Posts Tagged ‘Sam Howles-Banerji’

Tasting A True Rarity: 2001 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs

April 11, 2013

An honest-to-goodness treat today; the opportunity to taste a genuine rarity: the 2001 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs.

I tasted with my colleague Sam Howles-Banerji.

We opened, we double-decanted, we poured, we smelled …

Indian food.

I couldn’t think of anything but Indian food.

I was thinking Coriander, Cardamom, and Cumin.

As Sam said, The Three Cs.

Not so much turmeric. As discussed; the wine was less “yellow-y” than that.

Really, just The Three Cs.

Sam swirled, Sam tasted, Sam wrote.

01zls1

Can you spot the oh-so-rare Lytton Springs?

Just a fascinating display of aromatics altogether; totally fascinating.

Unbelievably, Sam happened to have brought Indian for lunch.

“Should I bring it out?”

“Yes!”

He brought it out. We smelled. The Three Cs indeed.

That said, with an hour of aeration (when I began my notes), the exotic spice had subsided to a certain extent, reclining back into a pleasantly rustic cushion of almost claret-like sophistication.

The first frequencies on the palate were immediately lower-tuned; rich with dark berry notes and black herbs; speckled with a punchy minerality.

The earthiness transformed into something more savory and meatier mid-palate; not gamey per se, but with a certain lightly charred umami melody.

The finish was a pristine act of reconciliation, drawing spice, earth and herb together with layered fruit and a sweeter note unique to the lingering post-finish echo.

In summary, a delicious wine in an excellent stage of development.

What a treat!

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Posted in Lytton Springs, RIDGE Staff, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Zinfandel | 2 Comments »

The Monte Bello Collector Component Tasting In Pictures, Praise, and Prose …

March 22, 2013

We don’t do a great many events in any given year up here on our mountain, so when we do stage them, we try to thoroughly imbue them with all the passion and gravitas our four-sizes-that-day wine-hearts can muster.

Our annual trio of Monte Bello Collector events are as special to us as anything we do, and of the three, the Component Tasting is quite possibly the most magical of all.

It is as unique a wine happening as I can imagine, and I believe it affords our Monte Bello Collector members one of the rather more singularly experiential ways by which to get to know the wine that will one day be theirs.

The Monte Bello is essentially what is oft-referred to as a Bordeaux blend; meaning, it is composed of an assemblage of varietals traditionally associated with the famed Bordeaux region in France; in our case, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.

As tasters and collectors of our Monte Bello know, the percentages in the assemblage vary year to year, depending primarily on the mercurial contributions of a nuanced and complex panoply of sub-microclimatic blocks within the larger vineyard borders of our mountain estate.

What the Component Tasting afford collectors the opportunity to do is experience barrel samples of the individual components prior to The Final Assemblage, and on top of that, to taste The First Assemblage; meaning, essentially, to preview the results of our first go-around with building what will eventually become The Final Assemblage – i.e. the Monte Bello.

[For a full explanation of how the assemblage process works and plays out, please click here.]

The Monte Bello Collector program is quite literally a “futures” program, but for our members, the future begins now.

Or should I say, it began on March 9th …

Comin' down the mountain, before it all begins ...

Comin’ down the mountain, before it all begins …

It was a beautiful morning, alive with the light of Mother Nature’s wide smile warming our Earth-Ball’s still-sleeping belly …

The mountain, in the morning …

In but a few hours, the very knoll itself would be reverberating underneath a march of glass-in-handed revelers …

The tables await ...

The tables await …

…but for now, the empty tables waited, patient.

For this …

David Gates & Eric Baugher & everyone ...

David Gates & Eric Baugher & everyone …

Quite a transformation, to say the least, but in all the merry hysteria there remained a transcendent and sensorial calm pervading everyone and everything. It was in the old Torre Winery Barn …

Still life with Michael ...

Still life with Michael …

The Old Torre Winery Barn ...

The Old Torre Winery Barn …

Fatted Calf's legendary charcuterie slicer ...

Fatted Calf’s legendary charcuterie slicer …

And it was under the umbrellas …

The Knoll & The Umbrellas & The Happiness ...

The Knoll & The Umbrellas & The Happiness …

MBCI_PatioUnderTheUmbrellas

Under the umbrellas …

You might even say Monte Bello had Aloha …

Aloha, Monte Bello ...

Aloha, Monte Bello …

A few more images from a wonderful weekend …

Torre Winery Barn, and everyone in it ...

Torre Winery Barn, and everyone in it …

The tasting bar ...

The tasting bar …

Barrel Sample ...

Barrel Sample …

Table Three, Cabernet Franc ...

Table Three, Cabernet Franc …

Table Two, Petit Verdot ...

Table Two, Petit Verdot …

Still life with Antonio ...

Still life with Antonio …

The esteemed Richard Jennings (RJOnWine.com), taking notes ...

The esteemed Richard Jennings (RJOnWine.com), taking notes …

RJOnWine.com taking notes, detail ...

RJOnWine.com taking notes, detail …

Still Life with Kyle ...

Still Life with Kyle …

Still life with Jenny ...

Still life with Jenny …

It's Not You, It's Brie ...

It’s Not You, It’s Brie …

MBCI_FattedCalfCharcuterieSlicer

Charcuterie by Fatted Calf …

Eric Baugher, hosting …

Eric Baugher, pouring …

Paul Draper & Eric Baugher ...

Paul Draper & Eric Baugher …

David Gates & Eric Baugher ...

David Gates & Eric Baugher …

Still life with ring, bottle, and shades ...

Still life with ring, bottle, and shades …

The 2012 Monte Bello, for now ...

The 2012 Monte Bello, for now …

2012 Monte Bello crystal ...

Crystal …

~

I wish to conclude this post with beautiful words of praise from two of our wonderful members …

There is no doubt the wines poured were excellent, showing great character and promising a long life. We can all agree that the weather was stunning and made Sunday one of the most beautiful days we have spent at Ridge in years. But it is the Ridge Monte Bello tasting room team that put the life into the affair. This team worked all day to host the hundreds of us that came to enjoy.  And with praise equal to the wine and the weather, Rene and I extend our sincere thanks to the whole team for making Sunday one of the finest days in our Ridge memories. They are what makes days like this wonderful. — Les and Rene

To Les & Rene, to the team you so kindly speak of, and to everyone who made this event so special, I wish to offer the deepest of bows.

Thank you.

~

By name, the event hosts:

Paul Draper, Eric Baugher, David Gates, Shun Ishikubo, Karen Leeds, Kyle Theriot, Antonio Favela, Emma Henkens, Jenny Merit, Karen Cai, Kathryn Thompson, Kim Korupp, Lori Monteleone, Michael Riese, Nancy Tarng, Peter Yaninek, Samantha McMillan, Sonja Seaberg, Tara Townsend, Cecilia Aguilar, Jamie Lesperance, Amy Monroe, Sam Howles-Banerji, and Kirsten Anderson.

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Posted in Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Merlot, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Petit Verdot, RIDGE Staff, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Tasting Flights, Varietals & Blends, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Clubs | Leave a Comment »

Wait, Wait, Don’t Taste Me: The Interactive Wine & Food Pairing Quiz!

February 8, 2013

Yesterday was a Wine & Food Tasting day on the mountain, and that makes Pappy happy.

The goal? Select three wines, and three pairings.

Our culinary compatriots for the event? The very fine chefs from Bash.

My co-tasters? The Depth-Chargedly-Groovy Hospitality Team at Monte Bello: Amy Monroe, Sam Howles-Banerji, and Kirsten Anderson.

The challenge: Select which of two possibilities is the right wine for the pairing, and modify one thing about each dish to better suit the pairing.

Round I

The wines: 2011 Ridge Vineyards Mikulaco Chardonnay, or 2007 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Chardonnay

The dish: Arugula salad with beets, pine nuts, and goat cheese, in a Champagne vinaigrette

IMG_3589

What do you do? Which wine do you select, and what do you modify about the dish, to create the perfect pairing?

Round II

The wines: 2010 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville, or 2010 Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles Zinfandel

The dish: Salmon with sautéed carrot and warm fennel-arugula-pomagranate salad

IMG_3597

What do you do? Which wine do you select, and what do you modify about the dish, to create the perfect pairing?

Round III

The wines: 2008 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache, or 2006 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Grenache

The dish: Braised short rib with tomato sauce, capers, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted corn

IMG_3601

What do you do? Which wine do you select, and what do you modify about the dish, to create the perfect pairing?

~

The results!

Round I

The wine: 2011 Ridge Vineyards Mikulaco Chardonnay

11hmk1

The dish: Arugula salad with pine nuts, goat cheese, and sprinkle of pomegranate seeds with Champagne vinaigrette – two roasted beets on side for garnish (did you notice what we changed?)

Round II

The wine: 2010 Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles Zinfandel

IMG_3607

The dish: Salt & Pepper’d Halibut with sautéed carrot and warm fennel-arugula-pomagranate salad (did you notice what we changed?)

Round III

The wine: 2008 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache

08xle1

The dish: Braised short rib with tomato sauce, capers, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted corn (Did you notice what we changed? Trick question! there was NO change, the dish was perfect!)

~

Thanks for playing!

And thanks to my co-tasters!

And especially, thanks to the very talented Bash team; for their well-honed skills, their delicious food, and their impeccable hospitality!

~

p.s. Special thanks to the very clever folks at NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” from whom I derive both the title of this post, and many hours of educative amusement!

WWDTM

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Posted in Chardonnay, Food & Wine Pairing, Geyserville, Grenache, Lytton, RIDGE Staff, Syrah, Tasting Flights, Varietals & Blends, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Tales, Zinfandel | Leave a Comment »

“One Word Tasting Note Rock, Paper, Scissors” + “7-vintage Estate Cabernet Vertical” = “Monday Funday!”

January 31, 2013

Oh Susanna!
Don’t you cry for me,
cuz I’m goin to Monte Bello
with Estate Cab on my knee …

And by Susanna, of course, I mean Susanna Hoffs; she, of The Bangles, who formerly noted that, as opposed to Monday, Sunday was in fact her Funday.

SusannaHoffs

Not so I.

Monday is my Funday.

At least this most recent one was.

This Monday most recent, we had cause to open, pour, and taste a SEVEN-VINTAGE-VERTICAL of Ridge Vineyards Estate Cabernet: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and the not-yet-released 2010.

cre1_vert

To be honest, this may have been one of the best tastings I’ve ever been involved with; these wines just tasted extraordinary!

So, “standard” tasting notes were simply not going to cut it. This was too special, too powerful, too spiritual.

Thus, “One Word Tasting Note Rock, Paper, Scissors!”

How does it work?

You partner up with another taster, and you taste a wine together. And together, you become as the Haiku artist becomes:

“He is like a tuning fork placed before a vibrating one of the same frequency. When he contemplates the impassionate, living object he immediately realizes its quality just as the sound from the tuning forks will become audible. He is in a state of aesthetic resonation, a harmonized whole of all the meaningful experiences he has had, brought to bear upon the moment of aesthetic contemplation.” — Kenneth Yasuda, “Japanese Haiku: Its Essential Nature and History”

And then you count to three, a la Rock, Paper, Scissors.

And then you give voice to your one-word tasting note; your audibilized vibration, your harmonized whole.

And then, with time, you may seek common threads in the spontaneous vibrations of your respective tuning forks.

I was with my colleague Sam Howles-Banerji.

01CSC1.ai

We began with the 2004 Estate Cabernet.

1, 2, 3:

Soulful
Mushroom

Commonalities? Obvious! Just two other ways of sayin’ Funky!

funk·y

2 /ˈfʌŋki/ Show Spelled [fuhng-kee] Show IPA

adjective, funk·i·er, funk·i·est.

1.

Jazz. having an earthy, blues-based quality or character.
 

funky 1 (ˈfʌŋkɪ)

— adj , funkier , funkiest

1.

(of music) passionate, soulful; of or pertaining to funk

2.

authentic; earthy

3.

stylish and exciting; cool: funky jeans

–

05XSC1-L

Next up, the 2005 Estate Cabernet.

1, 2, 3:

Incantatory
Terrier

Common Themes: Incessant, Devotional, Hypnotic

–

06XSC0-L

2006 Estate Cabernet

1, 2, 3:

Horse & Buggy
Velvet Mineral

The thread? Contrast; the rusticity of horse-drawn old-fashionedness amidst a fresh, new spring day – velvet & mineral

–

07cse_front_hires

2007 Estate Cabernet

1, 2, 3:

Country
Biker

Common Theme: The wild open spaces! Freedom! Limitless possibilitiy amidst boundless beauty! An internal code of honor, a rhythm and law all its own.

–

08cseLOfront

2008 Estate Cabernet

1, 2, 3:

Carnival
Punk Rock

Commonalities? Condensed, concentrated, intense; distillation of raw passion; decadence and excitement

–

09CES1-frontS

2009 Estate Cabernet

1, 2, 3:

Racy
Largesse

Thematic unity? Expressive and generous sensuality

–

10CRE1-front

2010 Estate Cabernet

1, 2, 3:

Pistachio Ice Cream on the beach
Sunset

Ok, that first one is hardly one word, but the commonalities here are really quite fascinating … That two wine tasters, upon tasting a specific wine at the indentical time, should then each, interdependently of the other, audibilize the idyll … aesthetic resonation indeed.

–

And that, my friends, is One Word Tasting Note Rock, Paper, Scissors.

And that, my friends, is our 7-vintage Estate Cabernet Vertical.

And that, my friends, is a Funday.

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Posted in Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains Estate, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Virtual Verticals, Wine & Art, Wine & Literature, Wine & Philosophy, Wine & Poetry, Wine & Spirituality, Wine and Jazz | Leave a Comment »

#Harvest2012: Pump It Up!

October 14, 2012

I work at Monte Bello. Accordingly, much of my material for this blog has, as its point-of-origin, the mountain.

That said, my colleagues to the north — at Lytton Springs — are wonderful about feeding me images, videos, and stories.

Given that the teachers/tutors/mentors I am most regularly in contact with, however, are at Monte Bello, the resulting peculiarity is that I am often relying on Monte Bello talent to helps expand on Lytton Springs content!

So this time around, I’m going to flip the paradigm; I’m going to share some Monte Bello content, with some Lytton Springs comment!

The subject of “pump-overs” came up recently on our Facebook page, and in the interest of expanding on the topic, here’s a bit of perspective from John Olney (our Lytton Springs winemaker), followed by a quick and hopefully informative bit of video footage of a pump-over in action at Monte Bello.

From John:

With few exceptions, all grape juice is clear. All the color and structure in a red wine comes from the grapes and seeds. Therefore, to make red wine, the clear juice must make contact, or macerate, with the skins and seeds. To accomplish this, we carry out pump-overs twice daily. During a pump-over, the juice is pumped from the bottom of the tank over the floating cap of skins and seeds above.

A pump-over serves two functions:

*First, it is the primary means by which phenolic compounds are extracted from the skins and seeds. Phenolic compounds include all those components of color, tannin, and aroma that make red wine red wine.

*Second, pump-overs introduce oxygen – critical to the survival and function of the yeast – into the fermenting must.

Additionally, pump-overs help regulate the temperature of the fermentation by mixing the cooler juice at the bottom of the tank with the cap of skins above where heat is trapped and builds up.

–

Video of a pump-over in action:

–

–

Sam Howles-Banerji began his tenure at Ridge Vineyards as a Harvest Intern. He is now a treasured full-time member of the Monte Bello Retail Sales & Hospitality Staff …

you can take the intern out of the winery

… and t is to Sam we owe a debt of gratitude for the great imagery in this post (and to Eric Baugher, Shun Ishikubo, and the whole Monte Bello winemaking team!).

In addition to the video footage above, dig this remarkable compendium of pump-over pics:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

#Harvest2012.

Feel it.

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Posted in Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, RIDGE Staff, Video, Vineyards and Oenology, Winemaking | Leave a Comment »

#Harvest2012 begins on Monte Bello!

September 10, 2012

VERY happy to announce that the first grapes of #Harvest2012 have come in from Monte Bello!

The team was out in the vines early this morning, picking chardonnay grapes from the historic Rousten Ranch, and our very own Sam Howles-Banerji was there to capture the action!

–

The call was for 6:45am, just as the sun was beginning to lay the soft peach of its morning across the burbling gray cotton of the inversion’s mercurial fog …

And as the full and vivid measure of its brilliance came to bear on the simmering mineralized dust of the ranch, the team moved in …

And thus the hills began to echo with the clicks of flashing clippers, and the soft collapse of grapes into hands …

A strange agrarian ballet in which the severity of solitude and the togetherness of toil play out a ritual of action set to lonesome largo paces …

And through it all, the cold gray yawn of the gondola’s maw awaits …

And as the crisp sluice of fruit’s bristling sugar-acid brine whisks the morning air alive …

The hunger of the gondola is sated …

Kilroy may be AWOL, but Sam was surely there …

–

And so we say CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to David Gates (Vice President, Vineyard Operations) and Kyle Theriot (Viticulturist, Monte Bello), and to the entire Monte Bello Vineyard Team!

#Harvest2012. Feel it.

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Posted in Chardonnay, Monte Bello, RIDGE Staff, Varietals & Blends, Vineyards and Oenology, Winemaking | Leave a Comment »

Carignane, My Wayward Son

July 15, 2012

Time Has Come Today!

The new 2010 Buchignani Ranch Carginane is here, and we’re pouring it today at Monte Bello!

One look at the “liner notes” on the back label should be enough to alert you that somethin’ special is goin’ on here …

Carignane_Label_Lives_Here! 

And our tasting this morning did not a single thing to dispel our excitement …

2010 Ridge Vineyards Buchignani Ranch Carignane

Appearance: Wonderful color in the bowl; dense mulberry and magenta hues laced with fine bright fuchsia highlights. Lightly viscous, with swift and mid-girth legs bespeaking archetypal carginane body-type …

Aromatics: Fascinating mix of appealing berry and fruit notes (black cherry and blackberry balanced against red and black cherry, plus a touch of cranberry piquant-ness) infused with a completely fascinating layer of black caraway (kilijiri) …

Palate: Fruit goes even slightly blacker on the palate, showing tarter versions of traditionally black and sweet fruits (pluot, blackberry, Montmorency cherries); there are also tasty hints of bittersweet chocolate and cocoa, and all previous are wrapped in both a somewhat uncharacteristically firmer tannin architecture, and a totally popping level of acidity …

Finish: The pop of the acidity stays strong through a finish that manages to be both big and long, without obfuscating the classically leaner and spicier mouthfeel that we traditionally associate with this wine…

Summary: Brilliant for sipping, but will ace it at the table as well; think unorthodox for your pairings, and try it at both extremes: where you might normally serve a white, and where you might normally serve a cab. A lovely group of members had this yesterday with their picnic, and paired it with duck prosciutto and melon, to excellent results. But don’t be afraid to serve this with steak au poivre either. And if you go curry, go Carignane.

–

Thanks to Sam Howles-Banerji for tasting with me, and for helping to identify what on earth that black spice was that we were smelling!

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Posted in Carignane, Food & Wine Pairing, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Wine & Food Pairing | 1 Comment »

Ain’t No Strangers To The Rangers, Gots The Rhones In Our Bones!

March 17, 2012

March 24-25, it’s on.

It’s a rockin’ Rhone time
it’s blow your dome time, baby

The Rhone Rangers descend on San Francisco next weekend, and none shall be the same ever again.

The 24th? Winemaker’s Dinner. Who shall be there? Ridge Vineyards, of course. Along with …

Big Basin Vineyards, Crystal Basin, Curtis Winery, Davis Family Vineyards, Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Donelan Wines, Folin Cellars, Hahn Family Wines, Katin, Mount Aukum Winery, Pear Valley Vineyards, Qualia Wines, Quivira Vineyards & Winery, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Wesley Ashley Wines and Zaca Mesa Winery.

Word.

And the 25th? The Grand Tasting. The GRAND Tasting.

–

grand

adjective

1.

impressive in size, appearance, or general effect: grand mountain scenery.

2.

stately, majestic, or dignified: In front of an audience her manner is grand and regal.

3.

highly ambitious or idealistic: grand ideas for bettering the political situation.

4.

magnificent or splendid: a grand palace.

5.

noble or revered: a grand old man.
 
–
 
Impressive. Majestic. Idealistic. Magnificent. Revered. Grand. The GRAND Tasting.
 
Word.
 
–
 
And what will Ridge Vineyards be pouring? None other than the following:
 

2010 Ridge Vineyards Buchignani Ranch Carignane (special pre-release, winery-only offering!)

2010 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Petite Sirah (not yet released, only the 2nd nationally-distributed Ridge Petite Sirah EVER!)

2007 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah (new ATP release, winery-only!)

2006 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache (sold out ATP offering; last “public” appearance!)

1999 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah (uber-rarity from the library vaults!)

Word.

–

SAN FRANCISCO 2012 – A WEEKEND CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN RHONES

–

Recently sat down with two colleagues to start tasting some of the wines to be showcased at the event. If you wish to fly-on-the-wall yourselves, please dig the visuals …

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Posted in Carignane, Events & Photographs, Lytton, Lytton Springs, Rhone varietals, RIDGE Staff, Special Offerings, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Video, Viticultural Salmagundi | 1 Comment »

What’s Up Lunch?: The Take & Bake Pizza Chronicles

February 20, 2012

Greetings all!

Readers of this blog may be familiar with a series of postings we’ve run over the past couple of years; our “What’s Up Lunch?” series, in which we document unique luncheon pairings with our wines. Well, I’m not sure this qualifies as a “unique” pairing, per se, but it certainly occurred at lunch, and it definitely involved our wines. And I’ll argue for the singularity of the event by virtue of the constraint …

Constraint? Of course! We can’t just sit around and eat pizza all day! But what we CAN do, is a taste test with four different Take & Bake pizzas!

So that’s what we did; four pizzas, two wines, two tasters.

The tasters? Myself, and my colleague Sam Howles-Banerji; one time harvest intern cum cellar rat, long-time tasting room staffer, and now, full-time member of the Monte Bello Hospitality Team.

The wines? 2005 Ridge Vineyards Grenache, and 2009 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs.

And the pizzas?

 
The challenge? Determine which was the best pairing of wine and pizza.
 
 
Round I commences, with the Whole Foods offering; the decision? Grenache by a nose. The thin crust is appealing, but chewier than expected, and while the sauce does a nice reconciliation of sweet and tart, the cheese lacks flavor, and comes off a tad oily accordingly. That said, as far as the pairing goes, the spice of the grenache plays off the oil well, and the sauce’s balance of sweet and tart matches the architecture of the wine quite decently. A good, if not great pairing, with the wine, in the end, just seeming slightly too big for the pizza. Comparatively though, the pizza just swallows the back half of the Lytton’s finish, so, as noted, the Grenache gets the nod with this one.
 
 
Round II commences, with the Uncie Ro’s (Santa Cruz’s own!); the decision? Our Estate Cabernet! I know, I know, that wasn’t supposed to be part of the tasting, but we just KNEW it would be perfect after tasting this pizza. The crust is a lovely, chewy, thin NY style, and while it’s a bit shy on cheese, the herbs (particularly the parsley) are perfect, and they just cry out for cool climate cabernet. Thus, the 2008 Ridge Vineyards Estate Cabernet. That said, still not a perfect pairing. A pretty great one, but not PERFECT.
 
 
Round III commences, with the Annie’s offering. BAM! Unquestionably, this is one of the very best take & bakes we’ve ever had. I was worried at first, because it has a very, shall we say, “puffy” crust, and I usually don’t like a puffy crust. But the voluminous explosion of sauce and cheese on the palate is just exquisite; piquant and sweet, herbal and cheesy, just totally excellent. That said, and sadly, not a great pairing for any of the wines we were tasting. The grenache was the best option of the three, but the two, at best, co-existed; there was no real magic.
 
 
So the final round commenced, with the Vicolo. This is a corn crust offering, so it was kind of odd-man-out in the group, but it tasted quite good. The crust was both sweet and granular, the cheeses were present without being overtly fatty or oily, and the addition of sun-dried tomatoes is genius for adding a bit of tang. And the wines? Not so great a pairing with the Lytton Springs; it certainly gave definition to the palate movement, and showed the wine as a full journey, but it sort of thinned the fruit out a bit, and gave too much attention to the structure. But with the Grenache? KILLER! Totally magical, the total greater than the sum of its parts, the mojo third flavor; perfection as a pairing.
 
So, what’s up, lunch?
 
Best overall Take & Bake Pizza goes to the Annie’s offering, though we would certainly prefer less puff to the crust. Runner-up goes to the Uncie Ro’s, which really was delicious, and we loved both the herbs and the “local” factor, but it was just a tad too shy on cheese to sweep the award.
 
Best overall pairing goes to the 2005 Ridge Vineyards Grenache and the Vicolo Quattro Formaggio; while we liked (but didn’t love) the pizza on its own, the two together just absolutely came alive. Runner-up goes to the Uncie Ro’s with the  Estate Cabernet.
 
What’s up, lunch?

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Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Food & Wine Pairing, Grenache, Lytton Springs, Santa Cruz Mountains Estate, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Wine & Food Pairing | 1 Comment »

It’s Not All Wine & Glamour!

June 14, 2010

Admittedly, it’s sometimes hard to elicit sympathy from a non-wine-industry person when you’re trying to explain that, in the wine industry, it’s not all wine & glamour. I mean, just because we get paid to pour Ridge wines, and talk about Ridge wines, and taste Ridge wines, and do all the above with other people who love Ridge wines … well, I suppose you get the picture.

Anyhow, I’m here to tell you it really isn’t all just wine & glamour! For example, here’s the line-up from a tasting we recently hosted:

Champion Tasting/Ridge Vineyards/June 2010

 

Now, sure the 2008 Santa Cruz Chard is buzzing with fresh citricity, extraordinary minerality, and youthful, bright acidity! Sure the East Bench is a fantastically welcome new edition to our single-vineyard zinfandel portfolio! Sure, Geyserville & Lytton Springs are the twin pillars of our Zin program! Sure, the ’95 Monte Bello out of half-bottle is like gently trailing a metaphysical velvet blanket sewn from love, theology, jazz, zen buddhism, the feel of baby lamb’s wool under your creek-washed hand, and really, really good plums across your tongue! But I’m telling you, it’s not all wine & glamour!

For example, consider what goes on behind the scenes:

It's Not All Wine & Glamour!

 

In the background, superstar Monte Bello Tasting Room Host Darren Gardner labors over foils that must be cut to perfection, corks that must be flawlessly extracted, wines that must be elegantly double-decanted, wines that must be tasted, lest a single flaw go un-noticed! And in the foreground? Other superstar Monte Bello Tasting Room Host Sam Howles-Banerji is hard at work muscling his way through 20 pencils that need to be sharpened! Pencils that will be used for the tasting, to record vital tasting notes! These guys are working!

I’m just saying, it’s not all wine & glamour …

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Posted in Events & Photographs, Geyserville, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, RIDGE Staff, Tasting Flights, Tasting Rooms, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine Tales | 1 Comment »

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