Wine and Food Tasting Events
Central Coast wineries fare well at 2010 Long Beach Grand Cru
Several Central Coast wineries fared quite well at the recent 2010 Long Beach Grand Cru wine competition onJuly 17-18.
The 07 “Lone Tree,” ($35) captured Best of Class in the Cabernet Franc category for the Hearst Ranch Winery in Paso Robles.
It was crafted by winemaker and judge Adam Lazarre, who also made Villa San-Juliette’s 08 Chanum blend ($19.99), which missed a sweepstakes win by one vote -- his own -- when he abstained from voting during the sweepstakes round for best blended red wine.
Mike Stepanovich (L) judging at Long Beach
And Paso’s Eberle Winery, which took a gold for its 08 Barbera ($26), also missed a sweeptstakes win by only one vote.
Some 1500 wines from all over the world were entered in the competition, with New York state’s Finger Lakes region garnering an impressive array of honors.
The top sweepstakes winners were:
- Best Red Wine – Rutherford Vintners, 07 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, $12.99
- Best Pink Wine – Torrey Ridge Winery, non-vintage, Catawba Lakes, $10.29
- Best Sparkling Wine – Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyard, 99 Carneros Cuvee’ Brut, $50
- Best White Wine – Belhurst Estate Winery, 09 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, $18.95
- Best Dessert Wine – Quady Winery, 08 Black Muscat, Madera, Cal., $16.88.
The Long Beach Grand Cru is just one of many wine competitions held throughout the year. Wine journalist and judge Mike Stepanovich of Bakersfield says he has noted some interesting trends and patterns in the judging so far for 2010.
Most notably, the trend over the past decade toward escalating alcohol content appears to be cooling. “I believe it was driven by the large numbers of 20- and 30-something-year-olds who were getting into wine and looking for big wines. And the market responded to them,” he said.
“As those people have grown older, their palates have become more refined, and they’re looking for something to go with their food, rather than just a buzz,” he added.
He thinks the decline in discretionary income due to the slumping economy in recent years has also affected the marketplace. “Wine is a discretionary buy, and people are not willing to spend what they once did for a bottle of wine. The word is if the wine is $25 or less, you’re able to sell it – much more than that, not so much in demand.”
Another welcome trend he has observed is the rise in the quality of white wines in particular. As vintners and winemakers become more skilled, and take advantage of technological advances, they are able to raise the quality of wines.
What does all this mean for the wine drinker? For less than $10 these days, you can get a good, food-friendly white table wine. For example, Barefoot Cellars California Domestic Pinot Grigio ($6.99) and its Riesling ($6.79) both took gold medals at Long Beach, as did Turning Leaf’s 08 Classic German Riesling.
And that’s good news, as the summer heat waves continue.
Thank You Berry Much Cheesecake by Utopia Bakery
takes top honors in Girl Scout Cookoff
Utopia Bakery’s Thank You Berry Munch Cheesecake took top honors at the Central Coast Girl Scout Cookie Bakeoff in San Luis Obispo on Jan. 13.
Seven local chefs participated, each creating an original dessert using one of the eight cookie flavors. Utopia wowed the panel with a perfect mini-cheescake round atop a crust of the newest cookie flavor, berry munch.
Top winner: Thank You Berry Munch Cheesecake, lower left
The dish was perfectly executed, according to judge Saro Rizzo of Cafe Roma in SLO. “It had the tartness of the fresh berries and the sweetness of the cheesecake, both of which complimented the flavors and texture of the Berry Munch cookies,” he commented.
Runner-up was Splash Cafe, whose chef Susan Johnson created a mouth-watering banana-cream layered dessert featuring the Dulce de Leche cookie.
The People’s Choice Award – voted on by the scouts, troop leader, and volunteers – went to Edna Valley Market for their thin mint lemon pound cake. “Not surprising,” said emcee Lynn Diehl, hostess of local television show Wine Region News. “I think everybody’s favorite cookie is Thin Mints.”
These culinary delights were judged for best originality, taste, and presentation by local personalities and community leaders, including:
- Dave Romero, Mayor, San Luis Obispo
- Deb Linden, Chief of Police, San Luis Obispo
- Sandra Duerr, Editor, The Tribune
- Leah Kolt, WineCountryGourmet.net
- Saro Rizzo, Owner, Café Roma
- Bill Pesso & Amy Jacob, Morning Radio Personalities, Coast Radio 101.3
The event kicked off the 2010 Girl Scout cookie sales. To order your cookies, email slogscookies@gmail.com.
Sunset Magazine’s ‘Savor the Central Coast’
Set for Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2010
If you’re one of the 250,000 visitors to attend Sunset Magazine’s annual Celebration weekend in Menlo Park, you’ll be glad to know that there will be a similar event in SLO in fall 2010.
Located on the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, about 10-15 miles south of Paso Robles wine country, the four-day event will feature an exciting array of activities designed to help visitors sip and savor the Central Coast.
Sunset Western Wine Awards Gala
Celebrity Chef appearances, cooking demonstrations, and book signings
Chef tours of local farmers markets
Two-acres victory garden
Culinary tours throughout the region
Farmers-Market-to-Meal demonstrations
Winemaking and harvest tours
Exclusive winemaker dinners
150+ wineries paired with top regional chefs
Check back here for news and updates on this fabulous event.
Congratulations to Colby Jack's Cafe on a Fab First Year
Colby Jack's pastry case
Congratulations to a Colby Jack’s Cafe in Atascadero on their first anniversary of providing fabulous bakery goodies, brunch and lunch in a delightful upscale ambience.
The special brunch buffet they featured on their anniversary date in September had diners scurrying like ants to try out all of the foods. My favorite was the quiche, an almost feathery light concoction with a whisper of jalapeno.
Patio with fountain & roses
Others seated around me by the sparkling fountain were downing the eggs Benedict, thick slices of applewood smoked bacon, and even PB&J sandwiches and macaroni (I think those last two were for kids, but who cares. Let them eat cake).
I noticed, though, that the first item to disappear off the board was the strawberry profiterole, a cream puff-like pastry filled with custard and fresh fruit. I managed to snag one because I acted quickly, but my friends were too slow and could only observe, with sad eyes, as I quickly downed the delicacy.
Jack himself
Jack, the son of a baker, said that he and his wife, who received her training as a chef in Pasadena, are considering offering the buffet again, as well as opening on Sundays. Stay tuned to find out if these actions transpire to enhance the A-town culinary scene.
Of course, Monday through Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. you can sample their wares, including an array of gourmet burgers on exquisite homemade buns, other fabulous sandwiches such as a variety of croissant melts, salads and breakfast items.
Petites Gateaux
My favorite is the Colby Jack’s burger on ciabatta bun, with cheese and that great bacon. The side I always choose is a dilled potato salad. And each plate comes with complimentary morsels such as sour mini-pickles, Kalamata olives, and petite gateaux -- mini muffin mouthfuls redolent of apricot and ginger.
Special beverages include locally roasted Joebella Coffee & Espresso, as well as local wines and craft beers.
Leigh Swam, right, samples Frolickin' Frog wine
A lovely patio lies behind the restaurant, with ample umbrella-covered tables and a sun-dappled fountain. Dogs are welcome on the patio.
CJ’s is located in the two-story building adjacent to the Atascadero Post Office, at 9700 El Camino Real. (805) 460-6455 Fax: 464.5255
You can also have your food delivered locally. Place your order by fax or phone before 10 a.m. and it will be delivered by noon! Order $25.00 total or more and you can avoid $2 delivery fee.
Paso Rotary Winemakers' Cookoff '09
The Grilled Shrimp Provencal, sauteed with herbs and served on a bed of corn and barley, was a far cry from the typical limp shrimp on a Dorito you find at many events that advertised “food and wine pairings.”
Although I chose to sample it with a taste of dry rose’ at the D’Anbino Cellars table, they were also serving it with their Sauvignon Blanc.
D'Anbino Cellars Shrimp Provencal & dry rose'
The gourmet food and the lovely lakeside setting are why so many folks rate the Paso Rotary Wine Cookoff as one of the top annual events in SLO County.
Held each August for the past 11 years, this charity fundraiser held at River Oaks Hot Springs Spa challenges winemakers and their “sous chefs” to create the most popular food and wine pairings, since the $75 ticket comes with three “votes” you cast in the People’s Choice Awards.
Of course, there are the requisite judges, too, sitting in the pavilion away from the crowd (and the fun), dutifully selecting their winners. But this event gives power to the people!
The discovery of the evening for my group was Pomar Junction’s 06 Syrah ($25), with a pleasing hint of something unusual that I had trouble identifying – which they characterize as blueberry. They paired it well with bacon-wrapped Jalapeno peppers oozing cream cheese.
Other pairings we found appealing included:
Clayhouse Vineyards’ tender tri-tip with piquant parsley-based chimichura sauce on grilled sourdough, paired with Sauvignon Blanc that had a nice mineral quality
Eberele Winery’s Pulled Pork Tacos with Cilantro Slaw, with their 06 Côtes-du-Rôbles a red blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier
Firing up the barbie
Falcon Nest’s Pork Tenerloin Oriental, an atypical pairing of pork, black truffles, Porcini mushrooms with shrimp and scallops in a four-wine brown sauce. I tried it with their 03 Zinfandel, which they had thoughtfully cooled a bit to “room temperature.” I find that serving high-alcohol wines above their optimum temperature blots out all taste except the alcohol.
Mitchella Vineyard is always a crowd pleaser. No disappointment this year with their Extreme Mini Sirloin Sliders, covered in wild mushrooms and roasted red peppers, carmelized onions and a secret sauce redolent of balsamic vinegar. A bit hard to eat with its sliced garlic sourdough bun, but worth the effort, especially paired with their gold-medal-winning Shameless red Rhone blend.
Silver Horse Winery’s Tantalyzingly Tangy Ahi, paired with a lovely Albarino, a Spanish white perfect on a summer’s evening.
Nitty Gritty Dirt in the Vineyard
Country rock pioneer John McEuen
Nitty Gritty Dirt replaced calcareous soil at Castoro Cellars Winery in Templeton on June 6, as Oakland-born John McEuen proved the affinity between grapes and music.
The 42-year Nitty Gritty Dirt Band veteran and founding member thrilled the crowd with a range of hits from Bo Jangles to Will the Circle Be Unbroken, sharing his legacy as a pioneer of country rock and also introducing a new generation of musicians.
McEuen shared the spotlight with the young singers, writers, pickers and grinners that he mentors . . . from cowboy-boot-wearing, kazoo-playing Chelsea Williams, spotted by McEuen playing on the streets in LA, to his own talented son Nathan and his band, who have played on the Tonite Show. . . and even a 16-year-old mandolin player.
McEuen talks about the banjo and the Beatles in this short clip.
As the last rays of the day catching the outdoor stage adjacent to a vineyard of Zinfandel, the soft-spoken former jug-band legend spun yarns about the musical greats he has played with since the 60s, gently poking fun at them and himself.
Recalling Jim Morrison and The Doors, with whom he shared the stage about a dozen times: “Mamma told me not to listen to them, and she was probably right. If they were still here, they’d probably be playing at all the best Indian casinos. But what am I talking about? I’m playing to a bunch of grapes.”
He fondly remembers his days in Nashville and his friendship with Lester Scruggs, and he still enjoys picking the banjo with comedian and film star Steve Martin.
On the road since 1967, McEuan doesn’t seem to be slowing down. This benefit gig for a local charity was just one of the hundred for McEuen this year, between playing with the Dirt Band and his own solo concerts.
You can catch the Dirt Band next in California on July 3 in San Rafael. http://marinfair.org/index.cfm http://marinfair.org/index.cfm
For McEuen's personal appearances, check http://www.johnmceuen.com/cgi-bin/jmc0309/cl/calendar.pl
And watch for a new Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album this summer!
Wine Artistry Class at Chateau Margene
Click Above to View Photos of Wine Artisty Class
The annual Paso Robles harvest festival offers more tastings, dinners, and seminars than there are grapes in the vineyard. Choosing can be difficult.
This year I thought I’d take a stab at blending my own wine at the Wine Artistry class offered by Chateau Margene, located near Creston a few miles southeast of Paso.
For $65 each, our class of some 20 amateur winemakers was treated to a catered al fresco lunch, expert instruction in how to create our own Bordeaux blend, and a tour of the facilities, which use machinery and methods very similar to those from 100 years ago, according to winemaker Mike Mooney. .
“We use gravity flow instead of pumping, and our wine press is an older rebuilt model,” he explained, inviting us to take a whiff of the berries fermenting in open vats inside their barrel and tasting room.
One sniff and you could see why his sons dash in and out quickly in the mornings, opening up the room to draw out the fumes, which include enough carbon dioxide to suffocate a person in short order.
Chateau Margene produces some of its own fruit, buying the rest from other vineyards. “Wine is really made in the vineyard,” he said. “You have to start with superior fruit to make great wine. All the winemaker really does is try not to screw it up.”
During our two-hour class, we learned that he was only half joking, as we each sipped, blended, poured out, sipped again, made tasting notes, and shook our heads or smiled. Then started all over again – four times.
We were provided with four base wines to choose from, in whatever proportions we determined were best. All were of the same 2006 vintage, from three different vineyards:
- Chateau Margene Cabernet Sauvignon in new French oak
- Casagrande Cab in neutral French oak (barrels 3 years of age or older)
- Still Waters Merlo in neutral French oak
- Chateau Margene Cab in new American oak
I was drawn to the rose petal nose of American oak Cab, as well as its finish. To three parts of that, which I sucked up through a long glass straw called a “pippette,” I added one part of the new French oak cab, which also had a nice nose.
The result defnitely had an inviting bouquet but not much after that, a rather mild flavor with not much of a finish.
On my second attempt, I decided to try equal amounts of each wine, which wasn’t bad, with less on the nose but a longer finish and more taste.
Mike then explained that most people are drawn to the heavily oaked wines at first, because of their obvious qualities, but these same characteristics quickly dull the palate. He suggseted starting with the oak-neutral wines, to get the tannins and fruit right, before enhancing with the oaky taste and smell.
Taking his advice, on the third try, I blended 40% each of the neutral-oak Cab and the new-American-oak Cab with 20% neutral-oak Merlot. This produced a good nose, flavor and finish.
For the last blend, I increased the neutral-oak Cab to a full half, adding about a third neutral-oak Merlot, and for the rest, the new-American-oak Cab. Voila! I decided this was right recipe for the bottle I then filled, labeled, corked, and sealed: 2006 Wine Country Gourmet Red Blend.
Sorry but my creation is all sold out. However, you can still sample Chateau Margene’s wonderful wines at 4385 La Panza Road in Creston. Or go to www.chateaumargene.com.
Bison chili stew, squid cerviche, biodynamic coffee, raw goats milk cheese, and green wine.
Slow Food Nation 2008: Preserving the Legacy of the Dinner Table
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Bison chili stew, squid cerviche, biodynamic coffee, raw goats milk cheese, and green wine.
While it may sound like a menu from the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, these bold foods were actually featured at the Slow Food Nation Grand Tasting event in San Francisco on Sunday, Sept. 30.
The antidote to fast food, Slow Food Nation is part of an international movement to preserve the authentic artisan ways of preparing food. The entire conference spanned the Labor Day weekend at venues all over the city, but I chose to focus on the tasting event at Ft. George Mason, the former military water-front facility that has been reborn as a cultural and arts center –with a grand view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
For $65 each, my friend Sue and I nibbled and sipped our way across a whole country of adventurous delights. We started at the Native American area, sacrificing two punches on our lunch ticket for the savory bison stew – made with organically-raised buffalo, pinto and kidney beans – and an authentic pre-Columbian corn posole, flavored with red chili honey sauce.
Next came a seafood trio that included the squid cerviche and slow-cooked albacore tuna with preserved lemon and local agretti – a small succulent shrub native to the Mediterranean Basin. A “halophyte,” or salt-tolerant plant, agretti is typically found in coastal regions and can even be irrigated with salt water. The third dish was cured local sardines with tiny dumplings of Panko bread crumbs, made from bread without crusts, which makes the crumbs lighter and crisper than those made from most Western breads.
With some protein under our belts, we headed for the wine section, starting with a flight of “green” wines from California’s Mendocino County at the Sustainable Wine Bar. Although I frequently sample a variety of California wines, and have even served as a wine competition judge, I couldn’t tell any difference between these wines and those made “unorganically.” But that’s a good thing, I think, since you feel good knowing that these wines can have a high impact on your taste buds with a low impact on the environment.
After the buffalo and squid, I was ready for a something sweet. A Greenwood Ridge 06 estate Riesling did the trick. With a nice acidic kick and a tropical, pineapple flavor, it made a great dessert wine.
The wine section was filling up by this point. Even with over 500 wines from 40 states available, lines were getting long. By the time I made it to the counter, they were out of the Stags Leap 03 Cabernet Saugivnon. The pourer suggested I try their 04 Petite Syrah instead, a great idea! It was bold, fruity and complex, with a finish that went on and on.
Sue and I sipped our wine as we waited in line at the cheese tasting area. Along the way, we sampled a terrific raw milk cheese made by Italy-native Alessandra Trompeo of La Casa dei Formaggi in Durham, N.C. A geologist turned cheesemaker, she crafts her cheese in small batches from nonpasteurized Jersey-cow milk and ages them for at least 60 days. More common in Europe, the raw-milk cheese are beginning to take up more shelf space in the U.S. Unlike the wine, I could taste the difference this time and it’s an improvement!
Ah, the chocolate. We excercised great restaint, opting to sample a “deconstructed chocolate bar” first. First, we nibbled the nibs, which are the broken-up roasted bean pieces. Expecting a big burst of bitterness, we were amazed instead by a pleasant, soft, chocolate taste. No wonder some chocolatieres are putting the crunchy nibs into their bars.
The next stage is creating the molten liqueur by melting the nibs. The resulting unfinished product is a bit granular but tastes sweeter because of the larger size of the sugar crystal. If you don’t mind the slightly gritty texture, you can save some calories by eating unrefined chocolate.
“It all begins with the quality of the ingredients,” explained chocolatier Clark Goble, who crafts the silky Amano chocolates in Orem, Utah. Amano, a gourmet brand I was already familiar with because it had topped competitors in previous tastings I’d participated in, buys beans from the best plantations in Venezuela.
The desert air is another secret to Amano’s successful chocolate-making. The dry climate helps remove water, and the high altitude helps evaporate the volatiles, he said, taking the bitterness out of the nibs.
There was more – olive oils, coffees and tea, bread, charcuterie, honey and preserves, ice cream, and even pickles and chutneys. And there was much more to the conference: lectures, workshops, plantings. As Anya Fernald, executive director of Slow Food Nation, phrased it, the legacy of a few days in San Francisco is that “conversations will bloom into projects, changes, new passions, and careers. The seeds of Slow Food Nation will grow into new communities and new partnerships built around the kitchen table.”
Shamelessly Soused Shrimp Tacos Take Top Honors at 2008 Paso Rotary Wine Cookoff
Gourmet tour de force Mitchella Vineyard and Winery has done it again, repeating their first-place win in the official food and wine judging!
Held outdoors by a lovely lake in the cool of the Paso Robles evening, this event eschews the Dreaded White Tents, which typically are dark, hot and crowded. A live band adds to the festive air.
Mitchella’s Shamelessly Soused Shrimp Tacos, marinated in a Viognier redolent of honeysuckle and served with the same, caught the judges’ eyes, as did their entry last year – petite sirloin and wild mushroom burgers on garlic sourdough baguettes.
In a close second-place win, according to judge Mike Stepanovich, was Midnight Cellars with their Beefapalooza, individual Beef Wellingtons served with a mushroom and port-wine reduction sauce on a made-from-scratch puff pastry. Amazing with their big Zinfandel.
Not to be missed was Eberle Winery’s Love Muffin, ground sirloin on a buttered muffin smothered in grilled peppers and onions. I forked over one of my three People’s Choice vouchers for a sample of Gary Eberle’s ’90 Reserve Cabernet, still a big wine in 2008. When else am I going to be offered a taste of this private reserve wine from the Robert Mondavi of Paso Robles?
I wasn’t alone in my appreciation of Eberle’s epicurean magic. My fellow gourmands voted Eberle into third place in the People’s Choice Awards. The judges liked their offering, too, awarding them an honorable mention.
Another crowd pleasure was Cass Winery’s Crab Cake Sliders, served Maryland style on a sesame bun, with special homemade tartar sauce. I chose their chilled Grenache, perfect for a summer evening repast. The good news is that you can sample this fare year round at the winery, which boasts its own charming little cafe.
Edward Sellers Vineyard & Winery was hawking Pepper Jack Sliders – mini burgers topped with grilled apple, pepper jack cheese, arugula and a secret smoky sauce – with their Cognito red blend, a perfect complement with its own peppery finish.
The line was long at the EOS Estate Winery booth, as folks waited patiently to nosh on Nathan’s Gnarly Nuggets, bacon-wrapped scallops with a late-harvest Muscat reduction sauce, and their Reserve French Connection, a great Bordeaux blend with a spicy finish.
My new discovery for the night was Silver Horse Winery’s Albarino, a light, nicely acidic Spanish white with a tantalizing tingle. l rank it alongside the lovely Vina Robles Roseum as a favorite summer wine.
To all of this terrific food and fun, you can add the good feeling that comes with knowing all profits are donated by the Paso Rotary Club to benefit high school students, and your $75 will help the kids reach their education goals.
List of All Winners of the 10th Annual Winemakers Cook-off & Wine Tasting
Judges rankings
- Mitchella Vineyard & Winery, “Shamelessly Soused Shrimp Tacos” wrapped in jicama tortillas.
- Midnight Cellars, “Midnight Beefapalooza,” mini Beef Wellingtons
- Calcareous Vineyard, “Tacos al Pastor Gordo,” pork, avocado, cilantro, lime
Honorable mentions
- Eberle Winery, “Love Muffin,” buttered toast with sliced beef topped with sautéed onions and peppers
- Sylvester Vineyards & Winery, “Spicy Korean Hot Meat Lettuce Wraps”
- Stacked Stone Cellars, “Don Juan’s Pollo Love Loco Jalapeno Sausage”
People’s choice awards
- First place, Midnight Cellars
- Second place, Tobin James Cellars
- Third Place, Eberle Winery