Summer of Love

What's hotter than July in the desert? Nada, niente, zero baby. We gave July the kiss-off at That's Amore, our July event benefiting the Stroke Recovery Center. Our hosts at Amorè Ristorante Italiano served a top-notch dinner for nearly sixty Winewomen (and a few brave men) as seamlessly as a cooked-to-perfection dinner for two.

Phil Molnar chose four outstanding wines from Creative Wines International's boutique portfolio. We eased in with Sandholdt 2006 Pinot Grigio from the Central Coast. Its soft nose and medium body paired well with appetizers of baby spinach and mozzarella caprese. Next, Godwin 2006 "Floral Clone" Russian River Chardonnay proved a perfect pairing with Tuscan rigatoni served in bianco with sausage and white beans. Its gentle oak had us smiling and sipping as we lapped up pasta in white wine-butter sauce.

The two whites proved so popular, many of you stayed with them through the chicken marsala and mushroom main course. We hope you didn't miss another winner from Mettler, the family vineyard whose Zinfandel sent us over the top at April's Spring Fling at La Quinta Resort. This time it was their 2006 Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon – wow, Lodi is definitely on our wine map! The winery goes organic in 2010. Perhaps we'll try their Petite Sirah before then (many times, we hope).

Phil was a prince for rolling out a great finale: Mendelson 2000 Muscat Canelli dessert wine. Winemaker Richard Mendelson, who's also a lawyer and artist provoked this closing argument: Which dessert from Amorè's trio was the favorite? Our vote went to the Sicilian mini-cannoli with fresh ricotta stuffing and crisp pastry shells. There was love in the kitchen that night!

We learned Stroke Recovery Center dishes out the loving all year round with their menu of free services for clients living with the aftermath of stroke. Contact James Martinez and give these great folks your support so they can begin their good work where others leave off.

As though we weren't having enough fun, Amorè's Jerry Ring closed out the evening with an operatic Happy Birthday serenade to Margi in his rich baritone voice. She won't be forgetting that anytime soon – bravo, Jerry! We hope you won't forget to pick up some of these terrific wines at Dan's Wine Shop in Palm Desert. Give Dan a call at 760.674.0305 and ask for WinewomenPSP's special pricing, courtesy of Prince Phil. Grazie a tutti!

Since we believe you can never have enough summer love Italian-style, we have more in store for you on Friday, August 28th at Piero's Acqua Pazza at the River in Rancho Mirage. Don't miss this one – make your reservation today. Arrivederci!

Making New Friends

Coachella Valley Alumnae Panhellenic spring-loaded our Spring Fling at Centre Court Restaurant with plenty of energy and laughter. Those lovely ladies came early, stayed late and made every minute in between a party.

All elements that make being part of Winewomenpsp so rewarding were there: A world-class venue in La Quinta Resort and Spa, nature's dramatic mountain backdrop, inventive cuisine and unexpected wine pairings. Layer that with interesting people to meet, friendly conversation and a charity that awards scholarships to ladies who graduate from our local high schools and you can bet it was a rousing night.

Tasty courtside hors d'oeuvres tipped us off to the treats that lie ahead. To stave away thirst, we kept Creative Wine International's cheerful Phil Molnar busy pouring food-friendly 2006 Godwin Floral Clone Russian River Chardonnay. Inside the tennis-decorated restaurant awaited light and refreshing chilled white heirloom tomato consommé with cucumber relish paired to Pushback Sauvignon Blanc. Newbie 30-year-old Napa winemaker Nick Floulis blends a small amount of Semillon to his first-release wine for added body, floral notes and versatility with food.

After the grilled shrimp course came the crowd-pleaser: Fork-tender braised short ribs served with Mettler Epicenter Old Vine Zinfandel. The unzinny zin lacked the one-dimensional raisiny flavors that make some zins unpalatable with many foods or too assertive to sip alone. Instead, we found the Epicenter rich with ripe berry fruit, espresso backflavors and balanced tannins. Straight outta Lodi, the 2006 Epicenter snagged silver medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition – thanks for serving up an award-winner, Phil.

We probably did enough swooning over Sauternes in our last post. Thanks to Kathleen, CVAP, Ed, Phil, Michelle and all who made this a special event. If you missed it, book your lunch reservation at Centre Court and call Dan at Dan's Wine Shop in Palm Desert at 760.674.0305 to find out if he salvaged any Godwin chard or Mettler Epicenter zin we didn't polish off.