It was a charmed week in which I was able to discover not one, but two of the best Santa Cruz Mountain appellation pinot noirs I’ve ever tasted. The first was a 2008 Miller Hill Vineyard pinot from Silver Mountain Vineyards ($38). Made from Dijon clones 115 and 667, this gorgeous creation had been aged in tight-grained Hungarian oak. And even though it contains a robust 14.7% alcohol, it remains graceful and beautifully balanced. The nose is spicy, with a minty fragrance, and the flavors emerging range from licorice to sassafras and black plums. This wine actually tastes intelligent. One sip and a narrative in some unknown, yet familiar language unfolds. Kudos to Jerold O’Brien, Tony Craig and the exceptional grapes of Miller Hill Vineyard.
The second outstanding Pinot Noir discovery was the 2009 Muns Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Pinot Noir, an intricate creation of Dijon clones 114,115, 667 and 777. It exudes spice—star anise, white pepper, bay leaves—with a seductive velvety core of tangerine, cherries, and birch bark. The finish inclines toward geranium and terracotta, and the tangerine expands hauntingly as the wine opens.. Each sip implies intimacy as well as infinite distance. We were practically breathless with admiration. And at 14.1% alcohol, and the refining influence of new Hungarian oak, this is a Pinot Noir capable of partnering everything from sturgeon, to grilled cheese, to rack of lamb. Our congratulations to winemaker Ed Muns for proving that a $40 wine can walk on water. Available at VinoCruz.
FREESTYLING PANCAKES: Try as I might to find decent pancakes on a breakfast menu, I have been disappointed over and over again. So I decided to pump up the volume on the ones I make at my house. A few years ago I traded in Bisquick for Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking & Pancake Mix. And Pamela’s has been very good to us as a basis for wonderful pancakes without a lot of guilt (or preservatives). Last week, I added the touch that sent my pancakes over the top: plain yogurt. I’ve often added yogurt to pancakes for the delicious tang of sourness it adds. This time I added, well, almost half a container. The pancakes that resulted were sensuously piquant—the perfect counterpoint to butter and maple syrup—and tender.
The secret, as with almost everything I bake at home, is the crucial ingredients. For example, to one cup of Pancake Mix I added one egg (as indicated). But from then on, I freestyled it. Instead of 3/4 cup water (never use milk, it makes pancakes tough), I used enough to create a thin crepe-like batter. Instead of 1 tablespoon oil, I added 3 tablespoons. Then I whisked in a half cup of plain yogurt. The result was the best batch of pancakes my sweetie and I had ever tasted. Yes, you can try this at home. Pamela’s Baking & Pancake mix is made of whole grains flours, including brown rice flour, white rice flour, almond meal, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, potato starch, and a few other non-gluten, non-wheat ingredients. Get some and treat yourself to memorable homemade pancakes for breakfast!
COUNTING SHEEP ON MARCH 22: Mark your calendars now and don’t miss the Live Earth Farm “Sheep to Shawl” Fair, with professional sheep shearer, Bruce Wool, demonstrating his techniques while his wife spins yarn. Young ones will go wild watching the sheep being sheared. It happens on March 22, 10am-2pm at 1275 Green Valley Road in Watsonville. Plus food vendors, storytelling, yarn dyeing, spinning, knitting, and felting.
