Drink Great Wines at Half Price: Secrets to BYOB

Even in this down economy, I can still afford to go out to eat great food and to drink delicious wines.
My secret weapon is GoByo.com.
I love this site. They cover many major cities in the U.S. and hundreds or even thousands of restaurants within each city.

GoByo.com tells you which restaurants in your area allow you to bring your own bottle of wine (and sometimes beer as well). They also tell you how much 'corkage' fee that restaurant charges for service and glassware.

No more guessing, disappointments or grovelling phonecalls to afternoon waitstaff who have no idea about their restaurant's BYO policy.
Most casual places have very reasonable charges ($5-10 per bottle).
Fine Dining venues tend to have higher fees and also ask that if you bring a bottle, that you also buy a bottle off their list.

I look forward to the day when the restaurant industry has a business model that does not rely on exorbitant wine prices. As Americans become increasingly wine savvy, the market will be forced to adjust accordingly.

If GoByo does not cover your area, these are my suggestions:
Always call the restaurant ahead of time ask about their BYO policy. Do they allow BYO and is there a corkage fee? Encourage your favorite local restaurant to at least promote a BYO night during the week.

I used GoByo last week to confirm the BYO policy of a Chinese restaurant I like, Mei Long Village. They had no corkage charge and were all smiles about pouring our wine.
We enjoyed fish sauteed with ginger and scallions, jade shrimp (shrimp sauteed with spinach and garlic puree) and stirfried greens with garlic. Amazing!
And I enjoyed this food with the perfect wine that costs only $18.

I brought a bottle of Ca Del Solo Muscat 2008 $18 from Bonny Doon Vineyards. Made from certified Biodynamic grapes.
This wine had wonderfully floral aromas of orange blossom and honeysuckle. Pretty flavors of melon, ginger and kumquat make it a delicious match for all Asian cuisine.

Randall Grahm and Bonny Doon Wines take to the Sky(pe)

Randall Grahm from Bonny Doon Vineyards has always been an innovator. Today he proved it by conducting a virtual winetasting via the Skype network on Oprah.
What a revolutionary convergence! Old media meets new media and biodynamic wine meets Oprah and her millions of followers.

Randall Grahm has been a leader in producing wines made from organic and biodynamic grapes.

I have been revisiting some of the Bonny Doon wines this past week.

2008 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare Rose - Beautiful light pink color. This wine was made for spring and summer! Aromas of strawberry jam. Flavors of watermelon, more strawberry and some very clean notes of cucumber. Refreshingly dry finish. Drink it with barbecued lamb chops and Greek salad. $15

2007 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc -Blend of white Rhone grapes(Roussane and Grenache Blanc). Light golden color. Aromas of lime custard and honeycomb. Flavors of melon, pineapple, pear and more honey. Nice acids on the finish. Brilliant with garlic roasted chicken. $22

2005 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant- Blend of red Rhone grapes ( Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignane and Cinsault). Dark ruby color. Aromas of cinnamon and blackberries. Flavors of plum tart, chocolate and some earthy goodness. Wonderfully light on its feet. Delicious with brisket and beans. $32

Wine Bottles are Finally Going Green ( or how to avoid chronic backpain)

There is a wine brand I have been selling for many years. It is a delicious red blend from Argentina and the wine garners rave reviews from both casual drinkers and professional wine critics alike.
My only complaint is the bottle it comes packaged in. Huge, thick and heavy glass with a deep punt at the bottom. It borders on being a WMD.
I remember keeping an empty bottle next to my bed one night when I kept hearing strange noises outside my new apartment. I pitied the possible intruder and his rude awakening if I needed to fell him in one fatal swoop with this monster bottle.
I used to sell this wine as a distributor sales rep and often had to carry cases to accounts myself. A case of this wine weighs close to 50 pounds!

But the wine industry is finally understanding that they don't have to break our backs to convince us that a wine is valuable.

Wines & Vines has a recent article about wine bottles going green.
Manufacturers like Owen-Illinois Inc. and wineries such as Fetzer have been thought leaders in the greening of wine bottles. Fetzer's bottles are now 14% lighter.
Fetzer Vineyards has been a leader in sustainable winemaking as well.

Why lighter wine bottles matter:
1. Lighter bottles save 15% of the raw materials used to produce glass bottles
2. The carbon emissions associated with manufacturing and transporting wine have been reduced by roughly 14%
3. Lighter bottles mean less expensive bottles for both consumers and wineries
4. If you work in the wine industry or are a consumer that buys by the case, your back will be forever grateful

Texas Wine

Although I enjoy a coastal lifestyle in California nowadays, I was born and raised in Texas. Texas may never become a serious contender to California, Oregon or Washington but there are some mighty fine wines produced in the Lone Star state.
Go Texan has a wonderful website with everything you need to know about drinking Texas wines and visiting the wineries. They also helped produce the video above about Texas wines. This is the first installment of a five episode production.

I highly recommend a trip to Central Texas in May or June. Base yourself in the beautiful and funky Austin, Texas. You will enjoy real Texas barbecue and rustic tasty Mexican cuisine, as well Austin's legendary music scene.
If music is not your passion, just enjoy some lemonade or a Shiner Bock under the massive oak trees near the cool water of Barton Springs.
There are dozens of well respected wineries within an easy drive of Austin.


Texas Wine Facts:
1.Spanish missionaries started growing wine grapes in Texas during the 1600's.
2.In 1888 Texan Thomas Munson helped save the French wine industry with his Texas grown phylloxera resistant rootstock.
3. Texas is the 5th largest wine producing state in the United States.
4. Texas has over 230 wineries and counting.

Recommended Texas Wineries:
Spicewood, Llano Estacado, Becker, McPherson and Fall Creek

Cap Rock Viognier 2008 is the first wine to be produced from 100% Texas grown organic grapes.

Living Wine

I am so disappointed. There is an amazing opportunity to taste some of the most interesting Pinot Noirs being made in California and talk with the family who makes them on May 16th. And I cannot go due to a prior commitment.

I met Gideon from Clos Saron Winery last year at Pinot Days.
He was charming and scruffy and I could swear he had grape must from his winemaking duties permanently ingrained under his fingernails.

Gideon and his wife, Saron, are making distinctive and delicious Pinot Noir.
They farm their vineyards using organic and biodynamic principles.
But it doesn't stop there.
They also:
Use only native yeasts
Do not do acid corrections
No fining
Little to no sulfites are added to the wines.

My tasting notes on the 2006 "Home Vineyard" Pinot Noir - Restrained cherry fruit, cinnamon spice, nice crunchy mineral component, gorgeous long finish

If you like Scholium Project Wines, this is a winery for you! Clos Saron wines are more approachable than Scholium wines but just as memorable.



Clos Saron

Spring Celebration - May 16th - Tasting, Lunch, & Dinner


Tasting: 2:30-5:30 PM, at the winery - 9269 Collin House Rd, Oregon House, CA 95962.

Experience a "mini-vertical" of each Clos Saron wine, from barrel to library samples. Sample the 2007 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir on the first day of its release! The tasting is free, casual, and fun - do bring your friends along! All wines purchased at the event qualify for a 10% discount. Unmixed cases: -15%.

Picnic Lunch: 12:00-2:00 PM. Sit on the winery porch or under the huge Valley Oak in the middle of the "Home Vineyard" and enjoy a complimentary glass of Tickled Pink with your lunch. A variety of fresh home-made salads and sandwiches will be available ($10, make your reservation now!).

Gourmet Wine-Dinner: 6:00-8:30 PM. Following the tasting, join us for our traditional (5 years now!) intimate, memorable Clos Saron wine-fest-dinner at the nearby Cafe Collage. Expertly made Mediterranean cuisine, with a French touch. Three courses (including the sublime Epoisses cheese with old Pinot Noir - a marriage made in heaven!), lots of wines, good conversation, great fun! ($57 plus tax & gratuity, make your reservation now!).

For reservations and/or any further information, call us at 530 692 1080, or email us at info@clossaron.com.

Visit our website www.clossaron.com,

We hope to see you then,

Saron & Gideon

Simple Pleasures: Organic food and wine match for Spring

Ahh... spring has sprung and the fresh fava beans are easy to find at the local farmer's market. Unlike the famous movie quote from Silence of the Lambs, I prefer my favas with white wine instead of Chianti.

I went to the Hollywood Farmers Market this morning and bought organic fava beans and local baby shitake mushrooms. I plan on preparing one of my favorite springtime meals (see recipe below).

The perfect match for this meal will be the Grgich Hills Chardonnay 2006.
Grgich Hills is both certifed Organic and certified Biodynamic. This means they use no toxic chemicals for pesticides, fertilizers and fungicides.

Grgich Hills Chardonnay ($42) has gorgeous aromas of honeysuckle and apple blossoms, rich flavors of lemon custard and a nice bright acidity at the finish.

Fava Bean and Shitake risotto

Peel one pound of fava pods and pop out the beans, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes.
Drain and let cool. Then slip the green fava beans from the outer casing.
Saute one diced onion in butter and stir in 1 cup risotto rice. Stir to coat.
Add heated stock to risotto, one cup at a time. Stir frequently and let stock absorb before adding more. Probably will take about four cups of warm stock before risotto is al dente. Stir in some butter, turn off heat and cover.
Saute half cup of sliced shitake mushrooms in butter and let cook for five minutes.
Add peeled fava beans to mushrooms.
Stir cooked shitakes and favas into the risotto and add grated pecorino cheese.
Serves two

Celebrate spring with this delicious organic food and wine pairing!