Chef Cathlyn Choi Demonstrates Korean Cooking

Taste of Wine TV invites you to learn some about Korean cuisine with this video of Chef Cathlyn Choi, produced on location at Gourmet Experience 2011 in Del Mar, CA.

Italian Cuisine is King at Crush

by Frank Mangio

Sangiovese and Barbera are two Italian wine MVP’s on the wine list at the new Crush Italian Restaurant and Wine Lounge on the Coast Highway in Solana Beach.

And why not! These two varietals are closely matched and vital to anyone’s Italian wine inventory. Sangiovese is Tuscany’s home wine, and I will have much more to say about this as I just returned from 4 days in this wine country. Barbera is the home-base grape varietal in the Piedmont area of Italy. Its taste is similar to the Nebbiolo grape found in Barolo and Barberesco, but without the big price.

Owner John Luciano offers the 2009 Luna di Luna Sangiovese/Merlot 2008 and the Venditti Barbera 2007. The rest of the lineup includes: sparkling wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel. And Crush is selling these wines direct, something of a clear trend in restaurants these days. Take it with you, or take it to table for dinner without a corkage fee.

“We’ve got another restaurant in Chico and I had been looking for an ideal location for my Italian themed restaurant,” Luciano said. “We are diversified in our menu. We offer burgers to seafood, beside our traditional southern style Italian dishes. There are over 160 bottles of wine to choose from.”

A triumphant Chef Jesse Elhart presented his exciting menu items at the new Crush Restaurant in Solana Beach.


The guy behind the menu this evening was Sous Chef Jesse Elhart, who excited diners with his Tagliatelle Bolognese, an “old school” six- hours-cooked ragu with goia ricotta and herbs. He also does a lovely “Mom’s Meatballs” dish with tomato sauce, sheepsmilk ricotta and basil in the Primo part of the menu.

On the salad side of the menu, try the Gorganzola chopped plus romaine, croutons, tomato cucumber and Benton’s Bacon. The Fritto Misto with calamari, lemon,onion & zucchini also drew bravos.

Crush has a happy hour daily from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, then nightly from 10pm to midnight to catch the later crowd. You’ll enjoy $3. drafts, $5. house wines and $7. specialty cocktails. Live music is enjoyed Wednesday thru Saturday from 8pm.

Crush is a lifestyle restaurant, breaking barriers and having fun with dining. The phone is 760-858-481-2787. Visit their website at www.solanabeachcrush.com


Wine Bytes
Wine Styles in Encinitas has a cheese festival Sat. Oct. 29 from 6pm. Specially selected wine accompanies. Call 760-633-0057 for pricing.

Only 90 Point Wines in the next event at Bacchus Wine Market downtown San Diego on Sat. Oct. 29 from 2 to 8:30pm.Seven wines are poured with low price tags. $20 pp. Call 619-236-0005.

The Wedge, A Cheese, Wine and Brew Festival happens in Downtown Escondido Sat. Nov. 5 from 1 to 9pm at Grand and Broadway. A Street Corner Concert with the “English Beat.” Enjoy artisan cheese pairings with wine and beer, brew garden, classes, a seasonal market and much more. Call 760-745-8877 for ticket information.

The Shores Restaurant in La Jolla presents Niner Winemaker Amanda Cramer and a 5 course dinner by Chef Amy DiBiase Wed. Nov. 6 at 6pm. These are extraordinary wines, written up in Taste of Wine on many occasions. The event is produced by Lisa Redwine, advanced Sommelier. Cost is $55 ea. RSVP at 858-456-0600.

Vigilucci’s Restaurant in downtown Carlsbad is planning a Piemonte inspired Dinner with Beni di Batasiolo wines and white truffles on Thurs. Nov. 10 at 6:30pm. This amazing dinner is a repeat of a sellout! Main steak course has shaved white truffle paired with Batasilo Barola Reserve. $90. cost. RSVP fast at 760-434-2500.

Thornton Winery in Temecula Wine Country has its Winemaker Dinner on Sat. Nov. 12 at 7pm. Winemaker David Vergari presides over a Brandt Beef Tenderloin Filet Dinner at Café Champagne, its 5 star restaurant. Call for reservations at 951-688-0099. $95.

Highlights of Gourmet Experience at Del Mar, Ca

DISCOVER ANDAZ’S SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE WITH ‘SALON’ SERIES

(SAN DIEGO) –Andaz San Diego recently debuted its signature Andaz Salon, a monthly series of inspiring social events intended for guests and ‘neighbors’ to discover the hotel’s creative culture. To kick off the series, Andaz is hosting a wine pairing class event in the popular Ivy Wine Bar to tap into San Diego’s local wine culture and culinary artisans.

Wine Smarties sommelier and expert host, Lindsay Pomeroy, will lead guests in a spirited demonstration of wine pairings in the next series to take place on Tuesday, October 4, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Ivy Wine Bar.

Pomeroy has teamed up with San Diego's prominent cheese experts to help guests learn which delicacies best complement four distinctive glasses of wine.

“We created the Andaz Salon to engage our guests and locals in an interesting, educational experience that reflects our personal culture,” said Rachael Giannecchini, marketing manager of Andaz. “We hope our guests leave the event feeling as though they have taken part in something special.”

For each event, Andaz will gather some of San Diego's ‘movers and shakers’ to attend to collect their thoughts and impressions of the overall experience. These local influencers will share their experience via the Andaz Living Guest Book, a virtual salon hosted on the brand’s Facebook page, which is designed to connect and inspire creativity digitally.

Each of the five Andaz hotels around the world has launched the Andaz Salon series focusing on culinary, wine, art and music reflecting the hotel’s creative landscape. From wine and cheese immersions, to art exhibits, local music performances and culinary demonstrations, guests will have the opportunity to interact with leading cultural arbiters, learn something new and spark their own personal creativity. Andaz San Diego Facebook page.

For more information about Andaz San Diego, visit www.andazsandiego.com or call 619-849-1234.

John Ford of John Alan Winery to Show, Tell and Taste Specialty Wines at WineStyles

(SAN DIEGO, CA) Oct. 10, 2011 – Wine enthusiasts are invited to a show, tell and taste with John Ford, owner of John Alan Winery, at the popular WineStyles in Encinitas.

On Saturday, October 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. guests will explore rich Cabernets and Viorgniers – vineyard specials – as well as several other amazing blends from the winery.

A variety of cheeses and artisan breads will be provided to compliment the tastings and guests will receive a 20 percent discount on solid case purchases on the night of the event. The event is $12 for Wine Club members and $14 for the public.

John Alan Winery is a boutique winery specializing in Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. Utilizing state-of-the-art new world technology integrated with old world style, John Alan Winery boasts expressive, balanced and incredibly complex wines.

The vineyard is located south of Paso Robles, in Templeton, Calif., where the viticulture of the region is known to produce exceptional Bordeaux varietals due to its hot summer days and cool nights.

WineStyles is located at 191 N. El Camino Real #103 in Encinitas, California. For more information about the event, please call (760) 633-0057 or visit www.winestyles.net

VINTURI Turns your Wine On

by Frank Mangio

Rio Sabadicci isn’t an especially passionate wine drinker. Matter of fact his favorite beverage just may be a scotch. But he is one brilliant inventor.

About 3 ½ years ago I bumped into him quite by accident at La Costa Resort and Spa and after introductions, he began his story as he insisted I try an aged red wine with his new VINTURI, the first wine aerator of its kind. It eliminates the need for decanting, to bring out the best flavors in wines.

I was attending a VIP tasting presented by the Tasting Panel in Orange County to unveil the top wines at the recent San Francisco International Wine Competition, and VINTURI was a partner in the event. The product amazed me how advanced it had become.

Rio Sabadicci the inventor and founder of VINTURI, with Tasting Panel Magazine Editor Anthony Dias Blue.

At press time, Sabadicci, in addition to his red wine VINTURI, has a white wine version, a VINTURI Travel and a VINTURI Spirit Aerator.

The travel model is a slim, portable device that can fit into a vest pocket, but does all the functions of the red wine model. The Spirit VINTURI brings out the flavor of drinks like scotch, cognac, port, tequila, whiskey, even sake. “I couldn’t believe how well this works,” Sabadicci declared. It has a magnetic valve with ounce measurings, plus a button that releases the beverage over the appropriate glass… just the right amount, with no fu-fu flavors.”

It’s well known that red wines need to breathe, and when they do, they taste better, opening up the intended aromas and flavors.

This design speeds up the process making it an easy act. You just hold the wine over the VINTURI, which is over the glass, and it mixes the right amount of air, for the right amount of time, allowing the wine to breathe, as shown in the photo.

At the Tasting Panel’s event, wines that really shined with this process were the bigger bodied varietals: a 2009 Tempranillo from Hearst Ranch Paso Robles, a Scheid Vineyards 2008 Pinot Noir from Monterey, a Bethany 2005 Reserve Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in Australia and the spotlight wine in my book: a 2007 Hughes Wellman Cabernet Sauvignon, from Napa Valley.

Check out all the information on this breakthrough wine product at www.VINTURI.com, and go to www.tastingpanelmag.com for the complete list of wine winners.

Wine Bytes

The Sons of Italy La Costa dei Fiori Anniversary Dinner Dance is set for Sat. Oct. 22 at St. Patrick’s Hall in Carlsbad at 6pm. A Venetian Masquerade is the theme, and the $50. ticket includes Italian Buffet Dinner, wine and beer, open bar, silent auction and raffle, and live music with dancing. RSVP at 760-943-8494.

San Diego Wine Company has an Aussie Wine Tasting Sat. Oct. 22 from 11 to 4:30pm for $10. The new Mollydooker releases are featured. Call 858-586-9463.

Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido is pouring Premier Ports Monday Oct. 24 from 5:30-7:30pm and featuring Port expert Robert Bower. $15. pp. with RSVP required. Call 760-745-1200.

The Temecula Wine Country Harvest Wine Celebration is Sat. Nov. 5 and Sun. Nov. 6 from 10am to 4:30pm. Visit 30+ wineries each day in a self guided tour. Wine tastings and food samples are offered at each stop…some from the barrel. Cost is $99. More information at 800-801-9463. Or check out www.temeculawines.org

Chicago Style Italian Comes to San Diego

by Frank Mangio

The Little Italy food-scene is undergoing a renaissance with smart new restaurants mixing it up with old fixtures like Filippi’s and Mona Lisa. Davanti’s and its sister restaurant, Mia Francesca, opening soon in Del Mar Highlands Center, comes from Chicago’s Little Italy and owner/chef Scott Harris. The food is Roman/Tuscan with a big emphasis on small bites, and food as a social experience.

Taste of Wine columnist Frank Mangio holds a Davanti style “menu” as General Manager Josh Zanow points out the wines which are 50% Italian.

Davanti has that neighborhood, rustic bar feel that you would see in the farm villages and fishing communities of Italy. “We are all about treating diners as family and serving them fresh foods that they will talk about and bring others to enjoy,” said Harris. I saw people come by the airy front entrance and the wait help greeted them with their first name. Many of them lived on the same street: typical of a Chicago style eating house.

Josh Zanow is the impassioned General Manager of Davanti who worked under the legendary Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Napa Valley, then moved over to the wine side and went to work at the respected Plumpjack Winery nearby. As you may have guessed, Plumpjack is one of the premium wines on Davanti’s list.

Zanow has 20 wines by the glass, plus the option of ordering wine by the ½ carafe as well as the bottle. Beside Plumpjack Cabernet, I tried the La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino which is Italy’s wine-royalty. We all toasted our lunches with a La Fiera Moscato from Puglia. “Helps with digestion”, someone commented.

Late afternoons after work or touring, Davanti has an outdoor patio on warm days, or the bar in the middle of the dining room, for a 2 hour unique menu of food and drink. Street tables are coming soon for an authentic trattoria feel. “We made a calculated decision to make this a truly family style restaurant,” Zanow asserted. “We did not put any TV’s or video games in. We want families to gather, eat and talk.”

Next I had to compliment Executive Chef Jonathan Batty on his Bistecca con Ravanelli e Funghi, an oven roasted tri tip steak with roasted radish and grilled oyster mushroom. It wasn’t the usual old-country breaded version, as chef felt it was more palatable for new-world foodies in this style. Chef also supervises the Chicago operation. Plans are to offer a Sunday brunch from 10 to 2pm starting in Mid October.

Davanti Enoteca is still another Italian Restaurant in the Little Italy District, with lovely lunches, an upbeat indoor-outdoor happy hour, and dinners are flavorful and easy to digest. Yet the techniques of modern hospitality blending with traditional Italian style gatherings, define the restaurant and the neighborhood through food and wine.

Josh Zanow with his kitchen and bar team are out-reaching for a kind of hospitality that is unique to this neighborhood. Visit Davanti at www.davantisandiego.com, or call at 619-237-9606.

Wine Bytes

Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula has a Brown Derby Cigar Night, with a dinner, entertainment and great wines Fri. Oct. 14 from 6 to 10pm. $100. pp. $90. wine club. RSVP at 951-699-9463.

Wine Styles in Encinitas is planning a John Alan Winery Tasting Sat. Oct. 15 from 5 to 8pm. This Paso Robles wine choice is the #1 seller at Wine Styles. $14. reg. price, $12. for members. 760-633-0057.

Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido presents Micheal David Wines Sat. Oct. 15 from 2 to 4pm. $10. pp. RSVP at 760-745-1200.

Orfila Vineyards and Winery has a Concert in the Vines for Sun. Oct. 16 from 6 to 8pm. Features Stoney B Blues Band and the Super Q Catering. Includes a glass of Orfila Wine, all for $25. Call 760-738-6500 for more.

La Jolla Gallery offers a Wine, Walk and Taste event for Thurs. Oct. 20 from 5 to 9pm. Tour over 15 galleries while sampling red and white wines. Food sampling included for $40. pre pay, $45. day of event. Details at 619-233-5008.

San Antonio’s L.A. Winery has a Tasting Room Grand Opening and A Day in Tuscany 4 course Luncheon and Wine Tasting Sat. and Sun. Oct. 22 and 23 from 1 to 4pm. Downtown L.A. $75. pp. Call 888-223-1401.

The 2011 Harvest: Tuscany to Temecula

by Frank Mangio

World-wide weather conditions are causing concern from Italy to California . Although 2011’s harvest won’t be as full of problems as the 2010 grape harvest, there are pockets of warning signs.

The season was late in Tuscany accompanied by lots of rainfall. That normally is not enough to throw the season off, but in late summer, there was a huge heat spike, well over 100 degrees, according to my sources at Castello Banfi. the grapes had “a bad case of sunburn.”

Castello Brolio, founded in the 12th century in Tuscany, is shown during harvest in October.

Handpicking is keyand while yield will be reduced, a “double triage” sorting of fruit, guarantees inspection protection for the best grape density. Best vintages in recent history for Tuscan reds are: 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

Castello Brolio, another leading Tuscan Sangiovese wine producer, is challenged in a similar way. Its 2009 Chianti Classico was the number 5 rated wine in the world by Wine Spectator. Now the winds of change will make it difficult to come back. Italy and France seem to be forever challenged by nature’s forces.

California has a more consistent climate not subject to great swings which can knock out a harvest, but 2010 was a difficult year and this year looks no different. Garen Staglin is praying for a dry October in the Napa Valley.

Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles reports dealing with a late season frost early on and a very warm summer. It will be a late harvest. They saw “veraison” occur (the grapes turning color and accumulating sugars) in late August which would put harvest for their reds at about the time of this column. Yields will be much lighter this year than last with about 2 tons per acre. Oustanding vintages in this wine country were: 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Oregon is reporting good fortune with the weather taking a turn for the best. Verasion has brought full color to the Pinot Noir crop scheduled for harvest as we write.

Temecula’s harvest plans are much improved over last season. Rain was plentiful early and the summer produced more heat than last year. Yields should be better than the 2010 crop.

News Around the Vines

Grape Stomps at wineries are always a good sign that the harvest is coming soon. Up and down the state the public is invited to a mass mess of grapes crushing between the toes of willing stompers in big vats. The latest was at Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo where hundreds turned out.

Look for more between now and the end of the month., Americans drank more wine than ever last year, especially big reds. More than 40 billion dollars was spent on wine, an all time high. It’s the season for Grape Stomps, a Rite of Passage for the grape harvest.

Pinot Noir continues to put up classic scores with the varietal’s best performance ever. Sonoma remains the best wine country for Pinot. Wine Spectator reports a “whopping” 55% of the wines from the 2009 vintage scoring 90 points or better, with Sonoma getting a 99-point vintage rating for ’09.

The wine industry is still bullish , predicting that wine grapes will be in short supply due to a cooling weather trend. But the consumer will still win, due to lower prices and a still-soft economy. The report on the state of the wine industry was recently released by UC Davis.

Wine makers are promoting chilled red wines, especially Pinot Noirs. Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley in Oregon urges trying cooler Pinots. I always recommend reds at 65 degrees. The flavor pops so much more distinctly on the palate, as opposed to “room temperature” at 72 degrees.

Wine Bytes

Pinot Noir Camp is Sat. Oct. 8 from Noon to 5pm at the Wine Exchange in Orange. Get an education in Oregon and California Pinots. Cost is $28. for a sampling of 16. RSVP at 800-769-4639.

An Evening of Epicure is planned for Stonehill Tavern at the St Regis in Dana Point, Wed. Oct. 12 from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Cost is $95. Flowers & Quintessa Wines and food pairings. Famed restaurateur Michael Mina will be signing his new book. Call 949-234-3405.

Oktoberwest at West Restaurants in Carlsbad happens Sat. Oct. 15 from 12 to 3pm, to help the Make a Wish Foundation. Includes 6 food and wine pairings. $50. pp. Info at 760-930-9100.

Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido is pouring wines from Napa Valley’s Michael David Sat. Oct. 15 from 2 to 4pm. Reserve your glass for just $10. ea. Call 760-745-1200.

Woofs and Purrs in the Vines is the event at Oak Mountain Winery in Temecula, Sun. Oct. 16 from 12 to 4pm. 100% benefit of the $35. donation is for animals with Diabetes. Live music, lunch and wine, silent and live auction included. RSVP at 951-699-9102.