2012 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc, Central Valley, Chile

Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite white grape, and we've enjoyed this inexpensive Chilean one for a while (Total Wine $7.99).  A little grass, some minerality, tropical fruits, but not all grapefruit like some from NZ.   It was nice for a simple supper with grilled chicken, rice & haricot verts.

2011 Belle Pente Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley (Oregon)

Third night in Charleston - and I have to say it takes a lot of willpower to avoid eating so much at lunch that we don't want our dinner!  We went to FIG, which stands for Food is Good, and it was.  Local, fresh, delicious.  Ordered this 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Belle Pente, lovely wine, tasted of blueberries, floral aroma, versatile with our dinner choices.

 SD had King Mackerel tartare with apple, frisee and chervil, dressed with a citrus vinaigrette

I had a nine vegetable salad, which is a standard on their menu, and changes with the season and the chef's whim.  Dressed with caesar, and parmesan, garnished with basil.

My entree was sauteed Triggerfish over Carolina rice grits, with broccoli puree and florets.

SD chose the ribeye, with polenta and a mushroom bordelaise.

We HAD saved room for dessert, and for SD it was a flourless dark chocolate and almond tart with a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream

Mine was a take on the British sticky toffee pudding, with sorghum, and a scoop of calvados ice cream

2005 Chateau Redortier Gigondas, France

Husk was named best new restaurant in the US in 2011 by Bon Appetit.  We had dinner there a couple of years ago, and wanted to try it again.  Innovative menu, excellent execution and top-notch service, it's hard to beat, even in a food-lover's town like Charleston!  We ordered a Cotes du Rhone with some age on it, a 2005 Gigondas, a reminder of a great trip there a few years back.  A blend of Grenache and Syrah, it had lovely dark fruit with hints of anise and violets.  I would like to point out that Husk's wine list is arranged by soil type.  As a sommelier and a consumer, I found this inconvenient and artificial, and I bet I know more about the effect of soil type on wine than many.   On to a delicious dinner:

For starters, my partner, SD, had fire roasted clams in a tomatoey broth, with fennel, greens, and a wedge of cornbread, served in a handmade wooden bowl.

 I had housemade benne (sesame) seed crackers, with a scoop of pimiento cheese & pickled ramps, served on a weathered board.

 SD then had Beeliner snapper with snap beans, red peppers in a shiitake broth. Dinner plates were handmade pottery, and it was nice to see so many hand made items in use.  They make it harder for the dishwasher, but just as the intent is for the food to be local, having dishware from a local source reinforces it.

I had (to-die-for) duck, a slow cooked whole leg, on bourbon-apple butter farrotto, with wilted spinach and crunchy apple.

We then shared an outstanding slice of pecan tart with bourbon ice cream and sorghum caramel sauce.

2012 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

 We have had a lovely few days in Charleston, SC.  Warm & sunny, trees and window boxes bursting in bloom.  It renewed our spirits and reminded us that this grey winter will pass and spring is not far away ... even though we came home to snow and ice.  First night, we ate at The Ordinary, on upper King Street.  First impression was a beautiful space but loud.  The noise level seemed to settle down once we were seated, welcomed, and ordered this delicious Willamette pinot noir ($52).  Lovely well-rounded and juicy flavors of cherry, raspberry and a hint of lemon zest. 

                            We tried several small plates, New Orleans style BBQ shrimp

                                         Crispy fried oysters with beef tartare

                                    Peekytoe crab Louie cocktail with radish and tomato.

                      Peekytoe crab toast, then chocolate terrine with hazelnuts & creme anglaise

2012 Oak Grove Reserve Viognier, California

Oak Grove's 2012 Reserve Viognier from California, is a great ABC wine (anything but chardonnay!)  Inexpensive at $7, and easy to find at Trader Joe's, it has a big mouth feel, lower acidity than your standard Sauvignon Blanc, and lovely fragrant apricot and dried pineapple notes, though perfectly dry.

It went nicely with a Chicken Bouillabaisse with lemon-garlic aioli (from a recipe on Williams Sonoma's website) with a multigrain ciabatta.

2002, 2003 and 2004 vertical tasting of Opus One, Napa Valley

It was a rare and wonderful event to be able to taste three vintages of a wine as renowned as Opus One.  A joint project by Robert Mondavi and Baron Phillipe de Rothschild, the ratings from wine press were all in the 90s with 2004 at a 95-96.  The wines had been stored well, all three bottles were in excellent shape. A family group enjoyed 2002, 2003 and 2004, everyone tasting each vintage, then enjoying them with - what else - grilled ribeye.  Luckily everyone's favorite was not the same, and we had no leftovers!  The current vintage, 2010, is selling on the website opusonewinery.com for $235 per bottle.

Grilled ribeye with chimichurri, grilled artichokes, roasted broccoli, crispy new potatoes.

Daughter Liz had made a delicious dessert with an almond macaroon crust, chocolate and cherries.  You can check out her blog, my1stwordwaschocolate.com

2011 Big House Red, California

Big House Red has been a favorite through several vintages.  Easy, friendly, goes well with all sorts of casual food.  I bought this a Trader Joe's for $6.99, but it's available at many grocery stores.  This time, we had it with Buffalo boneless chicken thighs.

2011 Bridlewood Blend 175, Central Coast, CA

Found this 2011 Bridlewood blend (Syrah, Cab, Petite Sirah, Viognier)  at Trader Joe's for $12.99.  I had to look up the blend, though I had suspected Syrah & Cab, the viognier (a white grape) was a surprise, even though its not uncommon in the Northern Rhone and Australia.  Really inky, dark fruits, not hot from alcohol, and a nice refreshing acidity.

We had it with garlic roasted rack of lamb and mushroom risotto.

2012 Norton Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

2012 Norton Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ($6.49, case price, Total Wine), is a great buy.  Lots of plum, blackberry and spice with smooth tannins make it a perfect wine for Burger night with onion rings.

2007 Merry Edwards RRV Pinot Noir

Merry Edwards is the Queen of Pinot, and her 2007 Russian River Valley juice was delicious with this pan seared duck breast sauced with port and dried tart cherry.   Fat asparagus, balsamic cipollini onions & roasted root veggies completed a lovely dinner.  The current release of the RRV wine from the winery is 2011, at $45.

2012 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc

With a 2012 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc from California  ($8.49 from Total Wine). Served with Asparagus and leek soup, crusty bread & butter. Asparagus is a tough match with wine but this one did well, lower acidity than many SBs, and the grassy notes played right in to the asparagus.

2012 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin

Big zinfandel and a great price:  2012 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin from Lodi (Total Wine $6.47 case price). Served with kielbasa & onions, mushroom risotto, crispy new potatoes, steamed broccoli & broccoflower. 

2011 Anakena Chardonnay

Anakena unoaked Chardonnay from Central Valley, Chile. (Total Wine $7.99).  It's clean & crisp, with pear and pineapple notes.  Served with King Ranch Casserole with sour cream, salsa, & guacamole, steamed broccoflower.  

2011 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec from Mendoza

2011 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec from Mendoza

This malbec was big, with plenty of dark fruit flavors - and  affordable at $8 from Total Wine. We enjoyed it with a grilled filet, cremini mushroom Parmesan risotto, steamed broccoli with roasted garlic caesar dressing.