For me, wood oven pizza rocks.  Ever since I had my first one in the early 1990s I’ve been hooked but had yet to find a restaurant with an equally fine wine list to match.  At Pizza Libretto, they have answered that call with stellar all Italian wine list and great wood oven pizza to match.

Start the evening right with a glass of the Villa Sandi Prosecco from the Veneto region in Italy.  Pair it with the Buttermilk Calamari, Romesco (red pepper almond sauce).  You’ll be temped to keep drinking this easy drinking sparkling wine all night (and it will pair with pretty much everything on the menu), but when you’ve got a fantastic choice of white and red wines on this you’ll want to move on.

For the whites, go for something fun and different such as the 2007 Gigi Rosso Roero Arneis from Piemonte.  The grape variety is Arneis and with it’s great acidity will pair nicely with the Cookstown Arugula, Pear, Walnut, Piave and Balsamic Vinaigrette salad.   Other great match would be the 2007 Podere Canneta Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Tuscany as the flavours in this wine would complement the salad perfectly.

Moving on to the reds, a match made in heaven with the Duck Confit pizza is the 2006 Canaletto Pinot Nero from Lombardia.  Pinot Nero in Italian is Pinot Noir in French and it’s a known fact that Burgundians love their duck with their fine Burgundian wine.   If you are a meat lover, then pair the House-Made Sausage Pizza with the 2005 Fanti “Tenuta San Filippo” Rosso di Montalcino from Tuscany or think outside the box and try the 2007 Angelo Nero d’Avola from the island of Sicily where you can expect ripe dark fruit characteristics and grippy tannis.  They also have fine selection of cured meats and cheeses that again would be a perfect match with any of the red wines listed.

This restaurant certainly knows food and wine and you certainly cannot go wrong with any of the wines listed here.  I love how they have made their wine list so customer friendly that you truly cannot pick a bad wine, plus, the prices are equally as friendly.

For me, good acidity in wine is the the perfect complement to any great pizza sauce, as the acidity in both the wine and tomato sauce balance each other out.  All of the wines on this list are all great matches and I look forward to many nights of great pizza and wine at Pizza Libretto in the future.

Although there was great potential for this film to recount the story about the infamous Paris tasting of 1976, I felt Bottle Shock struggled with its plot and character development.  Alan Rickman who played Steven Spurrier was fantastic in his role as the “snobby wine brit”.  Dennis Farina who played the American ex-pat “Maurice”, and Steven’s only friend in Paris, provided the comic relief in the film.  However, I would have like to have seen a bit more of Bill Pullman, who portrayed Chateau Montelena owner Jim Barrett.  Equally as shallow was Bo Barrett’s character played by Chris Pine.  Freddy Rodrigues, who I absolutely love in HBO’s  Six Feet Under, played Gustavo Brambila, whose character could blind taste any wine perfectly and, of course, was the first of the boys to have a liaison with young, attractive wine apprentice named Sam, played by Rachael Taylor.  Sam’s character, of course, provided the requisite love triangle between the two boys at Chateau Montelena.  I guess hot women were few and far between in 1970s wine country.

 

I certainly enjoyed the more technical aspects of the movie, which shows Bo & Sam driving out to UC Davis to get an explanation of the scientific reasons why their perfect-tasting Chardonnay turned brown in the bottle, which was then due to turn clear after a few days.  I thought the actual Paris tasting was fascinating to watch and seeing the “who’s who” of the wine world of the 1970s.   Portrayed at the tasting were Pierre Brejoux, from the French AOC and Aubert de Villaine representing DRC (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti), and there was even one women on the panel, which, considering this event took place in the 1970s speaks volumes.   I have to say watching Steven Spurrier driving a Gremlin and eating KFC straight out of the bucket in his car was quite entertaining.

 

Although this film struggles between drama and comedy from scene to scene and, whether you are a wine lover or not, I think anyone can find this film enjoyable and certainly gain an appreciation of wine and how this simple tasting not only put California wines in the forefront and changed the wine world as whole forever.

 

Pair this movie with your favorite oaky, buttery chardonnay and a bag of popcorn, and you have a match only made in California.

Whites

We all know Labour Day is just around the corner and there are still a few weeks left at the cottage this summer.  So, why not pick up a few interesting gems in the latest Vintages release in Ontario.

BEST FOOD MATCHING WINE is the 2007 Tawse Sketches of Niagara Riesling which is blend from four different Riesling vineyards in Niagara.  This wine is just as good on its own as it is with food.  If you like your wines with a hint of sweetness than this wine is for you.

FUN TO TRY is the 2006 Gracia De Chile Reserva Superior Chardonnay.  This organic wine is from the Bio Bio Valley in Chile which is a cool climate region suited for growing Chardonnay.  Tropical fruits dominate this medium plus bodied wine that would pair nicely with chicken on the BBQ.

BEST WINE WITH FRESHLY CAUGHT PICKEREL is the 2006 Fattoria Laila Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Superiore from the La Marche region in Italy.  This wine has a lot of citrus fruit and great acidity.   I really encourage you to give this Verdicchio a try!

Reds

There are a lot of great Chilean reds in this Vintage release but I thought I’d go off the beaten path here and see if I could find some other cool choices.

FUN WINE TO FOOL YOUR FRIENDS- 2005 Fontanafredda Barbera D’Alba Raimonda.  This Barbera is ready to drink now and will pair well with grilled meats especially Italian sausage.   Betcha none of your friends will be able to figure out this wine in a blind tasting but they’ll all love it!  And at $16.95, you’ll be picking up more than one.

FOR YOU ITALIAN FANS, I highly recommend the 2004 La Ragose Valpolicella Classico Superiore ($22.95).  This producer is well known for it’s Amarone but this Valpolicella is nothing but light as this wine is fermented with the lees and skins leftover from their fine Amarone!

GREAT VALUE- Go with the 2004 Finca Antigua Crianza.  This wine hails from the La Mancha region in Spain and is blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  Think blackberries, blackcurrents and plums all integrated together.  Again a great match with anything from the BBQ.

Lastly,  this wine is not in this release but when I was at the cottage last week, I picked up a bottle of the 2004 Artesa Reserve Tempranillo ($25.95) from California. It was an excellent match with our peppercorn crusted strip loin and we didn’t even need to decant it.  Now the Artesa Cabernet Sauvignon is in this release but why not try something different for much less.

Oh, and most these wines I mentioned are under $20.00 (except where noted) so go ahead, be adventurous and surprise your friends this weekend!

Looking for a diversion between wineries?  Then head to El Dorado Kitchen located in downtown Sonoma where they serve lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Sunday.  I had the opportunity to dine here for lunch on my way to the Russian River Valley during my visit to Napa/Sonoma in July.

It was such a gorgeous day that I opted for the outdoor patio underneath the fig tree.   Much to my surprise, I was presented with a small cocktail menu and promptly ordered myself the “EDK Mojito”.  Let me tell you that it was a refreshing taste to my palate after a busy morning of wine tasting and spitting.   The mojito was absolutely delicious, just the right amount of light cruzan rum,  lime juice, soda and fresh mint.  Of course, I did have a long look at the wine list and loved the great selection of half bottles mostly from Napa and Sonoma.    The wine list itself was quite extensive and it broken down into grape varieties.  I loved the “off the beaten path reds” selection featuring some interesting wines such as the Viader “Dare” Cabernet Franc or the Verdad Tempranillo from the Santa Ynez Valley.

For lunch I had the salmon croquettes which consisted of a single salmon and yukon gold potato cake topped with a frisee in red pepper remoulade which was absolutely delicious.  Other lunch choices included a forest mushroom pizza (a nice Pinot Noir would pair nicely), steak and truffle fries and chicken curry flat bread.

Dessert is also a must have at El Dorado Kitchen and I indulged in the chocolate s’mores tart!  Picture a chocolate ganaceh sitting on top a graham cracker crust bottom, decandant merangine on top with vanilla ice cream and you have heaven in bowl.  I ate every last bite!  Other interesting choices included a chocolate sea salt cake and the homemade ice cream sandwiches such as butterscotch cookie with carmel icecream with a carmel dipping sauce.  Talk about over indulging in a good way!  Just remember to watch out for falling figs if you happen to sit under the fig tree!

Where else can you listen to Led Zepplin and taste an amazing Cabernet Sauvignon but at Cliff Lede Vineyards located in the heart of the Stag’s Leap District.  I was greeted by Rikki, who would be giving me a personal tour of this stunning property.   The open and airy tasting room leads you to the outdoor patio area, providing an amazing view of the vineyards.  On the property is a contemporary art gallery that combines the owner’s love and appreciation of art and wine.   Since the owner is also a lover of great rock music, each block of the vineyard is named after a rock song such as “Hotel California”, “Light My Fire” and “Stairway to Heaven”.   The stunning cellar located on the south-west side of the vineyard boasts an amazing view of the valley floor below and the steep hillside vineyards to the east (Vacas Mountain Range) with the Poetry Inn nestled right up there.  I loved looking into the fermentation room and seeing the picture of Grace Kelly keeping her watchful eye on the winemaking process.

During my visit, I tasted the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, which had lots of tropical fruit notes on the nose and in the mouth, like mango.  For such ripe fruit and high alcohol the wine still had great acidity with a medium finish.  I also lucked out and was able to taste the sold-out 2005 Sauvignon Blanc.  The amazing thing was that the 2005 still holding its own, showing lots of fruit and great acidity even though it was already 3 years old   But the kicker for me was the 2005 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon which is 100% from the Stag’s Leap District.  Lots of black currents, black cherry, bitter chocolate, baking spices and cloves.  The fruit and alcohol were extremely well integrated and the layers of complexity of this wine was so refine.  I can see this wine being able to age another twenty years, if you have the patience, but it can be enjoyed now with a nice medium rare steak or lamb kabobs on the BBQ.  Or, even better, pair this wine with some great classic rock.

            

On the last day of my visit to Napa/Sonoma, I stopped in at Viansa winery located in Carneros, within Sonoma County.  I was told that there were many Italian varieties being planted here such as Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Pinot Grigio just to name a few.  Once I heard that these unique grapes were being grown in Sonoma, I knew I needed to see and taste for myself.

Upon arrival, I met winemaker Ron Goss and was told we would be tasting his 2007 “Pierina” Vernaccia for the very first time, so I knew I was on to something good.  This wine is perfect for a hot summer day and it has lots of tropical fruit characteristics such as pineapple and floral notes with great acidity and fruit on the finish.  This wine is dry and comes through very clean and mouth cleansing on the finish.   I also tried the 2007 Arneis, which had a lot of stone fruit characteristics, such as apricot and peach, and even some spice.  This would be a perfect wine with any Asian or Thai food with its richness on the finish.

I also tried the ‘06 Farneta which is 100% Primitivo.  Ron told me they actually use a Primitivo clone so they cannot call it Zinfandel.  This wine had lots of black raspberry, brambleberry and cloves.  The ‘04 “La Nebbia” Nebbiolo had lots of cherry and rose petal aromas and was very well integrated.  This would be the perfect wine to have with pizza from Viansa’s outdoor wood oven.

For the dessert wine lover, the ‘05 Late Harvest Primitivo is amazing.  Lots of raisins and fig, backed up with just the right amount of sweetness and the acidity.   This wine is a great alternative to port and can be paired with a bitter chocolate dessert.

Viansa is truly “the sweet life” in the heart of Sonoma.   The wine bar and tasting experience was like being in an Italian marketplace where you can sample wine and purchase a variety of wine-related merchandise and specialty foods.  You can also purchase olive oil, which is estate harvested from over one thousand olive trees located on the property.

The winery is very close to Infineon Raceway.  For those who are looking for a diversion from the noise and action of the speedway, Viansa would be the perfect choice to enjoy some fine wines, shop and have lunch from the outdoor wood oven.  The elevated view is spectacular and stretches quite far to the north and east overlooking the Viansa vineyards below.  So, sit back, sip and enjoy!

Planning a trip to Napa for a girl’s weekend or a retreat with your partner?  Then a stop at the Napa Valley Gaia Hotel Spa should be high on your list of priorities.  From the moment you enter the doors, you are feel like you are leaving the world behind you as you are greeted by the stunning two-sided Buddha fountain and a beautiful, Asian-influenced waiting area, ready to take your cares away.

A robe and slippers are provided to each guest, as well as full-sized locker for your things.    A unique experience in the change room is the triple spray shower.  There is a rainfall shower flowing down on you directly overhead to the jets that spray you from either side, not only is it a great massage but a thorough, all-over cleaning from all sides.   The steam room was a good size to accommodate you and three girlfriends, as if you were spa-ing it “Sex and the City” style.

The Spa offers a variety of treatments from a simple massage to a Volcanic Mud Wrap.   Also offered are facials using organic and biodynamic ingredients.  All packaging used at the Spa is recyclable and is made from recycled materials.   I loved the “couples” massage room and thought the “Dragon and the Phoenix” dual body scrub with Cabernet seeds and a massage afterwards would be the perfect mother-daughter retreat.

I did make time for the Thai Coconut Scrub & Massage. The scrub is an organic blend of soaps made from corn and coconut oils, rice “flour” made form ground up rice hulls, coconut, lemongrass essential oil, and a few other good things.   The oil is a blend of essential oils in a base of safflower oil.    The amazing aromas from the scrub awoke my senses while the hot towel compress wiped everything away and relaxed my body completely.  By the time my massage started I was already slipping into complete relaxation.

Kate Riley, manager of the Gaia Spa makes you feel very special and relaxed on arrival.  Having been a bodyworker and a yoga teacher since 1976, she is a great resource for the Spa and will help you choose the right treatment for you.

All of the Spa’s services are available online so book ahead to avoid disappointment.  You’ll be glad you did.

Not only was my stay at the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel relaxing after a long day of wine tasting, the culinary delights of Chef Marco Fiorini were the perfect start and end to every day.  Keeping in the “green” theme of the hotel, there is lots of natural light coming in from the skylights and the big windows overlooking the courtyard and pool.  The menu is printed on recycled paper and most of the menu items are organic, locally grown and sustainable.    The booths along the window are cozy and inviting to what is happening outside.

For breakfast, I had the Bayside Benedict with smoked salmon and one of the best oatmeals I have had in a long while, accompanied with brown sugar and a variety of nuts (ordering a side of fresh fruit complements this dish perfectly).  Some interesting breakfast choices include the Lamb Hash and Eggs or for the Vegan, a Scrambled Egg Tofu.   The portions were perfectly sized and sustained me throughout my wine journey into wine country right up until the early afternoon.

In the evening, the dining room comes alive with Ken at the bar and his amazing ice tea.  No, it’s not “sweet tea” but Ken’s special brew that keeps it natural tasting but with a hint of sweetness.   If you want to know the secret, you’ll have to ask Ken in person.

However, the food and wine keep the guests coming back and the locals wanting more.  I absolutely loved the Sea Scallop Sliders (a take on the mini burger trend, but with scallops) and Tuna Tartare.  For dinner, I had the grilled halibut, but must-trys are the Gaia Burger (the beef comes from a local ranch and is grass fed) and the California Lamb Shank that is slow cooked in a local red Zinfandel and served on bed of mint and scallion couscous.  Talk about meat falling off the bone, it’s just delicious!

Some of the featured local wineries are Cartilidge and Brown, where their Chardonnay and Merlot are available by the glass, and the organic Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, which is a great palate cleanser at the start of a meal.  It has really nice acidity and fruit and paired well with a number of the appetizers on the menu.   Some of the bigger guns included the MacRostie Chardonnay and the Caymus Conundrum, to the big reds such as the Robert Craig “Affinity”, which is a Cabernet Blend, Neyers ‘Old Lakeville Road’ Syrah and Cain Cuvee which is a Merlot blend (think Right Bank Bordeaux).

The restaurant does not charge a corkage fee if you choose to bring in that special bottle that you found out in wine country that day.  I am not surprised that this restaurant will continue to be a big hit with the tourists and locals alike.