Amaya (La Jolla, CA)
Bread Bowl |
We ordered the half dozen chilled oysters, served with a carrot and ginger granita on top, which complemented the oysters very well. These were paired with an Alto Adige Chardonnay.
Bread Bowl |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 3:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: Amaya, la Jolla, lobster, lobster pot pie, oyster, quail, san diego, wine, wine pairing
Miramonte was one of the beautiful wineries I visited in Temecula, with an outdoor seating area overlooking the valley and vineyards.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 9:38 AM 0 comments
Labels: cheese pairing, chocolate, miramonte, southern california, temecula, temecula valley, travel, wine, wine country, winery
Sauvignon Blanc makes up 70% of all the wines produced in New Zealand. Brancott Estate was the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir grapes in Marlborough, back in 1975, and they seek to keep breaking ground with their new Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand sauvignon blancs are typically fruit forward and drank within the first 2 years. Their prices range no more than $30-35, in comparison to French sauvignon blancs which can go for $120-150. Brancott Estate and a few other pioneering wineries are now trying to make sauvignon blancs that are more about the structure and complexity, and can be aged, which is atypical for New Zealand.
I got to taste some of these wines and compared them to the French ones during a private dinner held at Soho House. Great food, great wine, and a beautiful view of Los Angeles.
Photo courtesy of Brancott Estate |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 9:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: brancott estate, brancott wine, chosen rows, drinkwire, new zealand wine, sauvignon blanc, soho house, white wine, wine, wine dinner, wine pairing
I had been to Temecula once before this year, but I didn't explore the wineries much and did not realize that the Temecula Valley Wine Country does have good wines. This year I had the opportunity to go on a media trip (thanks to Temecula CVB and the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association) and visited a lot of wineries, in addition to attending the 4th annual CRUSH gala.
View of Temecula Valley from Callaway Winery |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 2:49 PM 0 comments
Labels: baily winery, callaway winery, crush, crush gala, hart winery, palumbo winery, southern california, temecula valley, temecula wine, wine, wine tasting, wineries
One of my favorites from last year: Martian from Santa Ynez |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:29 AM 18 comments
Labels: contest, festival, giveaway, la wine fest, wine
Buffalo Club is a fine dining restaurant in Santa Monica that's been around for 19 years, and yet not that many people these days seem to know about it.
The exterior looks like a dive bar - that's because it used to be before the current proprietor bought it and reinvented it as a restaurant. Walking in, though, especially after the recent renovation, reveals an interior much different from the outside - an elegant, dimly lit, quiet, dining room. After the latest renovation, there are now two dining areas: the white tablecloth Iroquois dining room and the more casual (and cheaper) Garden Courtyard.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:55 AM 0 comments
Labels: barrel aged cocktail, buffalo club, duck, fine dining, lamb, patrick healy, santa monica, spaetzle, wine, wine pairing
I don't profess to know much about wines (yet) but I like attending wine seminars because I learn so much. Most recently I attended a seminar for Ribera del Duero wines of Spain at Red O. The sommelier leading the seminar told us that there are three great wines of Spain: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Priorat. Ribera del Duero has higher elevation and thus greater diurnal shift. The hot summers ripen the fruit while the cold winters allow retention of acidity. This region is almost entirely planted with Tempranillo, and a third has vines that are older than 50 years.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 9:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: avaniel, callejo, cosecha, protos, red o, ribera, ribera del duero, Spain, spanish wine, tempranillo, valduero, wine, wine seminar, wine tasting
The Pasadena PinotFest Grand Tasting returns on Saturday, February 9 to the Altadena Country Club (preceded by a kickoff tasting and kickoff dinner at Noir the weeks before). The event runs from 1-4:30PM with over 200 pinot noir wines, food, and live jazz. Tickets are $89 for general admission and $119 for VIP tasting (starts at 11AM), with portions of the proceeds benefiting Hathaway Sycamores Child & Family Services.
Last year's tasting featured a lot of wineries from nearby Santa Barbara County like Hitching Post, Brewer-Clifton, La Fenetre Winery and many more.
Joshua Klapper from La Fenetre Winery |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 9:19 AM 0 comments
Labels: altadena, claud beltran, country club, hitching post, la fenetre, pasadena pinotfest, Pinot Noir, wine, wine festival
When you want something healthy but still tastes good while shopping at the Westfield Century City, head over to the newly opened Seasons 52. Everything on the menu is under 500 calories and they use no butter and no fryer. They also have one hundred wines on their list, 62 of them available by the glass.
I was recently invited to a preview tasting in one of their private dining rooms.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:44 AM 0 comments
Labels: cedar plank, century city, low calorie, low fat, mall, no butter, salmon, season 52, westfield century city, wine
1886 Bar (Pasadena)
£10 (Ten Pound) Bar (Beverly Hills)
Big Bar (Los Feliz)
Buzz Wine Beer Shop (Downtown)
City Tavern (Culver City)
La Cuevita (Highland Park)
Mixology 101 (The Original Farmers Market, West Hollywood)
Next Door Lounge (Hollywood)
Oldfield's Liquor Room (Culver City)
Villains Tavern (Downtown)
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:41 AM 0 comments
Labels: bar, bars, beer, cocktail, cocktail bars, hollywood, los angeles, pasadena, wine
This new restaurant in downtown LA has a rather confusing tagline: "urban farm cuisine"? It doesn't prevent them from being completely packed during Dine LA Restaurant Week though. The tagline is supposed to embody the fact that they're in downtown but uses local farm-fresh ingredients (though many other downtown restaurants do these days, without the tagline).
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: bone luge, bone marrow, cocktail, downtown la, goat, industriel, industriel urban farm, los angeles, pelmeni, pelmini, quinoa, wine
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Wines wants you to explore the beauties of the California Central Coast, where their Private Selection wines are made. You can take a virtual tour of the Central Coast by following their Facebook page, where they will showcase the best of Central Coast - food, views, and everything else. But why not take a trip and discover the region (or a place like the Central Coast closer to you) on your own?
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:30 AM 3 comments
Labels: california, central coast, contest, giveaway, robert mondavi, sweepstake, wine
Another gastropub has popped up down the street from Wurstkuche. When you want more than sausages and truffle-y fries, head to Eat. Drink. Americano for some cheese, small bites, or flatbreads with your drink.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 9:27 AM 0 comments
Labels: beer, ceviche, downtown, draft beer, Eat drink Americano, gastropub, la, oxtail burger, soft shell crab, wine, wine on tap
There has certainly been quite a few new openings in Pasadena in the past couple of years, and there's one more to be excited about: Trattoria Neapolis on Lake Ave.
Having lived literally across the street for about 3 years, I now cannot even recall what was previously in this space next to Anthropologie. They have now renovated it into a spacious and elegant dining space, complete with a beautiful enclosed patio space by the entrance.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 9:15 AM 1 comments
Labels: beer, cocktails, gnocchi, italian, lake ave, Nora beer, pasadena, preview, the beer chicks, trattoria Neapolis, Vincenzo marianella, wagyu, wine
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