Avignonesi Rosso, 2005

Avignonesi Rosso, 2005

Avignonesi consists of four wine-producing estates around Montepulciano and the surrounding area. This Rosso Di Toscana is a blend of 40% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. This is an everyday table wine that has a deep violet red color with good clarity. On the nose are wild berries, spice and some grass. This is a medium bodied wine with a solid core of tart cherry, strawberry and plum. Tannins are low and the crisp finish cries out for some hearty food such as pasta with spicy tomato sauce or a pepperoni pizza. This simple Tuscan red is available at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $13.

Paternoster “Synthesi” Aglianico, 2004

Paternoster “Synthesi” Aglianico, 2004

We enjoyed a bottle of this lovely Italian red wine while dining at NOPA, in San Francisco, this past weekend. Aglianico is a grape variety that does well in the volcanic soil of southern Italy. This grape is known to produce wines with intense flavor and concentration. This 2004 Synthesi has a dark blood red color with nice clarity. The nose is packed with black fruit and a splendid perfume of spice box and violets. The flavors are those of mineral-accented black berry, cherry and cola. This is a full bodied wine that is quite fruit forward but has a backbone of solid tannins and gentle acidity. This wine is ripe and full-flavored and has excellent depth and length. We had an outstanding dinner at NOPA and this wine added to the overall experience

Catena Malbec, 2006

Catena Malbec, 2006

Over the past 15 years Nicolas Catena has turned a family-run "table wine" winery into a top notch winery that is producing high quality wines with the Mendoza classification. Bodega Catena is producing wines under the labels Catena, Catena Alta, Catena Zapata and Alamos. They have both red and white wines and really excel an Malbecs and Cabernet Sauvignon. This 2006 Argentine Malbec has a deep ruby color with purple highlights. On the nose is the sweet scent of black cherry, current and coco. This is a medium to full bodied wine with flavors of dark berries, cranberries, chocolate and caramel. The tannins are smooth and well submerged and help offset the bold acidity. The finish is smooth and lingering. We enjoyed this Malbec at Zuni Café, in San Francisco, with their signature roasted chicken with bread salad. This was an excellent wine accompanying an excellent meal!

Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet Sauvignon, 1998

Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet Sauvignon, 1998

Michel-Schlumberger winery is located on the western hillsides of Dry Creek Valley and has a well-earned reputation for its excellent Bordeaux varieties. They take pride in their sustainable wine growing techniques. Sonoma County is one of the great wine regions of California and this wine has a beautiful expression of the region. We bought this bottle at the winery and had it cellared for the past 6 years. This wine has a medium ruby-red color with a scarlet rim. On the nose is sweet dark fruit with exotic spice and green tea. This is a medium bodied wine with a complex mix of black cherries, fig, spice, rhubarb, slate and cedar. Supple tannins combine with some expressive acidity to keep it interesting. The finish is lingering and harmonious. We enjoyed this with a casual weekend dinner off the grill. The present vintage of this wine retails for about $38.

Chandler Reach 36 Red, NV

Chandler Reach 36 Red, NV

Chandler Reach Winery is located in Benton City, Washington on the fringe of the Yakima Valley and Red Mountain appellations. They have been producing some lovely wines over the past 5-10 years with an emphasis on Italian style and quality varietals and blends. This 36 Red wine (non vintage) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and perhaps Syrah and Merlot. The wine is named after a weather beaten 1936 red flatbed truck that belongs to the owner/winemaker Len Parris. All the fruit is sourced from the Chandler Reach estate vineyards and the wine is aged in oak barrels for over 20 months. This is an easy drinking wine with pleasant dark berry flavors of cherries and raspberries along with some cranberry and plums. This is a medium bodied wine with smooth tannins and a lingering, harmonious finish. We enjoyed this wine with some barbecued chicken and corn on the cob. A very nice summer wine. We purchased this at the winery for about $14. Their new winery and tasting room is fashioned after a Tuscan villa and is well worth a visit!

Click Here to Download a YAKIMA VALLEY WINE MAP (Courtesy of Wine Yakima Valley)

Morgante Nero d'Avola, 2006

Morgante Nero d'Avola, 2006

This is a new release of a Sicilian red that is 100% Nero d'Avola. The wine is aged in small oak barrels for 4 months and released after about 1 year in the bottle. The color is a beautiful dark ruby with purple tones. There are splendid aromas of blackberries, blueberries and cotton candy. This is a "New World" wine that is loaded with pure flavors of dark berries and cherries with a slight hint of mineral. This is a medium to full bodied wine with supple tannins and acidity that highlight the fruit driven style. This wine should appeal to any lovers of fruity Australian wines. The finish is rich and smooth. This wine would pair well with some good dark chocolate. This lovely wine is available at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $15.

Walla Walla Travel

Last week we spent a few days out in the Washington State wine country. We spent the first day in Prosser and enjoyed visits to Hogue Cellars, Desert Wind, Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Kiona and Chandler Reach. All of these wineries do a very nice job and are well worth the visit.

Desert Wind Winery in Prosser

Chandler Reach (Red Mountain)

Kiona Winery in Benton City (Red Mountain)


We spent two night out in Walla Walla enjoying the small town charm and great wineries. We really enjoyed the wines at Dusted Valley, Basil Cellars, Tamarack and Isenhower Cellars. It is great tasting wines in Walla Walla because there are great wines across the board. Here are a few pictures from our romp. We visited wineries, a lavender farm and wheat fields!

Dusted Valley Tasting Room

Developing Syrah grapes on the vine

Basel Cellars (Walla Walla)

Walla Walla Vineyards

Making the rounds in Walla Walla

Lavender Farm near Walla Walla

Wheat fields near Walla Walla Airport

Grilled Summer Vegetables with Balsamic Dressing

Grilled Summer Vegetables with Balsamic Dressing

I always look forward to summer and the bounty of fresh produce that comes with the season. Cooking vegetables on the grill is easy and delicious and is a pure pleasure of the season. This is a common preparation found throughout Italy and these vegetables can be served either hot, warm, room temperature or cold. I often use summer squash (both yellow and green), eggplant, peppers (red, yellow and green) and onions. Cut all your vegetables into sizes that are easy to handle on the grill. Squash and eggplant can be cut in rounds or lengthwise at about 1/2 inch thickness. Peppers are grilled whole allowing the skins to completely blacken. Lightly coat all the veggies with olive oil before placing on the grill. Keep you heat about 'medium" hot. Cook sliced veggies, on both sides, until browned and softened. As the vegetables finish cooking, place them orderly on a serving platter. The peppers will need to be skinned, seeded and sliced to complete their preparation. Drizzle the Balsamic Dressing over all the warm grilled vegetables and garnish with some fresh basil. Extra dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and can be used on salads, veggies or whatever!

Jeff's Balsamic Dressing

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon Honey
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground Mustard Seed
8-10 Basil leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until well blended. Dressing can be stored, for up to three weeks, in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo, 2005

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo, 2005

This red blend is produced by Bodegas Nekeas in the Navarra region of Spain. The Nekeas valley is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees and is buffeted from the winds of the Atlantic. Warm summer days and cool nights help the grapes reach full maturity on the vines. The various micro-climates of the area allow for nice conditions for numerous grape varieties including Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache. This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Tempranillo that was aged from 12 to 14 months in French and American oak casks. This wine has a deep ruby color with aromas of black cherries, leather and smoke. This is a medium bodied wine with dark berry, cassis, cherry and some underlying minerality. There is some smoke and leather that keep the fruit flavors under control. What helps to make this wine real nice are the abundant smooth tannins that fill the mouth with a cloak of velvet. The finish is fresh and impressive. We found this lovely value wine at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for under $10. This Spanish wine is worth seeking out.

Pascual Toso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Pascual Toso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Back in April we enjoyed a bottle of Pascual Toso Malbec from the 2006 vintage (Argentina). This time it is their Mendoza Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the same vintage. This is a lovely wine that excels on all levels. In the glass this wine has a deep shimmering ruby/ crimson color. This is a ripe, luscious wine with complex flavors of dark cherries, plums, and cassis. The fruit flavors are mixed with secondary flavors of chocolate, caramel and coffee. This is a medium to full bodied Cabernet with a lingering, harmonious finish. There is good supple acidity and well integrated smooth tannins that make this wine good with a hardy meal or as a sipper with a fine cheese. We bought this wine at Costco, in Issaquah, for about $13. We will look for more of this on our next trip to Costco!