Tag: food and wine

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2013 Indian Wells Chardonnay – A Cellar Keeper

Casual wine drinkers — let me know if you can relate. You’re in your local, where? I dunno — BevMo and they’re having that awesome 5 cent sale. Or Safeway/Vons and you grab one of those 6-pack cardboard crates so you can get an awesome discount on your liquor needs (yes needs). Or Costco because, let’s not lie to ourselves, their wine section is legit. Ok, wherever you are, you’re there buying somewhat in bulk because that’s how the discount works. But, like, what do you stock up on that you won’t regret later?

If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself in the predicament more often than not. And, again if you’re like me, you probably have your own list of wine staples. Well here’s mine: Chateau Ste. Michelle…umm…almost anything! My local Safeway almost always has the basics: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Reisling, and Pinot Noir. All good quality wines under $20. But the absolute standout is the Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay.

Now, my Safeway doesn’t always have it. So when I find it, I basically load that 6-pack crate full of it. It’s something I always want in my cellar. It’s…a Cellar Keeper…

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Event: Paso Robles Seminar/Tasting

I was at the Paso Robles Wine Country Grand Tasting Event in Oakland last week when I overheard one of the winemakers saying that the most frequent question he gets asked by consumers is, “Where in Napa is Paso Robles?”

Ok, let’s download for a second and just talk about where Paso Robles is and what that means in regards to wine…

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Joel Gott 2014 Pinot Gris

I’m really starting to fall in love with Oregon wines. At first I thought it was just a Pinot-thing (shout out to Patricia Green my first wine love), but they’ve got a good selection of varietals up north. And here’s another primo example of New World Wine amazingness from Oregon: Joel Gott’s 2014 Pinot Gris. Cheers!

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Bread & Butter 2014 Chardonnay

Perfectly medium-rare, melt in the mouth veal. Silky whipped parsnip puree. Thyme infused butter sauce. Just a sprinkling of raw pine nuts on top.

That was the meal I had planned, so I knew I needed something just as smooth and creamy as every element on that plate. I walk down the Chardonnay aisle (because of course I’m looking for a Chardonnay) and I see the words “Bread & Butter.” Now, if this doesn’t fulfill my every need and craving I don’t know what will…

(PS I was right).

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Event: Diablo Taster’s Dinner

Love learning about food and wine pairings? Then you may want to become the newest member of the Tasters Guild International — a US nationwide society of foodies/wine-lovers who gather together with their local chapters to geek out on all things culinary.

The Diablo Tasters Guild July gathering at Buon Appetito

While wine tasting at this year’s SF Pinot Days, I was lucky enough to meet John Engstrom and Jim Lipman of California’s only living Tasters Guild chapter, the Diablo Tasters Guild located in the San Francisco East Bay Area. They were kind enough to invite me to one of their monthly get-togethers where they sync a local restaurant’s venue and cuisine with a California winery. This month the Guild featured food with an Italian flare from Buon Appetito in Fremont alongside some Spanish-inspired wine from Bodegas Paso Robles.

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