NAPA VALLEY..SHAKEN BUT NOT STIRRED! Part 1

THE LOVELY OLD THEATER STILL STANDING!

As I start my post I want to mention that we booked a trip to Napa in August for our anniversary on Sept. 7th, never thinking about an earthquake! Well this has happened to us in the past, it's like we are chasing a disaster…thirteen years ago we planned a trip to go to NYC for Thanksgiving and booked everything on Sept 9th only to wake up on 9/11 to a disaster in New York of biblical proportion! Everybody said "Oh, you can't go to NY, what if this or that happens?" So glad I don't live in fear, of course we went that November and you know what, people were so thrilled that we came and spent money in their hotels and restaurants and there was a sense of unity for us Americans!  Now I've been accused of being crazy, especially two years ago when we slipped in and out of Egypt to fulfill a bucket wish list, most amazing trip of my life and I lived to tell it!  So when I was asked why I didn't cancel Napa, I said "Really…don't you know me better than that!" We had been watching this town go through a beautiful renaissance for the last 30 years and we wanted to stay in that part of the valley, enjoy there wonderful restaurants and shops..and wine!! As we toured around and took photos of some damaged buildings there was a sense of strength coming from the towns people, many businesses were open and there was a lot of optimism, don't forget these natives eat, drink and sleep wine…we are for sure kindred spirits!

SHAKEN NOT STIRRED…..

A FEW OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS IN NAPA

WHAT A GREAT CAMPAIGN PROMISE

I for one have been through earthquakes before, Northridge,1994 yikes…that was 6.8 and we lived at the time very close to the epicenter, talk about a time when you need wine!
I know what it's like to shake, rattle and roll, believe me and there's no doubt that it's SCARYas hell!!
But the Napa Valley has sustained drought , pestilence, el nino and any number of the horrors that plague our dedicated grape growers…sounding a little Old Testament, ha ha..and it seemed that every bible story had it's share of wine, too!

BRICKS MAY FALL BUT YOU CAN'T SHAKE THE NAPA SPIRIT!

     

SUPERSTAR FOOD AND ATMOSPHERE

Some of Napa Valley's "best" restaurants are located in the town of Napa, especially Morimoto, which is headed up by the Celebrity Iron Chef and is an amazing culinary delight and a visual work of art…Next we have Celadon, which is lovely and the food is wonderful and also one of the first places to open there is French bistro inspired, Angele, inside the Old Napa Mill..There's the new Fish Story on the river side and the ever popular locals hangout the Bounty Hunter, mooseheads and all! I've got a few stories myself from that place over the years…ha ha!

Since our hotel was closed we had to look elsewhere for lodging so now we are heading up into the valley to Yountville maybe 12 miles away, it's a lovely village that we first stayed at on our honeymoon in 1985! But before we leave Napa I want to wish a speedy recovery to one of the great areas of our country and in the world…I'm sure within a few months everything will be back to normal!  I wanted to give the town of Napa it's own story so I decided to do a Part 2 on Napa Valley, coming soon... IN VINO VERITAS…in wine there is truth….Salute!
                                                                                           THE WINE CONTESSA

MAKE SURE YOU SIT ON THE PATIO WITH YOUR BOTTLE OF WINE!

A GREAT RESTAURANT ON EVERY CORNER

                                                                                                 

PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP NOW!!

CHEERS FROM A LITTLE SLICE OF HEAVEN!

SANTA BARBARA--The "FUNK ZONE"…ART, FOOD & WINE!!

I'D DROWN IF I SAVED ALL MY CORKS!! 

A WALK AROUND THE URBAN TRAIL

SO MUGH FUN IN THE FUNK ZONE

I'M INSTALLING ONE NEXT WEEK!!!!

Now while the rest of the country is gearing up for fall, we Californians will be enjoying a few more months of sunny and dry weather…it's the perfect time to take a day or overnight jaunt to America's Riviera, Santa Barbara! This gorgeous seaside town is flush with beautiful resorts, the historical Four Seasons Biltmore, Bacara Resort or the recently renovated El Encanto! Santa Barbara also boasts smaller chic hotels, such as the newly opened Artsy, Hotel Indigo as well as the Canary & Hotel Milo! Also a wonderful selection of mouth watering restaurants.. from the Blue Tavern to Petros, both on State Street and one of my favorites, Tre Lune in Montecito! And now let's get to what's really important the " Urbane Trail"AKA the Funk Zone….there are 23 tasting rooms which are all in walking distance of each other….if you can visit all these tasting rooms and still walk, you're a better man then me or woman! You can actually see the ocean from several blocks away so you constantly have a breeze cooling off your wine soaked body..Ha…While I didn't taste every wine in this area, try as I may, there were a few that stood out above the rest! We met the lovely Magan Eng at her place, Kunin tasting room and sampled some of their terrific wines…then took a stroll to her other spot called The Valley Project which specializes in wines from all the different AVA(American Viticulture Areas) of Santa Barbara county! A very fun & interesting atmosphere and truly informative... Showcasing each distinctive wine district from the oldest to the newest…they even feature a great Mouvedre on tap, no kidding..I 'd like to hook one of those up in my kitchen!

PLEASE TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE AVA

Great wines to be had at Pali, with single vineyard Pinot's & Chardonnay and Jaffurs, which features Rhone style wines... But my favorite was the Pinots at Riverbench tasting room….these were perfectly balanced, from start to finish! They were so good I couldn't stop drinking them!!

DECISIONS, DECISIONS…...

  THANKS TO DREW FOR KEEPING MY GLASS FULL!

 We did manage to stumble into the most amazing shop with every conceivable guitar known to man, it was absolutely wonderful….LED ZEPPELIN WHERE ARE YOU…there are many art galleries and shops to keep you busy if you if you are done drinking wine…Really, does that ever happen??

JIMMY PAIGE'S CLOSET

And as we head on out of the Funk Zone I want to wish you all a happy weekend, and remember it's 5 o'clock somewhere…..Salute!
                                                 THE WINE CONTESSA

MALIBU..SUN, SURF, STARS, AND WINE….!!

                       MALIBU…THE BEAUTY AND ALLURE OF THE PACIFIC

I'm back from a busy week of touring up and down the canyons of Malibu in search of wine…now I must say compared to Santa Barbara or any of its northern cousins, Napa or Paso Robles, Malibu has a lot of wine growing up to do..but that doesn't mean it doesn't have potential!! There is definitely a market for all kinds of  different tastebuds, but mostly not the most discerning, unfortunately mine have been permanently spoiled from all the glorious wines I've been drinking for decades!! Possibly as time goes by, these wineries will start producing some stellar vintages? It was amazing to see what a business these spots were doing on the weekend, they are now packaging tours with limo's to a handful of places…there's the old adage "if you build it they will come!" They have entertainment and food and it's not a bad way to spend a lazy afternoon..we started at Rosenthal Tasting room on Pacific Coast Highway aka..PCH as we natives call it! Actually, they probably had one of the better wines that I had all day…2007 estate Cabernet..it showed great color and finish but at $49 a bottle it better!

MY FAVORITE WINE PICK OF THE DAY

HEY, I'M ON MY PERCH ! NOW I KNOW HOW A BIRD FEELS...  

THERE'S BRIAN AND HIS TRUSTY SIDEKICK 

AAH…THE THE TREASURES OF THE SEA...

Now they have a very nice back patio and "ta da" my favorite the ROLL'N LOBSTER food truck
with owner Brian Perez at the helm…serving up all kinds of New England delicacies including Ipswich clams and Maine lobster rolls, yummy…and it doesn't hurt that you're exactly across from the Pacific ocean! An interesting fact is that Malibu & Kanan canyon roads both start at the 101 freeway

RUSTIC SIP TASTING ROOM


 and end at PCH and the ocean while crossing Mulholland Drive and the Santa Monica mountains…this is the predominant grape growing region for the local wineries! There is Cielo winery which is featured at SIP tasting room and Semler-Malibu family wines which actually has outdoor tasting   rooms, a lovely picnic area and live music on weekends..it's quite a set up!      

 

SEMLER OUTDOOR TASTINGS AND PICNIC AREA

       We went back down Kanan Rd to go to this tiny, literally one horse town called Cornell which was used in hundreds of Hollywood productions including Dr. Quinn, medicine woman and M.A.S.H...it looks like something from the wild west, there may even be a hitching post for your horses…this is home to Cornell tasting room, which is actually quite charming…but they were out of their own wines???? They were doing tastings from other wineries from various parts of California..very nice staff and look we met some new fans of my blog..yeah!! If you can still walk after all your tastings, go next door and check out the Old Place, believe me no truer words were spoken..ha! This restaurant has been in operation for 40 years by the same family, the building used to be an old country store in the day..Steve McQueen used to hang out there, that was enough reason for me to check it out..Very rustic but it has a certain charm……...

THE OLD PLACE ….BOY YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN!

                  

                                                      CORNELL TASTING ROOM

                   SMILE YOU ARE NOW OFFICIAL FANS OF THE WINE CONTESSA!!


…..And as you head to the end of the canyon road you'll end up in Westlake Village off the 101 going north,  which has it's own man made lake and a wonderful wine tasting venue called  the STONEHAUS! They offer small bites and wine flights, they do have a rotating wine menu and they feature wines from different regions! 

                                  

IT'S RUSTIC & EUROPEAN ELEGANCE 

THE BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS OF THE STONEHAUS

As I wind down that canyon road again, I'm reminded of the beauty in nature and how lucky I am  to watch the grapes grow in the warm afternoon sun…and as I always say it's 5 o'clock somewhere, do you know where your wine glass is…..?  THE WINE CONTESSA  
                                                          

                                                    W I N E, WHAT'S THAT SPELL??

                                                                         WINE!!

FOOD & WINE…LIVING LA DOLCE VITA

"LIVING THE SWEET LIFE"

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CAYMUS!!!

HEIRLOOM CAPRESE SALAD

HAPPY SUMMER DAY

Is there anything more pleasurable than a wonderful meal complimented with amazing wines…I know many of you might be thinking of a few other things, but get your minds out of the gutter and back on the table where they belong..I for one being Italian, think of food and wine constantly…like this Caymus Cabernet would be great with an aged prime rib-eye or a Tesoro della Regina Pinot Grigio with a chilled seafood platter! It's like Match.com but for foodies…Now when I was a kid everything revolved around food, the shopping , preparing, cooking and finally eating of it and creating a lovely space to enjoy the fruits of your labor! My mother, as well as many members of my family were amazing cooks and they took pride in their offerings..I think it all adds up to the Presentation…yes, the food is the star but sometimes it can be upstaged by a fabulous wine and even the table scape and it's surroundings.. .so when I entertain everylast detail goes into my holiday and special occasion dinners and parties! It's like drinking wine out of a plastic cup..even crappy wine tastes good in a real stem glass..Ambience is everything, from the food on down..I always shop the perimeter of the grocery stores, that's where you find the freshest ingredients..fruits & vegetables, meat & seafood, dairy and bread..Be aware that there's millions of calories lurking

  NOTHING BETTER THAN FRESH FIGS..

in all those aisle's in between..The other thing to remember is that buy your produce in season, like in the summer figs and heirloom tomatoes are at their peak as well as melons and berries! Always use a GOOD olive oil, go ahead and splurge you'll see the difference in your cooking as well as the taste..my go to ingredients, olive oil, garlic,shallots & fresh herbs …cooking doesn't have to be complex, I find fresh & simple sometimes is better! I'm very fortunate to live in California, we have abundance of

WOW GRILLED CHICKEN & ROMAINE LETTUCE

GARLIC & ROSEMARY STEAK

fresh produce year round as well as access to some of the best wines in the world…not bragging just the facts! Now as summer starts winding down in most places try to get a few more outdoor meals under your belt..have you tried grilling fresh corn?? All the natural sugar comes up and you don't need anything on it, it tastes amazing, much better that the boiled to death version, yuk..So whether you're grilling or roasting your meats and vegetables, this is the season to take advantage of nature's bounty! And don't forget the WINE…I tend to drink more whites in the summer, but typically I'm a red wine fanatic! I don't think the old rules apply as far as you should only drink white with fish and red with meat, but there is a certain amount of validity to that reasoning..lighter fare will lend itself to white wines sometimes as will a cabernet to a piece of steak but I say if the wine is GREAT go ahead and drink it with anything…Oh I almost forgot if you're still hungry there's dessert…I am not a big sweet eater, But I do like CANNOLI's and am always in search of the best ones…I have to say the east coast wins hands down, next to Italy..so let's spend our last few weeks of summer getting our fill of lazy days and warm nights, grilling and hanging out, of course with a some great wine!! Ciao until next time & Buon Appetito!    

THE WINE CONTESSA

THE BEST INGREDIENTS EVER!!                                             

THIS LOOKS AMAZING..YUM

THE SIMPLE WHITE BEANS WITH TOMATOES, SHALLOTS & BASIL

I'M IN CANNOLI HEAVEN!!

LOVE AND MARRIAGE…A TOAST TO LOVING LIFE

            "COME QUICKLY I'M DRINKING THE STARS…..DOM PERIGNON"

THE CHARM OF A SOUTHERN WEDDING IN CHARLESTON, S.C.

A TOAST TO THE BEAUTIFUL COUPLE 35 YEARS MARRIED 2013

Sherry & "the Wine Contessa " Malibu Beach Inn

OUR WEDDING DAY! SEPTEMBER 7, 1985  

Nice to be back, had a busy week doing field work…sitting in pretty places and drinking wine! So for those of you who are married and for those of you who are not, I'm sure at sometime in your life, you've been in love..May we raise our glasses to you and say cheers! Now as you know love and marriage are not easy..either as a package deal or separately, although Frank Sinatra and I disagree, you can have one without the other..ha! My romance with my husband Mark started with champagne, that we consumed on the lawn of Pepperdine University overlooking the Pacific, boy those were the days! I was a fledgeling wine connoisseur and we had our fair share of great French bubbles..and there is a most definite point to made here, only wines from the Champagne region in France can be called Champagne all others are SPARKLING WINES!! Not to say that California as well as other parts of the world don't have great bubbly they do..some even rival the French! It's true that consuming bubbles can make you giddy, sexy, provocative, and it can also make someone else look more attractive..and there are times when it's necessary to imbibe so you don't kill each other! But through all of the ups and downs of romance, no wedding is complete without a fabulous toast to the happy couple! I for one wander endlessly around at receptions with a flute in my hand hoping for more of the wonderful elixir!

One of the earliest California sparkling wines to be showcased abroad was SCHRAMSBERG 1969 Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine from NAPA VALLEY in fact Nixon brought it to China for a state dinner in 1972! I for one want to celebrate all my nieces and nephews on their marriages and their commitment to each other..it's nice to know that love is still alive and well..a glass of Prosecco would be nice about now! It is a sparkling wine from Italy..   PROSECCO: TWO THoUSANDS YEARS OF HISTORY!

                ‘And now I would like to wet my mouth with that Prosecco with its apple bouquet’ wrote Aureliano Acanti in 1754."

What better way to toast a wonderful occasion than with champagne or a sparkling wine?  When you think of all the momentous occasions in your life, there was usually the ubiquitous bottle to help the party along..it was almost as if that simple gesture put the seal of approval on the event! But through all the trials and tribulations we share in our lives it's nice to know there is one constant..LOVE!

OPRAH WINFREY'S 1ST ANNIVERSARY PARTY IN CHICAGO 1987
WOW WERE WE YOUNG & HOT,HOT,HOT...

HURRY UP AND SAY YES BEFORE THEY CHANGE THEIR MINDS…NATALIE & VINCE 2011

SHALL I STRANGLE YOU HERE AND THROW YOU INTO THE AEGEAN!
SANTORINI 2007

THREATENING TO KILL ME WITH A DULL KNIFE IN ROME 2003

ALL RIGHT AND NOW A TOAST TO ALL THE LOVELY COUPLES….

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED! -RACHEL & TYLER 2013

            MATT & GINA , TOASTING THE TOWN ON MATT'S 50TH -2009
           HEY, WOULD SOMEBODY GET ME A SCOTCH???

THE MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM...JASON & DANIELLE 2010

AND NOW FOR THE COUPLE THAT STARTED IT ALL…RICH &TRISH 2009

        AND WHO COULD FORGET THE FUN FILLED WEDDING OF YUVAL & JEE-2011

THE INTOXICATING CHARM OF ISTANBUL ON THE BOSPHOROUS..2012

STILL IN LOVE AFTER 31 YEARS…PRICELESS!
CABO 2014

So as the day comes to a close I've got a few words of wisdom..whatever you call this thing amour, amore, amor or any number of foreign languages which use the English version "LOVE" is all you need..as well as a good glass of bubbly…salute & CHEERS!

WINE PICK…WHAT ELSE SCHRAMSBERG BLANC DE BLANC…..A WONDERFUL SPARKLING WINE FROM CHARDONNAY GRAPES, VERY CONSISTENT AND PRICED USUALLY UNDER $30- AVAILABLE IN MOST WINE, LIQUOR AND GROCERY STORES IN THE WEST…CHEERS!