Cool Down with Viognier and other White Wines

by Frank Mangio 
The first time I put my lips to a Viognier wine it was love at first taste. This white wine, so thirst-quenching and delicious, deserves better. Its roots are deeply laid in the northern Rhone Valley of France and is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone. Viognier is hard to pronounce and is lagging way behind the leader of the white wine pack, Chardonnay.

First let’s get the pronunciation right. It’s (Vee-on-Yay) and like Chardonnay, Viognier has the potential to produce full-bodied complex white wine, with a pretty, golden hue to it to tempt the palate. Unlike most simpler whites, both Chardonnay and Viognier age well, so it’s not unusual to see a year or two of vintage on the label.  Another interesting thing about this wine is that it blends well  with other whites. Our friends at Robert Renzoni in Temecula Valley make a Cantata blend with 60% Pinot Grigio and 40% Viognier.  Lots of apple and pear on the nose, with a hint of pineapple on the finish.

 Viognier grapes are bursting with notes of fruit like Peach, Pear and Mango,
and it does well in Temecula Wine Country.

 Viognier seems to have found a home in Southern California. A number of wineries in Temecula have embraced its heat-loving properties and distinguished palatable accents. Besides Robert Renzoni, several other wineries feature Viognier in their white wine lineup.  Falkner Winery has always done well and Ray Falkner was an early believer in the varietal.  His new release Viognier is a gold medal winner, grown on the estate.  White peach, pineapple, key lime and honeysuckle are clear plate-pleasing fruits, evident in Falkner Viognier. South Coast does well with their entry.  Aromas of peach and nectarine dominate, along with a velvety finish, evident in all Viogniers.

Maurice Car’rie Winery is an all-white varietal winery and its Viognier is accented with apricot , Asian pear notes and citrus blossom.  Most Viogniers will be in the $20. price point. Viognier was out of favor and in the 60’s, with  just a few acres in the northern Rhone Valley of France. The popularity and price of the grape has risen since then.  It’s a difficult grape to grow and prone to mildew and up and down yields. A just-right Viognier will have a high level of sugar with high alcohol and perfume, compared to other whites. Source Wikipedia.org/wiki/viognier.

Pinnacle at the Top for Lunch in Temecula Wine Country
 Pinnacle Restaurant, high atop a lookout with a sweeping view of Temecula Wine Country is Falkner Winery’s premium lunch restaurant. Executive Chef Gianni Ciciliot has fashioned a food lover’s menu that pairs well with the many marquee varietals, headlined by the Falkner 2012 Amante Super Tuscan red blend, my wine of the month for August. August is Lobster Fest month at Pinnacle.

Each week Chef Gianni presents this elite seafood in a unique way.  This weekend dine on Maine Lobster charbroiled with garlic butter, whipped Boursin cheese mashed potatoes, asparagus and a triple onion cream sauce. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 to 3:30pm.  RSVP by calling 951-676-8231 x4.

Wine Bytes
Gianni Buonomo Vintners, San Diego ’s first beach winery in Ocean Beach has a new wine release gala, Fri. Aug. 12th at 7pm, paired with several favorite restaurants. The 2013’s  include Rhone style blends, Bordeaux inspired blends and a Super Tuscan style Sangiovese. The winery will introduce their new label, Gianni California .  Ticket info at gbv2013release.eventbrite.com.

It’s Summer in Pink at Cucina Enoteca Del Mar, Sat. Aug. 13th from 2 to 4pm.  5 Rose’ samples will be offered along with an impressive anti pasti spread by chef Joe Mangnanelli.  Cost is $40.  Call 858-704-4500 for an RSVP.

Il Fornaio with locations in Coronado and Del Mar presents its Sicilia Fest Regionale dishes, now til Aug. 21st.  Specially crafted menu delights from the island of Sicily .

La Costa Wine on El Camino Real in Carlsbad has a beer and cheese tasting with the “Booze Bothers,”  Sun. Aug. 14th from 2 to 4pm.  It’s an all craft beer offering, for $25. ea.  RSVP at 760-431-8455.

Touring/Tasting in La Costa, La Jolla & Il Fornaio

Capturing the essence of a quality wine in descriptive words that feel perfect for the moment of judgment  can be a simple expression.  Love is a deep, involved feeling that forecasts long-term devotion, while luscious is a more exciting, let’s jump in the pool together feeling.
I used both words without hesitation at my three recent wine visits to The La Costa Resort, Harry’s Bar & Grill and Il Fornaio in Del Mar.

At the recent La Costa Resort benefit for Make a Wish  of  San Diego, expertly produced under the leadership of Dustin Cano of Meritage Wine Market, Italics Wines of Napa Valley’s Coombsville district stole the show with its “15” blend.

 Andy Wilcox, right, managing partner of Italics Winegrowers of Napa Valley , is shown pouring the “15” blend for a guest at the annual Wine & Wishes in La Costa.

The story on this wine  is that winemaker Steve Reynolds wanted to highlight the best that Napa Valley had to offer so over a decade ago, with 13 sub-appellations at that time, he blended wines from each of the 13 and so created the blend “13.”  Now he has created the 2012 “15” as Napa Valley added two more sub-appellations.  Now Coombsville has been created as #16.  Instead of looking around for a winery to collaborate with, Italics was born, in Coombsville, on 73 acres southeast of the city of Napa .  Love and luscious were perfect descriptors for “15.”

In La Jolla , across from UTC, you will find Harry’s Bar & Grill.  The original is still going strong in Florence Italy .  Owner Garo Minassian brought in Kobrand Wines, reps for some of the finest Italian wines on the “boot.”

With a lively menu, Kobrand brought in among others, the Feudi Maccari Saia, 2012 Nero d’ Avola ($18.50). This one comes from the hot selling wine country of Sicily and on average, 30 year old vines 80 meters above sea level on volcanic soil.  12 to 14 months aging is done in small French Barriques, then aged for 6 months in bottle.

 Nicole Gilberts and Sara Klein of Kobrand with Harry’s owner Garo Minassian.

Like California there was just enough rainfall in 2012 and the vines sought lower ground for sustenance, producing beautiful balance…lovely and luscious!

IL Fornaio in the Del Mar Plaza has a seascape view to love. Table #54 is the one to ask for. Manager Mathew Galli is as congenial as any I know.  He brought in Beni Di Batasiolo, represented by a passionate shepherd of the wines, Stefano Poggi with his million dollar smile. Poggi took the assembled through his inventory of Piemonte wines, then warmed up when he spotlighted the 2010 Batasioli Barbaresco ($44.95), the iconic wine for the district.  The grape is the Nebbiolo, a luscious grape of great nobility, strongly tannic, yet delicate in floral flavor. It comes from the town of Barbaresco .

Stefano Poggi, left, presents the wines of Benni di Batasiolo to Il Fornaio manager Mathew Galli.

 
Italy has more than 2000 different wines, more than the rest of the world together.  Remember to always eat some food with your favorite Italian wine.  It always enhances the flavor. Now that’s amore!

Wine Bytes
A Taste Of Wine congratulations to the Tobin Brothers and  their great success at North County Wine Company in San Marcos .  It was named the Best Wine Bar in North San Diego County by a leading poll.  Check it out at northcountywinecompany.com.

The Emilio Nares Foundation, supporting families with children battling cancer, will host the 12th annual Harvest for Hope, Sun. Sept. 13th from 1 to 4pm at the San Diego Central Library. Event includes unlimited tastings from San Diego ’s finest restaurants and beverage brands to raise funds for this worthy cause.  Live and silent auctions and local musicians. Ticket cost is $135. ea.  For more information and tickets, call 760-310-9467 or visit harvestforhope2015.org.

Hotel Del Coronado presents a special 5 course dinner Tues. Sept. 15th. Each course will be paired with exquisite wines from Cakebread of Napa Valley.  Cost is $95. per person. $165. with wine pairing.  RSVP from 5:30 to 9:30 at the 1500 OCEAN restaurant  at the hotel. 619-522-8490.

Touring in Sonoma Wine Country

by Frank Mangio

Big, stately and beautiful are the first descriptors that come to mind when recalling my trip to Sonoma Wine Country recently.  So big, it cannot be limited to one column. It demands a two part recollection. After all, Sonoma is the birthplace of California wine, with the first winegrapes planted in Fort Ross about 1812.  The oldest premium winery , Buena Vista, was founded in 1857. Founding families dominate the landscape, as Sonoma County boasts 370 wineries with  some 1,800 winegrape growers settled in 13 diverse AVA’s, or appellations.

It feels like a country disguised as a county…a little bit of Italy, a little bit of France, but clearly California coastal in quality.

The grand French chateau of Jordan Wine Estate in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma  includes two lakes on 1,200 acres.

It was a quick direct air trip from San Diego to Santa Rosa, a bustling town of 167,000. A few minutes north of Healdsburg, the prettiest town in Sonoma, and just east of Highway 101, is the Jordan Wine Estate, in the Alexander Valley making only high quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Founded in 1972 by Tom and Sally Jordan, well-traveled lovers of fine French wine and cusine, whose dream it was to make Jordan a titan of world-class Cabernet, one that was elegant and could be enjoyed immediately.  The wines would be fruit--forward with balanced, silky tannins.

The inaugural 1976 vintage was nurtured by winemaker Rob Davis, who makes Jordan wines to this day.  The latest Cab vintage is the 2009 ($53.) , a Top Ten Taste pick of mine in last week’s column, was described by Davis as “a great symphony, hitting all the right notes. We had dreamed about making a wine like the 2009 for so long; we are ecstatic.”

The Alexander Valley was a prescient selection for Jordan.  Located at the Northern end of Sonoma County, with The Russian River winding up its west side and Mayacamas Mountains on the eastern borders.  While the warm locations are best for Bordeaux grapes like Cabernet and Chardonnay, its gentle inland slopes, or “cotes” as they’re called in France, are reminiscent of Burgundy.

Although Jordan has 1,200 acres on the property, from valley to lakes, to peaks, there are vast areas of trees, rocks and vistas; lots of room to stretch out and enjoy the over 1,000 acres of land, navigable  by vehicle and explorable.  There are 110 acres of grapevines and 18 acres of olive trees, gardens and pasture land.

Since 2005, Tom and Sally Jordan’s son, John Jordan, left the world of law and became the present owner of Jordan. He has taken Jordan to more enhanced fruit sourcing, searching the Sonoma district for the best grapes possible.

The Jordan wine estate has introduced visitor experiences that include touring, wine and food tasting from their farm, at the most beautiful locations on the property.

“Jordan wines have always remained true to what the Bordeaux style is meant to be… balanced, food-friendly, happy to be a part of the pleasures of the table, and not to dominate,” Jordan explained.  Going forward, he is continuing to constantly improve all facets of wine and food quality. “We have a resident culinary staff for hospitality programs and believe that food and wine go together.  Wine is not a stand-alone beverage, so we work on Jordan as a sense of place with our fresh-ingredient garden,” Jordan pointed out.

Jordan makes 100,000 cases, including 1/3 Chardonnay and 2/3 Cabernet.  Most are consumed in restaurants, resorts, cruise lines and direct sales.

Jordan’s new Estate Tour, with panoramic views of Napa Valley and Sonoma is offered by appointment Thursdays through Mondays beginning September 5th and priced at $120. per person.  Reservations are now being taken. For questions call 800-654-1213.  For more, visit www.jordanwinery.com.

Next week, we’ll cover the rest of Sonoma and select wineries.

Wine Bytes
Falkner Winery in Temecula is celebrating its 13th Anniversary Fri. July 5th to Sun. July 7th.  Free jazz performances Sat. and Sun. with wine tours, raffles drawings, major wine discounts, and outdoor BBQs.  Details at 951-676-8231 x1.

Il Fornaio in Del Mar has a Festa Regionale featuring the cooking and wines of Sicily now through July 14th.  Special 3 course tasting menu for $30.99 and a wine flight for $13.99.  RSVP at 1-888-ITALIAN.

The 21st Annual Bastille Day Benefit Event is Sat. July 13th from 4 to 8pm at the Fairbanks Ranch Clubhouse in Rancho Santa Fe.  It’s a day of food and wine pairings, including Silver Oak, Duckhorn, Ferrari-Carano and more.  Silent Auction.  $150. pp.  RSVP at 619-546-5390.

Solare Ristorante at Liberty Station in Pt. Loma has a pizza cooking class Sat. July 13 at 10:30am.  Starts from making the dough through each step.  Details at 619-270-9670.

Unlocking the Flavor of Viognier

by Frank Mangio
It is safe to say that you can walk into a room full of wine aficionados that love to talk up their favorite wines and ask the first person you come across to say something nice about Viognier ( VEE-ohn-yay ) .  They will look at you funny and offer you a Chardonnay.

Those of you who have been with me and TASTE OF WINE over the years have either embraced my love of Viognier, or thought I should see a wine doctor about this silly fetish for the lovely tropical fruit white wine that almost never shows up on the shelves.  No, it not a Central American white grape, not even a South American native with its pineapple, peach and mango flavors.

Viognier’s original growing area is the Northern Rhone Valley of Southern France, where it is the white wine of choice.  Acidity levels are low and it’s almost always cool-fermented in steel tanks for full tropical fruitiness.

Rock Wall Wine Company, the California Bay Area winery is the latest to feature Viognier. It arrived in California in small quantities in the 80’s with interest in growing it now limited to wineries in the Lodi-Mendocino, Monterey, Paso Robles and San Diego areas.

The Rock Wall Wine Company, operated by the Rosenblaum Family of Sonoma is pulling Viognier Grapes from vineyards in Lodi and Mendocino for a mélange of flavors for its 2010 Kristen’s Cuvee ($20.)  Flavors of pineapple and fresh sugar cane bring up an exclusive taste. (www.rockwallwines.com)

Further south in Monterey, the Marilyn Remark Winery has a 2009 Loma Pacific Viognier ($26.).  Only 175 cases were made of this drink- now wine.  The alcohol is a bit high at 14.2% but the balance of flavor is there for a bigger bang ( www.remark.com).  Paso Robles boasts the best Rhone Valley French style winery in California in Tablas CreekVineyard and their intense Viognier blend that teams up with Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Rousanne for the 2010 Patelin de Tablas Blanc ($20.).  Great floral aromas with a peaches-apricot taste combination. (www.tablascreek.com).

The San Diego area got a strong assist in getting on the wine map when the late Leon Santoro, who was the long-time wine maker for Orfila Winery in Escondido, embraced the Rhone Valley brand of wine and Viognier.  About 6 years ago, and after my personal urging, he entered his non-vintage Estate “Lotus” Viognier in the 2007 International Challenge du Vin in Bordeaux France and won the Gold Medal! It had small amounts of Rousanne and Marsanne white grapes, also from the Rhone Valley.  Justin Mund, Orfila’s current wine maker has his 2010 tasting beautifully with elements of apricot, pear and honeysuckle ($29.).  (www.orfila.com)

Viognier has a unique charm about it.  A little patience in your search and you just may find your next great-tasting white wine.

BV Docks in Coronado at Il Fornaio
The invitation read “BV Reserve Wine Dinner.”  I had visions of Il Fornaio’s Italian style bayside restaurant, with a Mediterranean menu, sipping George de Latour red from BV’s winery in Napa Valley, and I was immediately there with my favorite fedora.

Luca Allieri is the hospitable empressario of Il Forniao, making sure everyone is happy and having a good time with his wines and food.  Along with Chef Giorgio LoVerde. he presented entrees that perfectly paired with the BV portfolio of wines. They included:  Tricolore Di Pesce , a pan seared salmon; and Cervo Al Datteri, a roasted venison chop finished in a date balsamic reduction with porcini, mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.  It was served with a 2009 BV Cabernet.

The wine thrill of the evening, the 2007 George de Latour was served with a chocolate soufflé with vanilla gelato.  WOW…(What…O-what-a- Wine) !  For an RSVP at Il Fornaio, call 619-437-4911.

 Luca Allieri and Giorgio LoVerde of Il Fornaio Coronado.

Wine Bytes
Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas has a Rhone Valley Grenache and Syrah tasting event Fri. Aug. 31 from 6 to 8pm. Check price and wines at 760-479-2500.

The Grand Del Mar continues its concert series Sun. Sept 2 with Steve Tyrell, the Grammy award winner best know for his Sinatra style singing.  General seating $65. with VIP seating $95.  Tickets by calling 800-820-9884.

Falkner Winery in Temecula offers Labor Day weekend jazz and lunch at their Pinnacle Restaurant Sat. and Sun. Sept. 1 and 2.The jazz is free, from Noon to 3pm.  New release wines are available.  Reserve a lunch at 951-676-8231 x 1.

Grape Day Park in Escondido has a wine festival at their pavilion Sat. Sept. 8 from 11 to 3pm.  Cost is $20. to taste wines from San Diego County wineries.  Information at 760-839-4587.

Twisted Vine in San Diego, off the 56 Highway, offers the wines of Spain Sat. Sept. 15 and 29 at 4pm.  Includes Tempranillo, Crianza and Rioja Vina Valoria.  Lite bites included.  Call 858-780-2501 for cost.