Three Bottles, One Shop: Rosso Wine Shop in Glendale

The L.A. Weekly's Besha Rodell came by Rosso Wine Shop to see what we do. And in case you missed the coverage from earlier this week, here is a direct link to the article. The feature covers a bit of our origin and then zeroes in on some of my favorite wines.

Article here: Three Bottles, One Shop: Rosso Wine Shop in Glendale

Besha Rodell

The wines I chose represent what I like to call "country" wines; and they are precisely what we like to turn people on to.

The Three Bottles

 And here is my "artsy" shot that didn't make the cut.

Raj Parr Pours Sandhi Wines at Rosso Wine Shop

In March we had a very special Supper Club with Raj Parr of Sandhi wines.

Sandhi is a small production California winery focusing on select vineyards from the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County and was founded in 2009 by Rajat Parr, the wine director for Michael Mina Restaurants, Charles Banks, the former owner of Jonata and Screaming Eagle, and esteemed winemaker, Sashi Moorman. Sandhi is dedicated to making wines of finesse, minerality, acidity, structure and balance.

The Los Angeles Times S. Irene Virbila was in attendance and wrote a review of the event. Click here for her feature story.

This was the menu paired with the Sandhi selections:

Reception with  

2010 Maison L'Oree Bourgogne Blanc (Raj's Burgundy Project)
croquette
potato/marrow/oveja/romenesco

Dinner Menu
halibut
chiles/capers/rhubarb/avocado
2011 Sandhi Santa Barbara Chardonnay
2010 Sandhi Rita's Crown Chardonnay

oyster
chowder/lemon thyme/celery
2010 Sandhi Bent Rock Chardonnay
2010 Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay

crispy pork
beet/ramp/egg/pine-nut/parmesan
2011 Sandhi Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
2011 Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir (Fall 2013 Release)

duck leg
chorizo/fava/anchovy/radicchio
2010 Sandhi Evening-Land Tempest Pinot Noir (Library Release)

A great evening.

Tasting Room with Tom Leykis and Oinkster

Tasting Room with Tom Leykis

Rosso Wine Shop – Jeff Zimmitti

Oinkster and Maximiliano - Chef Andre Guerrero 

This time around for the Tasting Room we decided to pair wines with Oinkster food and the Maximilano meat balls. Check out the episode with us and Chef Andre Guerrero here: Tasting Room with Tom Leykis February 16th.

1. BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (Oinkster)

2011 Weingut Niklas Schiava Alto Adige $16.99 Italy

Made of two different types of the Schiava variety (also called Vernatsch or Trollinger) from the vineyards around Lake Caldaro, in the South Tyrol; all stainless steel vinification. Pale red in color; aromas and flavors of fraises do bois, herbs, and orange peel. A very versatile wine. Best served with a little bit of a chill, 20 minutes in the fridge.

Notes: Perfect with the pulled pork. Meant to be consumed young (usually within a year of the vintage date). The grape has connections to German (Austria) & Slavic orgins. Italian styles of Schiava tend to be similarly light but are more often dryer and more noticeably acidic.

2. House-Cured Pastrami Sandwich (Oinkster)

2011 Domaine des Braves Regnie $18.99 France

From nearly 70-year-old vines planted by Joel Rochette’s father on shallow, feldspar-rich decomposed granite at the eastern edge of its appellation. Aromas remind of cherry blossoms and spring wildflowers over warmed cherry juice, with a hint of baking spices. The mouth is medium-bodied and pure, with good spice and excellent acidic balance; small red berries mix with red plums and pomegranate, juicy and ripe.

Notes: Gamay. Very little tannin. Great pairing with the Pastami. 

3. Classic 1/3 Pound Hamburger (Oinkster)

2009 Knez Pinot Noir Cerise $39.99 California

(92 Points: International Wine Cellar) "Ruby-red. Assertively perfumed aromas of black raspberry, sassafras and musky herbs, along with a hint of star anise. Lush and expansive but surprisingly lively, offering an array of spicy red and dark berry flavors and a hint of bitter cherry.  Seamless and smooth on the finish, which leaves notes of dark berry preserves and candied violet behind. This wine's mix of depth and vivacity is pretty compelling; it was fermented with 40% whole clusters."

Notes: Great, fresh pairing with the burger.

4. Meatballs: Pomodoro (Maximiliano)

2010 Brovia Barbera d'Alba Sori del Drago $26.99 Italy

(91 Points: Wine Advocate) “The 2010 Barbera d’Alba Sori del Drago is refined, supple and quite beautiful. As is often the case, the estate’s Barbera needs quite a bit of air to open up and reveal the full breadth of its pedigree. Sweet dark raspberries, cloves and flowers are layered into the juicy finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018.”

Notes:  Mid-weight. Dark red fruit. Fermented & racked into stainless steel. No oak. 40+ vines. Great bright fruit to pair with the meatballs.

All of the wines available at Rosso Wine Shop and of course the food at Oinkster and Maximiliano.

Websites here:

oinkster.com

maximilianohp.com

rossowineshop.com

Burgundy at Drago Centro

Another superb Burgundy group dinner. Many thanks (as usual) to Michael for organizing. And again an excellent menu prepared by chef Ian Gresik of Drago Centro. 

The wines were stellar but the Chapelle-Chambertin flight was on another level. 

Start: 1990 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame

-1st-

baked black cod, spinach potato puree, beurre blanc sauce (no photo)

2002, 2004 Dauvissat Les Clos Grand Cru Chablis

-2nd-

tagliatelle, king trumpet mushrooms

1993, 1996 Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Champeaux

1995, 1996 Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques

-3rd-

Risotto, pancetta, morel mushrooms, gorgonzola

-4th-

braised veal cheeks crispy garlic polenta, vegetable ragout, salsa verde

1990, 1993, 1996,1999 Louis Jadot Chapelle Chambertin

5th-

Chefs selection of assorted cheeses

A good time was had by all...

Sides Hardware and Shoes

When you find yourself in Los Olivos next do yourself a big favor and have dinner at Sides Hardware and Shoes. It is a Brothers Restaurant, as in Mattei Brothers Tavern. They recently sold their original location and opened a different concept in this space. It is a modern menu using incredible ingredients.

Here is the link to their website: Sides Hardware and Shoes

And here are some photos of the food. A great dinner!

 

Shinjuku, Japan Punk Rock and Wine

Yes, there is a connection. 

In my previous life as a rock 'n' roll and punk rock drummer I was able to travel the world. In my twenties getting outside of the U.S. was my top priority. I wanted to see and feel what the some of the rest of the world was doing. And it was in those travels that something took hold, this idea of local food and local wine. Of course now it is a trend but in the early 90's when I was traveling, it was just "what people did" elsewhere. 

I can still remember a pre-soundcheck meal in Cesenatico, Italy where I had my first revelation of "tagliolini in brodo." It was a family meal at a local restaurant and it was the band, the crew and the local promoter, all sitting at a communal table. Fantastic. Simple. And emblazoned in my memory. They ordered for us. And at first, I thought the soup looked boring but I was soon proved wrong by the intense flavor that screamed through (and so did most of the table after many beers and carafes of local wine). The bite of the perfectly formed pasta. The clear but perfectly luscious broth. The freshly grated Romano grated on top to add that hint of salty. There were many examples of great food and wine like this throughout various cities in all of Europe. 

And when we toured in Shijuku, Tokyo, in some ways, it was an even greater experience, as the culture was further out of my comfort zone. Little sushi bars with the freshest fish I have tried, being able to buy Asahi on the street out of a vending machine, all good. The food was super and everywhere we went we could feel the love. The promoter cared. The people were engaging and again, Tokyo itself was a fantastic experience.

And that leads us to a special birthday wish to Mr Bruce Duff (Dec 6th). We were the rhythm section (bass and drums) of the Jeff Dahl Band for a few of these tours. Here are a couple of photos from those days. 

Happy Birthday my longtime friend. 

The Ten (10) Year Marker

Most people that know me know that I talk about a ten year marker for wines. If you would like to try a wine with some bottle age to see what all of the fuss is about, a 10 year old bottle is a nice place to start.

I usually tell a story about a Barbaresco experience I had many years ago that opened my eyes to this idea of 10 years of bottle age. In my early wine-buying days I was not able to spend much, so when I came across a slightly aged Barbaresco for under $25 I jumped at the chance to buy a couple. It was a big deal for me to buy multiples without tasting them first but it was a reputable producer in a good vintage so I went for it.

A few months went by and I got an itchy trigger finger so I opened one of the bottles, at about 7-8 years of age. Well, it was good. But I felt a little let down. Yes, it had all of the characteristic qualities of Barbaresco but it just didn't hit the mark for me. So I decided to be patient. Back then I didn't have too much experience with older wines so I was still suspect of this concept of aged wine.

Fast forward to two years after that first bottle Barbaresco experience and I got to the 10 year mark of said wine so I decided it was time to re-visit with the second bottle. And the result... same wine, same producer, same vintage, but now over the 10 year mark, and this was a fantastic wine. It was starting to sing. Aromatic. Impeccable texture. Great fruit but in a different and less vigorous way.

It really was a new experience for me and one that proved pivotal. I just couldn't fathom a 10 year period would make that much of a difference. Of course every wine is different but this moment cemented the 10 year marker for me.

Nowadays it is hard to find a worthy 10 year old wine for a reasonable price but we have one.

Enter the 2002 Calabretta Etna Rosso from Sicily. Priced at $27.99, it is fantastic wine. Try one.

Don't believe us?

***3 Stars: Eric Asimov, NY Times
"Lively, energetic and pure, with deep, rich fruit and mineral flavors, mellowed by age and underscored by a touch of funk."

93 Points: John Gilman's View from the Cellar
"Calabretta is clearly one of the superstars on the island of Sicily and this superb Etna Rosso is comprised of a blend of sixty to eighty year-old vines of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, all planted on ungrafted rootstocks. The 2002 is a stunning wine, offering up a deep, complex and still fairly youthful nose of cherries, orange peel, roasted game, coffee, fresh herb tones, a stony base of soil nuances and a nice topnote of exotic spices. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very well-balanced, with a rock solid core of fruit, modest tannins, superb focus and grip and a very long, complex and classy finish. This is a broad-shouldered and truly superb bottle of Etna Rosso. An excellent wine. 2012-2030."