I’ll Drink to That!

I just got back from a whirlwind 24 hour trip to Paso Robles, and I thought I would let you know about some of the interesting people I met there and what they are up to in their wonderful wine country town.

First off, Spring has sprung. The vineyards are awakening from their winter slumber and bud break has occurred. The blue lupine and the yellow wild mustard intermingle,  painting the green rolling hillsides with spectacular color. The apple trees show off with their delicate pink flowers.

Your next glass of Sangiovese?

Apple blossoms at Laraneta

This last week the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce put on their Business Expo, Mission Possible, bringing together many of the local businesses to showcase their services and meet the residents of the city.

I was very happy to finally meet longtime Facebook friend, Dina Mande of Juice Marketing, a company specializing in website, print and video for wineries.  She has recently designed the beautiful new website for Mojo Cellars, a Westside winery owned by Sleepy Guitar Johnson, Denis Degher.

Sleepy Guitar Johnson, Denis Degher of Mojo Wines, performs regularly at Vinoteca Wine Bar in downtown Paso Robles

We walked around the event for about 2 hours, while tasting some wine from Sylvester Winery,  Eberle Winery and Sculpterra Winery and Sculpture Garden. We met the folks from The Paso Robles Inn, La Bellasera Hotel & Suites, Hunter Ranch Golf Course, Taylor Party Rentals and tasted some goodies from the famous Chef Andre of Dining with Andre catering company. I especially enjoyed having a look at some of the wonderful and creative items produced by Marv Kohlman of California Barrel Crafts. He makes furniture, bottle racks and murals all out of recycled wine barrels!

Having walked the entire expo, we were quite hungry and decided a visit to Good Ol’ Burger was in order. For years we have been coming to this place after hours spent tasting the big red wines of Paso. That’s when we are seriously craving meat and this place is conveniently located on 24th Street right off the 101 and at the crossroads between the East and Westside winery areas. They moved into shiny new digs a couple of years ago from their original, shall we say, more “rustic” location, but the food remained the same. Great burgers and the best onion rings, period! Don’t forget the ranch dressing on the side. Just give it up and splurge. Although, for lunch we usually split a cheeseburger and a small order of rings. Plenty, trust me, especially if you’re planning on dinner in town in the evening.

Friends enjoying post wine tasting repast at Good Ol'Burger

Clearly, no longer hungry, it was time to head to town to Vinoteca Wine Bar where we were going to meet up with the popular Matt and Annie of Hoot ‘n Annie’s Blog fame. Vinoteca, located right across the street from the park and within walking distance of many of Paso’s finest restaurants, is the place to stop by after dinner to enjoy a glass of wine and mingle with the locals. Its cozy atmosphere  creates the perfect ambiance for an evening of meeting up with friends, old and new.

Friends at Vinoteca Wine Bar

Friday nights they feature live music, (see Denis above),  and on  Winemaker Wednesday,  one of the local wineries pours flights of their featured wines and can be paired with savory tapas. On the night we were there our friends Melinda and Joe Laraneta of Laraneta Vineyards were pouring their wines and the place was buzzing with activity. We totally enjoyed meeting Matt and Annie, chatting with them about wine, food and their Paso Robles lifestyle. We met many others who call Paso home including Daniel and Corrine Appelbaum, proprietors of Safe Haven Wine Services. These two have figured out the solutions to many of the shipping issues for the wineries themselves and for the consumer, not only increasing cost effectiveness of shipping and storage, but making it “greener” as well. If you’re planning a touring and tasting vacation in the Paso Robles area, give these people a call to find out how easy they can make it to ship your treasures home for you. Cyndee Smolik provides vital services of another nature to the wineries with her Uncorked Compliance Wine Industry Consultants company. She helps them stay on top of all the governmental compliance issues - no small task. It was also fun to meet Ashley Rae Fischer and her mother Becky Zelinsky of First Crush Winemaking Experience. First Crush offers wine lovers the opportunity to try their hand at crafting their own wine through a variety of interactive, wine-related learning experiences. We talked about the possibility of bringing their blending seminar to I’ll Drink to That’s members in the near future as a special event. Sounds like fun!

The next morning we had some errands to run in town so we first stopped at Vic’s Restaurant for a hearty breakfast. Delicious omelets, tender hash browns and tall buttery biscuits were just we needed to get us through the drive ahead of us. Then off to Safe Haven to drop off wine shipping inserts that I had been saving to recycle. Next, the mandatory stop at Cider Creek Bakery to restock on F.R.O.G jam. Fig,raspberry, orange and ginger marmalade, really, a pantry staple in our house. Great all by itself on toast, it is also so good mixed into dressings and marinades, for sauces, on top of a baked brie, and mixed into mashed sweet potatoes, with a little bourbon. We  come up with new ways to use it all the time.

We had only time for one tasting, so we stopped at Kiame Wine Cellars, whose tasting room is in the downtown area. I wanted to pick up a couple bottles of their White Kuvee, Proprietary White Blend, which is a favorite of mine. A delicious blend of 60% Roussanne and 40% Viognier from the Westside Derby Vineyard, this wine has scents of honeysuckle and lemongrass and a minerality component that makes this wine a great change-up from the heavy, oaky Chardonnays. We also picked up a bottle of their 06 R’Own Style Blend, comprised of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 8% Zinfandel and 2% Viognier. Give this one some air to allow the bright strawberry and rhubarb flavors to unfold, finishing with cinnamon spice.

Finally it was time to head home from our short trip, but happy to have met many more of the great people from this wonderful wine making area. See you soon, Paso Robles…..

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 !

Mike, anxious to get the next phase of his first wine making endeavor under way, called to let me know that the brix was down to nada and it was time to go press off the wine. Who knew that Woodland Hills is the location to  one of the only home wine making supply shops in the LA area? So last weekend I met Mike at the Home Wine,Beer,Cheese Making Shop just off the 101 freeway where he was to press his 130 pounds of Syrah grapes.  The store was mobbed with customers purchasing jugs, bottles, corks and wine presses so I had some time to look around. They have everything there, even a small de-stemming machine. Hmmmm….

When it was our turn, “the guy” went to the back to get the wine press out, took it out to the curb and instructed Mike on how to use the press to get the juice from his grapes. I found it amazing that after hundreds of years, the process and the machinery have changed very little. Very basic really. First Mike hosed off the machine - winemakers are apparently big on “hosing” everything, before and after using. I’ve seen plenty of video footage of people hosing off equipment this harvest season.

Then right to it. First the macerated fruit was poured by bucketfuls into the press, and the “free run” juice allowed to flow freely into another bucket. The color of the juice was an incredible deep raspberry color.

As the buckets filled up, the juice was poured into jugs. Mike kept this up until all the free run juice had been collected. Then it was time to press the grapes to get every last drop of his “wine” out of the must. He piled on the blocks and began to ratchet until no more liquid ran and the “cake” was pressed hard. The yield was over nine gallons!

Disassembling the press to remove "the cake"

Compost anyone?

Michael has a lot to show for his efforts.

And then more hosing…..

I’LL DRINK TO THAT !

Trueblood Syrah - Napa Valley - 2004 - $29.95 - Long legged beauty was my  first thought when I poured a glass of this blood red wine. The viscosity of the “legs” was incredible, slowly making their way down the inside of my glass after a good swirl. Dark, rich, lush, elegant…spicy with figs and licorice in a long finish. Bloody good wine.

Imagine a program that empowers impoverished women, supports an ecological effort that turns recycled paper into beautiful, one of a kind pieces of jewelry, connects and unites a global community that supports  development projects in health, vocational training for impoverished youth, affordable housing, and business development, and creates philanthropists out of anybody who  wants to make a difference.  Bead For Life does all that. Ugandan women create beads from recycled paper then make bracelets and necklaces with these beads. The jewelry is then dispersed throughout the world to be sold in peoples homes at “bead parties”. I was lucky enough to have attended one of these parties last weekend, hosted by my friend’s daughters. African music played in the background, a touching video looped on the TV, and tasty African food was prepared and served. The beads were all displayed in a kaleidoscope of color and guests had arms laden with layers of colorful beaded bracelets. So much to choose from, and all so beautiful!

The hostess, Annie, had taken this on as a summer community service project. She and her sister,both in their teens, were  taken by the quality and beauty of the beads and inspired by the stories of the Ugandan women. So good to see young people organizing and working on behalf of such a worthy cause. I was so impressed by their determination to sell these beads to all their friends, spending weekends hosting parties, sending invitations, e-mails and of course working  Facebook. Great job girls - you have created a giant link in the chain of sharing and caring that connects all of us bead wearers with those beautiful and resourceful Ugandan women a world away.

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!                      

For a change of pace from  California Chardonnays, try this crispier version from Peacock Ridge of  South Africa. Citrus and pineapple aromas give way to a crisp full bodied palate. Liking this one this summer.

Peacock Ridge - 05 Chardonnay, South Africa - $15.00

After hearing so many stories about so many people, it occurs to me that we, each of us, …is enough.  By that I mean, we each have  enough of whatever it is that we are meant to share. We may not always see what that “enough” is, so busy are we trying to find out how to get more of something else.  Ok - enough with the double talk. On to my story. Or actually the story of Coach Tim Lewis of Compton, California. It’s the story of a young man with talents, who, like so many, made some bad choices, and like so many, was seemingly derailed from the path best chosen. Instead he ended up in trouble and alone.Well, flash forward a good many years, and this man, clearly older, wiser and clearer, has made some new choices that include building the characters of boys and girls in a challenged community by sharing his love of baseball. Perhaps he wasn’t so derailed after all.

Please visit  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#31434372 and watch this short video on a man with so much to share. It’s a great story.

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

You don’t have to travel all the way to Italy to find a delicious Sangiovese. This great grape of the Chianti region grows very well along the hillside slopes of Santa Barbara County’s Ballard Canyon. Rusack Vineyards offers up a beautiful California Style rendition. Well balanced and fruit forward, the 2005 I just opened was big and well rounded with flavors of chocolate and coffee.  So good with a steak on the grill. Haven’t tried the ‘06 yet, but we all should soon. This boutique vineyard and winery produced only 424 cases of this wine.

‘06 Rusack Sangiovese - $32.00

And if you live in the Los Angeles area, take the weekend off,  head north a couple of hours and visit the wineries nestled in the gorgeous oak-studded, vineyard cordouroyd hills of the Santa Ynez Valley near Solvang. Cheers!

View of hills from Rusack

June 12, 2009

Abundance is one of my friend’s favorite concepts. She prays for abundance – she creates abundance when she cooks – her salads have an abundance of different ingredients, you get the picture.

Oddly enough, even in this “economic climate”, (so tired of that phrase), abundance is everywhere. So much abundance is there that we very often take it for granted. Make a cursory examination of your surroundings and you will find an abundance of abundance. In my home I am so grateful for the abundance of books I have to read, different kinds of pasta to cook, photos of friends and family, clothes, toiletries, running water, choices of wine, the infinite amount of tutorials on line. Let us not forget to celebrate our abundance of freedoms.

But, yes, for many, abundance is not the term they would pick for the status of their current situation. Many people have lost their jobs and are having to turn to community food pantries to augment their home food supply. As a result the pantries are experiencing critical deficits of their own, with the cupboards literally going bare. Luckily, there are an abundance of people stepping up to meet the needs of their communities. And happily, the next generation of givers is taking an interest now in helping as well. Such is the case with 11-year-old Taylor Graham of Florence, Oregon, who, 5 years ago, came up with the idea to sell used books to buy food for the hungry. His “Read for the Need”, two part program now consists of a community supported book sale, and the “Need for Speed Shopping Cart Derby” where the money raised is used to purchase food for the Florence Food Share pantry. Check out this kid’s video at http://web.mac.com/shannongraham/iWeb/Site/Video%202009.html . If you feel the need to share your abundance with others, please consider dropping off a grocery bag or two of canned goods to your neighborhood food pantry. You could even start a book sale in your neighborhood. Or donate your used books and DVD’s to your local library. Today there is an even greater demand for our libraries as many homes can not afford computers, buying books and going to the movies. Thank you Taylor for setting such a great example for the rest of us with your abundance of compassion.

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

Instead of a wine review, this time I’d like to tell you about a book - sort of keeps the theme going. “Passion on the Vine”, by Sergio Esposito is in his words, “A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italy”. For you foodies and winos, this is a must read. Mr. Esposito takes the reader into his family’s dining room and kitchen and delectably describes the food, the wine, the chaos and the passion. Then acting as an “insider” tour guide, he relates the heart and soul of Italian winemaking while introducing us to some of the colorful characters whose lives are centered around the vine. Put aside your “to do list”, as I did, and savor this book while sipping something red, yummy and completely Italian. Salute!

June 10, 2009

Why horses? Because they live in the present moment and inspire us to to the same. How many of us girls were in love with horses when we were young? There was something about their grace, beauty, power and glistening coats that mesmerized us. Perhaps for some they symbolized freedom, for others  the cowgirl frame of mind. And for some they were most certainly a refuge from the “ugly” things in life. Being with your horse was a quiet place where your “best friend” didn’t judge or scold or hurt you - just gave you unconditional love,  respect and a feeling of being safe.  One of those girls, all grown up now,  remembered those lessons with her horse and created a place where others could experience those feelings of emotional grounding and healing. Created to honor 3 people in her life who succumbed to cancer, Robin Rapaport created El Dustberry as a non-profit organization where those challenged with cancer and other chronic conditions, and their families, could come for  therapeutic activities. Youth at risk came too. And all were shown how to connect with horses and nature with the end result being a sense of self-empowerment and a reclaiming of some control in their lives. An outdoor classroom came next that took kids out of the traditional environment and into nature. Most of the kids have never seen a horse and are so excited to touch them and hear their stories (all are rescue horses). The El Dustberry experience gives these kids the opportunity to learn things they could never get in a schoolroom setting. So many people’s lives have been enriched by their experiences at El Dustberry, but true to the times, lack of funding threatens its future. These programs are just too vital to loose. So many people count on them. And so many more still don’t yet know they exist.  Well Robin and her staff have “cowgirled up”, and have started a massive social networking program to bring awareness to our communities. I’ve asked for your help before, and you’ve rallied before. Today I invite you to visit El Dustberry’s blog and feel for yourself the heart there.  ( http://eldustberry.blogspot.com/)  Please spread the word! Thanks and…

I’ll Drink to That!

Right in the heart of what used to be considered “horse country” but is now clearly “wine country” as well,  sits Paso Robles’ Tobin James Cellars. A can’t miss stop on your wine tasting tour, Tobin James offers an extensive selection of big, award winning red wines, plus some great whites as well. What TJ also offers is a saloon style tasting room and 100 - year old bar that looks like it was a favored movie set way back when, and where the only rule is - have fun. And we have - many times, especially when I took a group of 15 of my closest friends there for a tasting. But the James Gang likes to party - they throw big ones for their wine club members, often. While you’re there, don’t forget to try their “Liquid Love”, late-harvest Zinfandel. On our first visit there they poured this with a bite of chocolate on the side - Wow! what a pairing.  Deep, rich and intense, this wine, poured  after a hearty steak dinner and served with some luscious truffles is the perfect dessert ending.

2006  Late Harvest Zinfandel - “Liquid Love” $18.00