Go West for a Harvest of Fresh Food & Fine Wines

by Frank Mangio
It was billed as Oktober West and the celebration was on to toast the harvest of the West Steak and Seafood Carlsbad Organic Farm. I was greeted at the tented entrance by a smiling group, no actually a happy-to-see-you family: owners, management, an executive chef, kitchen and wait help, all with a big contribution to this amazing world-class rustic farm-to-table feast. They included the other two hospitality favorites Bistro West and West Inn & Suites.

All were excited about Executive Chef Eugenio Martignago’s six generous food and wine pairings on this sun–filled fall day. The small bites offerings included: red and gold beets napoleon layered with truffle goat cheese, baby greens tossed with basil, pesto and balsamic honey glaze. Then there was coconut shrimp with mango and horseradish cocktail sauce. But the two that made my day were: butternut squash ravioli with prosciutto, zucchini flowers, cherry tomatoes, fresh sage and white wine sauce; and New York steak pomodoro with asiagio cheese, garlic and basil.
Part of the management team at West: left to right, Linda Fietz Eugenio Martignago, Tom Bertrand, Alex Sadeghee, Kristine Bane, Kim Akers and Jason Connolly.


Chef Eugenio did not disappoint with his selection of wines. The stand-out was Banfi of Montalcino Tuscany and its value selection, Centine. This is a beautifully crafted Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, blended to produce a smooth, fragrantly satisfying wine with Italian character. Banfi dates back to the 11th century when it was known as Castello di Poggio alle Mura. It has been owned by the Mariani Family since 1978 and officially known as Castello Banfi with 7,100 acres.
For more on West, check out www.weststeakandseafood.com, and www.bistrowest.com.

Wines to Know for the Holidays
The excitement is building at the biggest wine trade publication in the world, Wine Spectator. They have revealed 4 or their top ten wines for 2010. They have reviewed nearly 16,000 wines from all over the world in blind tastings. 3,900 received classic or 90 + ratings. Spectator observed an increase in expensive, limited production wines. Average price of the top 100 is $48.
Here are the number 10 through 6 rated wines:

10: Clos des Papes, Chateaneuf-du-Pape White 2009. France. $100.

9: CARM, Douro Reserva, Red 2007. Portugal. $27.

8: Fontodi, Coli della Toscana, Flacianello, Sangiovese Red. 2007. Italy. $110.

7. Schild, Shiraz Barossa, Red 2008. Australia. $20.

6. Paul Hobbs, Pinot Noir Russian River Valley, Red 2008. Sonoma. $45.

Next week I will reveal the rest of the top ten, plus my recent picks in over 70 tastings I have attended since my last “favorites” column in September.