Wine Quote

"Wine is life."
Petronium, Roman writer

Wine of the Month

Our latest wine of the month is DeLoach Vineyards 2005 Chardonnay Russian River Valley - Sonoma. This wine is characterized with aromas of citrus and toasted hazelnuts. Enjoy flavors of crisp apples, guava and papaya. This complex and creamy Chardonnay has hints of oak that complements rather than overpowering the flavors of the fruit. The wine ends with a nice clean finish. ($16)

De Loach Vineyards specializes in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. The tasting room, located at 1791 Olivet Rd., Santa Rosa, California, is open daily from 10 AM - 4:30 PM Tours occur at 10 AM, Noon, and 2:00 PM. Reserve tastings that include food and wine pairing are available by appointment only. Call (707) 526-9111 X109 for more information.

What You Can Learn From Wine Labels

Who? The wine label will always tell the name of the winery that made the wine. Wineries often add a proprietary name to the wine. This is usually a marketing tool to encourage interest in the wine.

What? The label will state what type of wine is in the bottle. If it is labeled as a specific type of wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, this means that at least 75% of the wine was produced from Cabernet grapes. Blending juice from other types of grapes is a common practice and often will improve the flavor and aroma of the wine.

When? Vintage is the term used to refer to the year in which the grapes were grown. In the United States wineries are allowed to blend in wine from other years. However, 85% of the volume must be from the year on the label. Not all wines are bottled as vintage wines. If you don’t see a year on the label, it is not a vintage wine. Vintage becomes important when wine from a particular year is known to be of better quality than wine from other years. Vintage is also important in aging wines.

Where? When a wine label states that a wine is made from California grown grapes, 100% of the grapes used to produce that wine must be from California. Other states are not as strict and usually require that 75% of the grapes come from a particular state.

Sometimes wine labels will specify which officially designated viticultural area a wine came from; usually this is a region such as Napa Valley that is noted for high quality wines. When this occurs, it means that 85% or more of the grapes must have been grown in that area.

Some vineyards have become known for producing wine of a superior quality. The winery will want to mention the vineyard on the label. Vineyard specific wines like these need to use 95% or more of the grapes from that particular vineyard.

There are wineries that specialize in “estate bottled” wines. Usually this would be included on the label. Estate bottled means that all of the grapes were grown by the winery and that all of the wine making processes were also under the winery’s control.

On Wednesdays from 5-7PM Tarpy’s holds “Wine-Down” Wednesdays. A different local winery is featured each Wednesday with complimentary tastings, 50% off all listed wines from that winery, and a three course pre-fixe dinner is only $19.95.They also have special early bird dinner prices that are hard to beat.

Tarpy’s is a great restaurant and we can’t wait to return next time we are on a California wine tour in the Monterey wine country.

The accommodations are lovely and the hosts are friendly. Enjoy breakfast in bed in this historic wine country bed and breakfast.

Mark Your Calendars!

When all thirteen passport stamps are collected, the passport holder receives a collector's edition wine label poster signed by each winemaker. Signed or unsigned the posters are suitable for framing and display. More Details

April 14 - April 22: 9th Annual California Independent Film Festival- Livermore
Enjoy 9 days of movies from around the world, world premieres, filmmaker parties, a Gala Night Tribute to Loni Anderson, a Sundance Short Film Showcase, and more. Set in the Livermore Wine Country where you can also enjoy wonderful wines and gourmet food. Call (925) 362-9734 for information. More Details

April 21: 25th Annual Santa Barbara County Vintners' Festival
Santa Barbara wineries will be pouring their fine wines from 1 to 4 PM at River Park, just outside the city of Lompoc. You can also sample gourmet food and enjoy live music. Other activities will also be going on this weekend at each of the wineries. For more information call (805) 549-9463. More Details

Easy Wine Recipes Cooking With Wine

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rinse chicken, cut into pieces, and dry with paper towels.
3. Heat oil in skillet and brown chicken.
4. Remove chicken and saute portobellos and onions until softened and golden brown. Then add garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add button mushrooms, wine, stock, diced tomatoes, oregano, pepper flakes, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil. 6. Transfer mushroom mixture into a baking dish. Lay chicken among the mushrooms. 7. Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes in the oven. Remove bay leaves and serve.

4 center-cut loin pork chops (approx. 2 to 2 1/2 lbs. total)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions sliced
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine such as Chardonnay
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1. Saute pork chos in skillet with olive oil until browned on both sides. This will take about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer pork chops to another dish.

2. Saute onions in skillet until soft and browned. This will take about 10 minutes.

3. Add flour to the onions. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.

4. Add chicken stock, wine, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Return pork chops to pan. Spoon sauce over the chops. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook until meat is done. This will take 60 to 90 minutes. If the sauce drys out, add more chicken stock.

5. Remove bay leaf. Add vinegar. Stir and serve.