Alex Prestifillipo is the owner of Gourmet Italia, Gourmet Italia North and Spuntino Pizzeria. This past Sunday, Alex and his wife Charity welcomed a group of diners to his home for his 2nd annual cooking show. Alex and Charity’s home sits on a hill in De Luz, on Temecula’s west side. There’s a spectacular panoramic view and the lawn was set with tables, chairs and umbrellas to fend off the sweltering sun.

Guests were greeted with Mojitos and Martini Bianco on the rocks. John Tiso brought three cases of his La Serenissima wine; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and his Cab-Merlot blend. If you have not yet tried his wines, seek them out. They are exceptional. Live music was provided by Randy & The Associates. Alex prepared Salmone Avocado e Pompelmo Rucola (Smoked Salmon, Avocado, & Pink Grapefruit with Arugula in an emulsion of Lime & Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Carpaccio di Bresaola con Cuori di Palma (Thin Sliced Cured Beef Topped with Arugula and Hearts of Palm in a Citrus Mustard Dressing), Rigatoni al Sugo di Cervo con Pecorino Toscano (Rigatoni mixed with Shredded Venison Ragu, Eggs and Bechamel Sauce topped with Pecorino Toscano), Ripiena con Pancetta Aparagi (Fresh Halibut wrapped with Pancetta and Aparagus in a bed of Arugula Pesto), Cannoli Siciliana (Sicilian Canolis with three different fillings) and Gelatini al Rosa con Fragole e Mousse di Marscapone (Red Gelatin with Strawberries and a Marscapone Mousse). I’m stuffed just writing about it!

We dealt with the heat as best we could (Charity and Alex came by to occasionally mist us with spray bottles), the food was incredible and I look forward to next year’s gathering. Ciao!

Cooking With Alex (click to play video)

John Tiso

Alex and son Luca

Charity and Alex

Gourmet Italia Crew

Tomatoes

The mercury hovered in the low 100s, but that didn’t stop the 450 people in attendance from having a wonderful time this past Sunday at Orfila Vineyards Grape Stomp in Escondido. For Executive Winemaker Don Reha, it was his first time to preside over this fun event.

Many took to the spirit of the day, plunging feet first into tubs filled with grapes. Several of the Orfila employees were dressed to resemble Lucille Ball in the classic I Love Lucy grape stomping episode. Wine tasting, live music and dinner made this a full afternoon. Click here to view Orfila Grape Stomp 2009 video

I’ve had to good fortune to be part of the audience for three tapings of an upcoming TV show called “Catch The Spirit – Cooking With California Wine”. Chef Cody James and wife Linda have visited several Temecula Valley wineries, including Oak Mountain, Keyways and Cougar. The show is set to premier this Saturday, September 5th on Cox 4. Chef Cody is a wizard and I recommend you watch the show if you get the chance. For more information, visit Chef Cody’s Manhattan Catering website.

If you’d like a sneak preview of the first episode at Oak Mountain Winery, click here – Catch The Spirit – Cooking With Calfornia Wine

It’s what every winemaker dreams of – first crush. It means harvest has begun and another season of making wine begins. I was at Thornton Winery this morning for their first crush of the season. Winemaker Don Reha raised a champagne toast as the first Pinot Noir grapes tumbled into the press to begin their journey towards becoming Blanc de Noir sparkling wine. The weather was absolutely perfect. There was a gentle breeze and temperatures were in the mid 60s. You can see this is what Don lives for. He probably won’t get a lot of sleep during the next month, but this is what it’s all about.

Don says this year’s harvest looks to be one of the best in recent memory. The extraordinarily cool weather in June led to a beautiful acid balance in the grapes. I tasted somes of the grapes and they were like nectar. Cafe Champagne Executive Chef Steve Pickell was on hand as was winery President Steve Thornton (sporting the hat he got at Ralphs for ten bucks). It looks like the 2009 harvest is off to a fantastic start. Don and Cellar Manager Arsenio Reyes have begun the crush.

Steve Thornton

Robert Renzoni

Laura and I spent Saturday afternoon doing what we love best – visiting wineries and tasting wine. Our friend Trasier Schuyler from Taste of Temecula was pouring at Gershon Bachus Vintners, so we decided to pay him a visit. We had met owners Ken and Christina on our first visit last year and we remembered enjoying their wines very much. GBV is one of three Temecula Valley wineries with a sit down tasting room, the other two being Briar Rose and Thornton.

We tasted two whites and three reds. First up was the Villa Vino White Duet, a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp and clean, it was a great way to start. Following that was the Four Four Two, a 40% Pinot Grigio, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Viognier blend. This wine was a bit more complex and was one we wound up taking home. Moving on to the reds we started with the Villa Vino Rosso, a Super Tuscan 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. The Zephyrus Zinfandel was next, with a wonderful nose and solid finish. He saved the best for last. The Aquilo 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Napa Valley grapes. This is a solid, classic Cab and well worth the $65 price tag. I’m going to visit with Ken and Christina when we return from vacation and do a more extensive story about their winery.

The second stop I’m sorry to say was a flop. We first visited Leonesse Cellars last year. We went on a weekday afternoon and had a great time. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable and took time to tell us about their different wines. When we left we had become members of their wine club. On a few subsequent visits I found I was either unable to park or if I did find a spot I wound up in a sea of people trying to reach the tasting bar. Recently they opened their barrel room for members only, which is where we went. Again, we were in a big crowd of people. The iron chairs make a hideous noise when they are dragged across the concrete floor. I don’t think our server could have acted less interested if she tried. The Cinsault was tasty as were a few other wines, but that’s one wine club membership I won’t hesitate to cancel.

Fortunately for us there were better things waiting down the road. Masia de Yabar is one of the most recent additions to the Temecula Valley. The setting is spectacular near the end of De Portolo Road. Live Flamenco music filled the air as we relaxed in the outdoor patio and tasted their excellent wines. The 2007 Malbec comes from Argentina and is a great example of the varietal. We also enjoyed the Viognier, Tempranillo, Zinfandel and Monastrell. Look for a more in depth story on this newcomer as well.

We finished our tasting at Robert Renzoni Vineyards. Robert was not around when we stopped by the tasting room, but we were greeted warmly and enjoyed our tasting thoroughly. The Barile Chardonnay has a nice oakiness to it, but is very soft. The La Rosa Sangiovese Rose is perfect for a Summer day. One of my favorites if the Super Tuscan Fiore di Fano. Also noteworthy was the Concerto, a Zinfandel, Syrah and Merlot blend. I’ll be visiting with Robert when we return home and look forward to sharing his story with you. We leave Thursday for Cancun. I doubt we’ll hit any wineries, but I hope to share some photos and stories with you.

“Catch The Spirit – Cooking With California Wine” will debut on Cox 4 September 5th. The crew has been taping episodes at Temecula Valley wineries the past few weeks and I caught up with them on Friday at Keyways. Friday’s undertaking was an ambitious one: they decided to tape two episodes. The day didn’t unfold without a few stumbles, but all in all things went very well and the food was nothing short of delicious.

The first shoot was set up outside in the rose terrace. Chef Cody James of Manhattan Catering prepared a menu of Chilean Sea bass with a Three Citrus Beurre Blanc served over rice pilaf and paired with Keyways ’08 Sauvignon Blanc and followed it up with Brie en Croute with Raspberries, Keyways ’06 Zinfandel, a red onion reduction and cracked black pepper. There was a cooling breeze that also carried the wonderful aromas to those of us lucky enough to attend. Keyways owner Terri Pebley lent a hand and helped Chef roll out the dough for the Brie en Croute. Chef Cody is a master at putting an audience at ease and has a quick wit. Terri was a natural. She was very interested in watching the beurre blanc preparation and admitted she’d never made it. She was the one who came up with idea of Chilean Sea Bass. The food was divine. Both wines were excellent and paired perfectly with the food.

We moved inside to the Club Room for the afternoon shoot. For this episode Chef Cody prepared a meal designed to follow the journey of the Chenin grape from early to late harvest. He started with Prosciutto and Honeydew Melon atop baby greens served with Keyways Krystal Ice Wine dressing. The color and presentation was impressive. Terri joined Chef Cody as he prepared Braised Scallops with beurre blanc sauce and curled carrot and golden raisin salad. This was paired with Keyways ’07 Chenin Blanca. It made for a long day, but the food was scrumptious, the wines were wonderful and it was a unique opportunity to be behind the scenes for the taping of a TV show. Keep an eye out for for this show. I’ll be posting recipes  and video links soon.

I’ve been looking forward to Wednesday afternoons lately. That’s when regularly scheduled meeting of “The Counter Club” convenes at The Wine Company. Owner Dan Atwood thought it would be a good idea for some of his regular customers to come in and taste a few wines from a different rep each week. It’s a nice opportunity for wine lovers to sample some different wines and gives Dan some valuable feedback on which wines to order and which ones to avoid.

Kim Baily from Southern Wine and Spirits brought eight wines for us to sample this week. We started off with a 2007 Chardonnay from Beaulieu Vineyards. Rated 91 points by Wine Spectator, this 100% Carneros wine was pleasing to the nose and enjoyable, but I doubt I’d spend $20 for it. I made an important discovery this week. I’m not a fan of French Bordeaux. Kim brought two for us to taste. The first was an ’06 Chateau Siaurac, a Merlot/Cab Franc blend. It’s not overpriced at $18 and would pair well with foods, but it wasn’t one of my favorites. Keep in mind I’m not a French Bordeaux fan. We jumped up to a $50 wine next, the ’05 Chateau La Vieille Cure, a blend of 75% Merlot, 22% Cab Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine had a magnificent nose, but was still tight. It opened up as it sat in the glass, but I wasn’t a big fan. In all fairness, Ed Mahieu, who loves French Bordeaux found this wine very much to his liking.

My favorite of the afternoon was a California wine, the ’06 Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier. This is one of the three grapes primarily used to make Champagne, but I had never tasted it on its own. It was reminiscent of Pinot Noir in color, nose and palate. I found it very reasonable at $17 and wound up ordering some. Kim poured us a $10 wine, the ’07 Sterling Meritage. This was very approachable and can’t be beat for the price. The ’05 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa was next in line. The nose is unlike any other Cab I have ever smelled and it was hard to pin down. We finally came to the conclusion that there was a prominent blackberry with a hint of cherry. Priced at $37, this is a wine I would like to try again. The final two wines were the ’03 Canoe Ridge Merlot from Washington and the ’06 Terrazas Malbec from Argentina. I found the Merlot to be pleasant enough, but for me overpriced at $54. Way overpriced. The Malbec was a delight, with a deep color and a great fruity nose. $16? Sold!

I’m looking forward to see what Dan has up his sleeve for the next meeting of the Counter Club.