Alfresco

Posted on July 10, 2016 by thewineraconteur

A little while ago, when my Favorite Daughter was in town, we ate at Oesteria 222, and years back I ate at the same location when it was called Alfresco. I was working right across the street from the restaurant, so there were some days depending on my schedule where I might jay walk twice in one day to eat there. I am a creature of habit and when I find some place that I enjoy; I just become a regular. I also liked the fact, that I could have one of the tables near the window, and if the store needed me, they could just step out into the lobby and wave, after all this was before cell phones. I may not have had to punch a time clock, but I did have to let them know where I would be, while I was out; and I guess that was fair.

Banfi Col Di Sassi 1996

Alfresco was one of those charming store front eateries where everything was homemade from the owner’s Mother’s recipes. Everything was always fresh, and the staff would always tout me on any specials, and sometimes the specials would not even be on the menu. The soups were great, even the house salads were great, and I am not much of a salad eater. They had individual pizzas, and stuffed pizzas and they could all be modified per request. There were also several different pasta dishes to choose from, so I was never bored with the selections, even though I ate there quite often.

MI Alfresco BC

I would even indulge in a glass of wine for dinner, but not normally for lunch. The wine selection was only about ten choices, with perhaps another six by the bottle, so that was plenty for the type of operation that was there. I thought the wine selection was good and complimented the menu, and they were all Italian wines. One of the wines that I would usually get was Castello Banfi Col Di Sasso 1996. Castello Banfi was started in 1978, prior to that it was known as Banfi Vintners since 1918 and was once the leading importer of Italian wines to the United States of America. Col di Sasso translates to “Stony Hill” and I might opine that it describe a certain part of the estate. This wine was a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet, which I find curious. The newer Col di Sasso wines now list themselves as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, and they now carry the famous Toscana IGT designation. Back in 1996 there was no designation and any wine that was not all Sangiovese or some of the other native grapes were delegated to Table Wine status, but I am sure that the addition of Cabernet was a great marketing ploy on their part, especially to the American Market. I was sad to see this restaurant close, but I still have a real keepsake from there, as I bought one of the wooden wine racks that they had featured in the restaurant and it is now in my cellar, holding about seven dozen bottles of wine.

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Sangria

Posted on July 8, 2016 by thewineraconteur

I am going to talk about a trip we made to the restaurant Sangria, and not the Summery blend of wine and fruit juices of the same name. I guess that is because I am not that keen on adulterated wines, especially something very sweet and also because as of yet, I have not tried one that has tickled my fancy. Perhaps it could be that I am not out dining in really hot weather, as I guess that is why George Carrier invented air conditioning. When Sangria opened up, it was a relatively new concept in our area of Spanish cuisine and small plate offerings, that one could share. Of course my Bride and I tend to always share our meals, so that we can try more different dishes at one setting. If you haven’t had Spanish dishes, they are very different from classical Mexican food, and far different from the Tex-Mex that is more often encountered.

Montecillo Crianza 1998

We started off with an assortment of small cold appetizer plates. We had black and green olives marinated in olive oil, an avocado stuffed with chicken, celery, grapes and onions, and Black Bean hummus. We then had some hot appetizers to share. There were mushroom caps stuffed with shrimp, and medallions of beef that had been marinated in oil and pepper. My Bride had grilled Salmon with a Dijon Sauce and I had pork medallions done with Shitake mushrooms, Madeira Wine and cream. We saw some of the plates of Paella being served and decided that there was just too much food for the two of us, if we also ordered that.

MI Sangria Logo

Of course we had a bottle of wine. I decided to go “native” and we had a bottle of Bodegas Montecillo Crianza 1998, a Rioja wine. This particular wine is from La Rioja Alta and of course it is mainly Tempranillo with just a dollop of Graciano for some nuance, and all legal to maintain the DOCa designation. Bodegas Montecillo is one of the older wineries, founded in 1874, so they have been doing it for a few years. The bottle of wine was listed as Crianza, which is one step above the basic Rioja designation. This designation requires the wine to be aged in barrels from twelve to eighteen months in oak, and then bottled and cellared for another six months before being available to be sold. In all of the years of drinking Rioja wines, I have never had a bad bottle, so it has always been a safe order for me. I guess that most of the houses and blenders only ship out their better wines here, or perhaps the magic of the moment has always improved the wine, but as I say, I have always been fortunate.

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A Commencement Speech

Posted on July 6, 2016 by thewineraconteur

Through the wonders of Social Media, it was suggested that I deliver the commencement speech to the last graduating class of Wilson Junior High School, my old Alma Mater. I took on the honored job with some trepidation and with some “boyhood” enthusiasm. The school was one of the schools that the Detroit Public Education system had decided to close, even though there is a strong group of former students from the school that has their own page on Facebook. The most illustrious alumni of the school, no matter one’s political standing was the eminent retired neurosurgeon and former American Presidential runner Ben Carson, and while I am not in his league, I attempted to say some words to the last class from my school and it was a most bittersweet moment for me. I think I did a fine job, considering that I am not a public speaker, though my Bride has training in this art, and she liked the speech that I penned and I offer the words for your consideration:

Ruffino Riserva Ducale 2012
“I just want to congratulate all the graduates of Phoenix Multicultural Academy and their families. I am sure that you are all proud of the work and success these students have achieved. They were looking for an alumni or former graduate to speak for a few minutes and I guess Ben Carson could not, so they had to look further down the ladder. Actually this was all done through Social Media, just like the page we have for Woodrow Wilson Junior High School in Detroit, and we have a couple thousand former graduates that still keep in touch.

I am sure that you are aware that the Phoenix according to Greek Mythology was a long lived bird that is cyclically regenerated and reborn. How fitting the name is, because my Alma Mater is Woodrow Wilson Junior High and it was reborn as Phoenix Multicultural Academy. I walked these same halls and classrooms as you did, but they needed a good paint job back then. Back then there were only three grades that were taught here, but the mix of classes was great; there was band, home economics (where the girls learned sewing and cooking), wood and metal shop (where the boys built different items for the house, and if I looked hard enough, I am sure that there are still some of them floating around), graphic arts with the printing presses and Civics, where I even learned how to do taxes for my parents. What a great education. Then again I did it back from 1966 to 1969 and I graduated here in June of 1969 and that was some forty-seven years ago and I am sure that most of your parents are not that old yet. Woodrow Wilson was the 28’Th President of the United States of America and this school was named after him. I have always enjoyed historical side notes, and he was the first President to ever throw out the first baseball at a World Series, which leads me to my John F. Bennett Elementary School, named after the original owner of the Detroit Tigers, and how do I know that, because one of my teachers at Bennett thought it was worthy information for all of the students to know. Then I finished my public education at Cass Technical High School, which was named for the Territorial Governor of Michigan. It was because of the great education that I received all those years ago, which enabled me to gain a scholarship and get my Bachelor of Science degree in four years after High School. All along the way in my education I had wonderful teachers, many that I can still recall, and many that can still recognize me. Looking back, the three years that I spent here, were some of my best childhood memories. I am sure that you enjoyed that same quality of an education here at the academy and that years from now; you too can look back with fond memories.

The other thing that makes me smile about Phoenix Multicultural Academy is the word Multicultural, and this area, Southwest Detroit was always multicultural. From the early days when the area at West Vernor and Central Avenue was referred to as Ferndale, just as about a dozen blocks South of us, the area was known as Delray and this area was Springwells Township. I mention this because this was a true Melting Pot of America; there were assorted nationalities all around. Some of the nationalities were among the oldest of the world and others were from politically cobbled new entities that were created. Most of the children that I grew up with here in the neighborhood were either first or second generation Americans, and if not their parents had emigrated mostly from the Southern States to work in the factories that made Detroit famous. All of our names were funny sounding to us all, and yet we all became a loose knit family and some of these ties are still going strong. Some of us spoke strange secondary languages at home, though our parents and grandparents really only wanted us to speak English, so that they could learn this new language. And might I add that one never was hungry, because every house had such unique foods that they wanted to share with their friends. How else can you explain that we are celebrating our Sixth Open Year Reunion for Wilson Junior High School, and I hope that you can enjoy what we are enjoying in your future.

As I look at all of these rooms and halls once again, I remember how we used to walk to school everyday with our school books, lunch bags and yes our musical instruments, in all sorts of weather. We did it because we were learning and we had good friends to see each day. I was lucky as I only had to walk four short blocks to get here with no major intersections and we usually walked in the alleys to shorten the walks. Though some of my friends walked twenty some blocks to get their education, and of course we walked together in groups, because we had to catch up on what was going on since the last time we saw each other. We didn’t have computers, or cell phones, but we all had great lungs and vocal cords, because we could call each other from a block away. And a lot of us would meet again on Monday evenings at the Bookmobile, which was a bus converted into a rolling library, so that we could check out more books for research and for studying. We played outside until the street lights came on, and then we would all go home and do our homework.

So it is such an honor to say some words to you, as you go and begin the next phase of your education. May you retain what you have learned and may you especially keep your friends and memories. You may not realize it at the moment, but you will and you will cherish these days and all the people that you have met. I also wish that the Phoenix will one day again rise from the proverbial ashes and make this building a cornerstone to other generations of students. I thank you all and wish you all the best in your future.”

Commencement Program

After the graduation ceremony, I decided to have lunch and while the area is having a resurgence of restaurants, I had to go to a restaurant that I have written about a couple of times ago, but it is in the DNA of most of the former graduates from the time that they started off as just a carryout pizzeria and now they are a full blown table-clothed restaurant that has clientele from not only the neighborhood, but from far-flung suburbs as well. I had lunch at Vince’s and it brought back more great memories, the day was a true journey of nostalgia for me. I started off with the house salad and the hot bread that they have been serving since I can remember. I then had a plate of Gnocchi with Meat Sauce, another dish that I have been enjoying there forever. I also had another old friend with the meal, a classic Italian wine to go with the lunch. I had some Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico 2012. Ruffino has been making wine since 1877 under the Tuscan sky, and Chianti Classico is probably one of the most famous wines from Italy forever. It is made from the Sangiovese grape and that is the varietal that is required for the DOCG designation, though there are so many other wines that also come from this area. Chianti is the oldest designation in Italy and the black cockerel emblem is usually found on the neck of the bottle. The Classico part of the label refers to the ancient demarcation of the area, and the Riserva means that the wine has been aged for twenty-four months before it is commercially released. I was awash in nostalgia that day, and so far I still am, each time I think of this day.

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The Light is Always On

Posted on July 4, 2016 by thewineraconteur

I always joke that I should trim a bit of wood off of the door on our guest bedroom, so that I can just slid the “hotel bill” under the door, to which I usually get an elbow jab from my Bride. My Bride not only likes company for dinner, but she likes when we have overnight guests as well, which is good, it makes sure that we do some deep cleaning. Over the years we have had plenty of guests, starting off with some guests for our wedding, just after we bought our house.

Beringer Knights Valley CS 2013

This past weekend we were pretty busy. One night our son and his wife came and spent an evening here, as they were getting ready to fly to Mexico for a vacation. Of course they had to get up around three in the morning to go catch their flight, since it is no longer the most convenient thing to fly these days, and my poor Bride shuttled them off to the airport. She is much better at things like that, than I am, and can bounce back easier. That day we had to immediately strip the bed of the linens and put freshly pressed new linens back on the bed, because our Brother-in-Law was flying in to see his Father for Father’s Day, and since he was by himself for that trip, he asked if he could stay with us, and that was great. This following weekend his wife and his one daughter will be in town for a Baby Shower, so the daughter and our granddaughter will stay here for the weekend and that will be nice as well.

Wine Bag

After his flight, my Brother-in-Law went shopping and bought a half case of wines, three he took for the Father’s Day dinner with his family, and when he returned, he opened up a bottle to share with us, and he left two bottles her for his wife to have while she is in town. He opened up a bottle of Beringer Knight Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013. Beringer Vineyards is California’s longest continuously operating winery, as they opened in 1876 in Napa Valley, in what is now known as the St. Helena AVA. They actually produced wine during the Prohibition Era, getting permission to make sacramental wines for churches. The main difference about this particular wine is that it is from Knight Valley which is Northern Sonoma County and is known for their gravelly, volcanic soil, as opposed to their home base operation in Napa Valley. Both Beringer Vineyards and Cabernet Sauvignon are both major entities in Knight Valley, though neither is exclusive for the area. It was a most enjoyable drink that we had, and we shall look forward to seeing his wife soon enough, and as they say “we will leave the light on.”

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For the Graduates

Posted on July 2, 2016 by thewineraconteur

There are certain things that one encounters in life that goes in cycles. Weddings, religious rites and of course graduations, and it is partly from one’s age. My Bride and I have cycled through all of our friend’s weddings, and now we are celebrating the generation of our children and soon our grandchildren. Then enter into that equation the lives of cousins, nieces and nephews and there is always something to celebrate, and hopefully it is all great celebrations. We recently went and celebrated one of my cousin’s twins who graduated from High School.

Mazzoni Rosso di Toscana IGT 2011

The weather was most agreeable, even though my cousin had a very large tent erected in the back yard, just in case. It was all fun, they had people grilling food in their front yard, they had an ice cream vendor wagon passing out goodies and they even had a local Coney Island stand passing out the classic Detroit dish. There was food everywhere and everything and everyone was eating. Nothing was left to chance; even the pretzels that were set out on all of the tables were zinged up with added spices. The sweet tables were bigger than some of the weddings I have attended. I also was honored to be asked to lead the dance line when they played some Armenian music, and I guess somebody still thinks that I can dance.

Terra dOro Pinot Grigio 2013

There were coolers also place around with assorted beverages like water and pop; and shades of my youth there was even a keg of draught beer iced down which is kind of derigueur for a party of this nature. I always like to be prepared and take some wine to events like this, because one never knows, and it never hurts to take wine to any party. The first bottle that I opened was one that we had bought at a wine tasting event the year earlier, and I wanted to see if I still approved of the selection. It was a bottle of Terra d’Oro Pinot Grigio 2014 from the Santa Barbara County district of the Central Coast of California. Terra d’Oro Winery began life as Montevina Wines in Amador County and now they are part of the much larger Trinchero Family Estates of wines. Terra d’Oro which means Land of Gold has basically developed into a winery that they refer to as Calitan, or California-Italian, and hence they basically grow Italian varietals. I have to say that the wine was just as refreshing as I had remembered it to be. The other wine that I took, not knowing what the menu would be was a bottle of red wine that I had received as a Christmas present from a customer. The bottle of Mazzoni Rosso di Toscana 2011 was just a nice and smooth bottle that seemed to pair well with the barbequed meats that day. This wine is one of those “Super Tuscan” wines that are always on menus nowadays as it carries the Toscana IGT appellation, which may be the largest IGT in Italy. It is a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, hence the IGT designation, because Merlot is not a native grape of the region. Some people that I have talked to like to call wines like this “French” Rosso di Montalcino; one of the famous red wines from Tuscany and made from the Sangiovese grape. To be truthful they are both great drinking wines, so we were very happy with the wine that we had. We just have to wait for the next party.

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Steak and Ale

Posted on June 30, 2016 by thewineraconteur

The same day that I had picked up an old matchbook we ended up driving past the old Steak and Ale restaurant, and I was glad to see that someone had finally bought the building and brought it back to life. From the outside, it did not appear that they had made any major changes, as it has that quaint British feel to it. One could not ask for a busy intersection, it just always seemed an awkward location to get in and out of. The chain was from Dallas, Texas and they were one of the original affordable steak house ventures. They really did not do anything wrong, as far as I can fathom, the chain was just acquired and re-sold to several different mega-corporations and the restaurant got lost in the shuffle. I have heard in the past, that there was thoughts of bringing the chain back to life, but the longer it is gone, the harder that could be.

Rosemount Estate Shiraz 2001

The funny thing about the restaurant is that the name was Jolly Ox, in areas that at the time would not allow alcoholic beverages to be part of the name of the business. They were after all an affordable steakhouse and there are many of those around to this day. Back in the hay-day of Steak and Ale, Prime Rib was the steak of choice, and it was at so many places back then. I am always surprised that this beef cut has slowly departed the landscape, perhaps it is because of the time it takes to prepare, or perhaps it can not achieve the high dollar that aged steaks now command. Suffice it to say, that I always had a full slice of Prime Rib and looked forward to the fresh horseradish that accompanied it. The only other thing that I really remember from Steak and Ale was there Honey Wheat Bread and the funny thing is that I am not a bread eater normally, but in a restaurant setting, I am.

MI Steak and Ale MB

At the time that we were there it was the height of the Australian Shiraz crest, and every restaurant and tavern seemed to pick up on that trend. I don’t recall the restaurant having that large of a wine list, and most of the wines were popular priced, which complimented the food that they were serving. We had Rosemount Estate Shiraz 2001, which is from South Eastern Australia; one of the largest designations or regions on the massive island. Actually the Shiraz varietal seems to have developed a niche or following, because it tends to be seen consistently even to this day. It is a natural for big beef dishes, as it can stand up to most of the cuts and even to most of the spices or cooking techniques. And I can still recall the crowds, especially in the bar section, while waiting for a table.

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J L Hudson

Posted on June 28, 2016 by thewineraconteur

Most people would have trouble remembering when going shopping was exciting, and people dressed up and looked forward to it. I can remember when relatives would come into town and the store that I took for granted, was one of the destination spots that they would want to see. J L Hudson was one of the grand department stores and known across the country. The flagship store in downtown Detroit had thirty-three levels and was huge, in fact it was the second largest department store in the nation, and it also had the largest American flag that it would unfurl for holidays. I still have my Mother’s original charge card which was a metal disc that now looks like a key ring fob, and as a little boy I remember being fascinated by the Byzantine maze of pneumatic tubes that were everywhere, as the purchases were tunneled to the main accounting desk to be approved, decades before computers. Even the water fountains and elevator cages were works of art, and it was such an event to enter into the store. There were doormen and elevator operators, and back then one could even have their purchases delivered to one’s home within a day or two by the fleet of green Hudson trucks that were assembled just for that service.

Hudson Wine Prices Example

They were a department store above the rest. They had a book department, but they also had a fine book department as well, that sold first editions and special editions. Almost every department of goods that they carried had at least two quality levels. I don’t recall appliances, but they may have been there as well, along with the furniture, decorating services, art work, china, stemware, flatware and the different restaurants, and the toys (as a kid I would naturally remember the whole floor devoted to that), the clothes, the furs, the shoes and accessories and almost anything else one could think of. They even had wine, and years ago, when I first started writing, I mentioned how I was helped along with my knowledge of wines by this august department store.

PaulMann1

I bring this all up, because I found some sale pamphlets that I had saved from back in the early days of learning about wines. Much to my Bride’s chagrin I have saved many items, but they have made my articles more interesting, at least to my way of thinking. The wine labels for sure, but also the matchbooks and menu and other ephemera that I have posted as an adjunct to my writings. It also explains how as a kid, I had the chance to enjoy some wines that today; I may not buy as they are very dear in price. Here are some examples of what I have found:
Ch. Tronquoy Lalande, St. Estephe 1971 $4.99
Ch. Lafon Rochet, St. Estephe 1970 $8.29
Ch. Palmer, Margaux 1974 $7.99
Ch. Cheval Blanc, St. Emilion 1973 $14.99
Ch. Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac 1973 $17.59
Ch. Lafitte-Rothschild, Pauillac 1973 $17.99
Richebourg, Domaine De La Romanee Conti 1973 $19.99
Rene LaLou $18.39
And the best part of it all was that there was an additional ten percent discount on mixed case purchases.

Ch La Tour-Neuve 1970 Bourg

How can I not get a bit glazed in the eyes when I look back at some of these prices and only wish that I had bought more wine, but as a student and then as a young father, there were other expenditures that were much more relevant. I am just happy that when I did discover wine, it was before the price escalation and pricing explosions that occurred later in life. At least it explains some of these great labels that I have shown over the years.  Alas the grand old J. L. Hudson company is no longer among the retailers of today.

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Rose’s Restaurant

Posted on June 26, 2016 by thewineraconteur

Many times a year I mention my dinner club and how we venture off to a different restaurant to have our meeting. It is up to the hosts for that meeting to determine the venue and often there is much duplication of sites, as the members get comfortable with the food and service of certain places. This time we ventured off to a new restaurant that I have to admit that I was not even aware of, but then I seldom go out in that direction, even though it is not far from my home. I think that it will be best to just let the owners discuss the history from their website as I think that they did it quite succinctly. “A long time ago in a little town called San Vittore, between Rome and Naples, Italy, a young boy of 13 named Guido, left with his mother Francesca to come to America to join his father Ernest. Ernest was already settled in Detroit. He worked for Ford Motor Company and then opened a restaurant in Detroit on Alexander and McDougal called Ernesto’s. They bought a farm in Canton in 1941 and started using their produce to make their recipes. When Guido was 22, he took a weekend trip to Brooklyn, New York. That is where he met Rose, it was love (amore) at first sight. She became his wife 1 year later in 1948. Rose moved to Canton, lived on the farm and worked at the restaurant. The restaurant was later sold to a church in 1965. It was Guido’s dream to have a restaurant just like his father. He bought the land where Rose’s now stands in 1952, but passed away in 1988 before his dream was realized. Rose and Guido had three sons Ernest, Chris and Richard. They decided to carry out their Dad’s dream. They built the restaurant in 1993 and named it Rose’s after their mother. Rose began working here and shared her recipes. Rose is still seen rolling silverware every Friday and Saturday night-except during the summer, when she is tending to her farm. The restaurant has many family pictures on the walls, just like at Rose’s home. We want you to feel like you are eating at our home. Thank you for dining with the Costantino family and please join us again.”

Mark West Pinot Noir 2014

The menu offering to the club was diverse enough to handle all of the members and it all appeared to be homemade and with out the fussiness of presentation. The meal started with a generous mixed salad and some wonderful hot bread, that was just torn apart by each dinner as the loaf was passed around the table. The entrée choices were Homemade Lasagna with homemade noodles. A New York Strip steak served with potato and vegetable. Veal Parmesan, an Italian breaded veal medallion fried and covered with the house’s homemade spaghetti sauce. Salmon with Dill Cream Sauce which was broiled and was also quite generous in portion was also part of the menu. The last entrée on the menu was Chicken Milano, which was sautéed chicken breast with mushrooms and garlic in a sherry cream sauce. The dessert for the evening was soft serve ice cream topped with hot fudge and finished with coffee. I selected the Chicken Milano and it was very well done, and while I am not a fan of New York Strip steak, the steaks that I saw that evening were very tempting.

MI Roses Menu Heading

While the restaurant had a full bar and lounge, I did find the Whiskey Sour cocktail to be on the light side and rather small and unassuming, but the others seemed to have no problems. The wine list was very short, depending more on the “house wines” and only three branded wines by the glass, though they had several more by the bottle offered. I selected for my dinner a glass of Mark West Pinot Noir California 2014. Mark West Winery was founded in 1978 and they point out that their one desire was to create remarkable California Pinot Noir that delivers exceptional quality at an affordable price. I have found Mark West Winery wines to be very safe choices when they are on the menu and I tend to select them as the best alternative often. In fact several of the members asked me, what I was going to go with and I told them, and several took my suggestion for the evening. I think the restaurant did a fine job for the large turnout that we had for the meeting, and I would not be surprised if we return there again at some point in the future.

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Howe’s Bayou

Posted on June 24, 2016 by thewineraconteur

Ever since my first trip to New Orleans, I have discovered that I enjoy Creole and Cajun style food. There is just something kind of corny about the name Howe’s Bayou, and I refrained at first from trying the restaurant out, but we finally did. I mean the name is cute, but does it deflect from their attitude, was my initial concern. I have to admit that it was fine, and this restaurant has been around in Ferndale, Michigan for some time now.

KJ Chardonnay 2000

One of the house specialties is Braised Short Ribs, and I am a major fan of this dish, but I declined in pursuit of their Louisiana offerings. The appetizers were interesting like Andouille encrusted Oysters and “Gator Ball” which were sautéed Alligator sausage with peppers and onions. Then there is the Crawfish Etoufee which is a spicy stew laden with crawfish as well as Jambalaya, a dish of chicken, crawfish and Andouille sausage. All of these are good and spicy with the heat that one would expect, perhaps not the same as being in the French Quarter, but a worthy substitute. We finished off our meal with Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Sauce, and it was good, but ever since I was spoiled by that dessert at Commander’s Palace with their warm Whiskey Sauce, all others unfortunately pale in comparison.  Let me add that even with our memories of New Orleans, we have returned to Howe’s Bayou for repeats of their offerings.

MI Howes Bayou Logo

With all of that spicy food and heat, I was studying the wine list, and settled on a wine that tends to be found all over and it is always a safe bet. We had Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay 2000. While Kendall-Jackson has a vineyard in Sonoma County, this wine carries the California appellation as the fruit is harvest across the state and blended year after year for a very similar and safe taste. The late Jess Jackson bucked the trend of vineyards and terroir to create a wine that is probably one of the largest selling wines in the country. There are times when I find this wine to be the top Chardonnay offered at a restaurant and I will naturally veer to it, if there is no reason not to, and some restaurants tend to favor “names” over nuance, and when that is the case, I will opt for the “name” as well. All in all, just another great memory of wine and food, and wine can be enjoyable in almost every setting.

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Whoa!

Posted on June 22, 2016 by thewineraconteur

I just received my shipment from my wine club “A Taste of Monterey” and the selection is just what I had envisioned the club to be from the start. I had my choice of getting two bottles of wine every month, or three bottles of wine every quarter; and the quarterly shipment were of better wines. My desire from the club was to get some limited production wines from wineries, which I would not be able to secure in Michigan. I hit the jackpot this shipment, as the largest production of any of the wines was less then three-hundred-fifty cases of wine.

Puma Road Reserve Chardonnay 2012

The first wine that I grabbed was the Puma Road Reserve Chardonnay 2012. This wine is from the Franscioni family that has been in the Salinas Valley since the 1890’s as farmers. They were in the dairy and the lettuce production and started small growing some grapes. The family produced their first bottle of wine in 2003 under the label of RF Wines. Some years later Puma Road Winery now produces 4,500 cases of wine per year and they now grow fifteen different varietals. Puma Road Winery’s single vineyard Chardonnay is grown on the Vigna Monte Nero Ranch in the Santa Lucia Highlands, which is becoming one of my favorite AVA designations after the many wines that I have tried from the area. The hand harvested fruit is aged for ten months in 40% new French Oak and 60% in neutrals. They produced 122 cases of this wine, so I guess the term “reserve” may mean something here beyond marketing verbiage, and they aging potential for this wine is from five to six years, I will be surprised if it lasts one year in my cellar.

Coastview Red Wine Cuvee SA Andree 2012

The second bottle is from Coastview Vineyard of Soledad, California. With its label evoking a Jules Verne epic, Coastview Red Wine Cuvee S.A. Andrée 2010 proclaims that only six barrels were produced. Each of their labels reference to a journey or travel, and the Cuvee S. A. Andrée is the Swedish balloonist Salomon August Andrée, who embarked from Svalbard in July of 1897 in a balloon with two companions, scientific equipment, homing pigeons and several crates of Champagne attempting to pass over the North Pole and land near the Bering Strait. This estate vineyard wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec for a classic Bordeaux style wine. It carries the Monterey County AVA and there were 125 cases produced, and the aging potential is for eight to ten years, and that sounds about right to me.

Cambiata Tannat 2012

The last bottle of the shipment was Cambiata Tannat 2012 with a Monterey AVA. It is estate grown, produced and bottled by Laumann Family Estate Wines of Soledad, California. Eric Laumann intention was to make wines beyond the classic Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone wines of France that do so well in Monterey, and some of the varietals that he grows are Albarino, Tannat and Dornfelder. The Tannat grape actually means tannin, and the wines are known to be very dark and tannic, because of the thick skins and many seeds per grape, and the varietal is famed from the Madiran region of France, but it is becoming popular in South America and in the United States, it is being grown in Texas and Virginia, as it thrives in hot climates. The grape is also known as Maidiran, Harriague, Moustrou and Bordeleza Beltza. The wine was aged for twenty-eight months in sixty gallon barrels, all French and forty percent new. All the fruit came from the Rocosa Loma Vineyard and 348 cases were produced, with a suggested aging potential of eight to ten years. As an aside, in music, the Nota Cambiata is a leaping note that enlivens a melody.

I have to admit that I am like the proverbial kid in the candy store, and I really look forward to trying all of these wines, but some two of them, may be quite down the road, and I have the time.

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