The 2005 Great Wine Escape
Blending Wine, Friends, and Food
at Monterey's Great Wine Escape
By ML
Hilton
I’m considering a career change: that of master wine blender.
I have it on good authority—that being my table of friends
at Monterey’s Great Wine Escape—that I’ve got a
knack for mixing just the right amount of Merlot and Cabernet
Franc to make a pretty darned good red wine.
It’s not an easy thing, coming out with something that beats
the pants off your tablemates. The good news was that they had
been eating, smelling, tasting, and drinking the entire morning
before the blending seminar, the bad news was -- so had I.
The blending seminar was the ending event for the Great Wine
Escape's Pairings at the Plaza. We got off to a respectable 10:30
start on Friday, November 11 at the lovely Monterey Plaza Hotel
and Spa.
The Pairing's three hands-on seminars progressively became more
rollicking as the day wore on. Of course, I landed at the rowdy
table and stayed with the fun-loving, quipping couples throughout
the day's seminars. I had so much fun; I glommed on to them the
following day, as well. (For a personal perspective, read my
blog). The exuberant M and M were responsible for inviting
the invisible guest at our table who kindly shared their wine
and dessert rations with us.
One of the first demonstrations was a Food and Wine Integration
seminar hosted by Chef James Waller, winemakers from Clos La Chance,
Marilyn Remark, and Pessagno Wineries. Waller walked the participants
(about 100) through his preparation of Colorado
Lamb Rack with Blueberry Compote and Pumpkin Risotto. This
may have been one of the most excellent preparations of lamb that
I have ever tasted. It certainly was raved about around my table.
It was served with the Marilyn Remark 2003 Syrah which paired
fabulously, especially with the fruit compote.
But, I get a head of myself.
Interspersed through Waller’s cooking demonstrations were
amazing small-ish tastes (not full dishes, but more than one bite
– at least in my case) paired with wines from the aforementioned
wineries. Each winemaker would talk about his wine, the winemaking
experience and winemaking in Monterey, as we noshed through:
- Orange and piquin spiced wild shrimp on micro herb salad with
macadamia; wine: Pessagno, Chardonnay, Sleepy Hollow, 2003.
The chili heat was definitely softened by the Chardonnay.
- Redwood Hill goat cheese tart, grilled onion and fig; wine:
Marilyn Remark, Marsanne, 2004. According to winemaker Joel
Burnstein, the Marsanne is a rare grape planted to only 70 acres
in California and about 500 world-wide.
- Smoked salmon sandwich with cucumber, caviar, and crème
fraiche; wine: Pessagno Pinot Noir, 2003. This wine was sold-out
prior to the tasting, but the winemaker saved some for us.
- Angus beef tartar, pickled anchovy, capers and virgin olive
oil; wine: Marilyn Remark, Grenache, 2003. This wine won a gold
medal at the Orange County Wine Competition. For me, it fell
between the pinot noir and the syrah on the table. The syrah
was probably my favorite (and a stunning pairing with the lamb),
though I liked both of the other two reds almost as much.
And then, we had lunch.
Executive pastry chef Sharon Campbell showed us how to make
the dessert course for the lunch. It was Scharffen-Berger
chocolate croissant pudding with vanilla bean Crème Anglaise,
port reduction and raspberries; wine: Pessagno, port (yumm).
While we watched her and asked questions about technique we
ate:
Roasted diver scallps with pumpkin raviolis. A delicate dish
served on buttery preserved lemon broth; wine: Carmel Road Chardonnay.
Porcini dusted guinea fowl with fava bean puree, wild mushroom
and roasted cashews; wine: Cima Collina Pinot Noir.
Of course, dessert followed.
The last seminar of the day was the most fun. It was the hands-on
blending seminar where we got the chance the try our hand at
making our own ready-for-Gold wine. Four wines, all 2004 barrel
samples, were laid out for us to use in creating our unique
wine flavor: Blackstone Winery, Syrah; Be Tierra Vineyards,
Merlot; Heller Estate, Cabernet Franc; and Silver Mountain,
Petit Verdot.
Each of the winemakers talked a little bit about their blending
philosophies and were available to taste (albeit a bit hesitantly)
and comment on our concoctions. Heller winemaker Rich Tanquay
titillated the group by showing up late with *very* purple stained
fingers and dusty boots. He had been in the midst of harvesting.
Comments during the weekend were very much about the late, and
possibly great, harvest. The following day, during the wine
bus tours, Doug Meader of Ventana Vineyards said that “I
have seen a lot of years like this in weather patterns, but
this year is *stunning.*” It may have something to do with
last year’s weather, he speculated, remarking that it could
be a cumulative effect.
That was the end of the day’s seminars. I popped over
to the
Dunes in Marina where I was staying for the weekend, napped
and dressed for a fabulous fireside dinner at Anton & Michel
in Carmel. Just a tip,!Carmel doesn’t have street addresses
so if you are taking a cab know in advance where you need to
be – otherwise you will end up trolling the streets until
someone spots it. The ride from Marina, north of Monterey, to
Carmel on the south side was an affordable $35, with tip.
Dinner at Anton & Michel was wild mushroom ravioli on brown
sage butter, baby spinach salad with smoked duck breast, and
either rack of lamb Provencal or herb seared king salmon. The
highlight (figuratively, as well as literally) was the tableside
Bananas Foster flambé. Joel Burnstein and Marilyn Remark
were the winemaker hosts at the dinner that evening. Joel called
out as his favorite of the whites, the 2004 Marsanne, which
we had tasted earlier in the day. This was only their third
vintage and it took Gold Medal, Best of Class in the LA County
Fair, and gold in the Orange County fair. Of all the wines,
however, he said his true love was the oft-maligned Grenache.
“This is the grape when Marilyn and I went to France that
I most fell in love with -- it is what I came back to make.”
The Grenache and the syrah were served with the main courses
(I loved the Syrah the best).
The next morning I was up early, heading down to the Monterey
Marriott in old town Monterey where I caught my bus for one
of the four beautiful Monterey Wine Country tours. We stopped
at San Saba, Ventana, and Scheid. Each was interesting, and
I tasted a wine I had never had at each stop.
Leaving the driving to someone else, I was able to concentrate
on the beautiful scenery, the friendly people around me, and
the great wine country experience. Would I do it again next
year? You bet. Will I see you there?
M.L. HIlton
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