Vinfolio Blog

Enoteca Pinchiorri, in Florence, Italy, could possibly be the World’s Greatest Restaurant for wine.  Its 3-star Michelin rating speaks to the caliber of the food, a mix of Modern Italian with influences of French and subtle techniques of molecular gastronomy. In my opinion, this is a destination for wine connoisseurs, a place where wine comes first and the food is the accompaniment(albeit, an amazing one!). Here, appropriate dishes were prepared to go along with the wines. This was the vision of owner/partners Georgio Pinchiorri and French Chef Annie Féolde. Pinchiorri is a sommelier/former wine bar owner turned restaurant owner—this is apparent.

On our way to Enoteca Pinchiorri, my husband and I got into a car accident with a couple of Italian early-twenty-somethings joy riding in their stylish and sleek, sea foam green Motorino. The accident was not our fault, and no one was seriously hurt, but let’s just say it was the dramatic beginning of the most impressive wine experience I have ever had in a fine dining restaurant.(Being in the trade, it is always easier to have impressive wine experiences at home or at tastings and wine dinners, but this dinner was personal, and a nontrade related wine dinner or event.) This opinion was formulated not by the wine pairings alone, but also based on the overall wine list, presentation, and impressive wine cellar. This is part one of our experience.

We pulled up to the restaurant in our wrecked Volvo, sans driver’s side rearview mirror(a casualty of our accident) 2 hours late of our reservation we had made several months prior. The staff was more than happy to greet us and get us started with a lovely glass of Champagne - still shaken up from our accident, my husband and I threw the glasses back like shots. Unfortunately, this moment was a blur, so I can’t tell you who the Champagne producer was. We proceeded to sit down in the main dining room - very Baroque, Louis XIV-esque with frescoed ceilings and pink walls - and were presented with our tasting menu options and wine lists. 

Enoteca Pinchiorri has the most extensive wine list known to man. It is a large thick, dark reddish-brown, leather-bound book of wines, reminiscent of an epic novel; this was the War and Peace of wine lists. The restaurant also has separate smaller bound versions of these lists by region, so you can ask for the “Italian” list and the “Burgundy” list, amazing in themselves, but much less heavy and overwhelming. Next, we were presented with the infamous “pairing” wine list comprised of a series of wine pairings in tiered price point levels which corresponded to the number and caliber of wines included. Options led well into the thousands of dollars per person, depending on whether your pairing contained bottles of Petrus, DRC, and Screaming Eagle in it or not. We chose one of the relatively modest pairings which resulted in the following wines:

2002 Meursault Coche Dury
1998 Quinault L'Enclos
1996 Clos de la Roche Ponsot
1997 Barolo Cannubi Boschis Luciano Sandrone
1999 Costa Russi Gaja
1990 La Conseillante
1988 Yquem(complimentary)

                    

This line up clearly speaks for itself. Not only was this a selection of premium, top notch wines from some of the world’s best producers and vintages, but these wines were opened up for our table, and our table alone. Most fine dining restaurants have a wine pairing of the evening, when the diners have the opportunity to "opt in" for the wine pairing accompaniment allowing premium bottles with less expensive, esoteric wines to be shared across many guests. In our EP experience, the above bottles were opened and displayed in front of us and repoured into our glasses as needed. This was not your typical wine pairing experience: no inexpensive, esoteric bottles, no one-time pours, and our bottles were unshared. I am not sure if this was special or standard treatment. Perhaps the staff felt bad for us given our traumatic Motorino run-in (looking back on our photos, it was clear we were in need of several drinks.)

This wonderful meal and pairing selection ended with a lovely surprise, a complimentary pour of 1988 Yquem that had been left over from another table's pairing. Wow! Typically, pairings aren’t really a deal given the markup and selection of wines. However, in this instance, it was the best deal ever. For the cost of a nice bottle of wine per person, we were able to drink(and plenty of it) from wines totaling close to 3k at retail, potentially up to 9k st restaurant prices. Most would agree that using the word “deal” in reference to Enoteca Pinchiorri is ridiculous, but when you do the math, it is a fact, at least in our experience.

In my next post I will continue with our visit to Enoteca Pinchiorri’s cellar. This was the true highlight of the evening! In the meantime, what are some of your most impressive wine pairing line-ups or experiences?

In the visits that I’ve made to winery tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma this past year, including a recent one to Sonoma, I’ve noticed a perplexing and somewhat disturbing trend.  The level of tasting room service has been spotty and runs the gamut from no service, to too much service.  Whatever happened to simple customer service in winery tasting rooms?  Here’s a brief summary of the experiences I had this past weekend:

Winery Tasting Room A – Level of Service = Not Enough

The patented Pour-And-Poof-Be-Gone move by the tasting room attendants was in full effect.  There was no quick background spiel on what we were drinking nor was there any engaging in a conversation with us. There was just a pour of the wine and a move to a non-busy area of the tasting bar where the employee promptly continued her conversation with her fellow coworker.  In fact the two attendants were pleasant, but they were also uninterested in selling any wine to us.

Winery Tasting Room B – Level of Service=A Bit Much

The classic, We-Haven’t-Had-Visitors-All-Day-Overbearing tasting room attendant was happy to see us arrive at this venerable winery.  Before we could answer his question of “how are you two doing today?” various print marketing paraphernalia were thrown our way, as well as was a leather-bound book of for-sale library vintages.  Then, before we even took our first sip, we started getting bombarded with more info, this time about the wine club.  He also continued to interrupt us even after being the one to ask us the questions.  I was unsure the entire time as to whether he was having a conversation with himself or with us.  It was far from a relaxing experience.

Winery Tasting Room C – Level of Service = Just Right

This tasting room experience was what could be considered the perfect one to have; in my opinion at least.  The attendant welcomed us, asked us if we had been here previously, provided us with background info about the winery, and provided us with info about each wine he had just poured.  He also smile, engaged with us and other customers at the same time and even said thank you for our business when we left.

Because I’ve had many experiences in the restaurant, retail and wine industries in my career, I’m more sensitive to the nuances of customer service than the average consumer.  I’m very cognizant of the fact that I sweat these small details, but I also feel that what I’m really looking for, which is basic customer service, shouldn’t be too hard to provide.  Or is it?  I really don’t think there’s a science to it.  I firmly believe that what it all boils down to is simple human interaction and how we treat each other, especially in today’s challenging business climate.

What do you feel is the appropriate level of service in a tasting room? What have been your tasting room experiences?  We’d love to hear from you.

Since we’re on the topic of tasting rooms, here’s a winery (not any one in this story) that’s been making great wine for decades now and whose tasting room staff is always welcoming and hospitable.

I admit to being a bit of a history geek, but don’t usually advertise that I am a war/battle site geek too.  Locales of devastation and fighting have somehow gotten worked in to most of the vacations I’ve taken in my adult life.  I also like wine, and since Alsace tempts two of my interests, it was the perfect place to spend a few days of my trip to France last November.  A region torn between frequent sparring partners France and Germany, and influenced in language and culture by both, Alsace holds a special, if not especially appreciated, place in the world of French wine.

Situated along the Rhine River, which forms its eastern boundary, Alsace has been taken and re-taken by the armies of its neighbors since the 9^th century; this has impacted its wine noticeably in the modern era.  As a region of France, Alsace was “northerly,” and produced wines of high acidity and low sugar, the better to blend with grapes from warmer southern regions that could get higher sugar levels.  As a region of Germany, Alsace was “southerly” and expected to produce wines higher in sugar to blend with the more acidic grapes grown in the north.  Because of this back-and-forth of history and war, Alsace wasn’t able to establish its own true style until much later than the rest of both France and Germany.  Though farmers by tradition, the grape growers of Alsace often had to turn to other trades and livelihoods to survive during tough times.  Vineyards, not a priority, were not kept up, which has been another factor in the inconsistency of Alsacian wine.

All is not bleak, though, as in recent decades more attention (and money) has been paid to vineyards and winemaking practices. The region gained AOC status in 1967 and is unique in that varietal names are on the labels, making the wines that much more accessible to Americans. Not only are the wines themselves inviting, but the region welcomes visitors with open arms and amazing food (if you like pork!). In the small villages lining the wine route, it’s perfectly normal to knock on winemakers’ doors; you’ll be invited right in to taste the domaine’s renditions of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, or Muscat! These drop-in producers might not be the pinnacle of quality, but chatting in broken French/English in someone’s kitchen is always a good way to get to know an area.

I had both the formal tasting appointment and drop-in experiences during my time in Alsace. For a fun bottle to drink with lunch, I stuck to unknown names and labels, exploring whatever was on the restaurant menu. For the purpose of buying higher quality bottles to bring home, the top producers didn’t fail to impress. My favorite producers were ones with whom we had scheduled appointments: Hugel & Fils, Marcel Diess, and Ernest Burn. For lower priced but very tasty wines, I picked up a Riesling from Bott Freres and a Pinot Gris from Kuehn. Whether dry or sweet, Alsacian wines offer an easy-to-understand, deliciously refreshing alternative to more standard summer whites.

Click here to see Vinfolio's current wine selections from Alsace. 

Recently, I was climbing over a fence in a skirt, trying not to fall on my face.  To my left, a deer spine and hind leg snaked through the posts.  It was cold; nose-running, eyes-watering cold and windy, and little rain drops were starting to knife their way down from dark clouds.  At 2,200 feet above sea level, Mt Harlan seemed a magnet for the oncoming storm. On the other side of the fence laid the motivation for being out in this kind of weather, dressed so inappropriately.  Josh Jensen’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines arched tightly up and down the hills, separated by blankets of bright green groundcover. I have to admit, I was freezing, and so didn’t walk far enough in the right direction to see the famed lime kiln for which the Calera Wine Company is named.  I did, however, spot innumerable whitish pebbles sticking up out of the soil, belying the geological fact of a vast limestone deposit’s presence below.   

Jensen’s vines are fairly widely spaced, as is true of most vineyards planted in the late 1970s.  Sections have been replanted, but the Pinot remains entirely Calera clone, planted with cuttings taken from Chalone vineyards across the valley. The Calera Pinot vineyards (Selleck, Reed, Jensen, and Mills) produce wines of varying profiles, depending on their exact location, but all are unmistakably clear expressions of pure Pinot fruit.  Of the 2005s tasted, my favorite was from the Jensen Vineyard as it jumped out of the glass with red fruit on the nose, and continued with structure on the palate, providing the "backbone" for the warm spice roundness.  Good acidity carried the wine through to a long, balanced finish.  Also of note, though not Pinot, was the Chardonnay Mt Harlan, with an equally vibrant nose and excellent clarity and focus from attack to mid-palate to finish.

If you have a free Sunday, take the beautiful drive toward Hollister and taste at Calera.  Even if you don’t have time to break away, try a bottle of Josh Jensen’s Mt Harlan Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.  You won’t be disappointed.

So you want to plan a trip to wine country but you’re tired of Napa Valley – the back up of cars starts at Yountville, throngs of people at every tasting room, same varietals that become indistinguishable after the fourth winery and the high price of tasting at some of the top producers – no thanks.

We were a group of five, regular consumers with very different tastes in wine.  We decided to try to take the stress out of visiting wine country, and with a little pre-planning, we had one of the best days we could remember (and it wasn’t because we “over-sampled” on the previous trips). Here is why:

1. Transportation - the best way for all of us to enjoy the day was to have someone else drive so we hired a limo.  Ok, that is not going to be an option for everyone but give it some thought and do some research on other options like shuttle buses or smaller group tours outside of Napa.  If you have a friend willing to drive (sans drinking), even better.
2. Itinerary – many people just like to “wing it” when they are in wine country, but having a few pre-planned stops in nearby appellations is going to give you a chance to see more than going up one road and stopping every 20 feet.  Having a scheduled appointment for a tasting or a tour (most wineries have web sites with all the info) will give you a starting or an ending point. Unless you want to turn your day into a pub crawl, I recommend visiting no more than 3-4 wineries.
3. Wineries – Sonoma was the best choice to avoid the heavy weekend Napa crowds and since one person had a specific request to visit a Pinot Noir producer in the Russian River area, I looked for other small producers in the Dry Creek area who focused on other varietals.  Since we would head south to Carneros by day’s end, we found a winery just north of Sonoma (in Bennett Valley) that had a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking their lavender fields.  Try to get some recommendations from your local wine retailer if you want to make a list of places to research before you go.
4. Tasting – while there are very few places that offer free tastings, Sonoma’s appellations tend to be cheaper ($5 for 5-6 wines) and offer more variety of (not just chard, merlot and cab).  You don’t have to get out your wine journal; rather, use the winery tasting list to note basic thoughts and whether it is worth purchasing.  Also, if you like the wines and engage the staff by asking questions, they sometimes bring out bottles that are not on the tasting menu. You may get to try something really special.

Unti Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley

Talk about a gem, we loved this place!  Mick and Linda Unti have taken on the family vineyard started by Mick’s father George.  They grow some of the more recognizable varietals in the Dry Creek area, but they are known for their Grenache and Barbera, as well other Mediterranean varietals that are perfectly suited to the climate.  They even have several winemaker fans of their Grenache and Syrah: Novy, Renard, and Ogden Olson make their own Unti Vineyard cuvées.

The first thing you notice is the modest and functional tasting room and storage area (ageing vats and all), and then their friendly staff takes you through their current wine selection (free!).  We were lucky enough to taste and buy some of their Rosé of Grenache – a delicate, well structured rosé with hints of strawberry, finishing with a crisp, fresh finish. This beautifully made wine could rival some of the best Provencal rosés.  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that their winemaker, Sébastien Pochan, is from Southern France.

We also tried the Barbera, Grenache, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Segromigno and Rhone blend.  All the wines were very well balanced and flavorful.  The Barbera was juicy, youthful and delicious, while the Grenache had extra layers on the nose and a palate whose complexity reminded me of Chateaneuf.  The Petite Sirah and Syrah showed good fruit, tannin and an earthy quality that everyone thought worked well together.  Each wine had very unique characteristics.  The Grenache, Barbera and Petite Sirah tied for the most “thumbs up” - 5 out of 5 for each.  The Rosé and the Zinfandel ran a close second.

It is pretty clear that the folks at Unti are all about growing the best possible grapes and making really good wine.

Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, Russian River Valley 

This stop was a special request for one member of the group.  Perched atop a hill, the tasting room has a panoramic view of the Russian River Valley.  The winery has a long history of making Pinot Noir from some of the most well known vineyards in the area – Rochioli and Allen.  They have branched out to Cabernet and Zinfandel, but their strengths lie with Pinot and Chardonnay.

This tasting room was a little more up-market and a bit busier, but the ambiance was still relaxing, not noisy or overcrowded.  There was plenty of staff on hand to offer tasting options: a Premier Tasting ($10) featuring single vineyard Pinot, Chard and Cab, or their Current Releases ($5) that included main varietals plus Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc. 

We were all very impressed with the 2004 Chardonnay from the Rochioli-Allen Vineyards – it was a pretty and delicate with subtle notes of pear, honeysuckle, mineral and oak – overall an elegant wine.  They also had a 2006 Sonoma County/Redwood Ranch Sauvignon Blanc with bright citrus fruit and crisp acidity.

As usual, the Pinot Noir showed well with the 2004 Starr Ridge Vineyard as our favorite – ripe cherry fruit, a little bit of earth and a smooth finish.  The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County was balanced, but delicate on the fruit and tannin.  The Zinfandel was the least favorite of the group lacking flavor and balance.  The Rochioli-Allen vineyard Chard was the clear winner with 5 thumbs up with the Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinot coming in a close second with 4 thumbs up each.

After the tasting we sat outside to enjoy the great weather and beautiful view. We could see why this was a popular stop.

Matanzas Creek Winery, Bennett Valley

After a quick lunch and tour of the town of Healdsburg, we headed toward Bennett Valley located in the northern part Sonoma Valley.  The winery is set back from the road, closer to the hills and flanked by beautiful lavender gardens.  You really get a relaxed feeling coming into the winery by its nice view overlooking the valley and gardens.  While Gary Farrell had a more refined tasting room, Matanzas Creek made you feel right at home.  The room was modest and while they sold their own lavender-based products, you got the feeling they were more focused on the wine than the marketing.

I had heard good things about the wines – well made, versatile and crowd pleasing.  They are known for their Merlot, but the whites showed well.  We all chose the basic tasting ($5) to be able to try the most varietals – Sauvignon Blanc, Chard, Rosé, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.   The NV Rosé – a blend of Merlot and Syrah, was interesting but a little too soft.  I liked the 2005 Sauvignon Blanc – it was rich with fresh melon flavors.  The 2005 Chardonnay Sonoma Valley was good – medium weight with smoke, vanilla and nice balance between fruit and acidity.

The 2005 Merlot Bennett Valley, their signature wine, had lots of blueberry and smoke on the nose with a soft mid-palate and good finish – a very versatile wine with good character.  We all gave it a thumbs up and would recommend it.  As it was the end of the tasting day (3:30), we got the chance to taste a few other wines that weren’t on the list.  The 2001 Jackson Park Merlot was the surprise hit, whose nose offered a unique combination of cassis, earth, black olive, saddle leather and a bit more chew that would make the wine a great match for grilled lamb.  We gave it 5 thumbs up along with the Bennet Valley Merlot.  The Chardonnay came in second and the rest a split decision.

If you are looking for a more laid-back winery without the pretension of some of the more popular places in Russian River, this is a great stop.

 

This past Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I ventured up to Mendocino County to view the famous redwood trees, rocky coastline, and above all, taste the wines from Anderson Valley. We were not disappointed. Here are a few highlights of the trip. (As always, if you are inspired to purchase any of the wines mentioned below, you can make a “quote request” in Vinfolio’s wine store if they are not currently in inventory.)

After a leisurely drive up from San Francisco Saturday morning, we made our way up to the Anderson Valley, just two and ½ hours north of the city. This East-West valley is known for growing cool climate grapes (such as Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer) that benefit from the coastal breezes and fog that seep in from the coast. We made our first stop off of Hwy 128 at Goldeneye Winery located just after the little town of Boonesville. As Duckhorn Vineyards’ sister label, Goldeneye specializes in producing Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Here we enjoyed their tasting while soaking up sun and serenity of their backyard patio. The “enhanced” tasting included a Vin Gris de Pinot Noir, Goldeneye Pinot Noir, Migration Pinot Noir, as well as two single-vineyard Pinots whose fruit was sourced from the Confluence and Narrows Vineyards.  The rosé was dry and particularly refreshing showing hints of strawberry and raspberry. Of the Pinot Noirs, our favorite was their flagship, the 2004 Goldeneye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.  Its taste was the most well-balanced incorporating both earthy notes as well as dark berry flavors such as blackberry and blueberry, and it was very reasonably priced.

Later that afternoon we tried the sparkling wines at Scharffenberger Cellars and Roederer Estate. At Roederer, it was particularly interesting to compare their non-vintage cuvee in both 750 ml and magnum format. The magnum revealed a more creamy palate and a longer length than the same wine from the 750 ml. One other interesting winery was Greenwood Ridge Vineyards whose yurt-like tasting building was decorated with ribbons awarded from numerous county fairs. We were charmed by Greenwood’s 2006 Late Harvest White Riesling whose 18% residual sugar necessitates that its apricot, honeyed nectar be consumed in small sips.

That evening, after arriving in the scenic, coastal town of Mendocino, we dined at Café Beajolais, a local French restaurant situated in what started as a Victorian Farmhouse in 1893. Here we took a break from the Anderson Valley vineyards and started the meal with a half bottle of 2005 Champaut Sancerre Les Pierres (Loire, France). This clean and refreshing white was a lovely complement to a smoky spinach salad garnished with tomato, goat cheese and bacon. We also loved their 2005 Elk Cove Mt. Richmond Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon. This proved a great pair to my Columbia River Sturgeon Fillet that was bathed in a truffle emulsion sauce and wild mushrooms. This Burgundian style pinot bridged the flavors of earth and sea as it enhanced the earthy characteristics of the sauce and as well as the texture of the fish. Finally, the Navarro’s Cluster Select Late Harvest White Riesling brought a sweet finish to our home-style dessert of gingerbread and peaches.

At the start of Sunday’s glorious sunny morning, we popped into Husch Vineyards, which has the distinction of being the oldest winery in the Anderson Valley and the first to plant Pinot Noir grapes in that area. We couldn’t stay long in their tasting room (an old converted pony barn) as we had a scheduled tour at Navarro Vineyards just down the street. Along our tour, we learned the owners, Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn, chose the location in 1972 because they felt it resembled the terroir in Alsace. Our guide explained that just 10% of the property was planted and that they had to replant certain vineyards changing the root stock to protect it from phylloxera. In addition to tasting their large range of wines (the Pinot Noir and dessert Muscat were my favorites), we enjoyed meeting the vineyard animals including two llamas, a flock of chickens, and several goats, all of which help to maintain the grounds. Our last stop before exploring the coast was at Handley Cellars, a small family run winery that impressed us with their 2005 Cole Ranch Riesling (by the cleanness of flavor) and 2004 Redwood Valley Syrah (because of its richness and depth of fruit).

After a full day, we dined that evening at the Albion River Inn whose restaurant offers a spectacular coastal view and live piano music. We reveled in the long sunset hours, again taking a break from the local wines, and enjoying a 2004 Dauvissat-Camus Chablis La Forest 1er Cru. The wine had a flinty, mineral nose and citrus and stones on the palate. It revealed its caliber by its long, vibrant finish. We agreed that it was outstanding and savored its last drops!

Monday was our day to drive home, but we did find time to visit two small wineries on the way out. The first stop was at Meyer Family Cellars, whose family is primarily known for their Silver Oak Winery in Napa Valley. This newer property, however, is located in the Yorkville Highlands appellation, a place where Meyer Family’s co-winemakers, Matt and Karen Meyer, believe the climate is ideal for growing Syrah grapes. The days are warm but the cool nights lock in the grapes’ acidity. Karen (Matt’s wife from Perth, Australia) served us their Sonoma and Mendocino Syrahs as well as their Syrah Port. The port’s rich sweetness was a natural pair with bits of dark chocolate. Karen also explained that the winery will soon re-release their famous Bonny Vineyard Cabernet (from Napa’s Oakville AVA) under the Meyer Family label.

Our last stop of the trip was at Maple Creek Winery, the home of the Artevino label reflecting the owners’, Tom Rodrigues and Linda Stutz, passion for both art and wine. This winery produces a wide variety of wines at reasonable prices. We loved their Sauvignon Blanc style 2006 Buckin' Blanco Chardonnay and agreed that its crisp tropical flavors would pair fabulously with grilled shrimp or crab cakes at a summer barbeque.  

All in all, we highly recommend visiting Mendocino’s wine country with its low-key atmosphere and beautiful scenery. The wines typically showed steely acidity and concentrated fruit. It is a place to breathe and savor the freshness of nature.