Summertime ….and the grilling is easy. So what’s for dinner tonight? A thick, juicy steak? Most people think “steak” and automatically reach for a California Cabernet. And if a Cab is your go-to wine for steak, you are on the right wine and food pairing track. Steak needs a a wine with enough acidity and tannin to cut through the fat, which typically means a higher acid, higher tannin red wine. You will also want a wine with enough body to match the texture of the steak as well as the charring method of its preparation. And finally, you may want to pick up some of the spice in the steak’s marinade in the wine. Red wine such as Cabernet or Merlot can be spicy, yet this coming weekend consider richer, more perfumed alternatives such as California Zinfandel, Peitt Verdot, or Petite Sirah

Recently Antoine Favero, winemaker at California’s Mazzocco winery in Healdsburg, California, sent me several new releases from Mazzocco’s many single vineyards in the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. Most of the vineyards are located in mountainous regions above the valley where old vines thrive into longevity and young vines show extraordinary promise – especially with steak!

Two of the newly released Zinfandels include the 2006 Dry Creek Valley from the Maple Vineyard, and the 2006 Dry Creek Valley from the Pony Vineyard. If you are new to wine, you may find it curious that the same grape from two neighboring vineyards can taste so different, though both are great partners with steak. The Pony Reserve is sumptuous, elegant, and highly perfumed, perhaps reflecting they way the grapes were grown on a terraced vineyard. With its lush aromatics and high acidity, this wine is a great pairing with a slightly fattier steak with a fruit-based marinade. In contrast, the Maple Reserve is much leaner, with more sharpness and finesse on the palate.

Beyond Zinfandel, some good wine pairing for steak can include Mazzocco’s 2005 Petite Sirah from the Aguilera vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, a very rich, elegant wine with big fruit, spice, vanilla, and wild berry flavors. Or try their 2005 Petit Verdot from Monterey County, with more rich fruit, violets, and toasted oak. These are lush, high-alcohol, richly perfumed wines. Petit Verdot, by the way, is one of the five grapes that make up the Bordeaux blend in France. It is used sparingly in both the right and left banks, accounting for a tiny fraction of the blend so you can imagine how rich and sumptuous it would be on its own as a single varietal.

Mazzocco wines, across the board, are powerful, vibrant, and almost royal in their purple power. Indeed, they are so assertive they almost seem to jump out of the glass, look down their figurative nose at the food they are being paired with, and demand an answer to the question: “who’s the star here, you or me?” And between you and I, they are quite right to do so. Though Mazzocco’s wines compliment a steak, in the end the wines have so much richness and personality the wine ends up being complimented by the steak.

Life is all about experimentation, so if you are a solid Cab or Merlot drinker with steak, at your next dinner party you might create a fun mini-tasting by paring the steak course with two wines simultaneously, a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, and a Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, or Petite Sirah and come to your own conclusions.

Cheers!

For a moment, imagine yourself an invited guest at an exclusive dinner at a First Growth Chateau in the Medoc. It is mid-June, and everyone who is “anyone” in the wine world is in Bordeaux to attend VinExpo to make deals or discover the latest trends. You would expect to see familiar figures as Margrit Mondavi, the Swiss born VP of Cultural Events for Robert Mondavi Winery, the publishers and editors of magazines like Wine & Spirits and Wine Spectator, and of course the owners and key team members at several top Chateaux. You would possibly also expect a fairy tale chateau, gorgeous grounds, perfect weather, and a showing of the region’s best wines.

This was the case on June 21, 2009 - eve of the summer solstice, historically one of the most celebrated days of the year. The Celts & Slavs celebrated the first day of summer with dancing & bonfires to help increase the sun's energy. The Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light. Guests of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild were lucky enough to spend the Solstice enjoying the celebrated Lafite-Rothschild 1978 and several other classified wines from the region.

If you are new to wine, the word “classified” might seem initially confusing. According to Dewey Markham Jr., writer of 1855 – a History of the Bordeaux Classification in the 1640s fashionable wine drinkers asked merchants for a wine from the Medoc region of Bordeaux to be assured of a quality product -- a known value somewhat like the Prada or Louis Vuittton handbag of today. With the passage of time, customers’ requests became more and more focused, homing in on particular communes in the Medoc that had developed commercial reputations for better wine-making techniques or perhaps better located vineyards. And to this day, the top classified growth, Chateau LaFite-Rothschild, can be considered one of the international benchmarks of fine wine today.

The evening started with an al fresco reception, guests having the luxury of sampling several classified Sauternes and Medoc wines along with hors d’oeuvres before ceremonially summoned to dinned in the caves, where barrels of fine wine is matured before release. Dinner was an extremely formal affair, with key figures at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and the Medoc leaders giving speeches in English and French about the history of the Medoc wine trade , the challenges of the current economy, and the value of classified growth wines. The multi-course dinner included magnificent pairings with wines such as Chateau Du Tertre 2006, Chateau Giscombe 2001, Chateau Du Tertre 1989, Chateau Giscombe 1989, a jeroboam of 1978 Chateau LaFite-Rothschild, and Chateau Doisy Daene 1991 for dessert -- still very fresh and luscious.

In the end, the evening was a celebration of life -- especially the French sense of life, as its culture offers the best of the sensual world. Under the French touch, gastronomic cuisine and elegant service is elevated to an art form. And from the first classification in 1855, the production of fine wine was taken so seriously and passionately we who are alive today can claim its benefit. Discovering Bordeaux -- its fine wine producing regions, the history of the Medoc, the 1855 Classification systems -- is both a process and a passion. It is a time capsule of history captured in a jeroboam of 1978 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. A votre sante!

... very excited to visit Winery Cecchi in Chianti tomorrow on a special study tour arranged by the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust! According to some pre-study of their web site, the winery started up in 1893 with the founder Luigi... and is now operated by his decendents Cessare and Andrew. The winery has 300 hectares of vineyards spread throughout central Italy -- we will be visiting the vineyard in Chianti Classico.

We will also visit Fattoria di Petroio, where grapes are produced n fourteen hectares of specialized vineyards, thirteen of which aare D.O.C.G Chianti Classico with the yield about 4500 kilos per hectar. The terrain of the estate stands on the wateshed between the two major river basis of Tuscany. According to the web site, the western boundry is formed by the Staggia, a stream that is a tributary of the Elsa and thus of the Arno. The eastern boundry is marked by the Bozzone, a stream that originates in the heart of the estate. The south-eastern part belongs to the water basin of the Ombrone River, which is the south central part of Tuscany.

As terrain is everything in grape growing, I am curious to hear more about the winery's aspect. Petroio is on the hilly crest of this watershed, with a north-south orientation which is said to partially explain the low rainfall on the terrain. The winds from the north bring no rain. The hills of Vagliagli serve as a wind break, protecting the vineyards. The blend is 85 - 90 % Sangiovese with the rest being made up of Malvasia Nera, Colorino, Merlot, and Cabernet. The Classico ages for 8 - 12 months on wood, with the Riserva spending 12 - 18 months in wood and six months in bottle.

Stayed tuned for more info tomorrow ....

“If only people could imagine the riches!” says a wine connoisseur friend, standing in the gorgeous ballroom of the historic Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan. It is a sunny winter day, and celebrity wine writers have turned out to taste the ’06 vintage at Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.

Each year the finest vignerons of the Chateaux of Bordeaux -- many of them Chateau owners -- showcase their wines for the media, wine store owners, and restaurateurs. I waive to many fellow journalists I know from the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and prestigious magazines. Many of the restaurateurs and sommeliers waive and recognize me. “Why haven’t you been in to our restaurant lately?” they ask, with a kiss on both cheeks, the French way.

We -- all of us here in the room -- are on a mission. We are here to find out what the ’06 is made of, if it is worth buying for our restaurants and stores, or what to write about it for our publication. So if you have not been to this sort of event before, let me set the scene.

Imagine walking into a room, taking a crystal glass, and having all afternoon to sip fabled wines like Chateau Rauzan-Segla, Chateau Figeac, Chateau La Lagune, Chateau Batailley, and dozens more. Beyond the famous wine, behold the plush, gilded surroundings, the burnished furniture, the elaborate architecture of the ballroom with its many-storied ceiling and opera-esque décor.

Then of course, you have the Bordeaux people, a combination of owners, winemakers, and sales staff - the men all very dapper and well-dressed, and the French women, well-coiffed and wearing the kind of elegant, fitted attire one does not typically see at the other end of the tasting table during an American tasting. Wine is poured with great charm and ceremony. Most tasters seem to know the representatives behind the tables from visits to the wineries, or appear to have warm friendships with them.

I start tasting with the whites. As you probably know, the whites of Bordeaux are mostly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion, though some have a bit of Muscadelle added. I fall in love with many - especially Chateau Larrivet-Haut Brion in Pessac-Leognan, very rich and creamy, as well as Chateau Oliver. I was completely surprised by Chateau Pape Clement, with its white grapefruit nose and complexity.

Venturing into the reds, I found myself revisiting the wines of estates I had visited on my last trip to Bordeaux, where I lunched with many of the winemaking families and stayed in their estates. This particular vintage tasting was a much more personal experience for me than it had ever been before, mainly because I recalled my visit with each sip. Some estates, such as Lynch-Bages, I had never visited – yet owned several cases due to auction-buying frenzy.

I also had the opportunity to recall my first Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, while still a student. Seeing all the famous wines awaiting inspection, all the world-famous journalists analyzing and spitting and scribbling, was quite something to behold. Though by that point in my education I could take accurate tasting notes, at the time I remember wondering when I would be sophisticated and accomplished enough to predict how a young Bordeaux would taste in ten or twenty years time. Happily, that time has come – at least, I feel to be at the cusp of it.

Like life, studying wine is an ever-evolving activity. I’m grateful for the formal wine education I received, and the luck to live in a fabulous city like Manhattan where the great estates of Bordeaux can come to me!

Didier Galhaud, tall, dark, and slim, meets me at Chateau Guiraud in the Sauternes district of Bordeaux, and escorts me around the First Grand Cru Classe wine property, known for the spectacular sweet wine called Sauternes.

Grey mist swirls around us as we crunch our way down the gravel walkway towards the tasting room. Guiraud is your fantasy of the classic French chateau, right down to the turrets and chandeliers. Peacocks even show off their colorful plums in the garden. Dinner or décor, I wonder.

From this description, you might think I'm setting the scene for a romance novel or murder mystery. Actually, the grey mist — a cool morning fog — is a key ingredient for the success of quality wine production. Sauternes grapes need a moist, cool, foggy morning and a drying afternoon sunshine in order to achieve "noble rot."

Why Sauternes? Why now? Why Chateau Guiraud? Since you are reading this column, you are already a sophisticated connoisseur who is curious about new trends, and quite possibly, you may have dismissed sweet white wine as appropriate only for dessert. However, sweet white wine from Bordeaux pairs magnificently with foie gras, various varieties of cheeses, and even the right entrée.

How does Sauternes wine get so luscious and pleasantly sweet? The answer is Botrytis Cinerea, or noble rot, a beneficial mold that grows on grapes that have become extremely ripe. It attacks the inside of the grape and its skin. The skin is digested and, becoming thin and fragile, takes on a brown violet color. This is the initial stage, called "pourri plein."

The second stage is reached when the grape appears wrinkled and slightly dried. At this point the grape has become naturally "roasted" and is sometimes covered with the grey filaments of the fungus. The grapes are harvested by hand, picked in successive selections through the vines because Botrytis Cinera does not affect all of the grapes at the same time. It is very slow, irregular, and varies with location, grape variety, bunches of grapes, and even individual grapes.

Chateau Guiraud's grapes are 65 percent Semillon and 35 percent Sauvignon Blanc. The soils are sandy gravel for 80 percent of the surface, and clay gravel for the remainder. The sub-soils are very diverse, including pure gravels, red clay, limestone marls, and fossilized oyster beds with red and white clay.

In the winery, the grapes then undergo staged pressing, with the first pressing expressing 70-80 percent of the grape must. Separate batches are fermented in barrels over a period from three weeks to two months, when their progress is closely monitored. The wines undergo further barrel aging (18-24 months) before final blending and bottling.

The result is the most refreshing and delicious "Nectar of the Gods" you can imagine. Break away from the 'dessert wine' trap by pairing Sauternes with cheese, either during the cocktail hour or after the meal. What type of cheese? Because these wines are especially viscous and sweet, they are best reserved for cheese types that really require that level of sweetness, especially blue cheeses. I like to go high-end Roquefort, but also try Blue d'Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert, and Livarot.

Experimentation is the spice of life. Bon Appetite!

“Robert Parker spent an entire day here,” says the charming matriarch Annick Saturny, whose husband bought and created Château Tayac many decades ago. So far, this is the first Château I have visited that actually looks like the American ideal of what a Château should look like.

First, notice the imposing gates and long driveway that lead up to a spectacular mansion a few centuries old. The vineyard here, overlooking the junction between the Gironde and the Dordogne, dates back to Gallo-Roman times.

Château Tayac’s romantic history begs that you pour yourself a glass of the Chateau’s wine, sit near a fireplace, and absorb its incredible history. According to the 17th Edition of Charles Cocks’ book Bordeaux and Its Wines (first published in 1845 and now edited under the direction of Bruno Boidron with contributions by several authors), in 1356, the Black Prince (eldest son of Edward III of England) annexed Bourg and converted the noble houses into fortresses, Six years later, Edward III had them razed, including a structure where Château Tayac now stands.

In 1415, Charles VII gave the lands to the house of Dreux and a feudal castle was built. In the 19th century, the Château was demolished and the present day version, built in the Renaissance style, was built in its place. In 1920, the Château fell into the hands of M. Boyer, who made a success of his vineyard before falling ill in 1940. Pierre Saturney, Madame’s husband, bought the property, renovated the vineyard using the Massale method of selection, restored and modernized the winemaking facilities, and made wines from this Château world famous.

As Madame Saturny gives me an extensive tour of the property, we are trailed by her friendly dogs. I meet Madame’s attractive young granddaughter. Despite the world-wide reputation of these fine wines, and the almost intimidating splendor of the castle-like living quarters of the Château, this is very much a down-to-earth, family run operation that takes great pride in its product.

In the tasting room we try the Prestige ‘98, well balanced and rich with black fruit, very likely to age for another ten years. The 2006 “Black Prince” is marked by the aroma and taste of candied violets, and is both smooth and highly concentrated. It is an intensely rich, well balanced wine with good structure and nicely integrated tannins.

Next is the Reserve 2003, a personal favorite. This wine has it all -- spice, full black fruit, and casis, nearly opaque in color and intensity.

Château Tayac, like virtually all the Châteaux in Bourg, are available to visitors by appointment. For contact information for the wineries of the region consult the links below. Most have their email information on their web sites. And as Robert Parker said, visit soon – Bourg is a hot new region.

“I’m not your mother’s rose!” This was the mental flash I experienced tasting 2008 Quivira Grenache Rose from California’s Dry Creek Valley . This wine is a gorgeous baby pink color, with an aroma of fresh berries (raspberries, tiny tart strawberries) and a long finish of musky ripe berries with a pleasant bitter snap at the end. A more “masculine” rose if you will, delicious on its own or to pair with dishes such as salmon, pork, or composed salads. Fans of red wine reluctant to “drink pink” will quickly become a fan. Researching the wine, I find the grapes are 88% are Grenache – which gives it the pretty pink color and strawberry aroma -and 12% Mourvedre, which gives it its kick.

Now if you are looking for a delicious and unusual white wine, perhaps more delicate and “feminine” on the palate, look to the 2008 Woodbridge Moscato. This traditional Italian varietal is so highly aromatic you will feel as if you are strolling in a flower garden with its aroma of orange blossom and jasmine. Serve this as an aperitif or at the end of the meal when light desserts such as Italian cookies, berries, macaroons, and a sprinkling of raw almonds are presented.

2008 Quivira Grenache Rose is $15 and available nationally
2008 Woodbridge Moscato by Robert Mondavi is $8.00 and available nationally

  “I’m not your mother’s rose!” This was the mental flash I experienced tasting 2008 Quivira  Grenache Rose from California’s Dry Creek Valley . This wine is a gorgeous baby pink color, with an aroma of fresh berries (raspberries, tiny tart strawberries) and a long finish of musky ripe berries with a pleasant bitter snap at the end. A more “masculine” rose if you will, delicious on its own or to pair with dishes such as salmon, pork, or composed salads. Fans of red wine reluctant to “drink pink” will quickly become a fan. Researching the wine, I find the grapes are 88% are Grenache – which gives it the pretty pink color and strawberry aroma) -and 12% Mourvedre, which gives it its kick.  

 Now if you are looking for a delicious and unusual white wine, perhaps more delicate and “feminine” on the palate, look to the 2008 Woodbridge Moscato. This traditional Italian varietal is so highly aromatic you will feel as if you are strolling in a flower garden with its aroma of orange blossom and jasmine. Serve this as an aperitif or at the end of the meal when light desserts such as Italian cookies, berries, macaroons, and a sprinkling of raw almonds are presented. 

2008 Quivira Grenache Rose is $15 and available nationally 2008 Woodbridge Moscato by Robert Mondaviis $8.00 and available nationally

2008 Quivira Grenache Rose, 2008 Woodbridge Moscato

Be honest – is it your dream to buy a vineyard in the Napa valley and make great wine? If you’ve visited the region, you already know it’s an ideal life. People – especially winemakers and winery owners – are very friendly, and even more important, go out of their way to support local charities. So if you love Napa and hope to move here one day, you’ll be pleased to learn that the Napa Valley Vintners' (NVV) 29th annual Auction Napa Valley (ANV) held this past weekend raised more than $5.7 million for local healthcare, youth and housing non-profit programs.

Of course, raising money for charity is what the auction is all about, yet bidders will find many fun, edifying, and educational events to attend in the three days leading up to the auction. One of my favorite events of the year is attending the auction-related hospitality events in which bidders receive invitations from the wineries of their choice for an intimate “themed” dinner. At this event, guests can meet the winemaker, the owners, and have the opportunity to taste library wines.

We had the good fortune to be invited by Conn Creek winery for a themed dinner on June 5th called “Midsummer Night’s Feast.” The evening began with an elaborate reception in the garden, where guests could taste the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (only 150 cases made) and sample hors d’oeuvres including foie gras, steak tartar, tuna, and more.

Welcoming guests to Conn Creek was Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Chateau Ste. Michele Wine Estates, the company that has acquired Conn Creek and many other small, boutique wineries around the globe. Founded in 1973, Conn Creek established itself as one of Napa Valley's premier Cabernet houses with the release of its 1974 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Named for the winery's location next to Conn Creek near the Rutherford Crossroad, Conn Creek has earned top scores by crafting a focused portfolio of limited production Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons - uniquely sourced from each of Napa's 14 sub-appellations - and other Bordeaux-style red wines including Anthology, blended from the best appellation grapes of each vintage. In the course of the evening I learned that Mr. Baseler considers all the wineries in his collection a priceless pearl in a string of pearls, each one unique. From the way he spoke about Conn Creek and wine in general, I sensed a protective, almost curatorial approach to the wineries in the collection.

Winemaker Mike McGrath was present to speak about the wines we would have during the multi-course dinner prepared by New Orleans born chef Jan Birnbaum of San Francisco's Epic Roadthouse. Wines included the 2006 Cabernet Franc (with the Stone Fruit Salad (the wine paired excellent with the Blackberry and Black Pepper Truffle Vinaigrette), and the 2005 Anthology and 2004 Rutherford AVA “Hozhoni Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon we would have with the main course of Grilled Lamb Loin T-Bone.

According to winemaker McGrath, the 2005 Anthology is expressive and complex, opening with an alluring aroma of ripe black plum, warm berry pie, and caramel. Supple and elegantly structured, the flavors build on the black fruit and silky spice core.

Dinner was held in Conn ‘s new, unique AVA Room, where fans of Conn Creek can book an appointment-only tasting, blending and bottling experience and taste the various appellations of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in one stop, from Carneros to Calistoga and Spring Mountain to Howell Mountain.

The dream of creating the Conn Creek Napa Valley AVA room began when the winery was searching for grapes for its flagship Anthology wine. That led to the basis for the Conn Creek Napa Valley AVA Program. The next step was to showcase the wines in one room, providing consumers a rare opportunity to learn, taste, and blend wines from many distinctive regions that make up Napa Valley. During dinner, it was such an incredible experience to talk to winemaker McGrath and hear the story of the grapes, as well as the diversity of Conn Creek terroir. Next year will be the 30th year of Auction Napa Valley (ANV) so check your calendars and begin to make plans to attend.