Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Food Pairing with Amista Vineyards Sparkling Wine

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ENJOY THE ART OF SPARKLING AT AMISTA VINEYARDS



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It may be taking things a bit too far to suggest that Amista Vineyards exemplifies the good old 20th century proverb, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” After all, proprietors Vicky & Michael Farrow are sitting pretty with 28 acres of prime, Dry Creek Valley vineyard estate in Sonoma County, happily running a retirement project gone wild.
But they chose to plant a lot of Syrah, a grape that is — unjustly — considered to be somewhat of a “lemon” as compared to the area’s more popular varieties. So what did they do? They made lemonade.
Sparkling lemonade. And how.
Make friends
On a recent trip to Amista Vineyards, the Farrows didn’t strike me as particularly iconoclastic — I mean, they have two wonderfully behaved sheltie dogs, the Fair Isle sweater vest of the dog world — and yet they continue to buck the trend, refusing to jump on the Pinot Noir bandwagon, instead making some of Dry Creek Valley’s only sparkling wine from Chardonnay and Syrah.
Yes, I said red, sparkling Syrah, like they make Down Under. And mates, is it ever a treat.
Starting Dec. 1, Amista offers an “Art of Sparkling” dosage tasting of their Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine. Expertly led by Amista winemaker Ashley Herzberg, whose somewhat bubbly personality complements the strictly technical information that guests will receive about the making of méthode champenoise sparkling wines, the tasting visits four samples of the same Chardonnay-based sparkling that Amista makes, at four different dosage (added sugar) levels.
There’s no prize for guessing at which dosage level Amista’s Dry Creek Valley Blanc de Blancs ($36) non-vintage blend will be released at on Dec. 7, 2013, but yeah, I more or less guessed it.
Sip it sweet, sip it dry, sip it extra brut
There’s a cool, peaches-and-cream aroma to Amista’s base sparkling wine, the one with no dosage. But the final version has a fuller mouthfeel, a good mousse, and just a hint of yeastiness.
It’s really a challenge of your tasting skill to pick out the differences — Vicky Farrow says that the first time she saw the lineup of dosage “trials,” she thought, “This is going to be a party!” Well, this tasting proves that it’s work, too. Somewhat enjoyable work.
And the sparkling Syrah? Yes, please. I’m told that the NV Sparkling Syrah ($32) make a really good mimosa — just more of a cold, winter morning sunrise mimosa, because this isn’t a blood-red sparkling Syrah, it’s deep pink, with creamy, smoky red berry notes. With Chef Helena’s pepper-crusted pork filet, it’s a joy.
Amista’s got your Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Zinfandel crowd covered, if dry, still wine’s their thing. But watch for their up-the-ante Rhône varietal wines, as there’s a Grenache-based blend on the way, plus a Grenache rosé sparkling wine, as well as some wild, smoky Syrah.
Hit the road, or just cross it
Grab picnic supplies at the Dry Creek General Store, which is just down the driveway and across the road, and set yourself up on the patio adjacent to Amista’s barn-style tasting room with a view of the vineyards. Nice on a sunny day but, with a Blanc de Blancs, a hunk of cheese, and a loaf of bread, I’ll bet you can make lemonade of the situation in any kind of weather.
Amista Vineyards, 3320 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. Daily, 11am–4:30pm. Tasting fee, $10. “Art of Sparkling” dosage tasting, weekdays by appointment or first Friday of each month, 11a.m.–noon; $30. 707-431-9200.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Winery Tastings and Food - Helena's Kitchen at Whitetail Wine Bar

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WHITETAIL WINEBAR ADDS WINERY TASTINGS AND FOOD



Wine tasting at Whitetail Barat Whitetail Bar
At a recent winery party at Whitetail Winebar in Guerneville, Crinella Wines was in the spotlight, showcasing the Russian River winery’s Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Guests not only sipped the wine, they learned about how it was made, down to the clone selection for the vines, and viewed charmingly hand-drawn maps of the property.
Every Friday, Whitetail hosts a different winery at its elegant bar, from 6 to 9 p.m., when special pours are offered. Most of the tastings have a fee, but are still bargains, since the wine comes from boutique, often hard-to-find local wineries, such as Amista Vineyards, VML, Enriquez Estate, Brogan Cellars, DH Gustafson Vineyards, and Albini Family Vineyards. 
If you’ve never heard of them, that’s the point. These tastings are all about discovering secret Sonoma County gems. 
To make it a full evening, a new food menu of small bites and entrees can be purchased to enjoy alongside. 
Bottle sales are offered too, at winery-direct savings. In the Crinella case, the wines offered were from sold-out lots, so it was a rare opportunity for guests to taste then snatch up the last available retail sales. 
And, if there are any questions, the winery owners, winemakers and other staff specialists are on hand to explain, and to share stories of their often off-the-grid practices. 
As Guerneville’s first dedicated wine bar — despite the fact that the small town is smack dab in the heart of Russian River Wine Country — innovation has kept Whitetail popular with both locals and visitors. 
Owned by Leslie Bahr, an interior designer, the chic space with chandeliers, cozy living room furniture and bistro tables carved from redwood tree trunks supports tiny bottlings from mostly young winemakers that have no tasting rooms outside of, perhaps, their garages. 
She’s also added food into the mix, recently welcoming chef Helena Gustavsson-Giesea into the operations. The owner of the former Charizma Wine Lounge in Guerneville has also baked pastries at Della Fattoria in Petaluma and was chef and manager at the seasonal Jenner Bistro. 
Now, the chef runs Helena’s Kitchen out of the tiny pantry space next to the bar, crafting plates like crispy fig-prosciutto pizzettes ($9), meatball plates of shrimp, turkey and beef ($9), curry empanadas ($7), chicken and rice noodle salad in peanut dressing ($14), and cocoa dusted duck and pumpkin ravioli ($16). 
Smaller snacks can be had, as well — roasted garlic-truffle salt popcorn, perhaps ($3), or fresh roasted nuts tossed with herbs ($3) — and, naturally, all foods include wine suggestions listed right on the menu. 
Details: Whitetail Wine Bar, 16230 Main St., Guerneville.

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