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| 130 lucky guests |
What a glorious place to learn about good wine! The middle of the mountain at Homewood is the
location of West Shore Café’s new dinner series, Farm to Peak. The early July event featured wines selected
by Jeni Brill, Food and Beverage Manager, West Shore Café. She did a fine job, first selecting the
varietials that would pair with the dishes prepared by guest Chef Breana
Greene, and then Jeni selecting the wineries.
This is a very intelligent way to prepare for a wine-dine experience,
and all of the wines were perfect pairings that did not overwhelm the
foods.
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| View from mid-mountain, Homewood |
The next event is August 31, and no doubt there will be more
in 2014. You are in for a great treat if
you go.
Murrieta’s Well 2012 The Whip was a great pairing for the
charcuterie platter. Located in
Livermore Valley, Murrieta’s Well vineyards were originally planted in 1883 with vineyard cuttings from two
very famous French wineries, Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau Margaux. The
Whip is a great white blend that uses many aromatic and flavorful
varieties: Chardonnay predominates,
followed by Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and then Orange Muscat, Viognier,
Pinot Blanc, Semillon and Muscat Canelli.
It’s a full-bodied wine with
aroma and flavor of white peach, vanilla, butterscotch and orange blossom. 13 percent alcohol. www.murrietaswell.com
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| Paul Dolan Chardonnay |
Paul Dolan’s 2011 Chardonnay is a classic Mendocino County
Chardonnay, perfect with the beet salad.
Like all Paul Dolan wines, it is certified organic. It’s an elegant wine that’s a blend of Mendocino grapes from the cool-sites of the northern
benchlands and lush warmer-site fruit from Hopland. The brightness of the fruit shows through,
and the flavors are of ripe
pear, crisp apple, and winter citrus fruit, with a creamy vanilla spice that
adds to the smooth mouthfeel.
13.5 percent alcohol. www.pauldolanwine.com.
Joseph Phelps 2011 Pinot Noir from Freestone Vineyards,
Sonoma, was delicious with the duck confit.
This was my personal favorite pairing of the event. Wonderful aroma of cherry, currant and sweet
spices with a rich and full mouth feel of flavors of concentrated raspberry,
cherry, allspice and vanilla. Freestone
Vineyards also produce grapes with a characteristic tangerine peel flavor, and
it’s here in this wine! A great Pinot
Noir at a reasonable alcohol level: 13.5
percent. Bravo! www.josephphelps.com
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| Muscato di Asti |
A perfect end to the meal, a Muscato! The Batasiolo 2010 Muscato di Asti is
produced on the Beni di Boscareto estate in the village of Serralunga d’Alba,
at the western limit of the Asti region .
This delicious straw-yellow-golden wine has a sweetly soft flavor that lingers,
and enhanced the rosemary panna cotta dessert.
5.5 percent alcohol. www.boissetfamilyestates.com
For more information on the Farm to Peak series, contact
West Shore Café at 5160 West Lake Blvd, Homewood, CA , tel 530-584-6840
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| Dusk at Lake Tahoe's West Side, at end of Farm to Peak event |
This information first appeared in The
Tahoe Weekly newspaper, where I write the Wine Time column, in August 2013
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