Hill Family Wines Team with Poseidon for a Good Vibe Night

Tom Ranglas of Poseidon and Ryan Hill of Hill Family Wine (Foto by Frank)

by Frank Mangio
When he finished his presentation at a recent wine dinner at the Poseidon Restaurant on the beach in Del Mar, Ryan Hill of Hill Family Estate in the Napa Valley, leaned over to me and expressed his pleasure at the “very strong vibes” in the room. “I wish more wine dinners could be this exciting” he remarked.

Ryan is the youngest of the Hill Family, a fast-rising wine making family out of Yountville, off Highway 29, in the middle of the Napa wine empire. His father Doug had vast vineyard management experience before starting his own winery.
Their tasting room is in the heart of the Yountville village’s restaurant row, in Antique Row. Hill is currently releasing eight wines, with grapes coming from some 14 vineyards.

Poseidon Restaurant is new at wine and dine events in the San Diego area, but it gets high marks for the “vibe,” the menu and its selection of wines to spotlight. Tom Ranglas runs the Poseidon (shown on the left in the accompanying photo with Ryan Hill of the winery) and under his watchful eye has produced a newly upgraded restaurant with an indoor-outdoor mood, capturing the essence of the pacific panorama that greets diners. The Hill wines that evening ranged from the ’06 Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, to the rich, lavish ’05 Syrah and the excellence of an ’04 Merlot, my favorite of the evening.

Executive chef Timothy Gutmann started with Monkfish Medallions and capped the menu with House Smoked Pork Tenderloin.

The next Poseidon wine event will be Wednesday April 2 and will feature Sonoma based Saxon Brown. The wine maker will be there to personally present his wines, along with a handpicked menu. Price is $65. per person. Call 858-755-9345 for RSVP.

Information on the Hill Family’s wines are at www.hillfamilyestate.com.

Pairing Wines with Chocolate

FRANK MANGIO - Carlsbad
I was first introduced to the fascinating flavors of red wine and chocolate by Temecula master chef Steve Hamlin who was doing a cooking seminar for the San Diego State University “Business of Wine” classes. I thought it odd at the time, but Steve, who breaks barriers regularly, insisted that the togetherness would knock us out. It did and I have become a fan of the pairing since. It’s simple to do. Place a piece of chocolate in your mouth and chew, mixing the natural saliva of your mouth. When the chocolate is of a thin consistency, take a sip of wine about the same amount as the chocolate. Gently swish the two ingredients together and swallow. Then take more wine to wash the last of the chocolate from your mouth.

Practice makes perfect so keep trying with different reds. I enjoy Grenache from the Rhone Valley ( also Garnarcha, same thing , from Spain) and Cabernet. Ports are also delicious with desserts based on chocolate.

This week there are no Local Sip events due to the holiday parties. The January calendar is starting to fill up, so expect big events in wine next month.

Ring in the New Year in Temecula Wine Country

FRANK MANGIO Dec. 18

A flood of event previews have come in from the wine capital of Southern California, Temecula Wine Country. Celebrating with friends and loved ones, in the friendly confines of a wine cellar, to me, has a lot of appeal. Some of these venues are hardly cellars; they are more like ballrooms in the vines. Check out these choices when the clock strikes 12 on January 31:

§ White Hot New Year’s at Wilson Creek Winery and Vineyard 7pm to 1am. (See accompanying photo). “White Hot” parties are big in New York and L.A.
A five course sit-down dinner with tray-passed appetizers, chicken, steak and dessert. The popular Tony Suraci band plays for dancing while guests enjoy Wilson Creek Wines and the famous Almond Champagne. $175 per person. Call 951-699-9463 for reservations.

§ Ponte Winery hosts their New Year’s Eve Extravaganza, “City Lights,” with décor and “street food” from the world’s biggest capitals. Instead of New York City hot dogs, think “lobster dogs!” A full Ponte wine list. Live music all night. $130. per person. Call 800-689-1292.

§ Flashback to the 80’s and you have the unique celebration at Wiens Family Cellars on New Year’s Eve. A luxurious menu of prime rib, king crab legs and dessert with chocolate velvet butter cake with whipped Grand Marnier mousse. A live 80’s band, the “M-80’s” will perform. $160. per person. Reservations at 951-694-9892.

§ Thornton Winery’s guests will stroll a red carpet at its Hollywood Gala party. Enjoy the King Biscuit Music Review, a gourmet meal and a balloon drop and champagne toast. $175. per person. Details at 951-699-0099.

§ Keyways will host the Black, White and Silver New Year’s Bash. A four course wine paired gourmet dinner by popular chef Steve Hamlin will be highlighted by filet mignon and prawns. Live music and dancing. Commemorative champagne glass. $135. per person. RSVP at 951-302-7888.

§ An elegant party awaits guests at South Coast Winery Resort and Spa, at the beautiful Vineyard Rose Restaurant. Wine, dine, dance and delight in a huge balloon drop to bring in the new year. Nice thing about South Coast is that they have those plush villas that can be rented, while they last. Party is $120. per person. Reserve at 951-587-9463 Ext. 7205.

While you’re at Temecula Wine Country be sure to see a “Green Christmas” that includes 200,000 lights powered by solar power, a joint effort by Keyways Vineyard and Winery and South Coast Winery Resort and Spa. The nightly light show begins at both locations at dusk and lasts til 9pm. Includes horse-drawn wagon and carriage rides through the vineyards, wine and cider, carolers and surprise visits from Santa.
Most wineries have well stocked gift shops for that special wine related accessory that makes for a lovely gift. Many of them are offering discounts on their wines, and have produced special bottles for the season. The warm surroundings of an intimate shop at the wineries makes shopping ooh so easy.

Wine Spectator Reveals Top 10 Wines in the World

The long-awaited top 10 wines for 2007 according to the leading wine publication in the world, Wine Spectator, has just been unveiled. They reviewed over 15,000 wines in blind tastings. 3,500 earned 90 points or more. The average price for these wines was $42. Average score in the 10 was 93 points. They are:

Ø 10- Krug Brut Champagne France 1996: 99 points. $250.
Ø 9- Robert Mondavi Cabernet Reserve Napa CA. 2004. 95 pts. $125.
Ø 8- Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Australia 2006: 95 Pts. $80.
Ø 7- Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Italy 2004: 97 pts. $150.
Ø 6- Chateau Leoville Las Cases France 2004: 95 pts. $90.
Ø 5- Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Australia 2005: 95 pts. $60.
Ø 4- Antinori Tignanello Tuscany Italy 2004: 95 pts. $79.
Ø 3- Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape France 2005: 95 pts. $49.
Ø 2- Ridge Chardonnay Santa Cruz CA. 2005: 95 pts. $35.
Ø 1- Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape France: 98 pts. $80.

I will be compiling my own annual top ten based on all my tastings this year. It will be unveiled in the December 9th column.

Win a Cruise to Ensenada, Wine, Food, more This Saturday

Mention this blog entry when you visit the Taste Of Wine TV booth Saturday at the San Diego Bay Food and Wine Festival, and you can enter our special drawings for wine, dinners, and a Cruise to Ensenada. (Must be 21 or over to participate. (Winners will be contacted by cellphone during the festival via text messaging, or e-mail). Ensenada cruise courtesy of Kimberly at www.BraggAboutTravel.com

11:15 Falkner Winery, Temecula

11:30 Opolo Winery, Paso Robles

11:45 Pedroncelli Winery, Sonoma

12: noon Williamette Valley Winery, Oregon

12:30 Ghiardelli Chocolates

12:45 La Cereza, Temecula

1p.m. Nature Sweet

1:15 Vina Robles, Paso Robles

1:30 Flora Springs, Napa

Still time to get tickets for the biggest wine even on the West Coast:
www.WorldOfWineEvents.com

Cure for the Wine or Beer Hangover???

From Yahoo! News Network

By MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press Writer

BERKELEY, Calif. - The effects are all too familiar: a fancy dinner, some fine wine and then, a few hours later, a racing heart and a pounding headache. But a device developed by University of California, Berkeley, researchers could help avoid the dreaded "red wine headache."

Chemists working with NASA-funded technology designed to find life on Mars have created a device they say can easily detect chemicals that many scientists believe can turn wine and other beloved indulgences into ingredients for agony.

The chemicals, called biogenic amines, occur naturally in a wide variety of aged, pickled and fermented foods prized by gourmet palates, including wine, chocolate, cheese, olives, nuts and cured meats.

"The food you eat is so unbelievably coupled with your body's chemistry," said Richard Mathies, who described his new technology in an article published Thursday in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

Scientists have nominated several culprits for "red wine headache," including amines like tyramine and histamine, though no conclusions have been reached. Still, many specialists warn headache sufferers away from foods rich in amines, which can also trigger sudden episodes of high blood pressure, heart palpitations and elevated adrenaline levels.

The detector could prove useful to those with amine sensitivity, said Beverly McCabe, a clinical dietitian and co-author of "Handbook of Food-Drug Interactions," a book cited by the article for its descriptions of the effects of amines on the brain.

The prototype — the size of a small briefcase — uses a drop of wine to determine amine levels in five minutes, Mathies said. A startup company he co-founded is working to create a smaller device the size of a personal digital assistant that people could take to restaurants and test their favorite wines.

The researchers found the highest amine levels in red wine and sake and the lowest in beer. For now, the device only works with liquids.

Mathies suggests the device could be used to put amine levels on wine labels.

"We're aware of the consumer demand for information. But that has to be tempered by the manner in which wine is made," said Wendell Lee, general counsel for the Wine Institute, a California industry trade group.

PORT: It Isn't Just for Dessert Anymore...

by Frank Mangio

I have noticed that many more wine dinners offered by upscale restaurants, are serving some lovely sweet or dessert wines. Most delicate pastries demand a sweet Port, late harvest Riesling, Ice wine or my favorite, the Muscat Canelli.
This southern French and Italian style dessert wine is made from the Muscat grape. More about that later.

I was interested in how the wines get so sweet as to be a dessert in itself. Grapes that are used have to be very high in sugar content. They get that way by being picked after the normal harvest. The sugar may be maximized by allowing the grapes to “raisinate” by laying out on racks before crushing. This waiting process is labor intensive and makes for a more expensive price point for the wines.

Alcohol levels are higher, usually 16 to 19% due to the very high sugar level.

Now to the lovely Muscat Canelli. Muscat grapes were known to have been some of the oldest in France and Italy, brought in by the Phoenicians and Greeks.

The aromas on these dessert wines are captivating. They reek of racy tastes like orange, melon, peaches and apricot. With the holidays fast approaching, the popularity of these dessert wines increases. They have a settling quality about them after a king-size meal. Now here’s a large sized tip for you. Some of the best Muscat Canellis in the country are from the Temecula Valley. Recently the Wall Street Journal profiled this lovely dessert wine and found two from this neighborhood appellation that they thought were among the best. Another surprise was these Muscats were lower than normal on the alcohol, about 10 to 12%, and although sweet, contained enough acidity to balance the innate sweetness. Served chilled, it relaxes the mind, and the heart.

The two Temecula wineries that made the short Wall Street Journal list of best Muscat Canelli Wines were: Maurice Car’rie ’06 for about $12.95 and Callaway’s ’05 for about $18. Check them out at www.mauricecarriewinery.com.
and www.callawaywinery.com.