12 Wine Rules

It’s only those who know me well that understand the craziness of growing up in my French and Italian Family. It’s loud, we eat constantly, we talk at the table for hours, and of course we drink wine.  Growing up with a mother as a chef, I was somewhat spoiled with gourmet food and wine. I mean, who has Bouillabaisse (provencal seafood stew) for Christmas every year? Or, some of the best desserts including homemade cream puffs, chocolate biscotti, and caramel flan.  It’s inevitable that those who meet my mother fall in love with her. She’s a short and charming French woman who’s a hell of a cook, tells dirty jokes, and knows her stuff about wine. She has a palette that could rival any sommelier or chef and you don’t dare bet against her in a tasting test.  I make trips down to Southern California to visit often and she stuffs my bag before I leave with magazine clippings and articles on food and wine. Unbeknownst to me on one occasion, she slipped a copy of her hand written 12 Wine Rules in a clear, plastic file folder. Now, let me first say that I had heard the 12 wine rules on many occasions, usually when we were at the dinner table with both family and friends finishing up a couple bottles of wine and everyone was feeling happy and full. My mom began to ask me to read them because she was too shy to read them herself in front of guests.  When I spoke to her by phone she said it would be a good idea to post her 12 Wine Rules to my website and share it with all of you. I at first giggled, but then, I read it once over again and realized she had something here. Not only were they entertaining, but they were completely true and helpful rules. As they say, mother knows best. Thanks mom!

So without further ado, here are The 12 Wine Rules by Yolande Localio:

1. Keep it in moderation, if you can!
2. Swirl, but like a Pro.
3. Sniff, but not like a dog.
4. Sip, but don’t spit at your neighbors.
5. Swallow, but don’t gargle.
6. Let the wine breathe, but don’t forget to breathe too.
7. Keep an eye on the color (not the wine, but your face).
8. Always start with white or light then medium, full body comes last – interesting, only if you can keep track!
9. Check for legs and body. If the wine is French, check for boobs too!
10. Always hold the glass by the stem as your hand temperature may affect the overall taste. Getting hot?… It’s just the wine!
11. When in doubt, go for Pinot Noir if you can tell or see the bottle label.
12. Now, if you wish, start all over. You can start from 11 to 1.

A LA SANTE! SALUTE! SALUD! CHEERS!

Big Dog Vineyards

It’s not often that I step into a tasting room and feel right at home. There are too many wineries that have become double c’s – corporate and cold.  But that isn’t the case at Big Dog Vineyards in Milpitas where owners Sandy and Mark make their guests feel welcome with their charming tasting room and wonderful wines.  This small, family run winery rests atop a 1200 foot scenic hillside next to their beautiful residence. A large courtyard patio overlooking a hillside of vines offers a great place to sit and have a glass of wine and relax.

We drive up to the winery to enjoy super bowl festivities and watch the San Francisco 49ers play. Though there are about 10-15 people in the tasting room and courtyard, the staff is extremely attentive  from the moment we walk in.   Dick, one of the tasting room managers, greets us for a tasting and reminds us  to take our time sipping each wine. He is knowledgeable about the wine list and genuinely wants to hear our feedback.  Mark sets up a big screen in the tasting room and Sandy prepares appetizers and snacks for guests, including very delicious teriyaki meatballs. I stop counting after the 10^th meatball I pop into my mouth.   I  even enjoy some Cheetos with some Cabernet, which is a first for me!  During half time, we stand outside and enjoy the views and sip wine next to tall heaters.  It’s hard not to take photos as the sun starts to set and the soft light cascades over the vines.

The duo is modest about their wines,  but the red wines are no joke and it’s evident how committed and passionate they are about wine-making. The Cabs are a must taste. Standouts are the 2006 and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon – both with a sophisticated bouquet loaded with vanilla, spice, and dark berry flavors.   Their Zinfandel Port Style Dessert Wine is also stellar and has a great balance of sweetness and flavor. Think of a field of plump blueberries.

The winery is open to the public the first full weekend of each month. A complete schedule is available on their website. If you want a warm, welcoming and peaceful wine tasting experience, Big Dog Vineyards is a great place to visit.

Visit

Big Dog Vineyards

4545 Felter Road

Milpitas, CA 95035

408-935-9194

www.bigdogvineyards.com

Taste

2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Zinfandel Dessert Wine

Try

Cheetos and Cabernet – who would of thought?

Allegorie Rendevouz Blend

I enter the allegorie tasting room  and can’t help but feel allegoric in my pursuit of some of the best of this small town’s Spanish varietals including a spicy Tempranillo.  The tasting counter here is unlike any other on the main street of Murphy’s. It doubles as an art gallery and local artists display contemporary works as well as beautiful designed jewelry in cases.  The tasting room attendants are friendly, informative, and passionate as if every bottle has it’s own narrative.  Owen kindly helps us through the tasting list and out of the five wines we tasted there is not one on the tasting list I don’t like. My favorites are the Petite Coquette “little flirt” white sparkling wine,  Tempranillo, Rendezvouz Rhone Style blend, and a stellar Cabernet Franc.  At the end of our tasting, Owen invites us to come back for some entertainment in the evening on the patio, where his band will play some songs and we can enjoy some dancing.

We return at 10 p.m. that evening and tucked in between Allegorie and it’s neighboring building is a little courtyard set up with tables and chairs where the band is playing and locals as well as out-of-towners are mingling and dancing the night away. Wine and dancing amidst the mountains and stars, this is wine country living at it’s best.

Where to Go:

Allegorie

432 Main Street

Murphy’s, CA 95247

Allegoriewine.com

What to Taste:

 allegorie Petite Coquette Sparkling Wine

2009 allegorie Rendezvouz

2009 allegorie Tempranillo

2010  allegorie Cabernet Franc

Domaine Carneros Winery, Napa

I find that at the very moment I’m spouting that I do not know very much about champagne or nor do I care to drink champagne is the very same moment I’m sitting in wine country drinking champagne. Like it or not, champagne has an effervescent charm that goes beyond just serving it for celebrations.

On a late Saturday afternoon, I am sitting at the patio of Domaine Carneros enjoying the sunlight deck overlooking the vineyards and Carneros region.  I order a tasting of three champagnes including a Brut Cuvee, Brut Rose, and Vermeil Demi-Sec.  The Brut Cuvee is a toast color with flavors of baked pear, melon and vanilla. The Brut Rose has notes of wild strawberries. But my favorite is the Vermeil Demi Sec with its crisp fruity flavor and long creamy vanilla finish.  The wines here are proudly labeled on the bottle with the words “Methode Champenoise”.

Methode Champenoise or also called Methode Traditionelle is the traditional way of making champagne and sparkling wine. Basically, champagne is kept in the bottle for a second round of fermentation, which can last anywhere from 6 months up to 6 years.  When shopping for champagne, I recommend purchasing a bottle with “Methode Champenoise” listed on the label for higher quality.

So what makes the bubbles in bubbly? The famous bubbles in champagne are a result of carbon dioxide staying in the bottle during fermentation.  Champagne is served in flutes to preserve the bubbles.  The most commonly used varietals to produce champagne are Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Blanc de Blanc is generally made from Chardonnay grapes and Blanc de Noir from Pinot Noir.  Often times Pinot and Chardonnay are combined along with other varietals so a wine maker can create his own style of champagne.

Domaine Carneros not only offers a great variety of quality champagnes, but they are one of the only few wineries where you can sit and order food to accompany your tastings. It’s a perfect place to spend an afternoon in Napa.

Where to Go:

Domaine Carneros

1240 Duhig Road

Napa, CA 94559

www.domainecarneros.com

What to Drink:

2008 Domaine Carneros Brut Cuvee, $27

2008 Brut Rose, $36

2007 Vermeil Demi-Sec, $35

Not into bubblies? Try this:

2008 Famous Gate Pinot Noir, $70

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto and Garlic

The recipe is from Barefoot Contessa and it’s an absolutely delicious starter, side or a great substitute if you crave pizza, but are trying to stay away from carbs.  My secret ingredient to this recipe is loads of garlic! For wine, I like roasted tomatoes with Chianti, but tomatoes are also great with Sangiovese or a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds large red tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup store-bought pesto
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Chopped garlic

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle salt, pepper, and chopped garlic over the tomatoes. Bake the tomatoes for 10 minutes and then remove from oven and spread each slice with pesto and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown. Using a flat metal spatula, put the tomatoes on a serving platter.

Buon Appetito!

Wellington Criolla and White Port

In seven years, I get to re-evaluate my relationship with perhaps one of the best dessert wines I’ve had since first hitting the Sonoma border 10 years ago. One little bottle of Criolla from Wellington Winery remains in our pseudo wine celler…aka…the dark closet in the back of our bedroom.  The winery has now placed this stellar wine in their library reserve. If I wait another seven years I get to taste their next production.

Criolla ,which is also referred to as the “mission grape”, was brought to California in the early 18^th century by Franciscan missionaries.  Most of what has survived of the mission grape has been made into dessert wines or more commonly produced as a brandy fortified dessert wine called “Angelica”. A resurgence of this grape started in the early 1990’s.

Wellington is located in one of my favorite places in Sonoma County, Glen Ellen. Not only does Glen Ellen have a rich history including a history of inhabitants like Jack London, but it’s still a place you can go and have a peaceful and not to so pricey wine country experience. Wellington is a hidden gem located off Dunbar Road between Glen Ellen and Kenwood and what locals call “Glenwood”.  Prepare yourself for the amount of varietals. The winery was originally an old Italian vineyard and there are 24 different varietals in their old vineyard which includes varietals such as Zinfandel, Carignon, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, and Syrah. Every tasting has something unique, however, the stars of the show are definitely their dessert wine.

So, when is a good time to open a dessert wine that’s only produced every 7 years? When the mood strikes you is my motto. But so far so good and that one little bottle remains in our closet. However, I think back to Wellington’s tasting counter and how John Carmer and his team had plenty of other options to keep us occupied in the meantime, including their deep ruby Old Vines Estate Port and White Port made of 13 different varietals and tasting of cake batter. I’ll be back for a visit soon.

Happy wine tasting!

Featured in this article:

Wellington Vineyards

11600 Dunbar Road

Glen Ellen, CA 95442

800-816-9463

www.wellingtonvineyards.com

Regale Winery Fresco

My favorite thing to do in the wine country: Wine Taste

My least favorite thing to do in the wine country: Wedding Venue Hunt

After several long weekends of hunting for wedding venues, my fiancé and I realized the mystique of the wine country ends once you say that you are hunting for a wedding location and all of a sudden cha-ching (insert cash register sound here) , dancing dollar signs suddenly appear over your head.

Here’s the good news, in the past three weeks I’ve seen more wineries than I have in the past six months and I have found some really wonderful hidden gems, including Regale Winery in Los Gatos.  Who would’ve known that just about 10 min’s from downtown Los Gatos was a winery reminiscent of a Tuscan Villa with a killer mountain and vineyard view, friendly staff, and high quality wines. The garden is truly unforgettable with a beautiful courtyard fountain, olive trees, roses, and an herb garden. It’s a beautiful spot to sip on a glass of wine and have a picnic.

On a Sunday afternoon, we entered through the archway of the Regale gates. Regale means to “entertain or provide with great enjoyment”, usually relating to drinking and eating, which reminded me that I must use the word Regale more often. Larry, the owner, was happy to show us around. I could see the passion and hard work that created the space when he described the amount of painting required to create the frescoes on the interior walls.

Regale has both estate wines and their own estate olive oil.  They focus on Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Our pick was the 2008 O’Neel Pinot Noir from Russian River.  This wine is complex with a silky finish of and flavors of bacon, spices, and cherry pie.

If you’d like to “Regale” too, see below for information on the winery.

Regale Winery and Vineyards

24040 Summit Road

Los Gatos, CA 95033

www.regalewine.com

*Tasting room open Saturday and Sundays from Noon-5p.m. Call 408-353-2500 for more information.

Indian Rock Vineyards, Murphy's

Driving through Calaveras County, I explore wine in an unlikely place; near a cave called Moaning Cavern where passerby’s in the gold rush era used to fall to their death when they mistook the wind howling from the cave as screams for help. My fiancé convinced me to give it a go and try the easiest way down—into a cave entrance so tiny that I now know what moist rocks smell like up close and  what my knees sound like shaking  when walking slowly up and down a 155 step steel spiral staircase. On the outside of the cave, there are plenty of weekend tourists getting their harnesses on for a ride down a 1500 feet zip line that zooms you past mountains of redwoods while you inhale crisp, cool air at about 60 mph.  I’ll pass, thank you.

Minutes away from Moaning Cavern, Hwy 4 takes you alongside some of the best wineries in the region. First stop is Laraine Winery. A small dirt road takes you there, but worth the trek as the winery is one of the most scenic in the area.  The tasting room’s pine bar is surrounded by windows that overlook beautiful views of the estate and vineyards. This is a perfect place to bring a picnic and enjoy a glass of wine outside.  The winery has a few standout varietals including their syrah, but the star here is their 2008 chardonnay, which has notes of crème brulee and almonds. For a lighter version, try their 2009 chardonnay.

On our way to downtown Murphy’s, we make a stop at Indian Rock Vineyards.  Indian Rock has peaceful grounds and two large ponds that feed from natural springs. The tasting room is warm and charming and you can try from any of 18 or more varietals they grow. Wines not to miss are the 2007 Barbera, 2005 Coyote Creek Red and  the Tawny Port Dessert Wine.

Downtown Murphy’s is a wonderful stop for shopping, a stroll, and of course wine tasting! Downtown is bursting with tasting rooms. You can’t pass one block that doesn’t have a tasting room.  This is great if you are limited for time and cannot venture out to some of the actual vineyards. This time around we find a newly opened boutique winery called Allegorie. Allegorie’s tasting room also features local art and handcrafted artisan jewelry. As we enter this trendy spot, the tasting room is elbows only and I make my way in for a taste of their spectacular 2009 Tempranillo, which has a bouquet of vanilla and roasted coffee with a spicy finish.  Wines are on the pricey side, but you won’t be disappointed.

We stop for an afternoon bite at the Kitchen which also houses Newsom-Harlow’s tasting room.  The chef here focused on food from local farmers and suppliers and it shows. Dishes here are fresh and delicious.  For tastings, I recommend relaxing with a wine flight in the courtyard lounge. Reds are the winners here. Try the 2009 Train Wreck or the 2009 Petit  Verdot.

Happy Wine Adventures!

Trip List:

Laraine Winery, www.larainewinery.com, 3675 Six Mile Road, Vallecito, CA 95251

Indian Rock Vineyards, www.indianrockvineyards.com, 1154 Pennsylvania Gulch Road, Murphy’s, CA 95247

Allegorie Art and Wine, www.allegorieart.com, 432 Main Street, Murphy’s, CA 95247

Newsome-Harlow Tasting Room & Kitchen Restaurant, www.nhvino.com, 403 Mian Street, Murphy’s, CA 95247

Caprese Salad

I’ve made many caprese salads in my day. And if anything, I’ve learned that there are over a dozen types of tomatoes you can try including on the vine, pearl, heirloom, plum, cherry, grape, roma, and even yellow. The trick to a great caprese salad is fresh and colorful ingredients. The tri-color ingredients of tomato, mozzarella and basil combine beautifully on a plate to create a wonderful and simple antipasti dish.

When pairing a wine with a starter or antipasti, remember you want to go light to heavy when serving several dishes. Usually, a light white wine pairs well with any salad or appetizer.  For this particular serving, I paired the salad with a light Sauvignon Blanc from San Petro a Vice, Paso Robles. This wine is crisp with a floral and citrus bouquet.  I recommend it also for poultry and seafood dishes.

Capers Salad Recipe

From Giada’s EveryDay Italian

4 first course servings

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 ¼ pound assorted tomatoes

6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Whisk the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil to blend. Set the dressing aside. Cut regular tomatoes into ¼ inch slices and the smaller tomatoes into wedges. Arrange the tomatoes and cheese on a platter. Drizzle the dressing over. Sprinkle with the basil and additional salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Wine Pairing

San Pietro A Vico

2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles

Lundardi’s Market,  $9.99

On one Sunday afternoon while scouting wineries in the Temecula Wine Country, I found myself in an unlikely place–in a bathtub on a mountain top with a bottle of “Old Gus”.  Shadow Mountain Winery is located about a half an hour drive outside the continuously growing Temecula Valley Wineries, but it’s worth the stop for its beautiful location and quality, affordable wines.  Nestled at 3200 feet , the winery is located on a coastal mountain range in San Diego county.

The current owners, Alexander and Pamela McGeary, acquired the estate in 1990 and produce all their varietals in this unique microclimate. “Old Gus” is a tribute to the first owner Gus Mase of italian descent, who planted the first vineyards on the property six decades ago.

Red varietals included Claret, Merlot, 3 blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, and “Old Gus”, their signature red table wine.  Although a small winery in a quiet and remote location, the quality and complexity of their wines can compete amongst the best of wines from the region. Their stellar red wines range from $14-$18.  I could not help but fall in love with the minerality and earthiness attributed to the decomposed granite soil in the area.

We were greeted by owner Pamela McGeary when we entered the quaint tasting room and she poured us a generous variety of wines from the tasting menu including a standout Claret not on the list.  Other standouts included Carignane, Mystic Muscat, and a Syrah Dessert wine to die for! All the wines were priced under $30 with the exception of the Syrah Dessert wine at $30.  We were not charged a tasting fee and used our saved tasting fees to purchase a bottle of Carignane and picnic behind the winery along a beautiful sloping hillside of vines.  As my family and I were picnicking, Mr. McGeary came by to say hello and I took the opportunity to ask him a question, What varietal do you find most pleasure in growing and producing into a wine? He looked at me at first perplexed and then said, All of them, they are all a labor of love.

And indeed, I could taste that love and hardwork.

Shadow Mountain Vineyards

34680 Highway 79

Warner Springs, CA 92086

769-782-0778

www.shadowmountainvineyards.com