livermore-valley-wineries
Solid Wine, Great Food But a Poor Wine and Food Pairing!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
My wife found a great recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad. Being that it was 114 degrees today, she cooked the chicken the night before to have a cold salad for dinner. The recipe looked enticing. Traditional food and wine pairing wisdom leans toward a dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. We just had a Sauvignon Blanc the night before and my favorite dry Riesling, Smith-Madrone Vineyards, is in a refrigerator locker storage about 30 minutes away. So took the opportunity to try a different approach with a Cabernet Franc Blanc, 2022 L’Autre Côte from Steven Kent Winery. Again, one of my favorite anonymous quotes is “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you”. Thus, the adventure began albeit not successful.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First, if you are a red Cabernet Franc lover, you will find tasting this wine a mind-challenging experience. For me it certainly was! First on the eyes, it is difficult to visualize and comprehend a Cabernet Franc Blanc! Secondly when smelling it very little of the typical red fruit qualities waft into the senses. Then the first sip, you are startled that this is a Cabernet Franc with little red fruit taste. Now after closing one’s eyes and sipping many times, once you can calm your uncomfortableness, an entirely new world opens.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine on the eyes is a clear elixir with almost “no coloring. On the nose fresh floral fragrances and almond are noted. Once on the palate the magic appears with honeydew melon, white peach, mellow apricot and a sweet grapefruit. The finish provides a definite crispness of citrus notes but still subdued. A very complex finish with a Yin-Yang struggle and contentment of a red Cabernet Franc verses a white Cabernet Franc. In this wine they gracefully co-exist and accentuate the unique flavors of the juice.
Steven Mirassou’s goal for this wine was straightforward “…..I wanted Cab Franc Blanc to be a white, crisp and pure with a flavor profile that makes for a delicious and fascinating wine. And I think that is exactly what we got”.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Now the tricky part! The dinner meal was a new recipe called Chinese Chicken Salad containing Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, shredded carrots, scallions and chicken. Garnished with crunchy noodles, green onions and sesame seeds. The Asian dressing combined soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, canola oil, brown sugar, fresh ginger, minced garlic and black pepper. The dressing was mixed in a bowl to be served and if needed additional dressing was available. The dish was fantastic and now a favorite of mine especially during the hot summer.
Now the catch: If we had a dry Riesling it would have with its bright fruit and high acidity balanced soy sauce and sesame oil. Or if a Sauvignon Blanc was served it with its citrus and herbal notes cut through the oily dressing and highlighted the fresh greens and help cut through the fat content of the dressing. The Cabernet Franc Blanc, with its delicate aromas and tastes, was overpowered by the dressing. Finally stopped drinking the wine with dinner and enjoyed it after dinner as picked up the fine delicate and finesse aromas/tastes.
The Winery
Steven Kent Mirassou, providing his traditional award-winning style and experience from his Cabernet Sauvignon and red Cabernet Franc’s wines embarked a couple of years back on this new journey with this release coming out initially in March 2023. Since then, he was won many prestigious awards for his Cabernet Franc Blanc, L’Autre Côte.
Here is just one past link to his red Cabernet Franc winning Best of Class:
Venturing into this new “blanc” wine is something he has been contemplating for some time and in 2022 set out to provide his take with a white Cabernet Franc. The goal to get the fruit to the winery immediately and to get it pressed. Fast, gentle whole cluster press and no soaking. Put into the fermenter at 49 degrees it took almost a month to bring the wine to a completely dry quality.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2023 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay & Mexican Street Corn Chicken Chili
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
First on the eyes a bright and deep golden color. Swirling the wine in the glass, you immediately see the thick and rich texture of this wine. On the nose when cold, a slight lime note wafted in the senses, but as it warmed up, green apple and a tinge of green tea was present. On the palate most notable was the weightiness of the wine in the mouth. Honeydew melon was the dominant flavor with both a buttery brioche dough and soft lemon zest and almond coming to the party. Also, on the finish a fresh star fruit quality was present. This year the wine encapsulated the mouth with a spring freshness.
The 2023 comes from two vineyards with 70% being Wisner and 30% being from Kalthoff Common area. These are on opposite sides of Livermore. Barrel treatment was 100% French oak with 32.5% being new, 30% being once used, and the balance being neutral. The wine was aged 9 months, and 900 cases were produced. The lees were stirred once every two weeks for five months. It was released in August 2024 at $36/bottle and comes in at 14.6% alcohol.
The 2022 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and fully expect the 2023 to do the same!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a new recipe for Mexican street corn chicken chili. It sounded like a great recipe with rain forecasted for this evening. As you can see from the picture in the nook, it turned out to be a clear and mild day. That did not dampen the taste of the food.
The recipe called for boneless chicken breasts, yellow onion, diced jalapeno, chicken bone broth, sour cream, shredded Monterey jack cheese, minced garlic, dried Oregano, chili powder, sweet yellow corn, chopped cilantro, fresh squeezed lime juice, cornstarch, cotija cheese, bacon crumbles, avocado, diced pancetta, olive oil and tortilla strips.
There were a few options on a wine selection but with the cheese and chicken ingredients selected the 2023 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay. It turned out to be perfectly matched food and wine pairing with the Chardonnay, bringing a refreshing and calming effect on the meal. Interestingly, the Chardonnay contrast accentuated some of the spiciness in the dish.
Sláinte,
Michael
Cheese, Wine, More Cheese and More Wines – A Fabulous Event
| Never was the saying by Andre Simon more evident than at a food and wine pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners”. I attended the Wood Family Vineyards wine & cheese pairings yesterday in Livermore. They featured four cheeses and six wines during the event. At the door each participant was greeted with a glass of Pink Pearl, a Rosé of Grenache. Then off to the winery where various stations of cheese and the featured wines were being offered. |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| All the pairings were very good with some unique cheeses, but the first one was spectacular and my favorite, being the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc paired with Cottonwood River Cheese. A two-year-old raw cow milk Cheddar from Jason Weibe in Kansas. A Fun nutty and sharp Cheddar boasting notes of browned pineapple with a long finish with a crunchy quality! |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| Next up was the 2023 Grenache paired with Smoking Goat cheese. This was a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese from Spain that is softly smoked. Pure cream with a nice salt line and a smooth smokey note that compliments and does not overpower. We also had a long and delightful chat with the owner and winemaker, Rhonda Wood while sipping on the wine. |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| This was followed by the 2022 Merlot paired with Ewenique cheese. This is a pasteurized sheep’s milk Gouda style cheese made by Central Coast Creamery in Paso Robles, Ca. Texture that turns to a soft brown buttered cream, with touches of crystals and fun. |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| The last paring was the 2022 “Woody’s” Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Brabander cheese. This is a pasteurized goats milk Gouda from L’Amuse in Holland. Thick Cream on the pallet, with a fudgy consistency. Notes of Citrus and salt that accent the cream of the cheese the soft goats milk pops, but extremely approachable and smooth. Additionally, one of their Zinfandel’s was also tasted. A fun afternoon tasting some cheeses not normally available locally but are from the Cheese Parlor in Livermore. For each of the in-depth wine descriptions you can read at the following links: 2024 Wood Family Sauvignon Blanc https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/02/07/2024-wood-family-vineyards-sauvignon-blanc-stainless-steel-lively-zesty-and-bright/ 2023 Wood Family Grenache https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/01/31/2023-wood-family-vineyards-grenache-a-spicy-wine-with-pizza/ 2022 Wood Family Merlot https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/01/26/2022-wood-family-vineyards-one-oak-vineyard-merlot/ 2022 Wood Family “Woody’s” Cabernet Sauvignon https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2024/12/27/2022-wood-family-vineyards-woodys-cabernet-sauvignon-and-chateaubriand-steak/ Wood Family Vineyards has the tag line “It’s all good at the Wood’s” I think it could easily be “If it has required driving miles, you will leave with smiles”! From the hospitality folks to all the people attending smiles galore! |
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
| 250 folks attended the four-hour event and not a single unhappy face was spotted!! A testament to the food, wines and staff. |
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2024 Wood Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Stainless Steel – Lively, Zesty and Bright!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Wood Family Vineyards does makes two different Sauvignon Blanc wines. One is finished in wood barrels and the other is their stainless-steel version. This stainless-steel fermented version is like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit, lemon grass, etc. However, this is just a bit “tamer and more subdued”, yet zesty, bright and lively. It is like a roller coaster ride with a sudden dip or turn! On the eyes there is a tantalizing light golden coloring and medium viscosity. On the nose aromas of lemon grass and tropical floral rise to meet the imbiber. On the palate, the strong flavors of grapefruit and lemon grass swirl about like a party in the mouth inviting one to partake in the activity. Layers of discerning flavors unfold to the imbiber. Mostly tart with a faint hint of pineapple and passion fruit to soften the enjoyment. On the finish, a puckering and enjoyable lemon zest is present. This year the lees were stirred daily for the 6-7 weeks which helped in producing a more mouth filling feel. Only 259 cases were produced, and the wine will be released in mid-February 2025 and will be priced at $34/bottle with 13.6% alcohol.
This wine made my annual Best Wines tasted in 2024 and will again in 2025!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I normally pair Sauvignon Blanc with fresh fish and seafood dishes. However, this evening a very thick cut pork chop was the designated meal. A very thick cut was ordered at the market (almost 2”) and brined with water, salt, brown sugar, thyme, garlic and peppercorns for eight hours. The brining keeps the pork chop extremely moist and tender.
Accompanied by mashed potatoes infused with blue cheese, fresh chives and butter. Also a fresh garden salad with pepitas provided for a scrumptious meal. The food pairing was spot on with the crisp, tart and citrusy flavors complementing the richness of the meat. The acidity also cut through the fat on the pork chop.
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for over two decades. You can read more on her background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2
Sláinte,
Michael