Winewomen, Song and Ahnfeldt Wines

To close out California wine month, we want to tip our hats to a small Napa Valley winery you'll have the chance to get to know better next month – Ahnfeldt Wines.

Plan to join us as we reprise Winewomen & Song with a special Ahnfeldt wine dinner on Friday, October 22 at Miramonte Resort and Spa. Our last Winewomen & Song was such a magical evening under the stars at Miramonte's Mediterranean lawn that we were driven to do it again!

This time, we're honored to showcase talented vocalist Jessica Tivens and her accompanist, the ever-charming Gale Enger. Chef Nyerick has composed a gorgeous menu to pair with five Ahnfeldt wines.

Napa's Ahnfeldt has been turning out 90+ point winners, a laudable feat for a winery that only began in 2002. Crushing this successful run is enologist and winemaker Craig MacLean who put his talents to work at Markham Vineyards, Cain Cellars and Spring Mountain Vineyard. MacLean's handcrafted wines for Ahnfeldt are made only from grapes harvested from Ahnfeldt vineyards. They show beautiful fruit while offering refinement and complexity.

Check out the amazing lineup here along with the menu and festivities. Not only are you are in for a treat, but you'll also support Well in the Desert, the west valley charity that provides services to seniors and the working poor, homeless and disabled.

Bring a light evening wrap or someone special to keep you warm. Call Kathleen today to reserve at 760.799.7076 and you'll soon be singing Ahnfeldt's praises too.

September is California Wine Month

Pop a few corks this month in celebration of California Wine Month. For the sixth September in a row, the Golden State raises its collective glass to recognize the people and businesses behind the California wine industry, which accounts for 90% of all U.S. wine production and 330,000 jobs in California alone. Nationwide, the Wine Institute estimates that California wine supports 820,000 jobs.

That's a lot of people – and a lot of wine. California is the fourth-leading producer of wine worldwide, home to 3,000 bonded wineries and 4,600 grape growers. Led by quality, innovation and more than 110 different varieties of winegrapes grown around the state, California wines attract legions of wine and culinary tourists. Each year, California wine regions host an estimated 21 million visitors. What makes these numbers even more amazing is that vineyards cover less than 1% of California terrain yet ring up $17.9 billion in retail wine sales.

Events are planned all around our beautiful state – tastings, festivals, in-store specials, wine-themed restaurant events, classes, lectures, wine camps and much more. Find an event that suits your schedule and interests here and more happenings here.

We'll be celebrating two California wines at our Saturday, September 25 Hat's Off Luncheon and membership drive at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in support of Angel Light Academy. Make your reservation by this Wednesday, September 22 to join us from 11:30 AM to 2 PM. See full event details, menu and wines here. Call Kathleen at 760.799.7076 to prepay and reserve your spots. Wine pairings will include two winners from Paso Robles: An intriguing blend of Chenin Blanc and Riesling from Gravity Hills and the highly acclaimed Four Vines "The Biker" Zinfandel.

Start making your plans by visiting these sites for more information about travel to nearby California wine regions – salute!

Temecula
Ventura
Santa Barbara

Follow Us to L.E.A.D.

Today is the last day to lock in the early-bird registration fee of $75 for Women Leaders Forum Thursday, October 21 L.E.A.D. event. So what are you waiting for? Get busy and register here right now for what promises to be the year's most talked-about women's event.

WinewomenPSP connects with other leading Coachella Valley women organizations in support of L.E.A.D. – Learn, Educate, Aspire, Demonstrate. The 4:30 – 9 PM event will be held at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells. After today, registration for the full event, including dinner, is $85. Admission to opening cocktail reception and keynote address only is $40.

The evening leadership conference begins with a cocktail reception followed by a keynote address by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Dr. Cinzia Zuffada, who will address leadership in science.

Following Dr. Zuffada's talk, attendees will proceed to their choice among five breakout dinner panel sessions. Each moderated panel track will feature accomplished women in Lifestyle and Wellness, Business, Sports and Entertainment, Literary and Philanthropy fields. Esteemed panelists scheduled to appear include iconic fashion model and businesswoman Beverly Johnson, motorsports sportscaster Kay Presto, award-winning film producer Gita Pullapilly, Mars exploration engineering manager Nagin Cox, major league sports executive and sports marketing maven Joann Klonowski, critically acclaimed author Deanne Stillman, and other remarkable women.

Register now to stake your claim on the panel track of your choice!

For only $50 more, you can elect to sponsor a Young Woman Ambassador to attend the L.E.A.D. event. This WLF youth program is open to sophomore, junior and senior women attending Coachella Valley high schools. Help support these energetic and inspirational young ladies who seek to Learn, Educate themselves and others, Aspire to higher goals and Demonstrate how to get it done!

Join other Winewomen as we team up with Women Leaders Forum and women valley-wide to L.E.A.D. on October 21 at the Esmeralda by signing up to attend today.

Windows on the World

For many New Yorkers, it's still tough to look downtown and not see them rising up towards the heavens. They were beautiful, those Twin Towers. Golden and gleaming like mirrors one minute; steely and silvery sleek as clouds passed by the next.

Some New Yorkers never got used to them and the giant footprint they left on the city's skyline. But we loved them. They were just too cool, so in-your-face New York, center of the universe.

We liked to shop and hang out there. A new neighborhood, Battery Park City, grew and grew up around the Towers. We'd spend amazing days along the Promenade where you could walk, jog, bike and roller-blade to your heart's content. Yes, in Manhattan. And each time we'd look up and see them looming there all proud and purposeful, we were filled with that same feeling – so happy to be alive, in that moment, in the greatest city in the world.

The dizzying elevator ride that took you up to Windows on the World was an adventure in itself. No amount of hype readied you for the bar, immodestly called The Greatest Bar on Earth, and absolutely nothing prepared you for the view that awaited you from the 107th floor.

Windows and the Trade Center held sweet memories. We'll never forget the day we treated the parents on their anniversary and watched their faces fill with amazement as they sat down to their glorious table with a view. Business dinners brought delicious food and unforgettable wine on nights when sky-high Windows helped make deals happen. Another night brought a first taste of Chateau Montelena. And there was best friend's excitement over her Windows wine course, an investment that repays her with regularity to this day. Down on the street, hip- and smart-looking men in dark navy suits took their strolls at lunchtime – as did an ocean of gorgeous go-getter women in impossible high heels.

It was another world, too beautiful perhaps for many of us to appreciate at the time. A peacetime world, at least for Americans on our native soil. Before Portraits of Grief haunted us, before bombings in places we couldn't find on a map, before everything turned not nice at all, maybe forever.

Tonight we'll enjoy our wine, our friends, each other's company and every breath and blessing we have. Just like those moments at Table 32, when the view from those windows on the world seemed so spectacularly majestic, endless and calm.

Wine Spectator's Desert 411

Yes, we have a winner. In fact, the desert has fifteen winners. Wine Spectator's August 31, 2010 issue gives the 411 on 3,743 restaurants countrywide whose wine programs garnered the magazine's coveted Wine Spectator award. Of the local fifteen, only four are bona fide chain establishments, which leaves eleven true (or pretty darn close) desert originals.

See the run down below. Chime in with your comments based on your experiences at these fine establishments. Kudos to all and a huge THANK YOU to the owners, chefs, wait staff, hosts, media relations professionals, dishwashers and all supportive staff who help turn out great food for valley diners to enjoy alongside superb wines in our little desert corner of the culinary world.

Palm Desert

Chop House – Housed in the original Palm Desert location for Ruth's Chris, this remains a gorgeous room with comfy seating, friendly staff and kick-butt food with plenty of fantastic wine choices. 760.779.9888

Cuistot – Über-sommelier Fred Gerber helped bolster this French chateau dining experience to Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence, the only desert dining spot that earned a two-glass designation. 760.340.1000

Morton's, The Steakhouse – OK, so we haven't been. Shame on us. After all, they must be doing plenty right for the last three years during which all Morton's locations have won Wine Spectator awards. Now that's consistency. 760.340.6865

Pacifica Seafood Restaurant – We fell in love with their original Del Mar location and couldn't be happier to enjoy their seafood right here in land-locked Palm Desert. This September, managing partner Mitch Epstein unveils their re-modeled space. Wow, could it be even better? 760.674.8666

Ristorante Mamma Gina – Piero has the Midas touch. His lively happy hours have been some of the most jam-packed in town. Check out the Enoteca Wine bar, too. 760.568.9898

Ristorante Tuscany – Save on airfare by heading to this gorgeous room with high ceilings, murals and food that will have you cryin' for mamma. Enjoy their three- and four-course tasting menus to sample some intriguing wines. 760.341.2211

Ruth's Chris Steak House – Chef Hector Ramirez and Anita Owens-Decuir put together an incredible dinner for WinewomenPSP a couple of years back that featured Susana Balbo's wines from Argentina. We love them, and love this place. 760.779.1998

Sullivan's Steakhouse – We're not sure if it's those sexy stockings or just the fab food and wine that keeps this place packed to the gills, in and out of season. Belly up to the bar, taste some wine and find a new friend. 760.341.3560

Palm Springs

Chop House – Does Lee Morcus know what he's doing or what? How can you not love this place, between the food, wine, perfect Palm Canyon location and those misters on the patio? 760.320.4500

Circa 59 – This place is following the Riviera Resort and Spa's sky-high trajectory, unless of course, it's fueling the resort's cool quotient. Tell us how you like this Palm Springs hot spot. 760.327.8311

Europa – A romantic experience at the Villa Royale Inn, Europa is a treat locals should enjoy more often than just on special occasions. Keep this heavenly spot on your go-to list. 760.327.2314

Spencer's – Chef Eric Wadlund is one of the desert's culinary shining stars, straight outta Wisconsin. He's brought an entirely new and fresh-focused experience to this gorgeous restaurant right up against the mountain. Go. 760.327.3446

Zin – Not sure why Zin didn't get Spectator's green designation for its many value-price wines on its menu but please, take our word for it. Chef Nicholas may be gone but his spirit lives on in the fantastic food, LA-ambience and Mindy's extraordinary wine selections. 760.322.6300

La Quinta

Arnold Palmer's – Plenty of tourists and snowbirds love this place but locals would be hard pressed to find a more comfortable bar area to enjoy a perfectly cooked filet mignon and a great glass of wine, even when you're flying solo. 760.771.4653

Rancho Mirage

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar – What happens when you take one hundred wines by the glass and combine that with a total dining experience crafted by operating partner John Verhoef and chef partner David Edgell? Drop by to find out. 760.776.6685

What will 2011 bring? Let's hope a mention for Johannes, at least for their incredible selection of half-bottles, Sirocco for their Italian picks, PF Chang's for their progressive wine list and any other spots you want to tell us about. Get busy and make what New Yorkers make for dinner - a reservation!

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.

Dare to Learn Wine: Daring Pairings by Evan Goldstein

Who hasn't felt confused or clueless about wine at times? For all who have, from beginners to the wine-savvy, Evan Goldstein has come to the rescue. With his new book, Daring Pairings: A Master Sommelier Matches Distinctive Wines with Recipes from His Favorite Chefs (University of California Press, 2010), Goldstein not only makes wines understandable, but he also makes learning about wine exciting and fun. The Master Sommelier takes on exotic and lesser-known varietals – seventeen white wines and nineteen reds, from Albariño to Xinomavro.

Goldstein begins Daring with a recap of major themes from Perfect Pairings, his 2006 book that tackled the world's six major red and white wines, dessert wines and how to partner them with food. His five keys to understanding wine – acidity, sweetness, tannin, oak and alcohol – go down easy, without wine geek-speak or laundry-list descriptors that render some wine writing tiresome.

Instead, Goldstein is funny, direct, passionate and oh, does he know and love food. He makes it easy to understand how sauces can be used to bridge wine choices or how flavors or textures created by special ingredients point to better wine matches. Consider, for example, how the earthiness of brown mushroom sauces scream out for terroir-driven, earthy wines while the creamy and lighter mushroom dishes seem to demand white wines, especially those with body and texture to match that of the 'shrooms. See? You can do this, too.

In short chapters devoted to each of the 36 wines, Goldstein gives an expert snapshot of the grape and its wines with pronunciation, other names, blends, flavors and where it grows. Adventure-seekers can use his handy category of similar sips to explore other wines they might also like. The author teases out different wine styles driven by choices vintners face – to age or not, use oak or not, make a single varietal wine or a blend. Next, Goldstein takes you right into the glass. Without a sip, readers gain a sense of that particular wine's tastes, textures and whether it might be right for them.

TMI? Readers can choose to read cover to cover or drop in on wines that interest them. Either way, Daring Pairings is sensibly smart, zippy and makes for fun learning, for beginners and sophisticated enthusiasts alike.

The book's food pairing discussions are nothing short of brilliant. Goldstein was blessed to have a lifelong mentor extraordinaire – mom Joyce, founder and chef of San Francisco's iconic Square One restaurant. Evan dishes about how to approach food pairings for each wine with helpful pointers that zero in on specific dishes, preparations or flavors likely to marry well with each wine as well as choices likely to fall flat. He also names wines worth seeking out in different price ranges.

Goldstein's wine wisdom and passion for good food come together in the book's bonus round: knockout recipes designed to pair with each wine by stellar chefs from around the world. Suzanne Goin from Lucques and A.O.C. in L.A. answers Goldstein's dare for a Carignan pairing with warm kabocha squash salad; Miami's Michelle Bernstein matches Argentina's signature white wine Torrontés to Peruvian seafood chowder; Napa Valley's Cindy Pawlcyn (Mustards Grill, Go Fish) marries Mourvèdre to barbecued turkey skewers while Charlie Trotter gets gamey with Gamay for Cornish game hen salad with shiitake mushroom vinaigrette. Foodies will especially enjoy chef comments and Goldstein's insights that follow each pairing recipe.

There's much more to love about this book. Goldstein closes with a list of reliable wine importers he likens to pre-purchase sommeliers whose selections can lead savvy consumers to better wine choices, even when faced with an unfamiliar wine or region. Full-page color photographs, a solid glossary and two indices (general info and recipes) will help readers locate pairing ideas or dishes to try for years to come.

For anyone serious about learning about wine, Goldstein's Pairings books are two great places to start. Cooks will be tempted by a treasure trove of ingredient insights and fantastic recipes to keep them coming back for seconds. If you're thirsting to boost your wine IQ without fear and at your own pace, dare yourself to step up to the plate with a Master, Daring Pairings and Perfect Pairings in tow.