Diversity Please

So I’m rummaging through my wine closet for something to go with dinner last weekend (still need to get a proper storage receptacle) and I noticed something. Row after row of California wines with a few Pacific Northwest gems thrown in for good measure. On the surface, there’s nothing wrong here. I’m simply taking advantage of living in California, one of the greatest and most bountiful countries making fine wine in the world. On the other hand, variety is the spice of life, and I can’t help but feel compelled to expand my horizons and explore the international waters if you will. The only import wines I have in my closet are a North Carolina Meritage of all things, and a Crianza from Spain I’ve been dying to get into. Oh, and a forgettable Spanish Garnacha I purchased from BevMo when they were having one of those buy one get the second for 5 cents sale events. Oh well, win some lose some.

Truth be told, my small stockpile of California wine has quietly gnawed at me for some time now- the general lack of depth in my “cellar” that is. I’ve also been thinking about the differences between the wine I currently possess, and all of the other wines from regions beyond California. Time for a change. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have the small repository of vino and enjoy the local bounty immensely. And even though I have a number of varietals to choose from, albeit primarily red, it’s largely representative of the California, new world style of wine making. Much of the wine I have is big on fruit, flavor, somewhat high in alcohol (14 to 15%), and in your face! Rest assured, many of the wines are balanced, but definitely not timid wines. Indeed, the past two years our (Siege and I) wine tasting has focused on Napa and Sonoma counties almost exclusively. We did go to Washington last year, and we would have explored much more if we weren’t foiled by those extremely generous folks over at Chateau St. Michelle. The guy just kept pouring the juice– he was a mad man I tell you!

In any case, I need a something different, and as we all know, there is much to choose from. The wines that have peaked my interest lately are more reserved in style and a bit lighter on their feet than many of the California Zinfandels, Syrahs and Cabs that normally catch my eye, or uh, taste buds that is. I’ve heard great things about 2008 Oregon Pinot Noir- critics are calling it a benchmark year. And it’s always nice to go back to Italy and check out Piedmont and Tuscan wines, those are always fun. Of course there’s plenty of adventure down in Southern Italy in Puglia or even Sicily. That’s what is so incredible about the world of wine; the options are limitless. So these questions remain my fellow oenophiles: Do you find yourself drinking the same kind of wine or style week after week? Does your wine collection, large or modest, boast diversity, or champion uniformity in terms of style. Hopefully in future posts you’ll start to see an array of varietals and pairings instead of Zin, zin, zin–cab, cab, cab– well, you get the idea. Here’s to diversity!



A True Artisan

I begged and pleaded Siege to go. I promised a land of unparalleled food and drink. I even appealed to her fondness for Rhone reds and artisan delis filled with the best sandwiches. Time and again she dissed my plans to head South to Paso Robles. Finally, after a couple of years, she took pity on me and we headed down to what has been described by Bon Appetite’s Andrew Knowleton, as “the next Napa,” which is a pretty big statement. So, it was time to see what the hype was about.

When we rolled into PR both of us expected the land of milk and honey, so to speak. Culinary gems at every turn. Perhaps our hopes were pinned a little too high. As it turns out, PR’s dining scene is just, well… pretty okay. That, or we completely missed it all. From our experience, there looked to be about four really good, higher-end restaurants, and the rest of it was pretty standard. The four restaurants I’m referring to are: Villa Creek, Thomas Hill Organics, Artisan, and Il Cortile.

Wednesday night we found ourselves at Artisan, a hip, modern restaurant in the heart of downtown Paso Robles, that really delivered on contemporary, american cuisine. After a lackluster first day of eating, we were due for a couple plates of tasty food. The ambiance is artsy and almost sterile at the restaurant, but comfortable none the less with a good, energetic vibe. The servers and staff do a nice job of making diners feel welcome and at ease combining efficient-friendly service alongside a deft attention to detail. The knowledgeable servers provide valuable information on everything from wine-pairing, to the way the dishes are composed, to where that tender piece of lamb was raised.

Speaking of dishes, ours were excellent. Siege was in red-meat-utopia with her Niman Ranch Hanger steak cooked to a perfect medium rare. The lusty steak had a fantastic Bordelaise sauce that put a nice finishing touch to an already exceptional plate of food. The potatoes that came with it were not to be slighted and were anything but an after thought. I’m not sure how much cream they put in, but those were some damn fine taters! I opted for the chicken, locally raised nearby in Templeton. The half-chicken was tender, juicy and had a great smokey zing from the ham hock gravy. Curiously, the advertised Hen of the Woods mushrooms snuck off the plate, which is a shame because I think that would have added an extra layer of flavor that would have been great. A tasty meal all the same- I suppose I’m just getting picky!

Artisan serves up smart, well executed menu items inspired by first-rate local ingredients, a theme that repeated itself during our visit in PR. It was cool to see a town embrace the “Farm to Table” philosophy in such an exuberant and exciting way. I only wish there were a few more affordable options. But alas, we were saving our dinero for more vino, some souvenirs, and, oh yeah- bills. It just means a return trip is in order. Besides, there were a number of good wineries that we just couldn’t fit in over the course of the 4 days, and that in itself, warrants another visit. On that note, my next post will highlight the wine roads of Paso Robles, and trust me, there are many roads and most of them lead to exciting, delicious wine.

The Best Spaghetti Ever!

Just finished trying Scott Conant’s (of NYC’s Scarpetta) spaghetti recipe. Two things are certain. It’s a great recipe, and I can make anything complicated. That said, the directions were a bit unorganized- but I’m willing to overlook it because the dish is so ridiculously good. If you ever try to make this pasta, it makes the most sense to think of it in three major parts: 1) Heat and mash the tomatoes for the sauce. 2) Make the Olive oil infusion. 3) Combine the two with the nearly cooked spaghetti and add the finishing components.

Siege and I concluded it’s the best spaghetti we’ve eaten…maybe ever. I’m not patting myself on the back here either. The credit goes to Mr. Conant. The idea of infusing extra virgin olive oil with garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and basil is absolutely genius and yet, seems so basic and simple. This step, I believe, is the backbone of the dish that takes it to the next level. The herbacious floral qualities of the basil with the heat from the pepper and aromatic hum from the garlic are enough to send a person into rabid food frenzy. Soooo delicious.

The tomatoes from the store looked pretty weak so I used canned San Marzano tomatoes that worked great. It’s the first time that I recall not missing the meat in a variation of spaghetti. Usually, if spaghetti, or any pasta for that matter, does not have meat it falls a bit flat for me. Not this time. The Parmesan, butter, and fresh basil added to the end are really a great touch. The spaghetti had great texture too, with the noodles holding just the perfect amount of tomato sauce. Very rich and comforting, indeed was this pasta (says Master Yoda). The recipe can be found by clicking here.

Siege and I shared a wonderful bottle of 2008 Segromigno from Unti Vineyards. I’d never had Unti’s Segromigno prior to about a month ago. I tried it in their quaint little tasting room and almost immediately fell to its charms. Segromigno is actually a town in Tuscany near Lucca where George Unti’s dad was born. This particular Sangiovese blend, however, is similar to a wine called Rosso Piceno, which hails from the Le Marche region of Italy. But lucky for me, Mick and George Unti have Sangiovese and Montepulciano clones growing in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma, California. Bless their heart!

The wine, was delicious with the rustic french loaf we devoured before the pasta, but unfortunately didn’t work as well as we thought it would with the spaghetti. The Segromigno shows good fruit character, cherry notes, with some licorice, and some earthiness. I’m thinking the crushed red pepper flakes were the cause of the bad pairing. Too much heat going on for the wine- it seemed to make the wine more astringent and diminished the fruit flavors. In any case, it was an enjoyable meal all the same and look forward to making it again and finding a suitable wine for it. I’m sure there plenty of good bottles out there to do right by this glorious pasta. Do you have a favorite pasta wine pairing? Or perhaps a pairing that got away from you like this one?