Farm Fresh Food with First Class Wines at West

by Frank Mangio
There’s something remarkable going on at Bistro West and West Steak and Seafood in Carlsbad.  It’s excellence aligned, with top tier wine presentations and food unequaled in freshness and taste on the restaurant landscape.

In a way it’s a simple but brilliant model of same-day fresh vegetables and fruit and the very best Napa Valley/ Sonoma wines, to excite diners who crave this combination.  Evidence the recent wine dinner marquee wineries to present:  Silver Oak and Ferrari- Carano from Sonoma and on Tuesday June 18th, Duckhorn Winery comes in from Napa Valley.  This will be a gold rush sellout and we advise an RSVP on this right away, at 760-930-9100.

 Left to right:  Ben Cane, Winemaker from Silver Oak/Twomey, Julie Bart, rep from Silver Oak, Tom Bertrand, GM of West Steak and Seafood and Bistro West Manager Sean Merzbacher.

Silver Oak is one of the standard bearers for fine Cabernet ever since the wine world of Napa and Sonoma caught on in the 70’s.”Life is a Cabernet” was created by owner Justin Meyer.  Its current 2008 vintage from the Alexander Valley($60.) was served up at West to pair with Executive Chef Eugenio Martignago’s Wagyu steak.  It was a truly savory experience. The Silver Oak 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet ( $90.) was mated with the Rib Eye Cap, a luxury combination that gets to the heart of the West program of only excellence...Only excellence is never more true than Chef Eugenio’s three acre West Farm, just a couple of short miles from West Steak and Seafood and Bistro West.

Someone once said “Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables.  They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.”  Now West’s authentic same-day farm to table approach produces many of the herbs, fruits and vegetables offered from these two restaurants.

The West Restaurants in Carlsbad craft their menus around nature in a three acre farm supervised by Executive Chef Eugenio Martignago shown in the greenhouse where seedlings are nurtured.

 “Right now, we are ready to pick artichokes, zucchini, brussel sprouts, cabbage, beets, onions, asparagus and all the other sides you see on our menu,” he enthused.

“We planted 50 trees this year like avocado, citrus and fruit.  We pick early in the morning and have that day’s crop ready by lunch. Our asparagus grows wild…the more that is picked, the more it comes back.  You never have to plant them again!”
Martignago revealed that for the steakhouse, he leaves the beautiful flower of the zucchini on the plant for show, and encourages diners to eat the flower.  “It is so good,” he exclaimed.

West Steak and Seafood has introduced “A Night with the Chef,” a dining adventure on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  Guests are invited to trust in the expertise of the chefs, who will design a 6 course prix fixe menu based on their hand-picked selections of seasonal ingredients from West Farm.

Guests will get to sample a range of produce to compliment fish, steak or chop; one of a kind, off the menu plates.  Reservations are required 3 days in advance at $95. per person, including wine pairings.  Call 760-930-9100, or visit www.weststeakandseafood.com.

Wine Bytes
PAON Restaurant in Carlsbad has a winemaker dinner Wed. June 19 from 6:15pm, featuring DAOU Vineyards and Winery of Paso Robles.  Special guest is Georges Daou.  $85. ea.  Call 760-729-7377 for an RSVP.

Join Toast Enoteca & Cucina in San Diego’s Gaslamp for an opera-paired 4 course wine dinner Thurs. June 20 at 7pm.  The wine is Alex Sotelo’s Cellars of Napa Valley. Call in to reserve at 619-269-4207.

SLO Wine Country, San Luis Obispo presents Roll Out the Barrels Weekend, Thurs. June 20 to Sun. June 23. Dinners in the wineries, and tours of the wineries with a passport on Sat. and Sun.  Check out all events at www.slowine.com.

The Terrace at Addison, the Grand Del Mar Resort, is the location for Flights of Wine Tasting Fri. June 21 from 5:30 to 7:30pm and every other Fri. through Aug. Price is $25. Details at 858-314-1996.

Encinitas Wine Merchants has two major winery pourings Fri. June 21, McPrice Myers and Bodega De Edgar plus over 20 wines available by the glass.  $20. pp.  Call 760-407-4265.

The Napa - Verona Wine Connection

by Frank Mangio
When Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa owner Tim Busch recently introduced his Italian winemaking friend and partner Marchesi Armando Fumanelli at a recent gathering, wine history was being made.  For the first time in anyone’s memory, a California bottle of Amarone was available.  The Trinitas Napa Valley 2006 Amorone, also owned by Busch, made its debut at Estancia in a posh dinner featuring Fumanelli from Verona Italy, who has helped him develop this wine.

The evening was heightened when it was announced that this was going to be a “Parallel” tasting, the Old World versus the New World of Fumanelli and Trinitas wines for  each of the five course menus.

An alliance between the two men formed some 15 years ago, when Tim Busch sipped a glass of dark, full-bodied Amarone  in the ancient town of Verona, known more for Romeo and Juliet’s liaison. The wine’s unique character stayed with him until he had to make an American version to add to his Trinitas Family Collection of wines in 2011.  He set out to Italy and met Armando Fumanelli, whose family has been making wines since 1470.

Tim Busch of Trinitas Family Wines and Marchesi Armando Fumanelli of Fumanelli Wines.

 The two shared their wines, introduced their families and that led to the unveiling of the 2006 Amarone from Trinitas.  “Very few people know about Amarone,” explained Busch.  I want to offer a unique old world wine experience.” Fumanelli is the Valpolicello District’s largest landowner, northeast of Verona in the Lessini Mountains.  The primary grapes are Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella.  The wines are concentrated, flavorful and complex.

Busch also had a blockbuster resort alliance announcement to make that night. His lifestyle company, Meritage Collection, now has four esteemed properties linked together for “a complete resort experience,” asserted Busch.  They are: Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, Balboa Bay Resort Newport Beach, Bacara Resort & Spa Santa Barbara and The Meritage Resort & Spa Napa Valley.  An immediate benefit for guests of any of these properties will be VIP access to the Fumanelli estate with stays at the vineyard for wine tasting and cooking classes.

Like others of its class, Estancia has been undergoing extensive upgrading of its rooms and its Mustangs and Burros restaurant and bar, under the watchful eye of General Manager Terry Buchholz.  Its Rancho style décor remains the dominant look at the 210 guest room hotel with a world class spa in place.

The Executive Chef at Estancia La Jolla is Kimberly Kramer preparing 

Southwest style plates motivated by the season.

Kimberly Kramer is always “searching for great flavor.” As Executive Chef at Estancia, Chef Kramer oversees the AAA Four-Diamond hotel’s kitchen.  She has steered the Mustangs and Burros restaurant into regional cuisine inspired by the season.  The special dinners, breakfast and lunch are at Adobe El Restaurante with fresh California fare. She has developed expertise in Asian and Latin influences.

“I’m passionate about seasonal foods, especially fresh seafood caught with sustainable practices,” she said. Most recently, she was at the Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa Valley, now one of the partner resorts for Estancia.

Her Sea Bass with mélange of mushroom, asparagus and roasted pepper was a delight to the senses.
Mustangs and Burros spotlights a Monday through Friday Happy Hour until 6pm, with discounted drinks and food.  Try the Trinitas family of wines led by the new Amarone 2006, and a knockout  2009 blend called “Mysterium” Mendocino Red. It’s Estancia’s family wine.  Learn more at www.estancialajolla.com


Wine Bytes
Dolce Pane E Vino in Rancho Santa Fe is donating a dollar for every glass of wine sold to benefit National Parkinson’s Disease Awareness month during April.  For details call 858-832-1518.

PAON in Carlsbad has a Joseph Jewell Wine event Wed. Apr. 17 from 5:30 to 8:30pm, with the owner/winemaker as special guest.  Sonoma based wines are featured.  Six wines with small bites for $28.  No RSVP needed.

North County Wine Company in San Marcos is featuring a “Blend Party” Wed. Apr. 17 from 5 to 9pm for $25.  Each customer will get carafes of Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc and Malbec, to create their own blends.  Fun contest with winner getting a $25. gift card.  Details at 760-744-2119.

The Big Red Fest is back with wineries on the DePortola Trail in Temecula, Sun. Apr. 21 from 10 to 5pm.  Taste three wines paired with gourmet food at each of the 10 wineries and receive a free logo glass.  Early price $45.,  $55. after Apr. 15.  For more information call 855-398-9463.

West Steak and Seafood in Carlsbad presents the Silver Oak/Twomey Wine Dinner with vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma, Tues. Apr. 23 at 6:30pm.  This will be the wine/food event of the season with marquee names and an elite menu.  $175. pp.  RSVP a must at 760-930-9100.

Tuscany in the Desert

by Frank Mangio
It was a sunny, temperate day in Palm Desert recently, adding a lively garden atmosphere to the driveway leading to the grand entrance of the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa. I was there to renew my friendship with Paul Bologna, the wine sommelier for the restaurants, and to review the lush Italian style Tuscany Ristorante that sits by a lake within the property. Paul was guiding guests through a holiday wine tasting of California and Oregon Pinot Noirs at the boat dock.

His “Pinot Showdown” pitted Oregon names like Domaine Serene and Chehalem Reserve against California’s Sequana and MacPhail Toulouse. All were lovely picks, but I am partial to Pinot in Oregon so my favorite was the ’05 Chehalem from the Willamette Valley.

Tuscany’s menu, with its Northern Italian cuisine, is the creation of Executive Chef Oliver Wolf. He contributes to the relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere with a lovely selection of wines and fresh, seasonal flavors. The venerable Lobster Ravioli is chef’s favorite and has been on the Tuscany menu since its inception.

Tuscany Executive Chef Oliver Wolf, 2nd from the right, with his kitchen staff, prepares a menu of the finest flavors in the desert at the JW Marriott Desert Springs.

When you go, you must ask for Elena Sembenini for table service. She has been with the ristorante for 18 years. Her presentation is show business quality as she guides her diners through the history of each menu item. It is classic Italian. She personally selected my wine, Castel Ciocondo Frescobaldi 2004 Brunello di Montalcino. Its elegance cannot be overstated.

The wine list, a world tour of all that is superb, touches all budgets and is a credit to the selection decisions of Paul Bologna.

Life is beautiful when it’s spent dining at Tuscany Ristorante at JW Marriot’s Desert Springs. www.desertsprings.com.


What’s in your Cooler?
Keeping wine for years, to open and enjoy at another time, was the last thing I thought I would do when I began collecting my knowledge and thoughts about the qualities of great wine. After a while I began to realize that some red wines do get more magnificent with age.

They become like prized possessions, stored away developing flavors that would be unknown without years of aging.
Old world red wines, whether from the country of origin or a new world adopted country, do best when aged. These are big in tannins, those character-building components of the skins and seeds of grapes that make wine live longer.

My wine storage and coolers hold about 300 bottles of reds, the oldest being 10 years old. All will be consumed as I don’t believe in “collecting wine” just for the sake of name-dropping. Tuscany Italy and Napa Valley California are the wine countries I favor. Varietals I prefer to keep in storage for increased body and flavor include: Cabernet, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Tempranillo, Barolo, Barbaresco, Syrah, many blends from France, Super Tuscans from Italy, Sonoma, Napa Valley, Paso Robles and Temecula.

My prize wine, until I drink it, is a Sassicaia Super Tuscan.

A couple of last thoughts on storing wine: Always keep the bottles laid down horizontally to keep the cork moist, and keep a record of what you have, when you bought it and exactly where it is stored. Salute!


Wine Bytes
San Antonio Winery in downtown Los Angeles has a wine seminar luncheon, Understanding Bordeaux Varietals, on Sat. March 20 from 1 to 4pm. Call 323-223-1401 for pricing and details.

The 9 DePortola Trail Wineries of Temecula are presenting a Zinfandel and Pasta Fest Sat. and Sun. March 20 and 21 from 11 to 5pm. Each winery has pasta, wine and a logo glass for guests. $45. fee. Tickets at the wineries or access www.deportolawinetrail.com.

West Steak, Seafood and Spirits in Carlsbad is hosting the Caymus Napa Valley Family of Wines Mon. March 22 at 6:30pm. Enjoy a five-course dinner featuring seared Prime Angus Filet Mignon paired with Caymus Wines. $95. ea. RSVP at 760-930-9100.

BICE Restaurant in the Gaslamp District downtown San Diego celebrates several winemakers from Italy with a 4 course dinner paired with Chianti Classico, Barbaresco, Barolo, Montepulciano and other Italian districts, Tues. March 23 from 7 to 10pm. $80. pp. RSVP at 619-239-2423.

The Napa Valley Vintners will be well representated at a wine tasting at Fleming’s Prime Steakhoue in La Jolla on Thurs. March 25 from 6 to 8:30pm. Enjoy small bites and big wines with winemakers. $45. ea. Contact Fleming’s at 858-535-0078.