The Accidental Wino » Spring Mountain

Tale of Two Chilaquiles: Boonfly Cafe, Napa Carneros & Miguel’s Restaurant, Calistoga

Thirsty Reader — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:40:50 +0000

The Chilaquiles @ Miguel's Restaurant, Calistoga (minus the sour cream)

I was first introduced to chilaquiles while I was living in Los Angeles. Back then, I was working a prep cook at Houston’s Santa Monica, trying to get some real-world kitchen experience before heading off to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Since I was working mostly mornings at that time, the “family meal” at Houston’s was often chilaquiles, which I would best describe as breakfast nachos, for lack of better terminology. These meals would assume varying forms from day to day, based upon whatever was available in the kitchen at the time. That said, there are a couple fundamental rules as to what can be considered chilaquiles and what cannot. As the foundation of the dish, the tortilla chips themselves are inherently fundamental to chilaquiles, and proper chilaquiles should also feature eggs (since it is breakfast), as well as some sort of salsa for added flavor. From that point, however, the recipe can allow for many variations and additions, as many comfort foods tend to do.

When my friend Emmy asked me about chilaquiles a few weeks ago, it got me thinking about the Napa Valley’s options for this dish. I had two restaurants on my radar: (1) the Boonfly Cafe in Napa Carneros and (2) Miguel’s Restaurant in Calistoga. For the regular readers of this blog, Boonfly has long been my favorite local spot for fried chicken, and as part of the Plumpjack Group, the restaurant is fairly well-known, especially since it shares property with the Carneros Inn. In contrast, Miguel’s is tucked away in Calistoga, which is one of the least-trafficked areas in the Napa Valley (few people venture north of St. Helena, it seems). As for myself, Calistoga is approximatetly 30 minutes from where I call home, versus just five minutes down to Carneros.

However, when Emmy mentioned that Hiro Sone, the chef-owner of Terra in St. Helena, would frequent Miguel’s for the chilaquiles, I was naturally intrigued. Perhaps Calistoga needed to become a larger part of my culinary routine, especially if a restaurant like Miguel’s was serving up what I call a “destination” breakfast (that is, something worth the 30-minute drive up-valley). I decided to see what Miguel’s and Boonfly had to offer (someone’s got to). But before I delve further into the breakfast scene, it’s also worth addressing Carneros and Calistoga as they relate to wine.

• • •

Among the 15 recognized wine-growing appellations (AVAs) within the Napa Valley, Calistoga occupies the northernmost region, while Carneros occupies the southernmost region. As one might expect, simple geography implies that these two appellations are quite different from one another, yet each is also markedly different from most of the other Napa Valley AVAs. For the last 30 years or so, the Napa Valley has been synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon, and this will always be the case: AVAs such as Oakville, Rutherford, Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain each excel with this particular varietal, and when people visit Napa to seek out world-class Cabernets, smart money should lead folks to these four areas, at the very least.

On the other hand, one will rarely encounter any noteworthy Cabernets from either Carneros or Calistoga. The fact is, neither region features a climate that suits itself to growing top-quality Cabernet grapes. Carneros, which is just a few short miles from the San Pablo Bay, is far too cool for Cabernet, and so the Burgundian varietals, such Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, take center stage in this region. Thirty miles to the north, Calistoga is easily the warmest region in Napa, and so Zinfandel and Petite Sirah become far more prevalent here than anywhere else in the valley. Frankly, I feel that the Calistoga wineries are much more interesting than the Carneros wineries, but that’s just my own personal preference (I’ll take Zin over Chard, and I prefer my Pinot from Sonoma).

• • •

The Chilaquiles @ Boonfly Cafe, Napa Carneros

The chilaquiles at Boonfly and Miguel’s are quite different, but both are worth ordering (both are extremely filling, as well). Aside from the requisite tortilla chips and eggs, the Boonfly chilaquiles features chorizo, black beans, salsa verde, and pico de gallo. As you can see from the photo directly above, the egg component is cooked on the flat-top and draped over the entire dish, which makes for an impressive presentation. The entree is served on a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet, which is also a nice touch. At Miguel’s, the tortilla chips and scrambled eggs are finished with salsa roja, a sprinkling of Mexican cheese, and an ample dollop of sour cream and guacamole. The flavors are simple yet amazing, and the dish is also accompanied by strips of marinated grilled steak and fried cubed potatoes, which are delicious in their own right. Among these two versions, I’d probably give the slight edge to Miguel’s, although Boonfly is definitely a worthy plan B, especially if you’re already in Carneros.

Wine Tasting Notes from Spring Mountain: Behrens Family, Pride Mountain and Paloma Vineyards

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:37:47 +0000

A picnic table at Pride Mountain: Perhaps the best argument for bringing along a lunch.

I’m back in the Napa Valley after an extended trip down to the Santa Ynez Valley for some wine tasting. It was a successful journey, and one that I plan to embark upon annually. But before I rehash the details of my venture down to Santa Barbara County, I still need to acknowledge my trip to Spring Mountain last week, where I tasted the wines of Behrens Family, Pride Mountain and Paloma. Each of these three wineries is most certainly worth a visit, and I’ll preface my notes with a helpful caveat for anyone who wishes to journey up Spring Mountain Road: Plan your appointments carefully, and definitely pack a lunch. The drive up Spring Mountain Road is somewhat steep and winding, and since there’s nowhere to buy food on Spring Mountain, it’s far more relaxing to bring your lunch than it is to drive back down to the valley floor in between winery visits.

• • •

The tasting room at Behrens Family Winery is actually a restored 1947 Westcraft trailer.

Behrens Family Winery, formerly known as Behrens and Hitchcock, was the first stop of the day, and I tasted a grand total of eight wines that morning (all but one being a Bordeaux-style Cabernet). My four favorite wines of the tasting were the 2007 Drinkward Peschon Cabernet ($55, and a small side-project of Behrens Family co-proprietor Lisa Drinkward), the 2007 Erna Schein “Spare Me” Cabernet ($45, and another stellar Napa Cab for under $50), the 2007 Erna Schein “Knock Out” Cabernet ($75, and the last vintage of this particular bottling), and the 2007 Erna Schein “Cemetary” Cabernet ($80). It’s worthwhile to note, however, that all of the wines in the tasting were well-crafted, and this relatively new Spring Mountain winery warrants some serious recognition.

• • •

Compared to an upstart winery like Behrens Family, the wines from Pride Mountain have long lured folks up to the summit of Spring Mountain. The hook to describe Pride is an easy one: It’s actually equal parts Napa and Sonoma, since the winery straddles the Napa-Sonoma County line. Of course, this location leads to some interesting labeling scenarios. The 2007 Pride Cabernet Sauvignon ($66), for instance, is blended with 50% Napa fruit and 50% Sonoma fruit, which they must specify on the label, even though the vineyard itself is one contiguous plot (the alternative would be to give the wine a generic “North Coast” appellation). Although the minutiae of California wine labeling laws might be interesting to wine geeks, it’s best to ignore the silly details if you choose, and simply remember this one plain fact: Pride Mountain makes great wine across the board, and their 2007 Pride Cab is delicious.

• • •

The last stop of the day was at Paloma Vineyards to visit with proprietor Barbara Richards, whom I consider to be a Napa Valley legend and a treasure trove of information. Paloma has always been famous for its estate-grown Merlot, although the winery also produces small amounts of Dry Creek-sourced Syrah for its wine club members. During this most recent visit, I tasted the 2007 Paloma Merlot and the 2006 Paloma Merlot (both $55). Both wines were fantastic, although Barbara says that the 2006 vintage is her favorite of all-time (a bold statement). Considering that Barbara has been a steward of the property since 1983, this endorsement carries a ton of weight, and although I had already purchased a few bottles of 2006 Paloma Merlot during my last visit, the experience warranted an additional bottle.

Tasting Report: The 10 Best Napa Cabernets for $50 or Less

Thirsty Reader — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:04:33 +0000

As I spent 2009 combing the Napa Valley for great wines (the one definite perk of living here and being in the wine business), I decided to pay special attention to the Cabernets that were priced at $50 or less, hoping to one day compile a list of favorites. In order to confirm their merit, I plan to eventually put all of these wines into blind tastings alongside a few of their $100 counterparts, just to see how they fare against the big boys (I suspect that many of these lesser-priced wines will easily rise to the top). But first things first: Although it did take me all of last year, I’ve finally encountered enough outstanding wine to formulate a serious list, and so I’m now prepared to finally put my selections on record. To that end, I submit the following 10 wines, listed in order of preference…

• Martin Estate Bacchanal 2006 ($48) : One of the great unsung wines in the Napa Valley, I have already placed Bacchanal into a blind tasting of Oakville and Rutherford Cabs, pitting it against the 2006 Groth ($58), 2005 Rubicon ($175), 2006 Pedemonte ($39), 2006 Nickel & Nickel John C. Sullenger ($90), and 2006 Paradigm ($62). The Bacchanal won the tasting, with all five wine tasters ranking the wine in the top half (no other wine exhibited such consistent positive marks). My personal favorite was actually the Nickel & Nickel, with the Bacchanal ranking second. Frankly, Martin Estate is a winery that I have long meant to review, but simply haven’t yet.

• Terra Valentine Spring Mountain 2006 ($38) : In my previous review for Terra Valentine, I mentioned that the winery’s single-vineyard Cabs were the wines that originally drew me up to the top of Spring Mountain Road, but that their Spring Mountain Cabernet blend has now become my favorite Terra Valentine wine. This Cabernet features ripe, plush fruit with terrific character and concentration. If you’re spending a day visiting Spring Mountain wineries, make sure to visit Paloma and Behrens-Hitchcock, as well.

• 2006 Turnbull Estate ($45) : Flanked by Nickel & Nickel to the south and Cakebread Cellars to the north, I think that Turnbull is often overlooked by far too many of Napa’s tourists. My notes from my blind tasting of 2005 Oakville Cabernets revealed Turnbull as the clear winner (and the lowest-priced wine in the flight, to boot). One more reason to visit Turnbull: The winery also offers its 2007 Old Bull Red ($19), a tasty catch-all blend and one of the few good Napa reds that you can find for under $20.

• 2005 Heitz Cellars Estate ($42) : After living in the Napa Valley, I have found that the wineries with the greatest histories sometimes have the lowest prices. Many say that the old-timers have that conservative, farming mentality that will see them through good times and more importantly, bad times. The 2005 Heitz Estate Cabernet is an affable wine that boasts big ripe fruit, and I’m always amazed at how long Heitz holds back its releases (I can’t think of many other wineries that still offer a 2005 Cab as their most current vintage). As a result, these wines are often plush right out of the gate.

• 2006 Bennett Lane Maximus ($35) : Maximus is the perennial 90-point “Feasting Wine” that lures folks to drive all the way up to Calistoga, even during the height of summer. It’s bold in the way you might expect for the newly-designated Calistoga AVA, which typically does so well with hot-weather varietals like Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. My last tasting report for Bennett Lane was in December 2008. Although the winery has since discontinued its White Maximus, the proprietary red is still at its consistent best.

• 2007 Chappellet Signature ($47) : For those who have spent any time perusing the “Essay and Oddities” on the right, I have long championed Chappellet as one of the top five wineries in the Napa Valley. The winery, founded in 1967, has great history, a great view from Pritchard Hill, and great wine. With neighbors like Colgin and Bryant Family, Chappellet presents the best value, by far, along Sage Canyon Road. The winery also offers its terrific 2007 Mountain Cuvee ($29), which could’ve made this list on its own (although this wine is just 51% Cabernet).

• 2006 Titus Vineyards ($41) : Chappellet winemaker Phillip Titus owns an eponymous wine label — Titus Vineyards — that also produces a noteworthy low-cost Cabernet. For me, this Cabernet exhibits some similar traits to Chappellet’s terrific estate Cab. Titus Vineyards is another winery that I’ve meant to review more recently, but have not found the time for a more thorough recap. Hopefully, I can coordinate something in the next month or so.

• 2007 Newton Claret ($25) : Another bargain from Spring Mountain Road, the Newton Claret is one of the lowest-priced bottles on the list. Keep in mind, you could actually purchase two full-sized bottles of the Newton Claret, yet still remain within the $50 or less level (impressive). As with Chappellet, the quality of Newton’s lower-priced wine reflects the overall quality of the winery’s portfolio. Newton wines are always a pleasure to drink, and their Red Label Cabernet ($28) is also an over-achiever. Like Bennett Lane’s Maximus, the 2007 Claret is technically a Bordeaux blend, and not an official Cabernet.

• 2006 Dare ($34) : The second label of Viader, the Dare series offers 100% varietal bottlings of Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, and Tempranillo, each at the same price. The Dare Cabernet features fantastic pedigree, combining fruit from Viader’s Howell Mountain Estate and from the historic Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena. I tasted these wines very recently, on the same day as my trip to Ladera.

• 2007 Vincent Arroyo Estate ($36) and 2007 J.J.’s Blend ($20) : Although the strength of Vincent Arroyo lies in its single-vineyard Petite Sirahs, the winery earns kudos for offering a legitimate giant-killer of a Cabernet (and the only wine on the list at less than 14% alcohol), as well as its lighter and less-expensive counterpart (which takes its name from one of the winery’s resident Labradors). The winery remains one of the Napa Valley’s best-kept secrets.

Tasting Notes: Terra Valentine, Spring Mountain

Thirsty Reader — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:30:07 +0000

Close-up: One of the stained-glass windows at Terra Valentine.

I was at Terra Valentine the other night for an open-house event, drinking through the winery’s three delicious estate Cabernets. I had tasted these same wines several months ago, having also visited the winery during the summertime. Originally, it was the 2005 Yverdon Vineyard Cabernet that had lured me up Spring Mountain Road, although I think that their 2005 Wurtele Vineyard Cabernet ended up being my favorite of that day. For me, the key difference was that the Wurtele Cab exhibited a more subtle use of oak than the Yverdon Cab, but that both wines presented great values at $60 and $70, respectively. That was then.

Fast forward to the winery’s recent open house a couple weeks ago, and I’m revisiting the Wurtele and the Yverdon Cabernets, along with Terra Valentine’s 2005 Spring Mountain District Cabernet. Again, all three wines taste terrific, as I remember, and my recollections regarding the Wurtele and the Yverdon remain consistent. But the wine that I’m really enjoying the most (and drinking the most of) is actually the Spring Mountain Cabernet. I found that it was extremely approachable with mellow tannins and full fruit on the palate. It eventually dawned on me that, although I do appreciate the idea of Terra Valentine’s two single-vineyard Cabernets, this Spring Mountain blend was really stellar.

This morning, I was sifting through some of my tasting notes, and I happened to discover the price sheet that I took from Terra Valentine earlier this summer. I was surprised to learn something that I had not realized the other night, which was that the 2005 Terra Valentine Spring Mountain Cabernet — the wine that was my favorite of the three — was only $38 (I was also reminded that the wine was 95% Cabernet, 3% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc). Wow. It just underscores the idea that blind tastings always reveal the absolute truth. I rank this wine alongside the greatest values in the Napa Valley.

Tasting notes: Stony Hill Vineyards

Thirsty Reader — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:57:41 +0000

For as many California wineries that claim to model their Chardonnays after “the classic Burgundian style,” very few actually produce wines with any sort of true “old world” character. While I’m not trying to criticize California’s efforts, I’m simply pointing out that most California Chardonnays skew towards the opulent “apple-pear” side of the spectrum, as opposed to the austere “flinty minerality” of something like a top-level Chablis. But while I admittedly enjoy many of California’s fruit-forward Chardonnays, the local product can sometimes taste homogenized. Fortunately, for those of us who enjoy variety, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Stony Hill Vineyards offers one of the Napa Valley’s most distinct California Chardonnays, which has more in common with an authentic Chablis than anything else in California. I visited Stony Hill this week, which is always an incredible experience, since the winery has so much history here in the valley. The first vintage of Stony Hill Chardonnay was produced in 1952, giving this facility a 20-year head start on even the most established wineries in the Napa Valley. To that end, Stony Hill winemaker Mike Chelini has worked at the property since 1971, and has been making the Chardonnay since 1977.

In its earliest days, Stony Hill was one of just a dozen wineries in operation, as founders Eleanor and Fred McCrea staked their claim on a rugged 160-acre parcel on Spring Mountain in 1943. The winery currently features 40 acres of white grapes planted on beautifully terraced vineyards, a throwback to a bygone era and much simpler times (terracing is now prohibited under Napa Valley’s Agricultural Preserve: opponents of terracing feared the hillsides of Napa Valley could eventually be over-farmed, thus leading to potential top-soil erosion, as well as an affront to Napa’s natural beauty).

• The tasting began in Stony Hill’s small barrel room, where I sampled the recently-fermented 2008 Stony Hill Chardonnay. Most of the barrels at Stony Hill are 30 and even 40 years old, which is almost unheard of in this day and age (at least in the Napa Valley). Most wineries that wish to limit the oak component in their Chardonnay will age their wine in stainless steel, which is much easier to clean and maintain than decades-old neutral oak. Still, an oak barrel allows a wine to breathe, and so stainless steel is not a perfect substitute for aged wood. As one might expect, the 2008 Chardonnay was pure in character, slightly cloudy, with a profile reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc.

• After more barrel samples, we returned to the old McCrea House to taste Stony Hill’s current releases. I began with the 2007 Stony Hill Gewurztraminer, which was light in body and fermented to complete dryness. The 2007 Stony Hill White Riesling was next in the flight, slightly off-dry in flavor, with just under 1% residual sugar. As with the Gewurz, the Riesling had pleasant fruit flavors, with a crisp and lingering finish. Either of these wines would be terrific to drink in the summertime. The 2006 Stony Hill Chardonnay was true to form, as flinty as ever, with a seamless acidity and plenty of finesse. For those who are accustomed to typical California Chardonnays, the Stony Hill version may present a challenge to preconceived notions. It is a remarkable wine in its subtlety, though many people may be left searching for the apples, pears, or butter.

Tasting Notes: Newton’s Claret

Thirsty Reader — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:09:14 +0000

I had the opportunity to taste up at Newton Vineyard today, where I purchased a couple bottles of the 2006 Newton Claret. Wines like these are satisfying to discover, since they represent tremendous values at their price point. The Newton Claret retails for $25, which is practically unheard of here in Napa. Honestly, you can expect to pay that much — or more — for Sauvignon Blanc or Rosé.

The 2006 Newton Claret is definitely a wine to include alongside Chappellet’s 2005 Mountain Cuvee, also a fantastic wine at just $26. These two wines are neither life-changing nor are they flawed; quite simply, they are well-crafted, exhibiting pleasant flavors and just enough complexity, with soft enough tannins to drink tonight. Call them what you will — daily drinkers, pizza wines, patio pounders — they are essential to have on hand.

Of course, I should mention that the entire Newton portfolio was noteworthy. I tasted the 2002 Newton Unfiltered Merlot, which exhibited a Syrah-like gaminess, perhaps in part to its substantial dose of Petit Verdot. Additionally, the 2005 Newton Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon was also quite good, a combination of delicacy and depth that proved a bit more enjoyable than the Merlot. Still, at $60 per bottle for each, I was not compelled to buy either wine (I’m cutting back during these tough times), although I did come awfully close to purchasing the Cabernet.