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

Sunday Grand Tasting at Coachella Wine Festival

Sunday chores are almost done so we can beeline over to Miramonte Resort for Coachella Wine Festival's Grand Tasting today from 1 to 5 PM. Chef Robert Nyerick told us Friday night's celebrity wine dinner with Peggy Fleming Jenkins and hubby Greg was so perfect in every way, he wouldn't have changed a thing. It was all harmony, between their Fleming Jenkins wines, Chef's spot-on food, the peaceful setting in Miramonte's herb garden, weather and yes, even moonlight added its magic. We also heard raves for the confections and wines served that night at the Dessert Soirée.

We spotted the lovely Olympian gold medalist at the shopping bazaar as tasters took a break to check out the debut of local artist Diane Kline, lovelies by Custom Vintage Wine Cellars, fashions by Andrea Paris, art from Howard's Backdoor Gallery and Frame Shop, jewels in a variety of tastes and price ranges and more.

The shaded outdoor tasting area featured a boatload of wines and lip-smacking culinary treats – one look at the lineup on the festival Web site and you know there's good eats to be had. Worker-bees got hungry just listening to festival-lovers rave about the short ribs and pulled pork, not to mention the lighter fare, so perfect on a sunny afternoon.

We found this berry and spice-rich Shiraz from Victoria, Australia at the Cooralook booth. Made from grapes grown in red soil not far from Melbourne, Heathcote's Shiraz shows fine tannins and rich texture laced with ripe plum and blackberry flavors around a lick of licorice.

Better wrap up those chores so we can get going – it's not too early to be thinking about wine, is it?

December Holiday Wines

Remember the big Cabs and lush whites we asked you to skip at Thanksgiving? Well, it's late December and it's official: Loosen your wrists and pop those corks.

This month's holiday celebrations typically center about heartier winter fare such as rib roasts, duck and lamb. Pasta-centric Italian families dish out meat lasagne, ragù with rabbit sauce and elaborate veal dishes. Even fish dishes are sauced with a heavier hand this time of year, from beurre blanc to rémoulade. Having chest pain yet?

All these foods scream out for bigger wines. As with Thanksgiving, we suggest at least two wine choices for your holiday guests. Lead off with a lighter-bodied or higher-acid wine to tickle taste buds instead of hammering your guests' palates with the powerhouse red you've been aching to open all year long.

Check out these wines we've spotted around town to help get you through holiday meals with grace and good taste. Starred wines are value-priced at less than $15-20 a bottle at Dan's Wine Shop, LA Wine Company, Cost Plus World Market, Costco or grocers Vons, Albertsons and Ralph's.

Lighter whites: Dry Riesling (Pacific Rim°, Chateau Ste. Michelle°)

Medium-bodied whites: White Burgundy (Mâcon Villages, 2006°), McManis Viognier°

Powerhouse whites: Chardonnay (Trinitas°, California; Luca°, Argentina)

Ligher reds: Dolcetto D'Alba, Pinot Noir (Cambria, Julia's Vineyard 2006°; Becker Estate 2007°, Germany)

Medium-bodied reds: Monte Antico° (Sangiovese-based blend, 2006. Italy), Volver° (Tempranillo, 2007, Spain), Robert Hall Syrah° and Rhône de Robles° 2006, Perrin & Fils Côtes du Rhône Villages 2007°

Powerhouse reds: Orin Swift's The Prisoner (Zinfandel-based blend, California), Robert Mondavi Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, Cannonball 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon°)

Do you have a special bottle you've saved for your holiday celebration? Stay tuned for a few of our fallen soldiers in the weeks ahead.

Chef Nicolas

We were very saddened to read about the passing of Chef Nicolas Klontz in today's Desert Sun. Together with his wife and partner Mindy, Chef Nicolas created masterful food and wine experiences at Zin American Bistro in Palm Springs. Chef Nicolas' passion and flair for food found expression in the spirit of the dishes he served, which Mindy always honored with her amazing and exotic wine service.

We logged a few unforgettable dining experiences here and on our Web site. One special treat was the night our band of locals brought out-of-town guests and one high-palate child there for dinner. Determined to taste our way through as much of the tantalizing menu as we could, we all ordered different appetizers, entrees and desserts so everyone could try each dish – every bite delivered deliciousness, with not a mediocre morsel passing anyone's lips.

Another evening, we were surprised when Chef Nicolas sat down at our table to grab some late-night dinner for himself. Thinking perhaps we'd lingered too long, Chef Nicolas instead put us at ease by rattling off funny stories over more wine and fantastic food late into the night.

Tomorrow night's memorial service will be held at Zin from 5 to 7 PM. Stop by to honor a master chef, a terrific homme and to express your condolences to Mindy. Support this lovely lady with your continued patronage. Chef's spirit will live on in his food.

Wine and Food Matcher

It's no secret that we're all eating in more often. While the food is great, at times we wish a sommelier genie would appear to suggest interesting wine choices to complement our dishes. That's when having a useful wine-food pairing tool comes in handy.

Thanks to accredited sommelier, author and wine judge Natalie MacLean, we now have an easy-to-use pairing widget on this blog you can access anytime. Just pick a food or wine you want to pair and start exploring the possibilities. Try it before you sweat through your next dinner party or to honor your latest slow-cooked wonder. Nat writes with flair and humor while serving up plenty of great information, wine reviews and more on her Web site. Visit and let us know what you think. Bon appetit!