fancy dessert glasses (Thanks RuBen!) then topped with the raspberry mousse, fresh raspberries, and mint. This was heaven.
We also did a Day 2 pairing. These are big wines and we could not polish them off in one evening. That was actually perfect though, we could taste these again a second time after they had time to open up. This time we paired them with a steak stir fry with bok choy and peppers.
How did the wines do?
The Peju
Immediately I noticed the color in the glass, more red tones, and lighter than the LaZarre. Upon dipping my nose in the glass I smelled red fruits like currant or plum and spice. It opened to licorice, white pepper, and a bit of 5-spice. In my mouth, there were tannins, medium in strength but rough in my mouth, like rubbing suede where the grain is not always in the same direction. I felt a lift of alcohol on the back of my palate, that was not unpleasant.
This was 15% abv, I expected it to blow me away and come off hot, but it did not. It was balanced and elegant with good acid. My final impression was “prim, forthright and elegant”. It was beautiful with the food, elevating the steak. It was a stunner with dessert.
The LaZarre
The nose was detailed and nuanced, I got multiple spices, light tobacco, and tea leaf with a background of light cocoa and cherries. It opened to cherry cola with bits of cool eucalyptus. In my mouth, this was fuller and came off as sweeter, still dry, but with sweet fruit notes. This is concentrated with fine smooth tannins. Decidedly flashier, it has that Rockstar edge but toned down, this is the songwriter in the group, not the frontman. It is big, but there is depth and nuance here.
This is a wine that demands attention and didn’t want to share as much with the food. However, the second day with the stir fry, this wine sang. I don’t know if it was the peppers or the onions or the seasonings, or if it had just opened up to a happy spot, but it came out on top with this second pairing.
#MerlotMe on #WinePW
We are just getting started! We have 5 more wines we intend to share with you over the remainder of the month! It’s Merlot Month people! What’s in your glass?
In the meantime…take a gander at the pieces written by my colleagues at #WinePW and plan to join us Saturday morning on Twitter!
As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
I’ve started this post at least 3 times. How to sum up a year? My tendency is to go analytical and spin out the year chronologically. But remembering a year doesn’t really work that way. Even scanning through my Instagram feed, I found my mind drifting, one memory taking me to another, rarely chronologically and I would swipe from one end of my feed to the other as the thoughts took me. The visuals, the photos, were the things that drew me in, so that is what I want to share with you.
A Year of #_______Strong and of people coming together
2017…It’s been a year. It was the year of #(currentdisasterousevent)strong. There were so many, it was overwhelming at times. These events, that used to happen in some far away place, to people we didn’t know, suddenly, as we become a global community, have become things happening to people we know in places we have often seen. I had friends in Florida, Houston, in Sonoma, in New York City, in the Dominican Republic. And then of course there was Vegas. That’s home, and while I was not on the strip that night, many people that I work with daily and care for deeply, were. It was a year of stress and struggles, but also a year of people coming together. These events reminded us what is important, they caused us to be in touch with people who are dear to us and let them know they are dear to us.
Nature and home
As I sifted through the photos from this year, the ones I found the most moving, were those I took on our family farm early this spring. No, they have nothing to do with wine, but returning to this place during some torrential spring rains, brought some perspective to the year. The day was wet and rainy, but it only drizzled a bit while we were there. We watched the creek rush overflowing it’s banks, and trudged from the ridge to the meadow and were soaked to the bone by the the dripping trees and wet underbrush by the time we left, but bits of astounding beauty were everywhere.
Fungus on the Farm
My Waterfall
Friends and Wine in Virginia
While we were on the East Coast we were able to catch up with friends and spent a weekend with my best friend and another friend from college as well as their husbands and did a bit of exploring of Virginia Wine Country. A few years ago, we did a girls weekend in Virginia wine country and this was a great opportunity to do Wine Country II, Electric Boogaloo tour with the boys.
I did a bit of research on the history of Virginia Wine Country before we traveled, and we tried to take in a few different areas starting at Chrysalis and Stone Tower in Northern Virginia. Chrysalis Vineyards is the Champion of the Norton Grape, a grape native to North America and have their tasting room at the Ag District Center. The Winery is the vision of Jennifer McCloud who started Chrysalis in the late 1990’s. This is a from scratch business. In Todd Kliman’s book “The Wild Vine – A forgotten grape and the untold story of American Wine” he talks about meeting Jennifer at the Vineyards and riding out with her in her pickup to see the vines. She is the heart and soul of this winery.
Norton Grape Vine at Chrysalis Tasting Room
Stone Tower Vineyards, is something completely different. You drive up Hogsback Mountain to find an impressive Estate with a “stone tower” hence the name. Part of the property had been in the family for 40 years and in 2005 they added to the property when a neighboring farm was available. Many of their vines are still too young to yield fruit, so their winemaker brings in juice from California for some of their wines, which are labeled under “Wild Boar Cellars”. Regardless, the wines were all beautifully made and the Estate wines made from grapes grown on site are really exquisite. The tasting room at the vineyard in Loudoun County is expansive and beautiful and as such is overflowing with wine tasters from the DC area on the weekends, so go early!
Stone Tower Winery in Virginia
We ventured south from here to meet my dearest friend at Barboursville Vineyards in Central Virginia. This Vineyard is on a historic estate between Monticello and Montpelier. On the property lies the remnants of the home designed for James Barbour by Thomas Jefferson. In 1976 the Zonin Family, who command a portfolio of 9 wineries in 7 regions of Italy, acquired the property.
Barboursville Vineyards
We then headed to Charlottesville (this was early in the year, before they needed a #CharlottesvilleStong). We had a great dinner on the Historic Downtown Mall and then planned our morning trip to Monticello.
Jefferson wanted so desperately to grow grapes and make his own wine. He was a renaissance man and as such tended to get wrapped up in some things to the detriment of others. The property is beautiful, the house unique and quirky, with it’s wine elevator among other things and the gardens are lovely, if filled with non native species. The vineyards speak to the longing to make his own wine and on this spring day, in the mist, they seemed to echo this.
Monticello
Vineyards at Monticello
We had lunch at the historic Michie Tavern and visited a few other wineries, a standout being Blenheim Vineyards, owned by Dave Matthews.
How much California Wine Country can you see in 6 days?
August took us on a Flash Tour of the California Coast and it’s wine regions. We spent 6 Days traveling the coast hitting Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Monterey, Napa, Sonoma, the Livermore Valley, and Santa Cruz. You can check out our travels here. The trip was amazing, here are some visual highlights.
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Other highlights
Those are the big highlights, but we were busy all year.
At the beginning of the year I did a tasting of Natural Wines with Matthieu at the farmers market.
In April we did a Virtual trip to the McLaren Vale in Australia with our friend Dean being our Wine Reporter at Large
In May and June we dove into Rosé with some basics and tastings. July saw us drinking lots of bright whites, as you would expect in the summer in Vegas, and then
We found ourselves back in Santa Barbara again in October and spent time in Lompoc in the Wine Ghetto, Solvang and downtown Santa Barbara.
And what about 2018? I love the New Year. It always feels like a clean slate. Will there be good wine and some wine travel? Yes! Adventures and meeting new people and sharing their stories is what we are all about, and we get better at this all the time. Plans are in the works for this year, but who knows where the wind may blow us. I look forward to more spontaneous trips this year.
And I have been inspired seeing people post their “power words” for the new year. Mine…”Exploration”. I love research and if I want to be more spontaneous this year, it actually probably means chasing tangents down the research rabbit hole, and I’m okay with that! I do have a few things on my list. Expect to see more on French wines and wine regions this year. Between trips to wine regions, we will be taking some virtual trips to France and digging in deeper to it’s wine regions. There is a reason that when people think of wine, they first think of French wine. I am also anxious to search out more “natural wines”. I know, I know, it’s a really open term, but I love pét-nat and I want to explore deeper into this movement and I’m anxious to see how this category of wines develops and evolves. And then of course there will be the tangents. I always start the year with plans, and I will be sitting down soon to create my list for 2018. By the end of 2018 I am sure that I will have happily strayed from it.
Happy New Year! I’m off to make my exploration planning list. I should probably pour a glass of wine as I head down the rabbit hole.
I remember first reading about Thomas Keller in Michael Ruhlman’s “The Soul of a Chef”. Ruhlman describes his first visit to the French Laundry and the out of body experience that it was. He includes the story that is included in the French Laundry Cookbook about Keller’s first time butchering rabbits. The experience was for him, a turning point. The experience was awful and he vowed to ensure that these rabbits were beautiful, there would be no neglecting them as they cooked, overcooking by accident and throwing away needlessly was not to occur after taking their lives. This story of getting back to where the food comes from, the respect for that and subsequent care for the products that he puts on the plate is part of the essence of what makes the French Laundry so special.
The history of the building
The French Laundry is a two story stone building that was built in 1900 originally as a saloon. In the 1920’s it served as a French steam laundry. It had a personal residence and was also a brothel and saloon in the 1930’s, before going vacant for many years, but the locals still referred to it as the French Laundry. In 1976, one time Yountville Mayor Don Schmitt and his wife Sally purchased the neglected property and turned it into a restaurant. In the 1990’s the Schmitt’s were ready to leave Yountville, it had grown a little too big for them and an unemployed Chef from LA saw the property and knew it was his destiny. Mind you, Keller had already made a name for himself at Rakel in NYC as well as Checkers in LA. When he opened the French Laundry in 1994 he had immediate interest followed by profuse praise. The restaurant continues to set high standards and be one of the most acclaimed restaurants on the planet.
The building is inconspicuous and you can easily walk by and miss it. Covered in vines, it is humble and elegant. While walking by, we watched multiple cars stop, it’s occupants hurrying around to have their picture snapped in front of this iconic restaurant.
Thomas Keller’s French Laundry In Yountville
The French Laundry is a member of French-based Relais & Chateaux and are one of the 170 restaurants in Les Grandes Tables du Monde.
Looking down the covered front walk at The French Laundry in Yountville
When you follow the front walk to the end, you can see the beautiful new kitchen that was built in 2015. This is modern in contrast to the restaurant building. Thomas Keller comments that he was inspired by the Louvre, contrasting the older and traditional with the new and innovative. There is a great video with him on the The French Laundry Culinary Gardens Facebook Page.
The Modern Kitchen at The French Laundry
The French Laundry Kitchen
The French Laundry Culinary Gardens
The gardens across the street, are well kept, but also humble. A vegetable garden, with herbs and flowers, that is not pretentious and is open to passersby. As you stroll up the street you will see the hoop houses in the back. At the center of the garden near the sidewalk you will find a podium with a wood and glass display box that shows the layout of the garden. You can look about and see exactly where the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash…the herb patch and the flower bed with sunflowers are located. Off to the side you see the chicken coop and you can wonder up and say hello to the chickens. There are bee boxes for fresh honey as well as to provide a home for the bees who pollinate the garden. There are sun chokes, pumpkins, peppers and along the sidewalk you will see fruit trees. Here and there you find benches to sit and enjoy the bucolic view.
The Gardens at the French Laundry in Yountville
A shady tree and a bench to sit on while you take in the culinary gardens.
Map of the French Laundry Culinary Garden
Chickens in the French Laundry Culinary Garden Yountville
The Herb garden at the French Laundry
Bee boxes at the French Laundry Culinary Garden
Fruit trees at the French Laundry Culinary Gardens Yountville
Garlic flowering at the French Laundry Culinary Gardens
Sitting on a bench taking in the views of the mountains, vineyards and these beautiful Gardens
Blue skies and Lush Greens at the French Laundry Culinary Gardens
The Hoophouse at the French Laundry Culinary Gardens
Sculptures along the garden at the French Laundry Culinary Gardens
This is farm to table. The produce comes in each morning and the menu can be based on what they know is going to be ready in the garden. Again, this is Keller getting back to the source of the food he is so beautifully preparing.
All in all, strolling Yountville and the French Laundry Culinary Gardens is a fantastic way to start a day in Napa. It is stimulating to the senses, yet calming. It quiets your mind and puts you in a reflective mindset, which I believe is the perfect way to start tasting wine.
Continue with us as we chronicle our journey through wine country and dig into some of the wonderful places we’ve already visited. You can find us here at Crushed Grape Chronicles or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
When in Napa, the best place to spend your morning, before heading out for wine tasting, is Yountville. Bouchon Bakery….Ahh… I live in Vegas and there are two Bouchon Bakeries at the Venetian, so I am luckier than most to be able to have these delicious pastries closer at hand than most, but really there is nothing like a Café au Lait and a Pain du Chocolat while sitting on a bench outside Bouchon Bakery in Yountville in the morning. You often start outside on the sidewalk, making friends as you exchange the duty of holding the door for the line that trails out of the tiny building. Once inside you can watch the bakery though the glass windows as they make the bread and pastries, while you await a close enough spot in the line to see the pastries in the display case. Once there you are mesmerized by all the beautiful pastries, which to choose? Then you must quickly decide on your drink (this part reminds me of the Starbucks in Time Square). The staff bustles behind the counter, maneuvering around each other in their morning game of twister as they fill orders. You politely duck back to await your name being called and move 5 or 6 times to allow others to grab a napkin or a fork from the counter behind you. This bustle could feel stressful anywhere else, but you’re in Yountville, so everyone smiles sweetly with an underlying sense of bliss for the deliciousness that is coming and the wonders of the day ahead.
Once handed your parcel of pastries, you scoot outside to find a seat. This trip had us there on a Saturday, and we were lucky that a bench opened up quickly. Immediately the sparrows stop by to demand crumbs. I’m so blissful, I can’t deny them. Then suddenly my pain au chocolate is gone. I nurse my café au lait to extend my reason for staying. Finally, we vacate to allow someone else a little of this bliss.
Bouchon Bakery surrounded by trees, tables and benches
Baker at work at Bouchon Bakery
Donuts, muffins and pastries in the display case at Bouchon Bakery
Fresh baked bread at the Bouchon Bakery
A Café au Lait and Pain au Chocolat on a bench at Bouchon Bakery
Mom & Baby enjoying the morning and breakfast at Bouchon Bakery
Bouchon Bakery in the morning
But the morning doesn’t end there. It’s cool and comfortable. The birds are chirping and Yountville is the perfect place for a morning stroll. The city is dotted with public art, and grapevines and then there is the French Laundry Culinary Garden. And strolling is part of what this place is about. If you visit the Yountville website, the first words you read are “Welcome to Yountville! Here we embrace the old world Italian custom “Passeggiata” – an appreciation for the art of stroll and all the discovery and comfort that comes with it.” So, to embrace the local culture, we strolled.
First…a little history on Yountville.
Yountville and the surrounding area, in the early 1800’s was owned by Mexico. In 1836, George C. Yount, the city’s namesake, got a land grant from Mexico that ran the width of the Napa Valley from the current city of Yountville, north to the southern edge of St. Helena. George named the area Caymus Rancho. He was the first to plant grapes in Napa Valley and laid out a village with a public square that he called “Yountville”.
Art Walk
The city is dotted with public art. You can find a map for the Art Walk on the Yountville City Site. I was enamoured with the Rock Mushroom Garden by Napa Valley Artists Rich Botto.
The Rock Mushroom Garden by Rich Botto in Yountville
“A New Spin” by Freeland Tanner on the Yountville Artwalk
New Sculpture by Gordon Huether
The Hatch by Peter Hazel on the Art Walk
Phoenix by Andrew Carson on the Art Walk in Yountville
V Marketplace
As you stroll through town, you will find the V Marketplace across the street from Bouchon Bakery (and of course Bouchon, the restaurant). This Marketplace houses Michael Chiarello’s restaurant Bottega as well as multiple specialty shops. This spot has some history also. In 1874 this was the site of the first winery in Napa Valley built by Gotteib Groezinger. The three massive stone buildings Groezinger built now house beautiful specialty shops with apparel, home decor, jewelry, art as well as restaurants and tasting rooms. The structure encompasses gardens with fountains and often hosts events.
Bottega by Chef Michael Chiarello in Yountville’s V Marketplace
The Fountains on the grounds at the beautiful V Marketplace
The city is also dotted with grapevines here and there, it is after all, their biggest industry, and the vines were beautiful with grapes in veraison as we strolled. There is also a large oak tree in the in the center of town, branches shored up by posts, that provides shade over a park. We were strolling, but there is plenty here to side track you, tasting rooms, shops, galleries, bistros and then of course, some of the finest restaurants in the country.
Grapevines along the street in Yountville
A Large Oak tree shading a park in Yountville
Galleries, Restaurants and Wine Tasting Rooms in Yountville
For more on Yountville visit the Yountville site where you can find details on places to stay, things to do and upcoming events.
Continue with us as we chronicle our journey through wine country and dig into some of the wonderful places we’ve already visited. You can find us here at Crushed Grape Chronicles or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
The flash tour continues! Day 3 finds us Exploring Napa, more of Sonoma and then making the trip a little south to the Livermore Valley. Much of this day takes us out of the Central Coast region and into what is considered the North Coast Region of California Wine Country which encompasses, Napa, Sonoma, Lake County, Los Carneros, Solano County and Mendocino.
Day 3 North Coast – Napa to Sonoma then the Livermore Valley
Yountville
Day 3 Started with a drive into Napa, destination Bouchon Bakery in Yountville. Yountville is a glorious place to start the day and a Café au Lait and a Pain au Chocolat eaten on a bench outside Bouchon Bakery is the way to go. We then enjoyed a stroll through beautiful Yountville where there is art around every corner. We also made a stop at the French Laundry Gardens to see what they were growing.
Bouchon Bakery in Yountville
The stunning French Laundry Garden
Map of the French Laundry Culinary Garden
The Gardens at the French Laundry in Yountville
The French Laundry in Yountville
Rock mushroom garden art installation in Yountville
Napa
We had not set appointments ahead of time and wanted to do a bit of driving and sightseeing, so we got back on Highway 29 and stopped for photo ops at Opus 1, Robert Mondavi, Gott’s Roadside (where you really have to have lunch), and Chateau Montelena. The drive through Calistoga and into Northern Sonoma on Rt 128 is stunning with Spanish moss dripping from the canopy of the trees over the road and the smell of cedar in the air. The roads here are curvy, so it’s best if you have not overindulged in tastings before making the drive, but the slower driving allows you to roll the windows down and soak in the air. The North Coast is noted for it’s redwoods and cool climate.
Opus One in Napa
The Robert Mondavi Winery and Tasting Room Napa
Gott’s Roadside in St. Helena
Chateau Montelena, Napa, Calistoga, California’s North Coast
Sonoma – Russian River Valley
We jumped back on the 101 and made our way south to the Russian River Valley and to Balletto Vineyards. In conjunction with Sonoma County.com they have a self guided walking tour where you can learn about the local wildlife, grape varieties, soil types water conservation and see the baseball field built on the property.
Balletto Vineyards in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley
Veraison in the Pinot Noir at Balletto Vineyard
Livermore Valley
From here we left the North Coast and drove on to the Livermore Valley arriving in time to enjoy a tasting at the gorgeous property at Wente Vineyards. This stunning property has a full concert series in the summer, they have an 18 hole golf course and an award winning restaurant. Founded 130 years ago they are the country’s oldest continuously operated family owned winery. The grounds are stunning and there are tables outside where servers will bring you tastings or wine by the glass.
Wente Family Vineyards in Livermore
The Restaurant at Wente Family Vineyards in Livermore Valley
Thus ends Day 3!
Day 4 sees us making the pilgrimage to Bonny Doon on the Coast then driving to Paso to visit Tablas Creek. Come back for more of the trip!
It’s Game Day and I’m off. This is a rare thing for me, typically I would be working on a Sunday, but in Vegas….the only show that goes on today is the Superb Owl! Michael is working so I have the day to myself. So game day snacks and a wine pairing seemed in order! I had a couple of inspirations today. First was an article by Mark Oldman on Game day snacks and wine pairings 7-pairings-to-supersize-your-big-game-wine-experience. The second was an article on WineFolly (love her!) on How to Improve your wine smarts in one month.
So…I have been delving into French wines this month, researching and learning more about them and I love popcorn. I don’t often indulge, but Mark convinced me. And inspired by Madeline, I will compare a couple wines. And…to up the ante a little (it is game day) we are inspired by the Judgement of Paris. If you haven’t seen Bottleshock, you should rent it. Any way…I am off to find a Chablis from Burgundy and…a Chardonnay from Grgich Hills. In addition to the popcorn…I’ll search for some other lovely Chardonnay Pairings.
Alright…back from shopping. Here’s what we have. a 2012 Pascal Bouchard Chablis Le Classique, a 2010 Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay, and a 2010 Chateau de Rully. My favorite guy at the wine store was in, so while it was crazy, I managed to pick his brain for a moment. He gave a nod to my Chateau de Rully pick and suggested the Pascal Bouchard Chablis. While it is unoaked, it has gone through secondary fermentation so it has a richer mouthfeel while still keeping the acid. I was eyeing the Montrachet, but mentioned that I didn’t think I should invest in that without Michael home and he agreed. So…Montrachet for another day.
Game Day Chardonnays
I headed to the store and picked up some brie, some fontina cheese, peppered goat cheese, green beans almondine, lobster macaroni, popcorn & butter.
So a little about the Wines…where they come from etc and the pairings.
When Michael and I first visited Napa, Grgich Hills was the second winery we visited. They were warm and friendly and open to educating wine novices, which we were at the time. If you have not yet seen Bottleshock, and want the suspense, you might skip reading this next part. Mike Grgich worked at Chateau Montelena as the winemaker in 1973 when that famous Chardonnay was made that beat out the French whites at the Paris tasting. At 91 he is still active at the winery and in Napa and can be seen sporting his signature beret.
Grgich Hills 2010 Chardonnay
The Grgich Hills 2010 Estate Chardonnay; ($33) Certified Organic and Biodynamically farmed, the 2010 vintage has good acidity with a definite butteriness from 10 month in French Oak (40% new). This sits on the high side at 14.1% alcohol. The butteriness of the wine lent itself to pair nicely with all of the cheeses, adding a depth of richness to the Fontina and Brie and unexpectedly taming the pepper in the peppered goat cheese. It brought out the richness in the sauce in the green beans almondine. But the Piece de resistance was pairing it with the buttered popcorn! Heavenly!
Buttered Popcorn
Chablis is the northernmost area in Burgundy and they grow Chardonnay almost exclusively here. Chardonnay’s here you will find unbaked. The soil here is Kimmeridge Clay which is a mixture of limestone, clay and fossilized oyster shells. Chablis is so well known for it’s Chardonnay that when vintners in California fist began growing Chardonnay, they actually called it Chablis.
Pascal Bouchard is a family run winery with an Estate that sits in 4 appellations in Chablis : Chablis Grand Gru, Chablis Premier Cru, Chablish and Petit Chablis. They use no new oak here and only the Grand Crus are aged in 100% oak. The Petit Chablis and Chablis (like the Le Classique that we tasted) are 100% stainless steel.
Pascal Bouchard Chablis
The Pascal Bouchard 2012 Chablis; ($23) This wine is clean and bright with pear and fresh cut apple on the nose as well a a bit of chalk and dust. This made for a bright clean pairing with all of the cheeses, making them feel lighter. The acid was perfect to cut through the fat. This wine would allow you to enjoy brie outside on a hot summer day and not have it be too heavy. This paired nicely with the beans and with the Lobster macaroni made for a lovely contrast. The alcohol on this sits at 12.5%.
Chateau de Rully is a 12th century medieval fortress located in Cote Chalonnaise. The vineyards here are maintained by Antonin Rodet, who sells these wines all over the world. Cote Chalonnaise is south of Cote d’Or and Cote de Beaune. The wines here are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Chateau de Rully 2012
Chateau de Rully 2010 ($25) 11-14% alcohol; This wine had acid on the nose than the Grgich with a little effervescence. I got butter and creme on the nose and a little dust that was not chalky. Round and mellow on the palate, but with great acid for a wonderful palate cleanser. This wine brought out the nutty character in the Brie and gave me interesting nuances when paired with the Fontina. With the goat cheese? Not so much. But this was my favorite pairing with the Lobster Mac. It compliments nicely the dish nicely making everything more aromatic in my mouth.
These three Chardonnays were all very different. The Chablis was crisp and clean and lighter in color. The Chateau de Rully has a little butter with good acid and lots of nuance and the Grgich Hills was by far the biggest wine in the bunch and really was a piece of heaven with the buttered popcorn.
Oh..and I did watch a little of the game and some of the commercials.
