Old World Meets New at Vina Los Vascos

 

As early as 1815 Chateau Lafite Rothschild has had a reputation for producing some of the finest and most elegant wines in the world. In 1855 Lafite was awarded the honor of First Growth status within the 1855 Classification.

Fast forward to 1988 when Los Vascos, one of Chile's oldest wine estates is managed by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) who starts a modernization and investment program. Los Vascos is a 560 hectare vineyard located in Caneten Valley of Colchagua province in Chile. The goal here under the direct technical supervision of Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) is to produce the finest and most balanced wines with elegance and harmony. 

I recently tried one of the Los Vascos wines myself and was impressed with 2010 Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc. It beholds lovely aromatics of grapefruit, white peach, tropical fruits and a hint of basil. There is a zippy lime acidity that awakens your palate and continues to offer more tropical notes. As well as the fruit I really enjoy the notes of fresh herbs, as if they were just plucked from your garden; chives, basil, parsley and tarragon.

Suggested food pairing you ask?

For me personally I would make a pesto with basil, chives and parsley, a squeeze of lemon or lime, toasted pine nuts, salt, pepper and olive oil. I would toss the pesto with angel hair pasta and then garnish the dish with a healthy does of fresh chevre (or goat cheese) allowing it to melt into the warm pesto pasta and becoming a gooey and delicious creamy sauce. 

Slainte!

Serenly Sokol Blosser

Step back a few years to the London International Wine Fair. As a California resident, wine is at my fingertips at an instant so my main objective was to taste anything and everything beyond the United States. My one exception, where I was truly curious to taste more of
(as I am a fan of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris) were the wines of Oregon. Enter Alison Sokol Blosser and the Sokol Blosser booth.

Alison was warm and friendly and began telling me the story of her parent's Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser's journey to become pioneers in Oregon's wine industry. It all began in 1970 with their discovery of an abandoned prune orchard, some basic wine making knowledge and a passion for Pinot Noir. By 1979 Sokol Blosser was now winning international recognition at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London. In 1996 Sokol Blosser is the first winery to be "Salmon Safe". In 2002 they were the first US winery to receive LEED Certification and began their organic transition in 2004.

Now back to present day I am reconnecting with Alison at the winery after a fantastic weekend in Portland for the Wine Bloggers Conference. Among their achievements and certifications the thing that Alison and her family feels is of the utmost importance is to keep as little as possible between the vine, the grape and us the consumers. She leads my friend and filmmaker Chrissa and I through the serenely picturesque 100 acres (80 of them planted) vine-scape that is Sokol Blosser with Twix the resident Wine Poodle (official title) in tow.

While we walk she shares tastes of their crisp and mineral rich 2010 Pinot Gris (ideal for the current heatwave!), their dry and elegant 2011 Rose of Pinot Noir ( a perfect ballerina pink color ) and then we move into the explore the barrel room and the Pinot Noirs.

We begin with their 2009 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir grown in the amazing red Jory soils of Yamhill County's Dundee Hills. As a winery's "entry level" Pinot Noir it's stunning and one I could easily drink on a daily basis. Besides their Dundee Hills Sokol Blosser also makes 4 other "block" designated Pinot Noirs. To get a better vision of where the blocks are located on the property they have a great map on their site; Sokol Blosser. These four are Peach Tree (delicate, roses and violets...pair with seared salmon), Big Tree (Asian spices, coffee and cocoa...pair with a coffee and cocoa rubbed lamb chop), Orchard Block (savory, plum and purple flowers...pair with duck breast with a plum sauce) and my absolute favorite the Goosepen Block (earthy, sour cherries and black truffles...pair with black truffle risotto or even a roast turkey!). 

Alison herself favors the Goosepen Block but said she has fond memories of the Big Tree that once stood on the Big Tree Block. Whatever Pinot Noir you may decide upon the theme I savor in all their wines is that seductive, feminine, but strong character that they possess (and at a fantastic value!).

As a fan and a friend to the Sokol Blosser Winery I highly recommend a visit to them. Their wines are also available online and would make a great addition to the table for the upcoming holiday season.

Thank you again Alison for a fantastic tasting and visit!

Sparkle in the Hamptons

One of my greatest pleasures in life is exploring the wine regions of the world. Champagnes and Sparkling wines are my passion and I was absolutely enchanted by my recent visit to Wolffer Estate in Sagaponack, Long Island, NY. Sandy loam soil in combination with an Atlantic breeze (2.6 miles away) create ideal conditions allowing them to achieve their signature Wolffer style; European elegance married to the terrior of Long Island.

I attended a Sunset Friday event that the Winery offers from May - October from 5pm-sunset at The Wine Stand. (The Wine Stand is just around the corner from the Winery.) It's the perfect way to relax among the vines, soaking in the setting sun with a music and a glass of their sparkling wine.

What did I taste?

 I began with the 2007 Wolffer Estate Blanc de Blanc made with 100% Chardonnay from their oldest vineyard block planted in 1988 and is made Methode Champenoise. On the nose it's fresh with notes of lemon zest, pear and also a hint of toasted sweet brioche. On the palate it's rich and creamy and welcomes the green apple and apricot to the party! As a New England girl (besides sipping solely) this would just be beautiful paired with Lobster freshly kissed with a squeeze of lemon.

I also had to try the 2008 Wolffer Estate, Noblesse Oblige, Sparkling Rose. The Noblesse Oblige is comprised of 65% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay and 1% Merlot. On the nose peaches and strawberries invite you in for a taste. As the Rose's sparkle tickles your tongue you taste strawberries, orange, white peach and rose petals. It's refreshing and sophisticated and would be oh so pretty with fresh lump crab meat tossed lightly in pasta and olive oil and finished with orange zest or for a more casual dish on occasion I can't resist a rich juicy beef burger and a glass of sparkling rose!

I cannot wait until my next chance to revisit Wolffer and
savor a glass of their beautiful sparkling wine under a pink sunset.

Slainte!

For the Love of Figs!

Cookbooks! There are so many on the market these days that it really has to be something special to spark my interest. "Plats du Jour; The Girl and the Fig's Journey Through Seasons in Wine Country"  by Sandra Bernstein has not only sparked my interest but captured my heart. In this book Restaurateur Sandra Bernstein and her Executive Chef John Toulze share their love of seasonal French-country cooking mouthwatering recipes, pictures and wine pairings. It also highlights the bountiful ingredients available seasonally in Sonoma Wine Country (where the restaurant The Girl and the Fig is located).  

I recreated two recipes from the book. The first is a simple, and elegant appetizer;  

Goat Cheese and Lavender Honey Toasts (pg 39). It's simply honey simmered with lavender and then whipped together with goat cheese and a little heavy cream and dolloped onto a crustini! For extra flair I added some additional lavender to the plate as well.

 If I were starting a party with this, my pic for a dynamic wine pairing would be a Rose from Sancerre. My favorite is Domaine Vacheron's Rose! It's crisp and light with notes of strawberry, lemon, thyme, and a hint of lavender.

The second recipe from the book is a twist on a French classic dessert; the Clafoutis. Traditionally it is made with cherries and is a cross between a pudding and a cake. As my French friend Ivanne has said, it's so rustic a dessert that growing up she and her Grandmother never even pitted the cherries!  The twist in this recipe is it's a Fig Clafoutis (pg 158) and as figs are in season now I used beautiful fresh ones (although the recipe gives you the dried fig alternative as well.)
One tip that I took from this recipe that is really a good one is to

strain your batter so that it is creamy and smooth going into your dish. This will give your finished product a glorious custard like texture!

I liked the wine pairings offered for this dessert a lot. They suggested either a domestic JC Cellars Late Harvest, Marsanne, Ripken Vineyards from Lodi California or M. Chapoutier Rasteau, Cotes du Rhone from France. Now I must find both to try with the recipe!

I must go now as I have a beautiful dessert to dig into and as I don't have either of the suggested pairings on hand I'll opt for a little glass of Orange Columbo (it's meant to be an aperitif, but rules are meant to be broken!) instead that I fell in love with on my last trip to Provence. It offers notes of orange blossom, orange peel and a little herbal bitter taste on the finish which I love!

If you are someone who loves to cook with what is seasonal and fresh and love the flavors of Sonoma Wine Country and French country style cooking I can not recommend this cookbook enough...and did I mention....there are cocktail recipes too!?

Sante!

Wine Bloggers Conference 2012; Destination Oregon!

It's official.....72 days out and the Wine Bloggers Conference is already sold out! I sigh in relief as I am already registered.  I attended last year's conference in Charlottesville, Virginia and was thrilled with the experience so I knew I had to be part of this year's in Portland, Oregon.

I am already a huge fan of Portland and the wines of Oregon but what makes the Wine Bloggers Conferences so great are the excursions into the wine country, the connections you make and the speakers they bring in. The host state really seems to embrace the Conference as well. Speaking of excursions, along with winery visits to Willamette Valley planned within the Conference they also offer pre-conference excursions at an obscenely reasonable rate. I will be partaking in one this year with highlights including visits to SakeOne (Craft Sake Producer), Montinore Winery (a fantastic Certified Biodynamic Winery)  and Hawks View Cellars (boutique winery specializing in terrior-driven Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris).

I am currently the Wine Director/Sommelier for Sol Markets & Bistro in San Diego. My mission there is to find the absolute best of local wines (within 100 miles) and Sustainable, Organic or Biodynamic wines worldwide. Because of this I am really looking forward to the Breakout Sessions during the Conference as one will be focusing specifically on the very topic of Biodynamic, Organic, Natural, and Sustainable Wine.

And finally, someone's writing I absolutely admire will be in attendance and a Keynote Speaker, Rex Pickett. Rex is most well known for his novel "Sideways" and now also has written a sequel to it titled "Vertical" taking Miles and Jack to the Willamette Valley.

Although this year's action packed Conference is sold out, don't lose hope yet! They are inviting interested bloggers to add their names to the Waiting List.  Or are you already registered and looking for a hotel room? Check out The Wine'd Up and see WhichWineCooler.com 's Free Double Tree Portland Hotel Room Contest for the Conference. Good luck and see you there!