Paso Robles Wine and Carmel Cars

We are heading to Monterey this weekend with family to go to the Monterey Historic Automobile Races and the many auto auctions and shows in Carmel and Monterey. On the way up we plan to stay in Solvang and then stop off at a couple of wineries. I have long wanted to visit Tobin James for their ballistic and intense Zinfandels as well as Robert Hall for their excellent and well priced Cabernet Sauvignons. Anyone else have a can't miss recommendation for wineries in Paso Robles?

If you have never been to the Carmel/Monterey area on this weekend in August and consider yourself a car-buff you need to see the races, auctions and shows offered. Some of the finest, fastest and classic cars in the world will gather this weekend (hey, we can at least dream).

For more information on the auctions, shows and races in Monterey this weekend, please see the following sites:

Race Info: http://www.laguna-seca.com/Events/index.cfm?EventID=20
Monterey Car Auction: http://www.rmauctions.com/Default.cfm?SaleCode=MO07
Concours d'Elegance: http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/

Great Legs Wine Shop on the Auction Block

It appears that Maureen from the Great Legs Wine Shop in Newport Beach, CA is putting the business up for sale. I know the big farewell party, which I did not attend :( was a great event and that Maureen's Realtor has been looking for prospective buyers. I want to wish Maureen the best of luck and will provide more information on the terms of the offer and the status soon....

UPDATE: It appears Claire Gwinner is acting as operating owner for now but she and Maureen are actively seeking a buyer to continue to provide great wine and fun times to Orange County's coastal residents.

Great Legs Wine: http://greatlegswine.com/events.htm

Lots of Love for Lot 35

Two weekends ago at Costco, I came across a food demonstration person not offering the usual cheese tortellini, bratwurst or lunch in a cup tuna salad kits but rather wine. Not just any wine it turns out but a specially produced wine from Cameron Hughes. These wines explained the knowledgeable Costco semi-sommelier were produced from excess grapes from various noteable vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Valleys. The Lot 35 Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine being demoed on this day though the Costco Vinophile did say they had several other varietals from multiple vineyards throughout the region. Also, she mentioned that the wine had recently been reviewed and awarded a 90 point rating from Wine Spectator (or was it Wine Enthusiast?)...didn't matter because at the $9.99 price point and the described heritage, I was already sold.

Well tonight I am trying the Cameron Hughes Lot 35 and can say it goes quite well with garlic meatloaf and angel-hair pasta. The nose is subtle but of fruit and a hint of oak. On the initial taste I got a pleasant but strong grape juice and hints of raspberry and more oak. The tannins are evident but controlled and the wine is fairly concentrated. As the wine sat through dinner it seemed to improve from the initial taste right out of my wine cooler. With the evident concentration of juice, this age should age nicely and mellow. The Costco salesperson suggested best aged 5 - 10 years and I believe it.

I would definitetely pick up the CH Lot 35 again or try another Cameron Hughes wine from Costco in the the future. You might want to do the same for your next big or small dinner.

Vinometer Rating







4 out of 5 corks

Rise and Fall of Mondavi

There have been several interesting articles and now a new book based on the Mondavi Family, the winery and the amazing rise and somewhat sad fall post sale to Constellation Brands who also own Corona Beer and Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey.

The family though sounds to be in better shape than ever and are starting up several new boutique wine brands including Folio a well regarded brand being put out by Robert Mondavi's son Michael. There are also talks of once estranged brothers Peter and Robert producing a single barrel Cabernet Sauvignon to be sold at auction for, based on the long and rocky history of Peter and Robert, should fetch a very nice price.

I plan on reading the book as well to learn more of this interesting family and business saga.

Money Article

Copia in Napa

We visited Copia in Napa a couple of weeks ago and it was a pleasant 'edutainment' museum type experience. The price was right at only $5 per person and they offered a wine tasting from Wattle Creek Winery (pretty decent Shiraz) and a food and beverage sample (a goat cheese dip w/ a small cup of strawberry lemonade)...I went back for seconds on the lemonade. We took the 30 minute volunteer docent led tour of the facility with a knowledgeable and entertaining docent (many famous and not so famous wine quotations were offered during or short tour).There were two exhibit halls with both permanent and rotating exhibits on the history of food and beverage and some good displays on what people eat and food memories told in small dining room type rooms with good audio-visual effects. One of the highlights was a photographic exhibit on what families eat around the world in a week. The differences and similarities were startling and we interesting to see how much prepared food the typical(?) United States family consumes in a week.



The 'Edible Gardens' were nice and offered some good examples with samples of some berries and fruits that pair well and taste similar to different varietals of wine. We spent about 30 minutes cruising the gardens and looking at the different plants and trying some of the fruits/herbs. For lunch we had made reservations at Julia's Kitchen, the only restaurant endorsed by the Julia Child Estate and the food lived up to the name and reputation. The highlight was the basket of breads and muffins that were still warm and very good. Overall the food was above average but the service was somewhat lacking. We ordered a couple of glasses of wine and they arrived after the food and we needed to remind the waiter to bring them. I would recommend Julia's Kitchen for the food and hopefully the service was an isolated case. Overall it was a nice 3 hours spent at Copia and I recommend it to others wanting a museum like food and wine experience.



Copia: http://www.copia.org/

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Performancing (ScribeFire)...a very useful Firefox Extension??

I just loaded performancing for Firefox and I hope I will be able to post Wine and Travel related articles more frequently...this is my first attempt, fingers crossed...



Hey, it worked and is a pretty slick interface too...Check back for new posts soon.

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Vino and Ice Cream?

It seems Haagen Dazs has entered the wine and food pairings craze with a new series of ice creams called Haagen Dazs Reserve. They have flavors like Pomegranate Chip and Amazon Valley Chocolate and then offer up food and wine pairings like late vintage Zinfandels, rich and balanced Sauternes, Belgian Waffles, Gorgonzola cheeses and more. Reminds me of the movie City Slickers where the Ben and Jerry'esque Barry and Ira would challenge the rest of the would be cowboys to stump them in a food and ice cream pairing....'Scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla...don't waste my time'.

To Decant or Not Decant?

I often wonder when should I decant wine and when is straight from the bottle fine. I have heard and read many suggestions and opinions on this matter from "I decant every everything, my wine, my wife, my friends" by a sommelier at the Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler, Canada (great service, food and wine!) all the way to "Decant wine only if it is of a vintage 7 - 10 years or greater" from several books and wine shop owners.

So what is the rule of thumb? Really when should we decant the wine we drink? Does red vs. white matter? Do different varietals of Red require more frequent/sooner decanting compared to others (Zinfandel - yes; Pinot - no)? I decided to do some more research and think of my own experiences with decanted vs. un-decanted wine and here is what I found.

What does decanting do?

Decanting the wine does two things, one it allows you to pour the contents of the bottle at a controlled rate into a secondary vessel thus acting as sort of a filtering process for sediment that may be present in a older vintage or new unfiltered wine; two it allows for greater aeration and exposure to the air bringing out fuller flavor in the wine. Think of the latter as a pre-swirling in a large glass, later in-glass swirling should enhance the fullness through aeration even more. More air and less sediment in my wine both sound good to me.

So what is my take?

I think if you have the time and are opening a decent bottle of wine (for me anything upwards of $20-$25 or more discount), you should error on the side of decanting. For some it may seem unnecessary or ostentatious when in fact in can be fun, good for the wine and keep pesky wine droppings out of your glass. Sometimes decanting is not possible like at a picnic, barbecue or a casual party. In that case if the wine is deemed suitable for decanting, you might want to just slow down on the pour and not take the last ounce or two from the bottle for your glass.

Decanting Instructions:

1. Always start with a clean wine decanter and glassware.
2. Remove the foil completely from the neck of the wine bottle so you can view as you pour into the decanter.
3. Tilt the decanter to meet the angle of the bottle so you can pour slowly into the decanter.
4. Check for sediment leaving the bottle and entering the decanter and slow the pour if observed (some sediment is unavoidable and will be left behind in the decanter during a pour into the wine glass).
5. Once the wine is decanted, you can slowly pour a glass of wine that has had a few important moments exposed to air.
6. mmmm love that decanted wine.
   

Recommended Decanter (it works for me...)

Hops of the Vine: Fat Tire Ale

By now most beer aficionados have heard of Fat Tire Ale from the once tiny microbrewery New Belgium Brewery. They produce a medium hopped and fairly highly malted amber ale called Fat Tire that I and several friends and family really enjoy. I remember first trying Fat Tire in the early 1990's at a pub in Silverton Colorado, the once mining boom town turned small casino resort town, and it made a great impression. I tried looking for the beer in the supers and other more specialized beer and wine stores for years but they did not import it to California. :(

15 years later we can all enjoy this excellent ale due to New Belgium's increased production and distribution. Please do your self and your guests a favor the next time you are having food that goes well with beer (this stuff is great with chili!) and pick up some Fat Tire.

Hops of the Vine Rating: 4.5 out of 5

New Belgium Brewery: http://www.newbelgium.com/index.php

Watch out for the rocks! Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz is Good Stuff

Looking for a bold Shiraz that rates high for the money? Try the 2005 Shiraz from the small but fiercely independent Australian winery Jip Jip Rocks. The nose is full and fruity with hints of berry and the taste is just as big and also contains mineral elements and some pretty long aggressive tannins.

You can find this at small wine shops such as The Wine Exchange in Orange for around $10.99 and should pair well with a variety of mostly hearty meats.

Vinometer Rating






4 out of 5 corks

Counterfeit Wine?

I guess nothing of value is immune to forgery and fakes, it appears there have been instances of counterfeit boutique Napa Valley wines. - from Bloomberg

Red-Hot California Cult Wineries Fight Fakes With High Tech

By Elin McCoy

March 30 (Bloomberg) -- Colgin Cellars, whose over-the-top cabernets from California's Napa Valley sell at auction for hundreds of dollars, is the first ``cult'' winery to say it's fighting off potential fakes with new technology from Kodak....

Full Story from Bloomberg

2005 Castle Rock Zin...Rock and Roll

Tried the 2005 Castle Rock Sonoma Zinfandel last night and rather enjoyed this big, fruity, jammy (but not overly) Zinfandel. At $7.99 from Wine Exchange or other discount wine shops it was a nice price too. I personally liked this better than the inexpensive and consistent Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel. Both are made from a blend of Zinfandel grapes but at least the Castle Rock's are all sourced from Sonoma Valley. A good buy and worth a try!

Vinometer Rating







3 out of 5 corks

Not a Margarita, a Maygarita!

I have a few recipes for food and drink that not only I appreciate but others do as well. One of my favorite and most requested drinks is the Maygarita which is essentially a Margarita but was coined The Maygarita by several friends years ago.

The Maygarita

2 ounces/parts Suaza Hornitos Tequila
3/4 ounce/part Cointreau
3 ounces/parts Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix
Splash of Rose's sweet lime juice
Squeeze of 1/4 fresh lime (leave remainder to soak in glass)

Combine all ingredients in a steel or glass shaker with 4 or 5 ice cubes.
Shake and pour into pre iced and salted (optional) glasses and it's fiesta time!

Wait, what time is it? I am going to make one now!

Wine Rants: Wine by the Glass

I don't like to complain much but I have a real problem with wine by the glass (WBTG). I know this is a great way to be able to sample top quality wines without having to commit to a $50- $100 bottle but WBTG has one problem...how long has that bottle been open? Recently I ordered a glass of Tobin James 'Ballistic' Zinfandel 2004 (which I had enjoyed in bottle form on two other occasions), and it was just not quite right. I wouldn't say it was bad or corked but on the contrary it suffered from being uncorked for too long. Don't get me wrong, I have had many very fresh and good glasses of WBTG but you never know if that bottle was opened on the night and hopefully within an hour or two of your meal or was that bottle left over from Saturday and it is now Wednesday?

Bottom line is I think WBTG is still a viable if somewhat risky way to drink great wines, just be sure to ask your server or sommelier when the bottle was opened. If not you will be playing the wine lover's version of Russian Roulette.

The 5 Lands! - Cinque Terre (Part 2) - Lobster Spaghetti

This is a continuation of a series of posts about Cinque Terre.

Once we finally made it back to New Monterrosso al Mare we were a little tired but more than that, we were all pretty hungry. You see, riding in a rented Opel wagon and viewing so much great Italian scenery and then fearing for your life during not one but two nighttime World Rally Championship type hill climbs can build quite an appetite. So, after dropping our bags off at the Hotel Margherita it was off to look for a place to eat.

Knowing from internet articles, blogs and my traditional but life saving Fodor's Italy 2006 we had a good idea that when it came to food, Cinque Terre could be counted on for two things; great seafood and great local white wine. Well ladies and gentlemen, our first night in Monterosso al Mare and we all struck culinary gold. There are only around 20 restaurants in all of Monterosso so on a 4 day trip you might be able to eat in about half of them. We picked a good one the first night after not being able to eat at the restaurant recommended by the hotel due to this being their one closed night of the week. The place we stumbled across and into (literally) was called Ristorante La Cambusa which consisted of a small, traditional dining room with about 8 white table-clothed tables of varying sizes and a nice home like (if you happened to live in a small seaside town in Italy) atmosphere.

We scanned the menu quickly that our hostess/server brought to the table and picked out a local Cinque Terre wine called what else...Cinque Terre. This is the most famous and popular style of wine (light bodied white) in the area and is grown and produced from Bosco, Albarola, and Vermentino grapes from the local Cinque Terre co-op. The wine and a plate of jamon e melone (prosciutto and cantaloupe) arrived at the table and tasted amazing. We were then ready to order our main dish and luckily my parents, girlfriend and I all were looking at the exact same thing. Lobster spaghetti for two times two.

Let me tell you, until you have had really good and really fresh lobster spaghetti in the place it was meant to be served, you really have not had lobster or maybe I should go as far as to say seafood pasta of any kind. What arrived at our table approximately 15 minutes after ordering were two large 3 inch deep pans of lobster, olive oil, basil, garlic, fresh tomatoes and of course the ubiquitous spaghetti. We all just smiled and then proceeded to eat, drink, smile, drink, comment on the food (just enough to still be able to EAT) and feel that we had all had our best meal of the trip to Italy so far. The food and wine tasted so good together that we decided to eat the same meal again 3 nights later. It was not quite as unbelievable as the first taste of Cinque Terre wine with lobster spaghetti but still way up there on my list of memorable meals.

Next Post...Cinque Terre (Part 3) - The Walk of All Walks

Holy Jumilla!

V&V Wine Review: 2004 Altos De Luzon Jumilla

The 2004 Alto De Luzon Jumilla is a very good wine for the price. It can be had for $11.99 at Costco or other discount wine shops and tastes bigger and more full bodied than it's price. The nose is somewhat subtle and does not quite match the 'in your face' first drink and nice big finish. There are tastes of plum, blueberry and shows some significant tannins. Although I enjoyed with some simple wheat crackers, it would be better paired with lamb chops, prime rib or other hearty meats. This is truly a BIG wine at a SMALL price...enjoy.

Vinometer Rating







4 out of 5 corks

Beach of the Month - Kailua Beach

I was able to spend a few hours at one of the nicest beaches anywhere in the world and my new favorite beach on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. Gentle waves, amazing shades of blue, kayaking, sleeping and due to the abundance of onshore winds, kite surfing can all be found at Kailua Beach on the East shore of Oahu. When most people think of Oahu they think of the famous and often times insanely crowded Waikiki Beach or the seasonal surf breaks like Banzai-Pipeline and Waimea Bay but Kailua is a little different. It is only 45 minutes from downtown Honolulu but feels hours away in it's pace and people. The crowd here is a good mix of locals and tourists and the town of Kailua Beach is small but with some very good cafes and both local and chain stores/restaurants. Although I was only able to spend a few hours in Kailua Beach, I will definitely be going back on my next trip to Oahu.

Killer Wine, Killer Price, Kilikanoon Shiraz

V&V Wine Review:

2004 Kilikanoon Shiraz - Killerman's Run

Enjoyed this bold but smooth shiraz on Sunday evening with the family and really enjoyed it. Big on the fruit with small amounts of tannins made it a good choice with New York strip and baked potato. At $18 - $20 I will definitely be buying this one again and looking forward to trying others from the Kilikanoon stable.

Vinometer Rating






4.5 out of 5 corks!

The 5 Lands! - Cinque Terre (Part 1)

Personally I don't enjoy white wines nearly as much as a do a good red like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia Syrah or Zinfandel but on a 16 day trip to Italy last September/October with my family, I learned of some very good white wines grown on steep cliffs in Cinque Terre located in the Liguria region of Italy. Not only are the white wines beautiful and affordable, the people, food and scenery (think cliffs, vineyards, ocean, villages) are some of the greatest in the world.

Driving from our 3 hour stop in Pisa (yes 3 hours was long enough) to the small village of Monterosso Al Mare in the dark was quite an adventure. The area is accessible only by 1.62 lane roads that rise, twist and fall and fall for several miles after leaving the A12 (the main highway). We actually got to go up and down the hill in the dark twice as Monterosso Al Mare is separated into two different villages Old and New and unless you have a local traffic pass allowing you to travel through a 1.35 lane tunnel, you must take the 'overland' route. The excitement of driving narrow, steep roads at night was further enhanced by the moderate layer of coastal fog that had settled in a couple hours early. Dad did a great job traversing the curves, avoiding bushes, dogs, a couple of signs and most importantly, the cliffs.

Arriving at the long drive at our Hotel the Villa Accini in the Old part of Monterosso, we noticed a man walking towards us slowly with his head lowered. He didn't look happy and a mere 37 minutes later after trying to communicate in broken Italian (ours), broken English (his) and finally perfect Spanish (his and my girlfriend's) we found out there was a clerical error and our hotel rooms we had reserved online for 4 nights were no longer available. The 'good news' was accommodations had been made at Hotel Margherita in of course the New part of Monterosso. My girlfriend did a great job of keeping her composure and thanked the manager for the information, they even got into a short discussion as to how he knew Spanish so well. He explained that he had spend 17 years in Argentina and now was back in Italy were he was born. My dad, 'The Driver' was eagerly awaiting a translation from my girlfriend as to our hotel accommodations status. She let him know the details and even a little bit of the Manager's Argentina 1/4 life story. Dad then asked "how do we get to New Monterosso?", with a hand gesture, the manager motioned 'back over the hill'. We all smiled faintly and trudged back to the rented Opel to drive the 7 miles overland to New Monterosso...My dad actually seemed alright with the whole thing and almost seemed to relish more fog, curve, dog, cliff driving...Italy will do that to you and your state of mind.

Next Week...Cinque Terre Lobster Spaghetti w/ local white wine.

What kind of wine should we have...with enchiladas?

One of my favorite restaurants for any type of food is Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen in Old Town Orange. They have some of the best mole chicken enchiladas, fresh salsas, homemade churros and of course margaritas to be found anywhere. So on a recent trip there with my girlfriend, we decided to ask a question seldom heard in Mexican Restaurants around Southern California..."What kind of wine would you recommend with the mole enchiladas?". Knowing that Gabbi's has a pretty decent wine list from previous visits but not knowing if some of the wait staff were actually oenophiles, our server immediately offered two choices.

"With the richness and spiciness of the mole sauce, I would go with a Spanish Jumilla or we have a very nice and well priced Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.", he quickly replied with what seemed like first hand tasting knowledge. "Tell me more about the Chilean Cab you are thinking of", I responded. He then went on to describe a medium bodied Chilean Cabernet called Casillero del Diablo that sounded like it would pair nicely with the mole enchiladas and the flat-iron steak w/ mushrooms, peppers and cheese enchiladas that I was ordering.

Once the wine arrived, we liked the aroma and felt the taste was good and bold enough to stand up to both my girlfriend's enchiladas Mole and my spicy, tasty flat-iron and once the food arrived we were not disappointed with our servers suggestion. The Casillero del Diablo cabernet was nice with the tender and rich steak and did not taste too sweet against the tangy green tomatillo mole cheese enchiladas served on the same plate.

I would not recommend asking for wine pairings at all Mexican restaurants but those that offer true Mexican dishes by skilled and trained chefs such as Gabbi's, it is always good to ask!

Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen is located in Old Towne Orange and is open for Lunch and Dinner; reservations are not accepted. Be sure to ask for the daily fish, dessert and other specials.

Address:
Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen 141 S Glassell St Orange, CA 92866

Web:

http://www.gabbimex.com/index.php/kitchen_about/

Look good, pour easy...The Foil Cutter

The foil cutter is a very simple but necessary part of the wine opening process. Many people (including myself in the past) think that all they need to open a bottle of wine and get to the good stuff is a corkscrew. The corkscrew, or Rabbit or Screwpull will do the job but you may risk stripping the cork and have a foil mess on your hands if you don't use a foil cutter. It also makes that $6.99 bottle of wine look like a $26.99 bottle.

So save yourself the embarrassment of a bad open and have something to talk about with all of your wine newbie friends and buy, steal or borrow a foil cutter right away.

A Great Wine Shop in Orange, CA? It's True!

No really, there is one of the best wine shops in all of California called the Wine Exchange in Orange. They are not a fancy wine and cheese shop with soft jazz and trendy patrons (though they do have a pretty nice tasting room on the side). The Wine Exchange offers a dizzying selection of wines in all price categories from all over the globe. Their selection of Zinfandel, normally relegated to 1/2 a shelf in most supermarkets is about 40 feet long with great selections from the Central Coast and Lodi.

The staff at the Wine Exchange is extremely knowledgeable from a practical (drinking) and academic (hitting the books) wine education. They will ask you what type of wine do you like and if you don't know they will talk about your favorite foods, flowers, smells and tastes to help pick a style just right for you.

They also offer twice weekly tastings on Wednesday or Thursday and always on Saturday that are nice to taste and then go pick out your favorite bottle of the day at a discounted price. Liquor, beer, cigars and some gourmet foods are also offered but at the Wine Exchange, wine rules the day.

You can find the Wine Exchange at the following address:

1500 E. Village Way #2364
(Near Tustin & Heim)
Orange, CA 92865
800.76.WINEX
714.974.1454
714.974.1792 (Fax)

Check out there online specials and calendar of events at: http://www.winex.com/

Welcome to Vino and Vistas

Hi and thanks for stopping in for a quick drink. Vino and Vistas is dedicated to sharing information about two of my favorite hobbies, drinking new wine and visiting new places. Some of my favorite places are Hawaii, Italy and the Sierra Nevada in California and some of my favorite wines are Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

I will hope to write about one good wine or food experience and one good trip (day, week or longer) each week. There will also be information about travel and wine accessories and specific hotels and wineries.

See you soon...Salud!