O.C. Calling: Marché Moderne and Roman Cucina

How do you enjoy wine in triple-digit heat? Set the A/C to Siberia – or head to the beach.

When you travel to Orange County, don't miss the chance to quench your thirst for great wine coupled with outstanding food at Marché Moderne. Located on the third level of South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, the modern French bistro offers an intriguing selection of wines by the six-ounce glass or three-ounce taste. Take the by-the-glass option to savor as many dishes as you can from chef/owners Florent and Amelia Marneau’s menu.

Besides oysters, charcuterie, cheese plates and what they call “everything pickle,” the Marneaus offer special summer dishes from Santa Monica and Orange County farmers’ markets. Dive into the briny sweetness of Malpeque oysters, served with a traditional and ginger mignonette for starters. Opt for a classic pairing with Muscadet or go with Sancerre Vincent Delaporte, Chavignol 2008 from the Loire.

On a recent visit, the standout dish was a tagine of Merguez with two kinds of shrimp, chermoula, raisins, lemon confit, harissa, almonds, mint emulsion, dates and Ras el hanout, a blend of North African spices. The savory flavors paired beautifully with a refreshing rosé from Sardegna, Argiolas Serra Lori Isola dei Nuraghi Rosato, 2009. This cool refresher blends Cannonau, the Sard version of Grenache, with Carignano (Cariñan) and two Sardinian grapes, Monica and Bovale Sardo.

Other winners from the talented Marneau duo are their homemade duck terrine, shaved black summer truffle tart, octopus salad with Lomo ham and Moscovy duck leg confit.

The wait staff is knowledgeable and efficient. Ask for a comfy booth near the open kitchen or watch the fashion show go by at lunch from the patio. Despite its mall location (between Canali and Louis Vuitton, near Nordstrom's), Marché Moderne offers a cozy, metro atmosphere with cuisine on par with destination bistros in New York or San Francisco.

For a completely different experience, head to Roman Cucina in Sunset Beach. Popular with the surfer crowd as well as families, this casual Italian restaurant has expanded its menu to include pasta-less entrees for carbo-phobes. Just be sure someone at your table has the sense to order the special, always a winner. Start with calamari, perfectly crisped and tender. A forkful of pasta or sausage with marinara will bring back memories of Sunday dinner and nonna's gravy. We think we caught the telltale near-sweet creaminess and silky texture of Polly-O ricotta in their lasagne and other pasta dishes, too.

Besides Martini Mondays, Roman Cucina also offers Wine Wednesdays with no corkage fees and half-off wines at all four of their southland locations. Even though the food is always solid, the wine list could benefit from a few more selections. Our bottle of Planeta 2008 Cerasuolo, a blend of Sicilian grapes Nero d'Avola and Frappato, made a great pairing for red-sauced dishes we sampled.

Then there's the cannoli. This is one dessert worth saving room for, but rich enough for the table to share. The fresh, crisp shell is stuffed with a ricotta-based filling that could've come from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Gotta be that Polly-O.

If you can't make it to cooler climes this week, no sweat. Drop in at Palm Desert's new 3rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro from 5 to 10 PM for their three-course wine-pairing Sunday dinner for only $25. Menu and wines change weekly. The San Diego-based 3rd Corner is a great addition to the desert's food and wine scene, a cool refuge for a hot August week.

Virginia Viognier, Where Art Thou?

As vacation time approached, memories of East Coast seafood began to prime our palates for the sweet, succulent meat of Chesapeake Bay blue crabs and the briny freshness of coastal oysters. Heaven.

We'd only need a few glasses of white wine to wash them all down – perhaps a Virginia Viognier or one of the other mid-Atlantic wines we'd only read about but never seen in area wine shops or on West Coast wine lists.

Eateries in the Washington, DC metro area made it easy for us to indulge our daily crab cravings, with occasional breaks for barbecue – North Carolina style, of course. Crab and 'cue were everywhere – homestyle at Dallas Airport's Cousins BBQ and Hampton, Virginia's County Grill or stylish and sophisticated at The Trellis Restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg, as dim sum at DC's Ping Pong, or ocean-fresh at Blue Point Provision Company on the water at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay.

While we were happily vinified by the Rieslings, Grüner Veltliners and Torrontés we found along the way, we still thirsted for a taste of Virginia Viognier – or any regional wine, for that matter. We finally hit pay dirt at the D.C. Grand Hyatt Cure Bar and Bistro. Besides artisan cheese plates, savory charcuterie of Virginia hams and smoked duck breast and a signature Maryland blue crab pie, Cure offers wines by Virginia's White Hall (Pinot Grigio) and Barboursville vineyards (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon).

White Hall's refreshing Pinot Grigio had a tint of light bronze or grey. While enjoyable, its fragrant flavors and slight, pleasant sweetness were unlike most Pinot Grigio we'd had. We later learned the grape crush allows for a few hours of skin contact that gives the wine its faint color and added richness. Besides Pinot Gris grapes, White Hall's 2008 Pinot Grigio blend also includes Muscat, Riesling and Petit Manseng. The latter is an uncommon Vitis vinifera variety from France known for tropical fruit flavors akin to Viognier and an aromatic, high-acidity profile. It made a lively and tasteful pairing for our apps and crab pie.

It might take a bit of work but we hope you'll try a few interesting local wines this summer. Let us know what you find – we just might have to ship some Virginia Viognier westward, once the cooler fall weather arrives.

Summer and Sangiovese

Summer is a great time to reconnect with old friends. While catching up with transplanted New York buddies in Venice Beach, we stumbled upon another old friend: Pietra Santa Sangiovese.

We spotted the familiar label over lunch at Capri, a charming art-adorned restaurant on bustling Abbot Kinney Boulevard that keeps that Cal-Ital thing going on. Owner Alona has run the friendly, casual spot for more than 15 years. Her sincere perma-smile and warm welcome makes you wonder whether you've actually met her before, but no – it's just her way of making you feel completely at ease. Dig into her pappardelle alla Bolognese, risotto di funghi or cinghiale salsicce con polenta and you too will feel the love.

Back to wine – two years ago, a 2005 Pietra Santa Sangiovese left an imprint on our wine memory. Its gently oaked smooth Morello cherry fruit with earthy and anise undertones sent us back to LA Wine Company to clear out all that was left. We haven't seen it since. While the 2005 was an 80/20 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 that graced Alona's tasting table is a 92/8 blend that's also a bit lower in alcohol at 14.7%. Perfect.

One sip immediately brought back that first taste two years ago. Alona, it turns out, is on a quest for good sangio as well. Her restaurant's all-Italian menu screams out for a juicy, food-friendly wine that's not overly oaked or too much of a fruit bomb. But making good Sangiovese has proved tough in the Golden State where it's given more than one Cal-Ital producer plenty of agita – Italian slang for grief. Though a feisty varietal to get right on this side of the Atlantic, we think you'll agree with old friends who gave this Cienega Valley effort a try: it's fantastic.

Pietra Santa's Tuscan-born winemaker Alessio Carli coaxes plenty of sangio goodness out of rocky limestone soils first planted to winegrapes by a Frenchman in the 1850s. The Web site for the family-run estate 25 miles from Monterey Bay shows a dreamy image of a massive stone-and-brick winery. Inside the 12,000-sq.-ft. Mission-style structure is an olive oil press room where gourmet oils are crafted from estate-harvested fruit. One taste of their wine and a look at the "sacred stone" building and surrounding vineyards might convince you to add Pietra Santa's Hollister tasting room to your next Central Coast sojourn. Olive oil tasting anyone?

For culinary pay dirt, visit Pietra Santa's Recipes and Pairings tab. Their shrimp risotto with Meyer lemon and truffle oil is a sure-fire dinner party knockout dish to set your guests swooning. Pair it with crisp, lemony Chateau St. Jean Fumé Blanc if you have no luck finding Pietra Santa's recommended Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio matches around town.

Or, just gas up the car and head over to Capri. Alona's smile, fab food, Pietra Santa – and perhaps old friends – await you.

Capri
1616 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA
310.392.8777

Rodney Strong Vineyards: Who Knew?

Bellatrix at the Classic Club rolled out a grand welcome for our April 30th wine dinner that featured six outstanding wines by Rodney Strong. Representatives from the Sonoma County winery and director of fine wines Stefen Soltysiak transformed the desert setting into a virtual winery experience, complete with tidbits of history, tasting-room only wines and tales that made each sip all the more enjoyable.

Many wine lovers trace their wine romance with the stories – of people, earth and nature, hard luck, hard work and struggles that all come together in an aromatic glass of deliciousness. This winery has great stories.

Rod Strong was a Balanchine-trained professional dancer who fell in love with the sights and tastes of Parisian life as a Lido dancer in the 1940s. Knowing how unkind age can be for dancers, Strong sought out a post-ballet life for himself and dance partner-wife Charlotte. Read more about their remarkable journey here.

Back to Bellatrix, Executive Chef Gregg Monette turned out five delicious courses punctuated by a raspberry sorbet intermezzo for the six wines:

Sauvignon Blanc 2008, "Charlotte's Home" – Named for Rodney's wife, this grass-scented earthy white paired well with Chef's flaky mushroom tarts.

Chardonnay 2008, Sonoma County – Part barrel- and tank-fermented, this food-friendly Chard was a table favorite, despite an unconventional food pairing with goat cheese and intensely seasoned vinaigrette.

Chardonnay 2008, "Chalk Hill" – This new release is 100% barrel fermented with aromas and flavors of toasty oak. Round and rich, it was served with soy/sake-marinated halibut with lump crab crust.

Pinot Noir 2008, Russian River Valley – Aromas of rose petals with black cherry flavors and delicate clove-scented spice on the finish. More, please.

Meritage 2006, "Symmetry" – The winery's flagship wine is a hand-sorted Bordeaux-styled Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend with 10% Malbec, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged in French oak for 21 months. A luscious pairing for grilled filet mignon with mushroom ragout.

"Gentleman's Port," 2006 Sonoma County – A winery-only pleasantly sweet and silky curtain call made from Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah served with chocolate sweets, macaroons, berry crumbles and other delicacies.

As though the restaurant's majestic setting, décor and a roomful of VIPs weren't enough, our 100-strong group also enjoyed piano music by impressive 13-year-old Colt Bosson. Thanks to Gigi Muth and our April charity, the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign, the Auen family, PGA general manager Greg Rubino, Christine Paxton and all who made this evening a huge success. Enjoy their Roses and Rosé Mother's Day brunch at Bellatrix tomorrow!

Finery at Fleming's

With 100 wines by the glass and Patrick Milsop directing its wine program, it's a gimme that Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Rancho Mirage knows wine. We were tickled pink to be in their competent hands at our Hat's Off luncheon with Angel Light Academy last Saturday. We tip our hats to Operating Partner John Verhoef and his skilled staff for turning out a glorious meal and intriguing wine pairings.

A knock-out appetizer of breaded brie with jalapeño jelly was paired to an Old World Chardonnay – Forty-Six Diamonds Pouilly-Fuisse 2006, especially crafted for Fleming's with French négociant Georges DuBoeuf. Hat brims gave way to broader smiles.

Fall soup of squash, corn and lobster, perfectly textured and fresh, was a course many of us would have been happy to savor for dinner any night. Its pairing was a New World Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2007 from the cooler Margaret River area of Western Australia. The wine's crisp acidity was both balance and foil for the rich soup.

Next, a nearly fork-tender petite filet mignon was served with South Africa's Rust en Vrede Merlot 2007 from the Stellenbosch region. We took in its earthy aromas and terroir-soaked flavors. Patrick told us how Nelson Mandela chose this winery for his 2004 Nobel Peace Prize dinner. We were honored as well.

As much as we enjoyed the apricot sorbet, the luncheon's real treats were the children and young adults of Angel Light Academy. With their poise and polish at the mic, these youngsters told of their struggles in our rough-and-tumble society and how ALA helps them learn leadership and other skills necessary to overcome hardship and succeed as focused, whole and wholesome individuals. Well done, all.

Great prizes fueled a thrilling and competitive auction to aid our combined fundraising efforts.

In case you missed this one, take our word and remember Fleming's for your next night out and Angel Light Academy in your charitable giving. Our combined causes paired with a superb venue, excellent food and wine, fashion and energetic camaraderie for a memorable event. And, as you can see, it was worth going for the hats alone.