Olson Ogden Wines

pinot on the river festival 2009

Olson Ogden Wines will be pouring its 2007 vintage pinot noirs (and maybe a library selection or two!) at the upcoming Pinot on the River Festival Grand Tasting on Sunday, October 25th at Rodney Strong Vineyards in Healdsburg, CA.  Get 10% of your tickets here by using the code "oo2009".  To read about the entire weekend's festivities go to the Pinot on the River website.  www.pinotfestival.com -- by John

recipe development for olson ogden wines

Chef Richard Haake provides an inside look into recipe development for Olson Ogden Wines on his blog this week. Richard is the founder of Winery Chefs and works with wineries to develop recipes that complement their wines. Richard and Tim will be getting together next week to taste through the 2007 vintage so Richard can start working on recipies for these wines which will be released to the general public soon. Read Richard's blog post here.

san francisco wine bars

The blog Crushworthy does a nice review of San Francisco wine bars, several of which I have not been to and now feel the need to go.  I would have included a few others that may or may not meet the definition of a wine bar in the strictest of terms.  Bin 38, California Wine Merchant, Bacar, Bar Tartine and Hotel Biron spring to mind as great places to go and try an assortment of wine.  California Wine Merchant is obviously all California wines and many hard to find, cult California wines you can actually try by the glass!  Bacar has an amazing assortment of wines by the glass...something like 50 wines by the glass...mind boggling.  Worth a visit as the food is stellar too.  Bar Tartine is more restaurant than wine bar but I really like this place for the food and wine combination.  I like Hotel Biron for its cave like ambiance and the rotating art showcased on the walls of the establishment you can enjoy over a glass of wine.  Point of disclosure, you can find Olson Ogden at Bin 38, California Wine Merchant and Bacar.  I am sure there are many other favorites out there.  Who did I leave out? -- by John

what to serve: provencal rosemary almonds

We have friends over for an impromptu glass of wine often. For these occasions I keep a stash of raw California almonds on hand so I can prepare a quick hors d'oeuvres plate of Provencal rosemary almonds. They are very easy to prepare and after a few minutes in the oven my entire kitchen will take on the welcoming, warm scent of rosemary. The hint of cayenne and rosemary pair nicely with Syrah.

Provencal Rosemary Almonds

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups raw almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in microwave, mix in seasonings and then toss in almonds. Spread coated almonds over a baking sheet, bake for about 12 minutes, stirring once, until toasted and fragrant. Serve!

how to take your pinot on a picnic

PlatyPreserve was created as a storage solution to protect the taste of an opened bottle of wine by completely eliminating the presence of of oxygen. As you probably know, when not properly preserved an opened bottle of wine begins to deteriorate after only a few hours. I love this product for it's portability. The collapsible container is light-weight, leak-proof, unbreakable and takes up very little space in a picnic basket. You can buy it at REI for $12.95.

return of the killer tomatoes!

the tablehopper provides me with weekly reminders of how fortunate I am to live in the Bay Area. Each week she provides inside intel on all things wonderful and edible in this city from new food at the Ferry Building (Thursday markets are back!)  to special happenings at local restaurants around town. For example, we are knee deep in heirloom tomato season and the tablehopper reports on the "Return of the Killer Tomatoes Cart "  at renowned restaurant Bix. You can enjoy some heirloom tomatoes sliced tableside and served with hand-pulled mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and basil during dinner nightly, or for lunch on Fridays. Don't read this blog hungry.

a history of the corkscrew

Who invented the corkscrew and when?  Another Wine Blog answers this and other pressing questions in a fascinating account of the history of the waiter's tool. Very cool! Check it out here.

we like wine with american cheese

No, no - not THAT American Cheese! We love wine with local and regional artisan cheeses like Bayley Hazen Blue produced by Jasper Hill Farm and just about anything produced by our beloved local Cowgirl Creamery. I recently came across this book by Clark Wolf on the James Beard Foundation's blog Delights and Prejudices and ordered it immediately from Amazon.

In 1976, Clark Wolf ran a little cheese shop at the base of Nob Hill in San Francisco; in 1980 he became the manager of the San Francisco branch of the legendary Oakville Grocery. In American Cheeses: The Best Regional, Artisan, and Farmhouse Cheeses, Who Makes Them, and Where to Find Them, Wolf shares his expertise on where the best American cheeses are made (dividing the country into sections), how cheese is made, how to store it and how to serve and enjoy it. Read more on the Delights and Prejudices blog.

BYOW - bring your own wine

When I go out to dinner I like to bring my own bottle of wine. I absolutely love the site goBYO.com where you can find a nearby restaurant where you can bring your own bottle.  Just enter your zip code for nearby restaurants, corkage feeds, phone numbers, cuisines, price ranges, days open and maps. There are also links to restaurant websites and reviews. Bon Appetit!

cork wine bar in our nation's capitol

My wife and I went out to dinner last night at Cork Wine Bar in the U Street corridor neighborhood of Washington, DC.  It came recommended by a relative who lives in the area.  Overall, we liked this place and had a great time.  The food and wine were delicious and the staff were well informed, friendly and gave us the right amount of attention.  The ambience was welcoming and it was full of patrons but not overly so.  Only complaint, no California wines on the menu but that aside, we still found many wines to like.  I sampled a couple of Spanish red blends from Terra Alta and Priorat regions while my wife enjoyed a white Puligny-Montrachet.  The food was served as small plates.  To start we shared a plate of prosciutto along with an avocado, pistachio, toasted pistachio and sea salt on grilled bread concoction.  We found that putting a slice of the prosciutto on top of the avocado dish was really good.  We also shared their homemade french fries (awesome!) and their dusted calamari and rock shrimp dish.  I also sampled the pan roasted organic chicken breast served in a preserved lemon with garlic targon jus on my own as my wife is not a big chicken fan.  I finished off the evening with an excellent glass of Banyuls.  If you are looking for a wine bar in DC, I would check this place out.  -- by John