The Village Pub offers over 2500 selections on their wine list to enhance the seasonal contemporary American cuisine, and they are a winner of the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.  Alson unique is their ownership of a small farm in a nearby town, from which all of their vegetables are sourced. Winemaker dinners during the months of January through September (before harvest time) are common; August will feature Talley Vineyards of Arroyo Grande.  ”That dinner will be neat.  The winery is bringing our chef vegetables from the winery’s farm to prepare for the wine dinner,” said Valentina.

Below, a picture of la soeur, Alix de Montille, pouring samples of white wine in her cellar.

  Christopher Miller and his staff can help you choose from 1500 selections at Spago.  His wine program has earned the restaurant a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.

Vareli’s menu is filled with Mediterranean-style dishes created by chef Amitzur Mor, who emphasizes local, seasonal cuisine and creativity.  Richard Bill offers 20 different wines by the glass, and over 100 different wines by the bottle, most of old-world origin.  He seeks out lesser-known wines that are superbly flavored and balanced and come at very affordable prices.

Claude Thibaut

Claude Thibaut is known as a Champagne Master, or more precisely, a master of the Methode Champenoise.  He has made sparking wine on three continents and is currently producing a beautiful bubbly in Virginia from Chardonnay grapes.  Recently, Claude collaborated with Zola Chef Bryan Moscatello to design a 6-course menu which highlighted all of the wines Claude had a hand in making.  Claude generously hosted the dinner, a fund-raiser in support of the American Heart Association’s Annual Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction weekend.

Upon arrival we were poured Yarrabank Cuvée Brut, Claude’s Australian project.  The wine had a lightness which left plenty of room for the rich flavors of the accompanying brioche-wrapped oysters and chicken liver cream puffs.

When seated, Claude introduced his two Virginia wines:  The Thibaut-Janisson “Blanc de Chardonnay” and the T-J Virginia Fizz.  These wines were a great contrast between old-world and new-world style, and complemented roast beet and watermelon salad with grilled ramps.

For the next course of Taylor Bay scallops with truffles, squash blossoms and tarragon broth, Claude poured a 2006 Wedding Cuvée from Iron Horse and the “Cuvée 20” brut sparkler from J Vineyards.   Claude served as a consulting winemaker for these two wineries shortly after arriving in California in the early part of the last decade.  Both were great, but the lushness of Iron Horse’s Blanc de Noirs combined with the truffles to make a tremendous combo.

Returning to his roots, Claude uncorked Champagne for the next two courses of preserved lemon marinated rabbit and sous vide lamb shoulder.  The rabbit topped ricotta gnocci in coriander jus, which was enhanced by aromas of dark toast in the Champagne Janisson & Fils “Tradition”.  We rolled to the lamb with the same house’s flowery brut rosé.  Both of these Champagnes were excellent, and outstanding values to boot.  The Janisson and Thibaut families have worked closely together for many generations.

Claude threw us a ringer for the dessert course, breaking out a bottle of 1997  Chateau Coutet to accompany the rhubarb tart.  The intense minerality of the Sauternes-Barsac ensured that no one complained about breaking off from the scheduled bubbly.  Claude Thibaud and Chef Bryan Moscatello both truly earned the round of applause from the table on this special evening,  I am looking forward to seeing him in action at his winery in Charlottesville.

Pierre-Marie Clape

Last week on his blog, Brooklynguy asked his readers which wine they would select from the wine list at Bleu Provence in Naples, Florida, if they had $100 to spend.  Lots of people responded, and the choices were diverse.  We couldn’t resist posing the challenge directly to the restaurant’s sommelier, Jacques Cariot.  Msr. Cariot also happens to be the owner of Bleu Provence, and his wife Lysielle is the chef.  The restaurant has been the couple’s baby for the past 10 years, and they have carefully nurtured it into a Florida dining destination.

In response to my request for a recommendation, he pleaded with me to choose a dish from his menu to help him make the pairing.  Saying that if I were there I would no doubt order the Loup de Mer baked with Chablis beurre blanc sauce, and Jacques enthusiastically recommended the 2005 Auguste Clape Saint-Peray.  ”It is rich and mature, and has the complexity and craftsmenship of a $150 Meursault, for less than half the price.”  The wine is a blend of Marsanne and Roussane grapes from a small appelation in the Northern Rhone Valley.  In his review, Robert Parker noted floral and mineral notes and scored the wine an 88.

The wine for this pairing is Château Côte Montpezat 2000 from Côtes de Castillon in Bordeaux, which Cavanaugh featured at a recent tasting in Wegmans. For $14.99, at Wegmans, this wine is a “great value for a stellar vintage that is drinking very well,” Cavanaugh points out. Specifically, it offers “dark fruits, ripe cherry and chocolate flavors, silky smooth tannins and just a hint of mint on the finish.” The 2000 blend includes 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cavenaugh enjoyed it with Irish cheddar, another great match.

Adventure wine specializes in wine marketing/public relations and private, educational wine tasting events. As the owner and founder of this company, Cavanaugh’s credentials include certifications from the Windows on the World Wine Academy in New York, The Wine and Spirits Education Trust of London (WSET), The Court of Master Sommeliers, and Le Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux. Cavanaugh’s background also includes serving as former Director of Beverage and Sommelier for Ritz Carlton Hotels in New York City and Palm Beach, Fla.

Other wine pros apparently agree with Cavanaugh recommendation of this wine. Gary Vaynerchuk rates it 91-92, noting that it “rocked our socks” when he a colleague tried it. It was on sale at Wine Library for $18.98, but is now sold out. The Wine Spectator rates it 86, noting: “Pretty aromas and flavors of blackberries and spices. Medium-bodied, with firm tannins and a medium finish. Better than from barrel. Best after 2005.”

Kristina has worked at some of California’s most exclusive dining destinations.  She takes pride in offering the Post Hotel’s guests access to classic wines that are ready to drink without having to break the bank.  Her cellar includes lots of older Burgundies and Bordeaux, and outstanding wines from Canada that are good representations of their varietals.

Find this Domaine La Barroche at a retailer near you using Wine-Searcher.

Mr. Brind is one of only 278 Masters of Wine in the world.  The rigorous examination for this prestigious title is given only once a year and lasts four days.  Now retired, Julian most recently worked as a consultant for the British wine merchant Waitrose.

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Most of the blend is from the 2003 vintage, with 86% Pinot Meunier, 8% Pinot Noir, and 6% Chardonnay.

Ms. Bedel now runs a fine wine shop, Vins Fins de la Crau,  in Provence, which places an emphasis on the Rhône, Languedoc Roussillon and Provence, but with a range encompassing many wine producing countries, grands formats, fine Armagnacs, and olive oil.

A Robert Kacher Selection

This Week’s pick is offered by Brian Zipin, Wine Director at Central Michel Richard in Washington DC.  In anticipation of the upcoming big meal we will all enjoy on Thanksgiving day, we asked Brian to recommend a very big wine, and made the interview available on our podcast.  Here’s a portion of Brian’s comments:  ”The Cuvee Centenaire is an extremely powerful red wine that will appeal to a lot of different palates, lovers of both old world and new world wines alike.  It is a wine that is just starting to show itself.  I tasted it last week and it was explosive, with kirsh and a little bit of leather, but the fruit was extremely explosive and very present.  It’s also a wine that if you wanted to put it away for 10, 12 even 15 years, you could absolutely do it and it would turn into a completely different animal, but just as satisfying.  Get it into a decanter and give it an hour to an hour and a half.  This is what I think a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape should be!”  Hear more of our interview with Brian in our latest Wine Picks by Sommeliers podcast.

While complementary dishes like the lamb shanks and beef cheeks served brasserie-style at the James Beard Award-winning Central, this Grenache-Syrah-Mouvedre blend will make a fantastic contrast to the variety of dishes that may end up on your Thanksgiving table.  Starting at around $140 per bottle at retailers listing on Wine-Searcher, this is a prize to share with loved ones.