Sausage and sweet wine

Toward the end of the year and when all the vegetables are gone, I clean up the vegetable garden. I make compost in the vegetable garden during winter to prepare for spring so the once lively garden is now a pile of dirt.

The garden looks empty but herbs are still there. I consulted with one of my favorite savory baking books, “All Day Baking” by Pippa and Michael James, and chose to make Pork, Sage and Onion Sausage Rolls.

All three herbs called for in this recipe, rosemary, sage and thyme, were in the garden. I must have been destined to bake this pie. I used shortcrust pastry instead of Puff pastry so it was quick and easy, but the pie was still so delicious.

We had this pie with Hans Lang Riesling Auslese Rheingau 2002

Auslese is a wine category in Germany. It indicates that the wine is made with very ripe grapes which have the high sugar content therefore the resulting wine is often sweet.

So, this wine was sweet but not too sweet. The sweetness was embraced with the minerality and fresh fruits, and together they created the depth of the flavor which was a good combination with the savory flavor of the sausage.

Some people say that they don’t like Riesling because it’s too sweet. Many of them had an unpleasant experience with the once popular cheap sweet Riesling.

Riesling is not always sweet (or cheap). Especially with the global trend for the drier wine you can easily find the dry Riesling wine from anywhere. To make it easier, the wines from Alsace carry the sweetness level guide on the label so that you can make sure that you are purchasing the dry wine.

And the well made sweet Riesling is far from the boring sweet alcoholic juice. The sweetness is perfectly balanced with the bright acidity, and with the rich flavors of fruits and herbs which are developed during the long growing season under the ideal condition for this variety, this sweet liquid becomes the wine with the depth and complexity, just like this bottle of Riesling.

I didn’t choose this wine to pair with this pie. The wine was happened to be open the day and I just tried them together without high expectations, and the outcome was surprisingly pleasing. I love when the food and wine pairing gives me the delicious surprise.

Finally fall baking

One of the things I feel lucky to live in the Bay Area is that the summer is relatively cool. However, with the global warming even the summer here is becoming hotter and makes me to hesitate to turn on the oven. Now it’s finally starting to cool down. It means, it’s time to bake.

The first pie to bake for the fall of 2025 is my favorite - Cornish pasties.

The pie dough was shortcrust pastry - as usual I substituted the half of the flour with the spelt flour. And the filling was almost vegetarian: onion, spinach, potato, Swiss cheese and shio-koji.

When it was done, I grabbed them and headed to the neighborhood wine bar where I could bring the outside food to find a glass of wine to pair with.

Finding good pairing was not as easy as I thought. I tried several glasses of white wine and found most of them made the pasties bitter. After a few attempts I finally found nice pairing.

Domaine Jérôme Gradassi  Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2019

Organic white wine from a small estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The variety is 100 % Clairette Rose.

Pleasant aromas of herb, jasmine, ripe citrus like lime. Fresh acidity is wrapped in the roundness of the texture.

This wine was fun to drink by itself, and brought out the umami flavor of the vegetables when I had it with the pasties. 

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.

Ultimate Reform

Last year I made a vest with thick yarn I hand spun specifically for the project.

Unfortunately the vest was very hard ... it was more like armor than clothes...
I assume that I gave too many twist to the yarn as I spun and the yarn became too stiff.

I couldn't wear the armor but couldn't throw it away either so I decided to perform a major reform.


I unraveled the armor to make yarn. The yarn was curly so it was straightened with steam.
Then I wove this yarn into fabric. Plain double weave.

After weaving I washed, dried and pressed.

I measured and it ended up approximately 1 yard by 2 yards.
It was smaller than I expected but still destined to become a jacket.

The fabric was woven loosely comparing with the commercially available wool fabric therefore I sewed the fabric onto the lining so that it wouldn't stretch.

I heard that this way of garment construction, quilting the fabric to the lining, was used by Chanel. I don't know if it was true but it was fun to explore different kind of sewing.

If you are interested in, you can find detail of this construction in Thread magazine back issues or Claire Shaeffer's book.

 

This is the result.

Not bad for the salvaging armor-like vest project.

San Francisco Bakery tour

I’m an indoor person and don’t really mind staying home.
However, this situation where I HAVE TO stay home makes me feel like that I want to go out.

Therefore, when the spread of covid virus seemed to slow down and we both were fully vaccinated, JC and I left home for San Francisco.

To make it more fun, we decided to conjure up a theme for the outing.
“San Francisco Bakery tour” was our unanimous theme.

The first stop was Breadbelly in the Richmond District, my favorite bakery in San Francisco.

You can order at the door and they have the outside dining area but it was cold that day so we ordered takeout.

Kaya Bun
Milk bread with kaya cream inside.
Delicious green color coconut spread from South-east Asia (Kaya) is under the crispy topping.

Croissant
Love the flakey texture!

Pear Danish
Poached pear in white chocolate cream flavored with sake kasu.
Dreamlike combination of crispy dough, sweet fruit and cream with a hint of heat from sake kasu which gives depth to the sweetness.
Sake kasu is a byproduct of sake. It’s very rich in flavor and usually used in savory dishes like soup or marinade.
I’m Japanese so no stranger to sake kasu but find sake kasu used this way just amazing!

Chef Kate is a petite, sweet lady but when it comes to flavor combinations she is a giant!




The next stop was Cinderella Bakery.
This Russian bakery is also in the Richmond district.

I’m always fascinated with pastries from Eastern Europe therefore was really looking forward to visiting this bakery.

It was becoming sunny and warmer so we decided to stay at the outside dining area.

Syrniki (cheese fritters) served with sour cream and jam.
Flavor is rich but the texture is so light and delicate.

Piroshki was big. We couldn’t finish all of them and took the rest home. It was still delicious the day after.

Kvas
This traditional Russian drink is made with bread, yeast, water and spices.
There is no fruit in it but it tasted like apple cider.



Both bakeries were great in different ways.

Breadbelly suggests the awesome and endless possibility of flavor combinations and Cinderella bakery offers the piece of tradition of the country which I’ve never been to.


We wanted to visit more bakeries but already had a bag full of bread to take home so I will have to come back to SF for the bakery tour part two.

Chablis tasting with global warming

Chablis, the white wine AOC in Burgundy, France, is located at almost the northern limit for successful viticulture.
Spring frost is the constant concern and full ripening of grapes is not always guaranteed.

Their classification is divided into Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Chablis and Petit Chablis.

Grand cru vineyards occupy the best location. They sit on the famous Kimmeridgian soils and, especially important in Chablis, have good sun exposure to enable full ripening. As a result, wine is concentrated and complex and can be aged for years.

Grapes used for the production of Chablis and Petit Chablis are usually from the cool, north-facing vineyards. Fruits are less ripe and the resulting wine tends to be tart and lack concentration.

However, with global warming, the less favorable locations are becoming more favorable. The north-facing vineyard sites are now warm enough to produce fully ripe grapes constantly.

As the ripening of fruits is ensured the quality of wine improves and the production of these wines are increasing.


The other day I had an opportunity to taste these wines.

Domaine de la Tour Chablis 2019
Fresh aromas of green apple, pear, pineapple and mineral.
The fruits are riper on the palate and it was balanced with the bright acid.
Long finish.



J. Moreau et Fils Chablis 2019
Beautiful aromas of honeysuckle, pear, orange and green apple.
Finish is clean and pleasant.



Domaine Vrignaud Chablis Les Champreaux 2019
Single vineyard Chablis from the right bank of the Serein river.
Fresh aromas of lemon, lemon zest, white flower and herb.
Palate is more round like lemon confit or tropical fruits.

Domaine de la Motte Chablis Vieilles Vignes L’Authentique 2019
Old vine from the north-facing vineyard on Kimmeridgian soil.
Concentrated aromas of orange, pear, almond and seashells.
Fuller body than previous wines and the texture is round.



Domaine des Hates Chablis 2018
Complex aromas of apple, citrus, almond skin and oyster shell.
There was savoriness in the flavor with slight caramel in the aftertaste.


Domaine William Fevre Chablis 2018

Abundance of fruits like apple, peach, pear or melon.
Approachable wine which finishes with citrus zest-like bitterness.


I liked WIlliam Fevre by itself but other wines were really good with food.

Of course global warming would have its negative effect on viticulture too but for now, I enjoy the positive effect.

Baking with Gluten-Free Flour

During the shelter in place order I did a lot of baking.
As I looked for new recipes I also looked into using different kinds of flours such as oat flour, spelt flour or chickpea flour.

One of them was gluten-free flour.

It usually consists of almond flour, rice flour, potato starch, etc..., depending on the producer. 
I assume this flour was developed for people with gluten allergy but I thought that I could probably use this for recipes which I wanted to avoid developing gluten.

To compare with regular flour I chose to make Cornish pasties which I’d been making often recently.

The flour I used is King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour.

With this flour I made the shortcrust pastry dough with flour (mixed the gluten-free flour and pastry flour with 3:1 ratio), butter, salt and cold water.

The dough was hard to come together so I had to mix a lot. I didn’t need to worry about developing gluten but still tried to work quick because I didn’t want the butter to melt.

Folding the dough into the Cornish pasties shape was the hardest part.

The dough was very crumbly and kept breaking every time I tried to fold.

I somehow managed to shape them and finished baking.

From the look it was just like the Cornish pastry I usually make.
And the flavor was like my usual Cornish pasties, too.
The texture was flaky, also almost same as the dough made with regular flour, maybe with a little bit of powdery feel.

The pastry stayed flaky even after I kneaded longer than for regular pastry dough and tasted good. 

It was just so crumbly that I don't know if I want to use this for the pastry dough again.


After working hard, I needed to treat myself with nice pairing with wine.

Bodegas Vegalfaro La Grava 2018
Spanish red wine made with 85% Bobal and 15% Macabeo.

Ripe red fruits of wine and sweetness of pork were good together.


I used this flour for other baking to experiment further.
It didn’t make good sablé (shortbread cookies). The texture was wrong - it was almost mushy.
But I found the satisfying result with granola cookies and cake salé.

Wines from the Mediterranean region

As COVID-19 vaccinations progress things are gradually going back to normal and wine tasting events start to be seen here and there.

There was a tasting of wines from Mediterranean countries in San Francisco. 

The wines are from Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain.

The area facing the Mediterranean sea has the Mediterranean climate which means that the climate is relatively mild with low temperature difference throughout the year and the dry growing season. 

Although there is a risk of drought, the dry summer lowers the incidence of vine diseases and the warm temperature and sun can contribute to ripe fruits and full bodied wine.

Domaine Spiropoulos Ode de Panos Sparkling Brut 2019

Organic sparkling wine from Peloponnese, Greece.

Floral aromas of dried red and white flowers, spice, incense and stone fruits. 

Soft mouthfeel with sweetness and bitterness of citrus in aftertaste. 

Pikasi Pinela 2019

This is my first time to try a wine from Slovenia. Exciting!

Pikasi makes naturally fermented wine with indigenous grape varieties and Pinela is one of them.

Texture is rich and the citrus zest-like aftertaste gives crispness.

Zlatan Pošip 2018

Zlatan Otok is a winery in Croatia by the Adriatic Sea. 

Pošip is a white indigenous grape variety of Croatia.

Easy to drink, likable wine with aromas and flavors of citrus and stone fruits 

Jean Diot NV Rose

Jean Diot is a Champagne producer with very small production.

Complex aromas and flavors of mushroom, strawberry and cherry with long pleasant finish.

Cascina delle Rose

This is a family-owned winery in Barbaresco.

Their Nebbiolo vines are grown on the steep hillside vineyards and tended carefully by hand. Wines are fermented with natural yeast and aged in botti (large oak barrels).

 

Langhe Nebbiolo 2016

Beautiful aromas of dried flowers. High, powdery tannin. 

Barbaresco Tre Stelle 2015

Concentrated aromas of tea and dried flowers which is balanced with high tannin.

Barbaresco Rio Sordo 2017

Elegant wine with aromas and flavors of dried flowers and red and black cherries which are ripe but not overripe.

Thymiopoulos Vineyards Earth & Sky

Thymiopoulos is the first certified biodynamic winery in Naoussa, Greece.

Beautiful Xinomavro (indigenous red grape variety from Greece) with a good structure. 

Tannin is high but balanced with ripe concentrated red fruits, which makes this wine approachable and very enjoyable.

Anatolikos Vineyards Natural Orange 2019

Anatolikos is an organic wine producer in Thrace, Greece. 

Their wines are not only organic, also vegan.

Uplifting aromas of orange, orange flowers and marshmallow. 

The wine finishes with tiny bitterness.

Danielle Conterno is the fourth generation of the wine producing family from Piemonte, Italy.

Langhe Nebbiolo 2019

Grapes are from younger vines but wine has a good structure, which is balanced with ripe red fruits.

Barolo 2016

Rich aromas of red fruits, flowers and spices.

Powerful wine with high but soft tannin. 

Barolo Panerole 2016

Ripe tannin is balanced with the presence of delicate yet lively red flower, fruits, herb and tea.

Wine with power and elegance.

These are only few of the wines I tried at the tasting.

Most of the wines I had there were enjoyable with vibrant fruits and ripe tannin.

I especially enjoyed wines from Croatia and Slovenia.

They are still hard to find but definitely worth to try!

Cristom Vineyards

When I first met JC we both liked wine but were poor students.

His go-to wine country was Livermore Valley (relatively affordable wine) and my go-to wine was whatever cheapest on the store shelf.

One summer, on the way back from attending his friend’s wedding in Washington state, we decided to drive through the Willamette valley in Oregon and visit as many wineries as possible.

Weather was beautiful, scenery was gorgeous and people were great. We enjoyed all wineries: their stories, their hospitality and of course their wines.
Especially two wineries, Cristom and Bethel Heights, stood out among them.

At the wineries they explained how terroir would affect wine as we tasted wines from different vineyards and I was really impressed by the fact that the same grape variety from the same producer could end up in wines with such different styles.
It was so impressive that I bought bottles of wine which costed more than $40.00 for the first time in my life.

Recently I had a chance to taste Cristom again when JC brought home these three bottles.

Cristom Vineyards is a family owned winery in Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon.
Eola-Amity Hills is a sub AVA of Willamette Valley AVA, on the west bank of the Willamette river. There, cooling influence from the Pacific Ocean and sites sheltered by hills provide varied conditions for wine making, and Cristom doesn't waste this advantage.



Eola-Amity Hills  Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2019
Fresh aromas of herbs, citrus, stone fruits, subtle nuts and caramel.

Round texture.

Clean bitterness of citrus zest stays in aftertaste


Eola-Amity Hills Willamette Valley Eileen Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016
Eileen vineyard experiences the cooling Pacific Ocean wind which prolongs the growing season. This helps to develop flavor while retaining freshness in fruits.

Decadence of ripe dark cherry, plum, coffee, red flowers and candied rose petals. Rich aromas and flavors are balanced with acidity.

Smooth texture with fine tannin. 

Long pleasant finish.


Eola-Amity Hills Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvée 2019
Mt. Jefferson Cuvée is a blend of grapes from their own vineyards and neighboring vineyards who partner with Cristom.

Preserved strawberry which is ripe but not jammy. Black cherry, spice and cedar box.
Good structure with powdery tannin. Full body.


It was more than ten years ago when I first tasted their wine as a wine novice. Since then I had opportunities to try great wines from all over the world.
When JC brought home bottles of Cristom I was a little afraid that I might not have found the spark which intrigued me years ago but that concern was needless. 

Their wines are still impressive.

Tartine Manufactory

Tartine Bakery is one of the most famous bakeries in San Francisco.
It’s a twenty year old bakery which makes breads and pastries with the traditional technique but also with new ideas.

There are three Tartine bakeries in San Francisco.
Tartine Manufactory is one of them and located on the Alabama street, in the area with the industrial / hip atmosphere.

Parking is not easy around there but this day we were lucky to find a parking spot near the bakery and bought three goodies.

Pain au Jambon
This is Ham and cheese croissant.
Its texture is rich for croissant than being flaky because of the very generous amount of cheese.
The size of the croissant itself is quite generous too.
It’s a pricey pastry but makes you feel full.

Crumb cake
Moist cake and crispy crumble melted together in my mouth.

And today’s main event: Country loaf!

Beautiful color. Just looking at it makes me smile.
Nice sourdough flavor. Crispy outside, chewy inside.
When you toast it lightly, it becomes so soft!

To honor this bread we made an anchovies platter and had it with Château Maillard Graves 2018.
I thought that red Bordeaux might have been too heavy for the food but actually it was a good choice.