So I thought it worth revisiting here.  Now, I love such wines with summer fruit crisps, crumbles, cobblers and squeaks.  Expecially when still warm from the oven and served with a bit of really good vanilla bean ice cream.  So I asked Roger if he had a favorite stone fruit dessert recipe.  He said “It’s not stone fruit, but it IS delicious!”  So here it is

Passion Fruit Poached Pears

Ingredients (Serves 10)
10 Small Bosc or Forelle pears (Peeled and cored )
1/2 Cup passion fruit juice ( or other juice/Puree)
1/2 Cup sugar
Zest from 1/2 Lemon
1/4 Cup water

Procedure
Cut a thin slice off the bottom of the pears so they can sit upright in your pan.

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the passion fruit juice, sugar, lemon zest and water bring to a boil.  Add the pears and simmer gently until soft (8-10 minutes).  Transfer the pears to a plate and cool.

Serve standing upright with a dollop of creme fraiche and some fresh mint for garnish.  Also serve a glass of my 2006 Nobility.  Awesome!

Buy the 2006 Nobility Here

Cheers!  And “Congratulations” to Roger and his team
Dave the Wine Merchant
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

Members who used to receive dead tree versions of my notes can now access them whenever you need answers to questions such as:

Q: “What’s the deal with that wine you featured in our club months ago?  We hid it under our bed and forgot about it.  Now we need to know what it cost, what to serve it with, and how to get more of it!”

A: Easy.  From my homepage (www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com), click the “Blog” link and select the category “wine”.  Then use the search box (look!  I’ts hanging out up there in the top left corner right now!) to find the wine you’re after.   Just type the vintage and the producer and you should find what you’re after (ex. “2006 Arcadian”).

Q: “I keep a notebook with all your notes and recipes from each shipment, but I can’t find the ones that go with (this wine). Before I pull the cork, what should I pair with it?  Is there an easy recipe for it?”

A: Another easy one!  From my homepage, click the “Recipe” link and use the search box to find my recommended pairing.

Q: I just found these great _(insert seasonal ingredient here!) at the farmer’s market!  What can I make with them and what wine should I pair with it?

A: Same as above – go to my recipe blog and use the search box to type in your ingredient, or the season, or just about anything you can think of.  Go ahead – give it a try!

Do you like this new format?  Hate it??  Please weigh in with your comments, below!

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

866-746-7293

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Summary of “Grand Cru” Selections

for June, 2010

($150/quarter Join Here)

1. Tournesol, 2004 Napa Valley Estate Bordeaux Blend.  $45 (member price starts at $40.50) Buy it/Rate it Here
   
2. Chateau de la Font du Loup, 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Puy Rolland $49 (member price starts at $44.10)  Buy it/Rate it Here
3. 2006 Rene Lequin-Colin, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru Cailleret $46 (member price starts at $41.40)  Buy it/Rate it Here

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

1 0f 3) Tournesol, 2004 Napa Valley Estate Bordeaux Blend

$45 (member price starts at $40.50) Buy it/Rate it Here

In French, Tournasol is the name for this winery’s iconic logo – the Sunflower.  The literal translation is “To the Sun“, after the flower’s ability to face the sun throughout the day as it moves across the sky.

2004 marked the debut of this winery.  Subsequent vintages of Tournesol’s Bordeaux Blend are selling at $60, despite the most depressed market Napa has seen in a long time.  So when they approached me with a special price on their debut vintage – at 300 cases, on that was too small for their sales channel – I jumped at the chance to introduce it to you at this lower price.  This is a well-made wine that will appeal to new-world wine lovers.

Tasting Notes - Ruby red, with leading aromas one can follow reliably down the path towards Bordeaux Blends from Napa.  Black fruits, a hint of flinty steel, black olives, dried herbs and warm, smoky leather and sweet oak spice.  A most interesting flutter of milk chocolate on the finish.

Tournesol, 2004 Napa Valley Estate Bordeaux Blend

$45 (member price starts at $40.50) Buy it/Rate it Here

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

2 of 3) Chateau de la Font du Loup, 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Puy Rolland

$49 (member price starts at $44.10) Buy it/Rate it Here

A unique wine from Chateauneuf-du-Pape –100% Grenache!

Rene Lequin-Colin, 2006 Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru Cailleret

$46 (member price starts at $41.40) Buy it/Rate it Here

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Become a Subscriber! Three wines per quarterly shipment. Up tpo $150 per shipment. Join Here

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

Q: “What’s the deal with that wine you featured in our club months ago?  We hid it under our bed and forgot about it.  Now we need to know what it cost, what to serve it with, and how to get more of it!”

A: Easy.  From my homepage (www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com), click the “Blog” link and select the category “wine”.  Then use the search box (look!  I’ts hanging out up there in the top left corner right now!) to find the wine you’re after.   Just type the vintage and the producer and you should find what you’re after (ex. “2006 Arcadian”).

Q: “I keep a notebook with all your notes and recipes from each shipment, but I can’t find the ones that go with (this wine). Before I pull the cork, what should I pair with it?  Is there an easy recipe for it?”

A: Another easy one!  From my homepage, click the “Recipe” link and use the search box to find my recommended pairing.

Q: I just found these great _(insert seasonal ingredient here!) at the farmer’s market!  What can I make with them and what wine should I pair with it?

A: Same as above – go to my recipe blog and use the search box to type in your ingredient, or the season, or just about anything you can think of.  Go ahead – give it a try!

Do you like this new format?  Hate it??  I look forward to your comments, below!

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

866-746-7293

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

My Two Pinot Selections

June, 2010 (Summary Listing)

1. Staete Landt, 2007 Pinot Noir, New Zealand (Marlborough).  $32 (member price starts at $28.80) (Buy it/Rate it Here)
2. Adelsheim, 2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley. $31 (member price starts at $27.90)  (Buy it/Rate it Here)

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

My First Pinot Selection

for June, 2010 (Join Here)

Staete Landt, 2007 Pinot Noir, New Zealand (Marlborough)

Buy it/Rate it Here $32 (member price starts at $28.80)

Classic New Zealand pinot noir – strawberries, ripe black cherries, violets and earthy complexity!

When the Dutch Sea Captain Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand in 1642, he named it “Staete Landt”, which roughly means “Land discovered in honor of the Dutch Republic”. Today the name lends itself very nicely to this winery, founded and run by Netherland natives (and spouses) Ruud Maasdam and Dorien Vermaas.

I met Dorien at a large tasting, where her wines were among my favorites. I’ve brought two of their wines into my portfolio – their Sauvignon Blanc and their Pinot Noir – both of which were found to be classic examples of the New Zealand style and terroir.

If there was one way for me to describe this winery, I would have to say they are fanatics. Every element of winegrowing is considered, and the process selected depends entirely upon what is best for that particular combination of terroir, root stock, clone, the vintage conditions, and the separate picking. Each plot is harvested separately, then treated separately, from the yeast selection, to the de-stemming/crushing/pressing decisions, to the barrel/tank/cask selection… the number of decisions involved in the production of each wine are truly amazing, and frankly, I don’t know how these wines can be priced as low as they are!

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes
This Pinot Noir beautifully expresses the terroir of the clay-layered soils in the Staete Landt vineyard. It is elegant and multi-layered, complex with powerful, spicy, and fruit-driven tannins. Aromas of strawberries and ripe black cherries with violets and earthy complexity.

On the palate this is a full-bodied Pinot Noir with elegant tannins and a lingering spicy finish of cloves, bay leaves and game. This wine will repay cellaring for three to five years.

Buy it/Rate it Here$32 (member price starts at $28.80)

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

My Final Pinot Selection

for June, 2010 (Join Here)

Adelsheim, 2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Buy it/Rate it Here $31 (member price starts at $27.90)

“One of Oregon’s Best Pinots” ~ Wine Spectator

I am an unabashed fan of great pinot from Oregon.  But you see, that’s the problem, many of them fail to attain such heights.  And those that do tend to run into the $50 neighborhood.  But this wine provides luscious pinot pleasure at an amazingly affordable price.  I advise members of my sampler program to pop the cork tonight and if you like it, to check back soon – I don’t anticipate my inventory will last long!

Winery Comments – “Our objective with this Pinot noir is to produce a classic, intense, and elegant wine that pairs well with the foods we like to eat. By blending the diverse flavors and textures of multiple vineyards, clones and elevations, we produce a rich, supple and focused wine that typifies what Pinot noir can achieve in the northern Willamette Valley.”

Tasting Notes – This was the first and the last wine I tasted during a recent tasting.  I marked it so highly the first time, I had to go back and check again to see whether I like it after tasting a roomful of other selections.  I did.  Look for aromas of black and red fruits (black cherries and raspberries, specifically), a touch of sweet pie spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice) and very subtle traces of black pepper.  The tannins are still firm, softening with each month it lies in wait for an unsuspecting cork screw.

Food Pairing - Hey, it’s pinot!  Pinot goes with everything, right?  Well, almost, but this wine’s modest 12.8% alcohol and friendly

Drinking well now, will improve for years.  The winemaker tells me he expects this wine to peak between 2015 and 2019, based on how it tastes now relative to past Adelsheim wines he’s traced through the years.  Optimal storage temperature is 55-60° F, and optimal serving temperature 60 – 65° F (about 30 – 45 minutes in the fridge will suffice if you’re lacking a cellar of your own).

The Adelsheim, 2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Buy it/Rate it Here $31 (member price starts at $27.90)

Q: “What’s the deal with that wine you featured in our club months ago?  We hid it under our bed and forgot about it.  Now we need to know what it cost, what to serve it with, and how to get more of it!”

A: Easy.  From my homepage (www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com), click the “Blog” link and select the category “wine”.  Then use the search box (look!  I’ts hanging out up there in the top left corner right now!) to find the wine you’re after.   Just type the vintage and the producer and you should find what you’re after (ex. “2006 Arcadian”).

Q: “I keep a notebook with all your notes and recipes from each shipment, but I can’t find the ones that go with (this wine). Before I pull the cork, what should I pair with it?  Is there an easy recipe for it?”

A: Another easy one!  From my homepage, click the “Recipe” link and use the search box to find my recommended pairing.

Q: I just found these great _(insert seasonal ingredient here!) at the farmer’s market!  What can I make with them and what wine should I pair with it?

A: Same as above – go to my recipe blog and use the search box to type in your ingredient, or the season, or just about anything you can think of.  Go ahead – give it a try!

Do you like this new format?  Hate it??  I look forward to your comments, below!

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

866-746-7293

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

My Three Collectible Selections

June, 2010 (Summary Listing)

1. Cain Cuvee (NV6), Napa Bordeaux Blend.  $34 (member price starts at $30.60) (Buy it/Rate it Here)
2. Lang & Reed, 2008 Cabernet Franc, Lake County. $22 (member price starts at $19.80)  (Buy it/Rate it Here)
3. Staete Landt, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand (Marlborough). $21.50 (member price starts at $19.35) Buy it/Rate it Here

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

My First Collectible Selection

for June, 2010 (Join Here)

Cain Cuvee “NV6″ Napa Valley

Buy It Here $34 (member price starts at $30.60)

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet and Cabernet Franc, this wine drinks well now, but will improve for another decade!

Some 15 years ago, I splurged on a bottle of wine from Cain Vineyard. I saved it for years, waiting for a special night to justify popping the cork on this well-aged treasure.  Being single at the time, I had visions of this wine being an irresistible instrument of seduction.  But it was eventually opened one night on my own, after a particularly difficult day at work. By then it was ten years old, and the pleasure it brought erased the day’s stress so effectively that I even called some wine-loving friend so we could marvel over the wine’s amazingness. It was even better the next night – an indication that the mountain fruit in this wine would have allowed it to improve for many more years in bottle.

Cain Vineyard produces three wines of note – Cain Five (using the five Bordeaux varietals – about $100), the Cain Concept (about $50 – $60) and the non-vintage Cain Cuvee (NV6 stands for Non-Vintage, sixth year) which is is a blend of Merlot (to provide a broad, smooth base) and mountain-side Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, which bring structure and aromatic complexity. 55% of the blend comes from the 2006 vintage, 45% from 2005. This wine will reward cellaring for another five years.

Food Pairings – This blend is more complex and softer than Napa Cabernets, this wine’s moderate alcohol and structure allows it to pair with a wide variety of foods.  But it also is delicious on its own, rewarding the curious palate with an evolving experience as the wine opens up over the course of hours.  A year-round wine, I think you’ll find it more attractive during the summer months if you serve it a bit cooler than during the winter months.

Buy It Here $34 (member price starts at $30.60)

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

My Second Collectible Selection

June, 2010 “REDS ONLY” Members (Join Here)

Lang & Reed, 2008 Cabernet Franc, Lake County

Buy it Here at $22 (member prices start at $19.80)

Lang and Reed specializes in Cabernet Franc from California fruit.  Taking inspiration for the world’s best Cabernet Franc regions, their wines have one stylistic foot in Bordeaux and one in the Loire. Try one soon, you won’t be sorry!

Cabernet Franc is common in the Right Bank of Bordeaux, where it is blended with Merlot. It is also common in the Loire Valley, where it is the primary red varietal in my favorite wines from Chinon, Bourgueil and many smaller areas. But the wines of these two regions are entirely different, with those from the Right Bank being riper and more robust wines, those from the Loire being leaner and earthier.

John Skupny (Lang & Reed’s owner/Winemaker, who named the winery after their two sons) combines California’s ripe juiciness with Cabernet Franc’s natural tea-leaf characteristics. The result is a cherry-inflected red wine that seemingly pairs with almost everything.

At Left, Lang demonstrates how to get a brix sample, from shots of his recent visit to the Loire region with his charming new wife, Megan.  Back on this side of the pond, the 2008 Lang & Reed comes from four vineyards – one in the heart of Napa Valley and the other three from the northern reaches of Lake County:

1. Stanton Vineyard: Though only a small percent of the assemblage, this fruit provides the bright, crisp, cherry aroma and flavors in this wine.

2. The High Chaparral Vineyard: Located high up in the red hills of Lake County, just north of Kelseyville, it was planted to Cabernet Franc back in the 70’s. It is planted on its own roots, a true Franc de Pied, which bring deep structure and tannin to the wine.

3 & 4. Cross Springs Vineyard & La Sierra Vineyard: Both vineyards are found above the 2,000 ft elevation in the High Valley appellation of Lake County, rounding out the assemblage of this 100% Cabernet Franc wine.

By The Numbers
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Franc (95% Lake County, 5% Napa Valley)
Alcohol Content: 13.9% by Volume
Total Acidity: 0.53gm/100ml, pH = 3.90
Cooperage: 9 months in 60-gallon French Oak
Production: 3,086 cases

Food Pairings – Another great summer wine, with slightly herbaceous notes that suggest pairing with vegetables, and a richness that suggest said veggies be grilled.  Less structured than its old world counterparts, with a broader appeal and a wider list of food pairing possibilities.  Still, I recommend the usual suspects – goat cheese (especially toasted on crostini), anything with mushrooms, and for those not opposed – pate!   Serve this wine around 60 – 65 degrees – so pop it in the fridge for a half hour before popping the cork!

Wine #2 – the Lang & Reed, 2008 Cabernet Franc, Lake County

Buy it Here at $22 (member prices start at $19.80)

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

My Final Collectible Selection

for June, 2010 (Join Here)

Staete Landt, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand (Marlborough)

Buy it Here $21.50 (member prices start at $19.35)

A premium Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, and well worth the price.  Rich and herbaceous, with racy acidity and pronounced grapefruit and citrus aromas.

When the Dutch Sea Captain Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand in 1642, he named it “Staete Landt”, which roughly means “Land discovered in honor of the Dutch Republic”. Today the name lends itself very nicely to this winery, founded and run by Netherland natives (and spouses) Ruud Maasdam and Dorien Vermaas.

I met Dorien recently at a large tasting, where her wines were among my favorites. I’ve brought two of their wines into my portfolio – their Sauvignon Blanc and their Pinot Noir – both of which are classic examples of the New Zealand style and terroir.

This wine is so rich and herbaceous, I enjoy it on its own. But it varies from the typical Kiwi mold for Sauvignon Blanc – they pick separately each of this wine’s six different plots of fruit.  The fruit from the earlier picking lends the herb notes and crisp acidity (pH is a low 3.14 – grapefruit is 3.0 – 3.3!) while the later pickings bring fruit with rich tropical fruit notes.  A summer porch wine, this could easily be your appetizer course!

Food Pairings – the citrus notes suggest savory foods with cooked with citrus ingredients.  But it overpowers fruit served on its own as the wine is not sweet, and a dry wine with fruit will seem austere and quite unpleasant.  Good with acidic cheeses such as goat’s cheese, try this wine with a great with grilled cheese sandwiches (use soft bread, buttered on the outside, good melty cows milk cheese, and a bit of bacon or other crisp meat!)  Better yet, take inspiration from the menu at San Francisco’s latest gourmet ghetto restaurant, the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen.  Oysters also beckon, but they need lemon or lime juice and nothing more.  Grilled fish with citrus and capers, or chicken picatta are excellent choices, especially served with spinach wilted in a pan with lemon zest, garlic and a smidge of anchovy paste.

Wine #3 – Staete Landt, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand (Marlborough)

Buy it Here $21.50 (member prices start at $19.35)

Q: What’s the deal with that wine you featured in our club months ago?  We hid it under our bed and forgot about it.  Now we need to know what it cost, what to serve it with, and how to get more of it!

A: Easy.  From my homepage (www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com), click the “Blog” link and select the category “wine”.  Then use the search box (look!  I’ts hanging out up there in the top left corner right now!) to find the wine you’re after.   Just type the vintage and the producer and you should find what you’re after (ex. “2006 Arcadian”).

Q: I keep a notebook with all your notes and recipes from each shipment, but I can’t find the ones that go with (this wine) . Before I pull the cork, what should I pair with it?  Is there an easy recipe for it?

A: Another easy one!  From my homepage, click the “Recipe” link and use the search box to find my recommended pairing.

Q: I just found these great _(insert seasonal ingredient here!) at the farmer’s market!  What can I make with them and what wine should I pair with it?

A: Same as above – go to my recipe blog and use the search box to type in your ingredient, or the season, or just about anything you can think of.  Go ahead – give it a try!

Do you like this new format?  Hate it??  I look forward to your comments, below!

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

866-746-7293

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Crowd Pleasing Selections for June, 2010

1. Colombelle, 2007 Rouge VdP Cotes de Gascogne $10.50 (starting at just $9.05 for club members)  Click to Buy
2. (RED Only members) Demetria Estate, 2007 Pantheon, Red Rhone Blend $19 (starting at $17.10 for club members). Click to Buy
3. Diamond Oaks, 2007 Carneros Chardonnay$15.50 (starting at $13.95 for club members) –  (Click to buy)

June, 2010 “Crowd Pleasing Selections” (Join Here)

Colombelle, 2007 Vin de Pays Des Cotes de Gascogne (Red)

Buy It Here – $10.50 (starts at $9.45 for club members)

A Wine Enthusiast “Best Buy”

Tasting Notes
This affordable little gem hails from the French side of the Pyrenees, close to a region where an odd grape called Tannat is the order of the day.  This wine is a blend of three grapes – Tannat/Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon (60/20/20) – but I’d never nail it as such in a blind tasting.  It is deceptively light and approachable.

It is no accident that the Tannat grape takes its name from “Tannin” – the same acid used to “tan” leather.  Wines from the Tannat grape are typically dark, inky-black, muscular and practically undrinkable when young.  (Wine geek alert) – it was Tannat wines on which the French introduced the controversial technique known as “Micro Bullage” (micro bubbling) or “Micro-Oxygenation”, which has become a controversial manipulation of wines from Bordeaux to Napa and all places in between. Winegrowers who succumb to the allures of this technique pump microscopic amounts of oxygen to interact with the tannin molecules in much the same way age does – by binding them together into longer molecules, making them feel silkier on the palate.  The downside?  The wines don’t age as well, in most cases, despite their youthful appeal.

But I find nothing of that tannic heritage in this wine, which reminds me more of the delicious red-fruit-and-garden-vegetable wines of the Loire than it does the tannic Tannats.  In fact, I’m pretty sure I would have pegged it as a Loire wine had I tried it in a blind tasting.  Crisp and mouth-watering, serve this wine just below room temperature – about 30 minutes in your fridge should do it, since wine in a glass bottle lowers its temperature by a degree every five minutes. Of course, room temperatures are on the rise during the summer season, so adjust the chill time accordingly – this wine is best around 65 or 67(ish).

Serve with crudités with fatty dips, cheeses, or most any lunch coarse.  I like it with cold roast chicken, but then, I like most wines with cold roast chicken!

The Region Cotes de Gascogne
The designation “Côtes de Gascogne” (“COAT doo GASCONN”) appears on bottles of Vin de Pays (“VAN doo PAY”, or “country wine”) that are produced in the Armagnac area of Southwest France.  Back in 1968, Producers and regulators from this region issued a decree which elevated wines made according to the stricter Vin de Pays regulations instead of the simpler Vin de table (“VAN doo TAWBluh”, or table wines).  The designation Côtes de Gascogne obliges the producers to an even stricter set of rules (established in 1982) and production standards than the Vin de Pays requires.

Buy It Here – $10.50 (starts at $9.45 for club members)

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

June, 2010 “Crowd Pleasing Selections” (Join Here)

Demetria Estate

2007 Pantheon (Red Rhone Blend)

Buy It Here $19.00 (Starts at $17.10 for club members)

A delicious and affordable Rhone-style blend of red grapes that appeals to old-world palates. (Pictured at right, owner John Zahoudanis and Winemaker Michael Roth)

This family-run winery in Santa Ynez Valley strictly maintains several biodynamic estate vineyards from a beautiful facility nestled among aromatic lavender, scrub oak and sage brush.  Known primarily for their cool-weather, high end wines – Pinot, Chardonnay, etc – the winery also produces some impressive warm-climate Rhone varietals (different vineyard locations, of course).

The 2006 Pantheon received tepid reviews, but their 2007 was a stand-out amongst the 70 wines I tasted at a recent event. Which is not surprising, when you compare the two vintages – 2007 was simply an outstanding year across all of California. At this price, the Pantheon provides an affordable introduction to this boutique producer. Pop the cork and enjoy!

Food Pairings – you’ll enjoy this wine with a wide range of dishes.  To create a memorable pairing, seek foods with bridge ingredients to emphasize the wine’s dark fruit notes and complex earthiness.  Not that you’ll cook with earth, per se, but fresh (or dried) herbs will work wonders, as will preparation methods that include grilling (summertime), roasting as well as winter time stewing!

Buy it Here for $19.00 (starts at $17.10 for club members)

Not a member? Click to Join

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

June, 2010 “Crowd Pleasing Selections” (Join Here)

Diamond Oaks, 2007 Carneros Chardonnay

Buy It Here $15.50 (Starts at $13.95 for club members)

Wines this good normally cost a lot more.  In this case, $28.  Another victim of the recession, much to your advantage!

Chardonnay is the best-selling wine varietal in the U.S. The Queen of wine grapes, her popularity exceeds the #2 and #3 positions by a comfortable margin.

And as with any large category, much of it is forgettable! I plucked this wine from the Chardo-centric sea of sameness because it surprised me with it’s combination of freshness and balanced richness – the result of its cool vineyards and from some of it being fermented in Stainless Steel, the rest in Oak barrels.

Then it surprised me with its price! This wine originally sold for $28.

The Carneros AVA has a split personality. Half of it lies within Sonoma county, and half in Napa. But because it is in the Southern-most part of both counties, it benefits from the cooling ocean breezes that flow up the river from the Bay. As such, it is home to cool-weather grapes such as Pinot and, of course, Chardonnay.

Food Pairings - A great wine for your summer porch or pool, this wine also pairs well when nicely chilled and served with lunch, picnic or light summer meals.  Avoid dressings with vinaigrettes, but works well with creamy dressings.  White meats and fish work well, and it’s tropical fruit notes suggest fruit salsas with grilled foods.  A great sandwich wine (unless your  tastes run towards peanut butter and jelly!)

Buy It Here was, $28, now $15.50 (Starts at $13.95 for club members)

Because when the wine merchant weighs 80 pounds less than the wine on the hand truck, the wine wins…

Fortunately, we lost only six of the 84 bottles that fell.  But as I watched the wine trickle down the storm drain, before I had the guts to assess the damage, I thought one of this month’s wine clubs might be postponed until I could get the funds for more wine!

Thank God for narrow escapes.  Club members can now count on successful delivery of their wine next week!

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

His idea is basic – take a group of foodies to a local farm for instructional tours while top chefs get to work in Jim’s mobile “field kitchen” using local, artisanal ingredients.  Apres-tour, the guests enjoy a family-style dinner amidst the host farmer’s field.  Jim was an early evangelist of the Farm to Table movement, and now tours North America (and now Europe) with his concept, working with some of the world’s leading thinkers in alternative and sustainable agriculture.  After twelve years, they’ve gotten pretty good at this – our experience Sunday night was just one of more than 60 dinners planned for their North American tour.

My wife and I had the pleasure of joining Jim and 148 other guests at this weekend’s dinner at Mark Pasternak’s Devil’s Gulch farm and vineyards in Marin.  After parking in “town” next to the Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, shuttle vans took the diners across the rickety wooden bridge and a mile or so up to the vineyard.  The mood in the van was quiet and anticipatory, with one woman’s conversation being heard above the occasional quite murmur.  We were to be treated to the culinary stylings of Steffan Terje (Perbacco, Barbacco) and his able-bodied crew, who did the heavy lifting in the field kitchen while Jim’s and his team ran the “front room” duties.

Upon arrival at the vineyard, Jim’s cheerful and competent staff served appetizers of crushed fresh pea with mint (from Mariquita Farm in Watsonville) and Ricotta (from Liam Callahan’s Bellweather Farms) along with two spreadable salumi from Devil’s Gulch, both made from the farm’s hogs.  Appetizers were served with a Pey Marin Riesling, which I found to be well made for a domestic Riesling but too dry to compliment the spice of the salumi.

The evening was cool but sunny, and the views enough to erase a week’s worth of stress.  Though the vineyard’s terraced slopes gave me great sympathy for those who harvest the fruit, and made me glad I’m on the final end of the wine business, where comfy chairs often come into play.

After a walk through the Devil’s Gulch vineyard and down to their hog pen, we returned to the tables set for the 150 guests (their Bay Area stops on their North American Tour sell out so quickly they do one on Saturday and one on Sunday).

The evening sun helped to offset the cold and ceaseless wind, but layers of clothing and blankets emerged from the packs of the experienced customers faster than the dinner courses, which started with an amazing confit of rabbit from Devil’s Gulch (the Pasternak’s travel extensively, lecturing on the use of rabbits as a sustainable protein source for urban farmers)  and grilled asparagus.  This was served with a Chardonnay that didn’t work too well with the asparagus, but neither did the Martinelli pinot our friends Jim and Lisa had brought.  The latter, an opulent pinot in the typical Turley style, was widely shared, and suddenly our neighbors became part of our party as well.  Funny how wine makes that happen.

I almost forgot about this next course!  What a waste that would have been, as it was truly amazing.  I must state that I’m not normally a fan of gnocchi, as it can get too heavy and, at its worst, grey and starchy.  But when you substitute the Bellweather Farms ricotta for potato, and blend it with just enough flour to hold its shape, the pasta is beautifully light and airy.  Now stir in some ramps, wild mushrooms and (mark of the Spring season!) fava beans, and then pair it all with the Pey Marin 2007 Pinot – pure heaven.  We also opened the 2007 Pinot we’d brought from Roederer Estates in Anderson Valley, and found its relative leanness worked beautifully with this dish.

Next to come was the main course – slow-roasted pork from the Pasternak’s farm and more of the Pey Marin pinot, whose oak was more pronounced than in our Roederer, which I surprisingly preferred – I’d looked forward to trying the famed Pey-Marin pinot.  The pork was served with artichokes and spring onion with olive-oil crushed potatoes.  Then out came the2008  Dutton-Goldfield 2008 Pinot from the very vines we dined between, and it just may have been my favorite of the evening.

Dessert was no mere afterthought.  Terje and his staff came up with a divine inspiration and pulled it off flawlessly despite the challenges of a field kitchen and 150 servings – strawberries on top of a baked merangue with sweetened Crème Fraîche from Bellweather Farms.  As you know, most of my recipes are savory, wine-centric musings.  But I’m determined to find a way to get this one into the line-up!  I’d not be surprised to find this one in our regular spring-time repertoire.

After the dinner, the mood on the shuttle vans was notably different.  Louder.  Cards were exchanged.  Perhaps a phone number or two.  Designated driving duties negotiated.  Monday morning was dreaded by all.

I hope you get a chance to try one of the dinners from Outstanding in the Field. But doing so takes some doing, and some cash.  Each seat sells for $180 – $240, and most of the 60+ events on their North American Tour have already sold out.  Still, it’s an experience worth saving for.

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

Note the 3 "wine bottle buttons" (top). Red = Co-ops, Green = open tasting, and Purple = appointment only. (Wineries closed to the public limited to our List View)

After many months of work with my development partners at Transitions 2, I am proud to announce the launch of my new iPhone app “NapaWineries“!

For less than one measly U.S. Dollar, visitors to our nation’s top wine country destination can now get insider insights to help plan their next visit.

And with over 500 tasting options in Napa, it’s nice to have this travel guide on your iPhone!  It’s like taking me along as your tour guide without having to buy me lunch.

Features of “NapaWineries”

MAP VIEW – colored pins indicate location plus –  ”Open for Tasting”, “Appointment Only”, and “Co-ops” (multi-winery tasting rooms).  Turn on location mapping, and your location is shown relative to the winery map!

INSIDER INSIGHTS – read my comments about favorite places, styles of wines, and great places to picnic!  Refresh your app before each visit, as our data updates occur regularly!

LIST VIEW – all Napa Valley tasting facilities including hours, pricing, and tasting information.

DIRECTIONS – Easily click-through to get driving directions

APPOINTMENTS – One-click calling for tasting appointments.

NOTES – record your thoughts and reactions.  Find a new favorite?  Had a bad experience and you’ll never go back?  Record it here!

Got an iPhone?  Download Now!

Sorry, this app is currently available only on iPhones and iPads.  Users of the iPad will note that it needs some resizing to be optimized – it’s on our development list!

Download today from the iPhone App Store (just search for napawineries), or click the button on the right to download from the iTunes store – the app will show up on your phone the next time you synch.

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

So when I was told about the spoof of the movie done by the wacky, animated folks of American Dad, I just had to share it with you…

Enjoy!!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

Jeff Wilkes has taken these grapes and brought them back to his Santa Maria Valley wine making home and gotten a tremendous profile from this vintage.

Immediately, I get a nose full of the Central Coast with notes of bright, semi-sour and acidic raspberry-rhubarb compote with good concentration, balance and minerality.  From its bottle age, there is a cloudiness that is only achieved through patience of time.  Possessing a deep ruby color, this wine holds up strong with a long finish on the back palette that does not disipate for many seconds.