Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tonight was a special treat. Five of us dined in the Wine Cellar Room at Delius, www.deliusrestaurant.com . This room is private and has a window that looks out into the kitchen so you can see all the activities going on. 10 courses which is a lot of food even with the small portions. Half way through I had reached my saturation point.
I let the others pick out the wines for this evening. As long as they went well with the food is all I cared about and they did a good job or doing that.
We were seated at 7:15 and left at 10:45. No one trying to push you out for the next diner.
We started off with an appetizer plate which had, Spanish white anchovies, Kalmata olives, a very good Hummus, tomato salsa for bruschetta, endive, feta cheese and toast points. Only missing for me was a pate.
Next was a seared Ahi which was exceptional in flavor.
Scallop with carmelized shallots, fried mushrooms, carrot puree and chive oil.
Salad was very thinly sliced gold and red beets with micro arugula, goat cheese and a balsamic reduction.
Soup was a roasted garlic and carmelized onion. Very good. I have had this soup before and always enjoyed it
The two whites wines we had with these dishes were a 2007 Xavier Frissant, Val de Loire, Sancerre and a 2009 Vionta Albarino. Very good pairings and the wines were very reasonable.
This is where I hit the wall.
Entree was roasted duck breast with potato gnocchi with raspberry gastric. Had one bite and asked Fred to box it up for me. As always the duck was excellent.
We were then served a pink grapefruit sorbet to clean the palate.
Main course was a beef filet with mushrooms, onions, green beans , parsnip puree and a red wine reduction . Again one bite and boxed to go.
The red wine we chose for this part of dinner was an 2008 Miner, Garys Vineyard, Pinot Noir. A good choice.
A cheese plate appeared with a soft brie type cheese, manchengo a blue cheese, crackers and grapes. I did not have any at all as dessert was next and I needed to save room for it. But the plate got cleaned up by the others.
Dessert was a Filbert (Hazelnut) gelato over a thin slice of a decadent chocolate cake.
All the food was top quality as it usually is at Delius. Had good service with Fred and Phillipe. Company was good along with the wines. It was a very enjoyable evening. Could not have asked for anything more. Will have to do this again.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
BYOB Diiner at The Factory
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Theme for tonight's BYOB dinner at the Factory, www.TheFactoryLB.com, was Zinfandel. Since they redeemed themselves with last months dinner 9 of us decided we would try again. All the Zins on the table were good. Ridge, Seghesio, Chateau Margene, Turley Rattlesnake. I tried to remember them all but it got lost in my brain the last few days.
First course was a Roasted sweet potato soup - good flavor.
Salad was Warm Wild Mushrooms with Dandelion Herbs and Roasted Hazelnuts. Surprisingly it was very good.
Next was a Pomegranate Glazed Grilled Duck Breast with Creme Fraiche, roasted grapes and potato bacon gratin. Everything goes good with bacon. Duck was good.
Dessert was a Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Strusel and Maple Ice Cream. A nice end to a meal.
These dinners are only $25 and you bring your own wine. It is a lot of fun and reasonable. The portions are not big but for $25 I think you get your moneys worth.
They are talking about having a dinner in December but it would be so close to Christmas that I doubt that I will be able to attend.
Theme for tonight's BYOB dinner at the Factory, www.TheFactoryLB.com, was Zinfandel. Since they redeemed themselves with last months dinner 9 of us decided we would try again. All the Zins on the table were good. Ridge, Seghesio, Chateau Margene, Turley Rattlesnake. I tried to remember them all but it got lost in my brain the last few days.
First course was a Roasted sweet potato soup - good flavor.
Salad was Warm Wild Mushrooms with Dandelion Herbs and Roasted Hazelnuts. Surprisingly it was very good.
Next was a Pomegranate Glazed Grilled Duck Breast with Creme Fraiche, roasted grapes and potato bacon gratin. Everything goes good with bacon. Duck was good.
Dessert was a Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Strusel and Maple Ice Cream. A nice end to a meal.
These dinners are only $25 and you bring your own wine. It is a lot of fun and reasonable. The portions are not big but for $25 I think you get your moneys worth.
They are talking about having a dinner in December but it would be so close to Christmas that I doubt that I will be able to attend.
Last Wine & Dine
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Dinner tonight was at Fritto Misto's in Hermosa Beach. CJ has deceided that after 10 years of organizing these dinners this will be his last. It is a tremendous amount of work on his part to have new and different menus each time to we out.
There were 29 in attendance tonight for the "Last Hurrah". Since I just got back from vacation and a lot of driving, I rode with friends tonight. The food here is good but the parking really sucks. A few people who live in the south bay area came by taxi to avoid the parking issue.
A lot of wine was on the table. As usual I did not keep track of anything besides the 2005 Stolpman LaCroce I brought. This wine was showing very well. Glad I have a few more bottles left. I did not taste a bad wine tonight. Everyone seemed to bring out the good stuff for the last supper.
We started off with Misto Salad - To me it is a "salad", greens with a few additives.
Next was Fritto Mist which is vegetables and seafood, battered and deep fried, served with a roasted garlic mayonnaise and a marinara sauce. Always a favorite.
Garlic Shrimp was next up shrimp sauteed in garlic and olive oil. Good flavor.
Chicken Cilantro Ravioli - ravioli filled with chicken and served with a cilantro cream sauce with tomatoes and green onions. This was very good.
Italian sausage and Roasted Peppers - sliced Italian turkey sausage, marinara sauce, roasted green peppers and carmelized onions on linguini - the sausage was too spicy for me but the sauce and the linguini was great.
Fresh Mixed Vegetables With Beef Tips - just what the name says. Good flavor.
Food was good. But unless I was in the area for some reason I would not make the trek to Hermosa Beach to eat here. There are some very good Italian restaurants within 20 minutes driving time to my "abode". I would much rather stay close to home.
Good home close to 1:00 am which is very late for me. Sure glad it was on a Saturday so I had Sunday to rest before going back to work.
Sad to see it being the last Wine & Dine. But everything has a shelf life and this one came due.
Dinner tonight was at Fritto Misto's in Hermosa Beach. CJ has deceided that after 10 years of organizing these dinners this will be his last. It is a tremendous amount of work on his part to have new and different menus each time to we out.
There were 29 in attendance tonight for the "Last Hurrah". Since I just got back from vacation and a lot of driving, I rode with friends tonight. The food here is good but the parking really sucks. A few people who live in the south bay area came by taxi to avoid the parking issue.
A lot of wine was on the table. As usual I did not keep track of anything besides the 2005 Stolpman LaCroce I brought. This wine was showing very well. Glad I have a few more bottles left. I did not taste a bad wine tonight. Everyone seemed to bring out the good stuff for the last supper.
We started off with Misto Salad - To me it is a "salad", greens with a few additives.
Next was Fritto Mist which is vegetables and seafood, battered and deep fried, served with a roasted garlic mayonnaise and a marinara sauce. Always a favorite.
Garlic Shrimp was next up shrimp sauteed in garlic and olive oil. Good flavor.
Chicken Cilantro Ravioli - ravioli filled with chicken and served with a cilantro cream sauce with tomatoes and green onions. This was very good.
Italian sausage and Roasted Peppers - sliced Italian turkey sausage, marinara sauce, roasted green peppers and carmelized onions on linguini - the sausage was too spicy for me but the sauce and the linguini was great.
Fresh Mixed Vegetables With Beef Tips - just what the name says. Good flavor.
Food was good. But unless I was in the area for some reason I would not make the trek to Hermosa Beach to eat here. There are some very good Italian restaurants within 20 minutes driving time to my "abode". I would much rather stay close to home.
Good home close to 1:00 am which is very late for me. Sure glad it was on a Saturday so I had Sunday to rest before going back to work.
Sad to see it being the last Wine & Dine. But everything has a shelf life and this one came due.
Vacation Time
Left mid morning on 11/5/10 for a week in Avila Beach. This puts me in close proximity to several different wine areas. The last few trips up to the central coast area I have been avoiding the 405 freeway and taking the coastal route up through Santa Monica and Malibu and then at Oxnard cut back over to the freeway. Takes about 30 minutes longer to get to Buellton but its worth not being stressed when I get there. Today the ocean all the way up the coast was blue. Usually its a murky green .
Stopped at a new tasting room in Buellton on Industrial Way. Called Avant. It is a custom crush and barrel facility for many small winemakers. You enter the building, take the elevator to the second floor and enter a very large tasting room. They have those dispensing machines for the wine. A taste, pour or glass . 32 wines are available for tasting right now and after the first of the year there will be 64 available. The wines available are all from winemakers that use their facility to ferment and barrel age their wines. Ken Brown, Longoria, Summerland, Shoestring, Falcone, Huber, all use this facility along with many more small producers. They also have small plates available for eating. A very large variety of food items to choose from. Well worth the stop.
Saturday I had a ticket for the SLO Wine Fest which was held at the golf course just adjacent to the resort I was staying at. Food was good and tasted a lot of wine from new wineries that I was not familiar with. Talked to several wine makers that I knew. Even the rain the came didn't dampen the spirit of the day.
Sunday I took by glass from the wine fest and went to the Edna Valley. All the wineries were having open house with free tasting if you had your glass from Saturday, food and entertainment. One of the winemakers I talked with on Saturday gave me a pass to attend a "shindig" at the old Corbett Canyon building which now houses may very small wineries. The name of this new one was Central Effort. They had 2 Chardonnays and 2 Pinot Noirs that they produced. Nice wines and I did sign up to get on their mailing list.
During the week I visited a few places that I had not gone to before Ranchita Canyon, Derby, Ancient Peaks, Niner, Calerous. New tasting room in downtown Paso Robles called Meritage and a new tasting room in Pismo Beach called Taste of the Valley. I really liked Taste of The Valley.
Calcerous Winery is on Peachy Canyon Rd. Windy road to begin with. The view from the winery is outstanding. You can see the whole Paso Robles area from their facility. You have to see it at least once. But I would never drive up there again. After you turn off of Peachy Canyon onto their driveway you make a curve and there is a shear drop off into the canyon with no guard rail. Only reflective markers. This is not my type of road.
Among other labels I tasted were Arada-Katin, Brochelle (which I think I may have had a Zin from them years ago), Line Shack, TKL, Michaud, Belle Glos, Margerum, Barrick, Thorne and Reeves Ranch (owner owed the Rams many eons ago).
Had a very relaxing trip and did not push it like I usually do. My acid reflux was in full swing so I really watched what I ate and kept everything low key. So no great new places to eat to report on. Had breakfast at Ellen's in Buellton on my way back. The only time I get biscuits and gravy. Ellen's is always worth the stop.
Stopped at a new tasting room in Buellton on Industrial Way. Called Avant. It is a custom crush and barrel facility for many small winemakers. You enter the building, take the elevator to the second floor and enter a very large tasting room. They have those dispensing machines for the wine. A taste, pour or glass . 32 wines are available for tasting right now and after the first of the year there will be 64 available. The wines available are all from winemakers that use their facility to ferment and barrel age their wines. Ken Brown, Longoria, Summerland, Shoestring, Falcone, Huber, all use this facility along with many more small producers. They also have small plates available for eating. A very large variety of food items to choose from. Well worth the stop.
Saturday I had a ticket for the SLO Wine Fest which was held at the golf course just adjacent to the resort I was staying at. Food was good and tasted a lot of wine from new wineries that I was not familiar with. Talked to several wine makers that I knew. Even the rain the came didn't dampen the spirit of the day.
Sunday I took by glass from the wine fest and went to the Edna Valley. All the wineries were having open house with free tasting if you had your glass from Saturday, food and entertainment. One of the winemakers I talked with on Saturday gave me a pass to attend a "shindig" at the old Corbett Canyon building which now houses may very small wineries. The name of this new one was Central Effort. They had 2 Chardonnays and 2 Pinot Noirs that they produced. Nice wines and I did sign up to get on their mailing list.
During the week I visited a few places that I had not gone to before Ranchita Canyon, Derby, Ancient Peaks, Niner, Calerous. New tasting room in downtown Paso Robles called Meritage and a new tasting room in Pismo Beach called Taste of the Valley. I really liked Taste of The Valley.
Calcerous Winery is on Peachy Canyon Rd. Windy road to begin with. The view from the winery is outstanding. You can see the whole Paso Robles area from their facility. You have to see it at least once. But I would never drive up there again. After you turn off of Peachy Canyon onto their driveway you make a curve and there is a shear drop off into the canyon with no guard rail. Only reflective markers. This is not my type of road.
Among other labels I tasted were Arada-Katin, Brochelle (which I think I may have had a Zin from them years ago), Line Shack, TKL, Michaud, Belle Glos, Margerum, Barrick, Thorne and Reeves Ranch (owner owed the Rams many eons ago).
Had a very relaxing trip and did not push it like I usually do. My acid reflux was in full swing so I really watched what I ate and kept everything low key. So no great new places to eat to report on. Had breakfast at Ellen's in Buellton on my way back. The only time I get biscuits and gravy. Ellen's is always worth the stop.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wild Game and German Wine Dinner at Fora
Sunday October 24, 2010
Tonight Fora Restaurant, www.fora-naples.com, and Rudi Wiest Imports along with the Wine Country, www.winecountry.com, hosted a "Wild Game" dinner.
I missed the one two years ago so I made sure that I found time for this one. Terry & Cora joined me tonight. Terry has eaten a lot of game and so have I. We were real anxious to set what tonight's dinner would bring.
The "wild" game are raised on a million acre ranch in Texas. I brought up the website and it was very interesting. Common folk like me can purchase these delectable delights. www.brokenarrowranch.com,
We started out with Pickled Herring, Smoked Trout and Anchovies with onion and sour cream. I think there may have been a very thinly sliced piece of green apple in there also. I thought the dish was great. I can handle strong flavors so I am not turned off by them. The wine was a 2008 Dr. F. Weins-Prum Estate Riesling, Mosel. Slightly sweet but dry. I thought it was an extremely good pairing.
Next was Wild Boar Sausage with Red Cabbage and Sweet German Whole Grain mustard. I really liked the flavor of these sausages. According to the website they are smoked. The wine pairing was a 2007 Schnaitmann Samtrot, Wurttembeg. This is a new wine grape varietal for me. Which brings my total up to 250 different wine grape varietals tasted
Then came the Deer Medallions. The menu said antelope but the chef switched the dishes around and did not tell anyone. I thought the "antelope" looked dark. Antelope is a lighter color, more like lamb or goat. But it had the Bread Dumplings with it so I assumed I was wrong.So did Terry. But the dish was good. The sauce excellent. Served with a 2007 Heger Pinot Noir, Baden.
Finally the Antelope Cutlet arrived. Had mushrooms & root vegetables with it. Wine was a 2007 Schnaitmann Lemberger, Wurtemberg. Good pairing but I think I would have preferred the Pinot with the antelope and the Lemberger with the vension.
Then we got a surprise from the kitchen. They served us a cutlet of Sitka deer. This deer is small and is native to Japan. So the meat was lighter than the venison that was served earlier.
They also brought out a small amount of deer liver. The liver was not strong and was very moist and tender.
A plate was brought out with a piece of Cambozola cheese, a Buckshot Brownie, Apple Strudel and Vanilla Creme Anglaise. I ate the cheese and since the Anglaise would not last the night I ate that also. Took the strudel and brownie home along with leftover meat. By this time I was overly stuffed.
The dessert portion was served with a 1999 Bert Simon Serrig Herrenberg Riesling Auslese, Goldcap, Saar. The wine was excellent but I cannot get into sweet with sweet. To me it is total overkill. I thought the wine with the cheese was excellent and would have liked more cheese to go with it.
To me the wine of the night was the first one. The 2009 Riesling. It was dry but not overly. Just the right amount of residual sugar to be just barely there. And my best dish would have to be the boar sausage. Great flavor, not gamy but since boar is a not raised like our domestic pigs it was not fatty. But then is wasn't overly dry like some sausages can get.
A very enjoyable dinner, great food, good wine and fabulous friends.
Tonight Fora Restaurant, www.fora-naples.com, and Rudi Wiest Imports along with the Wine Country, www.winecountry.com, hosted a "Wild Game" dinner.
I missed the one two years ago so I made sure that I found time for this one. Terry & Cora joined me tonight. Terry has eaten a lot of game and so have I. We were real anxious to set what tonight's dinner would bring.
The "wild" game are raised on a million acre ranch in Texas. I brought up the website and it was very interesting. Common folk like me can purchase these delectable delights. www.brokenarrowranch.com,
We started out with Pickled Herring, Smoked Trout and Anchovies with onion and sour cream. I think there may have been a very thinly sliced piece of green apple in there also. I thought the dish was great. I can handle strong flavors so I am not turned off by them. The wine was a 2008 Dr. F. Weins-Prum Estate Riesling, Mosel. Slightly sweet but dry. I thought it was an extremely good pairing.
Next was Wild Boar Sausage with Red Cabbage and Sweet German Whole Grain mustard. I really liked the flavor of these sausages. According to the website they are smoked. The wine pairing was a 2007 Schnaitmann Samtrot, Wurttembeg. This is a new wine grape varietal for me. Which brings my total up to 250 different wine grape varietals tasted
Then came the Deer Medallions. The menu said antelope but the chef switched the dishes around and did not tell anyone. I thought the "antelope" looked dark. Antelope is a lighter color, more like lamb or goat. But it had the Bread Dumplings with it so I assumed I was wrong.So did Terry. But the dish was good. The sauce excellent. Served with a 2007 Heger Pinot Noir, Baden.
Finally the Antelope Cutlet arrived. Had mushrooms & root vegetables with it. Wine was a 2007 Schnaitmann Lemberger, Wurtemberg. Good pairing but I think I would have preferred the Pinot with the antelope and the Lemberger with the vension.
Then we got a surprise from the kitchen. They served us a cutlet of Sitka deer. This deer is small and is native to Japan. So the meat was lighter than the venison that was served earlier.
They also brought out a small amount of deer liver. The liver was not strong and was very moist and tender.
A plate was brought out with a piece of Cambozola cheese, a Buckshot Brownie, Apple Strudel and Vanilla Creme Anglaise. I ate the cheese and since the Anglaise would not last the night I ate that also. Took the strudel and brownie home along with leftover meat. By this time I was overly stuffed.
The dessert portion was served with a 1999 Bert Simon Serrig Herrenberg Riesling Auslese, Goldcap, Saar. The wine was excellent but I cannot get into sweet with sweet. To me it is total overkill. I thought the wine with the cheese was excellent and would have liked more cheese to go with it.
To me the wine of the night was the first one. The 2009 Riesling. It was dry but not overly. Just the right amount of residual sugar to be just barely there. And my best dish would have to be the boar sausage. Great flavor, not gamy but since boar is a not raised like our domestic pigs it was not fatty. But then is wasn't overly dry like some sausages can get.
A very enjoyable dinner, great food, good wine and fabulous friends.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Redeemption at the Factory
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Factory, www.TheFactoryLB.com, redeemed itself tonight with the BYOB dinner. Tonights theme was Tuscany. I knew there would be a lot of red wines so I brought a "Vernaccia di San Gimignano". A white wine from Tuscany. One of the very few white grapes grown the region. It did pair very well with the first two dishes.
We started off with a bruschetta with fresh cheese and heirloom tomatoes. Next was a white bean and mussel soup. Both dishes were very good and paired well with the Vernaccia.
Main course was chicken breast with a citrus based marina sauce. There were 2 Brunellos brought by our group an the younger (2005) went very well with this dish.
Dessert was a panna cotta with balsamic infused strawberries.
We had decided if the restaurant did not up their game this would be our last dinner there. They came through with flying colors.
So next month the theme is Zinfandels and we will be coming back.
The Factory, www.TheFactoryLB.com, redeemed itself tonight with the BYOB dinner. Tonights theme was Tuscany. I knew there would be a lot of red wines so I brought a "Vernaccia di San Gimignano". A white wine from Tuscany. One of the very few white grapes grown the region. It did pair very well with the first two dishes.
We started off with a bruschetta with fresh cheese and heirloom tomatoes. Next was a white bean and mussel soup. Both dishes were very good and paired well with the Vernaccia.
Main course was chicken breast with a citrus based marina sauce. There were 2 Brunellos brought by our group an the younger (2005) went very well with this dish.
Dessert was a panna cotta with balsamic infused strawberries.
We had decided if the restaurant did not up their game this would be our last dinner there. They came through with flying colors.
So next month the theme is Zinfandels and we will be coming back.
Oktoberfest
Sunday, October 17, 2010
The monthly gathering of the flock today. Theme was Oktoberfest with German wines and beers. Food was abundant as it is with all Oktoberfest's. Paul & Margie had their German friends cook the food. There was an over abundance. Sausages, weinerschnitzel, beef roulade, potato salad, pickled red cabbage, spatzle, saurekraut with pork loin and apples. A dozen desserts, Fresh baked soft pretzels and so much more.
Most of the wines were Rieslinsg but we had some great German beer also. Quite a different take for our "wine" group. '
It seemed like everyone really enjoyed themselves and had a good time. Something a little different.
The monthly gathering of the flock today. Theme was Oktoberfest with German wines and beers. Food was abundant as it is with all Oktoberfest's. Paul & Margie had their German friends cook the food. There was an over abundance. Sausages, weinerschnitzel, beef roulade, potato salad, pickled red cabbage, spatzle, saurekraut with pork loin and apples. A dozen desserts, Fresh baked soft pretzels and so much more.
Most of the wines were Rieslinsg but we had some great German beer also. Quite a different take for our "wine" group. '
It seemed like everyone really enjoyed themselves and had a good time. Something a little different.
555 East
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
This is The Dine LA week and some restaurants are having specials. Along with the no corkage until the end of the year this choice was a no brainer.
555 is known for its steaks and naturally this is what we were aiming for, The special menu was $44 and you had your choice of 3 appetizers, oysters, crab cakes or grilled artichoke, 3 main dishes, 8 oz filet, chicken marsala or salmon and 3 desserts, creme brulee, chocolate souffle cake or strawberry shortcake. They also were very generous with their hot rolls and butter.
I chose the raw oysters, the 8 oz filet and the creme brulee. I ordered my steak rare and it was perfect. 2 inches in height. Margie and Cora ordered the same but medium so their steaks were butterflied. Paul ordered the 24 oz Porterhouse (not on the special menu). It was huge. We all had a form of potatoes along with the steak.
Everyone was happy with their selections and all agreed that the food was really good and the price was a bargain for 555 East. Except for Paul's $51 Porterhouse. H ordered off the regular menu. 555 is not cheap.
We all brought out some big guns for wine tonight. How can you not have a great wine with a fantastic piece of beef.
NV Jose Dhondt Blanc de Blanc Champagne
1998 Stolpman Cabernet Franc Reserve, Santa Ynez
2005 Kistler Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay
2006 Merry Edwards Angel Wing Pinot, Russian River, Limited Edition
2005 Krupp Brothers Stage Coach Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Krupp Brothers Synchrony (blend)
Great food, great wines and great friends. Can't get any better that that. Life is good.
This is The Dine LA week and some restaurants are having specials. Along with the no corkage until the end of the year this choice was a no brainer.
555 is known for its steaks and naturally this is what we were aiming for, The special menu was $44 and you had your choice of 3 appetizers, oysters, crab cakes or grilled artichoke, 3 main dishes, 8 oz filet, chicken marsala or salmon and 3 desserts, creme brulee, chocolate souffle cake or strawberry shortcake. They also were very generous with their hot rolls and butter.
I chose the raw oysters, the 8 oz filet and the creme brulee. I ordered my steak rare and it was perfect. 2 inches in height. Margie and Cora ordered the same but medium so their steaks were butterflied. Paul ordered the 24 oz Porterhouse (not on the special menu). It was huge. We all had a form of potatoes along with the steak.
Everyone was happy with their selections and all agreed that the food was really good and the price was a bargain for 555 East. Except for Paul's $51 Porterhouse. H ordered off the regular menu. 555 is not cheap.
We all brought out some big guns for wine tonight. How can you not have a great wine with a fantastic piece of beef.
NV Jose Dhondt Blanc de Blanc Champagne
1998 Stolpman Cabernet Franc Reserve, Santa Ynez
2005 Kistler Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay
2006 Merry Edwards Angel Wing Pinot, Russian River, Limited Edition
2005 Krupp Brothers Stage Coach Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Krupp Brothers Synchrony (blend)
Great food, great wines and great friends. Can't get any better that that. Life is good.
Delius Passport Tasting
Sunday, October 10, 2010
This in an annual event at Delius Restaurant. 12 countries with 3 wines from each. Buffet set up and passed appetizers.
The back was still not in the best of shape so I had about 6 wines only. Had a small plate of goodies and was glad to see the baby lamb chops being passed. I only had 2 which for me is nothing. I just was not feeling that good.
All to food was good and there was a lot of it. I can usually taste all 36 wines but was not in the best form today. I did make it for 2 hours and then had to leave.
This in an annual event at Delius Restaurant. 12 countries with 3 wines from each. Buffet set up and passed appetizers.
The back was still not in the best of shape so I had about 6 wines only. Had a small plate of goodies and was glad to see the baby lamb chops being passed. I only had 2 which for me is nothing. I just was not feeling that good.
All to food was good and there was a lot of it. I can usually taste all 36 wines but was not in the best form today. I did make it for 2 hours and then had to leave.
Tantalizing Thai
Saturday, October 9, 2010
CJ's Wine & Dine group met tonight at the Tantalizing Thai in Carson. You can always count on a good meal at this establishment. I brought a 2003 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet and a 2006 Huber Chardonnay.
We started out with Tom Yum Koong - a very savory soup with shrimp & mushrooms.
The appetizers were Thai Spring Rolls & Crisp Garlic Wing.
The entrees were, Yellow Chicken Curry, Green Chicken Curry and Vegetable Panang (curry). Three Curry dishes was 2 to many. I am not a big curry fan and to me this was overkill. We also had Pineapple Fried Rice, Siam Apple Catfish.
I had to leave at this time because the back just was not taking the sitting too well so I missed the Thai Baby Back Ribs.
I also missed having the Crying Tiger Steak. We have always had this dish and everyone likes it. For some reason CJ decided not to have it tonight (he does all the selection of the dishes days ahead of the dinner - we just show up and eat) Guess he wanted to vary the menu.
CJ's Wine & Dine group met tonight at the Tantalizing Thai in Carson. You can always count on a good meal at this establishment. I brought a 2003 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet and a 2006 Huber Chardonnay.
We started out with Tom Yum Koong - a very savory soup with shrimp & mushrooms.
The appetizers were Thai Spring Rolls & Crisp Garlic Wing.
The entrees were, Yellow Chicken Curry, Green Chicken Curry and Vegetable Panang (curry). Three Curry dishes was 2 to many. I am not a big curry fan and to me this was overkill. We also had Pineapple Fried Rice, Siam Apple Catfish.
I had to leave at this time because the back just was not taking the sitting too well so I missed the Thai Baby Back Ribs.
I also missed having the Crying Tiger Steak. We have always had this dish and everyone likes it. For some reason CJ decided not to have it tonight (he does all the selection of the dishes days ahead of the dinner - we just show up and eat) Guess he wanted to vary the menu.
Chardonnay & Red Blends Wine Dinner at The Factory
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tonight's BYOB theme was Chardonnays and Red Blends. The Factory is in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach. Small place run by a young couple. http://www.thefactorylb.com/, I cannot remember what wines I brought to this dinner. It may have been the Formula Wine from Meeker which is a blend of almost every red grape they grow.
Dinner started out with a "Confetti" Polenta. Fried Polenta with diced, colorful vegetables in it with a roasted red pepper sauce. This was the best dish of the evening.
Next was baby Brussell Sprouts with a Lemon Foam. First the sprouts were not cooked enough. Some were almost raw. And then the acidic lemon foam did not pair well with the chardonnay wine. They should have pan sauteed the sprouts with some panchetta or bacon. Then they would have been good. Someone definitely was not thinking.
Main course was "deconstructed beef wellington" ???? A piece of puff pastry on the bottom (took a knife to cut it) with shredded beef. This was ok but they served it with a cold Garbanzo bean "salad". Not a good pairing. Most of the plates going back to the kitchen still had the garbanzos on it. That should tell someone something.
Dessert was "Fried Plantains with Creme Fache". Plantains were tough. As Clyde said (who came from Barbados) he could cook better plantains that these.
Another disappointing dinner. Not as bad as the last dinner but not up to the first two dinners we did here at the Factory. Someone better get their act together.
Tonight's BYOB theme was Chardonnays and Red Blends. The Factory is in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach. Small place run by a young couple. http://www.thefactorylb.com/, I cannot remember what wines I brought to this dinner. It may have been the Formula Wine from Meeker which is a blend of almost every red grape they grow.
Dinner started out with a "Confetti" Polenta. Fried Polenta with diced, colorful vegetables in it with a roasted red pepper sauce. This was the best dish of the evening.
Next was baby Brussell Sprouts with a Lemon Foam. First the sprouts were not cooked enough. Some were almost raw. And then the acidic lemon foam did not pair well with the chardonnay wine. They should have pan sauteed the sprouts with some panchetta or bacon. Then they would have been good. Someone definitely was not thinking.
Main course was "deconstructed beef wellington" ???? A piece of puff pastry on the bottom (took a knife to cut it) with shredded beef. This was ok but they served it with a cold Garbanzo bean "salad". Not a good pairing. Most of the plates going back to the kitchen still had the garbanzos on it. That should tell someone something.
Dessert was "Fried Plantains with Creme Fache". Plantains were tough. As Clyde said (who came from Barbados) he could cook better plantains that these.
Another disappointing dinner. Not as bad as the last dinner but not up to the first two dinners we did here at the Factory. Someone better get their act together.
September's Gathering of the Flock
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Our monthly wino group met today and the theme was Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. The hosts made a great beef brisket. Most and tender with an excellent orange based gravy.
Since this was the same day as the Stolpman tasting in Los Angeles we arrived about 45 minutes late. I had dropped off my food the day before so I would not have to mess with it.
I brought a 2005 Meeker Cabernet Franc from Sonoma. There was a good assortment of wines and some that were really quite good.
Next month Oktoberfest.
Our monthly wino group met today and the theme was Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. The hosts made a great beef brisket. Most and tender with an excellent orange based gravy.
Since this was the same day as the Stolpman tasting in Los Angeles we arrived about 45 minutes late. I had dropped off my food the day before so I would not have to mess with it.
I brought a 2005 Meeker Cabernet Franc from Sonoma. There was a good assortment of wines and some that were really quite good.
Next month Oktoberfest.
Stolpman Wine Tasting
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Wine House in Los Angeles hosted a Stolpman wine tasting today. A friend drove and we parked on the upper level where the restaurant was. Of course no elevator so I had to hike down the flight of stairs to get to the wine shop. We had over an hour to kill so down we went. That of course meant I had to go back up the flight of stairs which was a slow process. I still have a lot of pain.
Three flights of wine were scheduled. Tom & Peter Stolpman along with Caufield from the Wine House poured a 2009 Rose of Sangiovese. Like the other vintages this was a very nice slightly dry rose. A nice start to an afternoon. To bad the chairs weren't comfortable.
The first flight was a library flight. Tom remarked to me that I was probably the only one in the room besides him that had tasted all these wines. I have bought Stolpman wines since 1998 when Tom & Marilyn just started bottling.
1998 Cabernet Franc Reserve $62 at its peak right now
1998 Sangiovese Reserve $58
1999 Syrah $54
2000 Rhone Ridge Cuvee $48
2001 Syrah $52
Next flight was called Exclusive Flight. 3 I had not heard of before nor tasted until today.
2008 Single Barrel L'Avion $58 24 cases made - a white rhone grape blend
2008 La Croce $66 225 cases made - blend of syrah & sangiovese
2008 Hilltops Syrah $48 400+ cases made
2008 Hilltops High Density Syrah $ 58, 200 cases made
2008 Rubens' Block Syrah $98 22 cases made with half going to the owners and winemakers and only 11 cases available to the public.
Last flight was called Pinnacle.
2001 Angeli (syrah) $94
2002 Angeli $78
2003 LaCroce $72
2003 Angeli $74
2004 Angeli $84
2004 Angeli "36 months Oak Aged" $98
I have all but the "oak aged" which was just released. A great tasting and it was nice to revisit the old wines. Bought a few to lay down.
Wine House in Los Angeles hosted a Stolpman wine tasting today. A friend drove and we parked on the upper level where the restaurant was. Of course no elevator so I had to hike down the flight of stairs to get to the wine shop. We had over an hour to kill so down we went. That of course meant I had to go back up the flight of stairs which was a slow process. I still have a lot of pain.
Three flights of wine were scheduled. Tom & Peter Stolpman along with Caufield from the Wine House poured a 2009 Rose of Sangiovese. Like the other vintages this was a very nice slightly dry rose. A nice start to an afternoon. To bad the chairs weren't comfortable.
The first flight was a library flight. Tom remarked to me that I was probably the only one in the room besides him that had tasted all these wines. I have bought Stolpman wines since 1998 when Tom & Marilyn just started bottling.
1998 Cabernet Franc Reserve $62 at its peak right now
1998 Sangiovese Reserve $58
1999 Syrah $54
2000 Rhone Ridge Cuvee $48
2001 Syrah $52
Next flight was called Exclusive Flight. 3 I had not heard of before nor tasted until today.
2008 Single Barrel L'Avion $58 24 cases made - a white rhone grape blend
2008 La Croce $66 225 cases made - blend of syrah & sangiovese
2008 Hilltops Syrah $48 400+ cases made
2008 Hilltops High Density Syrah $ 58, 200 cases made
2008 Rubens' Block Syrah $98 22 cases made with half going to the owners and winemakers and only 11 cases available to the public.
Last flight was called Pinnacle.
2001 Angeli (syrah) $94
2002 Angeli $78
2003 LaCroce $72
2003 Angeli $74
2004 Angeli $84
2004 Angeli "36 months Oak Aged" $98
I have all but the "oak aged" which was just released. A great tasting and it was nice to revisit the old wines. Bought a few to lay down.
So Far Behind
This is mid October and I have not posted since August 27. I pulled the muscles in my back and things did not seem to important to keep track of. By now I have a hard time remembering what I did and what wines I drank. So this is a short catch up.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - Renwood Wine tasting at Delius. The run of the mill Renwoood wines. Nothing special.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - Brulee in Long Beach. Met friends their for appetizers and jazz. Can't remember the wine I brought but I did not bring any home so it had to be good.
Thursday, September 2, 2010 - 6 of us at Franco's for dinner. I remember I went in with the idea of having the salmon but after the specials were read I changed my mind. I think I may have ordered the stuffed chicken breast and I sure can't remember the wine.
Saturday, September 4, 2010 - A wedding reception dinner at Delius. Again vague remembrances. I know we had duck and the glazed pork belly.
Sunday, September 5, 2010 - Retirement Party - I do remember the Paella the host made. Along with a lot of other food. I think I may have brought a Grenanche wine to this event. And no I was not driving.
Monday, September 6, 2010 - woke up in the morning and could not move because of the pain in my back. I had been ignoring the symptoms for weeks. Had a week off work and neighbors took me to the chiropractor . I do not want to relive that week or the next few.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - Renwood Wine tasting at Delius. The run of the mill Renwoood wines. Nothing special.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - Brulee in Long Beach. Met friends their for appetizers and jazz. Can't remember the wine I brought but I did not bring any home so it had to be good.
Thursday, September 2, 2010 - 6 of us at Franco's for dinner. I remember I went in with the idea of having the salmon but after the specials were read I changed my mind. I think I may have ordered the stuffed chicken breast and I sure can't remember the wine.
Saturday, September 4, 2010 - A wedding reception dinner at Delius. Again vague remembrances. I know we had duck and the glazed pork belly.
Sunday, September 5, 2010 - Retirement Party - I do remember the Paella the host made. Along with a lot of other food. I think I may have brought a Grenanche wine to this event. And no I was not driving.
Monday, September 6, 2010 - woke up in the morning and could not move because of the pain in my back. I had been ignoring the symptoms for weeks. Had a week off work and neighbors took me to the chiropractor . I do not want to relive that week or the next few.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
German Wine Dinner
Friday, August 27, 2010
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill hosted a dinner this evening. www.deliusrestaunt.com, All the wines were from Rudi Weist Imports and Nancy Deprez was the rep. Nancy originally worked at the Wine Country before she was offered this job. So at the table I sat at was Nancy along with Randy & Dale Kemmer, owners of the Wine Country. Educational evening.
This dinner was sold out with a waiting list. The food as always at Delius was first rate. There were 2 substitutions on the menu. Originally we were having pickled herring, but since France takes the whole month of August off as vacation and the country shuts down, the fresh herring did not arrive and it was substituted with trout. The other was the venison. Someone apparently wrote down veal on the meat order for the purveyor.
First Course: Pickled Trout with salt roasted Yukon Gold potato, baby carrot and mustard crisp. This was served with a 2009 Hans Wirsching Silvaner Trocken, Iphofer Kronsberg.
Second Course: Sauteed Sweetbreads with a cauliflower/salsify ragout and curried radish salad. Wine was a 2008 Pfeffingen "Pfeffo" Estate Riesling, Kabinett .
Third Course: Cinnamon Scented Duck Breast with black bean/pear chutney and carmelized onion duck jus. A 2008 Becker Pinot Noir, Pfalz accompanied this dish
Fourth Course: Pan Roasted Veal Loin with mushroom and root vegetable terrine, baby arugula and carrot/thyme puree. Served with 2007 Scnaitmann Lemberger, Wurttemberg.
Dessert was: Chocolate Marscapone Cheesecake with Blackberry Gelee.
There was not a thing I did not like about the menu or the wines. All were very good. My favorite wine of the night was the Silvaner. I probably should buy some but I am on a quest to downsize my wine accumulation. I am out of room and have too many cases sitting in back of the couch. Time to drink.
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill hosted a dinner this evening. www.deliusrestaunt.com, All the wines were from Rudi Weist Imports and Nancy Deprez was the rep. Nancy originally worked at the Wine Country before she was offered this job. So at the table I sat at was Nancy along with Randy & Dale Kemmer, owners of the Wine Country. Educational evening.
This dinner was sold out with a waiting list. The food as always at Delius was first rate. There were 2 substitutions on the menu. Originally we were having pickled herring, but since France takes the whole month of August off as vacation and the country shuts down, the fresh herring did not arrive and it was substituted with trout. The other was the venison. Someone apparently wrote down veal on the meat order for the purveyor.
First Course: Pickled Trout with salt roasted Yukon Gold potato, baby carrot and mustard crisp. This was served with a 2009 Hans Wirsching Silvaner Trocken, Iphofer Kronsberg.
Second Course: Sauteed Sweetbreads with a cauliflower/salsify ragout and curried radish salad. Wine was a 2008 Pfeffingen "Pfeffo" Estate Riesling, Kabinett .
Third Course: Cinnamon Scented Duck Breast with black bean/pear chutney and carmelized onion duck jus. A 2008 Becker Pinot Noir, Pfalz accompanied this dish
Fourth Course: Pan Roasted Veal Loin with mushroom and root vegetable terrine, baby arugula and carrot/thyme puree. Served with 2007 Scnaitmann Lemberger, Wurttemberg.
Dessert was: Chocolate Marscapone Cheesecake with Blackberry Gelee.
There was not a thing I did not like about the menu or the wines. All were very good. My favorite wine of the night was the Silvaner. I probably should buy some but I am on a quest to downsize my wine accumulation. I am out of room and have too many cases sitting in back of the couch. Time to drink.
August Gathering of The Wino's
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Today's gathering of the winos was our annual "Zinfandel" tasting. Doug always has the same theme and it is always when the weather heats up.
Zinfandels and Pinot based sparkling, champagne or Rose wines.
I brought a 2008 Clos Pepe Rose of Pinot Noir. There were quite a few sparklings & Rose's. I think people are starting to think like me. Hot weather is not the time for a big heavy, high alcohol wine.
I did taste a couple of the Zins. A 1995 Pedroncelli, Mother Clone, Dry Creek, The 2004 Norman, Mephistopheles, the 2007 Anglim and the 2008 Rockwall, Jesse's Vineyard.
A good turnout and a lot of food. I filled up on appetizers.
Today's gathering of the winos was our annual "Zinfandel" tasting. Doug always has the same theme and it is always when the weather heats up.
Zinfandels and Pinot based sparkling, champagne or Rose wines.
I brought a 2008 Clos Pepe Rose of Pinot Noir. There were quite a few sparklings & Rose's. I think people are starting to think like me. Hot weather is not the time for a big heavy, high alcohol wine.
I did taste a couple of the Zins. A 1995 Pedroncelli, Mother Clone, Dry Creek, The 2004 Norman, Mephistopheles, the 2007 Anglim and the 2008 Rockwall, Jesse's Vineyard.
A good turnout and a lot of food. I filled up on appetizers.
Himilayan Grill
Saturday, August 21, 2010
CJ's Wine & Dine met tonight at what is becoming a favorite restaurant of mine. The Himilayan Grill in Sunset Beach.
18 of us dined outside tonight. It is the middle of what should be summer and we are still waiting for it to arrive.
We started out with 4 appetizers.
Samosas - deep fried pastries filled with potato, peas, onions and spices.
Vegetable Pokoras - mixed vegetables mildly spiced, dipped in a light batter and deep fried.
Chicken Momo - steamed dumplings filled with ground chicken, vegetables & served with home made tomato achhar (spicy salsa)
Lamb Thupka - a hearty soup of Tibetan style noodles cooked with lamb cubes, mixed vegetables and herbs & spices.
The entrees were:
Chicken Vindaloo - boneless chicken and potatoes in a hot curry sauce
Shrimp Saag - shrimp sauteed & cooked with spinach, herbs & spices
Mixed Vegetable Korma - mixed veggies in a cashew curry cream sauce with Kashmiri herbs
Rack of Lamb - marinated with garlic & ginger & cooked in a tandoori oven
We also had Naan & garlic Naan (bread) along with Raita (yogurt with cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes)
Of course everyone brought a bottle of wine. I brought a 2005 Huber Chardonnay and a 2008 Stolpman Originals Syrah.
Next month its off to Cafe Bizou in Pasadena. Have not gone to that restaurant before because if the distance. I'm not one for driving through heavy traffic after eating and drinking. Not sure if I will make this one or not.
CJ's Wine & Dine met tonight at what is becoming a favorite restaurant of mine. The Himilayan Grill in Sunset Beach.
18 of us dined outside tonight. It is the middle of what should be summer and we are still waiting for it to arrive.
We started out with 4 appetizers.
Samosas - deep fried pastries filled with potato, peas, onions and spices.
Vegetable Pokoras - mixed vegetables mildly spiced, dipped in a light batter and deep fried.
Chicken Momo - steamed dumplings filled with ground chicken, vegetables & served with home made tomato achhar (spicy salsa)
Lamb Thupka - a hearty soup of Tibetan style noodles cooked with lamb cubes, mixed vegetables and herbs & spices.
The entrees were:
Chicken Vindaloo - boneless chicken and potatoes in a hot curry sauce
Shrimp Saag - shrimp sauteed & cooked with spinach, herbs & spices
Mixed Vegetable Korma - mixed veggies in a cashew curry cream sauce with Kashmiri herbs
Rack of Lamb - marinated with garlic & ginger & cooked in a tandoori oven
We also had Naan & garlic Naan (bread) along with Raita (yogurt with cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes)
Of course everyone brought a bottle of wine. I brought a 2005 Huber Chardonnay and a 2008 Stolpman Originals Syrah.
Next month its off to Cafe Bizou in Pasadena. Have not gone to that restaurant before because if the distance. I'm not one for driving through heavy traffic after eating and drinking. Not sure if I will make this one or not.
The Factory BYOB Dinner
Tuesday, July 17, 2010
The Factory Gastropub in Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach, www.TheFactoryLB@yahoo.com, hosted their monthly BYOB dinner tonight. The theme was Central Coast wines. There were 14 of us again. Tonight there seemed to be over booked and the service was very slow. The owners were away celebrating their anniversary and it did show up in how the food arrived from the kitchen.
The food was good as always but tonight it seemed to be not enough. No bread was ever put out on the table and frankly I left hungry. The food I thought was not substantial enough for absorbing the wine and I had to stop drinking early because I could feel myself getting over the edge.
First course was a plate with heirloom tomatoes, figs and balsamic dressing. It was good but very light.
Next was two mushrooms stuffed with something. They were not large. The biggest being about the size of a half dollar.
The main course was a piece of white fish on a bed of couscous, quinoa and another grain. Very tasty but very small portion.
Dessert was some sort of pudding/mousse concoction. Tasty and light.
I hope this does not happen again. I like this place and I like the idea of the BYOB dinner. I have reservations for next month so I will give it one more try.
The Factory Gastropub in Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach, www.TheFactoryLB@yahoo.com, hosted their monthly BYOB dinner tonight. The theme was Central Coast wines. There were 14 of us again. Tonight there seemed to be over booked and the service was very slow. The owners were away celebrating their anniversary and it did show up in how the food arrived from the kitchen.
The food was good as always but tonight it seemed to be not enough. No bread was ever put out on the table and frankly I left hungry. The food I thought was not substantial enough for absorbing the wine and I had to stop drinking early because I could feel myself getting over the edge.
First course was a plate with heirloom tomatoes, figs and balsamic dressing. It was good but very light.
Next was two mushrooms stuffed with something. They were not large. The biggest being about the size of a half dollar.
The main course was a piece of white fish on a bed of couscous, quinoa and another grain. Very tasty but very small portion.
Dessert was some sort of pudding/mousse concoction. Tasty and light.
I hope this does not happen again. I like this place and I like the idea of the BYOB dinner. I have reservations for next month so I will give it one more try.
Champagne & Sparkling
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wine Country is Signal Hill hosted a Champagne & Sparking tasting tonight. Have not been to a seminar for awhile at this establishment. The place was sold out. A large crowd. They were short handed so it took some time for everyone to get their pours. Several different cheeses were set out along with crackers and bread
12 wines were poured. A Champagne and a similar sparkling to compare. Interesting comparisons and some wines I was familiar with and I knew about. Others I had not a clue and I still don't have a clue.
There was no dialogue about the wines. It was just pour and drink. I did like the Camille Saves Champagne (naturally because it turned out to be the most expensive). But I suppose if I want to learn about this wine I will have to do my own research
Wine Country is Signal Hill hosted a Champagne & Sparking tasting tonight. Have not been to a seminar for awhile at this establishment. The place was sold out. A large crowd. They were short handed so it took some time for everyone to get their pours. Several different cheeses were set out along with crackers and bread
12 wines were poured. A Champagne and a similar sparkling to compare. Interesting comparisons and some wines I was familiar with and I knew about. Others I had not a clue and I still don't have a clue.
There was no dialogue about the wines. It was just pour and drink. I did like the Camille Saves Champagne (naturally because it turned out to be the most expensive). But I suppose if I want to learn about this wine I will have to do my own research
Clos Pepe Release Party
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Left early this morning to head up the coast to the Lompoc area. Two events today. Palmini grand re-opening and Clos Pepe release party. Took 3 hours driving because we took the coastal route. But it is so much easier on the brain not to hassle that 405/101 drive. Makes me much calmer when I arrive at the destination.
After breakfast in Lompoc we headed over to Palmini. They have enlarged their tasting room and the big day was upon us. Lots of wine being poured along with some library wines. Good nibblies were put out (we probably could have skipped breakfast) and some of the best "Truffles" I have had made by a small candy store in Santa Barbara.
Next stop was Clos Pepe. Time to pick up my 2008 wines and order the 2009's. Fortunately we were early enough that we got to park close to the house. No walking up hill on a dirt and gravel road. We were greeted by Cathy Pepe, got our glass and tray and made a beeline to the first tasting table.
Steve Pepe was pouring the Chardonnays. This year they produced 2. One is the traditional "Homage to Chablis" which I really like. The other was a barrel fermented in neutral oak. This Chardonnay was softer in mouth feel and will pair well with chicken and veal. The Homage is crisp and will go well with seafood.
Next we were off to taste the new Pinots and a few of the older one's also. The 2009 release will be stellar. I hope all the Pinot producers in the area have the same great year as Clos Pepe seems to have had. I was impressed. Steve & Wes did good.
Ate lots of wood fired pizza, cheeses, grilled vegetables and nice warm fresh from the oven cookies.
The optional BYOB theme was "aromatic whites". Again most everyone came through with a bottle and there was a lot to taste.
About 4:00 o'clock we headed across the road to Huber Vineyards to see Norm & Traudl. Tasted their wines and picked up 3 cases of Pinot (I thought). When we got back and I was pulling out the wines I discovered than Norm Huber gave 3 cases of Dornfelder instead of Pinot.
That is a whole other story about trying to get these wines exchanged. Good trip, long day. Glad tomorrow is Sunday.
Left early this morning to head up the coast to the Lompoc area. Two events today. Palmini grand re-opening and Clos Pepe release party. Took 3 hours driving because we took the coastal route. But it is so much easier on the brain not to hassle that 405/101 drive. Makes me much calmer when I arrive at the destination.
After breakfast in Lompoc we headed over to Palmini. They have enlarged their tasting room and the big day was upon us. Lots of wine being poured along with some library wines. Good nibblies were put out (we probably could have skipped breakfast) and some of the best "Truffles" I have had made by a small candy store in Santa Barbara.
Next stop was Clos Pepe. Time to pick up my 2008 wines and order the 2009's. Fortunately we were early enough that we got to park close to the house. No walking up hill on a dirt and gravel road. We were greeted by Cathy Pepe, got our glass and tray and made a beeline to the first tasting table.
Steve Pepe was pouring the Chardonnays. This year they produced 2. One is the traditional "Homage to Chablis" which I really like. The other was a barrel fermented in neutral oak. This Chardonnay was softer in mouth feel and will pair well with chicken and veal. The Homage is crisp and will go well with seafood.
Next we were off to taste the new Pinots and a few of the older one's also. The 2009 release will be stellar. I hope all the Pinot producers in the area have the same great year as Clos Pepe seems to have had. I was impressed. Steve & Wes did good.
Ate lots of wood fired pizza, cheeses, grilled vegetables and nice warm fresh from the oven cookies.
The optional BYOB theme was "aromatic whites". Again most everyone came through with a bottle and there was a lot to taste.
About 4:00 o'clock we headed across the road to Huber Vineyards to see Norm & Traudl. Tasted their wines and picked up 3 cases of Pinot (I thought). When we got back and I was pulling out the wines I discovered than Norm Huber gave 3 cases of Dornfelder instead of Pinot.
That is a whole other story about trying to get these wines exchanged. Good trip, long day. Glad tomorrow is Sunday.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Calcareous Wine Dinner
Friday, July 30, 2010
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill, www.deliusrestaurant.com, hosted a Calcareous wine dinner this evening. Rick Potruch was down from the winery. I met Rick last year when he was the rep for Opolo wines.
Calcareous is in the Paso Robles area on Peachy Canyon Road between Nadeau and Stacked Stone. Wines are reasonably priced.
First course: Braised Pork Belly with corn puree, pineapple compote with radish. Delius always does well with pork belly. It was so tender you could cut it with a fork. This was paired with a 2008 Calcareous Viognier/Marsanne. This dish and wine pairing was voted the favorite of the evening.
Second Course: Salmon Terrine with oyster mushrooms and oven dried tomatoes. Paired with a 2007 Calcareous York Mountain Pinot Noir. Flavor was good and went well with the wine.
Third course: Roasted Duck Breast with dried cherries, baby turnips and gnocchi. I'm a sucker for good duck and this did not disappoint me. Also the gnocchi were so very tender. They melted in your mouth. Wine with this dish was a 2006 Calcareous Syrah. Good pairing.
Fourth course: Lamb Loin Sous Vide with white bean puree, parslied shallots, baby carrot and lamb jus. Lamb was very tender and I really liked the white bean puree. Personally I prefer lamb chops over lamb loin because I feel it has more intense flavor. This dish appealed to people who are not lamb lovers. The wine paired with this dish was a 2006 Calcareous York Mountain Caberent Sauvignon. This was a nice cab and paired well with the dish.
Dessert was a big winner - "Coffee & Donuts" - Expresso Panna Cotta, Buttermilk Donut (like a donut hole), raspberry puree and coconut crisp cookie. Excellent. Everyone loved this dessert.
This was my first time tasting Calcareous wines and they are worth taking a look at. When I venture up to Paso Robles in November I plan on stopping in and taking another look at the wines.
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill, www.deliusrestaurant.com, hosted a Calcareous wine dinner this evening. Rick Potruch was down from the winery. I met Rick last year when he was the rep for Opolo wines.
Calcareous is in the Paso Robles area on Peachy Canyon Road between Nadeau and Stacked Stone. Wines are reasonably priced.
First course: Braised Pork Belly with corn puree, pineapple compote with radish. Delius always does well with pork belly. It was so tender you could cut it with a fork. This was paired with a 2008 Calcareous Viognier/Marsanne. This dish and wine pairing was voted the favorite of the evening.
Second Course: Salmon Terrine with oyster mushrooms and oven dried tomatoes. Paired with a 2007 Calcareous York Mountain Pinot Noir. Flavor was good and went well with the wine.
Third course: Roasted Duck Breast with dried cherries, baby turnips and gnocchi. I'm a sucker for good duck and this did not disappoint me. Also the gnocchi were so very tender. They melted in your mouth. Wine with this dish was a 2006 Calcareous Syrah. Good pairing.
Fourth course: Lamb Loin Sous Vide with white bean puree, parslied shallots, baby carrot and lamb jus. Lamb was very tender and I really liked the white bean puree. Personally I prefer lamb chops over lamb loin because I feel it has more intense flavor. This dish appealed to people who are not lamb lovers. The wine paired with this dish was a 2006 Calcareous York Mountain Caberent Sauvignon. This was a nice cab and paired well with the dish.
Dessert was a big winner - "Coffee & Donuts" - Expresso Panna Cotta, Buttermilk Donut (like a donut hole), raspberry puree and coconut crisp cookie. Excellent. Everyone loved this dessert.
This was my first time tasting Calcareous wines and they are worth taking a look at. When I venture up to Paso Robles in November I plan on stopping in and taking another look at the wines.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Wine & Dine at Russo's
Saturday, July 24, 2010
This months Wine & Dine event was held at Russo's in Naples. This is the old Pasta al Dente, same owner new name. Why is not for me to know.
There was a very large group in attendance tonight so we were split into 2 tables and we all sat outside. The evening was perfect. I was anxious to see if the food was the same.
I had attended another event in the afternoon so between the two I was having to pace myself with food and wine.
We started off with Focaccia Bread with sun dried olive oil and parmesan cheese. Only 1 small piece for me tonight. I could make a meal of this bread with a hunk of cheese.
Next was "Russo's Delight" - rock shrimp, avocado and a creamy cilantro pesto sauce on a toasted garlic baguette. Different and very good. It was large enough that it was debatable to pick up or cut it and eat with a fork. The dainty lady that I am choose to pick the entire thing up and down it in 4 bites. My new motto. "Why dirty a fork unnecessarily"
Then the famous mushrooms came. This dish had not changed since last year. Baked stuffed mushrooms with pieces of chicken, green onion, cream cheese and herbs , finished with a Romano cheese bread crumb gratinat.
Then appeared a tray of crepes - Palermo Crepes to be exact. Filled with bay and jumbo shrimp, roma tomatoes, goat cheese, green onions and pepperoncini and topped with a creamy Bechamel sauce.
At this point I am over stuffed so I decided that when the entrees came I would put them on my plate and then ask for a take home container. Usually when I get this full I will pass on the additional food. But then I realized I was paying the same as everyone else and was short changing myself. So a new outlook for me.
The entree's were Italian Sauteed Vegetables along with:
Ravenna Drive Gnocchi - Basil cheese gnocchi with roasted bell peppers and asparagus in a creamy roasted red pepper sauce.
Salmon Palermo - grilled salmon with a cilantro pesto sauce topped with feta.
Lamb chops - chops served with apricot and gorgonzola cheese.
Dessert was scoops of 3 different sherbets. A light ending to a very, very heavy meal. If you noticed almost everything had some sort of creamy sauce. This was a dinner that lended itself to white and rosato wines. Maybe a light red at the end because of the lamb.
I could not believe all the heavy red wines on the table. The did not pair with the food. There was no marinara type dishes, no ossobucos, no beef. So why all the heavy reds. These people are supposed to be "wine savy".
I brought a 2008 Clos Pepe Pinot Rose and a 2006 Huber Pinot Noir. I drank the rose and some white wines exclusively through dinner and drank the Pinot at the end. I did taste several other reds that were brought but is was after all the creamy sauces. I mean I am a "RED" wine drinker and prefer reds but sometimes they just do not lend themselves to the food and then you have to decide if you want a good food and wine pairing or are you just going to drink.
Tonight it looked like a bunch of drinkers.
This months Wine & Dine event was held at Russo's in Naples. This is the old Pasta al Dente, same owner new name. Why is not for me to know.
There was a very large group in attendance tonight so we were split into 2 tables and we all sat outside. The evening was perfect. I was anxious to see if the food was the same.
I had attended another event in the afternoon so between the two I was having to pace myself with food and wine.
We started off with Focaccia Bread with sun dried olive oil and parmesan cheese. Only 1 small piece for me tonight. I could make a meal of this bread with a hunk of cheese.
Next was "Russo's Delight" - rock shrimp, avocado and a creamy cilantro pesto sauce on a toasted garlic baguette. Different and very good. It was large enough that it was debatable to pick up or cut it and eat with a fork. The dainty lady that I am choose to pick the entire thing up and down it in 4 bites. My new motto. "Why dirty a fork unnecessarily"
Then the famous mushrooms came. This dish had not changed since last year. Baked stuffed mushrooms with pieces of chicken, green onion, cream cheese and herbs , finished with a Romano cheese bread crumb gratinat.
Then appeared a tray of crepes - Palermo Crepes to be exact. Filled with bay and jumbo shrimp, roma tomatoes, goat cheese, green onions and pepperoncini and topped with a creamy Bechamel sauce.
At this point I am over stuffed so I decided that when the entrees came I would put them on my plate and then ask for a take home container. Usually when I get this full I will pass on the additional food. But then I realized I was paying the same as everyone else and was short changing myself. So a new outlook for me.
The entree's were Italian Sauteed Vegetables along with:
Ravenna Drive Gnocchi - Basil cheese gnocchi with roasted bell peppers and asparagus in a creamy roasted red pepper sauce.
Salmon Palermo - grilled salmon with a cilantro pesto sauce topped with feta.
Lamb chops - chops served with apricot and gorgonzola cheese.
Dessert was scoops of 3 different sherbets. A light ending to a very, very heavy meal. If you noticed almost everything had some sort of creamy sauce. This was a dinner that lended itself to white and rosato wines. Maybe a light red at the end because of the lamb.
I could not believe all the heavy red wines on the table. The did not pair with the food. There was no marinara type dishes, no ossobucos, no beef. So why all the heavy reds. These people are supposed to be "wine savy".
I brought a 2008 Clos Pepe Pinot Rose and a 2006 Huber Pinot Noir. I drank the rose and some white wines exclusively through dinner and drank the Pinot at the end. I did taste several other reds that were brought but is was after all the creamy sauces. I mean I am a "RED" wine drinker and prefer reds but sometimes they just do not lend themselves to the food and then you have to decide if you want a good food and wine pairing or are you just going to drink.
Tonight it looked like a bunch of drinkers.
Gathering of The Flock
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Today's gathering was very small. It was held on Saturday instead of Sunday and that hinders attendance. Theme was Mendocino County. A very nice variety of wines were brought. A good comparison was between the 1990 & 1991 Husch Cabernet.
The host made smoked tri tip which was excellent.
Next month it's Zinfandels for the Infidels.
Today's gathering was very small. It was held on Saturday instead of Sunday and that hinders attendance. Theme was Mendocino County. A very nice variety of wines were brought. A good comparison was between the 1990 & 1991 Husch Cabernet.
The host made smoked tri tip which was excellent.
Next month it's Zinfandels for the Infidels.
Niner Wine Tasting
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Delius Restaurant, www.DeliusRestaurant.com, hosted a Niner wine tasting this evening. 6 wines were poured. Two white and 4 reds. Niner is a winery in the Paso Robles area and has just opened a tasting room on 246 near Grey Wolf and down the road from Booker.
Passed appetizers ended up being my dinner.
One of the wines from Niner that I like best is their "Fogcatcher". A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. They had special pricing tonight and this $58 bottle of wine was being sold for $35. So naturally I had to buy some. All of their wines were priced well tonight. If I did not have close to 500 bottles I would have bought some more. But I only have so much room.
Delius Restaurant, www.DeliusRestaurant.com, hosted a Niner wine tasting this evening. 6 wines were poured. Two white and 4 reds. Niner is a winery in the Paso Robles area and has just opened a tasting room on 246 near Grey Wolf and down the road from Booker.
Passed appetizers ended up being my dinner.
One of the wines from Niner that I like best is their "Fogcatcher". A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. They had special pricing tonight and this $58 bottle of wine was being sold for $35. So naturally I had to buy some. All of their wines were priced well tonight. If I did not have close to 500 bottles I would have bought some more. But I only have so much room.
Spain & The Factory
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Factory Gastropub in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach, www.thefactorylb.com, had their monthy BYOB dinner tonight. Everyone brought a bottle of Spanish wine to pair with an eight course tapa dinner Approximately 28 people were in attendance with 12 at our table.
We were served hunks a of freshly made focaccia style bread which was very good. Then a plate of thinly sliced Manchego cheese with an olive tapenade. I will have to remember this as easy to make and take when I need a dish for an event.
A plate of extremely fresh mussell's appeared. They without a doubt the best mussell's I have ever tasted. Very tender and full of flavor.
Next up was sliced cucumber with some sort of soft cheese topped with a wedge of boiled egg with smoked pimento.
A smoked salmon mousse on a thinly sliced bread made its appearance. Very tasty.
Coming next was a glass of cold mint & cantaloupe gazpacho. Very refreshing and a good palate cleanser.
A Manchego cheese & basil souffle appeared. This had great flavor also.
Then flank steak rolled around a spinach mixture was served along with a cold lentil salad. Steak was very good. I am not big on lentils but the dish had nice flavor.
Dessert was fresh baked cookies with fruit and a chocolate/cream sauce.
For $25 how can you beat this deal. Good, fresh, tasty food.
I brought a 2009 Muga Tempranillo Rosato which pared very well with most of the dishes. I also brought a 1997 Puelles Gran Reserva Rioja. Interestingly another person at our table brought the same Rioja. We tasted them side by side but my bottle an an aerator plugged into it and his did not. Quite a difference in the same wine when it was opened up by the aerator.
A fun time was had by all. A lot of food consumed and a lot of wine bottles were empty. I wonder how that happened.
Anticipating next months dinner. The theme has not been announced but they are leaning toward Central Coast Rhones.
The Factory Gastropub in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach, www.thefactorylb.com, had their monthy BYOB dinner tonight. Everyone brought a bottle of Spanish wine to pair with an eight course tapa dinner Approximately 28 people were in attendance with 12 at our table.
We were served hunks a of freshly made focaccia style bread which was very good. Then a plate of thinly sliced Manchego cheese with an olive tapenade. I will have to remember this as easy to make and take when I need a dish for an event.
A plate of extremely fresh mussell's appeared. They without a doubt the best mussell's I have ever tasted. Very tender and full of flavor.
Next up was sliced cucumber with some sort of soft cheese topped with a wedge of boiled egg with smoked pimento.
A smoked salmon mousse on a thinly sliced bread made its appearance. Very tasty.
Coming next was a glass of cold mint & cantaloupe gazpacho. Very refreshing and a good palate cleanser.
A Manchego cheese & basil souffle appeared. This had great flavor also.
Then flank steak rolled around a spinach mixture was served along with a cold lentil salad. Steak was very good. I am not big on lentils but the dish had nice flavor.
Dessert was fresh baked cookies with fruit and a chocolate/cream sauce.
For $25 how can you beat this deal. Good, fresh, tasty food.
I brought a 2009 Muga Tempranillo Rosato which pared very well with most of the dishes. I also brought a 1997 Puelles Gran Reserva Rioja. Interestingly another person at our table brought the same Rioja. We tasted them side by side but my bottle an an aerator plugged into it and his did not. Quite a difference in the same wine when it was opened up by the aerator.
A fun time was had by all. A lot of food consumed and a lot of wine bottles were empty. I wonder how that happened.
Anticipating next months dinner. The theme has not been announced but they are leaning toward Central Coast Rhones.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Annual Bus Trip To The Wine Country With Delius
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Met at Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill for a champagne breakfast before embarking on our annual bus trip.
This trip went without any problems. We could not have had better weather or traffic today.
Our first stop was Brander Winery which is known for the Sauvignon Blancs. They make about 6 of them but my favorite is called "Natalie" which is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling and Pinot Gris. This was a great stop and the personnel seemed genuinely happy too see us. Too may places cringe because we are a group of 35 and even when we have reservations some people seem to put out because they have to handle our group. I guess they don't like to work much.
Our next stop was Alma Rosa which is owned by Richard Sanford. When Dave at Delius told me the bus was going to Alma Rosa I questioned him because I know how narrow the drive is. He confirmed with Richard Sanford that the bus would be able to come in. WRONG. The bus got as far as the start of the tasting area and had to stop. It could not get past the buildings and had to back up. One of the employees told us that they had a bus flip over once trying to get in. So we disembarked and walk the short distance. The bus then back down the road and somehow our diver Melvin managed to get it turned around. But we did have to walk part way down the road to board the bus when we were finished.
This was our lunch stop and we had a nice array of food supplied by Delius Restaurant. We had our tasting while having lunch which made it really nice. My only complaint was that they had the picnic tables with the attached benches. I and several other could not swing our legs over to get into the table. Luckily I sat on an end but some people had to sit with their backs to the tables and hold their plates in order to eat.
Our last stop was a tasting room in the town of Buellton. Casa Cassandra. I had seen this place before but had never stopped in. Now I know why. The wines just were not good at all. But they did have great olive oil and balsamic vinegars. I did purchase a bottle of "Vanilla" Balsamic. Great for dipping bread.
We had no traffic to speak of on the way home and we returned to Delius in record time. In all the trips I have done with Delius I have never returned so early. It was before 8:00 and it was still daylight.
After last years "Mr. Toads Wild Ride" this was so refreshing. Everyone did a great job today and it was one of the least stressful trips I have done. Looking forward to next year.
Met at Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill for a champagne breakfast before embarking on our annual bus trip.
This trip went without any problems. We could not have had better weather or traffic today.
Our first stop was Brander Winery which is known for the Sauvignon Blancs. They make about 6 of them but my favorite is called "Natalie" which is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling and Pinot Gris. This was a great stop and the personnel seemed genuinely happy too see us. Too may places cringe because we are a group of 35 and even when we have reservations some people seem to put out because they have to handle our group. I guess they don't like to work much.
Our next stop was Alma Rosa which is owned by Richard Sanford. When Dave at Delius told me the bus was going to Alma Rosa I questioned him because I know how narrow the drive is. He confirmed with Richard Sanford that the bus would be able to come in. WRONG. The bus got as far as the start of the tasting area and had to stop. It could not get past the buildings and had to back up. One of the employees told us that they had a bus flip over once trying to get in. So we disembarked and walk the short distance. The bus then back down the road and somehow our diver Melvin managed to get it turned around. But we did have to walk part way down the road to board the bus when we were finished.
This was our lunch stop and we had a nice array of food supplied by Delius Restaurant. We had our tasting while having lunch which made it really nice. My only complaint was that they had the picnic tables with the attached benches. I and several other could not swing our legs over to get into the table. Luckily I sat on an end but some people had to sit with their backs to the tables and hold their plates in order to eat.
Our last stop was a tasting room in the town of Buellton. Casa Cassandra. I had seen this place before but had never stopped in. Now I know why. The wines just were not good at all. But they did have great olive oil and balsamic vinegars. I did purchase a bottle of "Vanilla" Balsamic. Great for dipping bread.
We had no traffic to speak of on the way home and we returned to Delius in record time. In all the trips I have done with Delius I have never returned so early. It was before 8:00 and it was still daylight.
After last years "Mr. Toads Wild Ride" this was so refreshing. Everyone did a great job today and it was one of the least stressful trips I have done. Looking forward to next year.
Wine Tastting at Spaghettini
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Spaghettini Grill & Jazz Club in Seal Beach host during the summer a series of wine tastings.
Tonight was a mix Chateau St. Michelle, Stags Leap, Antinori and some second labels. 20 wines in all, along with assorted appetizers for $25. A really good deal. But you have to get there early because they run out of appetizers real fast and after 7:00 they do not replenish them. The pours are generous and there is plenty of wine to choose from. There is no way you can taste all of them in two hours and be able to drive home.
I did like the Antinori Antica Cabernet ans the Stags Leap Artemis Cabernet.
Next month I will pass on their tasting as it is all whites and sparklings plus it falls on the same day as a dinner at the Factory that I plan on attending
Spaghettini Grill & Jazz Club in Seal Beach host during the summer a series of wine tastings.
Tonight was a mix Chateau St. Michelle, Stags Leap, Antinori and some second labels. 20 wines in all, along with assorted appetizers for $25. A really good deal. But you have to get there early because they run out of appetizers real fast and after 7:00 they do not replenish them. The pours are generous and there is plenty of wine to choose from. There is no way you can taste all of them in two hours and be able to drive home.
I did like the Antinori Antica Cabernet ans the Stags Leap Artemis Cabernet.
Next month I will pass on their tasting as it is all whites and sparklings plus it falls on the same day as a dinner at the Factory that I plan on attending
Sunday, June 27, 2010
June Gathering of The Flock
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Today's theme for the wino's get together was Grenache & Grenache Blends. Grenache is one of the main grapes for Chateauneuf du Pape but not one bottle of that wine showed up. Remy graciously agreed to make her Paella for the event and hauled all her Paella equipment to Redondo Beach. I will say the Paella was outstanding. We had a small group today. Saturday always brings fewer people and the distance is a deterrent for some people. If its not in their own backyard it gets to be too much for them. Which is too bad because even though this was a single varietal grape from anyplace the wines were all interesting and some were exceptionally good.
One of the wines I liked the best was a 1998 D'Arenberg, Ironstone Pressings. A blend of Grenache, Shiraz ans Mouvedre.
Next month we are off to Mendocino County for the wines.
Today's theme for the wino's get together was Grenache & Grenache Blends. Grenache is one of the main grapes for Chateauneuf du Pape but not one bottle of that wine showed up. Remy graciously agreed to make her Paella for the event and hauled all her Paella equipment to Redondo Beach. I will say the Paella was outstanding. We had a small group today. Saturday always brings fewer people and the distance is a deterrent for some people. If its not in their own backyard it gets to be too much for them. Which is too bad because even though this was a single varietal grape from anyplace the wines were all interesting and some were exceptionally good.
One of the wines I liked the best was a 1998 D'Arenberg, Ironstone Pressings. A blend of Grenache, Shiraz ans Mouvedre.
Next month we are off to Mendocino County for the wines.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
June's Wine & Dine
Saturday, June 19, 2010
This months Wine & Dine group met at Ante's Restaurant in San Pedro. This a Croatian restaurant that we have been to many times. It was a smaller group than in the past as some people last year had issues with the food. Whatever the problem was before there was no issues with food tonight.
We started off with Sauteed Shrimp with garlic and butter. This is always a good dish. I use the rolls to mop up the sauce.
Sauteed calamari came next. This is calamari steak in strips. Very tender and the same garlic butter sauce as the shrimp.
By now I am starting to get full. But here comes the Cevapcici Sausage. The same kind I had Thursday night at Michaels but much better. They made two batches, one that was cooked well and one that was medium which I enjoyed because it wasn't dry,. Served with chopped red onions and sauteed red onions.
A chicken and veal "Risotto" was set at the table. To me this was a rice dish not risotto. Flavor was good but it was plain old white rice.
Sauerkraut, Croatian style with pork and vegetables. I do like this dish and they cook the kraut dry.
Next was a croatian sausage, similar to a polish style sausage. Then Mostaccioli with bay shrimp, garlic, olive oil and cheese. Nothing great but food was OK.
Fillet of Sole was next, grilled Salvic style with garlic and olive oil. This was very good.
We had strudel with ice cream for dessert. The wines were abundant and as usual I do not keep track of the wines at these events because CJ does. I brought a 2005 Rusack Anacapa and again this was one of the first wines to bite the dust. Its a Bordeaux blend and was showing very well. We had bubblies to begin with and a very nice French Chablis along with some other good wines. CJ opened at 2005 Clos Pepe Pinot so it was nice to see how my 2005's are tasting without opening them.
Another wine dinner down and many more to go.
This months Wine & Dine group met at Ante's Restaurant in San Pedro. This a Croatian restaurant that we have been to many times. It was a smaller group than in the past as some people last year had issues with the food. Whatever the problem was before there was no issues with food tonight.
We started off with Sauteed Shrimp with garlic and butter. This is always a good dish. I use the rolls to mop up the sauce.
Sauteed calamari came next. This is calamari steak in strips. Very tender and the same garlic butter sauce as the shrimp.
By now I am starting to get full. But here comes the Cevapcici Sausage. The same kind I had Thursday night at Michaels but much better. They made two batches, one that was cooked well and one that was medium which I enjoyed because it wasn't dry,. Served with chopped red onions and sauteed red onions.
A chicken and veal "Risotto" was set at the table. To me this was a rice dish not risotto. Flavor was good but it was plain old white rice.
Sauerkraut, Croatian style with pork and vegetables. I do like this dish and they cook the kraut dry.
Next was a croatian sausage, similar to a polish style sausage. Then Mostaccioli with bay shrimp, garlic, olive oil and cheese. Nothing great but food was OK.
Fillet of Sole was next, grilled Salvic style with garlic and olive oil. This was very good.
We had strudel with ice cream for dessert. The wines were abundant and as usual I do not keep track of the wines at these events because CJ does. I brought a 2005 Rusack Anacapa and again this was one of the first wines to bite the dust. Its a Bordeaux blend and was showing very well. We had bubblies to begin with and a very nice French Chablis along with some other good wines. CJ opened at 2005 Clos Pepe Pinot so it was nice to see how my 2005's are tasting without opening them.
Another wine dinner down and many more to go.
Croatian Wine Dinner at Michaels
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Michaels on Naples was hosting a Croatian wine dinner this evening which turned out to be the 7th game of the NBA. They had reservations for 91 people and unfortunately for the restaurant many people did not show up and did not have the courtesy to call and cancel. Stetson Robbins of Blue Danube Wine was there pouring these Croatian wines.
I did not really care for most of the pairings. There weren't terribly bad but went real good either.
First course was a grilled calamari, white balsamic and leek ragu crostini. Interesting flavor bit with crostini bread was a little soft and I'm not sure where the calamari was. It was OK, but I would not go out of my why to order it. This was paired with a 2008 sipun, Zlahtine, Island of Krk. Very stony, tannic white.
Next was a lobster salad with grilled apricot and trevison salad. Why too much Radicchio for me. Lobster was good but it seemed lost. Served with a 2008 Coronica, Malvasia Istria.
Third course was a monkfsh, scallop, blue prawn brodetto with baked polenta. The bordetto sauce was good. The monkfish was also. But the baked polenta had too much of a crust for me. Paired with a 2007 Dingac Winery "Plavac", Plavac Mali, Peljesac Peninsula, Dalmatian Coast. Very light red wine which was overwhelmed by the food.
A Cevapcici Sausage (pork, lamb & beef) was served with braised red cabbage and a slow cooked pork belly with pickled cabbage. This sausage had good flavor but it was dry to me. The cabbage was good. The pork belly had a crispy crust which was hard to cut through. The favor was bland and personally I did not find it appealing. I will put Delius pork belly up against Michaels any day. This was served with a 2007 Bibach "Riserva", Bibich, Lasin, Plavina, Skradain, North Dalmatia. Another light red, a little bigger than the first.
Dessert was a cheese plate. 3 cheeses I had not had before with looked and tasted like a fig jam I thought that this was the best dish of the evening. They served it with a 2005 Dingac Winery "Postup", Plavac Mali, Peljesac Peninsula, Dalmatian Coast.
The food was OK, but I expected better because of what I had heard of the restaurant. The best thing of the night was the bread which was served with olive oil and balsamic. I would go back and try Michaels on Naples again and see what the do with Italian food which is their specialty. I will say that the service was impeccable.
Randy Kemmner from the Wine Country and his wife Dale were seated at the table next to us and he indicated he really liked this restaurant so I would give it a second chance but I am in no rush
Michaels on Naples was hosting a Croatian wine dinner this evening which turned out to be the 7th game of the NBA. They had reservations for 91 people and unfortunately for the restaurant many people did not show up and did not have the courtesy to call and cancel. Stetson Robbins of Blue Danube Wine was there pouring these Croatian wines.
I did not really care for most of the pairings. There weren't terribly bad but went real good either.
First course was a grilled calamari, white balsamic and leek ragu crostini. Interesting flavor bit with crostini bread was a little soft and I'm not sure where the calamari was. It was OK, but I would not go out of my why to order it. This was paired with a 2008 sipun, Zlahtine, Island of Krk. Very stony, tannic white.
Next was a lobster salad with grilled apricot and trevison salad. Why too much Radicchio for me. Lobster was good but it seemed lost. Served with a 2008 Coronica, Malvasia Istria.
Third course was a monkfsh, scallop, blue prawn brodetto with baked polenta. The bordetto sauce was good. The monkfish was also. But the baked polenta had too much of a crust for me. Paired with a 2007 Dingac Winery "Plavac", Plavac Mali, Peljesac Peninsula, Dalmatian Coast. Very light red wine which was overwhelmed by the food.
A Cevapcici Sausage (pork, lamb & beef) was served with braised red cabbage and a slow cooked pork belly with pickled cabbage. This sausage had good flavor but it was dry to me. The cabbage was good. The pork belly had a crispy crust which was hard to cut through. The favor was bland and personally I did not find it appealing. I will put Delius pork belly up against Michaels any day. This was served with a 2007 Bibach "Riserva", Bibich, Lasin, Plavina, Skradain, North Dalmatia. Another light red, a little bigger than the first.
Dessert was a cheese plate. 3 cheeses I had not had before with looked and tasted like a fig jam I thought that this was the best dish of the evening. They served it with a 2005 Dingac Winery "Postup", Plavac Mali, Peljesac Peninsula, Dalmatian Coast.
The food was OK, but I expected better because of what I had heard of the restaurant. The best thing of the night was the bread which was served with olive oil and balsamic. I would go back and try Michaels on Naples again and see what the do with Italian food which is their specialty. I will say that the service was impeccable.
Randy Kemmner from the Wine Country and his wife Dale were seated at the table next to us and he indicated he really liked this restaurant so I would give it a second chance but I am in no rush
The Factory
Tuesday. June 15, 2010
The Factory in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach is starting to host a BYOB wine dinner once a month. This months theme was Pinot Noir. Everyone sits at a communal table and everyone is supposed to share their wines. As with any other venue where there is "sharing" you have those that bring good wines and those that bring inexpensive wines. Of course a lot of these people consider their wines good. It was a fun evening and I was very surprised at how well the dinner paired with the wine. When I first heard the menu I had thoughts about it.
Tonight the Laker playoff game was on so the small place was noisy but it seemed to add to the atmosphere. A young couple are the owners and it seemed like a younger persons hangout. Their wine list was on a backboard and was surprising reasonable. Some other restaurants could take note of this.
A brought a 2006 Huber, Sta Rita Hills Pinot. It was the first bottle made a "dead solider". I didn't take notes which I should have so I do not remember most of the wines at our end of the table but there was a Merry Edwards and a few bottles from Orgeon. I quick look at the rest of the table didn't show too many really good wines.
We started off with a scallop of a slice of roasted corn (cob) with a tomato Pinot sauce. This dish surprised me as I wasn't looking at scallop and pinot as a good pairing.
A salad of shaved asparagus and Parmesan over a corn cake, Again went well with the wine.
Beef Stew with a cheese crisp. The stew was made with pinot and the vegetables had been gotten at the local farmers market.
Dessert was a Napoleon with stewed Bing cherries and gently cooked Rainier cherries and a pinot sauce.
For $25 this was a bargain. The food was good. And the atmosphere was a lot of fun. Next month is Spain so I will try to take better notes.
The Factory in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach is starting to host a BYOB wine dinner once a month. This months theme was Pinot Noir. Everyone sits at a communal table and everyone is supposed to share their wines. As with any other venue where there is "sharing" you have those that bring good wines and those that bring inexpensive wines. Of course a lot of these people consider their wines good. It was a fun evening and I was very surprised at how well the dinner paired with the wine. When I first heard the menu I had thoughts about it.
Tonight the Laker playoff game was on so the small place was noisy but it seemed to add to the atmosphere. A young couple are the owners and it seemed like a younger persons hangout. Their wine list was on a backboard and was surprising reasonable. Some other restaurants could take note of this.
A brought a 2006 Huber, Sta Rita Hills Pinot. It was the first bottle made a "dead solider". I didn't take notes which I should have so I do not remember most of the wines at our end of the table but there was a Merry Edwards and a few bottles from Orgeon. I quick look at the rest of the table didn't show too many really good wines.
We started off with a scallop of a slice of roasted corn (cob) with a tomato Pinot sauce. This dish surprised me as I wasn't looking at scallop and pinot as a good pairing.
A salad of shaved asparagus and Parmesan over a corn cake, Again went well with the wine.
Beef Stew with a cheese crisp. The stew was made with pinot and the vegetables had been gotten at the local farmers market.
Dessert was a Napoleon with stewed Bing cherries and gently cooked Rainier cherries and a pinot sauce.
For $25 this was a bargain. The food was good. And the atmosphere was a lot of fun. Next month is Spain so I will try to take better notes.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Joe's Restaurant
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Went into Venice this evening to have dinner with Stan & Karen and a few others, There were 9 of us altogether.
Joe's is a small place www.JoesRestaurtant.com and has been awarded 1 star by Michelin. I was looking forward to this experience. Stan took care of ordering and we all shared the dishes. This is a great way to do dinner as it gives you a lot of different tastes. Stan also brought along 4 bottles of wine. I did not take notes but I do remember a Peter Michaels Chardonnay, a 1998 Fat Bastard Syrah and a Saxum wine.
The dishes that were ordered were all outstanding and I ate a lot Foie Gras pate . Caviar & Foie Gras I could live on. This was almost like butter it was so smooth.
Tuna Tartare & Smoked Salmon with sliced cucumbers, diced tomatoes and lemon oil.
Hudson Valley Foir Gras parfait with melba toast and port gelee.
Grilled octupus with Greek salad, pine nut charmulam, Kalamata olive dust, Sicilian olive oil.
Porcini mushroom raviloi with wild mushrooms, parmesan broth Italian parsley.
Grilled Ahi Tuna with seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, potato rosti, herb red wine jus.
Tartine of seared albacore, sauce verte, Uni, diced tomato, basil, coriander, Nicoise olives.
Crisp grilled black cod and shitake mushroms, mizuna lettuce, Hijiki, braised oxtail, toasted brown rice, dsahi broth.
Jidori chicken breast, chestnut-porcini puree, braised winter greens, bacon lardons, cider jus.
We also had three desserts that were to die for. This place is in an area where parking is a premium. You can pay through the nose for valet or do like we did. Stan dropped us off in front of the restaurant and then went looking for parking. He found it 6 blocks away.
I don't live in the area which I'm glad of because I would be at this place a lot. Reservations are very highly recommended. The place had a long line of people waiting from about 7:30 on until we left about 9:00. I can see why this place is so highly rated.
Went into Venice this evening to have dinner with Stan & Karen and a few others, There were 9 of us altogether.
Joe's is a small place www.JoesRestaurtant.com and has been awarded 1 star by Michelin. I was looking forward to this experience. Stan took care of ordering and we all shared the dishes. This is a great way to do dinner as it gives you a lot of different tastes. Stan also brought along 4 bottles of wine. I did not take notes but I do remember a Peter Michaels Chardonnay, a 1998 Fat Bastard Syrah and a Saxum wine.
The dishes that were ordered were all outstanding and I ate a lot Foie Gras pate . Caviar & Foie Gras I could live on. This was almost like butter it was so smooth.
Tuna Tartare & Smoked Salmon with sliced cucumbers, diced tomatoes and lemon oil.
Hudson Valley Foir Gras parfait with melba toast and port gelee.
Grilled octupus with Greek salad, pine nut charmulam, Kalamata olive dust, Sicilian olive oil.
Porcini mushroom raviloi with wild mushrooms, parmesan broth Italian parsley.
Grilled Ahi Tuna with seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, potato rosti, herb red wine jus.
Tartine of seared albacore, sauce verte, Uni, diced tomato, basil, coriander, Nicoise olives.
Crisp grilled black cod and shitake mushroms, mizuna lettuce, Hijiki, braised oxtail, toasted brown rice, dsahi broth.
Jidori chicken breast, chestnut-porcini puree, braised winter greens, bacon lardons, cider jus.
We also had three desserts that were to die for. This place is in an area where parking is a premium. You can pay through the nose for valet or do like we did. Stan dropped us off in front of the restaurant and then went looking for parking. He found it 6 blocks away.
I don't live in the area which I'm glad of because I would be at this place a lot. Reservations are very highly recommended. The place had a long line of people waiting from about 7:30 on until we left about 9:00. I can see why this place is so highly rated.
Drive to Sta Rita Hills
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Today I took off early to head the coast to Lompoc. Sea Smoke Cellars was having their pick up party today and I opted to pick up instead of having the wine shipped. I left early enough to drive up through Malibu and take the scenic coastal route. It only added 15 minutes to my drive time and was well worth arriving in a good mood instead of tense from driving through the valley and the sharp down grade going into Camarillo. Also getting 41 miles to the gallon was a big plus.
Sea Smoke has moved into a very large facility near the Lompoc airport. I took a quick look and decided it looked just like a lot of other barrel room facilities so I did not think I needed to hang around. Loaded up my wine and Stan's wine and after that was sure glad I did not invite anyone to drive with me.
Made a quick stop at Huber Cellars in the Sta Rita Hills for a pick up. Tasted Norm and Traudl's newest releases. Fed a treat to Heidi, bought some Dornfelder jelly that Traudl makes with the proceeds going to the Buellton Humane Society and was off down the road to Santa Ynez.
Stopped in at Stolpman in Santa Ynez. Peter had my order ready but I needed to taste a new syrah they have called "originals". Wine was made from these vines that were the original plantings at Stolpman's Vineyard on Ballard Canyon Road. This new syrah has big fruit and is drinking quite well for only being in the bottle for 2 months. Give a few more months of aging and it will taste really nice. I do not think that this wines is a lay down wine like the Hilltop Syrah but for drinking within the next year or so its perfect.
Bought another case of wine beside what I ordered and managed to find room for it in the car. I could not have taken another bottle with me. The car was loaded, truck, backseat and front area . Just enough room for me to sit and drive.
Decided to take the coast route back as I thought maybe Malibu would be all right to drive through since the weather was overcast and maybe the beach crowd was light. Turned out to be a good decision.
Had to make a stop at Stan's in Santa Monica to drop off his Sea Smoke wines. Decided to stay and go out to dinner with Stan and Karen and a few others. That is on the next blog.
Today I took off early to head the coast to Lompoc. Sea Smoke Cellars was having their pick up party today and I opted to pick up instead of having the wine shipped. I left early enough to drive up through Malibu and take the scenic coastal route. It only added 15 minutes to my drive time and was well worth arriving in a good mood instead of tense from driving through the valley and the sharp down grade going into Camarillo. Also getting 41 miles to the gallon was a big plus.
Sea Smoke has moved into a very large facility near the Lompoc airport. I took a quick look and decided it looked just like a lot of other barrel room facilities so I did not think I needed to hang around. Loaded up my wine and Stan's wine and after that was sure glad I did not invite anyone to drive with me.
Made a quick stop at Huber Cellars in the Sta Rita Hills for a pick up. Tasted Norm and Traudl's newest releases. Fed a treat to Heidi, bought some Dornfelder jelly that Traudl makes with the proceeds going to the Buellton Humane Society and was off down the road to Santa Ynez.
Stopped in at Stolpman in Santa Ynez. Peter had my order ready but I needed to taste a new syrah they have called "originals". Wine was made from these vines that were the original plantings at Stolpman's Vineyard on Ballard Canyon Road. This new syrah has big fruit and is drinking quite well for only being in the bottle for 2 months. Give a few more months of aging and it will taste really nice. I do not think that this wines is a lay down wine like the Hilltop Syrah but for drinking within the next year or so its perfect.
Bought another case of wine beside what I ordered and managed to find room for it in the car. I could not have taken another bottle with me. The car was loaded, truck, backseat and front area . Just enough room for me to sit and drive.
Decided to take the coast route back as I thought maybe Malibu would be all right to drive through since the weather was overcast and maybe the beach crowd was light. Turned out to be a good decision.
Had to make a stop at Stan's in Santa Monica to drop off his Sea Smoke wines. Decided to stay and go out to dinner with Stan and Karen and a few others. That is on the next blog.
Sunset Cellars Wine Tasting
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill hosted a wine tasting tonight. Sunset Cellars from the Suisun Valley area of California. These wines are on the lower end of middle of the road but you would not know it from the taste.
We had 6 wines tonight and the only negative was the Sunset Napa Barbera. I felt this wine was way to sweet for a Barbera and it didn't have the punch that expect from this rustic grape.
One of my favorites was the Bear Bottom Creek 2005 Zinfandel. The grapes were sourced from Dry Creek Valley. At $12 a bottle it was a steal. I did opt to but a few bottles of this wine.
Others tasted today were Sunset SV Zinfandel, a little lighter that the Bear Bottom Zin, Bear Bottom Creek Syrah, Twightlight Ridge Napa Cabernet and the Sunset Petit Syrah
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill hosted a wine tasting tonight. Sunset Cellars from the Suisun Valley area of California. These wines are on the lower end of middle of the road but you would not know it from the taste.
We had 6 wines tonight and the only negative was the Sunset Napa Barbera. I felt this wine was way to sweet for a Barbera and it didn't have the punch that expect from this rustic grape.
One of my favorites was the Bear Bottom Creek 2005 Zinfandel. The grapes were sourced from Dry Creek Valley. At $12 a bottle it was a steal. I did opt to but a few bottles of this wine.
Others tasted today were Sunset SV Zinfandel, a little lighter that the Bear Bottom Zin, Bear Bottom Creek Syrah, Twightlight Ridge Napa Cabernet and the Sunset Petit Syrah
Himilayan Grille Again & Again
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
12 if us met tonight for dinner at the Himilayan Grille in Sunset Beach. No details on the dinner except to say if you have not been there yet you have to make a real effort to try this place out. Everything we have ever ordered has been done very well.
12 if us met tonight for dinner at the Himilayan Grille in Sunset Beach. No details on the dinner except to say if you have not been there yet you have to make a real effort to try this place out. Everything we have ever ordered has been done very well.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Hartford Court Wine Dinner
Friday, June 27, 2010
Delius Restaurant hosted a Hartford Court Wine dinner this evening. Jeff Ward from Regal Wines, the distributor and Margaux Pierog from Hartford Court were in attendance. Both young, very personable people.
Hartford Court makes a variety of Pinots along with Chardonnay and Zinfandel mainly in the Sonoma, Carneros areas.
Things started off slower than usual in getting the food out. Delius was busy tonight and they had a small disaster in the kitchen. Seems they couldn't find the Himachi that was to be served with the first course. After a few minutes the first course arrived tableside.
Pan Seared Scallop with Gingered Cured Himachi, Meyer Lemon Caviar and Pistachio foam. The scallop was cooked to perfection and the flavors married extremely well with the 2007 Laura's Chardonnay, Russian River Valley. The Chardonnay was a tad oaky for my taste but the oakiness went away after they wine warmed up a little and the scallop was eaten. Sometimes oaky works for me if it is not overwhelming.
Second Course - Duck Confit Ravioli, Brunoise of Mireproix, Smoked Mushroom Broth and Dried Cherry Gelee. Served with a 2006 Laura's Edge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast.. Very good pairing and the smoked mushroom broth was to die for. It had such intense flavor. My bowl was dry when the waitstaff took it away.
Third Course - Spice Rubbed Port Tenderloin, Manchego-Potato Galette, Cardamon Scented Baby Carrots, & Pan Jus. This dish was paired with 2006 Sevens Bench Vineyard Pinot Noir. The wine was outstanding and again another great pairing by Dave.
Fourth Course - Pan Roasted Lamb Loin, Oven Dried Teardrop Tomato and Currant Cous Cous, Braised Parsnip, Micro Arugula and Demo-Glace. Good lamb altho I personally prefer the chops or rack. The Cous Cous had excellent flavor and the parsnips added that small touch of sweetness. Wine was a 2006 Hartford Zinfandel, Russian River Valley. This again was a very good pairing.
Dessert was interesting. I did notice some people not finishing theirs but I downed mine. A Chilled Passion Fruit Soup with Yogurt Honey Spheres. The flavor of the "soup" was fresh and clean with just a touch of sweetness and the Yogurt Honey Spheres busted in your mouth and let out such a good flavor. Yes it was different but I felt the flavor was very good. I think you could use this "soup" as a starter for dinner. It wasn't overly sweet and it was refreshing.
I feel this dessert was a little on the cutting edge and not everyone is ready for this new style of cooking. But I am always game to try new and interesting things. Some are winners and others are not, but until you taste something how do you know if you will like it or not. People have such a preconceived idea of what they like and don't like they are never willing to break away from their very small, confined comfort zone and venture into unknown territory. My theory is try it once, if you don't like it there is no law that says you have to eat it again. But if you never try how do you know ?
Delius Restaurant hosted a Hartford Court Wine dinner this evening. Jeff Ward from Regal Wines, the distributor and Margaux Pierog from Hartford Court were in attendance. Both young, very personable people.
Hartford Court makes a variety of Pinots along with Chardonnay and Zinfandel mainly in the Sonoma, Carneros areas.
Things started off slower than usual in getting the food out. Delius was busy tonight and they had a small disaster in the kitchen. Seems they couldn't find the Himachi that was to be served with the first course. After a few minutes the first course arrived tableside.
Pan Seared Scallop with Gingered Cured Himachi, Meyer Lemon Caviar and Pistachio foam. The scallop was cooked to perfection and the flavors married extremely well with the 2007 Laura's Chardonnay, Russian River Valley. The Chardonnay was a tad oaky for my taste but the oakiness went away after they wine warmed up a little and the scallop was eaten. Sometimes oaky works for me if it is not overwhelming.
Second Course - Duck Confit Ravioli, Brunoise of Mireproix, Smoked Mushroom Broth and Dried Cherry Gelee. Served with a 2006 Laura's Edge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast.. Very good pairing and the smoked mushroom broth was to die for. It had such intense flavor. My bowl was dry when the waitstaff took it away.
Third Course - Spice Rubbed Port Tenderloin, Manchego-Potato Galette, Cardamon Scented Baby Carrots, & Pan Jus. This dish was paired with 2006 Sevens Bench Vineyard Pinot Noir. The wine was outstanding and again another great pairing by Dave.
Fourth Course - Pan Roasted Lamb Loin, Oven Dried Teardrop Tomato and Currant Cous Cous, Braised Parsnip, Micro Arugula and Demo-Glace. Good lamb altho I personally prefer the chops or rack. The Cous Cous had excellent flavor and the parsnips added that small touch of sweetness. Wine was a 2006 Hartford Zinfandel, Russian River Valley. This again was a very good pairing.
Dessert was interesting. I did notice some people not finishing theirs but I downed mine. A Chilled Passion Fruit Soup with Yogurt Honey Spheres. The flavor of the "soup" was fresh and clean with just a touch of sweetness and the Yogurt Honey Spheres busted in your mouth and let out such a good flavor. Yes it was different but I felt the flavor was very good. I think you could use this "soup" as a starter for dinner. It wasn't overly sweet and it was refreshing.
I feel this dessert was a little on the cutting edge and not everyone is ready for this new style of cooking. But I am always game to try new and interesting things. Some are winners and others are not, but until you taste something how do you know if you will like it or not. People have such a preconceived idea of what they like and don't like they are never willing to break away from their very small, confined comfort zone and venture into unknown territory. My theory is try it once, if you don't like it there is no law that says you have to eat it again. But if you never try how do you know ?
Sans Liege Winery Tasting
Thursday, June 27, 2010
Brix Wines in Sunset Beach hosted a tasting from "Sans Liege Winery" from the Paso Robles area. This was a new name for me. Mike Ames, the distributor had mentioned it to me when I did the DeRose tasting a few weeks back.
I stopped in at Brix on my way home after work. Fortunately there were not crowded yet and the music entertainment of the evening had not started.
Les Jeunes Rose, a bend of Grenache & Mouvedre. This was an interesting Rose, the Mouvedre was slightly more prominent and this wine was clean and refreshing.
Cotes de Coast White blend, Viognier, Roussanne & Marsanne. Rhone whites are a tug of war with me. I was glad the Viognier had the predominant role in this wine. I feel this wine was definitely a food wine.
Call to Arms, a blend of Grenache Blanc and Rousanne. Again I was glad that the Grenache Blanc was predominant, I am beginning to be a big fan of Grenache Blanc's and as it becomes more well known I think a lot of people will also.
Groundwork Grenache - 100% Grenache. I really liked this wine. It had an interesting cinnamon taste to the finish.
The Phophetess NV, blend of 2 different years of Syrah and Mouvedre . I know some people who would really like this wine. It was good but not quite my thing. It was a big wine which I usually like but there was something about the finish that did not grab me. Nothing wrong with the wine just my personal taste.
Everyones palate is different which is good because there are some many wineries anymore I think it is impossible to keep up with all the new ones. I was glad to have the opportunity to taste these Sans Liege wines.
Brix Wines in Sunset Beach hosted a tasting from "Sans Liege Winery" from the Paso Robles area. This was a new name for me. Mike Ames, the distributor had mentioned it to me when I did the DeRose tasting a few weeks back.
I stopped in at Brix on my way home after work. Fortunately there were not crowded yet and the music entertainment of the evening had not started.
Les Jeunes Rose, a bend of Grenache & Mouvedre. This was an interesting Rose, the Mouvedre was slightly more prominent and this wine was clean and refreshing.
Cotes de Coast White blend, Viognier, Roussanne & Marsanne. Rhone whites are a tug of war with me. I was glad the Viognier had the predominant role in this wine. I feel this wine was definitely a food wine.
Call to Arms, a blend of Grenache Blanc and Rousanne. Again I was glad that the Grenache Blanc was predominant, I am beginning to be a big fan of Grenache Blanc's and as it becomes more well known I think a lot of people will also.
Groundwork Grenache - 100% Grenache. I really liked this wine. It had an interesting cinnamon taste to the finish.
The Phophetess NV, blend of 2 different years of Syrah and Mouvedre . I know some people who would really like this wine. It was good but not quite my thing. It was a big wine which I usually like but there was something about the finish that did not grab me. Nothing wrong with the wine just my personal taste.
Everyones palate is different which is good because there are some many wineries anymore I think it is impossible to keep up with all the new ones. I was glad to have the opportunity to taste these Sans Liege wines.
Spaghettini Wine Tasting
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Spaghettini Grill & Jazz Club , www.spaghettini.com, had their first wine tasting of the year tonight. $25 for 15 wines and light appetizers. From 5:30 to 7:30 .
I arrived about 6 o'clock which after the evening was over I decided if I attend the next event to take off work early and get there at 5:30. Appetizers go fast and about 7:00 they do not put any more out. Also some of the wines disappeared before I got to taste them. Also the parking because annoying which has always been an issue with this establishment. 10 years ago it was a problem and nothing has changed. It is a very popular place and a middle age pick up place.
The pours very more than generous. I was very surprised at how big the pours were. At that rate you never be able to taste all the wines this evening which I did not. I did drink the 3 bubblies that were offered, 2 Chardonnays which I got rid of because they were too oaky for me, a Sauvignon Blanc and 3 reds. Maybe their thought is pick and chose what you want to drink and we will give you a generous serving, instead of try all 15 wines tonight.
The appetizers were good but don't expect it to be your dinner. The wines tonight came from Chalone Vineyards, Newton, Provenance and Rosenblum. The bubblies were Chandon Rose, Imperial by Moet & Chandon and Veuve Cliquot .
Next tasting is Wednesday June 30 and they will be featuring Chateau Ste Michelle.
Spaghettini Grill & Jazz Club , www.spaghettini.com, had their first wine tasting of the year tonight. $25 for 15 wines and light appetizers. From 5:30 to 7:30 .
I arrived about 6 o'clock which after the evening was over I decided if I attend the next event to take off work early and get there at 5:30. Appetizers go fast and about 7:00 they do not put any more out. Also some of the wines disappeared before I got to taste them. Also the parking because annoying which has always been an issue with this establishment. 10 years ago it was a problem and nothing has changed. It is a very popular place and a middle age pick up place.
The pours very more than generous. I was very surprised at how big the pours were. At that rate you never be able to taste all the wines this evening which I did not. I did drink the 3 bubblies that were offered, 2 Chardonnays which I got rid of because they were too oaky for me, a Sauvignon Blanc and 3 reds. Maybe their thought is pick and chose what you want to drink and we will give you a generous serving, instead of try all 15 wines tonight.
The appetizers were good but don't expect it to be your dinner. The wines tonight came from Chalone Vineyards, Newton, Provenance and Rosenblum. The bubblies were Chandon Rose, Imperial by Moet & Chandon and Veuve Cliquot .
Next tasting is Wednesday June 30 and they will be featuring Chateau Ste Michelle.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
New Chinese Restaurant
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Alas, our favorite Chinese restaurant , Duong Son, has closed. Very suddenly.
We tried a new place tonight called "Capital Seafood" in Garden Grove. They also have places in Rowland Heights, Monterey Park and Las Vegas.
We were used to getting top notch treatment at Doung Son and now we are the "common folk". Some of the dishes we ordered were good and I would go back again. My biggest problem was they brought almost all the food out at once. We are used to having one dish presented and when we finished have another one appear. Tonight some of the dishes got cold before I got to them. They also did not offer to exchange the plates after a few courses and the small plates started to get messy. The paper napkins were cheaper quality. The atmosphere is better and the restaurant is larger. But then they are busier. So busy that they whisked away my plate without asking first if I was finished, I do not think they are used to a group of 8 people that had 9 bottles of wine on the table. We enjoy dining and having good wine and take several hours to finish a meal. This establishment is about "being fast". Get them "common folk" in and out.
Tonight we had Peking Duck which was good.
Ribs Peking, too bony and not enough meat.
Cashew Chicken - good flavor but you had to look twice for the cashews.
Pea sprouts, small , good flavor but not Doung Son's
Tofu with a sauce. A guess it was good. Other people at the table said so. But it was not like what I am used to getting.
Sauteed Shrimp with vegetables. This dish was good, The shrimp were cooked perfectly along with the vegetables.
Sauteed green beans with garlic. Beans were overcooked.
Beef Chau Fun - beef with wide noodles.This dish was good. Meat was tender and the taste was very good.
The wines that we had tonight were a wide mix.
2004 Loring Close Pepe Pinot Noir
2008 Sherwood, Pinot Noir
2008 Clos Pepe Rose of Pinot Noir
NV Riesling ( I could not read my writing to decipher the label)
2005 Bridlewood Winners Circle Syrah
2009 Walter Hansel Russian River Sauvignon Blanc
2004 Victor Hugo Petite Syrah
NV Wegeler Sparkling Riesling
2006 Byron Brut Chardonnay
Alas, our favorite Chinese restaurant , Duong Son, has closed. Very suddenly.
We tried a new place tonight called "Capital Seafood" in Garden Grove. They also have places in Rowland Heights, Monterey Park and Las Vegas.
We were used to getting top notch treatment at Doung Son and now we are the "common folk". Some of the dishes we ordered were good and I would go back again. My biggest problem was they brought almost all the food out at once. We are used to having one dish presented and when we finished have another one appear. Tonight some of the dishes got cold before I got to them. They also did not offer to exchange the plates after a few courses and the small plates started to get messy. The paper napkins were cheaper quality. The atmosphere is better and the restaurant is larger. But then they are busier. So busy that they whisked away my plate without asking first if I was finished, I do not think they are used to a group of 8 people that had 9 bottles of wine on the table. We enjoy dining and having good wine and take several hours to finish a meal. This establishment is about "being fast". Get them "common folk" in and out.
Tonight we had Peking Duck which was good.
Ribs Peking, too bony and not enough meat.
Cashew Chicken - good flavor but you had to look twice for the cashews.
Pea sprouts, small , good flavor but not Doung Son's
Tofu with a sauce. A guess it was good. Other people at the table said so. But it was not like what I am used to getting.
Sauteed Shrimp with vegetables. This dish was good, The shrimp were cooked perfectly along with the vegetables.
Sauteed green beans with garlic. Beans were overcooked.
Beef Chau Fun - beef with wide noodles.This dish was good. Meat was tender and the taste was very good.
The wines that we had tonight were a wide mix.
2004 Loring Close Pepe Pinot Noir
2008 Sherwood, Pinot Noir
2008 Clos Pepe Rose of Pinot Noir
NV Riesling ( I could not read my writing to decipher the label)
2005 Bridlewood Winners Circle Syrah
2009 Walter Hansel Russian River Sauvignon Blanc
2004 Victor Hugo Petite Syrah
NV Wegeler Sparkling Riesling
2006 Byron Brut Chardonnay
DeRose Wine Tasting
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Delius restaurant hosted a wine tasting this evening. DeRose is a winery in the central coast of California near Hollister www.DEROSEWINERY.COM, They make wine from grapes sourced in California and also make wine in Argentina & Chile.
6 wines and passed appetizers for $25. Not a bad deal.
I have tasted DeRose wines before and they are all good especially with the price point.
Tonight we had :
Shark Nose Chardonnay - had a aroma of a Sau Blanc with the tropical fruit but had a very distinct green apple taste. A semi dry wine with great fruit. A very clean, nice, crisp wine. At $10 a bottle I bought a few. And we all know what I think about California Chardonnays.
Sur de los Andres Torrontes - an Argentinian wine. Another clean crisp wine but I preferred the Chardonnay.
Sur de los Andres Bonarda from Argentina. A good everyday drinking wine that would marry well with barbeque or pizza.
Sur de los Andres Malbec Reserva - This was a complex, well balanced wine.
DeRose Alchemy from Chile. A blend of Cab, Cab Franc, Syrah and Carmenere. The grapes for this wine are hand picked, berry by berry. Labor intensive so that is why it is made in Chile instead of California. This wine is not produced each year, only very good years and is aged 24 months in oak barrels before bottling. At $14 a bottle how can you not buy some, which I did.
Continental Cabernet - a blend of Cabernet Pfeffer, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. What can I say. This wine won me over. At $15 a bottle it was a must have. I have paid a lot more for some wines and not have them hold a candle to this one. Good mouth feel, soft tannins, very approachable and a damm good wine. So obviously I bought some of this wine also and should have bought more that I did.
DeRose is a winery that we should all look at more closely. Its not a "cult, have to have it wine" but for the price point and the quality you get it is well worth a second and third look. And you will probably enjoy it more than that $80 must have to have wine that seems to turn out to be a bit overrated.
Delius restaurant hosted a wine tasting this evening. DeRose is a winery in the central coast of California near Hollister www.DEROSEWINERY.COM, They make wine from grapes sourced in California and also make wine in Argentina & Chile.
6 wines and passed appetizers for $25. Not a bad deal.
I have tasted DeRose wines before and they are all good especially with the price point.
Tonight we had :
Shark Nose Chardonnay - had a aroma of a Sau Blanc with the tropical fruit but had a very distinct green apple taste. A semi dry wine with great fruit. A very clean, nice, crisp wine. At $10 a bottle I bought a few. And we all know what I think about California Chardonnays.
Sur de los Andres Torrontes - an Argentinian wine. Another clean crisp wine but I preferred the Chardonnay.
Sur de los Andres Bonarda from Argentina. A good everyday drinking wine that would marry well with barbeque or pizza.
Sur de los Andres Malbec Reserva - This was a complex, well balanced wine.
DeRose Alchemy from Chile. A blend of Cab, Cab Franc, Syrah and Carmenere. The grapes for this wine are hand picked, berry by berry. Labor intensive so that is why it is made in Chile instead of California. This wine is not produced each year, only very good years and is aged 24 months in oak barrels before bottling. At $14 a bottle how can you not buy some, which I did.
Continental Cabernet - a blend of Cabernet Pfeffer, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. What can I say. This wine won me over. At $15 a bottle it was a must have. I have paid a lot more for some wines and not have them hold a candle to this one. Good mouth feel, soft tannins, very approachable and a damm good wine. So obviously I bought some of this wine also and should have bought more that I did.
DeRose is a winery that we should all look at more closely. Its not a "cult, have to have it wine" but for the price point and the quality you get it is well worth a second and third look. And you will probably enjoy it more than that $80 must have to have wine that seems to turn out to be a bit overrated.
May Gathering of The Wino's
Sunday. May 16, 2010
Today's theme was Brunello's and Barolo's. I was surprised at the number of people that showed up because of the theme. These wines are not cheap and a few of the "wino" have a hard time with a wine that costs more than $20.
I did not find that much difference in the wines for each category. All the Brunello's seemed very similar as did the Barolo's. The big difference seemed to be in the aging. Henry gave me two partially empty bottles when I left and the next day I poured out of a bottle that had been sitting open for about 24 hours. It was a 2001 La Magia Brunello di Montalcino and the difference on the taste overnight was interesting. The wine seemed more alive and much better balanced. So the moral is open these types of wines at least 24 hours ahead of time, decant, abuse them and return to the bottle just before serving.
Today's theme was Brunello's and Barolo's. I was surprised at the number of people that showed up because of the theme. These wines are not cheap and a few of the "wino" have a hard time with a wine that costs more than $20.
I did not find that much difference in the wines for each category. All the Brunello's seemed very similar as did the Barolo's. The big difference seemed to be in the aging. Henry gave me two partially empty bottles when I left and the next day I poured out of a bottle that had been sitting open for about 24 hours. It was a 2001 La Magia Brunello di Montalcino and the difference on the taste overnight was interesting. The wine seemed more alive and much better balanced. So the moral is open these types of wines at least 24 hours ahead of time, decant, abuse them and return to the bottle just before serving.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
May Wine & Dine at Franco's
Saturday, May 16, 2010
CJ's Wine & Dine group met tonight at Franco's Italian Restaurant in Cypress tonight. There were 25 in attendance. The larger amount of people tonight probably was due to the fact that it was CJ's birthday.
Along with the bread basket with a garlic spread and oil & balsamic vinegar we started with 5 appetizers.
Bruschetta: fresh tomatoes, red onions, black olives and basil pesto on toasted bread. I passed on this dish. I just had the bread basket.
Fried Zucchini: fresh, breaded, served with Franco's marinara sauce. I passed on this also. Fried zucchini is nothing special.
Stuffed Mushrooms: stuffed with crab and topped with mozzarella then baked. This dish was good .
Crispy Crab Cakes: fresh crabmeat prepared with sliced peppers and onions, breaded with homemade bread crumbs and served with tomato, onion, roasted pepper and olive relish. OK , I guess I am old fashioned but I like my crab cakes the traditional way. These cakes were good but I could do without the relish. It seemed to over shadow the crab.
Gnocchi al a Sorrentina: Potato dumplings in a garlic pesto sauce. Good flavor and a nice dish. I would order this dish again.
Next we were served the Italian Zucchini Soup which I had had a few weeks back when a few of us dined at Franco's. Creamy zucchini soup made with Italian herbs and a dash of jalapeno pepper. I'm glad I saved some bubbly and white wine for this dish. This is a good soup but leave the red wine alone for this one.
The entrees were served .
Risotto with Spinach & Sausage: For me this dish could have been just plain Risotto, maybe with the spinach. It did not need the sausage. If I was ordering this dish on its own then the sausage but not as 1 of 4 entrees. It was overkill. This should have been served as a side dish.
Salmon Franchese: salmon dipped in a light batter, sauteed with garlic, lemon, herbs, olive oil and white wine. A very good dish. I just wished I had room for more of this. I had a very small piece.
Steak Diane: tender grilled top sirloin topped with mushrooms and a red wine sauce. This has always been a good dish at Franco's. I had 2 small strips of the steak which was cooked just the way I like my meat. Red.
Penne: with a tomato cream sauce. I passed on this dish. I do not need pasta with risotto
They brought out a birthday cake for CJ and a tray of macaroon cookies were passed.
With over 25 wines on the table I only tasted a few. I brought and Italian Pigato (white) and a 2004 Loring, Clos Pepe Vineyard, Pinot Noir . There was a 2005 Sea Smoke Botella also. I tasted the Botella and frankly I was disappointed in the quality of the wine. Perhaps it was just that particular bottle. I have some Botella in my cellar so I will have to try a bottle and compare. I felt the Loring was far superior. There were a few whites wines but the reds dominated. I did pick up 2 more new wine varietals for my list which is now at 239 different varietals of wine tasted. I am shooting for the 300 mark.
Personally I would have left off the Bruschetta & Fried Zucchini appetizers and the Penne pasta. We had too much starch/carbs and they fill you up fast. I could have enjoyed my entrees more if there had been a few less dishes served. As it was I did not try 3 of the dishes and I was still too full to have more than very, very small portions of the entrees. The restaurant also seemed to get the appetizers out very fast, They were all on the table about the same time. Then there was a big lull before the soup arrived then another big lull before the entrees started. So the amount of food was overkill for me but there were several really big eaters in the crowd and they seemed to devour everything I passed on. Not a lot of leftovers So a good time was had by all and the birthday boy shined.
Next month Ante's a Croatian restaurant in San Pedro is scheduled.
CJ's Wine & Dine group met tonight at Franco's Italian Restaurant in Cypress tonight. There were 25 in attendance. The larger amount of people tonight probably was due to the fact that it was CJ's birthday.
Along with the bread basket with a garlic spread and oil & balsamic vinegar we started with 5 appetizers.
Bruschetta: fresh tomatoes, red onions, black olives and basil pesto on toasted bread. I passed on this dish. I just had the bread basket.
Fried Zucchini: fresh, breaded, served with Franco's marinara sauce. I passed on this also. Fried zucchini is nothing special.
Stuffed Mushrooms: stuffed with crab and topped with mozzarella then baked. This dish was good .
Crispy Crab Cakes: fresh crabmeat prepared with sliced peppers and onions, breaded with homemade bread crumbs and served with tomato, onion, roasted pepper and olive relish. OK , I guess I am old fashioned but I like my crab cakes the traditional way. These cakes were good but I could do without the relish. It seemed to over shadow the crab.
Gnocchi al a Sorrentina: Potato dumplings in a garlic pesto sauce. Good flavor and a nice dish. I would order this dish again.
Next we were served the Italian Zucchini Soup which I had had a few weeks back when a few of us dined at Franco's. Creamy zucchini soup made with Italian herbs and a dash of jalapeno pepper. I'm glad I saved some bubbly and white wine for this dish. This is a good soup but leave the red wine alone for this one.
The entrees were served .
Risotto with Spinach & Sausage: For me this dish could have been just plain Risotto, maybe with the spinach. It did not need the sausage. If I was ordering this dish on its own then the sausage but not as 1 of 4 entrees. It was overkill. This should have been served as a side dish.
Salmon Franchese: salmon dipped in a light batter, sauteed with garlic, lemon, herbs, olive oil and white wine. A very good dish. I just wished I had room for more of this. I had a very small piece.
Steak Diane: tender grilled top sirloin topped with mushrooms and a red wine sauce. This has always been a good dish at Franco's. I had 2 small strips of the steak which was cooked just the way I like my meat. Red.
Penne: with a tomato cream sauce. I passed on this dish. I do not need pasta with risotto
They brought out a birthday cake for CJ and a tray of macaroon cookies were passed.
With over 25 wines on the table I only tasted a few. I brought and Italian Pigato (white) and a 2004 Loring, Clos Pepe Vineyard, Pinot Noir . There was a 2005 Sea Smoke Botella also. I tasted the Botella and frankly I was disappointed in the quality of the wine. Perhaps it was just that particular bottle. I have some Botella in my cellar so I will have to try a bottle and compare. I felt the Loring was far superior. There were a few whites wines but the reds dominated. I did pick up 2 more new wine varietals for my list which is now at 239 different varietals of wine tasted. I am shooting for the 300 mark.
Personally I would have left off the Bruschetta & Fried Zucchini appetizers and the Penne pasta. We had too much starch/carbs and they fill you up fast. I could have enjoyed my entrees more if there had been a few less dishes served. As it was I did not try 3 of the dishes and I was still too full to have more than very, very small portions of the entrees. The restaurant also seemed to get the appetizers out very fast, They were all on the table about the same time. Then there was a big lull before the soup arrived then another big lull before the entrees started. So the amount of food was overkill for me but there were several really big eaters in the crowd and they seemed to devour everything I passed on. Not a lot of leftovers So a good time was had by all and the birthday boy shined.
Next month Ante's a Croatian restaurant in San Pedro is scheduled.
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