They Just Keep On Comin'

If you like Rhone Valley varietals, or if you would like to see if you do, a  new Carmel Valley wine tasting venue--Marilyn Remark-- is for you.  

  

     Our tasting experience there was quite educational and entertaining.  The tasting room manager, Jack Pickworth--or as he called himself, "the guy in the black hat"--has a philosophy that guides his approach to wine.  It's "friends, food, and wine," in that order.  When you go, plan to get hungry because Jack suggests succulent food pairings for each of the wines, and often suggests the appropriate setting.

     Here are a few of the wines we enjoyed, with Jack's suggested pairings, and comments:

     2010 Marsanne (white) with Brie and almonds, overlooking the ocean; 2010 Viognier (white) with its "nice smooth mouth ride over the tongue" with scallops or swordfish; 2010 Roussane for that rosemary chicken in the clay pot at 275 degrees for two hours; 2012 Rose de Saignee (made from Grenache)--"a 2 p.m. pool wine"--gotta love it!; 2009 Grenache (a fruity red from Los Ositos Vineyard) for those cheeseburger days; and finally, if lamb chops are calling you, reach for the 2011 Syrah.

     The tasting is only $5 for seven tastes-- three whites, three reds, and one rose.  You'll learn a lot about wine and food, and, if you're lucky, have the company of the tasting room dog, Sammy. 

     And if you're wondering, as we did, who Marilyn Remark is, she's the wife of the owner/wine maker Joel Bernstein.  Their winery is located on River Road in Salinas; their Carmel Valley location is on the East End Wine Row (where Silvestri's used to be) and is open Thursdays and Fridays, 1-6, Saturdays and Sundays 12-6. 

     Look for "The Remark of the Week" on the wine tasting bar.

Have Mercy

A few days ago, we did just exactly that. Mercy is a new winery in town, so we trotted right up to their tasting room at 40 West Carmel Valley Road to "Have Mercy."   

        Why is it called Mercy, you may ask?  We did.  What we heard from the two vintners who were there (that was a treat) was that they realize growers of anything agricultural are at the mercy of nature.  Or as their website says, "Through the millennia, Man's quixotic attempt to produce the finest wines has borne an unyielding Truth: The Vine is always at the Mercy of Mother Nature."

        The Mercy vintners, Mike Kohne and Mark Dirickson, use grapes from three properties.  They are particularly fond of the Arroyo Seco River Bed area, loving the unique rocky "minerality" the soil gives to the grapes.

        Two of our favorite wines--the 2009 Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco and the 2008 Syrah-- had grapes from the Zabala Vineyard, and as luck would have it, Luis Zabala popped into the tasting room while we were there. 

        Plus, we learned yet some new vocabulary to add to our wine tasting lexicon.  The 2009 Chardonnay (which also has grapes from the Griva vineyard) was fragrant, aromatic, and "brisk."  We like "brisk."  The 2008 Syrah--deep, rich, fruity-- was described as "furry" by MK.  That's a new one.  When pressed further, she defined "furry" as "what chocolate does in your mouth." We each bought a bottle.

        After we had finished our tasting of seven wines (for $10), we were asked if we had the "bandwidth" for one more.  There's another creative use of words. "But of course," we said and tasted a wonderful 2010 Pinot Noir.

        The tasting room is open for sales and tasting Thursday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (831 659-4321). 

        We loved our wine tasting experience and learned a little more about cloning and the impact of soil and weather on grapes.  Plus, we certainly added to our colorful wine vocabulary.  We also each came home not only with strong, unique wines, but also a Riedel glass that says "Have Mercy."  We definitely will.  
                                        We hope you will, too.

A Little Bit of Hollywood in Carmel Valley

        There we were, drinking wines created by Alan Silvestri and listening to his movie musical scores. What a dynamic duo for our village.

        The Silvestri Vineyards tasting room is one of the newest additions to what has become wine central for Carmel Valley.  The room is spacious, modern, in subtle colors of beige and brown, with large colorful posters and a flat screen display of the movies Alan Silvestri has written scores for.  There's "Forest Gump" and "Back to the Future" and "Father of the Bride" and many more.

        Of course the main feature is the wine.  We were already fans of Silvestri wines but we were definitely excited about trying them anew. 

         Listed below are a couple of current favorites and what they might pair well with:

·        ~ 2010 Pinot Blanc--light, easy to drink, nice aromas of

·         pear, perfect as a warm-day beverage, would be good with some great cheese and dried fruit.  ($25 a bottle, an LC purchase)

·        ~ 2007 Pinot Noir-- full, spicy, very Zinfandel-like, would be yummy with a grilled salmon or some blue cheese

·        ~ 2007 Syrah--hefty, smoky, earthy, with a slight sweetness like currants to it, would be wonderful with smoked lamb chops (according to both a neighboring taster, a winemaker, and our server, a former vintner from Napa Valley).  At $18 a bottle, MK couldn't resist.

·         ~2005 Pinot Noir--good drinking right now and as our server described it "big, but you don't feel threatened." That's our kind of wine. 

        To top off our tasting, we got to meet Alan and his wife and toast to their new tasting venture.

        We think you would enjoy both the wines and the musical ambiance of the tasting room for Silvestri Vineyards (www. silvestrivineyards.com/) at 19 East Carmel Valley Road. (659-1700), open Thursday through Sunday, 11-5.  Or you can order wines from their website.  Either way, the beat goes on... or "Let the music begin."