Wine Blog (will update title later)

Walking out of the dining room at Il Barone in Newport Beach we happened to see Steve Ebol, sommelier of Antonello's, at a table with Chef Franco Barone and his wife Donatella. We had to ask. "What are you drinking?" Steve had brought two wonderful bottles of wine that might appear on the list at both restaurants. He generously gave us a taste of each and we loved them.

The first: Tacco Barocco, a negro amaro, vintage 2007 from Puglia. This wine has rich fruit and big tannins with an earthy backbeat. Chef Franco preferred it because he said it would go with a variety of foods, from steak to a creamy espresso-flavored panna cotta that Steve was enjoying. I'm not sure about the price because when we looked it up on the Internet it seemed amazingly low: 8 pounds sterling! It tasted like a $50-$80 bottle to me.

The second: Aquilae, a Nero D'Avola, vintage 2007, from Sicily. Incredible aromatics, almost like a man's cologne, and dark fruit flavors. This was my favorite. Chef liked it but said it would have to be matched more carefully with food. He offered a taste of the preserved amarena cherries he imports from Italy to serve on vanilla and chocolate gelato. A delicious match. That price was $11 on line, again from a U.K. purveyor. I would buy it at 5 times that much.

The problem with both of these is how to get them. If you know where to buy them, please comment here. I called Hi-Time Wine Cellars, no luck. I also have an email in to Onotria in Costa Mesa, another great place for hard-to-find Italian wines. If they come through I will let you know right here.—Anne Valdespino

I can't stay away from it and so Saturday I dragged my husband to their annual wine release party. He must have thought I was crazy when I directed him to pull into a parking lot in an industrial area in Costa Mesa. They grow the grapes in Los Alamos, north of Santa Barbara, and bring the juice down here to style it. Their space is crammed with barrels so the party raged in the parking lot, complete with a live band. 

For a $5 donation we tasted a rustic mourvedre, a Rhone blend called 3ie Degré ($30), and a luscious grapey syrah ($37.50). They also make a sturdy rosé of merlot that's pinkish, full of berry flavors and dry—perfect for summer fare. But I always gravitate to that cabernet franc ($27.50). It's a beautiful ruby-purple with floral notes and deep black fruit. It's aged in a combination of new and 2-to-5 year old French oak which gives it a vanilla edge.

Folks in the parking lot were quaffing it with pork tacos and chips, but I would have loved it with ripe or blue cheese and artisan bread. Next time I'll be tempted to bring my own. The panaderia that's kitty corner to Jeff and Julie's cellar has a killer pan de higo, a challah-like crescent roll studded with bits of candied, dried green fig. Perfect.

If you can't wait until next year's parking lot party you can find Thompkin Cellars wines at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa or at clued-in restaurants in OC: the Bungalow, The Quiet Woman,  Onotria, Memphis Cafe, Old Vine Cafe, the Golden Truffle, the Montage, Pescadou Bistro and others.

—Anne Valdespino

Orange County zinfandel fans got very lucky this year because ZAP, the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, took their show on the road and chose Newport Beach for a walkaround tasting of nearly 100 wines last Sunday at the Island Hotel. A grape that doesn’t often get the respect of cabernet has come into its own in California, and here the varietal was showcased in all its forms. Vintner Carol Shelton put it best, “Zin can be anything from pink to port.” And here it was styled elegantly, by Julie Johnson of Tres Sabores, or inky black and heavy by Leonhardt Vineyard Wines. Cakebread Cellars, Rosenblum, Ravenswood and other power houses were there, but always eager to make some discoveries, I opted for lesser known and smaller wineries. In this and the next couple posts are a few words of wisdom from some of the vintners who attended and tasting notes on some of my favorite wines.

Wild Thing

“I see a lot of different styles,” observed vintner Carol Shelton a vintner with a self-named winery in Santa Rosa. “Julie (Johnson of Tres Sabores) makes a wine that’s almost a claret, it’s under 14 percent alcohol.” We also noted that women vintners’ wines were showing really well. Along with Shelton and Johnson, there were some tasty zins by Shauna Rosenblum, daughter of Kent Rosenblum, who now has her own label, Rockwall Wine Company. Shelton agreed that women vintners have come a long way and not just in the zin world, Shelton said, “I’ve been in the wine business for 34 years but for years I was stuck in the lab and I had to work as a volunteer.” The upside? “That’s where my palate got really developed,” she said. Tasting notes: Shelton’s 2006 Wild Thing ($24) zin is so named because it's fermented with wild yeast. It's got great fruit flavors from organically grown grapes and a sturdy backbone. This is the wine she always chooses to introduce her brand with, she says, and it lives up to its signature status. The Wine Spectator awarded it 90 points. www.carolshelton.com.

Tres Sabores

Shelton highly recommends Julie Johnson’s zin. Johnson started Frog’s Leap winery, sold that, and this is her new label. Her 2007 Estate Zinfandel ($35), only 500 cases made, is dry farmed in Rutherford—generally thought of as cabernet territory. It’s lighter in color and style which lets a wonderful herbaceousness show through. It has vegetal qualities reminiscent of a sangiovese or a tempranillo. Johnson was also showing Porqué No 2007 ($20) a zin, cabernet and petite syrah blend. A bit heartier, she pairs it with pizza and barbecue. Keep an eye on this winery. On another occasion I tried her sauvignon blanc ($22) and was impressed with its lively flavors of lime and fresh mown grass.www.tressabores.com.—Anne Valdespino

You know that crazy feeling when you're shopping and you know you shouldn't buy something really extravagant but you just can't help yourself and you get into a tizzy and do it anyway? Well that's what the Pacific Coast Wine Festival is counting on and its organizers cashed in big last night at their auction at the Island Hotel in Newport.

That's where they lubricated bidders with tastes of rare and wonderful wines. We sipped Bruciato from Antinori, a super Tuscan blend that finishes dry but really delivers on sumptuous fruit; first rate Californians Flora Springs Trilogy, Silver Oak cabernet and a new find in the Zotovich Family Vineyards Syrah, with concentrated flavors and a peppery finish (the owners live in Orange County, so expect an entire blog post devoted to them soon). We were floored by several Bordeaux from the '80s which were a real adventure—the Chateau Lynch-Bages were bricky and so complex they actually smelled of after shave!

That was just the opening act. The crowd mixed and mingled while tasting and bidding on silent auction items that included Kistler chardonnays, Harlan cabs and other dream wines. Then we sat down to a delicious dinner of filet mignon and chatted with table mates before the auctioneer revealed each lot. Of course each would create an instant mini cellar for those who could afford them. And some of the prizes were mixed in with tempting foodie and or sports fan opportunities,  like USC football tickets or dinner at Mastro's for 10.

Even though our pocketbooks would not allow us to bid, it was great drama watching the well-heeled spend outrageously and on impulse. We envied them as they snagged the following: a case of '90s Bordeaux (Figeac, Haut Brion, Calon Segur, Mouton Rothschild, etc.) valued at $4,750/sold at $4,500; a case of 2001 Margaux, V-$5,400/S-$4,750; classic Bordeaux of the '60s and '70s, V-$6,355/S-$4,000; Cult California cabernets including Hundred Acre, Staglin, Hobbs, Harlan and Colgin, V-$2,255/S-$3,600.

As you read and reread that last lot in amazement, let me just remind you that unless you are in some of those particular wine clubs—which have waiting lists a mile long and limits on what you can buy—you would never be able to secure them without a broker. So it does make sense, and doubly so when you realize that all the profits from the donated lots go to Pacific Symphony's music education programs. That means everything from classical concerts for young school kids and seniors, to teaching programs for high school students in youth ensembles. So really, it's not so crazy after all.

So, if you can indulge your taste in fine wine and fine music, it's one of the grandest events of the season. If you missed out this year, be sure to watch for next year's info at pacificcoastwinefestival.org and pacificsymphony.org, and remember there are still ways to be supportive this season with an upcoming gala on April 25, classical and pops shows at the Center, and the popular summer concerts at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine.—Anne Valdespino

The love story almost came to an end in 2007 when he passed away. But he had begun planting vineyards in Sonoma, and this was the start of her second career. She loves viticulture as much as he did and is determined to continue demonstrating her love for him by completing his dream. Her first bottlings are now being released, and she brought them to share at dinner.

We started with two 2007 wines, a chardonnay ($38) and a pinot noir ($45). Both are strictly Burgundian in style. Serviceable dinner wines, they paired beautifully with appetizers. Antonello's popular shrimp scampi brought out lemony highlights in the chardonnay, and the light-bodied pinot matched the loaminess of sauteed mushrooms. These wines are not for lovers of California fruit bombs. They are tamped down in comparison and do not distract attention from traditional cuisine, even food with delicate flavors. They are crafted by Plendler's winemaker Greg Bjornstad (Phelps, Flowers, Kistler, Kosta Browne). These are his first efforts for her, and I'll definitely be watching to see how these vineyards develop.

Pfendler offered a good preview of things to come in her soon-to-be-released 2008 pinot noir ($45). This wine is much bolder and more full-bodied than the '07. Ruby-hued in the glass, it comes in a plain bottle with an ecru label and simple script—a package that matches its vintner's classic tastes. The 2008 pinot has more structure, is balanced, has good mouth feel with an olive oil silkiness. There are no barnyard aromas here, no wild sour cherry/raspberry notes popping out, but firm fruit integrated into the whole. Who knows what it could be with a little age?

It's one of Pfendler's favorites. Now that it's bottled she will begin using everything she knows about packaging and media to help it find its way in the market. "This is my first vintage," she said. "And it's a lot to do, putting your face to the brand and knocking on doors and cold-calling people. But I thought, 'What can I take from film, what did I learn?' It's taught me to trust my own creativity. It's all about starting a project from scratch."

Pfendler is beginning small and boutique-y with 400 cases of the 2008. So far she's selling on her Web site (pfendlervineyards.com) and to restaurants (Nick's in Laguna Beach). While I don't think these wines will appeal to everyone—if you love big, oaky chards and monster cabs their charms will be lost on you. But if 2008 is any indication, the vintages will grow in quality by leaps and bounds. This is a wine for foodies with subtle sensibilities who can appreciate wines focused on quality and polished to a luster like an Oscar-winning film.—Anne Valdespino