San Francisco Has the Blues
Yes, San Francisco has the blues, and is very happy about it.
Kathryn Blue is one of the finest cooks on the coast. Her husband is
Anthony Dias Blue, nationally-known wine and food authority.
They have produced four children and two cookbooks. The latest
book is a delicious coast-to-coast tour of "America's Kitchen[s]."
It's a handsome presentation of regional specialties by celebrated
American chefs.
Since my specialty is wine, I dove into the book, not for the
recipes, but to see if there were wine tips from Anthony. Sure
enough. There are concise evaluations of America's beverages,
including the principal wine regions. For example, let's take
one of America's young, rising stars, Oregon. Beginners need
remember only one location and one grape...Willamette Valley
and Pinot Noir. While there are other areas and other grapes
(Chardonnay, Pinot Gris) showing substantial promise, Willamette
Valley Pinot Noir has led Oregon wines to international recognition.
Here are some of the labels recommended in "America's Kitchen."
- Eyrie Vineyards' Pinot was the pioneer, winnning awards in
Europe two decades ago.
- That caught the eye of venerable Burgundian Pinot producer
Joseph Drouhin. Soon they were selling Willamette Valley
Pinot under the Domaine Drouhin label.
- Other wineries to watch include Amity, Knudsen-Erath, Ponzi
and Yamhill. My Scott's-on-Lombard panel has tasted most of
them... very pleasing red cherry flavors ready to enjoy the day
you bring the bottle home.
So, if you want to read a little about America's wine and a lot
about America's food, get the Blue Book, "America's Kitchen."
Postscript: Speaking of the Pinot Noir grape, it changed
Anthony Blue's life. Here's how he describes the encounter in
Burgundy. "In a dank and rank Pommard cellar, the unshaven
famer offered me wine in a chipped, dirty glass. Then came the
thunderclap, the drum roll. That glorious, velvety-rich,
explosive wine jolted me like nothing I had experienced before.
I was instantly transformed into a wine lover."
Other WineDay Annex Wine Authers:
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