Santa Rosa Wine

• 

  November 2009

  Foley Estates Vineyard and Winery Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa 2007

  Snoothrank: Starting at $28^.99

  Very floral at first with a light, whispery character that gains a soft, lightly vanilla and tamarind-scented edge to the soft strawberry fruit. There are backing notes of mocha, oaken spice that gain intensity but don’t cover the fruit. Silken on the palate with stealthy tannins... Read moreVery floral at first with a light, whispery character that gains a soft, lightly vanilla and tamarind-scented edge to the soft strawberry fruit. There are backing notes of mocha, oaken spice that gain intensity but don’t cover the fruit. Silken on the palate with stealthy tannins and wonderfully supportive acids that keep the slight herb and cocoa toned cherry and strawberry fruit fresh and lively across the palate. Really very fruity on the backend yet with a refreshing slight green edge that yields to some more oak spice and some obvious, yet integrated wood tannins. This should benefit from another year or two in bottle but is already delicious and very well balanced with impressive length to the finish. 92pts    (hide)

  Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• November 2009

  Two Chefs Compare Notes One's a little country, one's a little big ... off the plaza in downtown Santa Rosa, bring an international flair to his dish, pairing the pork with fennel, crisp potato pancakes, and a sophisticated Aioli. Zin Restaurant & Wine... Read more Two Chefs Compare Notes One's a little country, one's a little big ... off the plaza in downtown Santa Rosa, bring an international flair to his dish, pairing the pork with fennel, crisp potato pancakes, and a sophisticated Aioli. Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar (Jeff Mall) 344 Center St. Healdsburg, CA 9544 707.473.0946 Apple Wood–Smoked Pork Chops with Fresh Applesauce, Braised Rainbow Chard, and Corn Bread Stuffing follow this link for a printable pdf file of this recipe For the pork chops: In a large bowl, combine the beer, salt, sugar, molasses, Sriracha hot sauce, garlic, peppercorns, and thyme. Add the water and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Add the pork chops, cover, and refrigerate for 12 hours. For the applesauce: In a large, heavy skillet, melt the sugar over medium-high heat, shaking the pan frequently, until it just begins to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the apples, lime juice, and salt. (The caramel will clump, but will melt as the applesauce cooks; add a little water to melt it if necessary.) Cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat as needed to prevent scorching, until the apples are soft and caramelized a light brown color, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon. Set aside. For the corn bread stuffing: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning, until well browned on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the onion, celery, and green pepper and sauté until the onion is translucent and soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the parsley, sage, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Put the corn bread in a large, shallow 8-cup baking dish and pour the onion mixture over the corn bread. Stir gently to coat and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake until browned, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and keep warm. While the stuffing is baking, prepare a charcoal grill for indirect-heat cooking, mounding the hot coals on one side of the grill. Remove the pork from the brine (discard the brine) and pat dry. Soak the apple wood chips in warm water for 10 minutes; drain. Sprinkle the apple wood chips over the coals and place the pork chops on the indirect-heat area of the grill (not over the coals). Cover the grill and smoke the pork chops for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and open the vents to increase the heat; if needed, add a few more coals. Move the pork chops to the direct-heat area of the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium. Transfer to a plate and tent with aluminum foil; let rest for 5 minutes. For the rainbow chard: Coarsely chop the chard leaves. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Working in batches, add the chard and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and chicken broth, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm. To serve, reheat the applesauce over low heat. Spoon a mound of corn bread stuffing into the center of each of 4 dinner plates. Top each with one-fourth of the chard. Lean a pork chop against each mound and add a spoonful of applesauce. Makes 4 main-course servings Syrah Bistro (Josh Silvers) 205 Fifth St. Santa Rosa CA 707.568.4002 Pork Chops with Fennel-Apple Salad and Potato Pancakes follow this link for a printable pdf file of this recipe For the pork chops: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, salt, vinegar, sugar, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat, and let cool completely. Pour over the pork chops in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. Meanwhile, for the fennel-apple salad: Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, cut the apple and fennel into paper thin slices. Put the slices in a bowl, cover with ice water, and soak for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, sugar, lemon zest, and olive oil together. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the fennel and apple well and toss with the vinaigrette. For the aioli: On a cutting board, mince the garlic with the salt and mash with the flat edge of the knife until it forms a paste. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice, and mustard together. Whisk in the garlic paste. Combine the oils in a measuring cup and, whisking constantly, add them to the yolk mixture a few drops at a time until the mixture is emulsified and all the oil is incorporated. (If the mixture separates, stop adding the oil and continue whisking until mixture comes together, then resume adding oil.) Whisk in the fennel pollen and season with salt and pepper. If the aioli is too thick, whisk in 1 or 2 drops of water. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. For the potato pancakes: Using the large holes on a box grater, shred the potato and onion into a bowl of hot water. Drain, cover with more hot water, and drain again. Cover with cold water, rinse, then drain very well. Spread the shreds on a clean kitchen towel, roll it up, and wring to squeeze out as much water as you can. Empty the shreds into a bowl and add the egg, flour, salt, and pepper; stir to combine thoroughly. Gently shape the mixture into 4 equal cakes. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1⁄2 inch oil over high heat to 375°F (a shred of potato will sizzle and brown almost instantly), and add the potato pancakes. Flatten each gently with a metal spatula and fry until golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and cook until golden brown on second side and tender throughout, 3 to 4 minutes more. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Drain the pork chops and pat dry. Grill for 6 or 7 minutes on each side for medium. Place a potato pancake on each of 4 dinner plates and top each with a pork chop. Add a spoonful of aioli and the fennel-apple salad. Garnish with fennel fronds if desired and serve. Makes 4 main-course servings   down home:downtown makes a great gift and can be ordered directly from each restaurant. Support these two fine chefs by making a reservation at either Zin Restaurant or Syrah Bistro during your next trip to wine country. If you can't make it to Sonoma, bring their cooking home. Purchase a copy of down home:downtown and share the bounty of Sonoma with friends and family alike. Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar      Syrah Bistro    (hide)

  From the article down home: downtown

  
  
• 

  November 2009

  Paradise Ridge Winery Russian River Valley Zinfandel 2006

  Snoothrank:

  Paradise Ridge is located on a high hillside at the northern boundary of Santa Rosa. This Zinfandel, from a steep, rocky estate vineyard in this lovely setting, is absolutely delicious. Silky smooth yet full bodied, it displays deep blackberry fruit flavors and a nicely perfumed,... Read moreParadise Ridge is located on a high hillside at the northern boundary of Santa Rosa. This Zinfandel, from a steep, rocky estate vineyard in this lovely setting, is absolutely delicious. Silky smooth yet full bodied, it displays deep blackberry fruit flavors and a nicely perfumed, plummy, spicy nose. Soft and seamless mouth-feel, almost Pinot Noir-like, and untiring to the palate.    (hide)

  Wine review by Winebork

  
  

• October 2009

  Hello! I'm from Mexico and run a Wine Magazine. Curiously we are preparing a Chile Special for the next issue, so I've been tasting a lot of Chilean wines lately (like 25 in one week). IMHO they are really good, well balanced, market ready wines, and with a very good quality/price... Read moreHello! I'm from Mexico and run a Wine Magazine. Curiously we are preparing a Chile Special for the next issue, so I've been tasting a lot of Chilean wines lately (like 25 in one week). IMHO they are really good, well balanced, market ready wines, and with a very good quality/price relation. In most cases they are safe bets, very classic, like Concha y Toro, La Rosa, Santa Rita. And then there are some excellent premium wines that just astonished me with their potency, fullness and balance. Examples: Don Melchor (Concha y toro), Neyén (Apalta), Microterroir (Casa Silva, Colchagua), and the exceptional Don Reca. Congratulations to all wine professionals in Chile because you are doing a really really really good job! Carlos    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic What do you think about... by cevalenzuela

  
  
• 

  October 2009

  Familia Zuccardi Bonarda Serie a 2007

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by Gandalflima

  
  

• October 2009

  One of the things that continues to amaze me is the just the sheer number of ... 6097 Bennett Valley Road Santa Rosa, California 95404 Telephone: 800.590.6464 or 707.528.6464 Fax: 707.571.0156 Email: info@matanzascreek.com

  Forum post in the topic Mantazas Creek Visit … by HondaJohn

  
  

• October 2009

  You should definitely take John up on the Sea Smoke Rachel. They make incredible Pinot and it is nearly impossible to get unless you "know" someone. There are many other fantastic Pinot producers in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barabra county (Alma Rosa, Melville, Etc.) you should... Read moreYou should definitely take John up on the Sea Smoke Rachel. They make incredible Pinot and it is nearly impossible to get unless you "know" someone. There are many other fantastic Pinot producers in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barabra county (Alma Rosa, Melville, Etc.) you should give them a try.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Tasting Party: Pinot Noirs... by radavis3

  
  

• September 2009

  Taste 5 full bodied, gorgeous wines from exceptional growing areas paired with delicious seasonal foods. 05 Santa Barbara Winery Primitivo, Joughin Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley, CA 06 Rosa del Golfo Primitivo, Puglia, IT 07 Haraszthy Zinfandel, Amador County, CA** made by Val... Read moreTaste 5 full bodied, gorgeous wines from exceptional growing areas paired with delicious seasonal foods. 05 Santa Barbara Winery Primitivo, Joughin Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley, CA 06 Rosa del Golfo Primitivo, Puglia, IT 07 Haraszthy Zinfandel, Amador County, CA** made by Val Haraszthy the great grandson of Agoston Haraszthy, rumored to have brought the first Zinfandel vines to CA 07 Michael David Earthquake Zinfandel, Paso Robles, CA 08 II Trullo Primitivo del Salento, Puglia, IT Bistro Sommelier will pour and explain the wines. Casual, relaxed atmosphere - good wine and friends. Wed October 7 6pm 25.00 Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro 516 State Street, Santa Barbara 805-962-1455    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Passionate for Zinfandel in... by countessa618

  
  
• 

  August 2009

  Lincourt Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills Rancho Santa Rosa 2007

  Snoothrank:

  was actually santa barbara, 16.99 post liq

  Wine review by makroin

  
  
• 

  August 2009

  Foley Rancho Santa Rosa Pinot Noir 2005

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by nickfrei

  
  

prev 1 2 3 4 5  ...  9 next