Tag Archive for 'wines'

Terroir-izing California wine

Published
by
Pierre
on May 16, 2008
in Articles on Wine and Vineyards and Wine News
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This is a great article in the Los Angeles Times by Mathew DeBord which appeared May 12, 2008 in which he attacks the Luddite mentality of many wine writers.

California wine is the yuppie of global beverages and, at the moment, under assault from a cadre of wine writers, filmmakers and importers who have taken an ultra-conservative, borderline Luddite stance toward its incontrovertible dominance of the global wine business. (They are not, as they would like to be perceived, plucky independent thinkers who are bucking a mega-trend.)

Powerful fruit — the product, for the most part, of extremely well-cultivated grapes, not technological manipulation — is suspect. Alcohol, the result of the high levels of ripeness that California winemakers can achieve, is also a problem. Any whiff of technology in the winery, regardless of the magnificence of the product, needs to be indicted as if it were some unholy transgression against an ancient winemaking pact. Thou shalt not useth the demon oak. Beware the reverse-osmosis heresy. Pick not thy grapes when they art ripe, but rather pick them when they art green and unripe, the better to filleth thy wines with Old World structure and weird herby flavors…

Toread the full article:

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Kohlrabi

Published
by
Pierre
on May 15, 2008
in Bistro Vegetable Garden and Wine News
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Bistro Restaurant Garden at Lafond Vineyards
Rose Moradian writes in the Bistro Restaurant & Wine Bar Blog about this unusual vegetable she is growing. More common in Europe than in the US she describes its many possibilities. Vegetables from this garden will be available to visitors to the Lafond Winery during the summer. We will select a basket of garden ripe vegetables which will, of course, vary during the season.

They like temperatures under 75. You could grow them year round here, just plant them under a larger plant for cooler temperatures in the heat of the summer. They aren’t picky about soil and are insect resistant, making them a champion in the garden! They don’t need a lot of fertilizer or attention. You can forget about them, tucked away under a canopy of zucchini and get a great surprise in the fall! Alien plants! They come in purple or white and some varieties can grow to 5 pounds!! I like mine small and firm.

The texture is crisp like an apple, and are delicious cold. The flavor in for the winter harvest is nutty and slightly sweet, the warmer months tend to give them a bit of a spicy bite. I like my Kohlrabi cold , raw,unpeeled and sliced into cubes or slivers with splash of rice vinegar and parsley…

To read her full article which includes preparation and a recipe click here.

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Gruyere Cheese at GCN

Published
by
joanie
on May 15, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Restaurant News, Santa Barbara Winery, Sauvignon Blanc and Special Events
. 0 Comments

The Pierre Lafond Bistro’s Grilled Cheese Night (GCN) features five different cheeses on Thursday evenings.  Each sandwich offers unique flavors and textures, which call out for an appropriate wine pairing as a complement.  Most people, me included, don’t know very much about cheeses.  For example, I know that there are a lot of different types of cheese produced throughout the world, but until recently I never would have guessed the daunting nature of cheese production. 

And since wine and cheese go hand in hand, knowing which wine to pair with specific cheeses is very useful information for wine lovers like ourselves.  We carry a variety of cheese books at the winery if you are interested in learning more.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will focus on one of the cheeses available on the Bistro Grilled Cheese menu and discuss why we chose the “suggested wine pairing.”  First is Gruyere cheese and our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc.  Gruyere cheese is pressed and melted to perfection on crisp sourdough artisan bread with sweet grilled peppers, which add a silky caramelized texture swimming in melted cheese.  This semi-hard cheese is made exclusively from whole cow’s milk, giving it a richly dense and compact texture that is less tangy than Cheddar.  Its slightly sweet saltiness (the result of the brine used to create it) is smooth, nutty and not overpowering. 

Traditionally used in the classic French Croque Monsieur (a melted cheese and ham sandwich) as well as a main ingredient in fondue, it is a notoriously great melting cheese.  It can be cooked without becoming rubbery or oily.  Sauvignon Blanc is a wonderful complement for a few reasons.  First of all, its cleansing acidity offsets the richness of the fatty milk.  A slightly salty cheese like Gruyere is perfect with the sweet tropical and citrus fruits that are in the wine.  Ever wonder why Bleu cheeses are commonly paired with dessert wines?  It is because the saltiness offsets the sweetness (think about Kettle Corn).

To make Gruyere, raw milk is heated up to 93 degrees F, and then the producers curdle the cheese.  Afterwards the curd is cut into small pieces that are stirred and release whey (the liquid portion).  Curd is cooked and quicly raised to a temperature of 130 degrees F.  The cheese is finally pressed to remove moisture and then salted in brine for 8 days followed by a ripening and curing period that lasts 4-10 months.  The longer the curing period lasts the higher quality cheese produced (cheese.com).

Like many cheeses and wines, true Gruyere is part of the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) legal system, which guarantees that products from a specific region carrying its name really do originate there.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager Santa Barbara Winery

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New Release Santa Barbara Winery 2007 ZCS

Published
by
Pierre
on May 10, 2008
in New Releases, Wine News and ZCS
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Santa Barbara Winery 2007 California ZCS
Our first ZCS was created in 1998 when Winemaker Bruce McGuire called the staff together to taste red wine blends centered around a Zinfandel from vines that were more than 40 years old. Every one’s favorite was a blend of that Zinfandel with a Carignane and a Sangiovese.

Bruce finetuned the percentages and released 800 cases of this new wine in 1999 for sale in Santa Barbara. Soon, we were receiving calls from all over the country looking for this obscure blend; a happy occurrence that has led to this eighth vintage of ZCS. In this synergistic blend, the Zinfandel from 48 year old vines lends the jammy fruit quality to the wine, the Carignane from 83 year old vines adds density and finish, and the Sangiovese from younger vines in San Luis Obispo shows off the cherry aromatics and flavors.

Bruce buys the Zinfandel and Carignane from a vineyard in Lodi and the Sangiovese from San Miguel; of course both vineyards farm to his standards. Oak aging takes place in neutral barrels so as not to disturb the full fruit quality of ZCS. This is a very versatile, food friendly wine made to match a wide range of occasions and meals.

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Cheese Please

Published
by
joanie
on May 9, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Other News, Restaurant News, Special Events and Wine and Food Pairing
. 0 Comments

Every Thursday evening the Pierre Lafond Bistro offers a Grilled Cheese menu featuring a selection of gourmet cheeses.  Last night Chris Fossek posted up in the corner of the restaurant and provided hours of entertainment as he skillfully played Flamenco guitar.  These new additions to the Bistro enhance the ambience and make it a perfect way to spend a Santa Barbara evening.

Come hungry to Grilled Cheese night because every sandwich is fantastic.  I recommend ordering the sampler platter, which gives you the opportunity to try them all.  Your other option is to choose one of five of the chef’s selections.  Last night’s featured cheeses were Gruyere, Fontina, Humboldt Fog, Irish Porter, and Carmody Cheddar.  Each sandwich has a recommended wine pairing and comes with either a side salad or tomato bisque for a little guiltless crust dipping.  For a lighter version of Grilled Cheese you can even order your sandwich with grilled eggplant or tomato in place of bread.  Splitting a sampler platter and glass of wine would also be a fun way to spend happy hour.  Check out the menu at www.pierrelafond.com (you can find it under “Thursday Evenings”).  Stepping up this classic sandwich by using gourmet ingredients tastes even better than it sounds. Click image for menu.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Santa Barbara Winery Tasting Room Manager

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Summer Pink

Published
by
joanie
on May 8, 2008
in Articles on Wine and Vineyards, Joanie Hudson, New Releases and Rosé of Syrah
. 0 Comments

Mass market American “blush” wines that were popular in the 1970s are a far cry from the dry and refreshing Rosés being produced today in California, Spain, Italy, and southwest France.  These pink wines are not to be confused with the cloying sweetness of grocery store boxed wines.  The resurgence of dry style Rosés in California has resulted in the production of a variety of styles that are a playful alternative for the summertime.

But what makes these wines pink?  How are they different from red and white wines?  I hear these questions often.  Red wines get their deep color and tannin from being fermented on their skins to extract color and tannin.  White wines are produced by immediately pressing the juice off of the skin to minimize contact between the two.  The next step is to ferment the freshly squeezed grape juice (aka the must).  During Rosé wine production, the juice is left in contact with the red skins for a short amount of time (anywhere from one to three days) resulting in its characteristic pink color.  Fermentation continues as a white wine, usually carried out in stainless steel tanks.  Rosés can be made from any variety of red grape — Syrah, Grenache, and Pinot Noir are popular here in Santa Barbara County.

Rose wines possess characteristics of white wine, making them popular as temperatures rise.  Stainless steel fermentation results in pleasantly light and crisp fruit qualities.  They are extremely versatile — popular by the glass as well as to accompany summer meals.  I personally think that Rosé wines can e drank all year round, especially in California because they also complement a variety of fall and winter root vegetables.

Our 2007 Rosé of Syrah is the fifth vintage Bruce McGuire has produced with grapes from the Hilltop Ranch vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills.  It is made from 100% Syrah grapes.  Plump strawberry and orange peel aromas are emerging with an extremely refreshing mid-palate fruit explosion and crisp acidity.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Santa Barbara Winery Tasting Room Manager

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New Wine Release Santa Barbara Winery

Published
by
Pierre
on May 6, 2008
in New Releases, Riesling, Santa Barbara Winery and Wine News
. 0 Comments

Santa Barbara Winery 2007 Santa Rita Riesling 7.3

The nobel grape Riesling is enjoying a well earned resurgence of popularity in America as increasing numbers of writers and chefs become enamored with the wine’s flavors and suitability for pairing with a wide range of foods.

As we recall, Riesling was really one of the first grapes that showed the promise of the Santa Ynez Valley for fine wine growing back in the middle 1970’s. Pierre Lafond planted the first block of Riesling in our Lafond Vineyard in 1972 and winemaker Bruce McGuire has crafted several styles of this wine since his arrival to finish the 1981 harvest.

Recognizing that residual sugar (r.s.) marks the style of each Riesling we produce, either the word “dry” or a number representing the amount of r.s. in the wine appears on the label under the AVA designation. The amount of r.s. in each style may vary slightly from year to year as Bruce balances this sweetness with the natural acid level that a particlar vintage achieved.

The “7.3″ style can only be made when a section of our Lafond Vineyard meets Bruce’s criteria for clean, flavorful fruit and firm acidity to balance a higher level of sugar. Good weather for a later harvest helps with the magical flavor intensity found in this wine. Flavors of stone fruits such as peach, apricot or nectarine appear in this Riesling style as well as pear and tropical flowers.

The balancing acid is key in tightening the flavors at the back of the mouth and is responsible for the long, satisfying finish. A very pleasant stand alone sipping wine, it would also be a nice match for a peach tart. This is another wine built for extended aging. Eight to twelve years should prove quite interesting.
Suggested retail: 20.00
To Purchase:

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