DrinkWine: Battle of the Appelations




		Locals - A Collective Tasting Room Come visit us at Locals located at the gateway to Alexander Valley in the once sleepy hamlet of Geyserville. Locals is a collective tasting room featuring the wines of 6 local boutique wineries. Taste over 30 unique wines from talented and noted neighborhood winemakers. These are small-scale producers making premium quality and hard to find award-winning wines. While sampling these unique selections, discover the works of area black and white photographers, listen to music from local Sonoma Country musicians and be intrigued by Locals whimsical collection of art moderne wine accessories. It all combines to create an eclectic and tasty environment. www.tastelocalwines.com 707.857.4900 yummy@tastelocalwines.com Chardonnay & Oak Aging This dry white wine, made from the Chardonnay grape, is the most popular of its variety. Chardonnay ranges in style, with some oakier versions contributing to taste. The purpose of Chardonnay aged in oak is to add some of the oaks characters, along with helping the wine develop its texture. Winemakers may lightly toast the inner surface of barrels, allowing the smoky oak or toasty characters to be detected in the final product. Oak gives the taste a dimension of spiciness and adds a hint of vanilla or coconut to the grapes aroma. The oak and Chardonnay combination is a favorite that is sure to last!			Battle of the Appelations April 2002 Congratulations to Silver Mountain Vineyards and Lake Sonoma Winery Date: April 30, 2002 Location: MIXX, Santa Rosa, CA Chef: Dan Berman Winner: Silver Mountain Vineyards Vintage: 1997 Alloy Appellation:Central Coast Food Pairing: Liberty duck breast with morel mushrooms, red and green lentils, roasted chippolini onions, Applewood smoked bacon and red wine foie gras butter sauce. Winner: Lake Sonoma Vintage: 2000 Russian River Valley Chardonnay Appellation: Russian River Valley Food Pairing:Alaskan halibut with English pea puree, leeks, baby carrots and crispy potatoes; and garnished with basil oil and red and green sweet pepper oils. Congratulations to Silver Mountain Vineyards and Lake Sonoma Winery, the April 2002 winners of Battle of the Appellations! Our April 2002 Battle of the Appellations contest was held at Mixx, a chef-owned restaurant in Santa Rosa, CA. The chef, Dan Berman, prepared two incredible dishes for our tasting panel. To be paired with white wine was Alaskan halibut with English pea puree, leeks, baby carrots and crispy potatoes; and garnished with basil oil and red and green sweet pepper oils. The red wine pairing was Liberty duck breast with morel mushrooms, red and green lentils, roasted chippolini onions, Applewood smoked bacon and red wine foie gras butter sauce. The true essence of the Battle of the Appellations contest is to take a fabulous tasting wine and pair it with delicious food to truly test the complexities of the wine and its ability to pair with various flavors and textures. The atmosphere and ambiance at Mixx was the perfect setting for this contest. The red wine winner was the Silver Mountain Vineyards 1997 Alloy. This is a Central Coast, Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cab Franc, which sells for about $20 a bottle. The BOA tasting panel appreciated the fragrant nose, spicy flavor and full body of the wine. This Alloy was delicious on its own, but truly shined when paired with the variety of the flavors in the duck breast dish. This Alloy worked well because it did not overpower the flavors of the food, but rather enhanced the mix of textures and zest of the dish, and finished smoothly. The white wine winner was the Lake Sonoma 2000 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, which sells for about $15.00. "Four separate vineyards contributed to the final blend of this wine; Westside Farms and K-1 Vineyard, both on the banks of the Russian River, Bertozzi Vineyard on the Russian River in Redwood Valley of Mendocino County and the Laughlin Vineyard north of Guernville. The K-1 and Westside Farms vineyards are representative of Russian River Chardonnay; big tropical fruit flavors with notes of apple and citrus. The warmer conditions of the Bertozzi Vineyard adds richness while the Laughlin Vineyard adds a floral spicy note to the mix." The BOA panel valued the fruity nose that was reminiscent of apple, pear, and lemon. The flavor was complex and lively and when tasted independently of the food stood strong. Paired with the halibut the wine worked well with the various flavors of the dish and a mutual enhancement of both the wine and food was present. Thank you to all the participants: Hanzell Goosecross Cellars Armida Smith and Hook Quivira Casa Nuestra Curtis Clos du Bois Firestone Buena Vista Visit Silver Mountain Vineyards: www.silvermountainvineyards.com Visit Lake Sonoma Winery at: www.lakesonomawinery.net Review Other Award WInning Wine & Food Pairings