The year 2020 seems to be all about celebrating the stars here at forkandcorkdivine. January was a month of celebration for Sonoma County: “A star is born” in honor of their Wine Enthusiast award for the Wine Region of the Year.
February found us exploring wines made famous by celebrities either as winery owners or in partnership with other winery owners. Our group of foodie winelovers gathered together for our February 24th forkandcorkdivine wIne tIme event with more excitement than ever – if that is possible – and brought a bottle of “celebrity wine” paired up with an appetizer or small plate that was tied in some way to the celebrity or their wine. We had wine by movie stars, rock stars, musicians, TV personalities, sports stars and other personalities all which amazingly represented 6 different countries and sparkling, whites, roses and reds. There were 15 bottles in our amazing lineup. And shine they all did just like superstars!
Celebrity Night
Wines and Suggested Pairings
Welcome from Chuck and Linda
Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut, Champagne France; A 007 James Bond favorite
We always start off our wine events with a sparkling, be it Champagne from Champagne, France or sparkling from another part of the world; or Prosecco from Italy or Cava from Spain. We love our bubbles and it always sets a festive tone for the evening. I’m sure there are numerous celebrities with some kind of ties to a Champagne, but I decided to go on a slightly different tangent and pour Champagne Bollinger which some might say is the official champagne of James Bond. Since “James” could not be with us, we did the next best thing and prepared some foods we were sure he would enjoy and added 007 James Bond movie themes to our background music playlist. We even had his famous martini ingredients on standby, just in case he could drop by!
Champagne Bollinger introduced their dry toasty style of Champagne in 1829. It’s now instantly recognizable to many Champagne aficionadas. It is also one of the rare Grande Marque houses still owned and managed by the same family since it’s birth. Bollinger gets almost two-thirds of their grapes from its own estate including the Pinot Noir which makes up 60% of the Special Cuvee. The rest of the blend in our bottle of Special Cuvee consisted of 25% Chardonnay and 15% Meunier. We so enjoyed those tiny bubbles, ripe fruit and spicy aromas with hints of roasted apples and peaches, flavors of pears, brioche and notes of walnut.
No wonder Agent 007 was so fond of Bollinger; it has been featured in a total of 14 films. Bollinger released a new 007-themed Champagne gift box last winter just in time for the holidays and the release of the latest James Bond movie – “No Time to Die”, the 25th installment. If you were fast enough, you could have scored one for $230 on wine.com! We were willing to splurge on our Special Cuvee at prices between $70 – 80 a bottle, but $230 would not have made it into my shopping cart………….not even for 007!
Invivo X Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Marlborough, NZ
by Sarah Jessica Parker
Invivo Wines is New Zealand based and owned by Tim Lightbourne and winemaker Rob Cameron. It all started when these two friends got together and decided to build a business that let them create a strong brand and have fun while doing it. It worked! They are now one of New Zealand’s leading producers and have won over 150 medals since launching in 2008. They got there by crowdfunding! In fact they became the first equity crowdfunded wine company in New Zealand in 2015, and after doing it again in 2018, they are the Southern Hemisphere’s largest crowdfunded company for any business raising over $4.7 million. They are now located in one of New Zealand’s oldest wineries and continue to make new fans.
Enter Sarah Jessica Parker, actress, producer and designer, well known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw in the HBO television series “Sex in the City” and drinking a lot of cosmos. After the company co-founders sought her out in New York, she so liked the idea of collaborating with them that she signed on as a shareholder with Invivo, personally selected the blend for the first Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker bottling. Parker even chose a shade of teal for her hand-drawn “X” design on the label that matches one of her favorite colors from her shoe line. This wine is a Sauvignon Blanc and the first vintage 2019 was released last fall. It’s a seriously drinkable wine and I enjoyed it! It has the grapefruit, honeysuckle, and citrus that I would expect. Just an easy drinking wine great with appetizers or by itself. The cost is about $20 a bottle.
According to my internet browsing, James Bond is especially fond of breakfast–type foods like eggs, but he really loves his caviar and foie gras! I thought he needed to share the spotlight with a female celebrity and what could be better than some “Sex in the City” with Sarah Jessica Parker? I was reminded that the “Sex and the City” characters were often found enjoying brunch somewhere in New York City, so it seemed inevitable that Sarah and James would pair up with their Bollinger and Invivo X to enjoy our brunch style appetizers even if it was just in my imagination.
Brunch Style Appetizers a la James Bond 007 “Goldeneye Casino Royale” and Sara Jessica Parker “Sex in the City”
Torchon de Foie Gras on Toast with Fleur de Sel and Fig Jam
My selection of brunch style appetizers were really simple to make and made quite an elegant presentation.
First up was the foie gras which was a fully cooked torchon ordered on-line from D’Artagnan. I had a choice of terrine or torchon, but knew from previous experience that this little torchon would be perfect to spread on a mini grilled Parisian toast by Ile De France which I am so happy that my local Publix supermarket keeps in stock. What is the difference between a terrine and torchon, you may ask? The terrine gives you foie gras placed in a terrine mold, usually porcelain with a tightly fitted lid, then steam cooked in a water bath. “Torchon” means dish towel in French, and it was usually wrapped in a kitchen towel for cooking. Nowadays it is usually cooked in cheesecloth in an oblong shape, then poached in a pot of water. My little Parisian toasts with foie gras on top were even more delicious with a tiny little dollop of fig jam and a sprinkling of coarse fleur de sel. I like to keep a package of those toasts on the shelf plus if you are ordering from D’Artagnan, it pays to order when the foie gras is on sale and put an extra torchon in the freezer where they keep very well.
Mini Shrimp Martinis
Next on the list were shrimp martinis. Since James likes both martinis and shrimp, why not put them together? I used a recipe from palatablepastime.com that said to marinate cooked shrimp in a citrus vodka. The martini sauce was made with more citrus vodka, tomato sauce, olive juice and seasonings. It was especially delicious after cooking it down till thickened. Those perfect little disposable martini glasses were available from Party City, and just right for sauce, two beautiful shrimp, martini olives and lemon slice. Garnish with some fresh basil and your appetizer is worthy of any James Bond!
Deviled Eggs with Caviar Mixed Olives
I learned that James is especially fond of eggs and even more fond of caviar, so going with the “simple is better” theme, these deviled eggs were simple, beautiful and delicious! The cooked egg yolks were blended with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and juice from the jar of pimiento stuffed green olives that were used for a garnish. Add a very tiny dollop of caviar – whatever kind you prefer and/or can afford. This just happened to be American sturgeon caviar that I purchased locally at a new store in our neighborhood, the Golden Rind Cheese and Wine Shop. The good news and the bad news about hosting an event like this, is that you ALWAYS have leftovers. This was one leftover I was happy to enjoy the next day!
“Bagels” and Lox
I didn’t think I should have a typical “brunch” without bagels and lox. Bagels were not exactly what I had in mind, but this little appetizer was billed as the “easiest appetizer ever”, and after making and serving it, I definitely agree. I used New York Style brand plain bagel crisps as the base, spread on some cream cheese, then topped it with chopped smoked salmon that had been mixed with red onion, fresh dill, lemon juice and olive oil. Really simple but quite tasty.
Whites
Silverado Vineyards Chardonnay 2017, Napa, California
by Diane Disney Miller/Ron Miller of the Walt Disney Family shared with us by Carolyn & Jay
Diane Disney, daughter of Walt Disney, met and married Ron Miller in Santa Barbara in 1954. Ron became the President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company for 30 years. Ron and Diane established Silverado Vineyards in 1981 to make wine from the historic vineyards of their Napa Valley estate. The Miller Family has farmed their vineyards in Carneros, Coombsville, Yountville and Stags Leap District for over 30 years restoring local creeks and the Napa River and adopting sustainable practices in the winery. Diane passed away in 2013, but Ron, their children and grandchildren still carry on the family’s legacy. They continue to source grapes entirely from their 6 historic family-owned vineyards.
The 2017 Chardonnay is made with fruit from two vineyard sites in Carneros with soils ranging from sandy gravel to steep slopes of sandstone and shale. It was 100% barrel-fermented and aged eight months in 20% new French oak resulting in a wine that has butterscotch and apple pie on the creamy mouthfeel, and a light acidity with lemon followed by tones of basil and oregano. You can purchase this wine for about $30 a bottle.
The Silverado paired perfectly with Carolyn’s very delicious and creamy homemade mushroom soup which she made from button mushrooms and served with additional sauteed sliced mushrooms and fresh thyme. The soup deserved some fine china; sadly it ended up in disposable wear since I gave my kitchen cleanup crew the night off! But the flavor was still very much present.
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Bledsoe “Elizabeth” Chardonnay 2018, Walla Walla Valley, Washington
by Drew Bledsoe and shared with us by Tom
Drew Bledsoe returned to his hometown in the Walla Walla Valley and planted his first vineyard, McQueen, after retiring in 2007 from his many years as an NFL Quarterback. In 2008 Drew and his wife Maura launched Doubleback with plans to focus on making world class estate Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Ten years later, they set out to create Bledsoe Family Winery, the sister project to Doubleback and their second label. They now have four estate vineyards plus long-term sources from other great vineyards in the Valley. It seems their focus has been quite successful so far as Doubleback Cabernets continue to receive scores of 90 points and well above from wine critics.
The 2018 Elizabeth Chardonnay was made from 100% Chardonnay grapes from the Kenny Hill Vineyard in Walla Walla Valley. Whole cluster grapes were slowly fermented at cool temperatures in concrete tulips, new and neutral French oak barrels, and stainless steel, then aged on the lees for eight months for partial secondary fermentation. Just 990 cases were produced. Alcohol: 13.7%. You will probably have to purchase this from the winery as a member of their wine list and the cost is around $45.
Bastianich Vini Orsone Friulano 2017 Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy
by Lidia Bastianich
Grissini with Prosciutto
I have always liked Lidia Bastianich’s recipes, and Chuck and I still watch her cooking show on public TV. Her Italian recipes are classic. Her son Joe may have been appeared on TV for some time as a judge on “Master Chef”, but Lidia is the celebrity superstar cook to me!
The Bastianich winery was founded in 1997 in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and is well regarded there. They have 40 hectares of vineyards, all in the Friuli Colli Orientali DOC. Their goal is to make wines that bring the uniqueness of the place to we wine lovers. There are two micro-climates: one that produces grapes for their greatest cru wines: Vespa Bianco, Vespa Rosso, Plus and Calabrone. The other area is cooled by mountain breezes, allowing vineyards to produce grapes for the fresh, aromatic wines of the Vini Orsone line.
We opted to pour a 100% Friulano 2017 Vini Orsone from the hills of Premariacco, Cividale and Prepotto in Friuli Colli Orientali. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks for 15-20 days and then aged on the lees for 7 months allowing it to develop natural anti-oxidants. The resulting wine is medium bodied with aromas and flavors of ripe pears and peaches and has a mineral backbone with good acidity. Friulano grapes are famous for a light hint of almonds on the finish. You can purchase this wine for under $20 a bottle.
We really enjoy Friulano and it is an excellent match for prosciutto with arugula which should not come as a surprise (grows together goes together!!). Wanting to make Lidia’s Friulano even more perfect, the grissini (breadsticks – we used Alessi brand with rosemary) got their upper parts buttered then dipped in Parmesan cheese. Next I arranged some baby arugula on thinly sliced prosciutto and wrapped it up into a beautiful little package. Another really simple but perfect celebrity pairing.
Rosés
Chateau Miraval Rosé 2018, Cotes de Provence, France
by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
and shared by Doug & Anita
Tourte de Blettes (Swiss Chard Torte)
Although some people did not want to take “Branjolie” wines seriously when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie made their first vintage of rosé at Chateau Miraval back in 2012, I think many of those people were also quite surprised at the results. Chuck and I bought some from that first vintage that sold out very quickly, and we really enjoyed it. Granted, we were by no means wine experts especially back then, but critics also gave it good reviews; Wine Spectator rated it 90 points.
Chateau Miraval covers over 1200 acres of land with 150 acres of vineyards in Correns, the first organic village in France located in the heart of Provence. It has been home to an Italian prince, a recording studio where Pink Floyd recorded “The Wall” , and went on to be purchased by Brad and Angelina who made it even more famous. They hired a winemaker with a pedigree – Marc Perrin, of the Famille Perrin and Chateau de Beaucastel. Winemaking doesn’t get much better than that at least for me! Miraval rosés have continued to receive 90 plus point ratings from the critics every vintage since then. They now have a brand new winery on the property, and the first wine off the production line was 2018 Muse which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival for over $3000 a magnum to benefit the Good Planet Foundation.
The 2018 vintage of Miraval rose is a petal pink blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 10% Rolle and reminded us of Provence with aromas of fresh fruit and spring flowers. It is medium bodied, has a tangerine-like finish and was just as I remembered it. Robert Parker gave it a 90. You can purchase this wine for between $20-25 a bottle.
The Miraval paired so well with Anita’s typical Provence version of a Swiss Chard Tart, a Tourte de Blettes. Anita can prepare French dishes with the best home cooks I know, and we are always happy to experience one of her creations. The Tourte de Blettes is a little bit savory and a little bit sweet. Swiss chard is not something you generally expect in a dish dusted with powdered sugar, but it really does work well! In between that tart crust made of flour, butter and sugar is Swiss chard, raisins, pine nuts and apples. Thankfully there were some leftovers which I got to enjoy the next day with my morning coffee.
Dreaming Tree, Rosé, Geyserville, Sonoma County
by Dave Matthews and shared by Gary and Debbie
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Blackened Garlic Butter
Dave Matthews is well known for being a singer, songwriter, musician, actor and record label owner and best known for the iconic Dave Matthews Band which he started in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. You may be familiar with their songs like “Crash into Me”, “Ants Marching” and “Don’t Drink the Water”. But Dave’s career has gone off in an entirely different direction. He now owns two wineries. The first is Blenheim Vineyards located on a historic farm in Albemarle County just south of Monticello in Virginia. Blenheim has been making 100% Virginia grown wines for the past 10 years, such as Viognier and Cabernet Franc. The second is named after a Dave Matthews Band song – “The Dreaming Tree” winery located in Geyserville, Sonoma County, California. Dave’s and his New Zealand winemaker partner, Sean McKenzie, goals are to make approachable, balanced and easy to drink wines that are meant to be shared and enjoyed by everybody. The Dreaming Tree is a sustainably driven brand, (as are 99% of Sonoma County wineries) that has donated over $1.5 million to environmental conservation organizations around the world. The focus is on trees as the name implies. Labels are made with 100% recycled paper, and bottles are lighter than normal to cut down on fuel used in shipping. The winery now produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Blend and Rosé for about $13 -$15 a bottle, and it’s available in many retail operations.
The 2018 The Dreaming Tree Rosé is a blend of 56% Pinot Noir, 23% Grenache, 11% Pinot Grigio and 10% other grapes sourced from the California appellation. It’s a soft pale pink enjoyable rosé with delicate floral and tropical aromas, fruity flavors of watermelon, strawberry and nectarine, and as Dave says it is “good for everybody earlier in the day, just fine for anybody in the middle of the day, and most everybody can enjoy it in the evening”.
We also drank a Dreaming Tree Cabernet featured under our red wine category. Gary and Debbie served up some grilled shrimp with blackened garlic butter, a recipe from Chef Fiona that she prepared for the DMB and Crew in Atlanta, GA. Grill some peeled and deveined 16/20 count shrimp (preferably wild caught), season them with salt and pepper, then remove from heat and top with melted garlic butter, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and blackening, Cajun or jerk seasoning of your choice. Our cooks decided to kick it up another notch and added some dark rum! Garnish with a little fresh parsley and you have an appetizer worthy of Dave Matthews and all of us!
Reds
Two Paddocks, Proprietor’s Reserve “The Last Chance” Pinot Noir 2016, South Island, Central Otago, NZ
by Sam Neill and shared by Chuck and Linda
Sam Neill is an Irish-born New Zealand actor, writer, producer and director. He has appeared on the big screen in a number of movies, but became known internationally as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park back in 1993. He currently lives in Queenstown, New Zealand and owns a winery called Two Paddocks, which is how I will forever best remember him. Two Paddocks has three vineyards all in the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island. Sam established Two Paddocks in 1983 with an objective being to share wonderful Pinot Noir moments with his loved ones. He certainly got me hooked! We haven’t made an effort to drink wines from New Zealand in quite some time, but this one really got my attention and obviously a number of wine critics. The Last Chance Proprietor’s Reserve 2016 received scores of 91-96 points as did three other vintages. It’s an $80+ bottle of pinot, but luckily I got it on sale from an internet wine source. The grapes came from a small terrace high above the Earnscleugh Valley, planted with Burgundian clone Pinot Noir. It takes it’s name from the watercourse that runs through the property which was hand dug by gold miners in the 1860s, The Last Chance. Some say it is the world’s southernmost vineyard. Central Otago is on the 45th parallel below Tasmania. The wine itself was full of savory spicy notes, dark red fruit and wild thyme and an elegant finish just as predicted by the winemaker. All of Sam Neill’s vineyards are certified organic and he is currently the only producer to own land in the three main valleys of Central Otago. This is extreme Southern cool climate wine at it’s best!
Il Palagio Casino Delle Vie Rosso Toscano IGT, Sangiovese 2015 Tuscany, Italy
by Sting and shared by Dave and Sandi
Gordon Matthews Thomas Sumner, much better known to the world as the musician “Sting”, was born in England in 1951. He and the new wave rock band “The Police” made music all over the world between 1977 and 1984. Then he launched a solo career in 1985. Between those two careers, Sting has received 17 Grammy Awards, won Song of the Year for “Every Breath You Take”, and many many other awards. He’s even got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Now the wine business knows him more famously for the wines that he and his wife Trudie Styler make at their Tuscan estate called Il Palagio, just south of Florence. It includes a hilltop villa with three annexes capable of providing guests with 16 bedrooms which sleep 31 people. It is for rent, by the way! But you won’t have to share it with any strangers because you have to rent the whole darn thing! The estate includes 350 hectares of farmland, vineyards and forest, and when Sting first found out that wine served to him by the previous owner came from Bordeaux, he was convinced to buy the property, restore the house, retain the estate team of farmers and make good wine. He hired Alan York, a US biodynamic winemaking and viticulture consultant, replanted the vineyards from 2001 to 2003 and produced a Super Tuscan blend called Sister Moon, a name inspired from one of his most famous songs but also inspired from the biodynamic practices used to make the wine.
Today Sting and his wife produce six wines using fruit from their 13 hectares of vineyards plus some locally-sourced grapes. Their property also supports bees and pigs, produces olives, fruit and vegetables all using organic farming principals. Sting says that wine is like a song and has a story to tell, so it makes sense that he named some of his wines after his biggest hits including Roxanne, When We Dance and Sister Moon. Dave and Sandi brought one of Sting’s red Tuscan wines to share — Casino Delle Vie 2015. This one is a Tuscany IGT made from 80% Sangiovese, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Merlot and 3% Cab Franc named after a nineteenth century farmhouse on his estate. Grapes were macerated 6-7 days, fermented in stainless steel then barrel aged for 12 months and 6 months in the bottle. It is full bodied with aromas of mint, spice and blueberries, then jammy fruit on the palate followed by a plum taste with round elegant soft tannins. James Suckling gave it 92 points and previous vintages scored between 90-93. This was a very enjoyable bottle of Tuscan red priced between $30-35/bottle, and you can get it at a local big box wine store.
Crostini Toscani (Chicken Liver Pate)
Dave is one of those home chefs who makes just about everything from scratch. He even makes his own sausage! This appetizer is one of two that he made for us to pair with the Il Palagio wine. Crostini Toscani, or chicken liver pate, is a classic Tuscan appetizer and always a favorite of ours. Dave sauteed the chicken livers with some onion, anchovies and garlic for lots of additional flavor, then cooked them in wine and chicken broth till liquid was reduced. The result was a chicken liver pate placed in food processor until coarsely pureed. Add a little lemon peel, salt and pepper to taste and spoon that delicious pate on some freshly grilled slices of Italian bread. You can’t go wrong with a bottle of Sangiovese!
Bucatini with Sausage and Peas
Whenever Sting eats meat, he really enjoys Bucatini with Sausage and Peas. Sting is a macrobiotic vegetarian. I had to read up on that to learn the difference since there are so many versions of vegetarianism. It seems that if you are macrobiotic, you can sometimes eat seafood while your diet focuses on eating local and seasonal foods – except of course when you feel like eating meat! At least he picked a really good dish for breaking his regime. This tasty dish is really simple to make except since Dave and Sandi don’t eat pork, he opted to make a turkey sweet Italian sausage. The result was delicious all mixed together with bucatini pasta in a tomato sauce with bright green peas, fresh basil leaves and plenty of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Another great Sangiovese pairing. We are always happy to have you in our kitchen, Dave!
Bocelli, Rosso Toscano IGT, Sangiovese, 2017 Tuscany
by Andrea Bocelli and shared by Chuck and Linda
Could there actually be people not familiar with the music of Andrea Bocelli? He has been a favorite of mine since the first time I ever heard him sing. But what I didn’t know until last year, was that the Bocelli family makes excellent wine in Tuscany and has been doing so for over 130 years. Mamma Bocelli still enjoys working in the fields hand-tying vines, and sister-in-law Cinzia and brother Alberto manage the company. We were first introduced to the Bocelli Family Wines at a Bocelli wine dinner in 2019 at Angelina’s Ristorante in Bonita Springs. All of the wines then available were poured and paired with Chef Ryan’s fabulous food. We enjoyed all of them and quite a few found their way home with us. That was an eye-opening experience for me since my first thought would have been that these “celebrity” wines would be quite lacking in credibility, but wow were we all surprised!
The Sangiovese di Toscana IGT 2017 was produced from a vineyard in Morellino, Tuscany from 100% Sangiovese grapes. It was 33% aged in French oak for 4 months resulting in a lush, fruity, unoaked type of red wine. They used an old tradition called “governo all Toscana” which is a small percentage of grapes are “raisined” to give great concentration and aromatics in the wine. The hand harvested grapes are ripe and smoky with dark chocolate, morello cherry and herbal notes. This is a really easy drinking Sangiovese perfect with dinner or on it’s own and is a $15-20 bottle of wine which I have seen in our local retail stores.
Passing Time, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State
by Dan Marino and shared by Chuck and Linda
Passing Time is a joint wine venture in Washington State between NFL Quarterbacks Damon Huard and Dan Marino and the winemaker Chris Peterson. Dan Marino was born in Pittsburgh, PA, the area of my original home, but the similarities pretty much stop there. He was born in 1961 and I was born in……………let’s just say quite a few years before that! He went to the University of Pittsburgh and I went to Carnegie Mellon University which are neighbors. Pitt had a good football team – CMU not so much!.
Dan went on to a 17 year pro football career and was the Miami Dolphins quarterback between 1984 – 2000. Dan and Damon were Miami Dolphin teammates from 1997-99 and both decided that making wine would be their game plan after football. Since Damon is originally from Washington State, and realized that some really good wine was being produced there, they decided to open a wine venture named Passing Time in Woodinville, hired Chris Peterson as their consultant winemaker, started making Cabernet Sauvignon, and released their first vintage of 500 cases of 2012 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon from Discovery Vineyard plus some Champoux Cabernet Franc and Klipsun Merlot made in 80% new French oak. Quilceda Creek and Andrew Will have sourced grapes from Discovery Vineyard, so it is obviously a good choice. Wine Advocate scored only 3 other Washington Cabs higher than the 2013 that scored 96. Now Passing Time makes a Columbia Valley Red and a Red Mountain/Walla Walla in addition to the Horse Heaven Hills.
Our bottle of 2014 Passing Time Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills scored 95-97 points from Robert Parker and was most definitely a really big wine. It’s made from 43% Discovery Cabernet, 43% Champoux Cabernet, 9% Klipsun Merlot and 5% Champoux Cabernet Franc and aged 20 months in 80% new French oak. Black raspberries, currants, creme de cassis, smoked earth and minerals can all be found in this black and blue colored elegant Cab with 14.6% alcohol. Since it was recommended to give the wine 2-4 years in the bottle with potential for two or more decades of drinkability, I hesitated to get a newer vintage for immediate pouring and had to hand over $90 to get hold of a 2014 in 2020. Ouch!!!! No, Passing Time is not just a passing fancy for this celebrity winery.
Meatballs with Cheese and “Marinora” Sauce
Like many other football celebrities, Dan Marino has owned a number of restaurants through the years in Florida and Las Vegas that have all come and gone; however it seems that he is still a part owner of Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza chain. Italian items were really popular on his menus which of course included meatballs. No surprise there! Chuck opted to prepare meatballs to pair with the Passing Time Cab and serve with additional Parmesan cheese and our version of Marinara Sauce, “Marinora Sauce” as our quirky play on names. The football party picks added to the fun. Who doesn’t like meatballs?
The Calling, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2016 Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
by Jim Nantz and shared by Jeff and Rene
Jim Nantz is an Emmy award winning sports commentator “calling” sporting events for CBS Television Network since 1985. He had wanted to get into the wine industry for many years and his wish came true in 2009. That is when he met Peter Deutsch, founder and CEO of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. Their partnership was meant to be. “The Calling” was born, and Jim and Peter selected Sonoma County as their best choice to make extraordinary wines. They then partnered with two great winemakers: one from Sonoma, James MacPhail, and a global award winning Cabernet producer, Wayne Donaldson. Now The Calling wines are quality standards for Sonoma with more than forty 90+ ratings since the first vintage in 2012. They make Cabs from Alexander Valley grapes, Pinots and Chardonnays from Russian River Valley, Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast and also source Chardonnay grapes from the Dutton Ranch in Russian River Valley. Chardonnays are 100% barrel fermented in French oak using wild yeast, undergo full malolactic fermentation and are aged sur lie for 11-12 months. Reds are also fermented with wild yeasts with malolactic fermentation in the barrel.
James MacPhail makes the Pinots and Chardonnays and is one dynamite winemaker. Chuck and I were lucky enough to taste with James personally in the tasting room next to his house before he sold MacPhail Wines. I can still picture that little red wagon sitting next to the front door that appeared on all of his wine labels. James current personal winemaking project since then is called Tongue Dancer Wines where he crafts his beautiful Pinots.
Wayne Donaldson has made wine all around the world including Champagne, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. He eventually decided on making world-class Cabernet Sauvignon in California. His philosophy is to make bold wine that speaks for itself. That is exactly what the 2016 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from The Calling did for us. It was 88% Cab, 7% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot aged in 100% French oak for 18 months. The nose was plummy with a touch of pepper and the palate well balanced with blackberry and plum, sweet vanilla oak and a bit of tar. The tannins and acidity will support keeping this wine around for 10-12 years if you choose to do so. Alcohol is 14.5%. We already knew excellent Cabs come from Alexander Valley and this one from The Calling just further confirmed that. Alexander Valley Cabs are also excellent quality for the price. This wonderful bottle of Cab can be purchased from mid $30s up. The collection of The Calling wines can also be found in the local big box store between $30 – 70. Or if you would really like to help the winery directly, you can purchase from them and pay just $1 for shipping!
Braised Rabbit with Cavatelli Pasta
What better pairing for our Alexander Valley Cabernet than a recipe from the local and world renowned Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen? They are known for using regional ingredients. This recipe for Braised Rabbit Cavatelli was on the restaurant’s special Easter Brunch menu. We missed that one, but our friend and another great chef in the kitchen, Jeff Savarise, brought it to us. As soon as Jeff mentioned preparing an item from Dry Creek Kitchen, I was ready with knife and fork since Chuck and I celebrated my birthday one year with dinner at Charlie Palmer’s famous restaurant.
The recipe called for local rabbit, and I don’t know how local ours was, but I do know that Jeff had to cut up some whole rabbits for this one. The rabbit was then diced up, seasoned and sauteed along with onions, carrots and garlic, pan deglazed in red wine and red wine vinegar, then simmered in chicken stock till tender. Jeff added the cooked cavatelli pasta to the tender rabbit along with some roasted garlic and topped with fresh Parmesan cheese. The finished product was a true celebrity pairing with that Cabernet by The Calling. Another winner from Jeff!
B R Cohn, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County.
by Bruce Cohn, the Doobie Brothers manager, shared by Jo
Bruce Cohn was managing a San Francisco music rehearsal studio by day and working as a TV engineer by night back in the 1970s when he started managing the Doobie Brothers, our American rock band that was active for 5 decades. Remember their hits like Long Train Runnin’, China Grove and Listen to the Music? Michael MacDonald, one of the Doobies, is still around making music. Bruce realized he needed a place to relax after time on the road and decided to buy an old dairy farm in Glen Ellen in 1974. He got a really good mentor, Caymus’ Charlie Wagner, to help him learn about farming practices and in 1984 he was ready to found B. R. Cohn Winery. Several of his early winemakers – Helen Turley and Merry Edwards – are celebrity winemaker superstars in their own right. He bought more vineyards producing as many as 75,000 cases a year and started hosting charity classic rock festivals there. You could see and hear Graham Nash, David Crosby, Willie Nelson, Grand Funk Railroad and many others.
B. R. Cohn was also one of the first re-emerging artisan olive oil producers in California. In fact the property was named Olive Hill Estate Vineyards after the grove of 145-year-old Picholine olive trees on the property. The B. R. Cohn Olive Oil Company still produces a wide selection of olive oils and wine vinegars.
After 41 years of business sadly Bruce accrued too much debt trying to keep his winery going and was forced to sell. Vintage Wine Estates bought the winery and the brand in 2015 and still owns it today along with many others, some of which are quite big names in the industry including Delectus, Swanson, Qupe, and Laetitia. Bruce now has a small label – Trestle Glen Vineyards – which is sourced from grapes on his 21-acre vineyard in Glen Ellen which he was able to keep and hopes to make 2000 cases annually.
You can visit the B. R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen, which is between Sonoma Mountain and the Mayacamas Mountain range. They produce Cabs, Malbec, Zinfandel, Pinot Noirs, Merlot, Barbera, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and several others in quite a range of prices. If you visit them, you can still see the memorabilia from Bruce’s 45 years of managing the Doobie Brothers. We really enjoyed our visit there; however it was long before the change in owners.
Our friend Jo shared with us a bottle of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, Silver Label B. R. Cohn. It’s a blend of hillside vineyards from Sonoma and Mendocino Counties as well as their own Olive Hill Estate Vineyard. The actual blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. There were bold, rich aromas of cassis, black cherry, mint and violets combined with oak, anise and vanilla. You could taste the cherry, caramel and clove on the palate. This is a good solid Cab usually rated about 89 points that can be purchased for around $20 in the big box store, and I am happy to see it on local restaurant wine lists.
“Silver Palate” Stuffed Mushrooms
When Jo was searching for an appetizer that reflected the earlier years of the Doobie Brothers, she decided to prepare a recipe that everyone loved then and we still do – stuffed mushrooms. This particular recipe version came from the “Silver Palate Kitchens” that began 35 years ago with the opening of The Silver Palate food store on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. it was started by two women, Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, who wanted to prepare home cooked food cooked fresh every day using the best high quality ingredients. Their reputation grew and they began to package some of their condiments. They now offer a variety of dressings, cooking sauces, dessert toppings, oatmeal and other products. There are numerous excellent recipes on their website.
These stuffed mushrooms were large caps with stems removed, then stuffed with a mixture of sauteed onions, chopped walnuts, chopped spinach, feta and Gruyere cheese. The mushrooms were then ready for baking until the filling was hot and browned. The result? Delicious spinach, walnut and cheese stuffed mushrooms worthy of we celebrity wine lovers plus anyone who ever had the opportunity to enjoy them throughout the last 35 years. Cheers to B. R. Cohn, The Doobie Brothers and Long Train Runnin”!
Dreaming Tree, Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, 50% North Coast and 28% Central Coast, California
by Dave Matthews and shared by Gary & Debbie
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon from The Dreaming Tree was the second varietal that Gary and Debbie shared with us. It was also produced by our singer, songwriter, musician celebrity Dave Matthews. The wine had classic aromas of blackberry and plum along with some toasted caramel, dark chocolate and good tannins. Since I could only find tech notes for the 2016 vintage, I am going on the assumption that 2017 is at least somewhat similar. The California Appellation contains 50% North Coast grapes and 28% Central Coast grapes which are primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Merlot, Malbec, Tannat and Petit Verdot for good measure. The alcohol is 13.9% and it was aged in oak barrels for 18 months. The 2014 Vintage won a Gold Medal at the 2017 Los Angeles International Wine Competition. Dave’s website says that Dreaming Tree is a wine everybody can drink, and I think he has succeeded. You can find it just about everywhere and at a price everyone can afford. The Cab goes for around $15 and got a 3.8 on Vivino.
Vermeil XXXIV, Proprietary Red Cabernet, 2017 Napa Valley
by Dick Vermeil and shared by Al and Mariann
Dick Vermeil was a former football head coach for the National Football League’s Philadelphia Eagles (1976-1982), St. Louis Rams (1997-1999) and Kansas City Chiefs (2001-2005). In all three stints as an NFL head coach, he took each team from a losing record to the playoffs by his third season with them. Being good native Philadelphians, Al and Mariann were quite excited to share some of Dick Vermeil’s wine with us! And we were definitely on the winning end of the deal! Vermeil led the Eagles into Super Bowl XV unfortunately losing to Oakland. He retired for the first time in 1983, then came back to coach the St. Louis Rams in 1997 and led them to their only Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXXIV 2000.
Fast forward from football to wine making. It seems that Dick Vermeil grew up in Calistoga, California right in the midst of Napa Valley wine country. His great grandfathers, Garibaldi Iaccheri and Jean Louis Vermeil, both emigrated to the United States in the late 1800s, settled in San Francisco, and eventually made their home in Calistoga. Garibaldi went on to own as many as 20 parcels of land in Calistoga and founded one of the first local wine companies, the Calistoga Wine Company, on property that would later be owned by the Frediani family. The Fredianis were old family friends of theirs and now current owners of the vineyards planted on that land. Those two previous generations gave Dick a love of wine which eventually led to Vermeil Wines. In 1999 Dick partnered with winemaker Paul Smith, the owner of now closed On The Edge Winery, and the first Jean Louis Vermeil Cabernet Sauvignon was bottled. On The Edge Winery had a tasting room in Calistoga for many years which eventually became Vermeil Wines. The Calistoga tasting room closed down in 2019, but you can still visit the current Vermeil tasting room in Napa.
Vermeil Wines currently making 11 different wines, all good examples of their varietals. And they are not inexpensive. They start out at $30+ and go well over $100. Vermeil does not own a physical winery. Sauvignon Blanc, Charbono, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, XXXIV and Cabernet Sauvignon make up the Integrity wines and are sourced from the historic Frediani Vineyard located right outside Calistoga on the Silverado Trail. Three Signature Series wines also come from Frediani grapes. Charbono, a fairly uncommon grape in Napa Valley, seems to grow fairly well in this part of the valley and Vermeil produces a fairly good one. Luvisi Vineyards are right next door to Frediani and produce the Zinfandel. Last but certainly not least are the Chardonnay grapes from the famous Dutton Ranch vineyards in the Russian River Valley and Green Valley AVAs.
The Vermeil team has some outstanding winemakers. Thomas Rivers Brown, the Consulting Winemaker, is one of the most sought after in Napa Valley. He began making wine in Napa Valley in 1999 and quickly became the youngest winemaker to earn two perfect 100 point scores from Robert Parker. Andy Jones, the winemaker, met Thomas Brown while Andy was working at Solage Resort. In 2008 Andy went to work for Thomas and by 2013 became assistant winemaker to Thomas at Tamber Bey. Now he is the winemaker at Vermeil trying to get the very best out of every site for every vintage. That is exactly what he did with the 2017 XXXIV, a red blend of 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet France and 33% Petite Sirah. He made 803 cases of this big bold and well balanced 14.8% alcohol blend. It has aromas of sweet black cherry jam, cocoa powder and plum; flavors of blackberry, cherry, pencil shavings and pepper. You could drink it with a Wednesday night hamburger or a weekend filet mignon. The XXXIV of course refers to Dick’s Super Bowl win with the St. Louis Rams.
The Philly Special
You can also drink Vermeil XXXIV with the sandwich made famous in Philadelphia, the cheesesteak sandwich. Our born and raised Philly friends and lifelong Eagles fans, Al and Mariann made their version for us. They started out with rib eye steak, sauteed some Vidalia onions, then shaved that tasty rib eye and put it all on a bun with some American cheese — aka South Philadelphia style! Outstanding on a Monday night with the XXXIV or any other night of the week.
Desserts by Linda
Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars
I don’t care how many pairings or courses we have. There is ALWAYS room for some dessert. I do try to make an assortment of some bites even if some of those small bites end up in our freezer. They taste amazingly good a few weeks later when you are looking for a bit of dessert and don’t feel like making any.
The millionaire’s shortbread bars are three layers of over the top goodness fit for any millionaire or celebrity. Sorry, for some reason I never got a picture. The first layer of shortbread – 2 cups of flour and 2 sticks of butter – gets baked and cooled. The second layer is caramel made from sweetened condensed milk and butter. After the caramel layer is cool, make the chocolate topping from good quality chocolate ( I prefer semi-sweet) and layer it on. Be sure to cut this dessert into VERY small bars as it is really rich.
Tuscan Cheesecake with Berries
In honor of our two Tuscan celebrities, Sting and Bocelli, I opted for a Tuscan dessert. The Tuscan cheesecake is made with ricotta cheese – in this case 3 pounds of cheese and 8 eggs. There was so much batter that it made two cheesecakes! Of course that is not a bad thing. One for now and one for later. For flavoring, add orange and lemon zest plus some Grand Marnier or similar liqueur to the batter. The baked cheesecakes came out of my springform pans perfectly which always amazes me when that happens.
New Zealand Kiwi Bread
I hated to leave Sam Neill without a food pairing and while this one didn’t go with his excellent Pinot Noir, it did add some New Zealand flavor to the dessert table. This quickbread is just like any other quickbread (banana, zucchini, etc) except you add some chopped up ripe kiwis which is a fruit that I don’t cook with very often. It got a powdered sugar lemon juice glaze on it which I would probably omit if I make it again, as the result is quite sweet.
Salted Chocolate Dipped Orange Slices
My simplest dessert of all probably got the most comments. Peel a few fresh mandarin oranges, melt some chocolate and here again I use semi-sweet or dark chocolate, and dip each little slice half way into the chocolate. Sprinkle with some sea salt, chill till set, and voila! Reap the rewards. Another good thing – these are a 2 day make ahead item. I love desserts like that. Thankfully all of my celebrity desserts were make-ahead. Believe me, there is plenty of work to be done the day of any wine and food event.
Spirits
Wild Turkey “Longbranch” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Matthew McConaughey, Wild Turkey’s Creative Director
Matthew McConaughey has been with me ever since he came as a surprise guest to my 75th birthday party, or at least his life size cardboard lookalike has been with me!!! I thought it was time for him to make another guest appearance, but was sorry to find out he does not make wine. What he is quite involved in (other than selling Lincolns!) is Wild Turkey Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. He is in fact the Creative Director for Wild Turkey. Matthew, a native Texan, enjoys his bourbon and when Wild Turkey asked him to be a spokesman for their brand, he was happy to work with them. But he had a vision of creating a bourbon that perfectly suited his taste, and Eddie Russell, the distiller, worked with him for two years to create one. Wild Turkey Longbranch starts out with the usual filtration process through oak charcoal. The Texas twist comes in with the second filtration of circulating it through Texas mesquite charcoal. The result is a smooth bourbon with a slight sweetness to it. It’s 86 proof, aged 8 years and is a blend of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley first released in April 2018. Now I am not much of a hard liquor drinker after discovering how much I love wine, but I did buy a bottle of Wild Turkey Longbranch and discovered that I could easily sip on a glass of it with or without an ice cube! Thanks, Matthew. You did all right!!!!!
The ladies did not at all mind having a photo op with Matthew before he is retired once again to the back corner of my office.
The James Bond Vesper Martini
We were all ready with a recipe and ingredients for a James Bond Vesper Martini in case any of our guests preferred to start off their evening with one. But it was all about the celebrity wines, and James would have to wait another day for his martini.
And so it was that our starry starry night of celebrity wines came to an end. What a night of wines and fabulous foods paired with them all provided by our winelover and foodie friends. What was the verdict, you ask? Do any celebrities make good wine? The answer is undoubtedly yes. Many do. Some not as good. Just like the entire wine industry, there is a wide variety of quality and price. There is something for everybody! If you do an internet search for celebrity wines, you will come up with myriads of names from Wayne Gretsky, to Kyle MacLachlan, Boz Scaggs, Fergie of Black Eyed Pea fame, Mario Andretti, Gerard Depardieu, Mike Ditka, John Legend and Madonna. The list is endless. What I personally learned from this tasting experience is that you never know until you give the wine a try. I cannot be too quick to make a judgment based on the name of the winemaker, how the label looks, the price or where it comes from. You just may be in for a real surprise!
Once again I must pass along many thanks and plenty of cooking kudos to our winelover foodie friends. These events cannot happen without your support and contributions of wine and food. Thanks to Dave and Sandi for the photography and to Dave for preparing a slide presentation for me. It will be on display for all to see the next time we are able to get together. And a very special thank you to our friend Jeff Savarise for suggesting this fabulous and fun theme. I hope that it was everything you wanted it to be. Everyone really got into the spirit of the evening. It was a star studded experience!
See you at our next forkandcorkdivine wIne tIme event. Who knows what wines we will be pouring!
L. Rakos, forkandcorkdivine.com
3.29.2020
wIne tIme 
