Drew Padilla, an architect with SmithGroup in San Francisco, and good friend of Wines and Makers can often be found on weekends racing his 2004 VW R32 at Laguna Seca, Thunderhill, Infineon Raceway and other tracks throughout the state.  Shortly after purchasing his R32 in May 2004, the vehicle was placed in the capable hands of Streetwerke in Palo Alto to begin making modifications for enhanced performance and safety. In April of 2006, Drew saw his first track at the Streets of Willow in Rosamond and this experience would reinforce Drew’s interest/passion for racing.

On weekends, when Drew is not racing his car, you may find him in one of the local Bay Area pubs performing with the punk rock group, the Grannies. Drew has alot of passion for everything he does and Wines and Makers is thrilled to be associated with him.

Two things I just learned about Chardonnay:

1. You shouldn’t serve a good one too cold.
2. It isn’t just for desperate housewives.

Somewhere in the last 20 years or so, Chardonnay became the most popular white wine in the world. California became a Mecca of oaky, buttery, easy-drinking Chardonnays, which led to yuppie housewives calling it their “poison,” which led to the mass-production and homogenization of the varietal—which led to a backlash against the wine with the “ABC” (Anything But Chardonnay) movement by wine snobs. In 2002 there were 52 British babies named Chardonnay and another 14 named Chardonay; In 2003 there were 91 Chardonnays born in the UK. Like the character in Sideways who famously announced, “I’m NOT drinking any fucking merlot!”  I pretty much gave up on the Chardonnay after 2000. What a mistake.

Just because every wedding I ever attended featured tidal waves of Chardonnay and because half of Trader Joe’s wine section is dedicated to the style, didn’t mean that there weren’t great producers still meticulously crafting interesting Chardonnays. Case in point: The Stuhlmuller 2007 Estate Chardonnay.

One of the first things I noticed about the wine was the direction on the bottle that said not to serve it too cold. The only other person who served me white wine just south of room temperature was Kevin Kennedy, and I fired him an email to find out more. His response was enlightening:

“The 50-60 degree range is probably ideal for Chardonnay, with closer to 60 being the most common recommendation. Most of us will take it out of fridge/cellar, open and taste as the wine naturally rises in temperature over the course of the dinner/bottle. This is the most common way to experience the different aromas, bouquets and flavors of the wine.

When working or enjoying the heat of summer there is nothing like a cool, crisp glass of Chardonnay right out of the fridge and into the glass. It may not be proper wine etiquette, but it sure hits the spot (I am guessing, like a shot of  your favorite tequila right out the ice chest after your last wave of the day).”

Chardonnay like a shot of tequila after surfing? This definitely wasn’t the 1990s version of “mother’s little helper” I normally associated with “chards.”

So I popped the wine right out of the fridge, poured a glass, and settled into a playoff basketball game. The color in the glass was a wonderful light golden hue (almost matching the uniform of the team I was supporting), and although it had a familiar oakiness, there was something special there. The taste was definitely crisper than any other Chardonnay I’ve tasted, but it still had a richness that was both complex and slightly creamy. By halftime, that complexity had doubled, at least, as the temperature rose slightly. Damn. Kevin was right… as usual. I noticed some pear and honey undertones, as well as some refreshing citrus that went really well with the wasabi peas I was chomping on by the handful. I ran upstairs with a glass for my wife to see if she would like it (thinking that maybe Chardonnay had turned into a macho-man drink). She shot my theory down after her first sip and scolded me for drinking half the bottle without her.

My parents live about a mile away from the award winning Rogue Creamery and usually when they come to visit they bring the goodness of the Crater Lake Blue Cheese with them. On my mom’s recent visit I wanted to make something up to go with the cheese and Kevin and I had just opened the Unti 2006 Grenache. So I made up a recipe with Haricots Verts, candied pecans and the Crater Lake Blue Cheese. The pairing was beautiful. I would also recommend any of our Rhone Blends or Syrahs with this recipe.

For a short cut, buy your pecans, pre-candied.

Having spent his childhood growing up in Alexander and Chalk Hill Valleys, surrounded by grapevines has proven to work to our (wine consumers) advantage. This is where Jacob Hawkes grew up. His father, Stephen, moved here in the early 70’s and was one of the pioneers in planting grapes. Even though being an experienced grower does not guarantee a great glass of wine will result, Jacob has figured out how to take quality grapes and produce great wines. The Hawkes Chardonnay is outstanding; bright, crisp, a little creamy and a whole bunch of fruit. This area produces, arguably some of the best Cabernet in the world and the Hawkes 04 (100% Cab.) is a must try, representing Alexander Valley at its best. This is a big complex wine and is going to continue to improve with age!

Perhaps growing up in the Valleys has something to do with it, but the Hawkes are personable, down to earth and all around super people. Coupled with producing great wines, I think Hawkes is going to be here for many years to come and for us to enjoy. Located at 6734 Hwy 128, be sure to stop in and taste with Jeremy, Laura, and Jacob on your next tour through wine country.

Click here to see all of Hawkes Wines

The 2004 Icaria Cabernet Sauvignon is a special wine. Admiring the elegant label and cracking the wax seal (versus tearing sharp foil) sets the mood. Pouring, smelling, tasting confirms your first impressions. The flavor is powerful and memorable. A perfect balance of tanins and fruits. There are berries galore here, but it’s not overwhelmingly jammy. I swear, the flavor lasts on the palette forever, exiting back through your nose as you exhale. What is that taste? I’m closing my mouth after swallowing, and exhaling very slowly through my nose again. So pleasant.

If you’ve got this wine, or are familiar with it, or if my review inspires you to try it, please comment here and let me know what tastes it brings to mind. Searching for the answer is a wonderful experience.

Having a four year old daughter has its virtues in many ways. One is that you get to meet the parents of other 4 year olds and this is how we found Michall and Jeannine Pendleton. Owners of Pendleton Estate Vineyards & Winery, located in the hills of northern Alexander Valley, Mike is crafting outstanding wines. Mike’s care and passion seems to reach from each and every grape as it comes off the vine to the appreciation of the finished wine as it is enjoyed from the glass. His wines are really well balanced, drinkable now, full of fruit and complex. If you have plans to be traveling along the 128 in route to Mendocino County, be sure to give Mike a call for a tasting of some of the best handcrafted small-lot wines from Sonoma County.

Click here to see all the Pendleton Wines we carry.

Everybody knows that wine goes better with food. Wines and Makers founder Andrea Godard’s done a great job of suggesting food pairings and recipes from her personal “greatest hits” for specific offerings at WAM. But, almost as important as edibles is the atmosphere you enjoy wine in. When I lived with Andrea in San Francisco, her house was always filled with great wine, food, music and musicians and they all played off each other perfectly. If a band wasn’t playing in her back yard, music was constantly setting the mood in her warm dining room, which was filled with artwork, books, and exotic brick-a-brack from her travels.

It’s with that unforgettable ambiance in mind that I introduce my first “music paring” – a suggested album that goes incredibly well with a bottle available here at WAM.

When I opened the Banyan 2007 Gewurztraminer, I was a little nervous actually. Not only was I slightly wary of the elongated bottle (which, for some reason, I always associate with sweet wine), but I realized I had no experience with this varietal—I couldn’t even spell it!

The first sip was a nice surprise. It was bright, floral, and slightly spicy—not sweet, but certainly pleasant on the tongue. With my tastebuds dancing, I headed to my computer: I knew exactly what album matched it.

I’ve been digging The Clientele for a while, since I borrowed their second LP, Strange Geometry, from a friend and left it in my player for a month or so. But 2007’s God Save the Clientele is as close as you can get to the sonic equivalent of the Banyan Gewurtz. It’s bright, light, crisp and unpretentious. It makes you feel like it’s springtime, even while frost is on the pumpkin; it makes you nostalgic for the past; it makes you feel clean-shaven and buttoned up.  The first track, “Here Comes the Phantom” fits right in with the world’s greatest jangle-pop. When you hear that “happiness just comes and goes” you think about hits by the Monkees, the Beatles, or even the Beach Boys… And, much like the wine, the album just gets better from the first taste on. By the time you reach “Somebody Changed,” you’ll be reaching for your second glass and reminiscing about high school crushes the first time you heard the Byrds. It’s warm feelings like those that wine and good music have a certain knack at summoning.

The Clientele’s God Save the Clientele is available from emusic or iTunes, and the 2007 Banyan Gewurz is a steal for $12 here at Wines and Makers.

Wines and Makers is very pleased to be able to represent and sell MoniClaire Vineyards wines. Peter and Mary Beth Smiderle’s home and vineyards set on 10 acres of beautiful benchland just off of Lytton Springs Road in the Dry Creek Valley. For the most part, their vineyards are sloping west which, some suggest, lends itself to a certain voluptuousness-big ripe fruit-characteristic in the wine. This certainly proved true after tasting the MoniClaire Petite Sirah-this wine has great fruit and spice nuances and is not, in my opinion, overly tannic. Peter and Mary Beth also produce a classic, ageworthy Dry Creek Zinfandel and a crisp, citrus nuanced Sauvignon Blanc (sold out). Total production for these three wines is around 300 cases. The Smiderles have all the passion in the world for MoniClaire (named for their two daughters, Monica and Claire) and it shows in their wines. Peter has been around winemaking all his life and is now fulfilling a dream, while Mary Beth’s eyes sparkle whenever she is speaking of MoniClaire.

See our MoniClaire wines here

I have been putting together the menu for our Christmas party next week and have been researching and scouring my old recipes and looking for inspiration in my many cooking magazines. I came across an oldy but a goody that always impresses and wanted it to share it with you all.

Here is the link:

Cream of Mushroom Soup served in Baby Potatoes

If you are short on time just buy already made cream of mushroom soup and viola no one will know and be equally impressed.

This recipe is great because you can pair it with chardonnay (not to oaky, any of our chardonnays would work great) or a Pinot Noir (again all of our Pinot’s would be great, but I would say the Balletto would be the best).

For more Appetizer recipe and wine pairings check out our recipe page.

By the way if any of you are in town next week, we would love to see you at our Christmas Party, so please come!

Recently Andrea and I visited Iron Horse Vineyards located in the Green Valley appellation of the Russian River Valley here in Sonoma County. We were greeted by Winemaker David Munksgard and Corral Club Director Kevin Vanderhoff. Given a tour of the vineyards we settled on a beautiful knoll overlooking the winery to visit with David about his experiences making wine dating back to his college days at California State University, Fresno. I hope you enjoy the video as much as we did shooting it. While David’s demeanor is easy going, he and his team at Iron Horse are meticulous in all phases of making world-class Sparkling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The sweeping rolling hills of the 300 acre ranch (160 to vine), the outdoor tasting room (Shirley has been pouring wines since the seventies and is a great host) and the outstanding wines make Iron Horse a must visit on any winery tour. There is even a chance, on an occasional Friday, you will find David passing through the tasting room and he may take you on your own vineyard tour. An unforgettable experience!

See our Iron Horse wines here.