Christina Waters

A ruby rosé Kalmuck Zweigelt 2009 made the perfect partner for a hearty plate of duck sausage, sauteed napa cabbage and roasted figs at Soif last Sunday, part of the special Octoberfest menu at the popular downtown boite, er, Weinstube.

Bonny Doon Vineyard will host a special dinner to commemorate the recent bottling of the 25th vintage of Le Cigare Volant. Taking place on Friday, October 15, at the Cellar Door Café in Santa Cruz, the menu will include retrospective wine flights of library wines and unreleased vintages of the flagship southern Rhône-style blend. This is a rare chance to taste the most consistently laudable wine made by BDV, introduced and deconstructed by the winemaker himself.

Winemaker and President-for-Life Randall Grahm will host the evening’s celebration. Cellar Door Executive Chef Charlie Parker will create the food pairings to complement these rare vintages.

October 15 – 6pm, $125 per person, ($100 for Club Members) multi-course dinner including wines, Le Cigare Volant flights include a splash of the 1991 (!) and each are matched with such dishes as:

Foie gras torchon with grapes, (more…)

Report from the Vineyards: Yes, it’s true that wild man winemaker Richard Alfaro has cut his locks — “I donated a 15-inch pony tail to Locks of Love,” he revealed a few days ago. (You can see why I didn’t pry any further.) Alfaro also says he’s experiencing a “reverse Samson” effect from the hair cut: “my strength has doubled and my six-pack abs have returned.”

Alfaro officially started the harvest of 2010 as of September 27 - “bins are being cleaned and loaded on the trailer for delivery…. winery equipment is being sanitized….. lab work has started…the phone is ringing off the hook with fresh information from my growers…the fridge is stocked with beer and the margaritas are being mixed!!!!” Alfaro says he expects to pick until the end of November. “The fruit is late but WONDERFUL” he added. Most of his Corralitos and south appellation colleagues are ready to begin their harvests too — “the action is started.”

I chatted last week with Peter Rinaldi, a third-generation Santa Cruzan who’s about to open Rocco’s at 503 Water Street. Why am I telling you this? Because Rocco’s is the new Italian-influenced dining place occupying the site of the late Limoncello, that’s why.

We’re happy to know that there will soon be a fresh new restaurant in this familiar old location, and Rinaldi — who also manages next-door Callahan’s — said that he wants to make sure the restaurant is casual, inviting and uses as many local purveyors as possible. Stay tuned! . . . .
And Chris leVeque tells me that his long-awaited El Salchichero house of artisan charcuterie is moving along — the interior tilework is, in a word, awesome. But he’s thinking that perhaps Thanksgiving might be a more realistic opening date than Halloween. Stay hungry!. . . .

It’s the first Santa Cruz Mountain pinot noir from the 2008 vintage I’ve tasted, and now I know why this beautiful creation from Thomas Fogarty Winery took a gold at the recent SF Chronicle competition.

This full-throated wine is loaded with complex aromatic information, and the flavors just go on and on. Dark plums and tamarind, an undercurrent of licorice and bay leaves, a suggestion of tangerine peel and black pepper — all of these gorgeous notes are delivered by a prime 14.1% alcohol content. Enough to carry the experience, yet definitely not engaged in the fruit bomb California stereotype.

Within reach too, at under $22 a bottle. Try Shoppers and New Leaf, but definitely try this lovely pinot noir.

From Loma Prieta Winery comes a statuesque red wine made from rarely-encountered Pinotage grapes, grown in the Sierra foothills.

The locally-made Pinotage — a varietal usually associated with South Africa and produced in only a handful of North American vineyards—is an opulent tipple indeed, offering enough tannic structure to handle its profusion of cassis, ripe plum, black pepper and sassafras. We loved this wine with bolognese and Italian sausage, but on second thought this out-sized wine cries out for steak.

Wine consultant Laura Ness sums it up as, “Pinot Noir on steroids.” This is a good thing.

Exotic and accessible, the Loma Prieta Pinotage 2008 is available at the mountaintop winery, and at Vinocruz ($45).

There are always many good reasons to visit Soif Wine Bar. This superb and supple 2007 estate Syrah from Peay Vineyards is now among those reasons.

Loaded with leather, a central core of robust red meat and soft peppers, this big, beautiful wine floats a hint of roses and fennel in both nose and finish. Extreme persistence highlights this creation of celebrated winemaker Vanessa Wong, and the name “les Titans” derives from some large-scale redwoods on the Sonoma vineyard’s property.

The Peay “Les Titans” syrah is easily one of the finest California syrahs I’ve tasted. Now at Soif. Go there and sample.

Chemistry—a wildly energetic blend of rarely-combined white varietals, including pinot gris, chardonnay and (gasp!) riesling—is loaded with nectarines, apple and mineral essences. Even a backnote of almonds.

Utterly drinkable all by itself, this Willamette Valley blend is charming enough to sidle up to grilled halibut, goat cheese, and some of the more subtle pastas and pizzas. Katy Cater poured me a sample at Avanti last week and it was an instant “yes!” Stop by the wine bar in the Westside dining landmark and make friends with this beautifully-balanced blend.

Be among the adventurous and sample some exotic Pinotage at a Release Party for the 2008 vintage, August 7 & 8 at Loma Prieta Winery.
Loma Prieta Winery will release the 2nd bottling of 2008 Pinotage from the Amorosa Vineyard in Lodi, along with light appetizers and live music on Saturday afternoon.

There are less than 50 acres of Pinotage planted in California. This intriguing grape was first developed for South African cultivation by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault. The result is an explosive mix of red fruits mingled with spicy cured meat and red licorice. Loma Prieta is the only vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains currently growing this variety, and the only winery producing it. So come over the hill and take a taste on the wild side
Loma Prieta Winery - open every weekend, noon to 5pm.
26985 Loma Prieta Way
Los Gatos, California 95033

Cloaked in a contrarian label are blended grapes from Contra Costa County (the theme begins to sink in…) transformed into the stuff of great ragu and Gorgonzola delivery systems by the shamanic mind of Randall Grahm.

Priced at $14, Contra sips like a much pricier wine, loaded with dark berries, earth, attitude, autumn leaves and a backbone of spine-tingling tannins. Carignane, grenache, mourvedre, petite syrah, a touch of syrah and yes, even old-vine zinfandel have made their way into the heart of this opulent, dusky creation. 13.5% alcohol and persistent attitude have made it our new house favorite.

Stop by the BD tasting room on Ingalls, ask about the eccentric green label. You’ll find out just why there’s a couch sitting in the vineyards. Think of it as Randall Grahm’s way of helping us get through these fiscal doldrums.

Fourteen bucks. Incroyable!

The scenic Santa Cruz Mountains viticultural region opens up its winery tasting rooms this Saturday for the July installment of the Passport tasting cycle.

Over 40 wineries, each distinctive, each showcasing handmade premium wines and the ineffable terroir of this region, will be open for visits, tastings, picnics, finger food, live music and of course purchases - this Saturday, July 17 from 11am until 5pm.

Find out all the details at SCMWA and plan to discover your new favorite wine this weekend.