Wine Dinner with Allan Green of Greenwood Ridge Winery

Last night Tom and I attended a "Meet the Winemaker" Wine Dinner at Restaurant Medure in Ponte Vedra Beach. Allan Green of Greenwood Ridge Winery was there to present his wonderful wines.

We started off with the 2006 Greenwood Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, paired with a variety of hors d'oeuvres: Tuna Tartare and a variety of imported cheeses. The Sauvignon Blanc paired well with the hors d'oeuvres with its crisp and refreshing palate. It was tart, with good acidity and a well-balanced finish.

Next was the first course: Tempura Colossal Crab with Coconut Curry Broth paired with the 2006 Greenwood Ridge Riesling, Mendocino Ridge. The spiciness of the Curry Broth was a perfect match for the off-dry and fruity Riesling. Delicious!

The second course was just as good: Portobello Mushroom Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Pistachio and Cranberry Vinaigrette paired with the 2006 Greenwood Ridge Pinot Noir, Mendocino Ridge. Can I just say...WOW! The berry flavor of the Vinaigrette brought out the strawberry-ness of the Pinot Noir, and the pungent goat cheese brought out the smokiness.

Our entree was next: Dry Rubbed Long Island Duck Breast with Foie Gras, Carmelized Onion and Truffle Spaghetti Squash paired with the 2002 Greenwood Ridge Merlot, Mendocino Ridge. Absolutely fantastic! The duck was tender and smoky which was perfect with the Merlot's woodsy balsam notes.

Last, but certainly not least, was the dessert. Ahhhh, the dessert: Open-Faced Apple Tart with Mascarpone Pastry Cream and Lavender Honey paired with the 2004 Greenwood Ridge Late Harvest White Riesling. Again, it was a great pairing. The wine was not too sweet or acidic and had wonderful melon and pear notes.

All in all it was a terrific meal. You could tell that the chef took some time to come up with the best courses to pair with these wines. Tom and I both gave this wine dinner two enthusiastic thumbs up ;-)

Clarendon Hills Syrah Astralis 2003

photo © Linda Blakely 2007

Last night Tom and I and a good friend went out for dinner. We brought along with us a bottle of Clarendon Hills Syrah Astralis 2003, one of the high-priced wines we were unable to sell when our store closed. This wine received a 99 point rating by Robert Parker, stating "It’s hard to believe the 2003 Syrah Astralis Vineyard could be better, but it offers riveting richness, intensity, purity, and equilibrium. Structurally, it is similar to the Piggott Range, revealing abundant amounts of sweet, ripe tannin, and huge extract, richness, and depth. Meant for true connoisseurs who are willing to forget it for 5-8 years, it represents what Roman Bratasiuk and Clarendon Hills do so well ... show respect for the great traditions of France, but recognize the extraordinary raw materials that emerge from old vines planted in McLaren Vale. This fabulous wine offers both power and elegance, and showcases the extraordinary talent of Roman Bratasiuk." This was wonderfully balanced and quite delicious! Worth the 99 points? You bet! Worth the triple digits it retails for? Well, let's just say we would never have spent that much for a bottle of wine. We're not ones to cellar wines for many years. We like to drink them now. Why wait?

A video I made...

Thanks to Animoto

Time to Vent

So this young woman comes into the store and tells me that she doesn't know much about wines and that her friend told her we were having a going-out-of-business sale (Strike 1, she's pegged as a vulture). Then she tells me she heard we were having a party next Saturday and what is going to be on sale then? (Strike 2, she's pegged as a cheapskate). I told her that depending on how much inventory we have left will decide what kind of sale we have as it gets closer to closing. She said that she also heard that we had a 50% off everything sale (Strike 2A, see Strike 2). I told her that was 50% off 50 wines and they're all gone. Then she proceeded to ask me about this that and the other wine asking how sweet each one was. Then she stopped to call her friend to ask about a wine he had. She tells me that he buys this one wine from PRP and do we have it? I told her that they hold the rights to every wine they sell and we can't get them.

So she looks around some more and asks me why we're going out of business and what will I do next. I told her that Total Wine came to town and took away our business and that I haven't decided what I'll do now. She looks around some more and asks more questions. She asks me about a "Doctor-something wine" (figuring that it's Doctor Loosen). She then tells me that she usually gets it at Total Wine (Strike 3, you're out!) I looked her right in the eye and told her "You know, it's incredibly tacky to tell someone who is going out of business that you shop at the very place that is putting them out of business". She told me that there are other places in town who sell wine, and I told her that we were doing fine until TW came to town. She said "OK, I won't buy anything then" and she left.

I can't deal with insensitivity and ignorance. GOOD RIDDANCE!

Tenuta del Ornellaia "Ornellaia" 2003

photo © Linda Blakely 2007

Robert Parker rated this wonderful wine 93 points, stating "The opulent 2003 Ornellaia (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot) presents a dramatic contrast to the 2004 in its super-ripe, open nose and jammy dark fruit. Ample and warm on the palate, it is clearly the product of a very hot vintage, yet it shows notable freshness along with much persistence, great overall balance and a lingering note of sweetness on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.

Wine Spectator rated it 92 points. This is what they had to say: "Subtle aromas of currant, coffee and blackberry, yet rather coarse on the palate just now. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Needs some time to mellow. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best after 2009."

I thought this was an absolutely luscious wine. I had it with a perfectly cooked steak (rare!) with Lyonaise potatoes and it couldn't have been a better pairing! Tom was not as impressed, but he thinks his palate has been off lately due to taking medication for a sinus infection. I believe I enjoyed it enough for the both of us ;-)

It takes all kinds...

OK, so I was in the store this afternoon packaging up a shipment for eBay and this young woman walks in. I ask her if I can help her. She asks me what kind of perfume I wear. I told her I don't wear perfume because hubby is allergic. Then I ask her why she wants to know. She says that she's selling discounted perfumes. I pointed out the two very distinct "NO SOLICITORS!!" signs on either side of the door. She said, and I quote...

"But I'm not selling my body"

And she was serious.

:-l

Montes Carmenere Purple Angel 2004

photo © Linda Blakely 2007

Rated 90 points by Wine Spectator: "A bit pumped up with flashy toast, but shows solid raspberry and blackberry fruit, with mocha, tobacco and mineral notes on the long, nicely integrated finish. Drink now through 2008."

An incredibly delicious wine, for sure, but I have to disagree with the aromas they found. I got fresh-roasted coffee beans with a touch of grilled green peppers. The body was dense and lush with silky tannins and a long finish.