…I just never know what’s going to happen when we gather six diverse palates and 6 even more various and sundry opinions in one room, over 6 or more bottles of wine, over a time period of 90 minutes or so…
The Francis Coppola Reserve Viognier 2010 ($25) … showcases an exotic tropical fruit and plumeria flower nose followed by luscious flavors of pineapple, juicy pears, honeysuckle, and spice… is especially good with Mrs. Scorcese’s Lemon Chicken (click here for recipe) which is a favorite at RUSTIC Francis’s Favorites located in the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Napa…
In honor of Cinco de Mayo the Rutherford Appellation Wineries will hold their spring passport event, a “Rutherford Passport to Fiesta,” on the weekend of May 5th and 6th. Eleven wineries will offer special tastings and comida to those who purchase a two-day passport for $75 or a Sunday-only passport for $60…Sawyer Cellars will be serving Napa chef Jonathan Bodnar’s Mole-Style Chile (click here for recipe). Chef’s dish will be paired with the Sawyer Cellars 2008 Estate Merlot. There is no mistaking the distinctive flavor profile of Rutherford wines. There’s something very special about the terroir that screams this is ”The Place” and “The Taste” of great wines.
This slightly spritzy wine goes well with a variety of foods like Maple Glazed Ham, Souvlaki, a dessert that has almonds, coconut cream pie, salmon and crab. I personally love it with Chef Scott Drewno’s Chile-Pork Wontons and Chef Chris Newsome’s Ginger-Lime Shrimp Salad.
Today’s pairing is a vegetarian version of paella. Chef Steve Pickell says, “We’re building flavors throughout this vegetable-only version.” It’s a gorgeous dish, fit for any table any time of the year.