Domaine Zind Humbrecht Heimbourg Riesling 2002

Summers in the Bay Area are usually not too hot because of the cooling influence from the Pacific  ocean. This moderating effect helps to grow grapes for wine and helps me to enjoy healthy summers because I lose an appetite when the weather is too hot.

However, there are days which are quite hot this year. It’s not as hot as the heat wave in Europe or the East Coast but hot enough for me to lose appetite.

One of these days JC made beef salad inspired by Larb, meat salad from Southeast Asia.
Stir fried beef is wrapped in lettuce with other vegetables and dunked in fish sauce.
Crisp lettuce and the flavor of beef and fish sauce were appetizing. Good lunch for the sunny, hot day.


We opened Domaine Zind Humbrecht Heimbourg Riesling 2002 with this lunch.

Golden color.
Abundance of aromas and flavors of orange blossom, ripe orange, pear, ginger, bruised apple and slight honeycomb.
Acid is high but it feels soft, with a rich mouthfeel.


This is one of the wines which I bought when I started to buy wines and was thinking of opening on a special occasion, and I opened for this lunch because, I guess, everyday is special.

And the wine proved that it was the right occasion. The pairing was great !
The weight of the wine paired amazingly well with the strong flavor of the fish sauce and I enjoyed the lunch with a good appetite.

Grenache Blanc from Santa Barbara

Grenache is one of the popular red grape varieties.
It is a versatile variety with a medium level of acidity and tannin and red fruits elements.
It can be fresh and fruity rosé wine from Provence, France, or full-bodied red wine from Priorat, Spain.

There is also a white variety called Grenache Blanc.
It is a mutation of the red Grenache variety and usually used in blended wine.

I recently had a chance to try a very good varietal wine of Grenache Blanc.

Curran Santa Barbara County Grenache Blanc 2021

Good body with creamy texture and moderate acidity.
Citrus and stone fruits like peach or apricot, and a hint of strawberry.
Finish was clean and made you want to drink more.

I loved the strawberry flavor in the wine. It was lively yet subdued. 
This wine was refreshing and very pleasant to drink.

Heidrum Meadery

When we went to Marin County to buy oysters last month, it was a beautiful day and we felt like making another fun visit so decided to drop by a meadery on the way back home.

Heidrum Meadery has been making mead, a honey wine, first as a small enterprise since 1997 then moved to the current gorgeous location in Point Reyes in 2012.

They offer a tasting flight as well as mead by the glass, and you can stroll in the garden with a glass of mead in your hand.

California Sage Blossom
Aromas of melon and passion fruit.
Sweet molt-like flavor with soft bubble.
It tasted good with bitter chocolate.


Sonoma Mountain Apiary
Fresh aromas of white flowers like jasmine and thyme.
This mead tasted good with nuts.


Madras Carrot Blossom
Aromas and flavors of honey, Rice Krispie and fennel.
Fresh mouth feel.

California Orange Blossom
Honey and orange blossom with a bitterness of citrus skin. 

There is a slight sweetness in the after taste. Easy to drink.


Hawaiian Macadamia Blossom
Pineapple skin, hibiscus, pear and sweet passion fruit.
Aromas are sweet but there is a savoriness which makes this good with food.

Oregon radish Blossom
Complex aromas of daikon, yomogi, ginger and a slight funkiness.

Good pairing with semi sweet chocolate.



When you hear “honey wine” you expect something sweet but their meads were more savory than sweet and good drink with food.

They have picnic tables in the backyard so I strongly recommend to bring some snack and taste their meads with food.

Oyster and Riesling

It’s almost the end of March.
There is something we need to do before we turn over the calendar…go get oysters!

One sunny day we drove to Tomales Bay Oyster Company.

Tomales Bay Oyster Company is a seafood farm in Marin county which specializes in oysters.

I am not that big a fan of oysters - I like them but am worried that I may get sick - but oysters here are so fresh that I don’t need to worry about the quality and love the drive to this scenic area.
And JC loves oysters, especially the big ones which he can find here.

It was a beautiful day and it seemed like everybody had the same idea.
The store had a long line and some of oysters were sold out...

Luckily the big oysters which JC craved were not quite as popular as smaller ones so we safely took them and clams home.

We had these fresh, meaty oysters with Riesling.

Selbach-Oster Mosel Saar Ruwer Riesling Spätlese 2005
Wine with golden color and pronounced aromas of honeysuckle, citrus flowers, tangerine, candied lemon and petrol.
Sweetness gives a rich mouthfeel which is balanced with fresh acidity.

Old Riesling pairs good with oysters.
This is a tip from Ridi Wiest, a legendary German wine importer (who now is a German art promoter).

Tablas Creek Vineyard

When you think about California wine the first wine you come up with would probably be Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

However, California is a big state and there are regions specializing in other varieties like Rhone varieties from Paso Robles.

Tablas Creek Vineyard is a winery in Paso Robles AVA.

The winery was founded in 1989 and became a pioneer of the Rhone varieties in California with vine cuttings from Beaucastel planted on the limestone soil.

Not just making good wines, they strongly believe in making wine in the right way.
They have been practicing biodynamic and organic farming, and now are experimenting with dry farming.

California has a Mediterranean climate and there is no precipitation during summers.
It is not an ideal condition for growing vines without irrigation but they plan to expand dry farming believing that to preserve water is their responsibility for a better future.

Even the barrels are biodynamic!

During the Covid pandemic they offer outdoor tastings.

Patelin Rose 2020
Aromas of banana, strawberry and milkshake.
Approachable wine with clean finish.

Vermentino 2020
Passion fruit, tarragon and lime zest. Wine with high acidity and salinity.

Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2020

Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne.

Lemon, peach and tangerine wrapped in the creamy texture.

Marsanne 2020
Aromas of herbs like thyme and fennel. Texture is oily.

Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2019

Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Picardan.
Beautiful aromas of acacia and apple flowers.

Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2017
Interesting aromas of dried grape, coffee, caramel and popcorn.
More fruits on the palate.

Le Complice
Syrah, Grenache, Terret Noir.

Decayed rose petal and fresh and bright strawberry.

Tannat 2018
Beautiful aromas of rose, violet, raspberry, cherry and coffee, braced with high tannin.

En Gobelet 2019 

Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Counoise, Tannat.
High, fine tannin is balanced with freshness of red fruits. Pleasant to drink.

Three vintages of Esprit (Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, Counoise)
2019
Red fruits, red flower and blueberry. Tannin is a little harsh.

2017
Tannin is high but balanced with vibrant red fruits, pomegranate and cashew nuts.

2012
Intense aromas of dried red fruits, black plum and cacao beans.
This wine displays concentration of fruits and high, smooth tannin.



What impressed me during this visit was the fact that their reputation had already been established but they showed no sign of slowing down for making things better for both wine and the future of the community.

The wines were of course great, but tasting them with people who were proud of working there made them taste even better.

Burgundy and homey food

Domaine des Comtes Lagon Meursault-Porusots Premier Cru 2014

Chardonnay from Meursault, Burgundy.
This wine is rich but also approachable.
Aromas spread in front of me - it was so vibrant that it was almost visible - a bouquet of white flowers, fresh fruits and marzipan.
Rich fruit flavors of pear and peach ended with slight bitterness of citrus zest.
Oak was there but as a supporter not as a dominator.
Bright acidity gave an accent to the round body.


We had this wine with Nikujaga.

Nikujaga is a Japanese comfort food: sauteed onion and beef are cooked in stock (dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sake) with potatoes.
It is a casual dish and wouldn’t be found in most restaurants, but is a very popular home food.

It was a surprisingly good pairing - a nothing fancy homey food like Nikujaga and Premier Cru Burgundy.
Then I realized that this combination wasn’t so far-fetched.
Nikujaga was said to be invented about 100 years ago by the Japanese Navy in an effort to recreate beef stew with Japanese ingredients, and beef stew and red Burgundy are the classic pairing.
I also used pork instead of beef this day (no reason, I just had pork in the fridge).
The lighter flavor of pork was a better pairing partner to the white wine.


I wondered if I cooked with beef, it could have been good with red Burgundy.
I should try it next time.

Harvest at Castelli Vineyards

It’s been almost two years since we started to stay home in an effort to prevent the spread of corona virus.

This year, with vaccines and wearing masks, we have gradually started to participate in outside activities with caution.
Among them, the most memorable activity was when I experienced harvesting wine grapes for the first time in my life!


JC and I, among other friends, were invited to join the harvesting at Castelli Vineyards in October.

Castelli Vineyards is a family owned small scale winery in the Green Valley in Sonoma county with focus on Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir.


The majority of the harvesting was done by skilled people in the previous weeks.
We participated in harvesting Nebbiolo in a small parcel of land surrounded by hills.

The area was under the shadow of surrounding hills and was cold when I started to pick grapes but as the sun rose and after carrying the bucket full of grapes, I started to sweat. It felt good.
There were some tiny grapes (millerandage ?) but overall the grapes looked healthy and beautiful.

That part of the vineyard was so small that we finished harvesting by noon.
After that we went back to the winery and tried pressing the must which was crushed weeks ago.

The bright color juices become wine after sleeping in barrels for months. It’s kind of romantic!

The harvesting was followed by the feast.

I looked back the experience of the day over the great wine and food which were made in the winery.
It was just like the harvesting I had been dreaming of. 

Thank you Castelli Vineyards for giving me this great opportunity.