I’ll Drink to That!

To quote Sid Goldstein, author of “The Wine Lover’s Cookbook”, “Pinot Noir is, in a word, a wonder. It is a mysterious and seductive wine that echoes the smell of the earth from which it comes.”

Sometimes referred to as the “heartbreak grape”,  it is difficult to grow, and demands great attention both in the vineyard as well as the winery. It is the coveted grape of Burgundy, and currently widely planted in Oregon and California. Although I enjoy a bottle of Pinot every so often, I don’t drink a lot of it. Pinot Days, held here in Los Angeles for the first time last weekend, was a real eye opener for me, introducing my palate to many different styles of Pinot ranging from dry and austere to fat and juicy. I was happy to meet and learn from producers from many prime pinot growing areas including Washington, Oregon, New Zealand and California.

My Pinot adventure started with an impromptu winemakers dinner held at Upstairs 2, the restaurant that is, you guessed it, upstairs over the Wine House wine shop. I had received an e-mail from Lisa and Steve Rigisich, the producers of Pinot Days, informing us that they and several of the winemakers in town for the festival were going to put on a small winemakers dinner a few days before the festival and limited reservations would be taken on a first come, first serve basis. Well the dinner sold out in half an hour - we were among the 80 or so lucky ones that secured a reservation.

Each table was set for 8 with a “winemakers chair” at the head of the table - winemakers would be rotating to a different table with each course so we would have the opportunity to speak with a number of them before the night was through.

Our first course was a salad of Arugula, Frisee and Belgian Endive with Duck Confit and a Pinot Noir Lingonberry Dressing. With that we were poured 2007 Inman Family Russian River Valley. Owner, winemaker and all around lovely lady, Kathleen Inman, also shared with us her 2006 Olivet Grange Vineyards Pinot Noir. Both were my favorite style - dry, earthy, elegant and well balanced with bright natural acidity. The second estate wine served with this course was the  Suacci Carciere Wines -  Suacci Vineyard - 2007.

The second course was a wonderful dish of Wild Mushroom Crusted Halibut with a red wine sauce. Mushrooms are so delicious paired with Pinot Noir and the first of two wines served with this course was the Lachini Vineyards Cuvee Giselle - 2007, Chehalem Mountains, Washington. Ron Lachini explained to us the intricacies of  bio-dynamic farming techniques and the reasons he and his wife chose to go that route. Oddly enough his wine had a very strong grassy aroma. Both his and the Willamette Valley Vineyards, Tualatin Estate 07 paired nicely with the fish.

Next up was Grilled Free Range Veal Chops with Herbs du Provence and Veal Demi-Glace.  The first wine poured was a Fess Parker Winery - Ashleys Pinot, Santa Rita Hills 07. This was one of the biggest pinots I have ever had, having even Syrah like qualities.  I figured this one would pair nicely with the chops, but obviously it did not behave like a Syrah and it flattened with the food.  A better choice was the 07 C. Donatiello Winery - Maddie’s Vineyard. Still a bigger and bolder style of Pinot than I normally choose, it held it’s own with the grilled meat and potatoes.

The dessert course was two cheeses served with fig bread and candied walnuts. Ana Keller of Keller Estate joined us at our table for this course and shared with us her family’s history in the wine industry. I enjoyed her 07 “El Coro” , a fleshy wine redolent of cherry, plum and currant flavors mingled with spice and tobacco. Also enjoyed with this course Perception Wines Russian River Valley 07.

This would have been a nice enough event by itself, but it was just a prelude for so much more Pinot yet to come.

Trade tasting gets under way

The festival was held at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, a venue I had visited once before for the Make-a-Wish annual winetasting fund raiser. It’s big and roomy offering plenty of elbow space for thirsty tasters. So much Pinot, so little time as there were over 75 wineries represented and the walk around trade tasting was a mere 2 hours. A quick perusal of the offerings and off we went. A couple of  producers had Chardonnay or Pinot Gris tucked away under their tables and I was glad I had a bottle of SanTasti palate cleansing beverage with me - yes you really can go back and forth from red to white with optimum enjoyment and appreciation. Highlights for me included:

Carr Vineyards & Winery: 07 Pinot Noir, Three Vineyards, Sta. Rita Hills and 07 Turner Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills

Clouds Rest Vineyards: Tried and enjoyed 4 vintages from Sonoma: 02,03,04,05

Bouchaine Vineyards: 2006 Carneros

Demetria Estate: 2006 Cuvee Sandra, Sta Rita Hills

Kindred Wines: 2007 Pinot Noir Amber Ridge Vineyard, Russian River Valley

Papapietro-Perry: 2007 Russian River Valley

Kindred Wines,member of SFWA

Besides tasting some very interesting wines and meeting the creative men and women behind those wines, it was nice to catch up with friends. Eve Bushman of Eve’s 101 and Denise Lowe, the “goddess of vino”, were on hand for a photo op.

Denise Lowe, Xochitl Maiman and Eve Bushman catch up at Pinot Days in Los Angeles

At 1:00 sharp Los Angeles Pinot fans, and there are thousands of them, converged on the festival, not letting the approaching storm keep them from the task at hand. I left with a new appreciation for this intriguing grape, respect for the fortitude of those who make the wine and a strong craving for a steak. However, one of my favorite recipes to go with Pinot Noir is this one shared by Chef Douglas Keane of Cyrus in Healdsburg, CA. Kathleen Inman likes this one too.

Truffled Red Wine Risotto with Parmesan Broth

I’LL DRINK TO THAT !

Traditionally, Champagne, or sparkling wines as they are called from anywhere outside France, seem to be relegated to “special occasions” and celebrations. Case in point, last Thursday night I made farfalle with salmon, asparagus, Gorgonzola and walnuts in a light cream sauce. After some thought, I decided on serving the dish with a Prosecco, sparkling wine from Italy. Both my husband and my daughter upon seeing the flutes arrive at the table, wanted to know, “what’s the occasion?” Simply put,  I just thought this was the right choice. It is after all, just wine, but with “frizante”. And besides, isn’t every day a celebration of something?

So with that in mind, the tasting at this month’s “I’ll Drink to That“, networking for wine enthusiasts event featured four sparkling wines from different countries. We started with a Prosecco, (Prosecco being the grape varietal), from Borgo Magredo in the Friuli region of Italy. Light straw-yellow in color, this sparkler offers a delicate balance of acidity and fruit, with hints of green apples on the palate.  Proseccos are generally modestly priced making them affordable for anytime drinking, this one retailing for about $18.00.  Paired with Pecorino Ginepro, a sheeps milk cheese from Italy, we were off to a good start.

In Spain, sparkling wines are called Cava, and that was next on the line-up. Aria, made by  the French methode champenoise , is from the Segura Viudas Estate in Torrelavit, in Spain’s Alt Penedes region and is styled after the popular Segura Viudas’ top-of-the-line cava, Reserva Heredad. (Yes, that’s the one with the cool pewter coaster attached to the base of the bottle). Aria is a blend of the Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes.  Together they produce a wine with a honeyed aroma with flavors of fresh pineapple, almonds, honey and pears.  Tapas anyone?

Next up was a Brut Rose from Marquis de la Tour located in the Loire Valley of France.  Some of the attendees thought this wine was a bit too “sweet” with it’s long red fruit finish. I thought it was a wonderful wine that could easily be enjoyed with a summer lunch or a light dessert maybe with a bit of milk chocolate. The bright salmon pink color of this wine adds to it’s festiveness.

The last of the sparkling wines was a wonderful offering from Laetitia Vineyards located in southern San Luis Obispo County. This Brut is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, and is creamy with an abundance of very tiny bubbles and notes of warm bread and ripe apricots. Paired with a creamy Friesian sheep’s milk cheese from Rapidan, Virginia, it was just delicious!

Just for fun, the evening’s tasting ended with a dessert wine from Martin & Weyrich of Paso Robles, California. Their Moscato Allegro is made from Muscat Canelli in the style of northern Italy’s muscat, and is even bottled in the traditional, long and sleek “Renna Punto” bottle used only for the finest Moscato d’Asti.  The wine is fresh and spicy, with exotic floral and fruit aromas of orange blossoms, honeyed apricots and peaches. We were served a stilton with this wine and the pairing was perfect. Dessert in a bottle.

So whatever the un-occasion may be, don’t forget to consider a sparkling wine to add fun and festivity. Try Champagne or sparkling wine with smoky or salty foods such as lox and eggs for brunch. As an aperitif, it sets the mood for a celebration. Try some with Asian food - great contrast between the bold, often salty flavors of the food and the brisk acidity of the wine. Always serve Champagne and sparkling wines well chilled and in flutes to best appreciate all those tiny bubbles.

I’ll Drink to That!

Someone asked me the other day if Petite Sirah was considered a Rhone varietal.  I suppose when thinking about the top red Rhone varietals, we tend to remember most  Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, the three members of the very popular GSM blend. But there are many other red Rhones grapes - many of them vital components of the coveted wines of Cateauneuf-du-Pape. That list would include Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin, Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir and Vaccarese. And  yes, Petite Sirah. Petite Sirah, also known in France as Durif,  is a cross between two grapes, Syrah and Peloursin, developed in France in 1880 by Dr. Francois Durif.

Petite Sirah for Four Vines Heretic

Petite Sirah, by itself, produces a massive,dark, inky wine, full in the mouth, peppery and spicy.  When blended with other varietals it adds depth of color, body and big fruit flavors.

A big Petite Sirah with a juicy grilled steak is a pairing that’s hard to beat. But it would also be great with slow braised meats in hearty sauces.

One of my very favorite Petites is Four Vines Heretic made from old vine Petite Sirah with big, rich layers of black fruit and spice. Another producer whose wine I am anxious to try very soon is Aaron Wines - they make just Petite Sirah from Paso Robles fruit.

So while the weather is still chilly, think big and enjoy a bottle of Petite Sirah with some hearty winter comfort food, start a roaring fire and hunker down to enjoy one of the awards shows or the premier of “24″. (Yeah!)

I’ll Drink to That!