Photo – Sabrina Glazbrook with Ruud Maasdam of Staete Landt and ME!

OMG I am SUPER happy! Ok- so Sabrina Glazbrook (Gil Gross’ Producer) and I dashed over to the Wines of New Zealand event at Fort Mason today.. It was SUPER DUPER; and reminded me of how very lucky we are to not only have great wine producing regions here – but WONDERFUL imports to try out from over seas. We tasted a number of wines, from various growing regions like Marlborough and Hawkes Bay and regions with smaller production and distribution – yet spectacular quality of product, Canterbury, Central Otago and beyond. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir are the best known and most exported varietals, but New Zealand is also strong in Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Syrah and more- depending upon the region. Look for the wines of New Zealand at your local restaurant and wine shop – for info visit www.nzwine.com Specifically (the wines we tasted and enjoyed the most) Mount Beautiful www.mtbeautiful.co.nz Staete Landt www.staetelandt.co.nz Astrolabe www.astrolabewines.co.nz www.greywacke.com - owned by Kevin Judd, formerly of Cloudy Bay Surprise- while sampling a few Hog Island Oysters and tastes of Cowgirl Creamery we stumbled on Olive Oils from New Zealand! The Village Press www.thevillagepress.co.nz will be available in fine retailers soon – including varietals Barnea, Manzanillo and Picual. We even left with a little bottle to take home! One was peppery, one was spicy, and one was smooth and creamy- all were justttt right. If you cannot get to New Zealand Soon- Taste it in your glass! Joel

Saturday 10am-1pm on NewsTalk910 We will Talk Food, Wine and Travel
I will give you a heads up on the James Beard Winners in our area- and
some of my favorites from other parts of the nation www.jamesbeard.org
for a complete list - we all have our opinions!
And-
Paris with David Downie www.davidddownie.com , Persia with Hoss Zare
www.zareflytrap.com Plus a local festival you have to attend!
www.Simplydeliciousdanville.com

For Food?  It is all about back yards and pigs!  Sunset Magazine tells
you how to grow your own in their "Edible Garden Cookbook"
www.sunset.com  While Brady Lowe gives the low down on the exceptional
pork event www.cochon555.com    * May 20th- ill be there- Judging!
All of this and more- with me Joel Riddell
Saturday 10am-1pm on Dining Around
on NewsTalk910

Passion for Pinot Noir runs high.  I hear the conversations about Burgundy, Carneros, about Oregon, and alas even about Bottle Shock.  Heavy, dense, sometimes over oaked / light, complex, with minimum of new oak; formula and form- never forgetting quality.  Picked early, picked late, high or low alcohol this varietal is enormously popular, and comes in a variety of different palates.

I must admit, I like them a bit on the heavy side.  I want it darker, dense, red fruits, cotton candy, black cherry and date – not so subtle that you need massive amounts of pondering.  Which can at times- be annoying (not the wine- the pondering).

I have an enormous amount of respect for those who can create a subtle pinot noir- and keep the annual production in that realm; French, Old world style.  True, the wines of Handley have changed since the introduction of Kristen Barnhisel but then again they should!  A winemaker has a personality, and a co-winemaker along with a principal in the business must exercise her own.  I say Bravo!  I appreciated the wines we tasted through (7 wines) prior to Kristen’s arrival; and some at our meeting preferred them.  I preferred however, the younger wines (the second 7), specifically the 2005 and the 2009 vintages.  In addition to the 14 tasted, we enjoyed a sparkling and two white wines paired with Waterbar bites- I am lucky- I made the train back to the office- and all is great in the world.

Interestingly enough, these vintages also included fruit from their RSM Vineyard, an estate planting, on a the hill side by the Handley’s home 100% French oak, but 40% of it new (slightly higher percentage than other vintages- but not desperately woody).   I believe this shift is an embracing of a new style- plus RSM is part of Milla’s – the most recently planted, juvenile vines higher altitude, hotter place, ripening earlier, all together a bright light from the makers of BrightLighter, a favorite white blend of mine. 

We ate! Smoked Sturgeon Moose, Tuna Tartar with mango and jalapeño, Parmesan Tortellini, Rack of Lamb- GREAT! 

Daily Lunch Menu included Yellowtail Jack Ceviche, Crisp Soft Shell Crab, Roasted Rock Cod, Grilled Bavette Steak- along with Fried Green Tomatoes!

Handley Cellars, 3151 Highway 28 Philo, CA 95466 Owner/ Winemaker Milla Handley Co-Winemaker Kristen Barnhisel 1-800-733-3151 www.handleycellars.com

Waterbar 399 The Embarcadero S San Francisco, CA 94105. * the foot of Folsom Street, right on the water Executive Chef Parke Ulrich (415) 284-9922 www.waterbarsf.com