Satisfy your senses at Domaine Chandon with amazing food and wine!

Although I have been to Domaine Chandon in Yountville quite a few times, this past Sunday was my first experience at étoile, the restaurant on the property. Seated with a unique group of authors, journalists, and wine industry folks, the lunch began with a bottle of Domaine Chandon 40^th Anniversary Cuvée Rosé ($40/bottle). This pretty pink sparkler has ripe strawberry and rose petal notes with bright acidity. It was enjoyed with lively conversation as the six of us got to know one another.

On pearl plates with a matching incandescent spoon, caviar was soon served and accompanied by fluffy blini and crème fraiche. The presentation was absolutely exquisite; the saltiness of the caviar paired impeccably with the slight sweetness of the sparkling wine.

For my main course, I enjoyed the artfully prepared arctic char, which was cooked to perfection and served over colorful beets and slivers of blood orange. This amazing dish was delicious with the bubbly!

The luncheon preceded my very first book event of 2014. Along with Lisa Mattson, author of The Exes in my iPod: A Playlist of the Men that Rocked me to Wine Country and Marketing & PR Manager at Jordan Winery; and Emily Brown, author of Stories of the Sisterwives: How I Survived Dating a Sociopath; I participated in a book chat led by Ian White of 7x7 Magazine.

With the exception of Ian, Howard Yune of the Napa Valley Register, and Emily Brown’s boyfriend, it was an all-female crowd. This came as no surprise; all three of the featured books are women’s fiction. Somehow, Lisa convinced Ian to read them and moderate the Q&A. Regardless of the genre, Ian enjoyed reading my novel and left a 5-star review on Amazon!

Coverage of the event was featured in the Napa Valley Register, which is the first time my book has been mentioned in print (yay!!). Read Howard Yune’s article here: bit.ly/1aO4zpx

After the book signing portion of the event, I wandered into the tasting room for a sampling of more sparkling wines. (I am partial to the Etoile Brut and Etoile Brut Rosé sparklers, which are always lovely). Between the beautiful lunch, an enthusiastic attendance at my event, and the delightful wines, this was an incredible visit that has left a lasting impression on me.

The next time you’re in Napa Valley, I strongly recommend that you plan to spend a couple hours dining, drinking, and taking in the views at Domaine Chandon; it will satisfy all of your senses!

Upcoming Book Signing and Wine Tasting event at Domaine Chandon Feb. 9th

Get in the Valentine’s Day spirit with a book chat and wine tasting at one of Napa Valley's best sparkling wine producers! I am so excited to host this event with two other Wine Country female authors. The event is from 2-4 PM on Sunday, February 9th. Please RSVP on EventBrite or Facebook. Copies of our books will be available for purchase and signing. Hope to see you there!

In addition to myself, the following two authors will be attending: Sonoma’s Lisa Mattson, author of The Exes in My iPod: A Playlist of the Men Who Rocked Me to Wine Country; and Napa’s Emily Brown, author of Stories from the Sisterwives: How I Survived Dating a Sociopath. This event will feature a lively Q&A discussion about a range of juicy topics led by Ian White, Wine Country Director of 7x7 magazine and Creative Director of Napa Valley Life’s “INK,” followed by a book signing and wine tasting.

In case this is the first you're hearing about my novel, here's what it's about: 

During a weekend of wine tasting in Napa Valley, Olivia Goldstein falls in love with the beautiful landscape, the amazing wines, the friendly locals, and one particularly attractive male tour guide. For shy and introverted Olivia who never takes chances, this wonderful weekend is enough for her to make the most spontaneous and terrifying decision of her life. She puts her lackluster job in Los Angeles on hold and enrolls in a wine education program in Wine Country. But she spends the summer learning about more than just the wine industry. As soon as Olivia arrives, she meets three wine-savvy young women who encourage her to step out of her comfort zone. As she dabbles in the Napa dating pool, her awkward and often hilarious experiences teach her to appreciate her newly acquired confidence and her supportive friends. With their help, Olivia pursues a new career path and finally discovers her dream job. This is the first novel in The Wine Country Series and it is about following your passion, learning to trust your intuition, and working your way towards happiness. http://www.authorcortney.com/novel/

Buy it on Amazon ($3.99): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FBWUJU8

Buy it on iTunes ($3.99): https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/where-i-want-to-be/id790472568

Like on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorCortney 

Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AuthorCortney

About The Exes in My iPod: When Harley Aberle got her first iPod, she created the kind of playlist every girl wants to keep on solitary lockdown. She called it The Exes—a collection of long-lost songs that instantly steamrolled her down a memory lane of men wider than a six-lane freeway. The Exes in My iPod: A Playlist of the Men Who Rocked Me to Wine Country is a no-holds-barred account of Harley’s quest to win the hearts of a motley crew of men during her twenties—that golden decade of poor judgment where college, career, alcohol and romance run a crash course. With a musical time capsule of “lucky 13” songs, Harley takes you on a rockin’ journey through laugh-out-loud heartaches and headaches, as this redneck waitress from a long line of alcoholics searches for true love and her calling in life—finding both in California wine country. Grab some earbuds, pour a glass of wine and kick back with an amusing e-book that will inspire you to create your own Exes playlist and discover the hidden beauty of all that baggage. http://exesinmyipod.com/eBooks on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble and Kobo ($3.99): http://exesinmyipod.com/purchase/Like on Facebook: www.facebook.com/exesinmyipodFollow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lisamattsonwine

About Stories from the Sisterwives: How I Survived Dating a Sociopath: Emily Brown was a single woman in her mid-30s living in the Midwest when a Dark Prince found her online dating profile. Fearing it was now or never, she relented to his persistent persuasion and immediately began ignoring the instinctual pulls telling her something wasn't right. Their tawdry relationship centered around guilt, shame and withholding served up by the Dark Prince until Emily put her foot down. Well, actually, she put her foot in his backpack. And that showed her all she needed to know. Emily shares the painful discovery of how the man she loved was sharing his life with other women, how she went on to befriend her "Sisterwife," and how she found herself again. “Stories from the Sisterwives” is the remarkable true story of heartbreak, friendship, love and triumph over the darkness. http://storiesfromthesisterwives.com

Amazon ($2.99): http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Sisterwives-Survived-Dating-Sociopath-ebook/dp/B00HET7WEMLike on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StoriesfromtheSisterwivesFollow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MuddyAtwood

Release Party Round Up

On October 5th, I threw myself a party in honor of the release of my new ebook, Where I Want to Be: A Wine Country Novel. This is the first of four novels in the Wine Country Series and it contains many real wine and winery references. If you have been reading Sip, Swirl, Savor for any length of time, you know I only promote wines that I am passionate about. The same goes for the wines I mention in the novel—they are my favorite wines and places to visit. Naturally, I sourced the same wines for the party!

You can’t call it a celebration without bubbles, so we popped the cork on a bottle of J Cuvée 20 Brut NV ($28/bottle) right off the bat.  As always, this J sparkler was a crowd pleaser. A blend of 50% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir and 1% Pinot Meunier, this Russian River Valley bubbly is elegant and sumptuous. It offers zesty citrus notes and yeasty aromas with flavors of pear, toast, and almonds. It was spectacular to sip on it’s own but it was also quite lovely with a variety of cheeses, olives, and Marcona almonds.

The Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs NV ($22/bottle) is what we toasted the success of my ebook with. (It’s a delicious wine, let’s hope it’s a lucky one too!) This pale-pink bubbly is 82% Pinot Noir and 8% Chardonnay, all of which is hand-harvested from the 340-acre estate in Carneros (Sonoma). With lots of bright strawberry and bright acidity, this too is a wine that is great with ripe cheeses or duck liver mousse, ahi tuna, or smoked salmon.

The 2012 Stepping Stone Napa Valley Pinot Gris ($20/bottle) is a brand-new release from Cornerstone Cellars. This fresh and lively white wine with its colorful label was the perfect accompaniment to the joyous energy of the celebration. With crisp fruit flavors and great acidity, this is a terrific warm weather wine and great with appetizers of all kinds!

Side note: Interestingly enough, the three wineries above just recently debuted beautiful new websites! After launching my new Author Cortney website, I can appreciate how much effort goes into this process. I love the new look at Jwine.com, GloriaFerrer.com, and Cornerstonecellars.com!

Another white wine that attendees sipped while I read one of my favorite excerpts from the ebook was the 2012 Honig Sauvignon Blanc ($17/bottle). It’s a white-gold color in the glass with subtle aromas of mango, lime and lemongrass. On the palate, it has zippy acidity with bright tropical fruit flavors. This wine is very refreshing and such a great value. Ten percent is aged in neutral oak barrels and it is blended with 2% Semillon and 1% Muscat. Yum!

After the party, a small group of us went to the Tiburon Tavern for dinner where we enjoyed the 2011 Sojourn Cellars Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir ($48/bottle). This is one of my favorite Sojourn wines. About 500 cases were produced from this small Russian River Valley vineyard. It has that classic cherry cola flavor along with a super-smooth mouthfeel and moderate weight. It paired perfectly with the lamb sliders!

If you like reading this wine blog, check out my new ebook, which is available exclusively on Amazon. Where I Want to Be started as a blog post, and then got longer and longer until I started referring to it (and self-published it) as a novel. Although it’s women’s fiction, quite a few men have already read it (and enjoyed it!). I hope you’ll enjoy it too. Cheers!

Carneros Appellation Recommendations

Many people don’t realize how many fantastic tasting rooms there are halfway to Napa! Less than 30 miles from San Francisco, the Carneros appellation provides lots of places to whet your palate...

On a recent trip to celebrate a friend’s thirtieth birthday, our first stop was Gloria Ferrer. Sitting outside on the terrace is a wonderful experience on a clear, sunny day. Instead of ponying up to the counter, you can sit back and enjoy the views while the hospitality staff delivers your choice of a tasting flight or glasses table-side. I highly recommend the 2004 Royal Cuvée ($32/bottle). A blend of two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay, this delightful sparkler offers citrus and stone fruit notes balanced by toast and rich yeasty aromatics. The 2007 Blanc de Blanc ($32/bottle) is also very pleasant with refreshing green apple flavors and crisp minerality!

Less than a mile down the road is the tasting room for Anaba Wines. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve driven by this tasting room a thousand times as I speed up the Carneros Highway (Route 12) to downtown Sonoma or Napa.

With no appointment necessary, I popped into the Anaba tasting room last week a few minutes after 5 PM (yes, they stay open until 5:30!). The tasting menu features many vineyard-designate Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs as well as Rhône varieties and blends. I was very impressed with the variety!

I highly recommend the 2010 Anaba Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($32/bottle). It is a deliciously drinkable wine with lots of lovely dark fruit and subtle complexity. A blend of fruit sourced from the famed Gap’s Crown Vineyard and Sun Chase Vineyard (both sites are part of the Petaluma Gap), this Pinot is aged in 35% new French oak barrels. With a whisper of oak and silky dust-like tannins, you can enjoy this wine on its own, with salame and cured meats, pizza, roast chicken or even fish like salmon and tuna. This wine can be ordered direct from the winery, enjoyed by-the-glass at Restaurant Picco, or purchased at Main Street Wine Bar.

Other tasting rooms worth checking out in Carneros include Domaine Carneros, Cline Cellars, and Nicholson Ranch. There’s also Schug, Etude, and Acacia (which I haven't visited yet but they are on my list). Cheers!

Classic California Sparkling from Calistoga

As much as I love Champagne, California bubbly is oftentimes a better value and just as tasty, especially when it comes from Schramsberg Vineyards. If you’ve never toured the Schramsberg caves in the northern Napa Valley (Calistoga), I highly recommend it!

 

The 2010 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs ($37/bottle) is a fresh and delightful sparkler with pronounced notes of juicy white peach on the palate. It has celebration written all over it, with a price tag that in my mind that reads “any weekday occasion will do”. That being said, I felt the need to celebrate this glorious, summer-like weather and my expectant departure from my day job (soon I’ll have more time to write, yay!).

Made in the méthode Champenoise, this bubbly is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes. It exudes a slightly yeasty character and sexy, subtle nuances of almond skin, toast, and something tropical that I can’t quite put my finger on. It finishes with an air of complexity, a whisper of green apple, and a kiss of fresh-baked bread. This sparkler has a delicate effervescence that makes it an excellent aperitif and also a terrific pairing with a light meal. Schramsberg makes some of the best bubbles in the Napa Valley. But don’t take my word for it! Get yours here and let me know what you think. Cheers!  

OMJ! The J Signature Tasting

I can’t believe it’s already been two months since my visit to the tasting room at J Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. With a chic, modern feel to it, the J Visitor Center is a great place to enjoy a tasty selection of wines, including red and white, both still and sparkling.

Although J produces some wines that are readily available in the marketplace (like the California Pinot Gris), the J “Signature” Tasting flight features wines that are sold exclusively at the winery.

The 2011 J Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley ($20/bottle) was a delicious wine to start with. Clean and crisp with flavors of melon, citrus, and spice, this is an ideal wine to sip on its own or with light apps.

I loved the 2011 J Chardonnay from Jewell Ranch, Russian River Valley ($45/bottle). Produced in the Burgundian style, this medium-bodied Chardonnay spends only 3 months in oak and has very subtle notes of vanilla and butterscotch. Sweet pear and mineral notes round out the palate nicely. This is a very elegant and balanced wine that would be amazing with shellfish, simple pasta dishes, and goat cheese.

The 2010 J Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($37/bottle) is equally as delicious as the Chardonnay. It offers bright cherry aromas and flavors of red fruit, vanilla, and white pepper. With a juicy and lush mouthfeel, it finishes smooth with a bit of spice. This would be an excellent complement to mushroom risotto, an aged cheddar, pork or duck.

And then—surprise!—we tasted a few sparkling wines. It seemed a little untraditional to try sparkling wines after the still wines, but it provided a refreshing change of pace. The J Cuvée 20, Russian River Valley NV ($28/bottle) was just as tasty as I remembered it with bright acidity, subtle lemon notes and a clean finish.

The 2005 J Vintage Brut, Russian River Valley is a beautiful sparkler ($45/bottle). I took a bottle of this to Thanksgiving dinner last week. A pale golden hue in the glass, this brut offers nuances of green apple, lemon, and Asian pear. The mid-palate offers richer flavors of hazelnut and brioche; the wine ends with refreshing citrus note. While a delightful aperitif on its own, this sparkling wine would go well with sushi or appetizers like an arugula salad with pears and goat cheese crumbles.

J Winery is one that I will definitely visit again. Next time, I’m making a reservation for the 3-course wine and food pairing in the Bubble Room!

Domaine Serene lives up to high expectations...

I think a birthday--especially one that ends in a zero--is a great reason to open wines that you are holding onto for a special occasion. This past weekend, I celebrated my 30th birthday with friends and here are the wines we celebrated with:

• 2003 J Vintage Brut, Late Disgorged, Russian River Valley ($90/bottle)
• 2008 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir ($65/bottle)
• 2007 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Franc($65/bottle)
• 2006 Merryvale Profile ($175/bottle)

 

It would be a shame to not open bubbles on one's birthday, and the 2003 J Vintage Brut from the Russian River Valley was an incredible wine to start the evening with. This sparkler, a blend of 49% Pinot Noir, 49% Chardonnay, and 2% Pinot Meunier, was dry and crisp with lively acidity. Toasted almond, pear, baked bread flavors with a citrus finish--very tasty! Although we enjoyed this bottle at my house prior to going to dinner, it would have been an inspired match to the seared ahi crudo and raw oysters that we ordered as our first course.

Of the red wines that we opened to pair with dinner at Picco Restaurant, the 2008 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley was everyone’s favorite! When I blogged about the Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvée a few months back, I was very impressed with the wine and didn't think it could get any better than that. But the Evenstad Reserve, rated 94 points in Wine Enthusiast and 93 points in Wine Spectator, was a spectacular wine that is deserving of very high marks. It opened up beautifully with an elegant perfume and silky texture. In the glass, it was concentrated and powerful without sacrificing finesse. The palate offered effusive black cherry, ripe raspberry, sweet plum, and hints of licorice, herbs, and spice.  This wine was amazing on it’s own, but it paired perfectly with the Sonoma duck breast and leg confit.

The 2007 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cab Franc was good, but I think it should have been decanted. It was still youthful with chewy tannins and a core of black fruit. It was a terrific complement to the Kobe Beef-style sliders with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions and blue cheese.

I was particularly excited about the Merryvale Profile. I conferred with a friend who works at the Merryvale Tasting Room in St. Helena and he said the 2006 vintage was drinking nicely. But as I found with a lot of the older vintages I tasted last month, the once-powerful 2006 Profile had mellowed considerably. It was almost too drinkable, if that makes sense. The tannins were soft and the fruit flavors were nuanced. I got more spice on the palate than anything else. I was expecting an extremely complex wine, but the cellaring seemed to have drawn out its complexities; for a 94-point wine according to Wine Enthusiast, [sadly] it didn’t wow me. 

By midnight, there wasn’t a single drop of wine left in any of the 14 wine glasses on our table. I had such a wonderful time and I'd say that the wines were enjoyed by all!

[This wines from J Winery and Domaine Serene were received as a sample from the winery; please click on the individual wines for links to the website for purchasing info.]