With Pinot Paradise upon us, oenophiles will want to make educated choices about where to go and what to taste. For heft, muscular beauty and minty complexity, the Burrell School Vineyards 2007 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir will deliver and then some. This full-figured creation was among the 45 local pinot noirs, vintage 2007 and 2008, ranked last week by a team of tasters and wine writers. The afternoon involved more than four hours of surprisingly hard work. (Yes, it is difficult to convince anyone that wine tasting could be hard work. But it is.)
Some of the top wines to emerge from a field that was strikingly excellent included Dave Moulton’s Burrell School entry and a spicy estate-grown stunner from Beauregard Vineyards, 2008. For a more delicate odyssey through plums, bay and endless earthiness, look for the Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards Branciforte Creek 2008. One of the most spice and cola-laden new wines available comes from Lester Family Vineyard grapes, tended by award-winning viticulturist Prudy Foxx, bearing the Pleasant Valley 2008 label. Also using Lester Family Vineyards grapes, a Soquel Vineyards 2008 pinot noir dazzled tasters at the recent tasting session.
An outstanding example of Santa Cruz appellation terroir—complex, elegant yet confident and exuding a long, spicy finish— was the Storrs 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir. I was wild about the Muns Vineyard 2006 version, ditto the mineralesque Bargetto 2008 from Regan Vineyard. And another choice creation was Bradley Brown’s lavish Big Basin Vineyards 2008 pinot. All of these and many more will be poured, tasted and discussed at this weekend’s Pinot Paradise festival, March 26-27, which begins with a self-guided tour of the region’s pinot-producing wineries ($25) and culminates on Sunday with the Grand Cruz Tasting at Villa Ragusa in Old Town Campbell ($55/65). Find all the details you need at http://www.scmwa.com or by calling 831.685.8463.
LATE BREAKING Look for a brand new Vine Hill Winery tasting room to open in June at the Surf City Vintner complex. Vine Hill owner Nick Guerero told me that he and winemaker Sal Godinez are excited about taking over the space formerly occupied by Pelican Ranch Winery, next to Kelly’s. It will mean even more visibility for the award-winning wines produced by Vine Hill. . . . David Kumec of Mission Hill Creamery is searching for a new home for his fabulous organic handmade ice cream. Looks like we’ll have to travel beyond Front Street so that incredible strawberry or ricotta fig ice cream. . . . Kudos to Malabar Trading Company, whose Kashmiri Chai placed third in the prestigious North American Tea Championship (formerly the World Tea Championship). More than 200 teas were entered in 15 different categories, professionally evaluated and ranked on a 100-point scale to determine the highest quality and best tasting teas commercially available in the marketplace.
HOT PLATES The housemade spicy sausage, kale and mozzarella pizza at La Posta might just take the prize this week. But then so would the Seabright ristorante‘s amazing winter appetizer of roasted fennel and celery root, concentrated and almost sweet, tossed with lemon, parsley and salty bottarga di miggione (Sardinian mullet roe). Heaven.
Send tips about food, wine and new dining discoveries to Christina Waters at xtina@cruzio.com. Read her blog at http://christinawaters.com.
