I remember co-owner Gray Hartley telling me years ago that a guy came in, ordered a glass of wine and then a bottle and his world turned upside-down. The man was Rex Picket, author of the book Sideways. I sat with Frank Ostini, Gray's partner, who told me he knew something was up when director Alexander Payne walked in.
With the help of Wine Pleasures, not only did we taste exceptional Cavas, visit remarkable places, meet unforgettable people and taste divine food, we came home with memories that will last a lifetime.
The fruit simply exploded from the glass. I thought this was an exceptional wine. Ken called it "luscious all the way through." Sue called it the perfect Merlot.
Chef Jeremy believes in staying true to his local roots, utilizing local farms, and the highlighting the seasonal flavors of the region. This man literally lives and breathes into creation intense, flavorful 5 star cuisine unlike anything anywhere else.
The Grand Tasting , the a culmination of a weeklong city-wide event focusing on engaging, educational and unique winemaker panels and testing seminars, was held at Windfall Farms, a 724-acre thoroughbred horse farm east of Paso Robles. The farm has a Kentucky- style feel with white walls, red brick and steeples.
Karsten prepared a roasted butternut squash soup with citrus /mint/chili pesto to pair with the wine. The nose was modest, but on the palate it was crisp with notes of lemon and grapefruit.
Fried chicken and waffles is their best seller. Mark tried out a brand new special on us. With Thanksgiving approaching he gave us a waffle made from stuffing with mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey and cranberry sauce.
This was a flawed wine, scoring 11.5 points out of a possible 60. Comments ranged from "Yuck! Toss it!" to "I get burning tyres. (Brian is British) And the mailman's used rubber bands. Actually not nice."
The Grand Tasting is the finale of a 7–day epicurean delight—a food and wine (and this year beer) lover’s paradise, that showcases 170 wine and spirit purveyors and 70 of San Diego’s top chefs. Temecula wines were well represented. Callaway Winery, South Coast Winery, Wilson Creek Winery and Danza del Sol Winery and Europa Village were showcasing some of their latest releases.