Great Grilling goes with Wine
Honestly, we have favorite wine from all corners of the world. A highlight in our travels through France a few years back. Camping and YES! Grilling in Spain. We will give you some good recommendations. As a chef in the San Francisco area, we made many trips to northern California Napa Valley.Later, we lived in southern and central California wine country. Even when I was working in Mexico, we discovered the wine regions in the northern Baja region. Travel and wine have blended together for us. We have many friends in these wine regions, making outstanding wines, rare and small boutique wineries. To start, we live near Paso Robles, California. It has developed into quite a wonderful wine country. Grilled food and wine pairings. Whether it is a big Paso Robles zinfandel with grilled tri tip, a wonderful chardonnay with grilled lobster, or a pinot noir with grilled salmon.
Paso Robles and Templeton, central coast of CaliforniaWe love the Paso Robles, California area and lived there for a few years. One of the things that really strikes me about Paso is that there are so many small production wineries. It really reminds me of Napa and Sonoma about 30 years ago. Mom and Pop business still exist. Paso Robles has uniquely different strengths in comparison to Napa, Sonoma or the nearby Santa Barbara/Santa Lucia regions.Paso’s climate and terroir (earth) make it akin to the southern France area of Rhone. Syrah, Zinfandel, and Rhone varietals do very well here. There are some wineries that specialize in nothing but these Rhone style wines. Dover Canyon, one of our favorites wineries. Do you like big zin, check out the Cujo. Dan’s blends and syrah are great too. Check out the Tre Noce or ’07 Reserve Syrah.
J. Lohr WineryOne of the wineries that just about everyone knows from Paso Robles is J. Lohr. They make great wines that are easy to find. However, stop by the wineries either in Paso or San Jose. They have extraordinary wines that are not easy to find or available only at the wine centers.Check out the Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon, or the Petit Sirah! Dover CanyonOne of our favorites of all time. Do you like big zin? Check out the Cujo. Dan’s blends and syrah are great too. Check out the Tre Noce or ’07 Reserve Syrah. Great pricing too.Red Zeppelin
Another of my favorite wineries and winemakers, I first met Stillman many years ago at my restaurant in San Francisco when he was making Jory wines. I loved his chardonnay and pinot noir. Stillman now has his Red Zeppelin Wines in the Paso Robles appellation. Stillman is well known in the central coast wine world He throws an annual party in the beautiful little beach town of Cayucos that is famous, or perhaps more accurately: infamous. I really wish I could catch it this year! While not all Stillman’s viticultural masterpieces are Paso Robles appellation, they are all great and unless you are lucky enough to be in the California central coast area hard to find. Stillman’s syrah has been winning some major awards Gold medal San Diego International Competition and his Black Zeppelin Meritage Blend won 94 points and best blended red wine, central coast. You can Stillman and his wines online. Stillman is opening his tasting room in Aug. 2011 in Morro Bay, stop by and say hello! Tobin JamesIf you are in the area, go in and check out this tasting room. It is the "wild west saloon meets tasting. Great fun. Some are big and huge. Check out the James Gang Reserves. Yes, Jesse James did stomp around Paso years ago. Probably not many grapes around there then. Four Vines WineryFour vines is right in there as very special and different. The tasting room is behind a great little deli/bakery so you can stop for lunch before or after the tasting. Great Zins and a big huge Chardonnay with out any oak. Check out Four Vines! 
Warres Otima Port & 8-Piece Godiva Chocolates - Wine Collection Gift Rosa Regale Sparkler & Godiva with Thank You Gift Wrap - Wine Collection Gift
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