Chateau Ste. Michelle 2009 Columbia Valley Riesling
This Washington wine favorite is widely available but becomes harder to find as we get into the hot days of summer, so grab a few extra bottles because you will enjoy it with most of your warm-weather meals.
Pale straw color. Aromas of peach and apricot with a hint of citrus and honey. Flavors of pear and apricot with the tiniest hint of sweetness. Dry, crisp and refreshing with a clean finish. This is an incredibly versatile food wine that goes well with scallops – grilled or pan fried. A great buy under $8!
Tags: chateau ste. michelle, reisling, scallops, washington
EOS Estate Winery
One of the largest wineries in Paso Robles, EOS Estate Winery, has been placed in receivership because of financial problems.
The winery, which was founded by the Arciero family in 1985, was sold in 2007, for $20 million to Sapphire Wines – a Tennessee-based firm owned and controlled by Jeffrey Hopmayer.
In 2009, Hopmayer also bought two other California labels, Carneros Creek of Napa and Wildhurst of Lake County. In October, 2009 he sold the three wineries to a company owned by Entertainment Property Trust – a publicly traded (EPR) company that also owns megaplex theaters, entertainment retail centers, public charter schools, ski parks and other well known wineries.
According to an article in the San Luis Obispo Tribune, from the time Hopmayer bought EOS, the company steadily racked up debt. It owes an estimated $16.5 million to lenders, including a $7.5 million loan from Farm Credit West and $8 million owed to Entertainment Properties Trust. The winery also owes $2 million to $3 million to growers and $1.2 million in rent not paid since August 2009, according to court filings.
Farm Credit West’s lawsuit also said periodic site inspections have shown as much as $1 million missing from the winery’s books, either because the winery had not been paid or the money had been transferred improperly to Sapphire Advisors, which handles the bookkeeping for EOS.
If the receiver had not been put in place, EOS Estates Winery’s current inventory of about 80,000 cases of wine could possibly have been exhausted in four months, several million dollars more could have been “diverted,” and the winery would have been forced out of business. The next hearing date is set for May 27.
Eos Estate 2006 Zinfandel Port
We like this Paso Robles wine – a lot. If you are too full after a meal but still crave a little dessert, there is nothing like a small glass of port with a piece of chocolate. Mmmm. Good Zinfandel ports that are affordable aren’t easy to find.
From November 28 Twisting Vines:
EOS 2006 Zinfandel Port
Intense aromas of prunes, molasses, roasted walnuts and maple syrup fill the nose. Nutty charactersglide across the palate with essence of plums and espresso. Spiciness of dry earth, cedar, and cinnamon linger on the palate for an extended finish. serve with chocolates cake or sip it by itself by the fireplace. Will age nicely for 15 years. Excellent wine for this price point. Widely available for under $24
Tags: paso robles, wine, zinfandel
Albariño
Now that the weather has warmed up, we’ve been able to eat our meals outdoors on the patio. The photo above isn’t my patio. It’s actually Al and Tipper Gore’s patio at their new home in Montecito, CA. If it were my patio, I would be sitting there right now.
Our patio backs up to a little canyon. Hot food is always a challenge outdoors because just about the time we sit down to eat, a cool breeze always begins to picks up.
The perfect outdoor meal? A salad or a sandwich. Chicken is great for both. I picked up a fully cooked rotisserie chicken at Costco. What a deal. A perfectly cooked, 3 pound chicken for $5.
The perfect wine to go with the meal? A Spanish Albariño.
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2007 Burgans Albariño Rias Baixas
Pale gold color. Aromas of apple, pear, honey and tangerine. Flavors of peach, apple and citrus with a hint of honey and minerals. No oak. This wine is very food friendly and great all by itself. We found it paired well with our chicken salad. Widely available. We found it at Von’s for $13
Quick Chicken Salad with Dill Recipe: Read the rest of this entry »
Tomato Plant in a Pot
For those of us who haven’t gotten around to planting our tomato seeds, don’t worry. Costco has ‘Better Boy’ tomato plants in a 16″ pot with cage! All the plants are about 2′ tall and already have fruit.
No muss, no fuss. All you have to do is put it where it will get full sun and water it. $16
Basil
Perfect accompaniment with the tomatoes, basil is easy to grow in a pot. I Found 10″ tall basil plants for $2.99 everywhere. Trader Joe’s always has them at this time of year. While you’re there, pick up some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and mozzarella for your Insalata Caprese.
Insalata Caprese Recipe
Ingredients:
Ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 red onion, sliced thin
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and slice tomatoes. Slice mozzarella cheese. Place tomato slice on a serving plate. Top each tomato slice with one slice of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with chopped basil leaves.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Serve with a dry rose or light pinot noir.
Tags: basil, mozzarella, rose, tomatoes
Montes
According to Robert Parker, Montes has figured out how to produce terrific red wines at bargain prices.
Maybe it’s their famous night harvests or the sounds of Gregorian chants played in the cellars as the wine is aging. (See Twisting Vines April 23, 2009) Montes has brought wine production in Chile to the forefront of world class wines. Since the country freed itself from a dictatorship and embraced a free market economy, money and expertise has poured into Chile’s wine industry.
With state of the art technology and equipment, Montes focuses on innovation. With a natural fruitiness of Chilean grapes, winemakers have learned how to bring out the best of the fruit in their wines. There’s no need to try and imitate the styles of Bordeaux or California. Chilean wine has a style of it’s own.
Montes Alpha 2007 Syrah Colchagua Valley
A blend of 90% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Viognier, the wine has an intense ruby red color. Lots of dark fruit up front on the nose with hints of leather, pepper and coffee. Flavors of black cherry, blueberry, black pepper hints of cassis, chocolate and tobacco with the slightest hint of oak. Complex. We enjoyed the way the wine continued to evolve in the glass – a good thing.
Good structure. Medium to full-bodied. Nice balance of acid/tannins. Love the long, smooth finish. Will cellar well for 6-8 years. Perfect for drinking by itself, but very food-friendly. Pair with grilled meats or sausage. A great value. We found it at – where else, Costco for $16.
Tags: chile, montes alpha, syrah
These Aren’t Mickey Mouse Wines
Former professional football play and former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Ron Miller spends his time at the Silverado Winery, and his ranch in Wyoming (The Lazy M Ranch)
In the early 1970s, after a day trip to Napa Valley with her mom, Diane Miller found a vineyard in the Stags Leap District that she and her husband purchased as an investment. They bought an 80 acre property that was planted with Chardonnay and some Gewurztraminer.
For several years they sold their Chardonnay grapes under contract to Mike Grgich. But, like many others in the wine business, they became winemakers – and never looked back. In 1981 they started Silverado Winery and produce award-winning wines.
The daughter of Walt Disney, Diane was instrumental in the building of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, and The Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio in San Francisco.
Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005
It’s important to have some “classic” wines in your cellar, and the Silverado 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon fits that bill at a reasonable price. Aromas of plum, cedar, dried herbs and earth. Flavors of black cherries, black currants, toast, and damp earth with a hint of lead pencil shavings.
Robert Parker: A mid-weight, flavorful red with good acidity as well as a moderately long finish. Open at least an hour before serving to mellow out the tannins. It should keep for 7-10 years.” Sold out at the vineyard. At K & L for $30
Some Prices are Starting to Going Up
If you haven’t noticed, prices continue to creep upward. A quick trip to the mall for a sale will have you asking, “This is on sale? This is the same price it was a few months ago!”
Price increases are most noticeable at the grocery store. Coffee, eggs, bread and produce are at least 10% higher than they were last year at this time.
Wine price increases haven’t gone unnoticed by this consumer. We had a nice drop in wine prices for the past 6 months, but they’ve stopped dropping and, in some cases, are starting to edge upward.
There are several reasons. Because of the loss of jobs, or fear of losing one’s job, consumers are buying less expensive wines. Twisting Vines talked about this in February.
Here in California, and to a lesser extent, Oregon and Washington, it’s starting to take it’s toll. Many newer winemakers and growers purchased land at inflated prices, and unless they have unlimited funds, can’t keep up with expense of producing wine.
Some have gone out of business already. Some are frantically working to downsize and streamline operations. Some are raising prices. There will reach a point where wine drinkers will decide that they would rather switch to a less expensive wine or simply drink less often.
Here at Twisting Vines we will continue to search for those “diamonds in the rough” wines – so you won’t have to.
2 Great Value Wines
Saint Clair Family Estate Vicar’s Choice Pinot Noir 2008
From New Zealand’s Marlborough region. Bright ruby color. Aromas of raspberry, strawberry and red cherry. Medium-bodied. Well-balanced acidity, supple tannins. Cherry and raspberry dominate the palate with hints of red currant. A smooth, long finish. Pairs well with red meat or pasta. At Wine Exchange for $12
2008 Pascual Toso Malbec Maipu Valley
From Argentina. Dark ruby color. Aromas of ripe plums, wet stones and a hint of toast. Flavors of dark cherries and berries with a hint of pepper. Full bodied. Acid balanced with ripe tannins. Drink now or hold 2 or 3 years. Perfect pairing with a cheeseburger! At K & L for $10
Tags: malbec, pinot noir, value
Rainy Day Wines
It’s been raining, on and off, for a couple of days, and for some reason rain and soup just seem to go together. They had some nice leeks at the store so I decided to make leek & potato soup. It’s pretty simple to make and goes perfectly with European style chardonnays. With a rotisserie chicken and some crusty bread, we had a great meal while watching the rain. (The soup recipe is after the fold.)
Two wines that go well with the meal:
Louis Latour 2008 Pouilly Fuissé
Light golden color with a touch of green. Aromas of peach and apricot. Flavors of pear, lemon and green apple with slight minerality. The balance is good with a smooth, satisfying finish. Drink now or hold a few years. Excellent value. Costco has it for $16
Laetitia Estate Chardonnay 2007
This wine was chosen by the Wall Street Journal as one of their 12 best wine buys of 2009.
Golden yellow color. Aromas of lime and orange with hints of pineapple and cantaloupe. Flavors of pear, pineapple and lemon with the slightest hints of oak and melon. Buttery texture, good balance. Smooth medium finish. Another great value. Wine House on Cotner Ave. in west LA has it for $11
Leak & Potato Soup Recipe: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: California, chardonnay, france, value
Peggy Fleming
San Jose native, Peggy Fleming and her husband, Dr. Greg Jenkins are serious about wine. In 1999 they planted an acre of Chardonnay in their Los Gatos backyard in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Four years later, the newly formed Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery produced its first vintage – Chardonnay from their backyard and two Syrahs with grapes sourced from a family vineyard near the Pacific Ocean and former Oakland Raiders’ coach John Madden’s Livermore ranch.
Now they produce 2,000 cases a year, including Choreography, a red blend they make with five Bordeaux grapes from Napa Valley, and Victories Rosé, created so the couple can donate $2 from every bottle sold to breast cancer research. Fleming is a breast cancer survivor.
Fleming Jenkins 2006 “Choreography” Napa Valley Red Wine
A blend of four classic Bordeaux varietals — 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot.
Dark ruby color. Bouquet of dark cherry, blackberry and crème de cassis with hints of vanilla, molasses and chocolate. Flavors of red and black fruit with hints of clove, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa. Balanced finish. Should drink well for 5 to 7 years. 643 cases produced. $50 from the winery.
Tags: California, celebrity, peggy fleming
2007 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
From the same winery that makes Isosocles and The Orphan (See March 2, 2010 Twisting Vines), Justin gets high scores for it’s Cabernet.
Dark red color. Aromas of cherry, plum, spice and leather, with a hints of tobacco and leather. Fruit forward with layers of tart cherries and blackberries. Hint of chocolate and vanilla.
Medium bodied. Balanced. The mild tannins allow you to drink it as soon as you pour it into the glass. Hint of butterscotch on the finish.
“A very nice Cab, on a par with last year’s very fine one and quite as good as the 2002. It’s dry and rich in black and red cherries, red currants, cola and chocolate, with firm, velvety tannins. Beautiful now and for a few more years. —S.H.”, 92 Points. Wine Enthusiast, April 2010. Sold out at the winery. Wine Exchange still has it for $20.
