What’s in your Glass: Marina Kitchen’s Blind Tasting

by Frank Mangio
There is no more knowledgeable or harder-working Advanced Sommelier in San Diego than Josh Orr at Marina Kitchen at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, who in a short time in the wine presenting business, has distinguished himself as the acclaimed winner of the prestigious national Top/Somm competition. He has recently wowed wine tasters with a unique series of “Wine Wednesdays,” an opportunity to learn from and taste alongside Orr.

The sessions begin each Wednesday at 6pm and go til 7pm , although guest interest usually takes the get-togethers well beyond that time. On the night I covered the event, the charge was $40. per person for 6 generous glasses of wine plus 3 to 4 paired dishes from Executive Chef Aron Schwartz.  But the real treat is an hour or so with this phenomenal sommelier who is a world encyclopedia of wine knowledge.

Marina Kitchen’s Top Sommelier winner Josh Orr pours a red wine
at a recent Blind Tasting seminar.

Blind Tastings are at once humbling and exciting. With no visual tell-tale label,  tasters are asked to reveal their sense of sight, smell, swirl and sip on the palate.  It is the ultimate test in wine.  One such session was on the schedule of Wine Wednesdays at Marina Kitchen and Josh Orr was at his best.

 “There is no label to influence tasting, no tasting room, you are sitting around discussing and giving an opinion about what is in your glass. Is the juice delivering or not,” he pointed out.

“You can put your nose into the glass and process the aroma and identify what you are smelling.  Is it a strong berry scent like California wines, or a strong herb and mineral scent like an Italian or French wine.  Each grape has its own signature and personality.”

I came to a red wine that I sensed was from an old world country like France or Italy , but it smelled initially like garbage.  A small bite of bread and cheese and the scent and taste blossomed into a work of art.  Suddenly I had a special wine, which turned out to be a Rhone Valley French Syrah from Hermitage.

“That one has lots of flavor that people don’t normally associate with wine,” said Orr. “ Especially if it isn’t from the west coast of America , and comes from the old world with its earthy notes, like olives, black pepper, oregano, smoky meat.  These wines need a chance to grow on the palate.  I have fallen in love with Syrah, a complex wine, amazing with food pairing,” he concluded.

His December Wine Wednesdays are December 3rd  Australian Wines, December 10th Holiday Food and Wine Pairing, and December 17th Bubbles for the Holidays.  Call 619-234-1500 for reservations.

Portugal Hits the Jackpot in Wine Spectator’s Top 10
It was a surprise to some, shocking to others, when Wine Spectator revealed its Top 10, with Dow’s 2011 Port coming in #1. First time ever for a port, plus two other Portuguese wines turned up in the Top Ten, and 6 Portuguese wines turned up in the top 100.  Remarkable!

Wine Spectator has named the Dow’s 2011 Vintage Port from Porto, Portugal, t
he #1 wine in the world.

Port is Portugal ’s most famous and popular export, intoxicating, and the pride of the Douro Valley . Although Port has been produced here for centuries, it was only after the British discovered a taste for it, at the end of the 17th century, that word of the quality spread across the continents.

What gives authentic “Porto” its unique quality, flavor and aroma is the ideal rocky acidic soil, a warm , sunny climate and sweet grapes found in the upper Douro Valley about 60 miles east of the city of Porto.

With fermentation, grape brandy is added to the wine. This stops fermentation and allows the winemakers to make adjustments for taste and sweetness. Some of the most popular styles of port include:  Tawny Port which is lighter and not as sweet as ruby or vintage ports. Aged Tawny, blended from a range of different  aged wines and Vintage Port , intense in color, left in a cask 2 to 3 years and aged in bottles for many years.

Wine Bytes
Wine pairing with live music at the Beach House Winery in Oceanside Sat. Nov. 29 from 1 to 4pm for $20. Features Grenache and Cabernet.  Details at 760-732-3236.

Ramona Ranch Winery offers food, wine and music Sat. Nov. 29 from 2 to 5pm.  $10. per tasting. Contact number is 760-789-1622.

The Barrel Room in Rancho Bernardo presents a Blind Chardonnay Tasting Sun. Nov. 30 at 2pm.  Wine tastings and appetizers for $35.  Taste highly oaked chards, unoaked, and everything in between. Check it out at 858-673-7512.

Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad has a Holiday Champagne Dinner Thurs. Dec. 4 from 6 to 8:30pm at Vivace Restaurant. Enjoy Moet and Hennessy plus a four course Vivace dinner.  Cost is $155.  RSVP at 760-448-1234 x 6011.

A Blind Wine Tasting Tour happens at Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas, Thurs. Dec.4 from 6 to 8 pm.  Ten wines will be enjoyed with a variety of light appetizers.  Price is $55.  Details at 858-442-2749.

Meet the Mola Men of Del Mar Plaza, and The Wines They Love

by Frank Mangio
Mola Gastro Bar, upstairs in the Del Mar Plaza, is drawing a lot of big time party people since it opened a short time ago.  Meet and greets love the format that promotes easy getting-to-know you over a glass of wine and a tapas or two.  An inviting combination of an inside bar room and a generous outside dinner table plaza scene connect the fun. Jose Antonio Gomes is the G.M. that turns it on.

“We are something new and different, very colorful with murals crowded with smiling people raising wine glasses, and we have a  much bigger wine menu,” he soothed in a perfect Spanish accent.  Turns out that Mola means “cool” in Spanish, so the name is a perfect fit.

The cool Mola men include Jack Petty, bar manager and G.M. Jose Antonio Gomez,
revealing their favorite wines, led by a Hazana Tempranillo from Rioja Spain .

If you’ve ever traveled in the night life circles of Spain , say Barcelona , Marbella or Madrid , you know that night life begins at 10pm and ends with the last patron standing and that’s usually 7am. “We’re open 7 days a week from 3pm to when the last diner leaves,” said Antonio. Nineteen year-old chef  Eric Mendoza is great beyond his tender years.  His tapas list is long and flavorful.  Try the Lobster Croquettes, Fried Zucchini Blossoms or the trio of Mini Sliders: Margherita, Smoked House BBQ and Diablito.

If a big entrée is your thing, get the smoked short rib or Chilean sea bass. Jack Petty is the Bar Manager and he opened up a Spanish wine that had it all going, a blend that was his personal favorite.  It had  65% Garnacha, 35% Tempranillo that was high on flavor and big on berries.

Eric Mendoza is the chef at Mola, a Tapas bar that’s turning heads at the Del Mar Plaza.

Hazana is the brand and like many wines from Spain , you get flavor, quality and a value wine at a little price. And Mola is not just Spain .  They offer name brand California premiums like Silver Oak ’09 and 10’s.  Give them a call at 858-792-0209.

More About Spanish Wines
Spain has more land under vine than any other country in the world and many wine styles.  But most Spanish wine drinkers know only Rioja for quality.  It’s a large district in the northeast, near the French border and produces some of the best Tempranillo in the country.  This is Spain ’s biggest selling red grape. The country has about a half dozen other quality wine countries like Ribera Del Duero, Priorat, Calatayud and La Mancha .  Here’s the thing that makes the wines adventurous and something of an experiment.  Many of the winemakers are still first or second generation families. I have tasted lovely Tempranillos and Garnachas but I am hard pressed to give you household names as in other more familiar neighbor countries like France and Italy .

Spain is coming off its 2011 vintage new releases, and the wine is being judged as excellent. A good start might be a 2011 Artadi Tempranillo or Garnacha.  Both should be under $20. a bottle.
Las Rocas would be another name to try.

Wine Bytes
Marina Kitchen next to the Convention Center in San Diego and Advanced Sommelier Joshua Orr presents Wine Wednesday, a learning and tasting event most Wednesday nights from 6 to 7pm.  $20. pp with only 12 seats to a class + $10. off towards dinner the evening of the class + 50% off a bottle of wine not to exceed $50. Next class is “Great Value Wines” Oct. 29.   RSVP at 619-234-1500 .

Wedge Escondido happens Sat. Oct. 25 downtown Escondido from 1 to 5pm.  It’s a taste of Grand Ave. with a cheese flair.  $35. “passport” gets you 25+ cheeses, wine, beer and restaurant tasting stops.  $45. after 10/18. Get tickets at 949-280-6482.

Gen 7 Wines, premium wines made by San Diegan Tim Bacino, is celebrating its 2014 Fall Release Party Sun. Oct. 26 from 1 to 4pm in Rancho Sante Fe with an Oktoberfest theme.  Details, cost and location at 844-436-7946. x700.

Vittorio’s Restaurant in Carmel Valley presents a Gundlach Bundschu Wine Dinner Thurs.  Oct. 30 at 6pm.  Chef Angelo carefully crafted the perfect menu to pair with great wines like Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Merlot and Mt. Cuvee .  $49.50 pp.  Call 858-538-5884.

The “Dia de los Vinos” celebration is at Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas Sat. Nov. 1 from 3 to 6pm.  This is a wine and taco fiesta with Mexican winemakers and vineyard managers from Napa Valley .  Cost is $20. ea.  RSVP at 760-479-2500.