Putting the Variety in Varietals

Forget declaring ABC (that is Anything but Chardonnay or Anything but Cabernet), when you order your next glass of wine, try NBT (Nothing but Trousseau) or AIFA (All in for Aglianico) or PPTP (Please Pour the Picpoul). At least that's what a wine event in Healdsburg this weekend is hoping to convince people, as they make a push for what they call the 7% Solution. No, they aren't Sherlock Holmes or Nicholas Meyer fans. That figure attests to the fact that roughly 93% of North Coast Appellation vineyard acreage is planted to eight major grape varietals. The event on Saturday, May 11th at Bergamot Alley aims to point out many other wonderful, if far less known, varietals. Don't be afraid; for every Tinta Cao or Ribolla Gialla there's a less out-there Mourvedre or Albarino into which you may tip your tasting toe.

Want to read the rest then do so at the KCET blog.

Make Mine a Margarita

A should-be-classic, there might not be a cocktail as maligned as the margarita. Instead of existing as a bracing and bright accompaniment to serious Mexican food, it’s become a by-the-pitcher fuel for sweet-sippin’ inebriation, often in frozen and be-berried forms. So this year, celebrate Cinco de Mayo properly; put away that Jimmy Buffett CD, pour those pre-concocted mixes down the drain (do you really want high-fructose corn syrup in your cocktails?), and take off that sombrero that makes you look like an idiot anyway. It’s time for a dignified drink, up, that allows for some variations but is all built from a standard base.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.

A Passel of Pinks

Come spring an oenophile's fancy turns to rosés. They definitely got a bad rap for years thanks to the proliferation of sickeningly sweet white zinfandels that began with Sutter Home in 1975. But even that wine was a mistake, a stuck fermentation that meant the yeast didn't eat up the sugars as it should -- the winemakers found the result interesting and when consumers went gaga for it, a new trend was born. Once again we learned that trends and taste aren't the same thing.

Want to read the rest then do so on KCET's blog.

Goodland, Better Wines & Hello KCET

I am proud to report I've got a new gig, and even better, it involves glug-glugging. I'm going to providing weekly wine posts for the KCET Food website. So, on Wednesdays go check it out and like it on FB and share it, etc.

The first entry, and they all will be getting the "start and nudge" treatment here like the Indy articles, is about Goodland Wines.

Supergroups rarely add up to more than the sum of the parts; let's face it, Blind Faith is probably better known at this point for its shocking album cover than its music. But maybe supergroups are better with grapes than guitars. Such is the case with one of Santa Barbara's newest ventures, Goodland Wines, which just started releasing its small lots (no more than 82 cases of any wine; current prices range from $15 to $40 a bottle) this March.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's site.

Finch Takes Flight

The Canary Hotel’s website describes the new Finch & Fork, formerly Coast, as a corner grill, and they really mean it. After years of having to enter the restaurant via the hotel’s driveway, the main entrance is now on the corner of Carrillo and Chapala, a clear sign locals are more than welcome. “It’s a casual setting for social dining and a family environment that caters to being able to relax,” is how executive chef James Siao puts it. “We hope locals and guests can have great conversations together over cocktails.”

Want to read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.

The Spa Is Spot On

The Bacara Resort sort of resembles a village — admittedly a very upscale village — so it’s easy to miss all the dining options that welcome locals, too. The resort recently reopened the Spa Café as a full-service restaurant, and now the pool-view veranda and warming stone interior offer a nice spot to enjoy scrumptious, good-for-you breakfasts and lunches.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.

A Sea Change at Seagrass

You weren’t dreaming if for a month at the beginning of the year you got the idea that Seagrass Restaurant was trying to be a mid-level, small-plates, drop-in kind of joint. There was even a legendary burger, sadly gone now, but perhaps back for another menu, for Seagrass is more than willing to keep changing. “The [January] change didn’t go with the Seagrass name and the white-linen atmosphere,” explained Ruben Perez, who holds the owner slot in his family’s business (father Robert is the chef, mom Marianna Perez is the GM, and brother Richard is running the new wine bar Taste … more on that in a bit).

Want to read the rest then do so at the Indy's site.