Wine Tasting Events 2012

I usually write about events that have already happened. In this case I thought I'd let you know that there are some exciting California wine tasting events coming up in the next few months!
Stay tuned for more Taste-N-Trip coverage...

 

Provence in the City 2012 - LOS ANGELES
April 2
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Fig & Olive Melrose Place
8490 Melrose Pl
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 360-9100
www.figandolive.com

Join us for the year's largest official presentation of the wines of Provence in Los Angeles! Sample some of the finest rosé, red and white wines of the Côtes de Provence appellation … paired with Mediterranean hors d’oeuvres.
Media only event.
www.provencewineusa.com/event_detail.cfm?e=6

30th Annual Vintners' Festival - Santa Barbara  
Saturday - April 21, 2012
Vintners' Festival Weekend
April 20, 21, 22, 23


The Vintners’ Festival is hosted by the more than one hundred vintners and winemakers of the organization, who will be pouring their latest releases of the fifty-four plus varietals of wine grown in the county. The festival will also feature more than two dozen local restaurants, caterers and purveyors of specialty foods serving tasty wine country bites, and two live and lively bands filling the spring air with music. Add to that a Silent Auction to benefit local charities, art displays from area artists and a day of wine country camaraderie and you’ve got a festival where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The Festival takes place on Saturday, April 21st, from 1 to 4 pm at The Carranza, located approximately at 5406 Zaca Station Road, on the outskirts of Los Olivos.

This weekend, wineries also present their own events, ranging from Winemaker's Dinners through library tastings and sales to new wine releases and barrel tastings. Check back here to see a full listing of events as they are finalized.

A favorite feature of the weekend is the Vintners' Visa - your passport to twelve winery tasting rooms - use the Vintners' Visa to explore new wineries - or revisit old friends.

www.sbcountywines.com/events/festival.html
For tickets, visit: http://arestravel.com/4867_attraction-tickets_a1024.html or call 888-330-6744.
For details about the event e-mail information@sbcountywines.com



 

30th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival 

May 18 - 20, 2012
Paso Robles, CA
www.pasowine.com

EXPERIENCE THE PERSONALITY AND RICH HISTORY reflected in each glass of Paso Robles wine. Combining traditions of the past with innovations of the future, Paso Robles Wine Country comes together to honor 30 years of the Paso Robles Wine Festival May 18 – 20, 2012. This celebration of the finest in food and wine will embrace all that define Paso Robles Wine Country – welcome-to-the-neighborhood atmosphere, fantastic food offerings, and of course exceptional wines.

The 30th Annual Wine Festival begins Friday, May 18, 2012 as select wineries feature their library, reserve, futures and refreshing power white/Rosé samples at the RESERVE event. On Saturday, May 19, 2012 more than 70 wineries come together in the Paso Robles Downtown City Park to showcase their wines alongside culinary samplings from fresh and trendy food trucks.

Travel beyond the Park to explore more than 150 winery events throughout the weekend including winemaker dinners, live music, barrel samplings, and more. 

 

Conejo Wine & Jazz Fest
Sun, May 20 2012, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Conejo Creek Park North
1379 East Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

The Conejo Wine & Jazz Fest will be held on May 20, 2012, at Conejo Creek Park North, 1379 East Janss Road in Thousand Oaks from 1 pm - 4 pm.

The day will feature restaurants, caterers and wineries in addition to live Jazz performance by some of the areas finest musicians. Come and join us in wine tastings, food tastings and great music!

This event supports the local high school music programs of the Conejo Valley. The cost to attend is $50 and the special VIP ticket is $75. The VIP ticket includes a VIP parking pass, one hour early admission, and reserved VIP seating near the jazz music stage and under a shade tent.

For general information, visit: http://conejowineandjazz.com
For tickets, visit: http://conejowineandjazz.ticketleap.com/conejo-wine--jazz-fest

 

5th Annual Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration
Thursday, June 21, 2012 from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
715 South A Street, Oxnard, CA 93030

It's time to celebrate! Join us for the 5th Annual Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration and experience Ventura County's artisan wines, incredible food, live music and more!

This year's celebration will be held at the historic Heritage Square in downtown Oxnard, CA from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, June 21st, 2012.

Tickets available for only $35. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Ventura County FOOD SHARE, a food bank that houses and distributes millions of pounds of food every year to the hungry of Ventura County. This event is open to the public - ages 21 and up. Admission price includes food, wine and souvenir wine glass.

Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy the finest wines of Ventura County!

For general information, visit: http://www.venturacountywinetrail.com
For tickets, visit: http://winetrailcelebration2012.eventbrite.com

The Malibu Wine Trail

Wine Tasting in the Bu  

The city of Malibu is known for its 21 miles of sandy beaches from Topanga to Nicholas Canyon and for being the home of movie stars. Signs with "27 miles of scenic beauty" on them refer to Malibu's original coastal length before it became a city in 1991. Since the mid 1980’s the hills in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu and the Mediterranean climate have been producing local wines. 

My wife and I took a tasting trip to some local wineries between Calabasas and Malibu last Friday afternoon.  Our scenic drive to Malibu started around 4 pm and it was easy to sample wines at three tasting rooms in the Agoura/Malibu area. The route from Calabasas is roughly 50 miles round-trip. That’s about 1 ½ hours driving time and we spent about 20 minutes at each tasting room, so we were done in 2 ½ hours (about 6:30 pm).  Once the Cornell Tasting Room reopens (they are open for wine sales now, just not for tasting/sales by the glass) you could easily add them as a first stop.  And the Old Place restaurant next door in Cornell is a great place for Brunch or Dinner on the weekend. 

SIP Malibu - Cielo Wine Bar / Cielo Malibu Estate Wineyard

Our first stop was at the newly renovated SIP Malibu - Cielo Wine Bar. Their sign is not visible from the road, so make a left turn off of Kanan on to Sierra Creek Road when you see the Rustic Canyon General Store & Grill sign. SIP is located next door to the general store and a separate business from Cielo Malibu Estate.

They sell Cielo wines exclusively and also have a nice selection of bottled beers if you’re not interested in tasting wine. The colorful décor and posters inside the tasting room, the Woodstock Collection labels, and the music playing give it a real 60’s vibe.

Lauren & Corey

I tasted the “Mixed Flight” of wines and my wife tried the “White Flight.” The Tasting Menu also included higher priced tastings, “Estate Flight” and “Monster Flight,” and we plan on trying those on our next visit.  My favorites were the 2009 Honey Pie (45% Chardonnay, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Muscat) and the 2009 Pinot Noir (100% Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia). The Honey Pie was a very interesting blend of whites with a little bit of sweetness. And I don’t think I ever had 100% Pinot Noir before. It was lighter than most Pinot Noir wines I’ve had and didn’t have as much of a fruit presence.  My wife liked the 2010 Woodstock "Misty Roses" Rosé (70% Merlot, 30% Malbec from Napa Valley) – a great sipping wine for summertime.

 

Malibu Wines / Malibu Family Wines

If you look them up online you might notice there’s a slight difference between “Malibu Family Wines” and “Malibu Wines.” They have different website and street addresses and are not exactly the same business.  Malibu Wines is an outdoor tasting room that offers Semler & Saddlerock wines made by Malibu Family Wines. Their wines are served at a couple of rustic tasting bars; a large one exclusively for their Wine Club Members and a smaller one for non-members.

Semler was the first label and Saddlerock was the second label made by Malibu Family Wines.  Saddlerock ranch is the estate where grapes for both labels are grown.  It is across Mulholland Highway from the tasting room and they host wine club events there at the ranch.
This is my favorite place for enjoying outdoor wine tasting. During their summer hours (from Memorial Day to Halloween), they are open until 9 pm on Friday and Saturday evenings with live music.  You can bring a picnic dinner and enjoy wine tasting until 5:30 pm, or wine purchased by the bottle until 9 pm with live music.
We tasted the Saddlerock Ranch Flight and my favorite was the 2010 Saddlerock Merlot.  It was very berry-like with a blackberry and plum nose plus a raspberry and tobacco taste.  The Semler Estate Flight looks like fun with all Cabs in it – we’ll have to taste that one on our next trip. 

Rosenthal - The Malibu Vineyard Wine Tasting Room and Garden Patio

We ended our tasting trip at the Rosenthal Wine Tasting Room and Garden Patio across from Topanga Beach in Malibu. It is located between Malibu beach classics Wylie’s Bait & Tackle and the Reel Inn. The previously deserted Real Estate Loans building and overgrown back have been transformed into a happening meeting place for locals and tourists alike.  Although it was not too crowded when we pulled in before 6:00, by the time we left it was busy in the tasting room and the parking lot was full. In addition to wine tastings people can gather in the bar area or the new garden patio in the back to drink wines by the glass or bottle. The garden patio in back is a great idea for summer wine tasting. 

The wine tasting flight included Rosenthal Malibu Estate and Surfrider wines. We enjoyed a special comparison of the 2009 Surfrider (Central Coast) and 2010 Surfrider (San Luis Obispo County) Chardonnays.  I liked the 2010 best.  My wife really liked the 2009 Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate Chardonnay and bought a bottle.  My other favorite was the 2007 Surfrider “Hang Ten Red” blend that had cassis, raspberry, blackberry, and oak flavors. 

After several tastings we were starting to get hungry for dinner and we were happy to see that snacks were available for purchase while tasting.  We also spotted a list of food trucks like the “Crispy Truck” and “Ragin’ Cajun Truck” that were visiting Rosenthal on the weekends. 

Contact Information

Old Place Cornell

oldplacecornell.com/info

29983 Mulholland Hwy, Cornell (aka Agoura), CA 91301

818-706-9001

Cornell Winery & Tasting Room

www.cornellwinery.com

29975 Mulholland Hwy, Cornell (aka Agoura), CA 91301
818-735-3542
*As of 3/22/12 they were waiting for building permit for a 2^nd restroom, until the construction is complete there will not be any more tastings.

SIP Malibu - Cielo Wine Bar (Tasting Room)

www.sipmalibu.com/

2598 Sierra Creek Road, Agoura, CA 91301

818-865-0440

Cielo Farms / Cielo Malibu Estate Wineyard

www.cielofarms.com

31424 Mulholland Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265

866-962-4356

Private Tastings and Tours - Bill Hirsh - Vintner
818-634-5412

Malibu Wines (Tasting Room)

www.malibuwines.com

31740 Mulholland Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265

818-865-0605

*Last tasting pour is 5:30 pm, even when events last until 9 pm in the summer.

Malibu Family Wines

www.malibufamilywines.com

32111 Mulholland Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265

818-889-0008

The Rosenthal Tasting Room / Rosenthal - The Malibu Estate

www.rosenthalestatewines.com

18741 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265

310-456-1392

*Last tasting pour is 7:30 pm.

Other Vineyards (No Tasting Rooms)

Colcanyon Estate Wines

www.colcanyon-estate-wines.com

2375 Latigo Canyon Road, Malibu, CA 90265

310-589-4925

*Please Note: They do not operate as a tasting room yet. Taste at Cornell Winery & Tasting Room.

Schetter Malibu Vineyard

www.malibusanity.com

5825 Murphy Way Malibu, CA 90265

310-849-7505

*Taste at Cornell Winery & Tasting Room.

Malibu Solstice

www.malibusolstice.com

29350 Pacific Coast Hwy, Ste. 12, Malibu, CA 90265

310-589-2863

*No Tasting Room.

Hoyt Family Vineyards

www.hoytfamilyvineyards.com

Kanan Dume Rd., Malibu, CA 90265

310-457-3832 5929

*No Tasting Room.

Jim Palmer’s Malibu Vineyards

www.malibu-vineyards.com

22631 Pacific Coast Hwy, #900 Malibu, CA 90265

310-456-3805

*No Tasting Room.

ENEGREN BREWING COMPANY

A friend of mine and I tasted beer at EBC yesterday in Moorpark.   It was a  fun time in a local brewery.

They were pouring Saison, Altbier, and Imperial IPA.  

Here are the beer descriptions from their website (www.enegrenbrewing.com). 

Golden Spur Saison

Golden Spur Saison is light in color but full in flavor. We use a Belgain Saison yeast fermented warm for enhanced yeast flavor - and at 6.7% ABV this beer has a ton of flavor.

Valkyrie California Altbier
German Altbier with a California twist - a traditional German Altbier with more malt, more alcohol and a California Ale yeast fermented cold.

Protector Imperial IPA
Unlike most IPAs brewed on the West Coast - our IPA not only has a ton of hops (100 IBUs) but is brewed with a strong malt backbone to help balance out the bitterness.

I have to say that I'm not a big fan of Saison, but their version was very drinkable and would be great in the summer.   I have always liked, and even brewed, Altbiers. The way they have added more malt to their Altbier works for me.  My favorite style of beer is IPA/Imperial IPA and the Protector Imperial IPA is a very nicely balanced brew.  I think there are stronger IPAs out there, but this one is excellent, even if a little lighter than what I'm used to in an Imperial IPA.  I agree with the 2 reviews on Beer Advocate that list citrus flavor and medium-full body.  We bought a 2 liter growler of it for home consumption and it lasted all of a few hours after getting home!

Chris and the rest of the crew are nice to talk to and will give you the full tour if you're interested.  I highly recommend trying their beer next time you're at many of the local pubs in the Oxnard - Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village area.

Magnavino Cellars Carnevale Pick-up Party

We had a fun time at Magnavino Cellars last week.  They had a Carnevale themed party with fun entertainment, good food, and of course, great wines!  

I took a few pictures of the event and they're posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeqnpE-1lQ0.  Seems like Robert and Barbara are always throwing parties in their barrel room.  

Their tasting room is at 961 North Rice Avenue, Suite 5 in Oxnard.

http://www.magnavino.com

Cheers!

- Gary

Tierra Sur Restaurant - Oxnard, CA

Devon and I drove to Oxnard for a birthday celebration recently and we enjoyed a very nice dinner at Tierra Sur Restaurant inside Herzog Wine Cellars.  The restaurant serves Mediterranean-influenced seasonal cuisine using local produce under the management of Chef Todd Aarons. It has a nice atmosphere and appears to be one of the happening places in Oxnard. We arrived in the middle of the winery's pick-up party for wine club members. The parking lot was full and the tasting room was over-flowing with people enjoying tastes of the wines they were there to pick up.

Using Open Table is a good idea to get a reservation at Tierra Sur. And you will want to make a special note of the restaurant hours; they are different from other restaurants:
Sunday through Thursday lunch is served from 11:30 to 2:30, and dinner is served from 5:00 to 8:00. On Friday only lunch is served from 11:30 to 2:30.  No dinner is served on Friday and no lunch or dinner is served on Saturday.

The lunch and dinner menus have very nice selections on them as well as their prix fixe wine tasters dinner with wine pairings for each course. We started with their freshly baked bread and garlic oil. It was light, with a crispy crust and I ate most of it!  Devon had a glass of the 2009 Herzog Special Reserve Chardonnay, Russian River with an entree of sauteed Sea Bass over beet ravioli stuffed with celery root puree. The menu entree featured an Alaskan Halibut, but they substituted a Sea Bass entree - for the Halibut! The Sea Bass was very large and she took some home with her. Devon said her dinner "was outstanding."

I ordered a bottle of the Herzog Wine Cellars 2008 Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley (to share) and the Lamb Chop/Ham over lentils and with lovage. I had to try the lamb because I missed out on tasting their lamb dish paired with the Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at the Local Food & Wine Challenge in Ventura last month.  

OK, to make up for missing this pairing I can now add a 5 out of 5 score to the mix (assuming the one I missed was just as good) and that would have made the total Herzog-Tierra Sur score an 8.5, or 3rd Place - CONGRATULATIONS! It was a really tough competition and difficult to select a winner.

The pairing of the Cabernet Sauvignon with the lamb and the lentils was really super.  I ordered the 4 lamb chops cooked "medium" and although I tend to usually like most meats cooked "medium-well" this preparation was very good and not overly red.

A birthday dessert appeared with a lit candle on top at the end of our meal. It was the Gâteau d' Ariel, a flowerless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and topped with whipped cream. I'm glad I still had a glass of the cabernet, because the two went very well together.



I think you'll enjoy dining at this restaurant and drinking their wine.  Other fine wines were also available as well as a nice list of liquor and beer.
 

Wine Descriptions from Herzog Wine Cellars

 2009 Herzog Special Reserve Chardonnay, Russian River 
This Chardonnay was barrel and stainless steel fermented and then aged in French and American Oak for 15 months. This cool, terroir-oriented wine shows elegant top notes of lime, chamomile and tropical fruit overlaid with a bouquet of toasty oak. ($9/glass at the restaurant, $36/btl at the Herzog Online Store)





 

2008 Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
This Cabernet leans more toward the French style of red wines with its emphasis on terroir. Note the dark fruit tones balanced with a delightful minerality. Exhibits berry, cherry, and earthy flavors characteristic of this region’s wines. Aging 18 months in oak barrel contributes to layers of mocha and vanilla. ($50/btl at the restaurant, $38/btl at the Herzog Online Store)

Diners, Drive-ins & Dives Viewing Party at The Kitchen

Devon and I went to The Kitchen in Downtown Oxnard on Monday night for "a little taste of downtown," as The Kitchen owner Cathie Moreno described it. The event celebrated last night's airing of Guy Fieri's Food Network show - "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives." Filmed last October, the DD&D show featured The Kitchen's Lamb sandwich that Cathie and Guy made together during the episode.  It was served along with 2 other sandwiches (Cuban and Veggie) that Cathie called "Guy's Picks."


Guy Fieri introduced The Kitchen as a "funky neighborhood joint" on his show and described it as, "where they're cookin' it, brewin' it, and bakin' it!" Well most of that's true, but I wouldn't tell any of the craft brewers that serving craft beers equals "brewin' it" … that's just Hollywood talk for craft beers on tap I guess.

We met Cathie and enjoyed chatting with her briefly. She's expecting increased business after being featured on DD&D. Quite a success story for someone who bought the kitchen with an existing restaurant and bar mainly to increase kitchen capacity for her catering business. Now her "gastropub" offers great sandwiches, a nice list of craft beers, and even fresh baked goods.

It was a fun atmosphere with vintage muscle cars parked out front, a red-carpeted entrance, a Guy Fieri look-alike contest, a DJ/singer (never saw this combo before), and big-screen TV for viewing episodes of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."


We sampled the Cuban sandwich slider from The Kitchen after hearing some people raving about them. Our plan is to try a full size sandwich of their spicy lamb/hamburger mix on our return visit. I had tasted the smaller version of it at the Ventura County Wine Trail's Local Food & Wine Challenge a few weeks ago, as well as their Meatloaf sandwich - great with their home baked bread.

Other fun food tastes included a pulled pork slider from BG's Cafe, 2 mini tacos from Iron Horse, and Chicken Allison from 5th Street Steak & Seafood.  Casa Lopez, Tomas Cafe, La Dolce Vita, Fresh & Fabulous, and Sugar Beets were listed as other restaurants but we didn't get to visit them all.

I enjoyed tasting the Temptress from Four Brix, a Spanish Rioja-style blend of Tempranillo, Mourvedre, and Grenache. Rancho Ventavo Cellars poured a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend from Paso Robles that was very nice. And Sunland Vintage Cellars, Giovinazzo Wines provided a repeat performance of the Local Food & Wine Challenge by pouring their 2007 Dolcetto and 2008 Montepulciano. These were previously paired with The Kitchen's Lamb Burger and Meatloaf Burger so they were perfect for this event. Devon prefers white wines and didn't find any being poured for tasting. That was a surprise!  So she had to settle for a house Chardonnay from the bar.





Woo hoo, a wine AND beer tasting event! The nano brewery Enegren Brewing Co from Moorpark poured an Alt beer that was very good. It was a mahogany-colored ale with Hallertauer hops aged like a lager.  Surf Brewery of Ventura poured an Imperial IPA made with hops from Australia - any Imperial IPA is good with me, mate! Firestone Walker poured several beers and I tasted their Double Jack (also an Imperial/Double IPA). They describe it as a British Pale Ale made in oak barrels that produce a vanilla-toasted oak flavor with a hint of English noble hops. I have to say that this one was my favorite craft brew of the evening.  I even had a pint of it when we went across the street to 5th Street Steak & Seafood for another snack bigger than you get with an event ticket.

I really enjoyed being able to taste both micro brews and wines. The only thing that could have been done better were the tiny plastic cups they used. They were like something you'd get from the hospital! For a few cents more a "real" 4 oz. plastic wine tasting glass would have improved the tasting experience, even for the beer.



Some iPhone Photos by Devon Scheef

Ventura County Wine Trail - Local Food & Wine Challenge - 2012

Local Food & Wine Challenge - 2012

The Ventura County Wine Trail really did put a new spin on food and wine shows as advertised with the first annual Local Food & Wine Challenge on January 19th from 6:00 - 8:30 pm in Ventura at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. This event was held at the top of the hotel in the Bay View room overlooking Ventura beach. All of the 350 tickets were sold a week before and at times it seemed like there were about 400 people. There were 13 different wineries from the VCWT pouring their best wines and 12 restaurants pairing special dishes with each of 12 wineries.

Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach

Santa Barbra County?

If you paid attention to the displays at each table you could see which of their two tastings were entered in the official judging. The program was also a little nebulous about this, as it didn’t highlight which entry was being judged, but it did list the official entry dishes first. No problem; my unofficial judging rated every pairing that I was able to taste, and my results were radically different! What do I know? Or just maybe, what do they know? And the judges were Lisa McKinnon of The Star, Lynne Andujar and Angela Pattera of 805 Living magazine, and Tom Hilton and Sandy Seekins of KVTA-AM 1520's "Tom and Sandy" show.

Ye Olde Judges

Sparkling Start!

Panera Line-up

The evening began with a reception hosted by Malibu Family Wines and Panera Breads in the Aqua Bar on the first floor. Holding a “reception” for over 300 people in a relatively small entry way is kind of funny, it really isn’t too cozy with a steady stream of people in line for checking in.

Tony Ybarra, a local Santa Barbara guitarist, played a wide range of music at the reception and at the tasting event – his playing really livened up the atmosphere and at times he sounded more like a duo.

The 12 teams of local wineries and restaurants that competed for the best wine and food pairing in Ventura County were listed and arranged in the Bay View ballroom in this order:

	Winery	Restaurant
1	Magnavino Cellars	La Dolce Vita
2	Sunland Vintage Cellars	The Kitchen
3	The Ojai Vineyard	The Ranch House
4	Squashed Grapes	5th Street Steak & Seafood
5	Rancho Ventavo Cellars	Aloha Steakhouse
6	San Vicente Cellars	R & R Chocolate Palace
7	Rosenthal-The Malibu Estate	Carbon Beach Club
8	Four Brix Winery	Cafe Zack
9	Old Creek Ranch Winery / Vino V Wines	The Jolly Oyster
10	Bella Victorian Vineyard	Bella Victorian Bistro
11	Herzog Wine Cellars	Tierra Sur
12	Cantara Cellars	C-Street

Boccali’s Vineyards & Winery and their Restaurant were originally listed as participants, but they must have cancelled at the last minute.

Not listed as part of the competition, but equally enjoyable, was the Malibu Family Wines Saddle Rock Sparkling Rosé with Panera’s two bread appetizers that were topped with chicken salad and artichoke spread. I didn’t go for Panera’s Green Tea drink (what were they thinking?) or their strawberry scone (probably good for breakfast though).

I guess the room layout was what someone thought would be a natural order for tasting, working in the same way that most people read – from left to right (or clockwise) around the circular room, but as everyone walked into the Bay View ballroom they were acting more like they were driving than reading and naturally they all kept to the right! So tasting started at the twelfth table, which had a much shorter queuing area than the first table did. Gridlock! As a consequence people were lined up out to the elevators. Kind of a funny way to start off and made it necessary to read the program in reverse order following the counter-clockwise route. I skipped the herd though and managed to taste in the program’s original order, although I still had to join the long line at the twelfth table eventually.

Cheese Extravaganza

I managed to taste 23 of the 24 different wines paired with dishes and a little of the “cheese extravaganza” on a very large table in the center of the room. Of the 2 cheeses I tasted my favorite was the “Vintage Van Gogh” cheese. Roth Käse USA describes it this way: “It is crafted in limited quantities from fresh, full-cream milk, making it creamier than most Goudas and aged a minimum of six months to create a golden body and rich flavor with undertones of caramel and coffee.” Great Gouda! And it went well with the Cabernet Sauvignon that Squashed Grapes was pouring.

The challengers and entries along with my ratings are listed below. The first entry for each pair of challengers is the entry for the official judging.

Rancho Ventavo Cellars & Aloha Steakhouse

2006 Cabernet Franc, Central Coast paired with Black & Blue Steak and Mushroom Crostini. 

Wine: 5 

Food: 5

Wine + Food Average: 5

2008 Mouvedre, Santa Barbara County paired with Seared Ahi over Wasabi sauce with mango & ginger.

Wine: 5

Food: 5

Wine + Food Average: 5

Both Pairings Total: 10

Bella Victorian Vineyard & Bella Victorian Bistro

2008 "Romeo" Grenache paired with Grenache Braised Oxtail with a corn mushroom polenta and white truffle oil essence, natural jus reduction sauce, Grenache glaze, and micro greens.

Wine: 4.5

Food: 4.5

Wine + Food Average: 4.5

2009 Dornfelder paired with Chocolate Truffles with Dornfelder Glaze. (I highly recommend the Dornfelder wine!)

Wine: 5

Food: 5

Wine + Food Average: 5

Both Pairings Total: 9.5

Cantara Cellars & C-Street (in the Crowne Plaza hotel)

2009 Frankenvine Red, (Cab Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Old Vine Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, and Malbec blend) paired with Wild Cherry &  Coffee Bean Braised Short Rib with Frankenvine Red and natural juices. Seared over Yukon Gold mashed potatoes infused with Maytag Bleu Cheese and topped with crusty tobacco fried leek.

(Frankenvine was served right from the barrel.)

Wine: 5

Food: 4.5

Wine + Food Average: 4.75

2009 The Bride (barbera, sangiovese, zinfandel, and petit syrah blend) paired with chipotle BBQ Roasted Salmon with Black Bean Rice. (The presentation of this salmon and of the braised short rib was the most interesting at the event.)

Wine: 5

Food: 4.5

Wine + Food Average: 4.75

Both Pairings Total: 9.5

Magnavino Cellars & La Dolce Vita

2009 Petite Sirah paired with Crispy Prosciutto wrapped pork loin with pan seared wild mushrooms, home made chive crème fraiche and garlic chips topped with citrus grilled asparagus tips and blackberry-balsamic thyme reduction.

Wine: 5

Food: 5

Wine + Food Average: 5

2009 Sangiovese paired with Aracini - the restaurant's famous risotto balls stuffed with provolone with a marinara dipping sauce.

Wine: 3

Food: 3

Wine + Food Average: 3

Both Pairings Total: 8

Sunland Vintage Cellars (made at Camarillo Custom Crush) & The Kitchen

2007 Dolcetto Giovinazzo Wines paired with Lamb Burger made with herbs and spices served with red pepper relish on house made bun.  (Tasted like Anise.)

Wine: 3

Food: 3

Wine + Food Average: 3

2008 Montepulciano, Giovinazzo Wines paired with tasty home style Meatloaf with grilled onion and spicy house BBQ glaze on a mini house made bun. (This was my favorite of the two dishes!)

Wine: 4

Food: 4

Wine + Food Average: 4

Both Pairings Total: 7

Squashed Grapes & 5th Street Steak & Seafood

2011 Alicante Bouchet Rosé paired with Braised Pork Belly in smoke

Wine: 3

Food: 3

Wine + Food Average: 3

2010 98% Cabernet & 2% Syrah blend paired with Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip with spinach, garlic and bacon.

Wine: 4

Food: 4

Wine + Food Average:

Both Pairings Total: 7

San Vicente Cellars   &   R&R Chocolate Palace

2010 Viognier paired with Butter Caramel with Seasalt. Listen to Cathleen Pantess describe the pairing here.

Wine: 3

Food: 4

Wine + Food Average: 3.5

2009 Sangiovese paired with Violet Lavender Truffles. Listen to Cathleen Pantess describe the pairing here.

Wine: 3

Food: 4

Wine + Food Average: 3.5

Both Pairings Total: 7

Rosenthal - The Malibu Estate & Carbon Beach Club

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Short Ribs Sliders with currant braised short ribs with mint coleslaw.

Wine: 3

Food: 3

Wine + Food Average: 3

2011 Viognier paired with Spicy Tuna Tartar on Crispy Wonton with Seaweed & Granny Smith Apple.

Wine: 4

Food: 4

Wine + Food Average: 4

Both Pairings Total: 7

Four Brix Winery & Cafe Zack

2009 Rhondezvous, (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise blend) paired with certified Angus Filet layered with a  Rhondezvous reduction sauce & topped with Maytag bleu cheese.

Wine: 3.5

Food: 3.5

Wine + Food Average: 3.5

2009 Zeductive, (zinfandel, petite syrah blend) paired with Portobello, Shitake & Buttonwood Champignons sauteed with black truffle oil, garlic butter & herbs de Provence.

Wine: 3.5

Food: 3.5

Wine + Food Average: 3.5

Both Pairings Total: 7

Old Creek Ranch Winery / Vino V Wines & The Jolly Oyster

2007 Nebbiolo, Stolpman Vineyard Old Creek Ranch Winery paired with a rustic flatbread topped with Manilla clams, red potatoes, garlic and broiled kale provided by Rio Gozo Farm, and lemon zest.

Wine: 3.5

Food: 3.5

Wine + Food Average: 3.5

2010 Confundida Vino V Wines (100% Gruner Veltliner) paired with raw Kumamoto oysters in the shell topped with green onions, Pebre sauce and caviar limes.

Wine: 3.5

Food: 3.5

Wine + Food Average: 3.5

Both Pairings Total: 7

The Ojai Vineyard & The Ranch House

2008 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay paired with grilled diver scallops creamed with corn curry sauce with basil oil.

Wine: 4

Food: 3

Wine + Food Average: 3.5

2009 Sauvignon Blanc, McGinley Vineyard paired with Chilled Poached Salmon.

Wine: 3

Food: 3

Wine + Food Average: 3

Both Pairings Total: 6.5

Herzog Wine Cellars & Tierra Sur

2010 Eagles Landing Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir paired with Veal and Duck Boudin Sausage.

Wine: 4

Food: 3

Wine + Food Average: 3.5

2008 Alexander Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Cherry & Chili Glazed Lamb Ribs. (This may have been good – because it disappeared fast!)

Wine: -

Food: -

My vote went to Rancho Ventavo Cellars and Aloha Steakhouse

It was close and there wasn’t a bad (less than a total rank of 5) pairing in the competition.  After a very fun tasting my vote for the winning team goes to Rancho Ventavo and Aloha Steakhouse!  And three other teams round out the top three.

Place	Winery	Restaurant	Both Pairings Total
1	Rancho Ventavo Cellars	Aloha Steakhouse	10.0
2	Bella Victorian Vineyard	Bella Victorian Bistro	9.5
	Cantara Cellars	C-Street	9.5
3	Magnavino Cellars	La Dolce Vita	8.0
4	Sunland Vintage Cellars (made at Camarillo Custom Crush)	The Kitchen	7.0
	Squashed Grapes	5th Street Steak & Seafood	7.0
	San Vicente Cellars	R & R Chocolate Palace	7.0
	Rosenthal-The Malibu Estate	Carbon Beach Club	7.0
	Four Brix Winery	Cafe Zack	7.0
	Old Creek Ranch Winery / Vino V Wines	The Jolly Oyster	7.0
5	The Ojai Vineyard	The Ranch House	6.5
6	Herzog Wine Cellars	Tierra Sur	?

 

The Winning Team: The Ranch House and The Ojai Vineyard

The Ranch House and The Ojai Vineyard entry of Chardonnay and scallops were pretty good, but I enjoyed many other pairings even more. Must be that my palate is different than those of the official judges, because they voted The Ojai Vineyard and The Ranch House as the winning team! The early tour and exclusive presentations the judges received may have enhanced their appreciation of certain entries vs. others. Or maybe waiting in lines and getting an occasional elbow had the opposite effect on me.

Overall it was a very fun tasting event and well worth the price of admission.  I recommend buying your tickets online – and early – next year.  After sampling many awesome food entries I’m looking forward to checking out the cuisine at Aloha Steakhouse and Bella Victorian Bistro in the near future.  And I’m sure they’ll have great wines on their wine lists!

PS – It was interesting to see how some of my favorite wineries from my previous review ranked this time around. And one that didn’t make my short list last time won this time.  I guess it pays to sample wines again, especially with the addition of gourmet foods!  Wish all wine tastings could have tasty appetizers with them…