Adobe Road Wnemaker hosts dinner at The Resort at Squaw Creek

Scorsone pours for Cathy Krauss,  my
wine writing assistant at Tahoe Weekly

When an enthusiastic young winemaker comes to a winemaker dinner that is well thought out, that’s the best! This was the case at a recent Six Peaks Grille winemaker dinner, part of an ongoing series hosted in this fine dining restaurant at The Resort at Squaw Creek. This winemaker was Michael Scorsone of Adobe Road Wines, a Sonoma winery that specializes in small lot, handcrafted wines.


Michael Scorsone brings a culinary background to his winemaking, and that means very food-friendly wines. His family is a deeply rooted Sicilian “food and wine family”, he noted. He is also a graduate of one of America’s top culinary schools, The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

Adobe Road produces between 3000-4000 cases of wine yearly, depending on the harvest. Adobe Road’s 12 different wines are produced from local grapes, sourced through long-term leases with growers. The winemaking style is “very traditional”, according to Michael, “ and we like to show a lot of personality in the wine.” Winery owners Debra and Kevin Buckler apply the same attention to detail in their wines as was done in their other business, professional motorsports.

We began the dinner with the 2009 Adobe Road Dry Creek Green Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. “We pick our grapes riper than other Dry Creek wineries, in order to give us that unique texture, resulting in a food friendly wine. We also barrel age our Sauvignon Blanc, which is not often done in California,” Michael said. The result is a delicious wine that’s golden in color, and tastes reminiscent of a Gravenstein liquid apple pie. There’s caramel, vanilla, nectarine and peach tones, with a citrusy tint. Some spice and tropic fruit add to the flavor profile. 14.1 percent alcohol, $19 the bottle at retail, slightly more at Six Peaks’ tableside. Chef Chad Shrewsbury of Six Peaks Grille paired this wine with pan seared scallops with wild mushroom, cockle and carrot touches in this dish.

For the main course of this dinner, filet mignon, the beef practically called out for a Pinot Noir, and the Adobe Road 2006 Russian River Pinot Noir was a great choice. The grapes are sourced from the O’Neel Vineyards in Russian River, and this area is a pinot noir growing region that is among the warmest in California. Only 250 cases of this wine were produced. The wine was full-bodied with enticing aromas of red cherries, cedar and spice. Sadly, this vintage is now sold out, but the 2007, also sourced from the O’Neel Vineyards, also is yummy with aroma of strawberry jam, raspberry and allspice. Fine tannins give a silky mouthfeel. 14.1 percent alcohol in the 2007, $48 the bottle at retail, slightly more at Six Peaks’ tableside. You might consider this for your holiday wine.

The 2006 Adobe Road Knights Valley Bavarian Lion Vineyard Cabernet concluded the dinner, paired with a selection of California cheeses and seasonal fruits. This wine is made from grapes that are grown on the valley floor where the Bavarian Lion Vineyard is located, so the berries are small and the vines must struggle. The result is a concentrated flavor, and it is a rich and almost chewy Cabernet, very classic in style. Strawberry and chocolate flavors follow this wine from the front of the tongue to its long finish. Cedar, dark raspberries, a hint of anise, cloves and black olives make this a classic Cabernet. It was aged for 24 months in French and American Oak. 15.8 percent alcohol, $48 the bottle at retail, slightly more at Six Peaks’ tableside.

The Six Peaks Grille is located in The Resort at Squaw Creek, 400 Squaw Creek Road, Olympic Valley, CA (530) 583-6300 for reservations. www.squawcreek.com. More information on Adobe Road: www.adoberoadwines.com