Young winemaker Jenny Wagner continues the family tradition established by her great-grandfather as she creates Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.
TalesoftheCork wine reviews
Whether busyness takes you away from what it is otherwise important or too much has already gone under the bridge, take a moment for yourself soon. A 30 to 60-minute vacation from all that is distracting you is necessary to regroup, rebuild and refocus.
Today that is exactly what I needed and created a simple side dish that became a Caprese salad lunch and glass of Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc with my wife after a busy week for both of us. I needed a ‘place’ to forget about a couple of issues and took advantage of a sunny moment in the kitchen.
Fresh home grown tomatoes were on the counter and a quick trip to a market served to add a couple of whole milk fresh Mozzarella balls and some lush, sweet smelling basil. In this case, Trader Joe’s a half mile away had me in and out of the store fast.
We love the aroma of fresh cut tomatoes and basil and the addition of lush Mozzarella coated with extra virgin olive oil and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar as hits the spot like no other. A little cracked pepper sprinkled over the plate adds a final layer of spice to an amazing lunch.
Today’s choice to whet our whistle is a small glass of Emmolo 2014 Sauvignon Blanc from Rutherford in the Napa Valley. Pour yourself a small glass of EmmoloWines 2014 #NapaValley Sauvignon Blanc to sip and appreciate what Jenny Wagner is creating, adding to her great-grandfather’s winemaking tradition.
With just a quick stop at the market, a Caprese salad can be created in just minutes.
According to their Wagner Family website, “the Emmolos have a long history in Napa Valley with Jenny’s great-grandfather, Salvatore Emmolo, starting the family’s grapevine rootstock nursery in St. Helena in 1923. Her grandfather, Frank Emmolo, not only managed the nursery, but also grew Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot on their family property.”
The Emmolo #SauvBlanc is dry, refreshing, crisp and tart. The light wine is smooth and balanced with a hint of peach & Kiwi with melon and and lime notes. Love the minerality and herbal overtones and allow the pear and and citrus aromas tempt you. This is a winner!
We’ve enjoyed this wine with oysters and scallops in the past but would also love it with shellfish pasta and chicken salads. While their website is not yet complete, check out EmmoloWines soon. #TalesoftheCork loving their simple elegance.
Wagner Family Wines and Emmolo Wines can be tasted and purchased at Camus Vineyards, 8700 Conn Creek Rd., Rutherford, CA 94573. However, it is not always on the tasting flight menu. Call ahead at 1.707.967.3010 to check for availability. If a trip to Napa is not in the works, try their Wagner Family Wines finder.
Be sure to read the previous TalesoftheCork blog post: Pre travel checklist for overseas visit. And if winemakers, wineries or restaurants are interested in a TalesoftheCork wine and/or food review on the blog, Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook, please send us a request via email: talesofthecork@gmail.com or use DM on social media. TalesoftheCork also offers social media seminars for businesses.
Grocery list for Caprese salad:
One ball from an 8-ounce container of Whole Milk Fresh Mozzarella in lightly salted water
One container of fresh leaf basil or one sprig of basil
Two vine ripe whole tomatoes
Cracked pepper to taste
Olive oil and Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena to taste
According to Super Bowl XLVII By The Numbers (via @digtriad), “Americans will consume an estimated 50 million cases of beer on Super Bowl Sunday. For those counting at home, that’s 1.2 billion beers.” So with over 325,000,000 gallons of beer washing down tons of junk food, BBQ wings, chili and pizza, are any of you willing to stand up against a sea of hop lovers to pour, swirl and sip from the vine?
Food and Wine editor Ray Isle (@islewine) quipped this morning on Twitter, “…it takes a brave soul to open some wine.”
Be sure to include wine for your informal Super Bowl party. Central California coast wines like Ancient Peaks Zinfandel provide an excellent beverage alternative to bring your own beer.
Cultural traditions create closeness and the NFL’s Super Sunday has become a national holiday, heck an icon, for Americans, galvanizing communities regardless of race, age, political preferences or religion. For one Sunday a year, most can put aside bias and prejudices to gather in a sometimes unlikely consortium to cheer and debate over the pride and bragging rights of two cities.
Then, for the sake of the underdogs amongst you, be strong and courageous. The fruit of the vine has every right to be in that living or family room, den, community center and converted garage. While Anheuser-Busch, Budwieser, and the MillerCoors family of beers and/or a plethora of micro beers are most likely to fill the coolers, a glass of wine most certainly fits well with Super snacks.
On Feb. 1, 2013, Isle posted his Best wines for Super Bowl snacks as part of CNN’s Eatocracy page. And to take this just a bit further, I want to add my suggestions for those looking to serve BBQ wings, chili and nachos. The following choices should be easily purchased even today at your local grocer or may even be buried in your wine closets.
The Adobe Red is a proprietary Zinfandel-based blend with effusive aromas of cherry spice, blackberry and pepper, with hints of brambles and plum.
The following are easy drinking, inexpensive wines meant to wash down party foods. For goodness sake, save your best occasion vino for $100 meals at destination restaurants. However, even a wine connoisseur can enjoy simple wines. Be sure to open the bottles a couple of hours before serving at room temperature.
Zinfandel blends:
2009 Clayhouse Adobe Red Zinfandel-based blend: The 2009 Clayhouse Adobe Red is a flavor fusion of 32% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Syrah, 13% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah and 9% Petit Verdot. The blend has overtones of cherry and blackberry which dominate the palate. Spices and pepper linger with hints of branbles and plum. The finish is balanced with vanilla and oak characteristics.
2009 Phantom by Bogle Vineyards: This California blend of 52% Zinfandel, 46% Petite Sirah and 2% Mourvèdre, has some spice to it along with rich black raspberries and briary boysenberries in a full-bodied wine with hints of cedar and juniper.
Zinfandel
The 2010 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel is a classic bottle from Sonoma County. The spicy, lush black fruit of Alexander Valley offers up briary and raspberry flavors, along with structure, of cooler Dry Creek Valley. Take the time to enjoy the mocha, tobacco, leather and exotic spices in this fabulous 100% Zinfandel wine.
Earning “Steal of the Year” honors in Sunset Magazine, 93 points in Wine Spectator and a San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Wine of The Year, the 2010 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel is rooted in their estate Margarita Vineyard. This Ancient Peaks offering is 100% Zinfandel offers vibrant aromas of crushed raspberry and blueberry with a dash of sweet oak. Bright, juicy flavors of raspberry, boysenberry and black cherry anticipate notes of cola and spice. A smoky vanilla note joins luscious acidity on a rich, jammy finish.
Cabernet blends
2009 Tres Sabores ‘Por Que No’ Zinfandel blend: This Napa red is from St. Helena and is a bistro and BBQ favorite. If you have yet to try this blend of 53% Zinfandel, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petite Sirah, & 1% Petit Verdot, I say Why Not! enjoy its dark red blend. The juicy, mild raspberry and blueberries flavors and has hints of black pepper give Por Que No its party favorite label. This bottle needs to be on your ‘go to’ list.
Wine Spectator consistently gives The Prisoner between 90-93 points since 2003 and has been a Top 100 wine fixture since 2007.
Orin Swift’s The Prisoner 2010 Napa Valley Red wine is reminiscent of wines first made by Italian immigrants who originally settled the Napa Valley. The wine has a dense red and black hue that is framed in vibrant crimson. Look for black currant, dark blackberry, cherry, and cassis rounded out by subtle hints of seasoned French and American oak. The finish is long, lingering and filled with soft velvety tannins lasting for nearly thirty seconds. The blend is 44% Zinfandel, the 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% Charbono and 1% Grenache; this gives the wine soft, integrated tannins which allow it to be approachable now and with a pleasant finish. Wine Spectator consistently gives The Prisoner between 90-93 points since 2003 and has been a Top 100 wine fixture since 2007.
Now I want to go on record to say a good bottle of beer like a Russian River Brewing Company’s double IPA Pliny The Elder can add so much to tasty eats. And there is nothing wrong with a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Firestone Walker Pivo Pils, Red Stripe Jamaican Lager, Dos Equis Dark Lager or a Waldhaus Spezial Gold lager from Germany.
However, there are so many great wines available today for backyard BBQs and informal parties. Don’t be intimidated by those only tipping the smaller bottles. I know you have a favorite beer too but don’t be afraid to uncork a bottle of wine at a casual event. The party is a food event and that is exactly what wine is meant to enhance.
If I haven’t convinced you to add wines to your beverage list, there are other options besides the classic Super Bowl beer list from the top two providers. You might check out BeerAdvocate’s Top 250 list. They list many of the most popular, thirst stopping and taste-bud numbing beers, including web sites and availability. Let me know which is on your list.
Actually it’s Fresno Restaurant Weeks, but whose counting.
Chef, Mike Shackelford, often visits with Trelio patrons each evening after serving the main dishes. Located in downtown Clovis, Trelio is one of 25 Fresno area restaurants participating in the two-week promotion.
In an effort to educate the area community about independent local restaurants, FRIBA along with six sponsors, have listed 25 eateries for the 2012 Fresno Restaurant Week, July 20-Aug. 3. Amy Huerta, who works for the City of Fresno as the Local Business Initiative Manager, says that FRIBA serves all kinds of local businesses; Fresno Restaurant Week is just one way to grow area commerce and provide traction to develop the organization.
“I work for the City of Fresno, promoting independent businesses,” Huerta said, “and while I am not paid by the city to assist FRIBA, I do work with local business owners on how to develop the organization. My role is to help strategize Fresno Restaurant Week, including managing the promotion and media. I also partner with the organization to find innovative ways to educate our community.”
All 25 restaurants have paid a $500 fee in a cooperative marketing action plan. Huerta believes FRIBA not only has tremendous growth potential for the sponsors and businesses who participate, but also sees the organization developing and expanding to include other smaller cafes, bistros or restaurants who could not afford this year’s promotion.
“The impact of events like Fresno Restaurant Week are so important to understand. It’s an example of local businesses banding together in order to promote each other, and by doing so, improve the local community.” –Amy Huerta, City of Fresno’s Local Business Initiative Manager.
“We are only a start-up organization,” Huerta said. “While we sent cards of ‘Save The Date’ to over 200 restaurants and actually visited many of those, not all could participate. We hope to expand Fresno Restaurant Week to twice a year. Hopefully more will be able to participate and the cost per business should go down. Our hope is to include even more smaller independent owners.”
According to Huerta, the $500 fee the 25 restaurants paid is projected to provide about $12,000 in advertising. Each participating restaurant posts a poster listing all participating eateries. They all put aside competition for the power of group marketing.
The auto industry learned a piece of this strategy years ago when they banded together and now can be located in auto centers rather than spaced miles apart.
Piazza Del Pane has a $22 pre-fix dinner menu which includes an appetizer, choice of entree, dessert, and a glass of wine.
FRIBA is not just for restaurants. According to their FRIBA’s web site, “Research shows that when a dollar is spent at a locally owned and independent business, on average that dollar will re-circulate three times the amount of money back into our local economy when compared to that same dollar spent at a chain business.”
This is true whether purchases are made from one of the local farmer’s markets to the guy who repairs shoes. A list of the FRIBA membership is on their web site; each pays $150 annual fee.
“The impact of events like Fresno Restaurant Week are so important to understand,” Huerta said. “It’s an example of local businesses banding together in order to promote each other, and by doing so, improve the local community. This is a great, innovative way for the people of Fresno and Clovis to try restaurants they wouldn’t normally visit and try new things. And it is good for the restaurants to try new price fix menus.”
So Fresno County, while the chain restaurants like Denny’s, Outback Steakhouse or Olive Garden might be your favorite, consider opening up your wallet or purse for one of the locally owned independent diners, bistros, restaurants or cafes. Invite a friend or couple to join up for a night on the town. Most of the Fresno Restaurant Week participants have their special menus posted online. Scroll down to review each one, choose a place to eat and make a reservation. The coffers of Fresno County will be glad you did.
Salut!
In an effort to educate the area community about independent local restaurants, FRIBA along with six sponsors, have listed 25 eateries for the 2012 Fresno Restaurant Week, July 20-Aug. 3. (Illustration used by permission)
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