Wine All About It

The list includes experimenting and trying new things. I put “go to a wine tasting” on it. Not that I’ve never had wine before but that I’ve never been to a tasting in which the wine was broken down tannin by tannin and grape by grape to give the taster a better understanding of how the flavors are created. Also on the list, try a new food and treat one of my best friends to dinner – as he always thinks it necessary to pay for everything and I owe him for five years of meals, drinks and ten-dollar sunglasses from the gas station. The opportunity presented itself last month when Sapphire A Modern Bar and Restaurant held a wine tasting featuring North Berkeley Wines and food by their own Chefs Caleb Hawkins and Chip Meyer.

The sample of wines sparkled and bit. From Prosecco to Red Blends, each hailed from a region of one exotic country or another and represented the passion of their vintners. There were five courses paired with five bottles.

Prosecco is said to be the ice breaker of spirits. Like the “can I buy you a drink?” or “come here often?” at a bar, prosecco makes an introduction and brings people together. So, naturally the meal began with Ca’Vittoria Brut Rose Prosecco NV. A dry and refreshing Rose, it tasted of red berries and pepper spice. Hawkins and Meyer appropriately paired it with an arugula salad, topped with Benton’s bacon croutons and pomegranate seeds with a tomato vinaigrette drizzled on top. The pomegranate seeds burst with tart flavor and accentuated the crisp taste of the Brut Rose.

The second wine was Frederic Magnien Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2009 (and, no, I’m still not sure how to say any of those words). This white wine had gusto. The jargon word for it is “energetic,” which means its flavors stuck with you from sip to swallow. Pear skin, lime rinds, apple, white flowers and white pepper mix to make this refined taste last. The flavors weren’t lost as we ate the second course, my favorite course; sliced pork belly with a goat cheese risotto cake, garnished with an apple jalapeno relish. It was the richest course, but neither the wine nor the dish outshined each other.

Next was Mattes Sabran Corbieres le Viala 2009 (I think, Mattes Sabran is the wine maker and “Le Viala” is what the Chateau has chosen to call this particular wine… I think). This pairing of food and wine was heavy and flavorful. Think of licorice and chocolate, mocha and blackberry. The wine is a blend of three grapes, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre (GSM). They’re not nearly as well-known in name as Cabernet, but they are often blended to deliver a powerful flavor. Succulent black berry and licorice with Asian spices in the drink complimented the braised beef tongue atop a mocha crostini, dressed with a chocolate and clove veal reduction and ginger chips.

The fourth dish was matched with Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone Vielles Vignes Cuvee’ Unique 2009. Watermelon with feta and balsamic brought out the black cherry and raspberry flavor in this exclusive selection from North Berkeley. This wine was thick, what cultured wine tasters might call, “chewy,” which is why it went well with the light texture of the watermelon. And let’s all agree that feta makes everything betta. 

Finally, Jean Veselle Rose’ de Saignee Brut, a champagne, with seared Australian Seabass, a fennel and leek jam, cherry and Maytag cornelle. This last dish was amazing. “Maytag cornelles” are actually just a fancy way of saying bleu cheese-like garnishes. The entire pairing, from fish to garnish to bubbly was exquisite and the perfect way to wrap things up.

Having never been to a tasting before I had no idea what to expect. The names of the wines and the jargon to describe them were overwhelming, but so were the pairings of drink and food. Understanding became more of an anatomical experience than mental one. Taste and smell made the experience educational, prolific and rich (wine pun, intended).

Sapphire does these tasting bi-monthly and they do them quite well. Whether you go with a group or join a table of connoisseurs on your own, it’s like one big dinner party. I’m still not fluent in wine, as a language, but my tongue certainly has a knack for it.

Finally, I think I’ll add “write about wine” to the list. It was quite the challenge to put this together and I can only hope my readers enjoyed reading it… certainly not as much as I enjoyed drinking the wines, though, as my reading is not nearly as intoxicating.