Return to Coolsville: Perseid at Meteor Vineyard

Last time I was in Coolsville it was for some zip line action and the release of Meteor Vineyard 2007 Perseid Cabernet. {You can read a full account of that visit here.} This time I went for a meteor shower viewing party and a pre-party vertical tasting of the Perseid Cabernet 2004-2007 and the Special Family Reserve 2005-2007.

The 2004 Perseid had not previously been tasted outside of the family. I almost felt like we would be sworn to secrecy after trying it and required to take an oath of Omertà--oh wait I’m probably projecting my own Sicilian family traditions here, not Meteor’s. No one at the table was in danger of getting whacked for speaking about the charms of the 04, well, not that I know of at least.

In addition to the pre-set verticals we tried the 2003 “Barry's Half Century” Estate Reserve, a special Birthday Blend created to commemorate vineyard owner Barry Schuler's 50th. The wine had a deep plum color, scents of tobacco and nutmeg, with chocolate, coffee and blackberry flavors. It was luscious and rich, a great birthday gift to enjoy for years to come.

I’ve tasted my way through a lot of Cabernets over the years and I'm always on the verge of declaring that I just don't like Cabernet all that much—and then I taste Meteor and it makes me reconsider. These Cabs always surprise and intrigue me. They are deep, earthy and grounding-- full of diverse flavors and scents like licorice, mint, cinnamon, clove, peppermint, chocolate, violets, leather, truffle, blackberries and plums. In the 2006 Special Family Reserve I found notes of caramelized toffee and smoky s’mores. 

Meteor wines get to me in a way that is unexpected and completely fascinating. They keep me thinking about them for days afterward. It must be that Coombsville is Coolsville mystique in action. And it’s not just marketing copy to say something is truly different about Coombsville--official recognition of Coombsville as a distinct AVA is imminent.

I have a good understanding of winemaking, grape growing and the clones that are planted. But when I first taste a wine I don’t always need to know it’s personal history, I just want to be captivated. I’m curious to discover how a wine inspires me, because I think a great wine can be a catalyst to inspiration for all sorts of creative endevors.

That’s not to say the process is unimportant, quite the contrary, I love hearing winemakers describe it in their own words. It’s always interesting to hear what Meteor winemaker Dawnine Dyer and Schuler have to say. While Dyer might describe one of their clones or wines as full of feminine charisma, or a temptress; Schuler will counter with “This wine is a busty centerfold girl with a mighty rack and body that will suck you in and never let go.” (I paraphrase here of course.) But you can glean the general spirit in which it was said. Yet despite their different frames of reference, Dyer and Schuler are in full agreement that the clones they’ve planted possess all the right stuff to thrive in Coombsville.

From the tasting we headed outside where the party was in full swing with signature cocktails, spacey music to set the tone for star gazing, and tucked off to the side, a tarot card reader. As the sun set my appetite peaked and I practically inhaled a mini cup of bacon cheddar soup and a few smoked pork belly sliders with caramelized apple that naturally paired perfectly with the 2008 Perseid and Special Family Reserve. Then I got on line to have my cards read. I was relieved to see we only had to wait in line, not zip-line to the tarot card reader. 

After dinner, carrying our glow sticks and wine glasses, we followed a path of tiny lights set down like a secret mini airstrip, that led us to the Lone Oak out in the vineyard. Under the oak, Cliff De Lacy, a NASA ambassador filled us in on all things celestial and where to scan the sky for meteors.

A dessert station set with was set to one end of the rows serving coffee and a Meyer Lemon Curd tart with a graham crust as well as a Brioche Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding with chocolate sauce and sea salt. Both were a delight to enjoy in the moonlight.

In between the rows of vines were recliners and blankets from which you could settle in and watch the sky. It was like a sanitarium in the vineyard. As I lay there I half expected a masseuse to show up and knead my shoulders. It was quite cozy tucked under the blanket between the vines with little clusters of grapes above me and the rocky soil below. Something about lying down in the earth between the vines was extraordinary. It was as if you could feel the very essence of the vines seep into you. As I looked down the long dark row towards Mount George, I could smell traces of mint and fennel, sweet clover, hay and chalky earth. It felt fantastic and rather nurturing. Heck, maybe my true roots are more Druid than Sicilian! Or perhaps there is some kind of harmonic convergence going on between the Meteor vines and land in Coombsville.

Although the event was billed as a Perseid Viewing Party, I only saw a few meteors shoot across the sky. But the most brilliant stars of the night were all in my glass.

Thanks to all the Meteorites for a stellar evening. 

Battle of the Napa Chefs: Benefit for the Blue Oak School

This past Saturday I was invited to attend The Battle of the Chefs, a fundraising event at the Culinary Institute of America for the Blue Oak School in Napa. I live tweeted the event but there was so much going on, it was beyond the limits of twitter to capture it.

Battle of the Chefs was an Iron Chef style competition pitting Chef Michael Chiarello, of Yountville's Bottega Restaurant, against Chef Ken Frank of La Toque in Napa.

All the elements were in place:

* A stadium kitchen courtesy of CIA

* A panel of judges

* Two Top Chefs

* And in the role of Alton Brown—Barry Schuler co-founder of Blue Oak School and owner of Meteor vineyard. You can read more about Meteor and Schuler (the Mayor of Coolsville) in one of my previous posts here.

Kitchen Stadium

Playing sidekick and co-commentator to Barry was Oscar Renteria of Renteria vineyards. The judges included -- Lee Hudson, Michael Higuera, Wendy Rupprecht, Ramzi Deeik and Eugenio Jardim who was recently honored as one of Sunset magazines Top Sommeliers.

Tracy & Barry Schuler (left) Chef Chiarello and guest (right)

While Schuler, Master of Ceremonies, riffed on new Iron chef style slogans to replace “Whose Cuisine Will Reign Supreme?” such as: Whose Meal is the Real Deal? Which Cook Is Off The Hook? Who Will be the Master Cooking Tasker? Who’s Chow will Wow? Whose Food Will Be Real Gued?? …you had to be there for that last one …the crowd began to speculate on what the secret ingredient might be.

Thankfully the slogans were interrupted by the moment we had all been waiting for—the unveiling of the Secret Ingredient. Cue dry ice and strobe lights…and the ingredient was—Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Oh what a curve ball! On with the show!

It should be noted that I can not be 100% sure on some of the ingredients used and items created as there was a slight audio problem in the beginning of the show and it was quite difficult to hear much of what was going on. But to the best of my recollection here is what the Chefs prepared.

Chef Michael Chiarello--

Appetizer: Cabernet infused gnocchi. Burrata over fava bean greens and butternut squash.

Entrée: Cabernet caviar with smoked lamb tenderloin.

The entrée was presented with an inverted glass of smoke from the vine cuttings that the lamb was prepared with. Hmm… Where might have Chef Chiarello learned this technique? Last time I smoked anything under a glass it was in college and it did not involve lamb. But it certainly wowed the judges as they took a whiff of smoke then tucked into the lamb. Style points noted

Chef Ken Frank surrounded by fans

Chef Ken Frank:

Appetizer: As I mentioned it was hard to hear and see from the top of the stadium, but it sounded like his app included cheddar cheese tapioca. And I think green peppercorns also played a role in there somewhere. But suffice to say everything Chef Frank made smelled amazing.

Entrée: Grass fed beef prepared with snails and mushrooms and a traditional bordelaise sauce.

I can now fully appreciate what it must be like to go to a live taping of Iron Chef or any cooking show for that matter. It is sheer torture. You hear the sizzle and smell the aromas, but you can’t taste a single morsel--only watch helplessly as the judges’ taste the dishes and contort their faces into expressions of ecstasy and approval. Oh yes, watching is torture! It would have been nice to taste the food too. But seeing as the event was all in support of the Blue Oak School, it’s understandable and forgivable.

During the intermission guests were treated to a selection of wines from Pahlmeyer and Renteria vineyards. I tried the Pahlmeyer Cabernet and I really loved its elegant dusty leather and smokey blackberry flavor and wish I could have paired some of Chef Frank's entrée along with it.

One of the highlights of the break was getting the chance to meet and speak with Salvador Renteria and his wife, Maria Louisa. We chatted about the beauty of the Napa valley and how much Napa resembles parts of Italy. The Renteria’s were so engaging and it turns out they have a daughter named Marcella, which is my name too. No wonder we hit it off.

After the intermission we returned to the stadium for the results. The tension was as thick as the smoke in the air. And the result was---split! Chiarello was declared king of the apps while Chef Frank won best Entrée.

In the end it was a win for both, but most of all a win for the Blue Oak School, where the first class of 8^th graders will graduate this year. If you live in Napa and want to know more about The Blue Oak School click here.

The Napa Patch also covered the event and you can read that account here.

Coombsville is Coolsville

Last Sunday I went to a little harvest party for the release of Meteor Vineyards 2007 Perseid Cabernet Sauvignon in Coombsville. This southeast section of Napa used to be relatively unknown. Practically off the grid. But it's possible the days of Coombsville being just under the radar are over. Coombsville is Coolsville in many ways.

Located on a rocky knoll in sight of Mt. George, the soils around Meteor are an unusual combination of volcanic and clay, with a heap of cobblestones thrown in giving the vines a unique foundation to grow in.

Coombsville is Coolsville with a mild climate and consistent temperatures that keep the growing season long and the fruit less prone to the heat spikes common in surrounding AVA’s. That means the grapes benefit from a long hang time and get the chance to grow up to be the grapes they were meant to be.

Maybe that’s where the idea of the zip line came in? If hang time was good for grapes maybe it would be good for people too. That concept was put to the test with the Meteor Zip Line.

I did not partake of the zip line due to the fact I was wearing a skirt and I could just imagine it billowing up over my head as I crashed into an oak tree at end of the line. But next time I hope to do the Coombsville Sip n' Zip. You’ve probably never seen a zip line at a regular harvest party have you? Like I said, Coombsville is Coolsville.

Adjacent to the Meteor vineyard is an exquisite residence constructed entirely of glass, stone, hardwoods and rammed earth. At first glance it looks like an elaborate structure from the elite levels of Angry Birds. Airy, open, and in harmony with the land, it’s the perfect complement to the vineyards that surround it. I mention the residence because it’s here that you see attention to detail is everything.

For example, only a mad genius would think to embed a circuit board artifact in the Fu-Tung Cheng countertops, but crazy cool touches like that are everywhere in the home just waiting to be discovered. And that philosophy of nuance and integrated detail shown in the house also seems to be what vineyard owners Barry Schuler and his wife Tracy had in mind when they collaborated with winemakers Bill and Dawnine Dyer to create their wines.

The wines I tasted at Meteor were all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon estate grown. I tasted the 2007 Perseid new release and the 2006 Special Family Reserve that was recently featured in Savuer magazine. I also got to taste the 2005 Special Family Reserve. The Meteor Estate Special Family Reserves are extremely limited production wines with just a few barrels made of each.

The 2007 nose changed quite a bit in my glass as it opened up from bright plumy notes to a rich tobacco scent. I tasted fresh blackberry and a bit of violet and clover on the palate with good tannins. I’d certainly love to try this wine again in a few years but it was quite successful in the moment.

The 2005 and 2006 Special Family Reserves were beautiful. Full, steady, and balanced, the structure reminded me of a chord progression--a Lou Reed riff—deep, dark, and haunting. I’d like to play these lush notes over and over.

Schuler may be a kingpin of the investment and tech world, but beneath his business savvy is the soul of an artist. Actually, he is an artist, a potter, and it seems to me that Meteor wines reflect the same careful hand shaping and artistry as his ceramic pieces.

Also at the party were a selection of Coombsville wines from other producers in the area. I wish I had taken more careful notes because I tried several that were outstanding. The Coombsville folks all seem very supportive of each other’s winemaking efforts. Who knows, maybe there’s a serious feud going on somewhere, but it all seemed very Kumbaya to me. Must be that Coombsville is Coolsville vibe at work.

SIDE NOTE: Some wine bloggers may be wondering how the heck I got invited to such a cool Coombsville event at Meteor. Well I guess you could say it’s because of Twitter.

I first met Mr. Schuler at a meeting with AOL back in the dark ages of the early Internet. Before he became the CEO of AOL, Barry led their Interactive Services group and I was working for a company that was soon to launch Travelocity. I think in the meeting he showed us the door and told us to get lost. Just kidding, to be perfectly honest I really don’t remember the details of the meeting. But I do remember he seemed like someone who was going to make interesting things happen.

Fast forward to 2009-- Barry gave the keynote at the Wine Bloggers conference. Now he owned a vineyard and was making wine and I was a wine drinker blogger. We followed each other on twitter. Everything had come full circle.

So kids, it pays to connect on twitter but even more than that, it helps to have had a real job at least once in your life.