December 24, 2003
Christmas QuaffsWhitcraft 2000 pinot noir, Hirsch Vineyard, Sonoma Coast. About $60.
The wine is pricey, but when you taste it, you know why. Winemaker Chris Whitcraft has a penchant for pinot noir. When they are great they have no equal. The operative word is dusty-dust and earth.
I had a bottle last week with some neighbors, with some French onion soup I had made. Good red wine and home made soup-perfect comfort food for these cold winter nights! This pinot would be perfect with a Christmas prime rib.
All five 2002 pinot noirs from Loring Wine Company. All $46.
The Garys' Vineyard, Rozella's and Brousseau come from vineyards in Monterey County. Clos Pepe and Rancho Ontiveros come from Santa Barbara County vineyards. All are worth searching out.
The Loring pinots would also make your Christmas splurge cheery and bright-perfect with not only prime rib, but also turkey and all the trimmings.
Qupe
Since it was founded by Bob Lindquist in 1982, has been making seminal chardonnays and Rhone varieties, particularly syrah. I think we need to credit Bob Lindquist and winemaking colleagues Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Richard Sanford of Sanford Winery for putting Santa Barbara County "on the map."
The Qupe Central Coast syrah for around $15 would be the perfect Christmas quaff-a great match for any Christmas fare including seafood. Of the current lineup of vineyard designated wines, my favorite is Alisos. Alisos is a vineyard southeast of Los Alamos and is being made famous by such notable winemaking talent as Rick Longoria, Steve Clifton of Palmina and Brewer Clifton, and Bob Lindquist of Qupe. The Alisos syrah sells for $35.
Foxen 2000 chenin blanc. About $16.
Chenin blanc is the great white grape variety of the Vouvray area of France. Several decades ago the grape fell into disfavor with growers and wine drinkers along with so many other great white grapes, like riesling and French columbard. These varieties were dethroned by chardonnay, which, now, is getting its comeuppance in the marketplace and among wine drinkers.
Foxen has made chenin blanc for a number of years-always dry, fruity and very tasty. The wine would be a splendid match with turkey or seafood.
The Benjamin Silver 2000 cabernet sauvignon which sells for about $30.
For me to like cabernet sauvignon-especially a Central Coast caberbet-is akin to a miracle! This wine was produced from fruit grown in the old Douglas Vineyard out near Firestone. Koehler Winery now owns the vineyard and calls it Casablanca Vineyard.
This wine would match well with red meat, pork, or gamy fare like goose. Worth searching out!
Bon appetit!
Wine lover and Santa Maria Times Wine columnist, Bob Senn, lives in the Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
