Digest San Francisco Chronicle Wine Section

eje · May 5, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, May 4, 2007

The wine mechanics, Tim Teichgraeber

What separates winemaking consultants from average winemakers is the depth and breadth of their experience and sometimes genuine enlightenment. They've tasted enough wine to know what qualities the best wines have in common, and know how to make wines that have those qualities -- seamless wines as precisely composed as a great painting or a perfect pop tune.

Wine Business Insider: Brown-Forman cuts staff again, Cyril Penn

Kentucky-based Brown-Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's and other wine and spirits brands, this week announced layoffs of 14 employees at its Hopland winery complex and 10 at Sonoma-Cutrer winery in Windsor...Patrick Roney, who last month bought Windsor Vineyards from Foster's Group, has also picked up 40-acre Hedin Vineyard on the north end of Russian River Valley for an undisclosed price.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

In our glasses
What your Tequila says about you
Sip and slurp
Governator declares September as wine month
Wine Country hikes

Spirits: Trot out a Kentucky drinking tradition for Derby Day, Fred Thompson

A well-made mint julep is the perfect cocktail for the transition between the cool of early spring to the mild warmth of early summer. Southern families have exacting rituals, handed down through generations, for the proper preparation of a mint julep. While the mint julep has many tales of its history in Confederate surrender, it has its roots surprisingly in the Arab world.

Recipe:

Chris Morris' Mint Julep

Letters to Wine: Turning water into wine in Paso

Pairings: Nothing too fishy about pairing salmon and Pinot Noir, Joyce Goldstein

I can't remember how long I have been making this pork roast or even where I found the recipe. But I can tell you that it was, by far, the most popular pork roast that we served at my restaurant Square One. I suspect that people loved it because it has so many interesting textures and flavors: toasted garlic, crunchy almonds and an unctuous sherry-infused cream. It is a great dish to match with Chardonnay.

Recipe:

Roast Pork Loin with Almonds, Garlic & Sherry-Shallot Cream

Chronicle Wine Selections: Chardonnay from Napa Valley and its subappellations, W. Blake Gray

The Cheese Course: Gariotin ripens from the outside in, Janet Fletcher

Named for the small stone huts that once sheltered French shepherds in the Quercy region, Gariotin (gah-ree-oh-tinh) is a luscious goat's milk cheese just large enough for four. The same manufacturer, a small dairy cooperative, also produces another favorite of mine, Lingot du Quercy. The cheeses are similar in all but size and shape, so if you have had the Lingot, which is more widely available, you know what flavors to expect from Gariotin (full name: Le Gariotin d'Alvignac).

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Three Degrees, Amanda Gold

"Part of the Lodge at Tiburon -- a quaint hotel just off Main Street in the waterfront town -- this mellow bar provides a social gathering spot for locals and hotel guests. The decor reflects the lodgelike sensibility seen in the rest of the building, punctuated with stacked stone columns, Craftsman-style tables and chairs, and handsome leather bar stools. Flat-screen TVs flank either side of the backlit bar area, where patrons sip martinis and glasses of wine while feasting on a wide selection of interesting small and larger plates, most of which can also be found on the restaurant's menu."

Bargain Bite: La Torta Gorda, Jane Tunks

"The new location of the beloved Mexican sandwich shop La Torta Gorda is the latest addition to grace this gastronomic main drag. The 3-month-old restaurant is a step up from its humble beginnings -- a barebones kitchen with a window that opened onto the street and a sidewalk "dining room" consisting of a few plastic tables and chairs."

eje · May 12, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, May 12, 2007

The vintner who did it his way, W. Blake Gray

Grgich Hills started out with no vineyards, making wine from purchased fruit. One St. Helena vineyard in particular interested Grgich, and not just for its old-vine Zinfandel. The vineyard owner lived in a house that overlooked the vines, with a view of Mount St. Helena out the back that reminded him of Babina Gomila mountain in Croatia; his childhood home was on its slope.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Get schooled
Mother's little helpers
Drink to cocktail week
In our glasses
Wine Country hikes

Wine Business Insider: More wineries bypass the middleman, Cyril Penn

The study showed that consumer direct sales were up 31 percent between the first quarter of 2006 and the first quarter of 2007, following a spike in direct-to-consumer wine sales of 27.6 percent between 2005 and 2006...Last week, Coppola officially (re-)christened (Chateau Souverain winery in Geyserville)...the Francis Ford Coppola Presents Rosso & Bianco.

Bargain Wines: Spain's early ripener, W. Blake Gray

Today, it's the source of great wines at all price levels, including some phenomenal under-$10 wines. I tasted 21 Tempranillo-based wines for this column and was impressed by the variety and price performance. Bargain Wine drinkers, if you like your reds spicy -- and don't mind them woody, because oak and Tempranillo have a long, complicated and ongoing relationship -- it's time to start shopping.

World View: Tasting through Burgundy, Jancis Robinson

The places where Burgundy is made have in most significant cases remained virtually unchanged for centuries. The typical Burgundian wine producer operates in a dark, damp, low-ceilinged stone cellar that can be found only by those with an intimate knowledge of village backstreets and the courtyards and passageways that lie behind and beneath them. Why, even the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, the most famous and best endowed Burgundian wine estate of all, keeps half of its fabulous wines maturing in a subterranean cavern accessible only by what is virtually a trapdoor.

Cocktailian: A splash of Champagne tops off the refreshing Starfish Cooler, Gary Regan

Cindy grins, pulls a draft for Doc, and starts to assemble a Starfish Cooler. It's the official drink for this year's Tales of the Cocktail, an annual five-day New Orleans event that takes place in July. The drink, created by Stacy Smith, a bartender at G.W. Fins, a highly acclaimed seafood restaurant in the Big Easy, is a refreshing quaff that calls for an ounce of Champagne to give it a sparkle. For more than one reason, Champagne can be well utilized in cocktails.

Recipe:

Starfish Cooler

Adapted from a recipe by Stacy Smith, bartender at G.W. Fins, New Orleans.

Pairings: Viogniers coax crab out of its shell, Joyce Goldstein

Viognier is difficult to grow and needs to be picked when fully ripe to reveal its unique flavors and ripe peach and floral aromas. But because Viognier is such a sensual, intriguing wine, easily enjoyed with an array of dishes, French, American, Australian and even Argentine winemakers have risen to that challenge.

Recipe:

Curried Crab Cakes

Chronicle Wine Selections: West Coast Viogniers, W. Blake Gray

The Cheese Course: Want to know if your Jarlsberg is true? Look it in the eyes, Janet Fletcher

Jarlsberg may not figure high on the cheese connoisseur's list of favorites, but it is the best-selling specialty cheese in America. This claim comes from TINE, the 20,000-member Norwegian dairy cooperative that makes Jarlsberg, which is probably using the word "specialty" to distinguish the cheese from a processed or commodity product, like generic block cheddar.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Bong Su, Tara Duggan

"Even those who normally inhabit dark, wood-lined pubs will appreciate the elegant, airy ambience of the lounge at Bong Su restaurant. Situated behind a large gong that frames the hostess stand, the horseshoe-shaped bar has lots of seating, and the lounge's raised communal dining table entices visitors to order a round of chef Tammy Huynh's delicious Vietnamese starters."

Bargain Bite: Noodle Theory, Carol Ness

"And that's the whole idea, according to chef and owner Louis Kao of Berkeley, who comes from Szechuan stock but reins in his taste for spice for his clientele. Kao grew up in Palo Alto, where his father ran a Szechuan restaurant named Hsi-Nan for years."

eje · May 19, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, May 17, 2007

Business: Chronicle to cut 25% of jobs in newsroom, Joe Garofoli

To cut costs and try to adapt to a changing media marketplace, The Chronicle will trim 25 percent of its newsroom staff by the end of the summer...Eighty reporters, photographers, copy editors and others, as well as 20 employees in management positions are expected to be laid off by end of the summer. Chronicle Publisher Frank Vega said Friday that voluntary buyouts are likely to be offered.

Doon north, Jon Bonné

If anyone could hawk Riesling, it would be Grahm. In 1999, he coauthored a "Riesling Manifesto" with Alsatian vintner André Ostertag and Johannes Selbach of Germany's Mosel Valley, who now supplies the German component of the Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, which is used for its edgier citrus flavors and low alcohol levels. Grahm wrote in his trademark style: "Thus Riesling asylum was born, out of a need for independence, out of mistrust for the hegemony of the cabo-chardocentric paradigm."

THE ESSENTIALS: Germany's secret Rieslings, Steve Pitcher

The general style of Nahe Rieslings borrows something from each of its neighboring regions -- the raciness, sleekness and slate minerality of the Mosel combined with the earthier, riper, nectar flavors of the Rheingau. But what really distinguishes them, especially Rieslings from the wild heart of the upper Nahe around the wine villages of Traisen, Norheim, Niederhausen, Oberhausen and Monzingen, is an intriguing, almost pungent mineral character that often drives the wine's apricot and white peach fruit aromas into a supporting role. They are expressive and unique among German Rieslings.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

The flying winemaker
Who's best behind the bar?
Hurry up and aerate
The Rosé Avengers think pink at their annual Pink Out!
Bottling Carolina moonshine
In our glasses

Letters to Wine: Mike Grgich as Napa underdog

New Wine Country: Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Cyril Penn

A new study by Southern Oregon University professor and research climatologist Greg Jones concludes that the North Olympic Peninsula provides sound potential for viticulture, and that the local wine industry should grow grapes that result in a light, crisp and aromatic style of wine.

Wineries staking their claim on Red Mountain, Jon Bonné

The smallest of Washington's appellations, Red Mountain comprises just 4,040 acres and is well-known for its powerful, tannic red wines. For years, just 700 were in vine. But with recent land sales and the long-term lease over the past year of five parcels by the state's Department of Natural Resources, Red Mountain is on the grow.

Pairings: Smoked trout salad for a grape with two names, Joyce Goldstein

Cultivated in the northeastern part of Italy in the region of Friuli, Pinot Grigio can be elegant, crisp and lively, simply pleasant or even vapid. Pinot Gris from France's Alsace region is usually richly textured and lightly spicy.

Recipe:

Smoked Trout with Horseradish Cream

Chronicle Wine Selections: West Coast Pinot Gris/Grigio, W. Blake Gris (not Grigio)

Spirits: Bar crawl celebrates local mixologists, Amanda Berne

With that, we boarded the bus for "Camp Drink-a-Lot" with our cocktail counselors in tow, wielding the microphone and a bottle, or two, of Tequila. They all took turns talking to the rapt crowd about Cocktail Week. May 13 was National Cocktail Day, but the San Francisco bartenders banded together to stretch out the one-day celebration through May 21, when Chronicle contributor Gary Regan will be bartending at a benefit at Absinthe.

The Cheese Course: From la belle France, a goat's milk blue that ages gracefully, Janet Fletcher

Over the past few months, I have tasted several of the Beillevaire cheeses and found none of them to be less than excellent. They are costly, but I am always happy to pay for quality. One of the most ingratiating cheeses in his line, at least to my palate, is the Bleu du Bocage (bo-cahzh), a goat's milk blue from the Vendée, an area of Western France better known for butter than for cheese. In fact, according to Beillevaire, goats are a recent introduction to the region, and the Bleu du Bocage is one result. It debuted less than 10 years ago, the invention of a small dairy whose proprietor decided to create something original rather than imitate an existing cheese.

The Tasting Room: Island spirits, Jane Tunks

It's not every day you visit a former naval air base to sample vodkas and eaux de vie. But the onetime military installation on Alameda island is where St. George Spirits distillery has made its home. Drive past the abandoned gatepost, and follow the "Hangar One" signs to hangar 21 (confusing, but trust them), where you'll find the distillery and tasting room.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Luka's Taproom, Karen Reardanz

"A hit in the up-and-coming Uptown district since it opened more than two years ago, Luka's Taproom is proof that if you provide quality food and pour a fine drink, people will come. Bustling from the time the doors open until last call, this bar/restaurant is a welcoming spot whether you're looking to sip a martini and slurp a few oysters after work or you want to shake it on the dance floor at one of the DJ nights. Vestiges from previous longtime occupant, the Hofbrau, remain in the form of art and signs displayed in the pool room."

Bargain Bite: Caffe Museo, Laura Compton

"San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood is Museum Central -- SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Museum of the African Diaspora, California Academy of Sciences' Steinhart Aquarium, Museum of Craft and Folk Art, Cartoon Art Museum, and SF Camerawork are within five minutes of one another -- but the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art remains the epicenter. As befits Mario Botta's iconic building, Caffe Museo offers a convenient, stylish place to stop and refuel."

eje · May 26, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, May 26, 2007

The best Wine Country picnics, Jon Bonné

But which wineries? We dispatched our band of die-hard scouts to Napa, Sonoma, the Livermore Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains -- locales that allow you to unfurl your picnic blanket before noon and still beat traffic home. Tabbouleh salad in one hand and corkscrew in the other, they hunted down the best stops.

Wine Country Picnics: Napa Valley, Stacy Finz

I reached the green rolling hills of the valley only to learn that of the 150 brick-and-mortar wineries there, only 36 have permits for picnicking..."A bulk of our wineries are small producers, and these are their homes," says Terry Hall, spokesman for the Napa Valley Vintners Association, of why so few allow visitors to eat their lunches alfresco on their lawns. "Everyone thinks that the Napa Valley is so fancy-schmancy and that everyone drives around in Maseratis. But we're actually very farm-centric and are trying to preserve our agricultural roots."

Wine Country Picnics: Sonoma County, W. Blake Gray

Of the roughly 275 wineries in Sonoma County, more than 50 have picnic facilities, according to Sonoma County Vintners Director of Communications Phil Bilodeau. Even if I ate faster than champion hot-dog eater Takeru Kobayashi, I couldn't get to them all.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Picnic in style with our picks of the most useful accessories
In our glasses

Corti against wines with high alcohol, Olvia Wu

Darrell Corti, co-owner of Corti Brothers store in Sacramento, threw down the gauntlet -- or wineglass? -- a few weeks ago...He was fed up. High-alcohol wines above 14.5 percent would no longer grace the shelves of Corti Brothers, Corti declared.

Wine Country Picnics: Wine County etiquette guide, Jon Bonné

That table of six out on the winery patio, unwrapping every stinky cheese known to humankind. That limo full of wobbly- gaited day-trippers that's just a few decibels too loud. Winery picnics can be wonderful, but not everyone brings their manners.

Perfect Picnics: Santa Cruz, Kacie Ratner

But just to the north, the Santa Cruz Mountains have been drawing another kind of attention. Several local wineries fill the hillsides with rows of grapevines, beautiful properties and great picnic areas. Since the Santa Cruz Mountains, spanning from San Francisco to the Salinas Valley, are not as well known for wine production, many of the tasting rooms and picnic areas are not overly crowded. Still, arriving early to snag a table is always recommended.

Tasting fee tyranny, W. Blake Gray

Napa Valley has often been ahead of the rest of the U.S. wine industry in many ways, from the quality of its wines to the breathtaking prices charged for them. Now a Yountville winery is again breaking new ground...Domaine Chandon charges $5 more to drink a bottle of wine at the winery than to take it home.

Perfect Picnics: Livermore valley, Deborah Grossman

Livermore Valley may be my local wine country, but it's a challenge to keep pace with 38 wineries and counting. What better way to explore picturesque new venues, reconnect with stalwarts and unwind at bucolic spots than to plan a picnic?

Pairings: Whip up a three-course feast to pair with the perfect rosé, Joyce Goldstein

Drinking your way through a three-course meal often requires multiple types of wine and as many glasses -- not exactly feasible for a picnic...It's why rosé is a natural choice for an outdoor, transportable meal. The wine's crispness and acidity pair well with lighter salads, but it's made from red grapes, so it can stand up to heartier dishes like poultry, fish and pork.

Recipes:

Farro Nicoise Salad

Barbecued Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Berry & Melon Salad with Honey Tarragon Dressing

Chronicle Wine Selections: West Coast Rosés, W. Blake Gray

The Cheese Course: Hardy cheeses that survive the picnic basket, Janet Fletcher

The last thing you want in your picnic hamper is a meltdown. But if you aren't prepared, a hot day in Wine Country can turn a fine cheese into fondue in a matter of hours. To avoid watching costly cheeses transition from a solid to a liquid state, pack a cooler and choose your cheeses wisely. Firm, aged, low-moisture cheeses are the only ones that make sense in a summer picnic basket. They won't collapse if the hamper packer inadvertently sets the bottled water on top of them, and they don't need bread or crackers for support.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Liverpool Lil's, Laura Compton

"Even the most dedicated cocktail connoisseur sometimes wants a place to kick back and just have a good, honest drink and a bite. For San Franciscans in the know, that place is Liverpool Lil's, a hideaway near the Presidio that's the antithesis of the neighboring Marina and Cow Hollow bar scenes, with their small plates and endless 'tini combos.a"

Bargain Bite: The New Spot, Stacy Finz

"You'd never know it by its bland name, but this cafe serves up some surprisingly exotic dishes. Tucked away in an industrial area of San Francisco, the small restaurant offers a mix of Mexican and Salvadoran cuisine."

eje · June 2, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, June 01, 2007

Turning water into wine, Alice Feiring

In the best vineyards of Europe, the practice of dry farming -- relying solely on natural precipitation to water grapevines -- is almost universally accepted. Yet in the New World, irrigation is now viewed as essential to the wine industry's survival. And what began as a novel innovation -- drip irrigation -- has become standard practice, such that throwing dry farming into a viticulture conversation is like pitching a lit match into a brittle summer forest. Who knew that something as simple as watering plants could be so, well, hot?

THE SIPPING NEWS:

The art of the barrel
From Big House to grand cru
Cocktail experts mix it up online
$40,000 and up for 11 bottles of wine
In our glasses
WINERY WATCH / Pahlmeyer's passion for Pinot

Cocktailian: Discovering the chi of sidecars, Gary Regan

The sidecar that Cindy is making is an adaptation that's served by Thad Vogler, bar manager at San Francisco's Jardiniere restaurant. Vogler uses Osocalis brandy, a fine product made at a small, artisanal distillery in Soquel (Santa Cruz County), and he also calls for Qi White, a new liqueur by Qi Spirits, a side project of Hangar One's distiller Lance Winters. According to the producer, Qi White is flavored with "a selection of exotic oranges, herbs and spices, and the delicate new buds of white tea, a rare and prized tea with sweet and earthy overtones." In a sidecar, Qi works very well indeed.

Recipe:

Sidecar

Adapted from a recipe by Thad Vogler, bar manager at Jardiniere, San Francisco.

Uncorked: Beverages & More's drinker in chief, Jon Bonné

You might better know Wong, 56, as the "WW" on nearly every shelf at Beverages & More. As BevMo's cellar master and "extreme researcher," as he puts it, Wong makes big choices about what wine lovers all over California will be drinking tonight. He tastes some 8,000 wines per year to decide what makes the cut, and has a hand in the 50-some custom-tailored wines that BevMo commissions.

Bargain Wines: Blockbuster summer for affordable red blends, W. Blake Gray

Roth's work got me to thinking about the relationship between B movie trailers and red wine blends. They're both cheap and cheerful, often slapped together after the main project is done with whatever's lying around: film footage or wine that didn't fit the winery's more expensive, prestigious bottlings. Yet sometimes, they're way more fun than the more serious, main piece of work.

The Tasting Room: STYLE AND SUBSTANCE, Carol Ness

All blond wood and low light, this tasting room has the feel of a sleek big-city lounge -- with none of the attitude. And that makes it stand out among the tasting rooms of San Luis Obispo's Edna Valley.

Pairings: Dry rosé shows its steamy side in a spicy mussel stew, Joyce Goldstein

Served chilled, dry rosés are perfect for warmer weather. These refreshing wines are best when young. Because of their abundant fruitiness they may appear sweet, but these wines have enough acidity to support the mild sweetness. And as rosés are generally light in alcohol, they respond well to dishes with a bit of heat.

Recipe:

Greek Mussel Stew

Chronicle Wine Selections: International rosés, W. Blake Gray

The Cheese Course: For organic Parmigiano, younger is better, Janet Fletcher

The 3-year-old Bio Hombre cheese that I tried recently was butterscotch gold, darker and drier than conventional Parmigiano Reggiano. Like stars in a golden sky, the tiny white protein crystals stood out in the paste and crunched under my teeth. The flavor was intense, with a laser-like piquancy. The cheese seemed to burn my tongue slightly, although it had a sweet finish. As a table cheese, it was too much for me.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: 750 ml, Mandy Erickson

"The draw at this year-old wine bar is the Enomatic, a self-serve wine dispenser with all the futuristic campiness its name implies. You insert a prepaid card, place your glass under a spout and press a button. The Enomatic supplies a 1-ounce taste at a tenth of the price of the bottle retail -- from $1.20 to $6.80 -- and the selection of 24 wines rotates every week or so."

Bargain Bite: La Corneta, Miriam Morgan

"Things have been hopping at the Burlingame branch of this popular San Francisco taqueria ever since it opened last month. Bright and attractive, with a boldly colored sculpture of the Virgin of Guadalupe and a mural of a trumpeting angel, the look is several steps above the typical burrito joint."

eje · June 9, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, June 08, 2007

THE SPICE IS RIGHT, Jon Bonné, Olivia Wu

Among Asian cuisines, Indian food probably has the greatest notoriety for being hard to match with wine. Its complex layering of spices and chile heat makes for a tricky challenge.

Recipes:

Cardamom Nankaties
Tangy Shredded Cabbage Salad
Black-Eyed Peas in a Spicy Goan Curry
Everyday Yellow Dal
Lamb in Creamy Curry Sauce
Seafood in Green Curry

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Biofuel blows drink budget
Raise a golden goblet
Sweetness and spice
BOOKS / Joy of reading about drinking
In our glasses

Uncorked:Rock star's second act, Stacy Finz

Mick Fleetwood, founder of the rock band Fleetwood Mac, is dancing to the beat of a different drum these days. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has gotten into the wine biz. He's collaborating with winemakers -- many of whom are from California -- to produce wines under Fleetwood's own Private Cellar label, which he's selling at Costco.

Wine Business Insider: California wines set sales record in '06, Cyril Penn

California wine sales in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 189 million cases in 2006, up 2 percent from 2005, according to wine industry consultant Jon Fredrikson, publisher of the Gomberg-Fredrikson report...Mario Monticelli was named winemaker for Trinchero Napa Valley in St. Helena...David Tate is the new winemaker for Barnett Vineyards in St. Helena...Erich Bradley is the new winemaker for Hop Kiln Winery in Healdsburg and HK Generations Wines...Joel Gott Wines promoted Alisa Jacobson to winemaker...Amphora Winery owner-winemaker Rick Hutchinson hired Jay Kell as assistant winemaker.

The Cheese Course: Teleme's production returns to California, Janet Fletcher

Maine's loss is California's gain. Franklin Peluso, whose grandfather Giovanni developed the rice flour-coated Teleme cheese, has returned to California after nine months of making and marketing Teleme on the East Coast. Peluso's wife and children could not bear Maine's winter weather, so the family repatriated last August and Peluso has resumed Teleme production in San Luis Obispo.

The Tasting Room: Funky winery in the Sierra Foothills, Laura Compton

It's impossible to visit Sobon Estates and not feel the pull of history. This is old Zin country, where some of California's earliest documented Zinfandels were planted during the Gold Rush.

Chronicle Wine Selections: Wines to Pair With Indian Food, Jon Bonné

Wine-friendly Indian restaurants, Alex Malamud

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Perbacco, Tara Duggan

"Want to hang with the Financial District movers and shakers? A number of them can be found at this fine-dining Italian restaurant that took over the Gold Coast restaurant space last fall. Perbacco's bar offers a more casual way to sample chef-owner Staffan Terje's hand-crafted specialties while still providing an opportunity to pull out the Gucci loafers or not-a-Prada handbag. While the white-tablecloth restaurant can be on the stuffy side, the bar is more laid-back and stylish, making you want to nibble on spiced Marcona almonds ($4) and sip on Campari cocktails while wearing oversize sunglasses."

Bargain Bite: Starvin Marvin, Amanda Gold

"The cheesesteak ($5.95) at Starvin Marvin offers Philly natives a little taste of home, featuring curls of thin beef tucked into a soft roll with grilled onions, provolone and just the right amount of grease."

eje · June 16, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, June 16, 2007

Are ratings pointless?, W. Blake Gray

The 100-point rating scale, created by wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr. in the mid-1970s, was a great innovation that has done a world of good for wine lovers. But as it has become the most-accepted critical standard, the scale may have gradually changed from a consumer's best friend into a force that discourages diversity of styles, encourages higher alcohol levels and inflames price inflation for highly sought wines.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

For the dad who has almost everything
Father's little helper
Making wine harmonic
Fun with meat and wine
In our glasses

The Tasting Room: The people's winery, Karola Saekel

Anybody who faults Northern California's wine community in general and its Napa Valley representatives in particular for being snobbish and elitist should be obliged to make a stop at the Sutter Home tasting room just south of St. Helena.

Snow cones and shrimp cocktails at Auction Napa Valley, Jon Bonné

"The American Classic," this year's theme for the Napa Valley Vintners' annual auction, marked a return to roots. It was designed to telegraph the valley's seminal role in American wine -- and wine auctions.

Letters to Wine: Watering vines

The Chronicle's four-star wine ratings, Jon Bonné

It isn't our intention to provide ratings that are measured against publications like Wine Spectator or the Wine Advocate. Unlike most wine magazines, our scored ratings are agreed upon by a panel of tasters rather than an individual critic. The goal is to offer an assessment of quality to help our readers make buying decisions.

Cocktailian: A bartender's new drink is the cat's meow, Gary Regan

I'm not being modest when I tell you that creativity isn't my strong suit behind the bar. I like to think that I can fix a pretty mean Manhattan, and my margaritas might make some toes curl, but I'm pretty pedestrian when challenged to construct a new drink from scratch. My usual form in this situation is to take a classic formula, remove one ingredient, replace it with something similar and call it new. It's known as pimping the classics.

Recipe:

The Reluctant Tabby Cat

Pairings: Sparklers bubble over with croquettes, Joyce Goldstein

Because Prosecco and Cava are effervescent, they are ideal to serve with rich salumi, cold cuts and salty cheeses. They are a great match for fat and salt and work well with fruit and sweet flavors. These wines are low in alcohol so they can deal with foods that have some heat.

Recipe:

Ham & Cheese Croquettes

Chronicle Wine Selections: Cava and Prosecco, W. Blake Gray

Quick appetizers, Joyce Goldstein

Salumi is the Italian word for cured meats. They are very much the rage these days and many chefs are now making their own. Excellent salumi are available at your local delicatessen or cheese shop, work well with the fruit and sweet flavors of Prosecco and Cava, and are great for quick appetizers. Here are some dishes you can put together easily:

The Cheese Course: Wallace and Gromit hail Stinking Bishop, Janet Fletcher

I'm not enough of a moviegoer to know whether it was Wallace or Gromit who admires Stinking Bishop, but one of them gave it a thumbs-up in "Curse of the Were-Rabbit." For Charles Martell, who makes Stinking Bishop on a minuscule scale, with the pasteurized milk from his 25 cows and some from a neighbor, the publicity was not entirely welcome. Martell makes about 100 2-kilo (4 1/2) wheels a day and has no desire to make more.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Cafe Rouge, Deb Wandell

"This restaurant, bar and upscale meat market -- not the Marina District kind, but the real thing -- is a popular rest stop for shoppers at Berkeley's chichi Fourth Street corridor. Raw shellfish is one of the specialties (oysters go for a bargain $1 each on Wednesdays), and it's laid out in a tempting display at the entrance. The space is anchored by the long bar whose focal point is a dramatic red chandelier. Colorful drop lights dangling playfully from the ceiling add a touch of whimsy, and mirrors open up the room. Grab a seat at the bar, and you'll soon be rubbing elbows, literally, with fellow diners. The volume can creep toward uncomfortable levels when the weekend crowd packs in, so take heed if you're planning on whispering sweet nothings to your date. If you arrive before 6:30 p.m., don't miss the meat market in the back, where you can buy a hunk of the bovine variety to take home."

Bargain Bite: Medicine Eatstation, Olivia Wu

"Last month, the restaurant unveiled the new menu and added seafood to its bento boxes. The vegetarian versions are $9.50-$10; salmon and eel boxes are $12.50 each. The fast-food overlay seems to work: A "value meal" deal is offered with the main dishes (soup and drink can be added for $2.95); the "deluxe value meal" adds a side and regular drink for $3.95. Unlike at most fast-food places, the food arrives on nice dinnerware."

eje · June 23, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, June 23, 2007

Summer's perfect match, Lynne Char Bennett, Tara Duggan

As you head to the garden or farmers' market to pick out the most fragrant basil for pesto and the most colorful peppers for roasting, it's a good idea to start thinking about which wines to pour with fresh, seasonal dishes.
To help with a sometimes difficult but always pleasurable task, we created five dishes that highlight some of summer's favorite ingredients, all of which present interesting pairing challenges: tomatoes, corn and zucchini, bell peppers, salad greens and herbs. Then we opened a whole lot of bottles to find out which varietals go best with which vegetables.

Recipes:

Corn & Zucchini Baked "Fritters"
Fish with Melted Peppers
Watercress & Butter Lettuce Salad
Fresh Lasagna with Pesto, Yukon Golds & Swiss Chard
Tomato & Farro Salad

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Tips for tipplers on surviving Pride weekend
Taste what women want
Label watch
A wine for left-handers
In our glasses

Uncorked: NASCAR driver's devotion to wine, Deborah Grossman

The fast pace of Jeff Gordon's life would make most mortals dizzy. In May, Gordon roared past Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s record for most NASCAR wins and leapt into sixth position for career cup victories. Revving up for Sunday's Nextel Toyota/Save Mart 350 competition on the twisting, 10-turn course at Infineon Raceway, the Vallejo native is the cup points leader.

Letters to Wine: Keeping score on ratings

Spirits: Muddling around with summertime's farm-fresh cocktails, Amanda Berne

It was just about this time last year that some friends and I decided to rent a house in Mendocino. On a trip to the local farmers' market, we came upon some low-hanging fruit on a blackberry bush planted on the side of the highway. After picking, and eating, as many as we could, my friend Andre made a cocktail with them, a muddled concoction of blackberries, vodka, simple syrup and soda water. It was bright and sparkly, perfect for drinking while lounging on a deck chair.

Recipes:

Cucumber caipirinha, From Duggan McDonnell of Cantina (580 Sutter St.) in San Francisco and Highway Blackberry Cooler

Chronicle Wine Selections: Wines to Pair With Produce, Jon Bonné

The Cheese Course: Raw milk goat cheddar perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich, Janet Fletcher

The goat's milk devotee hungering for a grilled cheese sandwich will be happy to find Rumiano's raw-milk goat cheddar. Pale, mild and creamy, with a faint creme fraiche aroma, it would make a fine toasted ham-and-cheese panini or a lunch box addition, even for a picky child. It's not remotely sharp or goaty, but simple and straightforward, with a mellow finish.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Trader Vic's, Jane Tunks

"Signature drink: It would be a crime to go to Trader Vic's and not sample the mai tai, which was said to be invented by Victor J. "Trader Vic" Bergeron in 1944. Lovers -- or just close friends -- sip from the Scorpion Bowl for Two, a high-octane concoction with rums, fruit juices and brandy that comes in a huge ceramic bowl. Or ignore the cocktail menu's warning of "drinker, beware" and order a Fogcutter, a lethal blend of unspecified rums, juices and liqueurs."

Bargain Bite: Toast, Tara Duggan

"While Hungry Joe's had its own greasy-spoon charms, Toast has a modern diner ambience, with glass tiles in a range of toasty-brown colors. Look for specialties like Hash Brown Hill ($6.99), a pile of shredded potatoes topped with cheese, avocado and olives, and the Day Street omelet ($9.25), stuffed with chicken apple sausage, spinach and feta. Wash down the chocolate-studded Chips Ahoy pancakes ($6.95) with fair trade and organic coffee drinks."

eje · June 30, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, June 29, 2007

Chugging along in Napa Valley, Stacy Finz

Today, the Napa Valley Wine Train is a major attraction in Wine Country, drawing up to 1,200 tourists on weekends and nearly as many on weekdays. At one time a proposal called for nine round trips a day. But that was shot down by residents and vintners, who felt that the train would turn the bucolic valley into an even hokier version of Disneyland's Main Street USA. It now makes 12 round trips from Napa to St. Helena -- seven lunch and five dinner excursions -- a week. Once in a while, an extra tour is added for a special occasion like a wedding.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

China's breakthrough Chardonnay
Boozy barbecue sauce
Pinot daze
Infusions 2.0
In our glasses

Tasting Room: Peak experience, Carol Ness

The team: Owner Thomas J. Fogarty is a 73-year-old cardiovascular surgeon who taught at Stanford University Medical Center for many years and is best known for inventing the first balloon catheter ever used in humans. Its descendants are now used every day in angioplasty heart surgery. Fogarty started the winery in 1981, after his cardiovascular engineering companies proved successful. Since the beginning, Michael Martella has been Fogarty's winemaker and planted all 25 acres of estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.

Letters to Wine: Readers request more local, familiar wines

Beer: Summer's the season to hoist a hefeweizen, Derrick Schneider

What makes hefeweizen special? The German name gives the answer. "Hefe" means yeast, a nod to the unfiltered beer with its curtains of inert microbes, while "weizen" means wheat, a guide to the grain in the final brew. Most beers come from fermented barley malt, but a hefeweizen brewer adds wheat to the barley to produce the beer's light flavor and smooth texture.

The Cheese Course: A 'little cheese' from the Italian Alps with a snow-white rind, Janet Fletcher

In the foothills of the Italian Alps, just south of the Swiss border, the province of Sondrio produces a buttery, bloomy-rind cow's milk cheese similar to Brie. Called Scimudin (shee-moo-DEEN), a local dialect word that roughly means "little cheese," the round wheel weighs 3 to 4 pounds and is about 8 inches in diameter and perhaps 1 1/2 inches tall.

Chronicle Wine Selections: Basque fish stew hooks Sauvignon Blanc, Joyce Goldstein

Recipe:

Marmitako

Chronicle Wine Selections: Central Coast Sauvignon Blancs, W. Blake Gray

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Martini House, Stacy Finz

"'First come, first served,' the bartender tells patrons entering this St. Helena hot spot. The bar, aptly named the Wine Cellar because it's in the basement of this popular Napa Valley restaurant, gets crowded on weekend nights. Everyone clamors for a table by the enormous fireplace or a stool at the cozy bar. With its dim lighting, earthy stone walls and beamed ceiling, this may well be the most romantic lounge in the Wine Country. Although there are quite a few martinis on the Cellar's drink menu, the place was named for Walter Martini, a retired San Francisco opera singer who built the Craftsman bungalow in 1923. Pat Kuleto of Boulevard, Farallon and Jardiniere fame partnered with San Francisco's former Campton Place chef Todd Humphries to open the restaurant in 2001."

Bargain Bite: Thaipoon, Karola Saekel

"The food is predominantly traditional Thai with a few side trips to nearby countries: a Chinese eggplant-chicken stir-fry with miso paste, wonton soup, and an appetizer of crunchy samosa-style egg rolls filled with potatoes and peas in an Indian-style curry."

eje · July 7, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, July 06, 2007

Bargain All-Stars, W. Blake Gray

Plenty of wine publications recommend wine that way as well. But that's just not how most of us drink. To make The Chronicle's Bargain All-Stars roster, a wine's gotta have good stuff -- no mop-up relievers or hitless backups -- but still be as good a deal as a 23rd-round draft pick who ends up as a starter.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Ball game wine pairings
Presenting the All-Star Drinking Game
Sipping suds at the ballpark
In our glasses

Uncorked: Off the diamond, players score great wines, W. Blake Gray

Aurilia, 35, is a Brooklyn native who was hardly thinking about wine as he worked his way up through the Giants' minor-league system in the early 1990s. But eight seasons as the Giants' shortstop introduced him to the pleasures of dining in the Bay Area, as well as a good glass of red wine. Now he's back to being closer to the source.

Uncorked: Off the diamond, players score great wines, W. Blake Gray

But Hatteberg and Zito have moved on to other teams, and Street -- just 23 -- is now the A's go-to guy when it comes to ordering wine. What he lacks in veteran experience, he makes up for with dedication, enthusiasm and talent. He's a pretty good pitcher, too.

Cocktailian: Pisco cocktail packs a punch line, Gary Regan

The cocktail, the Peruvian Elder-Sour, is made with a base of Peruvian pisco, an artisanal unaged grape brandy that packs a whole lot of flavor in its punch. It also calls for St. Germain, a French liqueur that's flavored with elderflower blossoms gathered from the base of the French Alps. The fragrant blossoms must be harvested during a very short period in late spring, thus St. Germain, an intriguing recent addition to cocktailian bartenders' repertoires, is available only in limited quantities.

Recipe:

The Peruvian Elder-Sour

Pairings: A salad to flatter delicate wine, Joyce Goldstein

To go with this week's Greek white wines, I decided to make a salad of gigande beans, shrimp and celery. They are large, creamy in texture and provide a lovely neutral base for other flavors and textures. Gigande beans are hard to find, so substitute dried white runner beans like corona beans, butter beans, large limas or white emergo beans.

Recipe:

White Runner Beans with Shrimp, Celery & Caper & Garlic Citrus Dressing

Chronicle Wine Selections: Greek whites, W. Blake GRay

The Cheese Course: Tidy ewes give cheese its tang, Janet Fletcher

July is a particularly good time to try Bellwether Farms' San Andreas, a sheep's milk cheese made in Sonoma County. The year's first wheels are made in March and matured at least 60 days, a requirement for raw-milk cheese. To fill the supply pipeline, the dairy releases some of the wheels at that stage, but cheesemaker Liam Callahan says they improve with another month or two in the aging room. By now, at least some of the wheels in the marketplace should have received this additional maturation. But even the cheese I tried in early June was a delight.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: District, Amanda Berne

"Almost in the lap of AT&T Park, this sleek 4-month-old wine bar wavers between hot spot and sports bar, with a clientele to match, and with the sports bar atmosphere often winning out over wine. It's already become a very popular after-work destination, so head there early to monopolize some of the comfy sofas or secure a seat at the bar -- otherwise you might be standing three deep trying to flag down a glass of wine. Whether you settle in for nibbles with friends or patch together a whole meal, know that service here can be a little flighty. Sit back and take in the pretty people to take your mind off the spacey ones."

Bargain Bite: Chili Lemon Garlic Thai Cafe, Laura Compton

"Every San Francisco neighborhood seems to have at least one Thai restaurant, yet it's still a surprise to stumble upon Chili Lemon Garlic in the heart of the Mission District on 24th Street amid all the panaderias, taquerias and hair salons. This intimate restaurant manages to offer 82 choices on its seafood-centric menu, which nicely covers the usual bases as well -- soups, curries, noodle soups, rice plates and sides that include three kinds of rice (brown, jasmine and sticky), plus cooling cucumber salad."

eje · July 14, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, July 13, 2007

Why doesn't California make more $10 Rhone-style wines?, Tim Teichelgraeber

Starting at just $9, Cotes du Rhone reds deliver deep fruit and spice flavors without a ton of clumsy oak. They have the complexity that comes from blending a few grape varieties together. They even have genuine regionality, a sense of place that you'll never taste in a similarly priced California Merlot. They're as versatile, dependable and comfortable as an old pair of Levi's.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Ratatouille Chard to hit Costco
Summer camp for cocktail drinkers
A Taste of Sonoma County
OPENING: Woodenhead tasting room in Santa Rosa
Bourbon with a Chardonnay chaser
In our glasses

Pairings: Meatless dish muscles up to beefy redsLynne Char Bennett

Eggplant, sometimes a wine pairing challenge, can complement a red wine if the eggplant is grilled and paired with a red wine-friendly vegetable like mushrooms. Browning and bits of char from grilling enhance the slight astringency and occasional bitterness of eggplant and its skin, which decreases the wine's tannic impact.

Recipe:

Grilled Eggplant & Portobello with Red Wine Mustard Sauce

Chronicle Wine Selections: California Bordeaux-style red blends, W. Blake Gray

The Cheese Course: Spanish goat cheese caters to your whims, Janet Fletcher

Based in the Spanish region of Murcia, the Capricho de Cabra producer also makes Caña de Oveja and Caña de Cabra, two fine cheeses occasionally available in the Bay Area. According to Brad Dube, who works for the importer Forever Cheese, the producer is the largest goat cheese maker in Spain. Size does not often correlate positively with quality, but this simple, fresh cheese more than meets expectations.

Spirits: The evolution of tonic water, Camper English

...until a few years ago, nobody had given too much thought to tonic water. This bitter, sweetened, carbonated quinine-based beverage is an odd mixer. Unlike soda it's rarely consumed alone, and unlike juices and seltzer water it's rarely an ingredient in more complex cocktail recipes. Most of the time, tonic is served only with gin or vodka and a wedge of lemon or lime as garnish.

The Tasting Room: The other Turley wines, Carol Ness

Turley is a famous name in California wine. Actually, it's two famous names. Turley Wine Cellars brings old-vine Zinfandel to the world, and it's owned by Larry Turley. He's a former Santa Rosa ER doctor who co-founded Frog's Leap before opening his own winery in 1993.

Letters to Wine: Winning Bargains

Uncorked: Be magnanimous -- open more magnums, Jon Bonné

You could be forgiven for thinking that Ben Howkins has a sweet tooth. During his 46 years in the wine business, Howkins has become one of the world's foremost experts on Port wine, both in his work as a Port exporter and as author of "Rich, Rare & Red: A Guide to Port" (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2003). He served as wine adviser to Lord Rothschild, co-owner of Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Bing Crosby's Restaurant and Piano Lounge, Jennifer Tomaro

"The moment you pass through the enormous arched entryway hung with thick velvet drapes, you're transported from trendy downtown Walnut Creek to swinging, star-studded 1930s Hollywood. The elegant lounge is anchored by a long, sleek bar and a piano stage that provides a musical backdrop for those who are more interested in the nightlife scene than the adjoining restaurant. True to its name, the entire space is decked out in Bing Crosby memorabilia that celebrates his life in both motion pictures and as a recording artist. The owners also have Bing's in other cities, Joe DiMaggio's Italian Chophouse in North Beach and McCovey's Restaurant just a few blocks away."

Bargain Bite: The Noodle Shop, Miriam Morgan

"Fans of the Shanghai Dumpling Shop's xiao long bao -- steamed pork-filled soup dumplings -- now have a new place to indulge their passion. This branch of the popular Millbrae restaurant opened just a few weeks ago, serving dumplings, small plates, weekend breakfast foods and hand-pulled noodles."

eje · July 21, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, July 20, 2007

RIPE TIME FOR FRUIT WINE, Derrick Schneider

But while other preserved foods have become gourmet goodies, fruit wine has never captured any foodie fans, perhaps because so many are off-balance and overly sweet. The best have a refreshing and intense fruit flavor and a low alcohol level that begs to be enjoyed on a hot summer day on a picnic blanket or a deck table. While Hawaii's Tedeschi Vineyards produces 20,000 cases of fruit wine each year, Bargetto and most fruit wine wineries produce just a few thousand. So why have they never caught on?

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Pairings: Show your chops with a cherry compoteLynne Char Bennett

Today we recommend Washington state Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux-style red blends, which are wonderful with red meat. I occasionally talk about how wines often complement a food prepared from the same area. Regional wine and food pairings like Chianti Classico with a hearty ragu over pappardelle are often no-brainers, but a dry red wine with sweet cherries?

Recipe:

Lamb with Savory Cherry & Tomato Compote

Chronicle Wine Selections: Washington state Bordeaux-style red blends, W. Blake Gray

Bargain Wines: Expand your horizons with 10 wild and wacky whites, W. Blake Gray

Bargain Wines are the best way to experiment, because there's less money at stake. The consequences of telling your wine merchant "I need a little variety in my life" are less than they might be if making the same statement on Market Street at midnight. So with that in mind, let's walk on the wild side of white wines this week.

The Cheese Course: Perfectly ripe cabecou suits salad days, Janet Fletcher

The petite goat cheese known as cabecou (cah-bay-coo) comes from France's Midi-Pyrenees, a region in the southern part of the country that is also home to Roquefort. Cabecou takes its name from a word for small goat in the langue d'Oc, the old language of that region, and it has likely been made by farm women in the area for centuries. It is the sort of cheese that you will find at farmers' markets in the area, brought by the maker and offered at various stages of maturity, from fresh and mild to mold-dappled and pungent.

Cocktailian: Command performance has an interesting finale, Gary Regan

I was in London for the Bar Show in June, and I had the good fortune to be invited to a wrap party in a private home. I was in the presence of greatness. It came flying at me from every direction. Palpable, it was. Some of the world's very best cocktailian bartenders were there. Each and every one of them made drinks for us. It was a glorious night.

Recipe:

The Interesting Cocktail

Letters to Wine: Rhone wine fans cheer bargain bottles

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Thee Parkside, Jane Tunks

"Long a destination for the city's rock 'n' rollers, Thee Parkside recently has changed owners, with Malia Spanyol from the Mission District's favorite Pops Bar now helming this fine establishment. Although the names on the liquor license may have changed, the warm, welcoming atmosphere has not."

Bargain Bite: Sultan Kebab, Stacy Finz

"Just a few blocks from San Francisco's federal courthouse, in the midst of the dingy streets of the Tenderloin, stands a slice of the Mediterranean. At lunchtime, people line up at this small Larkin Street restaurant for lentil soup, stuffed grape leaves, lamb and beef doner sandwiches and kebabs."

eje · July 28, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, July 27, 2007

A tale of two Bordeaux, Michael Apstein

Just a year ago, it seemed like Bordeaux couldn't be hotter. New records were set as chateaus unveiled their prices for the superb 2005 vintage, hoping to capitalize on what the Bordelais love to call a "vintage of the century." The 2005 Chateau Petrus topped $2,000 a bottle, with other superstars not far behind. But a year later, faced with a 2006 vintage that received a lukewarm reception from critics, wineries still insisted on asking for top dollar. Recent futures prices, in which customers order wine two years before it is delivered, for the 2006 vintage -- more than $1,000 a bottle for Chateau Petrus -- reinforced an image that Bordeaux is inflexible and self-satisfied. Many Bordeaux loyalists steered clear of the 2006 vintage's high prices. And most new wine drinkers simply shrugged, bypassing Bordeaux for Italy, Spain or the New World.

Skeptic finds solace in well-aged Dom Perignon, Jon Bonné

It is not, however, one shared by me. Is it Dom's calculatedly prestigious image that rubs me wrong? Perhaps it's because Dom's reported production of more than 2 million bottles each vintage flies in the face of its image of scarcity. Dom is that perfect luxury good -- easily attainable for the right price, yet never losing its elite sheen.

Notes for Dom Perignon vertical tasting, Jon Bonné

All wines were tasted on July 14-15, in white wine glasses instead of Champagne flutes. Prices are not listed, as some wines are not available for purchase. However, Oenotheque bottles typically start at around $300 retail. Our bottle of the 1976 Oenotheque was corked, so tasting notes aren't included for that year.

Winery Watch: Frank Gehry designs new Hall, Jon Bonné

But the Halls have seriously stepped up the game, commissioning architect Frank Gehry to develop a 110,000-square-foot complex of six buildings on their land along Highway 29 just south of St. Helena. The new facility, which has an official groundbreaking today though preliminary construction already began, is built around the historic 1885 winery that once housed Napa's wine co-op. Gehry's plan calls for a series of undulating overhead wood trellises that tie together the older building with new production and tasting facilities -- reminiscent of his signature style, but a departure from his frequent use of metal. (The wood better fits the surroundings, Hall says.) To help with specialized winemaking design, the Halls also brought in St. Helena architect Jon Lail, whose firm recently designed the PlumpJack Group's new Cade Winery on Howell Mountain. Groundbreaking comes after two years of tangling with local planning officials, as residents complained that the initial design would force sightseers onto side streets for a peek.

First shot in wine movie feud, W. Blake Gray

Here's the soon-to-be-told cinematic story of how Chateau Montelena and its most historic Chardonnay were saved from destruction: actress Rachael Taylor takes her top off. Repeatedly...That's one of the most memorable scenes in a June draft, obtained by The Chronicle, of the script of "Bottle Shock," a film about Chateau Montelena's victory in the white-wine portion of the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting. The film is scheduled to start shooting Monday in Napa and Sonoma counties and continue through Sept. 6, according to publicist Nadine Jolson.

Tasting Room: Down-to-earth Napa: Mason Cellars breaks ground in Oxbow, Karola Saekel

Visiting the Mason Cellars tasting room in the up-and-coming Oxbow district of the town of Napa is like stepping into a chic little kitchen boutique in Tuscany or Provence -- cheerful, unpretentious and inviting. Megan Mason, wife of owner-winemaker Randy Mason, designed the room to look the way Sauvignon Blanc, Mason's signature wine, tastes. She succeeded.

Spirits: Bay Area bartenders earn toasts at New Orleans cocktail event, Camper English

We like to think our bartenders and their drink creations are extraordinary here in the Bay Area. Last weekend at the Tales of the Cocktail event held in New Orleans, we found validation that it's not just too many Negronis triggering our hometown pride -- the Bay Area's bartenders are finally getting respect at the national level.

Pairings: Simple snack suits subtle Cabs, Lynne Char Bennett

Alexander Valley Cabernets generally have more restrained fruit of cherry, raspberry and blackberry; some also show hints of barnyard and black pepper. In general, you can drink the recommend wines now, without wishing for a big piece of rare meat to offset the tannins.

Recipe:

Salami & Cheese Focaccia

Chronicle Wine Selections: Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, W. Blake Gray

The Cheese Course: It takes a Northern Italian village to make Alta Badia, Janet Fletcher

Alta Badia is a popular ski area in Northern Italy, in the Alto Adige region near the Austrian border. But those of us who will probably never make it there to ski can still enjoy one of the local specialties, the lovely Alta Badia (AL-ta bah-DEE-ah) cheese, an aged cow's milk wheel produced by a local cooperative.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Cetrella Bistro and Cafe, Olivia Wu

"Cetrella Bistro and Cafe: The stunningly restored Half Moon Bay Growers Association building on Main Street in this Peninsula seaside town is a gracious and ample space, and lends both comfort and elegance to the 6-year-old, always reliable Cetrella. It has garnered three stars from The Chronicle for its Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. The same rustic elegance extends to the bar at the entrance to the restaurant. A plus: The bar space feels as if it extends to the outside through a glass-enclosed porch."

Bargain Bite: Crossroads Cafe, Amanda Gold

"For breakfast, grab an egg sandwich on a bagel or a signature smoothie before plunking yourself down on one of the comfortable leather couches with a magazine, or eat lunch out on the back patio. By dinnertime, the scene is more subdued, with singles perched at small tables reading books or tapping on their computers, or neighborhood residents picking up food to take back to their SoMa lofts. Magazines and books are for sale, but racks are also filled with reading material to borrow."

eje · August 4, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, August 3, 2007

Cracking the bar code, Gary Regan

... took it upon myself to teach Lee some barspeak. It's not a foreign language, and nigh on anyone who arms him- or herself with just a handful of common terms can impress friends and colleagues, and perhaps more importantly, find themselves making educated decisions when asked if they'd like their martini shaken or stirred. You game for a short course?

THE SIPPING NEWS:

The Cheese Course: Wisconsin Ader Kase inspired by Bavaria, Janet Fletcher

Created about 2 1/2 years ago by a new dairy devoted to blue cheese, Ader Kase Reserve (AH-der CASE) has the look of a winner. At about $12.99 a pound, the price is more than fair for a cheese matured at least six months. And I'm betting that people will like its sweet, mellow flavor and buttery texture.

Pairings: Chicken's the dish for difficult wines, Lynne Char Bennett

When I run into a particularly difficult-to-match white wine, I usually pair it with chicken because the meat melds well with so many flavors. It's also my go-to protein when I'm trying to create a recipe to match a wine category that has diverse flavors and styles.

Recipe:

Herb-Marinated Chicken on Summer Vegetable "Risotto"

Chronicle Wine Selections: South African Chenin Blanc, W. Blake Gray

Essentials: Txakoli basks in the limelight, Derrick Schneider

These days Txakoli is a trendy drink. It hasn't ousted Chardonnay from wine lists, but it has dredged a tributary off the mainstream. Its price has risen with its star: A bottle costs $16 at a store, but a single glass goes for $10 at San Francisco's Bar Crudo and $11 at Bar Americain in New York.

World View: Argentina's and Chile's wines are earning global kudos and fans, Jancis Robinson

Until being overtaken by the United States in the early 1990s, Argentina made more wine than any country outside Europe, even if the majority of it was unexportable, coarse stuff made from local Criolla and Cereza grapes. But in the cocktail of immigrants that make up the Argentine population, those of Italian stock are so numerous as to have kept Argentina's average per capita wine consumption up in the top 10 - a fact that has to a certain extent distracted the country from exporting her better quality wines.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Otis, Amanda Berne

"Otis This exclusive club opened on Maiden Lane two years ago, drawing a business crowd and hipster following alike to the only after-dark spot on this quaint street, just off bustling Union Square. Now food service has started, opening up the possibility of a full-cocktail lunch as well as tide-me-over nibbles at happy hour. Of course, when the DJ starts playing and the beautiful people stream in to the two-level space, happy hour soon turns into last call."

Bargain Bite: Bobby G's Pizzeria, Carol Ness

"And that's not the only thing that makes Bobby G's stand out. The thin-crust pizzas are very good - not quite Neapolitan, but close. The hand-tossed organic crust is stretchy, and somehow the kitchen staff manages to get the edges to puff, blister and brown without a wood-fired oven. And the toppings are ample without weighing down the crust. Nice."

eje · August 11, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, August 10, 2007

Pairings: Thai to wine, Jon Bonné, Olivia Wu

As became clear during our efforts to pair wines with Thai food, endless layers of spice and flavor provide as much challenge as opportunity. So when it comes to the complexities of Thai food, throw out the rules of wine pairing. White wines can harmonize with beef, and red wines with green vegetables. The key is to find balance in both wine and food.

Recipes:

Grilled Beef Salad
Northern Thai Pork Curry
Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Gailan & Chicken
Shrimp Cakes
Roasted Green Chile Sauce

Chronicle Wine Selections: Wines to pair with Thai food, Jon Bonné

THE SIPPING NEWS:

The Cheese Course: Artisan goat's milk tomme worth the hunt, Janet Fletcher

I have written in the past about Jackson's sheep's milk tomme, so I will focus my comments on the goat's milk tomme, a raw-milk cheese released after a minimum of two months' aging. Goats give the most milk in summer, so availability of this tomme over the next couple of months will be about as good as it ever gets. Still, there isn't much.

Uncorked: Big Daddy's beer bar turns 20, Jane Tunks

Speakeasy named its IPA in honor of Toronado owner David Keene (a.k.a. Big Daddy), and the Anderson Valley Brewing Co.'s Brother David's Double and Triple abbey-style ales also pay tribute to the beer booster. Keene has almost single-handedly turned unsuspecting Bay Area bargoers into full-blown beer geeks, and they - and the brewers - have been raising their pint glasses to him ever since.

The Tasting Room: A welcoming retreat in Sonoma, Kacie Ratner

From its height in production of 7 million cases per year of jug wine to its current 180,000 cases per year of varietal wines, Sebastiani has managed to stay in family hands and is now owned by granddaughter Mary Ann Sebastiani Cuneo. The family vibe extends to the tasting room. This winery is not to be confused with another Sonoma winery, Sebastiani & Sons, which stems from the same family as Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery but is a different company entirely.

Beer: Organic brews make headway, Karen Solomon

But today's organic brews are coming of age. Their flavors compete with conventionally grown counterparts. At last year's Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo., organic beer took three gold medals, including Best Imperial or Double Red Ale, French or Belgian-Style Saison, and German-Style Pilsner.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Nizza La Bella, Karen Reardanz

"Nizza La Bella This casual bistro on a stretch of San Pablo Avenue north of Solano offers a bit of Provence in Albany, with a relaxed vibe, textured mustard-yellow walls and dark wood booths and tables. Opened in 2000, it also celebrates the renaissance - and art - of the cocktail, with an arsenal of delectable versions of classics like the Aviation and Sazerac."

Bargain Bite: Chez Shea, Olivia Wu

"Chez Shea For a long time, residents of the Half Moon Bay area have urged Jose Ugalde, chef-owner of Cafe Gibraltar in El Granada, to do Mexican food. Ugalde, who is Mexican, and his wife, Liam Durkee, had maintained the strictly Mediterranean Cafe Gibraltar for nine years....Finally, last year, the restaurateurs opened Chez Shea in downtown Half Moon Bay. The place offers Mexican food, but also Mediterranean, American, Thai and, as one section of the brunch menu reads, 'A Little of This and a Little of That.'"

eje · August 18, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, August 18, 2007

The Purple Pinot Maker, W. Blake Gray

Cose's career path is the exact opposite of what most winemakers choose. The classic progression is to break in at a large winery; Napa Valley is full of people who once worked at E. & J. Gallo Winery in Modesto or Robert Mondavi Winery in Woodbridge. From there, most winemakers seem to aspire to work at places that make less wine and charge more for it...Regrets? Hardly. Cose, a former banker, likes owning a stake in Purple Wine Co., which has grown to 500,000 cases (half of it Mark West Pinot Noir) in just five years.

Essentials: Understanding the inner workings of a wine auction, Ben Narasin

I took special care dressing the first time I attended a wine auction, so I would fit in with the boorish snobs and self-important elitists I assumed would be there. Then a jeans- and T-shirt-clad barely 30-year-old youth reading from a clipboard raised his hand, as if from a yawn, to outbid me on a series of Bordeaux I was eyeing. My perspective quickly changed.

Winery Watch: August West puts down roots in the city, Lynn Char Bennett

I took special care dressing the first time I attended a wine auction, so I would fit in with the boorish snobs and self-important elitists I assumed would be there. Then a jeans- and T-shirt-clad barely 30-year-old youth reading from a clipboard raised his hand, as if from a yawn, to outbid me on a series of Bordeaux I was eyeing. My perspective quickly changed.

Winery Watch: Patz & Hall moves just outside Sonoma, Lynn Char Bennett

As of tomorrow, the winery will have a new $2.3 million home just outside the town of Sonoma. Known primarily for its single-vineyard Pinot Noir from select Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley sites, Patz & Hall has long made its wines at Rutherford's Honig Vineyard & Winery, where Hall was winemaker for 11 years.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Bargain Wines: Tasting France on the cheap, W. Blake Gray

French wine sales have been in the gutter since those Gallic fools had the temerity to suggest that an armed invasion of Iraq to destroy that nation's vast collection of weapons of mass destruction might not be the best idea we've ever had.

Pairings: A helping hand for Chilean Cabernets, Lynn Char Bennett

Red meat - especially a well-seasoned steak - is usually considered a pretty safe bet when a partner is needed for Cabernet Sauvignon. But there's no need to splurge on an expensive cut, because even a hamburger can often hold its own with red wine.

Recipe:

Ground Beef & Cucumber Pita

Chronicle Wine Selections: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, Olivia Wu

Letters to Wine: A drink for Thai food

Cocktailian: Peaches and herb, Gary Regan

I've been conducting bartender workshops for almost seven years and I've learned much from the professionals who have taken the time to attend them. My methodology has changed completely, for instance, and I now have a far better understanding of how to mix and match ingredients than I did when I kicked off the program in 2001. It's been a very interesting journey.

Cocktail:

The White Nectar Cocktail

The Cheese Course: Friendship Dairy's farmer cheese, Janet Fletcher

This cow's milk cheese resembles cottage cheese, but it is smoother, sliceable and lower in fat, at least compared with whole-milk cottage cheese. I like to drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil (OK, so it's no longer low fat), sprinkle it with sea salt and cracked black pepper, and serve it with sliced tomatoes. Or I'll crumble it into a tomato and cucumber salad, which makes a perfect lunch.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Anzu, Laura Compton

"By the time you find your way through Hotel Nikko's dramatic open lobby up to Anzu, you'll have forgotten you're in the Tenderloin. The tranquil, living room-like lounge, with its palette of soothing blue and gray tones and intimate seating areas, beckons. Settle in for a few rounds of the expertly poured cocktails and well-matched appetizers from Anzu chef Barney Brown either here or at the wide, comfortable bar. The restaurant's dinner menu can be ordered in the lounge (sushi starting at 5:30 p.m.), but the bar menu boasts a few bites not available there. The weekday happy hour features $6 wines by the glass and cocktails, and $3 Anchor or Kirin drafts - a perfect way to either wind down at the end of the day or get ready for the second part of your evening. There's definite "Lost in Translation" potential here."

Bargain Bite: The New Vally Medlyn's, Tara Duggan

"While most of the restaurants in downtown Danville are a little too posh to qualify for Bargain Bites, this refurbished diner does, and with style. Around for at least 45 years in Danville, the restaurant was taken over this spring by the Cortlandt family. They kept a few of the specialties, such as French toast and the Sunkist milk shake - a creamy concoction flavored with orange sherbet and orange soda.'"

Hest88 · August 24, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, August 24, 2007

Napa Valley Architecture: Napa's houses of wine, John King

Would-be castles, eye-popping showpieces and more must-see architecture

"Wineries reflect different philosophies," says Gilles de Chambure, director of wine education for Meadowood resort in St. Helena. "You're telling a story about your connection to the land, and about your ambition: Do you want to announce that you've arrived, or do you want to look as if you've been there forever?"

The Napa winery with the most pleasing aesthetics?

Spirits: Bay Area home distillers make modern-day moonshine, Camper English

Moonshiners live among us. By day they appear to be respectable members of society, perhaps writing software to make your Internet experience run smoothly. But at night and on weekends, after a visit to the farmers' market or a nice brunch, they work in secret, sterilizing equipment, taking specific gravity and temperature measurements, and waiting impatiently as their illegal hooch drip, drip, drips out of tiny stills.

Winery Watch: The long and winding road to a legendary Russian River winery, Karola Saekel

You might expect a rustic version of a garagiste winery after the drive along Westside Road from bustling Healdsburg. It takes a good 20 minutes, though the town is only about 8 miles to the northeast. But the moment you turn right into Gary Farrell, you realize that something far more refined lies ahead.

Winery Watch: Mario and Anna Monticelli, Jane Tunks

From the moment they met in a microbiology class, Mario and Anna Monticelli have been drinking great wine together.
The couple, both 29, studied enology and viticulture at UC Davis. "I invited her for some filet and some wine after lab one night, and she couldn't resist."

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Pairings: A match for Pinot Noir that's just ducky, Lynn Char Bennett

Considered one of the most food-friendly red wines, Pinot Noir offers berry and cherry fruit, low to moderate tannins, and varying levels of acidity, earthiness and alcohol.

Recipe:

Aromatic Couscous with Duck & Pomegranate-Wine Sauce

Chronicle Wine Selections: Central Coast Pinot Noir, Olivia Wu

The Cheese Course: Starter sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia, Janet Fletcher

The more approachable Brigante (bree-GAHN-tay) offers another style - younger, sweeter and creamier, but still endowed with the distinctive animal notes of sheep's milk.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Two, Amanda Gold

"Fans of the old Hawthorne Lane will be pleasantly surprised by its swanky reincarnation, dubbed Two since early this year. Owner David Gingrass traded in the former restaurant for a trendier version, serving homey, straightforward cuisine against a funky backdrop of chocolate brown, zebra-striped wood and exposed brick."

Bargain Bite: The Pizza Place on Noriega, Jane Tunks

"The cheerful hangout serves pizza whole or by the slice, bringing together East Coast-style superthin crusts with California-fresh toppings. About half the pies are vegetarian, and there's a vegan option called Timmy's Pie ($16 medium/$22 large), with vegan pesto, roasted potatoes and red peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and caramelized onions."

eje · September 1, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, August 31, 2007

Chile's Pinot prospectors, Tim Teichelgraeber

Even a decade ago, cool-climate grapes like Pinot Noir and Syrah were extremely rare in Chile, and most Chilean-born winemakers had pretty foggy notions of what a good Pinot Noir should even taste like. Though wine had been made in Chile since 1551, most Americans look to Chile for cheap Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. Though Chilean wines priced at higher than $10 haven't been the easiest sell in the United States, Chile is producing thrilling world-class wines. They may not be cheap, but compared to like quality wines from America or France, they're quite reasonable.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Cocktailian: Heaven? Almost - it's a Purgatory cocktail, Gary Regan

Nobody names a cocktail Purgatory unless it's one very serious drink, and the man who created this potion, a certain Ted Kilgore, bartender and bar manager at the Monarch Restaurant in Maplewood, Mo., is known to me as being a pretty serious cocktailian. A few months ago, then, when the recipe for Purgatory first crossed my desk, I knew that the chances were good that I was in for a treat. Kilgore didn't disappoint.

Cocktail:

Purgatory Cocktail

Letters to Wine: Duck Fits the Bill

Pairings: Pork takes a grilling for Loire reds, Lynn Char Bennett

Fruity red wines with minimal to moderate tannins work well for both grilled and barbecued meat, as long as the sauce is not overly sweet or spicy with chile heat. Chicken is considered a mild-flavored protein, but when it has some smoke flavor, a fragrant rub and zippy finishing sauce, those stronger flavors dominate.

Recipe:

Grilled Pork & Halloumi Skewers

Chronicle Wine Selections: Loire Valley Reds, Olivia Wu

The Cheese Course: Mild and woolly kasseri, Janet Fletcher

Greek cheeses beyond feta tend to be relegated to ethnic markets, but kasseri deserves a wider audience. A mixed-milk cheese - typically about 80 percent sheep's milk and 20 percent goat's milk - kasseri most closely resembles the Italian provolone, and the two cheeses are made by a similar method.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: The Four Seasons Bar and Lounge, Laura Compton

" It's the little details that count, particularly at a hotel bar that charges top dollar. But since it opened in 2001, the swanky Four Seasons Bar has consistently delivered a superlative experience. It starts with a dish of fiery wasabi peanuts and spicy almonds, and linen cocktail napkins that arrive at the table courtesy of impeccable waitstaff who check back frequently. Cocktails are mixed with care and top-shelf spirits; gussied-up appetizers are dramatically presented. Every night but Monday, pianist Michael Udelson mines the American songbook, from the Beatles to Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," with some jazz and Metallica thrown in for good measure. Otherwise, nothing in the plush, sprawling space gives the sense of any particular era. Which is how it should be"

Bargain Bite: Frjtz, Laura Compton

"It's hard to go wrong with fries, and even more so with frjtz, the Belgian-inspired version served in paper-lined parfait glasses with a choice of dips at this Valencia Street spot."

eje · September 7, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, September 07, 2007

Napa off the map, Jon Bonné

There is the Public Napa. Its established names sit imperiously on Highway 29 and Silverado Trail, courting visitors who come for a picture-perfect glimpse of where American wine came of age. Many began as modest family establishments in the late 1960s and early '70s, often growing to huge proportions as their fame spread...Then, there is the Private Napa. These are cult names like Colgin Cellars, Bryant Family and Dalla Valle, an elite tier with just the opposite goal: Keep the public away from the gates, and welcome a select few to worship at the altar of $200 Cabernets.

Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction reaps a record $1.3 million, Lyn Char Bennett

The 15th Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction raised a record $1.3 million for local charities last weekend through winemaker dinners, tastings of local restaurant fare and Sonoma Valley wines, plus auctions - both silent and live.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Spirits: Roll out the single-barrel, Camper English

In the past few years, the master blender has had slightly less work to do, as single-barrel bottlings have become popular. In these bottlings, a barrel of exceptionally high quality (or an exceptionally old one) is put into bottles and labeled on its own. The resultant bottles are usually sold to multiple liquor stores, bars and restaurants, but increasingly, distilleries have begun promoting single-barrel bottlings to individual customers.

Have wine experts forgotten the virtues of white wine?, Jancis Robinson

Even Americans, who of all nations have been bombarded most vigorously with the "red wine is good for you" message, have remained remarkably faithful to white wine. It was not until 2004 that red wine sales very slightly overtook those of white and even today just over four bottles out of every 10 sold in the United States contain red wine. (The White Zinfandel phenomenon still accounts for nearly two bottles in every 10.)

The Cheese Course: Roth's cheese stands alone, Janet Fletcher

Roth Käse specializes in alpine-style cheeses, such as Gruyere. In fact, its Surchoix Gruyere took Best of Show at the ACS competition a few years ago. But for its Private Reserve, the company was aiming for a style "other than Gruyere," says Fermo Jaeckle, the company's chief executive. He describes it as closer to a Beaufort, but I have to say the distinction is lost on me. All three cheeses - Swiss Gruyere, French Beaufort and Roth's Private Reserve - are pressed, cooked-curd cheeses with a strong family resemblance.

Tasting Room: Tasting room or wine bar?, Karola Saekel

You would be hard put to find a more agreeable picnic site than the terraces that wrap around the tasting room of Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves at the southern end of the Carneros district. You wouldn't be hard put, however, to find a more agreeable tasting experience in this winery-studded area, because in many ways, this facility is more wine bar than a true tasting room.

Pairings: Taste the terroir of California and the Rhone in an earthy matchup, Lynn Char Bennett

Chateauneuf-du-Pape needs a recipe for the wine's earthy, dark berry flavors and soft to more evident tannins. The nutty rice, earthy broccolini and slightly gamy grilled lamb have aromas and flavors to complement the wines.quote]
Recipe:
Warm Rice & Broccolini Salad with Grilled Lamb
Chronicle Wine Selections: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Olivia Wu
96 Hours
Bar Bites: Z Cafe and Bar, Karen Reardanz
"A car dealership may not seem the most inviting location for a bar-restaurant, but when, as in the case of Z Cafe & Bar, it has expansive windows, high ceilings and tile floors, it makes a rather perfect fit. Built in 1924 for the Howard Automobile Co. as a Buick showroom, this 1-year-old American bistro's home on Oakland's Broadway Auto Row just a few blocks from the border of downtown looks attractive. Z Cafe also has one of the best happy hours around. People from nearby businesses crowd in from 5 to 7 p.m. to take advantage of the 40 percent off cocktails, beer and wines. And though vodka is the specialty of the house, a fan of gin, bourbon or other liquor can find something to whet her whistle."

eje · September 17, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, September 14, 2007

Female vineyard managers blaze trails in Wine Country, Deborah Grossman

Maher is one of the few women in a job traditionally held by men in the wine industry. The vineyard manager is farmer in chief for the winery, overseeing the myriad tasks required year-round to plant and maintain healthy vines. From budbreak through the summer, they ensure crews and equipment are in the right place at the right time to pull leaves, thin clusters and eventually pick the grapes. A vineyard manager's job is as specialized as the vineyard blocks they tend.

Uncorked: Darrell Corti on "Zingate", Olivia Wu

Darrell Corti humbly says he just runs a grocery store. He is accurate, of course - about as accurate as Martin Scorsese saying he just rolls the camera. The co-owner of Sacramento's Corti Brothers market, Corti has introduced fine food and wine to a seminal generation of American foodies, among them Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichl.

What We're Drinking

Spirits: Bartenders get creative with cucumber cocktails, Stacy Finz

Because of their clean neutral flavor and their year-round availability, cucumbers are being used in everything from sake to margaritas. Jan West, the beverage manager of Downtown in Berkeley, says it's a trend that's here to stay. "Everyone is eating more bar foods now," she says. "People are moving away from the sticky sweet cocktails that were so popular because sugary drinks aren't necessarily the best thing to have with food. But cucumber is such a great palate cleanser and so food-friendly."

Cocktails:

Limonata Scozzese

Cucumber Margarita

Pairings: Pizza gets upper-crust treatment for Pinot Noir, Lynn Char Bennett

But wine also can be a perfect pizza partner. The match hinges on your choice of toppings. The Mendocino County Pinot Noirs tasted this week have ripe, dark fruit aromas and flavors with generally moderate alcohol levels compared with the style of several other regional California Pinot Noirs, which are bigger and bolder.

Recipe:

Lamb, Plum & Smoked Mozzarella Pizza

Chronicle Wine Selections: Mendocino County Pinot Noir, Lynn Char Bennett

The Cheese Course: Goat cheese from Sardinia's sheep country, Janet Fletcher

The island of Sardinia is predominantly sheep country, and its sheep's milk cheeses - Fiore Sardo, Pecorino Sardo and Pecorino Romano, among them - are renowned. But an unusual goat cheese from Sardinia, made by a respected Fiore Sardo producer, has been turning up occasionally at Bay Area cheese counters, and I'm guessing it will soon be a fixture. At about $15 a pound, Pantaleo (pahn-tah-LAY-oh) is not overpriced, and its mellow flavor profile should have broad appeal.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Que Syrah, Jon Bonné

"In a part of town not known for nightlife, the warmth virtually radiates out of this storefront onto the silent sidewalks of West Portal Avenue. Owners Stephanie and Keith McCardell decided to think small. They focus on small wineries around the world, and their 25 seats are arrayed in a vaulted sliver of space so narrow, you can almost touch both sides. Dark wood and a stripped-down mahogany bar - plus some plastic vines that seem to have wandered in from a Billy Joel song - offset white stucco walls in a living-room-hip aesthetic. It's a pleasantly comforting setting in which to wander into uncharted wine territory."

Bargain Bite: Little Potato, Miriam Morgan

"Little Potato features food from the Dong Bei region of northeastern China, which focuses on delicious braised and lotus-leaf-wrapped dishes. That's in addition to an extensive menu of dishes from other regions. Plus, the place is a big-time bargain - you can get three generous, well-prepared dishes, plus soup, for $15."

eje · September 22, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, September 21, 2007

The Manhattan project: A bartender spills his secrets on the king of cocktails, Gary Regan

At first glance the Manhattan looks like such a simple affair - whiskey, sweet vermouth and a few dashes of bitters. I'm the first to admit that it's not too hard to make a halfway decent version of this cocktail, but a truly great Manhattan can be made only by someone who truly understands the magnitude of what's at hand. Indeed, the mark of a bartender who is truly worth his or her salt lies solidly in his or her interpretation of the Manhattan.

Discovering bargains in the out-of-the-way burbs of Burgundy, Alice Feiring

There exists a kind of snob who wouldn't ever be tempted by a Burgundy of lesser pedigree than a grand cru. "Outer-borough Burgundy?" scoffed a buyer for an East Coast wine house. "You'll find out why no one drinks them."...Fine for him to be so snooty - he gets to drink grand cru all of the time. For the rest of us who need to satisfy a Burgundy fix, some serious know-how is required. Right now, with the weak dollar and fierce competition for the best of the slam-dunk 2005 vintage, you'll need a bargain instinct equivalent to knowing how to spot haute couture after the label is snipped out. It comes in handy when seeking the best of Marsannay, Fixin, Maranges, Auxey-Duresses and St. Romain - not exactly household names.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Tasting Room: Jacuzzi Family Vineyards harks back to clan's Italian roots, Yasuhisa Chiba

Jacuzzi to hot tubs is akin to Kleenex to tissue, but the Jacuzzi name can be credited with other inventions. The latest is a winery, which opened in July off busy Highway 121 in the Sonoma area of the Carneros appellation. A descendant of the Valeriano Jacuzzi family built the 18,000-square-foot winery, with a design inspired by the family home in Casarsa, Italy.

Amista opens tasting room

Amista Vineyards (loosely translated from Spanish, amista means "making friends") in Dry Creek Valley opened its tasting barn last week.

Cooling trend slows the pace of the wine harvest, Lyn Char Bennett

California winemakers are breathing sighs of relief because temperatures have generally returned to cooler, more moderate levels following the scorching heat wave that started the end of August and continued into the first week of September. Not only is harvest more orderly and less frenetic, but more importantly, the cool weather allows grapes more time to develop flavors while maintaining acidity at more moderate sugar levels. By all reports, 2007 should be a very good vintage.

Pairings: Asian flavors a match for Merlot, Lynn Char Bennett

The flavors meld so well, in fact, that the dish pairs nicely with a fruity Merlot with moderate tannins. The Sonoma Merlots tasted for today have ripe, dark fruit that offers a contrasting match to the bell peppers. Red bells are sweeter than the more vegetal green bells, which is one reason I included them in Beef, Onion & Bell Pepper in Black Bean-Tomato Sauce, a version of Dad's dish.

Recipe:

Beef, Onion & Bell Pepper in Black Bean-Tomato Sauce

Chronicle Wine Selections: Sonoma County Merlot, Olivia Wu

The Cheese Course: Germany's Chiantino cheese bathed in Italian wine, Janet Fletcher

Chiantino, a washed-rind cow's milk cheese, is one of several Bernhard now imports. Created by a cooperative dairy in the Allgau less than 20 years ago, it is washed repeatedly with brine and Italian red wine, hence the cheese's name. Although Germany does not share a border with Italy - there's a sliver of Austria in between - the Allgau is less than 50 miles from Italy and the two cultures have long intermingled. Bernhard says that other Germans consider people from the Allgau to be more like northern Italians than Germans. "We take that as a compliment," she says.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Village Pub, Mandy Erickson

"Woodside's tony Village Pub is well known as a dealmaking spot for Silicon Valley's venture capitalists: Executives spend evenings hopping tables or holding power meetings in the private dining rooms. At the restaurant's bar, the atmosphere is more about pleasure than business. Locals stop by for drinks at after-work parties, friends relax over a bottle of Champagne, and busy dads enjoy a beer while waiting for takeout. Despite the table-hopping in the dining area, the bar is a place where patrons keep to themselves - even the barkeepers stay busy with their craft, chatting with regulars only when spoken to. Yet, like the dining area, the bar oozes money, from the well-heeled patrons to the red-velvet upholstery."

Bargain Bite:Maiz Restaurant, Stacy Finz

"This family-operated Salvadoran restaurant is a shiny addition to the mom-and-pop cafes lining Berkeley's San Pablo Avenue. The interior is polished, with rustic tile floors, earth tone walls and folkloric accents. The staff, which is still refining its service and menu, is friendly and accommodating."

eje · September 29, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, September 28, 2007

Pairings: New, old worlds your oyster when pairing wine, Olivia Wu

It all started with Jon Bonné's big mouth. The Chronicle's Wine editor had just finished judging the 13th annual Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition, the brainchild of Jon Rowley, a seafood expert and food and wine publicist from Seattle. After slurping roughly five dozen oysters and sipping through 20 West Coast wines alongside other judges this April, Bonné wrote about the winners in the May 4 Sipping News, concluding: "In the end, it was still hard to beat Muscadet as a match - could it be time for a global oyster wine showdown?"

Recipes:

The Real Oysters Rockefeller

New England-Style Oyster & Clam Chowder

Chronicle Wine Selections: Wines to pair with oysters, Jon Bonné

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Is that a sommelier in your pocket?, Camper English
The local TV show "In Wine Country" went national last week., Lynn Char Bennett
7 reasons to celebrate National Vodka Day, Cammper English
What we're drinking

The Cheese Course: Georgia's Thomasville Tomme a family affair, Janet Fletcher

Thomasville Tomme, a 10-pound aged wheel made from raw Jersey cow's milk, reminds me a little of the British Caerphilly in its flavor profile and is an impressive example of what an artisan cheesemaker without decades of experience can achieve with high-quality milk.

Cocktailian: Creme de violette lifts Aviation to the moon, Gary Regan

When I first got my hands on a bottle of creme de violette, I made myself an Aviation using three parts gin, and one part each of the liqueurs and the lemon juice. It worked very well, and the color - oh, the color. It's nothing short of glorious. To behold a cocktail that's almost gray, but tinged with the barest hint of violet, is as glorious as witnessing a September sunrise in Maine. Bring it to the lips and sip, don't gulp. This is truly one of the nectars of the gods. Stands head and torso above the Aviation sans violette.

Recipes:

The Moonlight Cocktail

Wine Country fundraisers for charity

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Jack Falstaff, Tara Duggan

"With about half of its real estate devoted to a lounge area, Jack Falstaff in San Francisco seems like the perfect place to head for a cocktail or two. Its proximity to AT&T Park reinforces the idea that that's what the PlumpJack Group - which also operates the PlumpJack Cafe, Balboa Cafe and PlumpJack Winery, as well as other Northern California businesses - had in mind when it opened this lofty indoor/outdoor lounge with a more formal restaurant inside. The seasonally focused small bites and cocktail menus make it all the more appealing to stop in for a quick nosh."

Bargain Bite: Taqueria Mi Pueblo, Amanda Gold

"Taqueria Mi Pueblo On a recent evening, a crowd gathered just inside the door to wait for a table at Taqueria Mi Pueblo in San Anselmo. It's not an uncommon sight, as it's one of the few casual Mexican restaurants in the town's commercial district."

eje · October 6, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, October 05, 2007

Italian winemaker Piero Antinori is poised to make his own Napa Valley wine, Jon Bonné

This tale begins, as many do, with love at first sight. In 1985, Marchese Piero Antinori helped a British beer conglomerate examine potential vineyard sites throughout Napa Valley. None impressed the Marchese, an Italian nobleman whose family after 26 generations had become one of Italy's most esteemed wine dynasties...On the last day of the hunt, he visited a site above Foss Valley, a wild corner of Napa that many said couldn't be tamed for grapes...The terrain was rugged, perhaps too rugged, its boulder-filled volcanic soils unyielding and the peril of severe spring frost at hand. But those soils and the 1,450-foot elevation reminded the Marchese of his home in Tuscany..."When I saw this property," he recalls, "I must say I immediately fell in love."

THE SIPPING NEWS:

Roshambo winery sponsors Rock Paper Scissors contest, Camper English
Zagat and Diageo team up for iDrinkWell.com, Camper English
Sipping news: Good things come in small batches, Cammper English
What we're drinking

Spirits: A wave of artisan cachaca hits local bars, Camper English

Nipping at the mojito's heels, the caipirinha is poised to become the next Latin cocktail of the moment...With just three ingredients - a muddled half of lime, sugar and cachaca (kah-SHAH-sah), a Brazilian spirit - a caipirinha is easy enough to make. If a bar or restaurant has a muddler, there is a fair chance the bartender can make a caipirinha...Cachaca is commonly called Brazilian rum, but it is distilled from fermented sugarcane juice instead of the molasses used in most rums from other countries. The majority of cachaca is unaged (whereas most rums are aged), giving it a lighter and often more vegetal flavor with a strong sugarcane taste.

Harvest Report: Unpredictable weather keeps vintners guessing, Lynn Char Bennett

Harvest has settled down after the weather upset when the relatively mild August ended in a heat wave, sending producers scrambling to pick their earlier-ripening grape varieties before the sugar levels became too high. The temperature then dipped before coming back to current, more reasonable levels. One Napa winemaker referred to the sudden change as "someone pushing the shuffle button on the weather iPod." Several regions anticipate several more weeks of harvest.

Pairings: Spiced duck confit to go with South Central Coast Syrah, Lynn Char Bennett

Succulent duck has the intensity and richness to support the wines' full body and concentrated fruit, while the spice in the confit plays to its spice and pepper notes. Duck also has a mild gamy quality that echoes the slight earthiness found in many Rhone reds. This duck confit is flexible enough to pair with Pinot Noir, which often has spice and earth.

Recipes:

Farro Risotto

Spiced Duck Leg Confit

Chronicle Wine Selections: South Central Coast Syrah, Lynn Char Bennett

The Tasting Room: Chimney Rock blends style and substance, Karola Saekel

Set against the craggy eastern slope of the valley, Chimney Rock is at the heart of the prestigious Stags Leap District. The winery plants its dominant red wine grapes right here in the volcanic soil overlayed with loam.

The Cheese Course: Cheesemaker turns goat's milk into a 'good mouthful', Janet Fletcher

Allison Hooper, co-owner of Vermont Butter & Cheese, learned cheesemaking technique in France, and her company's product line reflects that. Although she does make Italian-style mascarpone, she also makes French-inspired creme fraiche, fromage blanc, cultured butter and the lovely Bonne Bouche (bun boosh) from pasteurized goat's milk, modeled after France's Selles-sur-Cher.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Barndiva, Stacy Finz

"Barndiva Three years ago, Jil Hales and her husband, Geoffrey, built a cool red barn just off the historic square in Healdsburg. The upstairs became their home, and the downstairs a bar and restaurant that mixes sleek contemporary architecture with farm-chic appointments. Travertine tile floors, 16-foot high ceilings, lots of exotic woods, comfy banquettes and gleaming tables set off the sophisticated interior. Wrought-iron French bistro tables, shady walnut trees and farm sculptures lure patrons out to the garden. At night, the trees twinkle with tiny lights, and the water from the large fountain is musical. You feel like taking your shoes off, even before sipping your first cocktail."

Bargain Bite: El Norteño Tacos, Tara Duggan

"El Norteño Tacos This taco truck across from San Francisco's Hall of Justice draws court bailiffs, cops, lawyers and an assortment of folks serving jury duty, contesting parking tickets or perhaps checking in with their probation officer. There aren't a whole lot of other restaurants nearby, but it's not just convenience they're after. El Norteño serves up hefty burritos, tortas, soup and nachos, and best of all, delicious mini tacos for $1.50 each."

eje · October 13, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, October 12, 2007

Winemakers look to hardy hybrids for solutions to environmental challenges, Jim Clarke

But that could change. Andrew Walker, professor of viticulture at UC Davis, says that the state's winegrowers should start giving hybrids serious attention. Restrictions on fungicides and a move toward greener viticulture are making hybrids increasingly relevant. He says: "It's almost a million acres of grapes in California, and they're all potentially going to be impacted. And it's not just California, it's worldwide - not next week, but in 30 or 40 years down the road, when political and environmental pressures kick in" to end the use of copper, sulfur and other fungicides.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

What we're drinking
The $19 million cellar man, Jon Bonné
Magazine celebrates 25 years of fine wine, Jon Bonné

Books: Two big cheeses share secrets on the art of fromage, Lynn Char Bennett

Fans of Chronicle staff writer Janet Fletcher's weekly column, The Cheese Course, will appreciate her newest book, "Cheese & Wine: A Guide to Selecting, Pairing and Enjoying." The book includes strategies for pairing cheese with wine, instructions on how to plan a cheese course and the proper way to handle and serve cheese..."Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials: An Insider's Guide to Buying and Serving Cheese" is as much a cookbook as it is a reference book. Author of three successful cookbooks and a cheese competition judge, Werlin devotes 24 pages to cheese basics, including how cheese is made, cooking with cheese, and explanation about rinds, aroma and texture.

Uncorked: Flutist's golden palate befits his wine cellar, Jane Tunks

Sir James Galway has expensive tastes when it comes wine - more than 800 bottles, many of them top-end Bordeaux, crowd his cellar. It's not surprising, really, that the musician known as "the man with the golden flute" is also the man with a golden palate.

Cocktailian: A kindred spirit's drink is a wallbanger, Gary Regan

My Spanish friend and I exchange personal e-mail from time to time. They usually involve recipes for new cocktails that one or the other of us just created, and since we seem to have similar tastes in cocktails - serious drinks only, please, and no excessive use of fruit juices - his drinks often please my palate.

Recipe:

Sappho

Adapted from a recipe by Rafael Ballesteros, Spain.

Pairings: King of Spanish tapas a perfect match for Rioja white wines, Lynn Char Bennett

The basic ingredients for Tortilla Española - onions, potatoes, eggs and olive oil - appear uninspired, but this dish is much greater than the sum of its parts. It's delicious, wine-friendly and can be served warm or at room temperature. The potatoes' creamy texture and onion's sweet vegetal notes combine with rich, fruity olive oil to form the framework for the tortilla; and the eggs become the "glue" that holds the ingredients together. White Rioja's acidity refreshes the palate after each bite of tortilla. Olive oil provides the just-rich-enough mouthfeel and weight to complement lightly oaked whites, though well-aged ones will also go the distance.

Recipe:

Tortilla Española

Chronicle Wine Selections: White Rioja, Lynn Char Bennett

The Cheese Course: France's renowned Pont-l'Eveque worthy of a bishop, Janet Fletcher

A washed-rind cow's milk cheese, Pont-l'Eveque was initially a monastery cheese, made by Cistercian monks from their own cows for their own sustenance. Gradually they began to sell the cheese beyond their walls. This story is a familiar one in Europe, where monasteries have a long tradition of cheesemaking. Living under rules that forbade meat consumption, monks turned to cheese as a protein source and found that cheese production fit in well with their structured life.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: Bossa Nova, Jane Tunks

"This Brazilian lounge opened just a couple of months ago, and already it's one of the worst-kept secrets in SoMa. Get there before 8 p.m. or you'll have to elbow your way though the beautiful people. The vibrant design takes inspiration from Brazil's street culture, which spawned bossa nova and samba. The effervescent staff dresses up in bright yellow soccer jerseys, white-painted cinder blocks line one of the walls, and a homemade wooden cross is perched in the corner. Throw back a caipirinha, pull up a stool at the communal table and enjoy the Carnaval atmosphere."

Bargain Bite: Arang Restaurant, Olivia Wu

"Across from the icons of Japantown and tucked away on a Fillmore strip, a handful of Korean restaurants do a thriving business in affordable food. Arang, a preferred hangout for people in their 20s and 30s, is among the best."

eje · October 20, 2007

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, October 19, 2007

Resurrecting spirits, Camper English

Last year, Erik Ellestad, a cocktail aficionado and systems administrator at UCSF, decided to drink his way through a classic recipe book...Though he initially considered "The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book," he found a cocktail every couple pages that required an obscure or unavailable ingredient, so he chose the easier-seeming "Savoy Cocktail Book" from 1930. On his path to making the book's 750 drinks, he hit his first snag at the second recipe: The namesake spirit in the absinthe cocktail had been banned in the United States since 1912.

THE SIPPING NEWS:

First look: Cellar360 in S.F., Lynne Char Bennett
Local brewers win at beer fest, Jay Thomas
Lessons in whiskey, Camper English
Bartender's secret: maple syrup, Camper English
What we're drinking
A wine for ice cream, Elizabeth Gruse

Tasting Room: Taste terroir at earth-friendly Ridge, Jane Tunks

It makes sense that a winery that prides itself on making wines with as little technological intervention as possible would build an earth-friendly tasting room. Ridge Vineyards' roots may lie in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the home of its legendary Monte Bello vineyards, but much of the company's winemaking has been transferred to its Sonoma County facility near Dry Creek Valley.

Elevating Torrontes in the Andes, Ella Lawrence

Winding your way through the dusty eastern foothills of the Argentine Andes mountains, your skin could turn to sandpaper. Red dust swirls through closed car vents, the sun beats down through the thin air, and the high altitude sucks the moisture out of everything. This 125-mile wine route, leading from Salta to Cafayate, has one of the harshest, driest climates in the world. It also produces some of the world's best Torrontes.

Beer: American brewers mix it up Belgian-style, Derrick Schneider

"It's still weird, walking out on the floor and seeing a biker drinking from a wineglass," says Vinnie Cilurzo, the owner of Russian River Brewing Co, in Santa Rosa. Beer drinkers might argue that the wineglass stands out in his brewpub, but peek inside the glass for the real novelty: a Belgian-style brew made by an American.

Pairings: An earthy partner for Pinot Noir, Lynn Char Bennett

Pinot Noirs can be graceful and fleeting, yet simultaneously sing the essence of the fruit. Their complex character is embedded in their cool-loving skins, and hints of earth can also be apparent. When I was shopping in a Korean supermarket recently and saw a package of mushrooms, it reminded me of the piney quality of some South Central Coast Pinots I had tasted.

Recipes:

Matsutake Meat Sugo

The Cheese Course: Daisy cheddar blooms on the palate, Janet Fletcher

Today, Vella makes the Daisy cheddar with raw cow's milk from a single Schellville dairy. He follows a traditional cheddar recipe, which involves cutting the curds small, gathering them into thick slabs while they are still in the vat, then stacking and turning the slabs in the vat repeatedly. It is backbreaking work, but the process helps control the elimination of the whey, a critical step in producing good cheddar.

96 Hours

Bar Bites: T-Rex Barbeque, Stacy Finz

"When Cindy and Haig Krikorian added this two-story dining room and lounge to their impressive repertoire of East Bay restaurants, they seemed to have kids in mind. Although this barbecue joint - with its gleaming bamboo floors, trussed ceilings, sculptural staircase and large frameless glass doors - is more sophisticated than your average roadhouse, it's as family friendly as a backyard weenie roast. Just look at the menu: bite-size spicy riblets ($9), macaroni and cheese ($8) and watermelon ice pops ($2.50 each). From 3 to 6 p.m. daily, T-Rex holds a happy hour, serving appetizers, well drinks and draft beer for $1 to $5. Upstairs, there is a lounge area with upholstered club chairs, small tables and a flat-panel television for game viewing. On nice days, there's balcony seating, and there's always room for a stroller or high chair on the main level."

Bargain Bite: Brazil Cafe, Carol Ness

"Brazil Cafe This is the restaurant that tri-tip built - as in chunks of chewy beef cut into cubes and browned, then piled on a soft, fresh-baked French roll with grilled onions and doused with a deliciously pungent but balanced garlic-cilantro sauce ($6.95).It would be impossible to figure out how many of these sandwiches have poured, along with the nonstop strains of samba and bossa nova, out of this funky, lively stand since Pedro Robin put it up in the parking lot of a downtown Berkeley paint store seven years ago."

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