Olson Ogden

Recently, we were at Proprietor's Reserve for the Winermaker Dinner with Olson Ogden Winery. Here are the Wine and Food (Just for you Erin!) reviews.

Scallop and Marsala Chicken starters

Stagecoach Vineyard Marsanne "Margaret's Mandate" 2009

Jumbo Scallop | Apple Smoked Bacon Wrap | Brie Cream

I have never had a Marsanne on its own so another to add to the Quest List! It had a oaky smell with not much fruit and that is reflected in the taste. Rich creamy buttery diacetyl with not much fruit. Medium bodied with good acidity, reminds me of a chardonnay. Smooth and enjoyable. 

The first was a scallop dish and it was so yummy! Scallop wrapped with bacon in brie cream sauce with a touch of nutmeg.  It was a great combination! The fatty goodness but yet not too overwhelmingly rich. The pairing was decent, which brings out a little of the bitter soapiness quality of the wine. It went well with the creamy brie, which i could keep eating forever. It was not too rich but very flavorful! Interesting wine. OOOo

Milla's Blend Red Wine 2009 

Black Pepper Chicken Marsala | Grilled Portobello | Garlic Herb Ricotta | Asiago Crostini

A blend of mainly Counoise, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Marsanne, this Rhone style wine was simple and easy to drink. It had good acidity but not much tannins which is probably a result of the Counoise, which has thin skin and is know to not impart much tannins into wines. Light bodied, it was fruity with dark cherry and a little spice. A little on the dry side and easy to pair with, it was great with the marsala spiced chicken dish! The portobello has yummy juices which was much needed for the drier black pepper chicken. OOo

Salad and Pinot

Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009

Fresh Cut Corn | Frisse & Arugula Salad | Marcona Almonds | Seared Dragon Bean | Parmesan Blood Orange Vinaigrette

This was a decent Pinot Noir although not outstanding. Good cabbage/vegetal smell typical of Pinots, good tannins, well balanced with good fruitiness. This was paired with spicy salad with a sweet vinaigrette and sweet corn. The Dragon beans were mild tasting but it was nice to have something cooked/warm in the salad. The parmesan blood orange vinaigrette was a little too citrusy for the wine. The Marcona adds a good crunchy dimension to the salad. It was a delicious spicy salad with a good touch of sweet corn although i did not like the pairing. The bitterness of the salad and the sweet citrus overpowers wine a little. Overall, I would not pay $50 for the Pinot. Maybe when I am rich. I loved the salad though! OOOo

Slow cooked pork and mushroom risotto

Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah 2009

Extra pour of Milla's Red blend

Wine & Herb Pork Shoulder Roast | Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese Risotto

Beautiful dark purple hue with nose of smoky bacon and spicy fruit! FYI, I am very biased towards Syrah. This fruit forward wine was  dry with plenty of tannins. It has some residue at the bottom. Very smokey with notes of rubbery burnt and sweet plum. It was a great pairing with the goat cheese! Erin made a super flavorful creamy goat cheese mushroom risotto although it was a little mushy, over cooked. The pork roast was very yummy just like before. Wonderful pairing! I loved the spicy smokey Syrah with the creamy risotto and tender pork. YUM. OOOO

Disclaimer: I am probably biased with the rating. This was delicious.

Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah 2008

Braised Rosemary Lamb Shank | Caramelized Red Onion & New Potato Hash | Balsamic Fig Reduction

By itself, it was a little flat, lacking in acidity. Although bland, it had decent tannins and good notes of spices. Fruit forward wine. 

Another delicious dish with good sweet and saltiness. The balsamic fig reduction was sweet but altogether it was great combination, although I might not be able to eat too much of it. I didn't like the pairing due to the lack of acid from the wine to carry the dish. Instead, it brings out the alcohol and damps flavors and fruits.

My favorite dish next to the Scallop! Compliments to the chef! I really enjoyed the balsamic fig reduction so much that the next day, we picked fresh figs and made some balsamic reduction to drizzle over some sauteed figs with goat cheese! Talk about inspirations! OOOo

Finished off with a dessert of truffle chocolate, caramel wafers and other yummy chocolate bites. Mmmmmm, satisfaction. 

Proprietor's Reserve: Olson Ogden

Proprietor's Reserve Sunset

I won a BOGO (Buy one get one free) - for the third time! (Check out first and second) - to Proprietor's Reserve's Winemaker dinner for Olson Ogden with John Ogden, Co-owner of the winery in Santa Rosa, Sonoma Valley. 

The question was: In the world of wine, what does "cooperage" refer to?

Answer: Making wooden staves with hoops! Or Wine Barrel making! 

Even though Sam just got off the plane from Australia at 3pm, I justified dragging him to the dinner regardless to force him to be awake to cure him of jetlag. I am a thoughtful girlfriend. 

We arrived right when they started seating guests and some friends were there as well by coincidence! Erin made some changes so we could be seated with them! Thank you Erin! 

As usual, the dinner started off with Erin introducing to us the first two dishes in front of us while John did the wines. 

Extra pour of Milla's red blend

Here are the wine and food pairings:

2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Marsanne "Margaret's Mandate"

Jumbo Scallop | Apple Smoked Bacon Wrap | Brie Cream

2009 Milla's Blend Red Wine

Black Pepper Chicken Marsala | Grilled Portobello | Garlic Herb Ricotta | Asiago Crostini

2009 Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir

Fresh Cut Corn | Frisse & Arugula Salad | Marcona Almonds | Seared Dragon Bean | Parmesan Blood Orange Vinaigrette

2009 Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah

Wine & Herb Pork Shoulder Roast | Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese Risotto

2008 Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah 

Braised Rosemary Lamb Shank | Caramelized Red Onion & New Potato Hash | Balsamic Fig Reduction

Yet another delicious wine pairing dinner at Proprietor's Reserve! My friends who were there for the first time thought the same. This place is an absolute favorite! I love the food and how Erin is the one who cooks and pairs all the wines. They are  very friendly and Erin always have dessert for us no matter what happens (plus points!). The wines are always family owned, small wineries that you don't usually see on the shelves! And they always give me an opportunity to go! Thanks again! 

YUM! More about the wine and food pairing later! 

Wine Rating

I have always read about how beers are rated being surrounded by non-snobby beer drinkers.

Taken from BetterBeerBlog

RateBeer.com:
AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20

From Beer Advocate:
appearance = 5% 
The first step. note the beer's colour, carbonation, head and its retention -- not the label or appearance of the bottle. 

smell = 20% 
Now bring the beer to your nose. note the beer's aromatic qualities. 

taste = 45% 
Take a deep sip of the beer. note any flavours, or interpretations of flavours, that you might discover. do they fit the style? 

mouthfeel = 10% 
Take another sip. note how the beer feels on the palate. too light? too heavy? smooth? coarse? 

overall = 20% 

95-100	world-class	must try
90-94	exceptional
80-89	good	try it
70-79	average
< 70	poor	avoid

Why aren't wines rated that way? Wouldn't it be clearer?  It tells you exactly what a person likes and not like about a beer. Everything in the beer rating system is relevant but perhaps Balance should be added for wine.


Wines are more like written testimonies and a score. Probably based on the person's experience. So if you have less experience, like me, then it is kind of hard to score/grade/rate/whatever-you-call-it the wine. Perhaps there is a need for a better system? Nowadays we look for mainly 88 and up, and there is even 100+

Wine spectator's rating is as such

• 95-100 Classic: a great wine
• 90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
• 85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities
• 80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine
• 75-79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
• 50-74 Not recommended

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate's rating is as such

96-100: An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase, and consume.

90 - 95: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.

80 - 89: A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.

70 - 79: An average wine with little distinction except that it is a soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.

60 - 69: A below average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor, or possibly dirty aromas or flavors.

50 - 59: A wine deemed to be unacceptable.

Perhaps we should learn from Beer dudes and not just score a wine but give exactly the breakdown of the score? Or maybe it is because wine has less characteristics than beer can have that it does not need a more complicated system? Like this guy says beer is more versatile than wine with a wider range of flavor profile. It seems like a search on the web gives a good idea of the general consensus.

So here is a 100 point system that might be useful in the future.

Appearance (residue, colour) 5%

Smell 15%

Taste 40%

Mouthfeel 5%

Balance 20%

Overall 15%

Total 100%

It sounds like plenty of work though. I will stick to smiley faces for now. :D

Vinotemping Summer!

For those who hasn't notice, Summer is here!

Like many without the luxury of Wine Cellar/Caves, it is Vinotemp to the rescue! San Diego can get pretty hot late summer/early autumn so in order to prepare for that, I got a VT-27-TS (27 bottles) for a great deal ($100 usually $350) online new from a wholesales dealer! Ebay prices can go down to $170 without shipping.

So far so good. I loaded it up and realised that not all bottles fit on the racks. Chardonnays are too fat.

Bummer.

Fancy fridge

Vermentino

Uvaggio Vermentino Lodi 2010 

A new varietal to add to the Quest List! I got this my first time at WineSteals. There were little bubbles at bottom of glass when i poured this. Mineral nose with a floral note. Medium bodied, this had a refreshing bite of acid and a bitter soapy note. Lightly spiced, this had good notes of apple and residual sugar. The finish lingers like i just finished a green apple. OOo

Port VT

Not long ago, I attended the Sandeman Port Virtual tasting on Snooth live from New Orleans with Gregory Del Piaz and George Sandeman (7th generation). I might not have done it if they did not send me two of the bottles (Vau Vintage 2010 and the Tawny Port 20 years).

Since it was 4:30pm Pacific time (7:30pm ET), I had a great excuse to leave work early and taste some port and have a dessert party! Not too shabby!

Live on Snooth!

The Snooth live tasting was pretty cool, Greg and George were already talking live when I checked in. Snoothers were checking in from all over the place! As they began the tasting, we could ask them questions like what is Port etc. Very interactive and informative experience, with drinking involved!.

Some facts about Ports here: It is fortified with a neutral spirit (sometimes known as brandy), which stops the fermentation, leaving more residual sugar than typical wines and giving it more kick. It is produced exclusively in Duoro Valley, the Northern part of Portugal. There are two category of ports: Bottle-aged or Barrel-aged. It is 20% in alcohol!

Vau Vintage

Sandeman Vau Vintage Porto 2000

Well, I did not know that Ports were that high in alcohol content then and poured myself a huge glass! This full bodied port with plenty of residual sugar has a smell that reminds me of brandy, caramel, a little cacao and even coca cola! Which is interesting. With bright tannins, this dense opaque dark wine is fruity with notes of plum and dried medjool dates. Yummmy. Now I wished I knew more about Ports earlier! OOOo


Fun facts: Sandeman began in 1790 with George Sandeman, a Scotsman from Perth, in London.

Tawny Port 20 years

Sandeman Porto Tawny 20 Years Old NV

I learnt my lesson from the Vau, pouring only enough to taste. This was transparent brown and a smell of rum! It actually reminds me of my favorite Puerto Rican Rum, Ron del Barrilito! This syrupy port does not have much fruit and has a woody taste, like oak chips were added. Smooth, it reminds me of sweet plum wine but with notes of roasted walnut, honey, vanilla. It has a good kick, soft tannins and surprisingly clean finish.

Regardless of how Ports are suppose to taste like, this is wonderful! Especially when it reminds me of my favorite rum! I cannot imagine how the 30 or 40 yrs would taste like! OOOOo

Rainbow Fruit platter

Apple crisp! Favorite!

This was a fun virtual tasting with everyone jolly and sharing notes of what they taste. After the Virtual tasting, we had a dessert party ato go with the Ports! French chocolate silk cake, apple crisp with cranberry, Nutella strawberry crepes, muffins and fruits etc! Yummmy!

Fresh baked Muffins

French silk chocolate pie

SD Wine Co: Argentinian

Back at SD Wine Co for some Argentinian tasting, in honor of a friend who was so enthusiastic about this tasting but went mia instead. Here goes!

Norton Mendoza Torrontes 2010

With typical notes of lemon and lime, this lemonade like wine had plenty of acid to boost with a tad sweetness. OOo

Hermanos Valle De Cafayette Torrontes 2011

This also had good notes of lemon and lime although this was fuller and sweeter than the last. There was an after taste that was a tad on the bitter side. OO

Norton Mendoza Malbec 2011

This had a little spice to it with notes of cherry fruit. There was a certain bitterness to it that was not just tannins. Even if it was from the bitting tannins, it is still not a good sign. Oo

Hermanos Salta Red Blend 2010

Made from 70% Malbec 30% Tannat. This had a darker purple hue than the ones tasted so far. It has a fruit jammy smell and had notes of spices. It was light and not flavorful, lacking in fruits. OOo

ZOLO Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza 2009

The smell for some reason reminds me of exhaust and fresh cut red pepper. Exhaust is probably an exaggerate, but that is not a good sign. This was fruit forward with decent tannins. Very young with notes of green pepper. A tad too much acid and an unwanted bitter finish. OO

Finca Decero Remolinos Vineyard-Agrela Malbec Mendoza 2009

This was enjoyable fruit forward with astringent tannins and slightly bitter finish.  OOo

Alamos Seleccion Malbec Mendoza 2009 

Finally something enjoyable! Good nose of jammy berries, this was fruity with notes of cherry and tobacco. Obvious tannins with a slightly bitter finish. OOO

ZOLO Mendoza Reserve Malbec 2009

Tannin tannin tannin. Oo

Cuvelier Los Andes Collecion Malbec Mendoza 2010

This was pleasant with good fruity nose. Smooth and well-balanced, it just needs more time. OOOo

Overall, I guess I am not much of a fan of Argentinian wines a.k.a Malbecs. Maybe I just have not tried enough or good ones. Oh well. Torrey was there as usual. We each filled up our cart and had a great time browsing through their deals!   

...

El Dorado Hills: Boa Vista Vineyards

After Madroña, we head to our last stop, Boa Vista Vineyards and farmers' market!

Bustling Market late afternoon

This tasting was more like the dessert to finish off a meal of wine for the day!

Fruity wine tasting

They only had the sweet stuff for tasting although on their website, they actually do produce table wines. We had their Estate grown Apple wine, Apple-Blackberry wine, Kandi Apple wine and one last one that I don't remember. It was all decent, simple fruity fruit wines that are not syrupy or overwhelmingly sweet. I could have gotten one for some easy summer drinking but I was really not in the mood for anything sweet. Well priced.

Sweet dessert

What actually impressed me was their yummy BBQ sauces and Olive oils and such products. They had fresh baked fruit pies too!

Local bar with local beer

And what better way to end the day than to pay a visit to the local bar scene and late night snack! Now we are all prepared for some white water rafting!

Late night snack: Spicy hot link with sauerkraut and pickles on toasted bun 

El Dorado Hills: Madroña, Apple Hill

Madroña Vineyards

Peeling tree 

After wine and beer at Jack Russell brewing, we headed to Madroña Vineyards, 3000ft above sea level. Lovely place for tree climbing.

Lineup

They had a cabin-like tasting room that was spacious and cozy. The lady pouring started us off with some reds, which was puzzling. The notes I had at this point were pretty short with several sad faces.

First of all, they were decent except for the fact that all the reds had a little too much tannins.

Madroña Shiraz/Cabernet Hillside 2009
Good notes of spice and fruit although the obvious tannins just took it all away. OOo

Madroña Zinfandel Hillside 2009
This had surprisingly plenty of tannins for a Zinfandel. Kind of overwhelms the juiciness of Zinfandels!   OOo

Pretty tasting room

Madroña Cabernet Sauvignon Signature 2008
This was tannic as well and was not at all complex. It probably needs more time although it was not fruity, lacking the characteristic layers that is typical of a good Cab. OO

Madroña Syrah Signature 2008
This smells like swedish fish! Although overwhelmed with tannins, this was plush and juicy, with plenty of fruit and a hint of spice. I wonder if it is due to the fact that everything else has been pretty tannic or lacking in fruit.  OOo

Doggie!

Then, after all the tannic reds, they served us the whites! I could not taste much and this is when the bold sad face showed up. I mentioned it to the tasting lady who did not seem to care, answering "oh, interesting."

Madroña Chardonnay Signature 2012
This was a tough one after all the tannic reds. There is really not much to notes accept the little oak tasted. Sad day. For all you know, it was good. OOo

Madroña Riesling Hillside 2010
Perhaps because of how Rieslings are, this had more flavor, with dry plum and medium body.  OOO

Spacious and comfy

Madroña New World Port 2008
Sweet and syrupy. Perhaps something that took away the taste of the tannins.  OOo

Madroña Barbera Hillside 2010
This was leathery. Simple with a tad much acidic and no fruit. Although i did just have a strong port.  OO

Some history

Arm wrestling everywhere

Overall, a not too bad tasting. I like the tasting room although i wished the lady was more knowledgeable about the wines she was pouring. This was better of the afternoon tastings but Lava Cap still triumphs.

Onwards to our last stop at the Boa Vista farmers market!

El Dorado Hills: Jack Russell Brewing

Arm wrestling their way in

From Crystal Basin Bistro, we moved on to Jack Russell Brewing, which brews apple cider, wines and beer!

The tasting cave

The cider and wines were separated from the beer. Obviously.

Wine and Cider man

We began with cave tasting of ciders and wines.

Lineup

All the tasters in shot sized plastic cups

As you can see, it was rather difficult to have a proper tasting of the wines when they are not served well. It makes such a difference when served properly! Just ask the beer non-snobs! Thus, no notes taken but plenty of debaucheries!

Happy tasters with apple cider

Many of us were very attracted to their Jack Russell labels though. And their apple ciders were pretty decent! Although Julian hard cider still triumphs.

Beer

Happy Cidering

We got to the beer room, had a couple of their beers, which were not too bad. San Diegans will always be snobs about beers. Oh well.

Happy Campers

Vineyards

Jack Russell Look-alikes

Then these doggies turned up!

Next we head for more wine tasting at Madroña!

El Dorado Hills: Crystal Basin Wines, Apple Hill

Bleu Cheese stuffed Endives

From Lava Cap Winery, we headed to Crystal Basin Bistro for lunch and more wine tasting. We began with lunch where I had a delicious stuffed endive plate. They had curry cheese log for samples with fresh bread and pretzel with a house made spiced BBQ dip. YUM.

Pulled pork sandwich

After lunch, we proceeded to the little designated corner for the wine tasting. Looking at the names of the wines and labels, I could not help but think they don't want to be taken seriously.

Lineup

Tasting room in the restaurant

Well, the wines were not great. In fact, I did not take notes because they were pale in comparison with both Grace Patriot and Lava Cap, although they were not the worst wines I have tasted. The man who was pouring also served a bubbler first, which made it rather difficult to taste the rest of the wines. All in all, not a great experience although lunch was wonderful!

Crystal Basin Lineup

Interesting labels

Next up, we head to Jack Russell Brewing!

El Dorado Hills: Lava Cap, Apple Hill

Front of the barn

After some nice wine and history at Grace Patriot, we headed to Lava Cap Winery. The tasting room and outside patio was very busy such that we had to squeeze our way through and some just had to stay away from the bar.

Busy tasting room

Lava Cap Sauvignon Blanc Estate bottled 2010
This was sweet for a Sauvignon blanc with plenty of residual sugar. Easy, simple and smooth with a sweet citrus nose, this had good acidity with notes of tropical fruit longan and citrus grapefruit. $16 OOO

Lava Cap Battonage Chardonnay 2010
Not the overly oaky Californian style Chardonnay, this was well-balanced and smooth with notes of green apple and pear. $18 OOOo

Lava Cap Viognier Vinehill 2009
This is a refreshing Viognier with a nice floral nose. Well balanced with good acidity, great notes of peach and honeysuckle. Standard well-made Viognier athough I do not know about paying $30 for a bottle. OOO

Decorated with ribbons

Lava Cap American River Red Celebrated Cuvee 2009
With a nose of berry jam, this simple wine has notes of rich berry fruit and is easy with a little spicy kick. Smokey finish that was rather enjoyable. $18 OOOo

Lava Cap Syrah Estate bottled 2009
I do not understand what is going on but the rubber smell is back yet again! This was decently balanced with juicy notes of good spice and berries. OOOo

Lava Cap Cabernet Sauvignon Estate bottled 2009
Nose of caramel and blackberries, this was well balanced and not the big, bold Napa Cab. Relatively easier to drink than a typical Cab with notes of plum and berries, this had a lighter mouthfeel than usual.    Perhaps it is the lack of tannins that makes it different although it could have been aged well in this three years. It is hard to tell. But for $22, a ready to drink Cab is not too shabby. OOO

Lava Cap Barbera Estate bottled 2009
Fruit forward with notes of cherry and plum, there was a touch of residual sugar which made it pretty juicy. I enjoyed the soft tannins and the note of spiciness. $25 OOOo

Grand display of ribbons

Lava Cap Zinfandel Reserve Estate bottled 2008
This had sharp, obvious tannins although there was a good note of berries. Easy typical Zin with more tannins than usual. $20 OOO

Lava Cap Petite Sirah Estate bottled 2009
Fruit forward, unlike any Petit Sirah i have had. Plush and juicy with notes of berries, plums and good herby spice. I liked it so much that I invested the $30. OOOO

Lava Cap Muscat Canelli 2009
Notes of tropical fruit, Guava! Smooth but was a little difficult to taste properly due to time constraints and tannins overload from the last few wines. $16 OOOo

Grown on volcanic rocks

Great tasting! I enjoyed everything and there was nothing bad about any of the wines tasted. Definitely very impressed by Lava Cap, especially by their great prices!

Next we head to Crystal Basin Bistro for lunch and wine tasting under the one roof!