Chard luck woman

First things first: you may have noticed I’ve got a whole new look going on here. You also may have noticed that it is awesome. I wish I could take credit for it, but I can’t. Here is the story. Basically since I started this blog several weeks ago, I’ve been wanting to spruce it up a bit. I mean, let’s not kid ourselves, the basic Blogger template was not exactly on the cutting edge of design. So I enlisted the help of my friend Brian (previously mentioned in this post) since he’s done a fair amount of graphic design work in his day, including creating the logo for his own foodie venture, the Indilicious cart in San Francisco.

And he did an amazing job! He came up with the concept, color scheme, and layout; and it looks great. I definitely owe him dinner and a bottle of something special.

Okay, now that I’ve addressed my blog’s new outfit, I can get to my post.

With over half of May in the books, it is official: we have entered wedding season. We’ve got our first weddings of the year coming up the first weekend of June with several to follow. To celebrate my friend Emily’s upcoming nuptials, we decided on a girls’ trip up to the Napa Valley to do a bit of tasting. Because we went to a few different wineries, I’m going to veer from my usual style and review several wines since we tasted so many on Saturday.

Our first stop was at Nicholson Ranch along the Hwy 12/121 corridor in Sonoma where they poured us a custom flight of three chardonnays, a rosé, a pinot and a syrah. With my notebook and pen in hand, I started in. Our first pour was a 2005 Estate Reserve Chardonnay Cuveé Natalie, which had an interesting mix of stinky, aged cheese and fresh bell peppers on the nose. I was intrigued. The wine itself was nice. I’m not really a fan of chards, but if I were, I imagined that I would have liked this wine. It was creamy and oaky, like any good chard should be, but it had nice acidity and soft buttery undertones. On the whole it was good; solid. Next up was the 2006 Estate Chardonnay. Like the ’05, it had some cheese on the nose, but I detected slight fruit as well. I was encouraged. It was a much lighter wine than the first one with more acid and more tannins. And while the front palate showed acidity and crispness, the mid and back palates showed both butter and oak. Again, it was good. We rounded out the chards with the 2007 Estate. The smell of sweet pineapple immediately wafted out of the glass. I was excited. Much sweeter than the first two, this chard demonstrated tropical fruit and strong acidity throughout. While the wine coated the glass nicely, it was not too heavy, but rather light, airy and almost weightless. Because this wine was not overly oaky or buttery, I enjoyed it much more than the previous two. And as a younger wine, this chard had a freshness that I found satisfying. The ’07 was definitely my favorite of the lineup. We finished up with the rosé, pinot and syrah and went on our way.

The next stop was Grgich Hills, an organic and biodynamic winery on the heavily populated Hwy 29 in Napa. I had high hopes for this winery as it had come highly recommended by some friends at work. I’ll save you the suspense – I was sorely disappointed. We started our flight with a 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay. It was light in color – much lighter than the chards at Nicholson Ranch – but if ever a chard tasted like buttered popcorn, it was this one. Wow! I felt like I was at the movie theater. I should have known, the nose definitely smelled of butter, with only slight hints of cheese. That being said, I did taste tart fruit on the front palate and the finish was slightly acidic. Nevertheless, this chard was your typical butter bomb and for me, that wasn’t a good thing. They set us up with a 2008 Fumé Blanc next. With tropical fruit and crisp bell pepper on the nose, I was looking forward to a wine that might be more my speed. It was definitely sharp and crisp, but didn’t retain the fruit from the nose. Instead, it was savory up front with a dry, mineral, earthy finish. It felt a little overly structured, rather than having a natural complexity. I liked it better than the chard, but I still wasn’t swooning. We finished up with a zin, a merlot and a cab which garnered an “eh,” “no,” and “not smooth” respectively in my notes.

After lunch, we headed to Frog’s Leap on the Silverado Trail. What a sigh of relief. We were able to escape the craziness of the crowds and enjoy some nice wines and small bites on the porch of this gorgeous winery. They started us with a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Rutherford, which was definitely a highlight of the trip. It had nice legs, a tropical fruit nose with hints of grass. The mouth-feel was light and somewhat creamy, but still nice and dry. Tart fruit and a touch of minerality combined with slight acidity to make for an easy-drinking, refreshing wine that would be easy to pair with food. In fact, it went quite nicely with the aged, smoked gouda they offered us as a snack. I could have ended there, but instead we powered through a zin, merlot and cab before moving on.

We rounded out our tour with a stop at Clos du Val and Cline Cellars before heading back to the city, but I’ll share my notes from those wineries another time. All in all, I enjoyed spending time with the girls and learning more about Napa wines. Unfortunately for a gal who favors zins, dry whites and Rhone-style wines, Napa’s cabs, merlots and chardonnays didn’t exactly suit my fancy. That’s not to say I’ll never go back to Napa – with any luck, I may grow to love chard.

Amy’s Award: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
Spendy scale: $50 - $150+ (transportation, tastings and lunch)
Best bet: A Bourdeaux/Burgundy fact-finding mission or a leisurely trip with friends

Baby Got Mal-bec

Tonight I thought I’d bring it back to where it all re-began. I mentioned that my real, honest passion for wine was sparked at Ridge Vineyards – well that passion that once lay dormant was rekindled in the vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina. Although I had continued to enjoy wine, tasting and buying occasionally to keep our cellar stocked, I hadn’t committed myself to digging deeper, learning more, and broadening my wine horizons until we arrived in Mendoza. Ahhh… Mendoza. Let me paint the picture for you.

Tim and I enjoyed a month-long honeymoon in Argentina earlier this year. After trekking through Patagonia for two weeks, braving the elements – and I’m talking about the most extreme wind and rain you’ve ever seen – rolling into Mendoza was not unlike entering paradise. Situated at the foot of the Andes Mountains, Mendoza benefits from an ancient aqueduct system that captures the snowmelt runoff to irrigate its arid dessert valley. So while it was hot and dry – literally in the 90s to 100s some days – every street had its own irrigation channels lining each side; and with sycamores edging each irrigation ditch, walking down the street was akin to taking a nice leisurely stroll by a creek. The sound of rushing water combined with the shade of the trees soothed us, despite the fact that we were tired, sweaty and carrying around a month’s worth of luggage on our backs. And as two weary travelers from Northern California, we welcomed this hot weather that reminded us of home.

Even more than the weather, however, we were drawn to Mendoza because of its impressive culinary creations and of course, its wine. During our stay there, we managed to tour the wineries of the Maipu Valley on what barely passed for bicycles, sample local delicacies (read: the most delicious grass-fed beef you’ve ever tasted) at Azafrán, and delight in the region’s finest wines at the hip and swanky Vines of Mendoza . You can check out photos of our adventures below.

But in Mendoza I was also reminded of what I loved about wine in the first place – the exquisiteness and complexity of a good wine, the fervor and zeal with which passionate wine-makers approach their task, the ability of an interesting bottle to unite friends and strangers alike, the challenge of sharpening one’s palate, and the seemingly limitless opportunity to learn more about this refined libation. One week in Mendoza and it was on. I vowed to get back into it.

So here I am on a rainy Monday night in May attempting to recreate some of the food and wine we sampled while we were there. To do that, we opened up a 2006 Santos Beck Malbec to pair with our chile-rubbed grilled steak with cilantro pesto, roasted bell peppers and green salad. Malbec, which is known for its dark color and strong tannins, originated in France but has flourished in Argentina and has really become the flagship wine of its renowned wine-growing region Mendoza.

True to form, this Santos Beck Malbec was a beautiful dark scarlet red color and looked fabulous in the glass. The nose was okay, although I had a bit of trouble picking up on its nuances. At times I got chocolate, at other times I got dark berries and plums. And I swear I even got traces of eucalyptus and well, alcohol, for lack of a better descriptor.

To say this wine had robust tannins would also be true, although they came off more as spice and pepper and lingered long into the finish. I found the wine to be somewhat acidic and strong with a powerful punch that permeated the entire mouth. The mouth-feel was airy and light, yet the wine was structured as if it was meant to be laid down for a few more years at least. Don’t get me wrong, it was approachable enough right now – smooth and fruit forward on the front of the palate, yet full of brawn on the back palate – but I’m certain it would have benefitted from a bit more rest.

This wine was decanted and as it continued to breath, it definitely softened up. After some time I was able to taste its fruit much more clearly while still experiencing the strong tannic finish; and I liked that. I definitely liked the wine, but I didn’t love it. I think, more than anything, I liked reliving Mendoza again and recalling the viticultural spirit that made the place so enchanting. So I’m going to bed happy. Ahhh…nothing like a Malbec to bring to you back.

Amy Award: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
Spendy scale: $18
Best bet: Alongside a good steak or as an afternoon glass with some stinky cheese

Shorty got Merlot, low, low, low

As ridiculous as it sounds, I was actually stressing this week about choosing a wine to review. With limitless options, I was finding it difficult to narrow it down to one. What’s more, with several social commitments – craft night with Emily and Courtney, drinks with Meredith and Kat’s 30^th birthday dinner – I wasn’t sure when I was going to have time to enjoy even just one glass, you know, for the sake of the blog (wink).

So you can imagine how giddy I was when Emily showed up to craft night with seven cases of wine and champagne. Now even though the wine was purchased for her upcoming wedding, she had one rogue bottle of red to spare – so we went for it. I couldn’t believe my luck, I mean crafting and wine? A fan of efficiency, I was stoked about the opportunity to “feed two birds with one hand” as my co-workers at Save The Bay would say. And it gets better, Brian (Courtney’s hubbie/good friend of mine) was there with his fancy new camera, so he took some nice photos of the wine and our meal.

We opened up a 2004 Mosaic Merlot from Graton, CA – yet another completely new wine to me. I normally wouldn’t go for a Merlot; and no, it’s not because Paul Giamatti dissed it in Sideways. I basically just stopped drinking Merlot in college, when I figured out that I liked wines with a bit more fruit. It’s just not my favorite. But who am I to turn down free wine, especially when in the company of friends?

Based on looks alone, my expectations of the wine were good. With dark color and nice legs, it looked appealing in the glass. The nose was savory and earthy, almost salty – like black olives. I did get a hint of spice and maybe even a whiff or two of berries, but mostly I got bacon. And since I like bacon, I was intrigued.

My first sip was tart and tannic. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t spectacular. It didn’t knock my socks off. As I continued to sip, I tasted pepper and cured meats and earthiness. The mouth-feel was light, which I appreciated – I normally don’t like heavy wines, especially when I’m eating a light meal. But with each sip, I just kept getting “sour.” It had a lingering tannic finish, but it wasn’t particularly complex.

My overall impression of the wine was just eh. It was okay – not terrible, but not terrific. It definitely didn’t hold a candle to the delicious spinach quiche and salad lovingly prepared by Brian and Courtney, and it wasn’t really a wine I would drink alone. I asked the others what they thought of it and the opinions were pretty similar. Brian and Courtney thought it was good, but they didn’t rave about it. Emily said it was okay, but not as good as a different Merlot she had recently and loved. She "wouldn't buy it again."

In short, no one was jumping over the moon for the wine. It was fine as an accompaniment to dinner and DIY interchangeable cake platter making, but this was one mosaic where the pieces just didn’t seem to fit.

Amy Award: 1.5 stars (out of 5)
Spendy scale: $18ish
Best bet: With a greasy pizza or a craft night with friends

It’s a Mud House – lettin’ it all hang out

Last Friday Tim and I decided to play hooky and head down to Monterey to visit the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. As a faithful Facebook fan and Twitter follower of the Aquarium, I have been jonesing to visit for quite some time now. I mean, a person can only take so many photos of those cute little otters before they just gotta see them in the flesh. Plus I think it had been ten years since I had been to the Aquarium, so I figured it was time. After some yoga, frittata, Cole Coffee and a quick trip to H&M, we were on our way.

When some of my foodie friends caught wind that we would be in the Monterey area, they recommended we go to Passionfish – a restaurant known for its marriage of fresh, local, sustainable seafood with a superb wine list. I decided dinner at this renowned green restaurant would be a fitting way to cap our visit to the Aquarium.

I was expecting my butternut squash soup with green onion cream and applewood smoked bacon to be delicious – and it was. I was expecting my sea scallops with tomato-truffle butter, risotto custard and minted celery to be amazing – and they were. But knowing relatively little about wines from New Zealand, I didn’t quite know what to expect from my 2009 Mud House Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough.

I was blown away.

Now for as much as I love zinfandel, I might love Sauvignon Blanc more. I just love its dry crispness and the tart, tropical fruit flavors that come with it. I tend to favor Sauv Blancs with more tart fruit – citrus, pear, apple – but I’m warming up to the grassier ones as well. Even so, when our server told me that Mud House was fairly grassy, with hints of fruit, I wasn’t sure I’d like it. But I went for it anyway. And I’m so glad I did.

It was a remarkable wine – enticing nose, strong tropical fruit and hints of grassy earthiness. It was delicious on its own and it paired nicely with the scallops. It was very crisp and dry, tart and refreshing. It was the kind of wine that you would drink on your front porch or back patio on a hot summer day – and it would go down so smooth. Sigh…

I managed to stretch my glass throughout the meal and wanted to order another glass (or bottle) to continue to enjoy for the rest of the evening, but alas it was not meant to be. With a quick check of his NBA playoff iPhone app, Tim determined that we could make the second half of the LA Lakers – Oklahoma City Thunder game if we got on the road straight away. So we were off.

We did manage to see the second half, which made Tim happy. But three days later, I still regret not getting that second glass. I plan to get a bottle to make up for it. And with summer on the way, I should have no problem finding a warm evening to enjoy this refreshing treat.

Amy Award: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Spendy scale: $10-15
Best bet: A cool, fresh meal or a hot summer night