Wine Club Newsletter - June 2020
The Brasserie and The Casual Side are Open for Dining In!
(And take out!)
This month, like last month, I want to step aside from our usual informational Wonderful World of Wine Newsletter, and give you some thoughts and news as to what is happening with us.
As of June 2, 2020, we will have resumed serving our dinner menu in The WineSellar & Brasserie, as well as drinks and appetizers in our downstairs wine bar, The Casual Side. For the time being, we will be closed for lunch, as many of our neighbors in our business park (Qualcomm, DexCom, Brain, etc.) are having their staff working from home.
Our hours for the restaurants will be from 4:00 pm to closing, Tuesday-Saturday. You can get the full Brasserie dinner menu anywhere in the building, and of course we will have reinstituted the menu for The Casual Side as well.
As I also stated in last month’s Wonderful World of Wine, we have been working on the décor, painting, wallpaper, and changing the color palette for both levels of our business. Our Brasserie Host, Morro, along with his daughter Carla and server Natalia, spent almost a week refurbishing the hand rail that leads up to The Brasserie.
After 32 years, it had been wood-stained once, painted four times, and was in need of serious woodwork. Three days of sanding, and three more days of staining and applying varnish, the finished product is absolutely lovely. Morro would love it if you mentioned how great it looks when you get in here! (Shhh, Don’t tell him I said that!)
Beyond this magnificent feat, we have been cleaning, scrubbing, sanitizing, and we have outfitted the seating arrangements to comply with socially distant parameters. We have hand sanitizers everywhere, have trained our staff on the CDC protocols, and we feel you will be returning to a warm, safe, welcoming, new environment.
We can’t wait to see you.
But then again, if you are not feeling safe going out, we have great take out menu options. I mentioned to you that the take out foods are finished at your home so that you get as close to the real Brasserie experience you possibly can. The foods generally involve just heating up a pot of water and dropping in our sous-vide style bags for a few minutes.
We’ve attached directions for the preparations, as well as a few instructional videos by yours truly. We have had many GREAT responses to these dishes, it has been very rewarding.
We also introduced a “winemaker dinner in your home” concept, which has been a total hit as well. Our first was with Merry Edwards Winery. This included a Zoom session with the Merry Edwards winemaker, and their house Sommelier was online as well.
We set up a menu, with a well-varied selection for food and wines. People could order any amount of appetizers, entrées, desserts and wine they desired. We had seven different Merry Edwards wines to choose from, to include five different Estate Merry Edwards Pinot Noirs. We had The Sauvignon Blanc and the Russian River Valley available in half of full bottles.
The five estate bottles Pinot Noirs were also available by the bottle, but how does one couple drink all that much? We put to use a four-ounce bottle that has a phenolic seal, so everyone could choose to have anywhere from one to five of the more expensive Estate single vineyard bottles.
Last weekend, we had the same basic concept for winemaker dinner in the home, “The Wines and Foods of Tuscany”. We Zoomed with yours truly again, along with a Master Sommelier who specialized in the region. It was fun, informative, and everyone got a chance to eat and drink to their hearts content.
On June 13, we will be having a real-life winemaker dinner with Ojai Winery, one of my personal favorites for decades. The wines are spectacular, and the winemaker will be making a personal appearance at the restaurant for the evening.
For those who are not yet comfortable coming out to a public dining event, we understand, as we take all the precautions we can to make it safe for all attending. But if that does not work for you, you can pick up the dinner and wines curbside to enjoy in the comfort and safety of your own abode.
So, you see, even though we have not had a restaurant that was open to the general public, we have been very busy. In fact, my personal home/recreation time has been nearly non-existent, as these projects and happenings have taken a lot of time, effort and coordination, not just from me, but from my entire staff as well.
Speaking of whom, I am so proud of what The WineSellar & Brasserie staff has done for the last six weeks while we were closed. A lot of love and dedication was on parade, as we all teamed and schemed and dreamed of what we were going to do now and in the foggy future that we are navigating today.
I have been blessed through this period, with the spirit of these people, you, our good friends, restaurant/wine shop customers, wine club members, and everyone who has stopped in (or peeked into my office) to tell us how much this place means to them. I am sincerely grateful and fortunate to be aligned with you, my staff, and all of us that share and believe in this culinary bond.
I hope I have successfully conveyed to you what this has all meant to me. I truly feel blessed.
2018 “Feast”, Semeli
Growing Region Nemea, Peloponese, Greece
Varietal Composition 100% Moschofilero
Fermentation Stainless Steel Tanks
Alcohol Content 12%
Suggested Retail $16.00
WineSellar Club Price $13.49
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Founded in 1979, Semeli Estate is a leading Greek winery and one of the country’s most significant wine related developments. With deep roots in time-honored traditions and our eyes on the future, we produce wines of exceptional quality, offering consumers the best value for their money.
Moschofilero is a pink-skinned grape variety grown mainly on Greece's Peloponnese peninsula. Here, it is the main constituent in fresh, light Mantinia wines, whose aromatic character and floral, grapey flavors often bear comparisons to wines made from Traminer and Muscat.
Appearance:
I really enjoyed the looks and overall feel of the package. I even like the color for the Screw cap! I love the whimsical feel of the label. The sketches of festive activities that we all like to indulge in, speaks well to the title of the wine. The liquid itself is clear, with a golden-tin-metallic hue.
Nose:
The forward fruit aromatics are just like that of the orange-fleshed Charentais Melon, luscious and sweet. There are whiffs of kiwi, peach and white sesame seed. Then at the 30-minutes mark, lovely citrus elements emerge: orange, ruby grapefruit, lemon blossom and a touch of mineral and stones.
Texture:
Very pleasant entry on this well-balanced, medium bodied wine. It has a refreshing feel on the entry, and then widens in the mid-palate with some silk and honey feel. It tightens up on the finish, which is focused, clean and long.
Flavors:
The Charentais Melon aromatics translate exactly to lead the flavor profile. It is not sweet by any means, especially after the citrus nuances catch on. Look for the kiwi, peach, ginger lemon, orange and lime elements, with a hint of sea breeze, mineral and stones.
Serving Suggestions:
This wine is so friendly! You can enjoy on its own, perhaps while cooking or sitting in the back yard, hot tub, or on a picnic. It really comes alive with food, and I enjoyed it immensely with a ripe, soft cheese. It’s a winner!
2016 Petite Sirah, Odonata, Machado Creek Vineyard
Growing Region Santa Clara Valley, Ca.
Varietal Composition 100% Petite Sirah
Fermentation Barrel Aging
Alcohol Content 14.2%
Suggested Retail $32.00
WineSellar Club Price $26.99
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Winemaker Denis Hoey released his first commercial vintage when he was 21. He now blends old world methods with new world technique to make nouveau-style wines. He strives to produce wines that are rich, textured, and balanced, and that respect terroir and varietal character. His success is based on careful attention to detail and the purposeful use of each step in winemaking: grape sources, fermentation technique, pressing regiment, barrel selection, and aging program. The result is clean, focused wines. In 2014 Hoey and his wife, Claire, bought the Marilyn Remark Winery in the Santa Lucia Highlands where they are raising their family, and running the Odonata Winery. Their property includes a 2-acre vineyard, production facility, tasting room, and a welcoming patio where visitors can enjoy their unique wine.
Appearance:
Nice package overall, leaving off the foil cap, to which I approve. Informative back label is worth the read. I would buy this if I saw it sitting on the shelf. The wine is nearly black all the way through, yielding to a very dark purple on the rim, and has heavy, dark viscous legs dripping slowly down the bowl.
Nose:
Dense fruit of blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry. Lovely, sweet, dark cherries, with cinnamon spice, dark wood and sweet vanilla oak are delightful. Noted some black pepper, currant and black licorice. It is wild and tame at the same time.
Texture:
The wine has a mouth-chewing, massive density to it, with great depth of fruit. As muscular as the fruit is, the texture is actually quite feminine: supple, sensuous, luscious and exotic. OK, really sexy! I just loved the way it felt on the palate!
Flavors:
Such a delight! Components from the nose strike solid on the palate: blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, and sweet dark cherries. Such a prize with the lovely mouthfeel and super juicy dark fruits, vanilla, black pepper . . .
Serving Suggestions:
The wine will last 10-20 years from now, easily, however it is great drinking now. I am taking some home to cellar for years, and some to enjoy with BBQ steaks this summer.
2012 Calcareous Cabernet Sauvignon, Signature Estate “Dana Brown”
Growing Region Paso Robles, Ca.
Varietal Composition 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc
Fermentation 100% New French Oak for 30 Months
Alcohol Content 14.6%
Suggested Retail $169.99 (Wine.com)
WineSellar Club Price $89.99
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: “Father and daughter Lloyd Messer and Dana Brown realized their dream of finding a place to express their passion for wine in 2000, when they established Calcareous Vineyards on one of the highest limestone plateaus on Paso Robles’ west side. Both Lloyd and Dana, experienced wine distributors in their native Iowa, recognized the west side of Paso Robles had potential to produce world-class wines.” We bought this on a special purchase, so while we are able to offer this outrageously low price for it, we don’t have a lot to sell after distributing it to our Gary Parker Collection members.
Appearance:
Kind of the Darth Vader package, black the main theme, pretty heavy bottle and with a gold embossed label. I love the mountain horizon artwork on the label, and appreciate this is the only wine in their lineup that owner Dana Brown puts her signature on. The wine is just about totally black, with a magenta rim at the edge, showing no signs of age.
Nose:
Everything about this wine is gorgeous, starting with the fabulous aromatics. Perfectly ripe dark berry compote, toasted oak, chocolate, vanilla, cassis and spice pop up about three inches above the glass. Glorious!!!
Texture:
A few notches below the controversial “Monster” moniker, it is pretty full bodied and has all the elements in perfect harmony: supple and juicy tannic acids, perfectly ripened dark fruits, well integrated wood features, and a long, long, long, long satisfying finish.
Flavors:
As with many excellent, older wines, the flavors evolve as the wine is being consumed. My bottle lasted about two hours and I came across blueberry, blackberry, cassis vanilla, chocolate, toasted oak, black pepper, mineral, chalk, hot stone, and a touch of earth and spice. I was mesmerized by this wine, and it has left a lasting impression on me.
Serving Suggestions:
What to do with only one bottle? I would find a special occasion (like end of this year?) and enjoy it. Will age 10-15 years or so if you decide to cellar it.
Ojai Red, The Ojai Vineyard
Growing Region California Table Wine
Varietal Composition 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Syrah
Fermentation Barrel Aging
Alcohol Content 13.5%
Suggested Retail $25.00
WineSellar Club Price $20.69
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: “What’s significant and often lost when we talk about this wine is that the ingredients used are the same carefully farmed and meticulously fermented grapes that go into our more exclusive bottlings.
Throughout the years Ojai Red was reserved for the local market but slowly made its way to outside buyers and tasters who recognized the terrific value and its exciting personality. Because of this attention and demand we are at the point where we have to restrict sales to satisfy our personal customers.
It’s a story that’s repeated everywhere in the wine world that the best bargains are to be found in the nondescript bottling of craft producers that really care—whether in Burgundy, Piedmont or California.”
Appearance:
The familiar and distinguishable diamond cut label from Ojai vineyards is comforting, and reminds me that this craft wine producer has been one of my very favorites for decades. The wine is more like Pinot Noir in color, with a dark strawberry skin hue, edging out to nearly clear.
Nose:
I was in a hurry to experience the fragrance of this wine again. Tasting it for the first time, I swore I could distinguish separately the Pinot Noir and the Syrah aromatics. Today, I still think so, which is great. Subtle, yet forward bouquet, which has scents of graphite, red cherry and wet earth.
Texture:
The entry is surprisingly rich considering the lightness of the color. Some “grippy” acids surround the medium-weighted pomegranate/raspberry fruit at the core. This wine is designed for early, pleasant, easy drinking.
Flavors:
All the staff really liked this wine for it straightforward deliciousness and accessibility. The welcoming cherry and raspberry fruit brings nuances from both grape varietals: the structure and earthiness of the Syrah, and the silky red cherry essence from the Pinot Noir
Serving Suggestions:
It’s a now wine, meant to be consumed this summer with BBQ or on a picnic. Great Value!!!
2016 Pinot Noir, Odonata, Falcon Hill Vineyard
Growing Region Santa Clara Valley, Ca.
Varietal Composition 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation Barrel Aging
Alcohol Content 14.4%
Suggested Retail $42.00
WineSellar Club Price $33.29
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Winemaker Denis Hoey released his first commercial vintage when he was 21. He now blends old world methods with new world technique to make nouveau-style wines. He strives to produce wines that are rich, textured, and balanced, and that respect terroir and varietal character. His success is based on careful attention to detail and the purposeful use of each step in winemaking: grape sources, fermentation technique, pressing regiment, barrel selection, and aging program. The result is clean, focused wines. In 2014 Hoey and his wife, Claire, bought the Marilyn Remark Winery in the Santa Lucia Highlands where they are raising their family, and running the Odonata Winery. Their property includes a 2-acre vineyard, production facility, tasting room, and a welcoming patio where visitors can enjoy their unique wine.
Appearance:
Nice package overall, leaving off the foil cap, to which I approve. Informative back label is worth the read. I would buy this if I saw it sitting on the shelf. Black/maroon hue is deep and solid all through the glass, bleeding to a black tea coloring at the rim. You can see the legs on the bowl drip down slowly.
Nose:
A complex nose of dark plums, black cherry, roasted black walnuts features a nice whiff of vanilla as well as some raw beef / meaty notes. Moving on to spices of nutmeg and cardamom, we have underbrush, brown leaf, and a hint of smoke.
Texture:
Interesting rich and dense fruit entry, and its wood-laden acids makes it feel more like a Cabernet Franc or a Carignan than a Pinot Noir. Some cranberry-like acid keeps the fruit in check, allowing the finish to be tight and inviting food. Very fun!
Flavors:
The fruit is so intense it takes 30 minutes before the layer of flavors begin to unfold. Look for spicy fruit, (nutmeg & cardamom) dark plums, dates, loads of black walnuts (roasted), and a touch of earthen soil. The cranberry flavored acid makes for a tight, enticing finish.
Serving Suggestions:
The wine will last 10-15 years from now, easily, however it is great drinking now. I’m taking some home to cellar for years, and some to enjoy with BBQ steaks this summer.
NV Gran Moraine, Brut Rose
Growing Region: Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon
Varietal Composition: 57% Chardonnay, 43% Pinot Noir
Vinification: 40% Neutral French oak, 60% Stainless steel. En tirage for minimum 24 months.
Dosage: 5 g/l
Alcohol Content: 12.5% abv
Suggested Retail: $55.00
WineSellar Club Price: $50.00
91 Points, Robert Parker
From the Winery:
Our Brut Rose is only released once a year and is extremely limited. Vineyards used for the Brut Rose were planted in 2005 and located 5 miles west of the town of Carlton and is subject to cool afternoon breezes that roll off the Pacific Ocean. It is the epitome of style, grace, and elegance.
Appearance:
Ballet slipper pink with a hint of gold
Nose:
Strawberry shortcake, peonies, rose petals, white peach, lightly toasted brioche
Texture:
Precise, vibrant, and exceptionally clean
Flavors:
Clementines, Rainier cherries, watermelon, lemon curd, pastry dough, and a beautiful floral lift on the finish.
Serving Suggestions:
This would be a perfect Brunch sparkler!
Serve it with Belgian waffles, strawberries, and freshly whipped cream!
NV Champagne Lallier, Grand Brut Rose
Growing Region: Grand Cru fruit from Ay, Verzenay, Oger and Cramant
Varietal Composition: 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay
Vinification: En tirage a minimum of 3 years before release and use of about 8% reserve wines. The Grand Brut Rose is crafted as a millefeuille (translates to a thousand layers); alternating layers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir co-macerated in the tank.
Dosage: 10 g/l
Alcohol Content: 12% abv
Suggested Retail: $68.99
WineSellar Club Price: $50
93 Points, Wine Spectator
92 Points, Burghound
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
From the Winery:
Lallier was founded in 1906 and cover just about 15 acres, mostly in Ay. Lallier only works with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and is influenced by Burgundy. The Grand Cru parcels used in this Champagne are selected for low yields at harvest.
Only 600 cases imported to the United States.
Appearance:
A deep salmon pink
Nose:
Enchanting aromas of wild strawberries, raspberries, Valencia oranges and freshly baked baguette
Texture:
Precise perlage, crisp!
Flavors:
Steeped Ceylon black tea, white cherries, raspberries, yellow peaches, and ginger, Racy but extremely well balanced.
Serving Suggestions:
Broiled lobster tails finished with a fresh squeeze of Valencia orange would be a divine treat with the Champagne Lallier Brut Rose!
Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp
Longtime friend, fellow traveler, wine club member and great supporter of ours, Susan Greenstien, sent me this recipe she really loved. She eliminated the capers, but I would include them for myself.
Serves four.
Ingredients for the Shrimp:
- ⅔ cup olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp
- ¾ lb large shrimp
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the Pasta:
- 1 lb spaghetti
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fried capers **(See below)
Method:
- In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a single layer, add shrimp to preheated pan. Cook 3 minutes per side or until pink and cooked through. Set aside.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Toss pasta with lemon sauce, shrimp and preserved cooking liquid, adding ¼ cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper and stir in basil. Garnish with lemon zest and fried capers.
**To fry capers: Drain, rinse, and dry capers very well. Heat 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a small straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers when you swirl it. You can make sure it is hot enough by adding one caper to the oil. If it immediately starts to sizzle and pop, the oil is hot enough. Add capers to hot oil and fry for about 10 to 15 seconds or until they have popped open or are golden brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove capers to a paper towel–lined plate and allow them to drain before using.
(Giada de Laurentiils)