If you spent three days driving throughout the Central Coast
wineries, from Santa Barbara to Los Pasos, you could not have sampled a
fraction of the wines you could have in an hour at Wally’s 8th Annual
Central Coast Food and Wine celebration. The event benefits the
Michael Bonaccorsi UC Davis Scholarship Fund and the endowment at Allan
Hancock College for students who want to pursue careers in Viticulture
and Enology. There were over 55 wineries serving 150 unique wines you
could sniff, swirl, taste and savor. It was like wandering from room to
room in one of your favorite art museums only to discover another
gallery filled with astonishing paintings you’ve never seen before.
In addition to such luminaries as Au Bon Climat, Qupe, Melville and The Hitching Post, to name a few, there were dozens of small hands-on wineries. Hard to find wines whose producers grow their own grapes, ferment them, and even drive to local wine stores to sell them. You could chat, query, and get a deeper appreciation of what goes into making unique wines in a market increasingly dominated by wine consultants and corporate ownership. Although the Central Coast is known for its distinctive Pinots and Chardonnays there was a healthy dose of Syrahs and Grenaches. These grapes are poised to make the same kind of impact in California that Cabernets did in the 90’s and Pinots in the 2000’s.
We'd been drinking since Happy Hour at that Korean Pirates of the
Caribbean on Wilshire. We guzzled 5000cc's of Amber Ale, and dined on
authentic cuisine: "tteokbokki" and "potato skins." Post-Happy Hour
pricing pushed us on to the streets. We decided to regroup at a
home-base off Franklin.
Tired of being the host and the bartender at your party? This is the perfect solution...a festive drink your guests can serve themselves.
It happens every year about this time, in magazines and newspapers,
online: an outpouring of effervescent enthusiasm for holiday sparkling
wine bargains. "The best of West Coast bubbly has rarely been better,"
trumpets San Francisco Chronicle Magazine. The online wine merchant www.novusvinum.com features the "Top 20 American Sparkling Wines," from a modest $19 for Francis Coppola 2008 Sofia Blanc de Blancs to a staggering $100 for Schramsberg 2002 J. Schram. Words like "festive" and "elegant" promise a transcendental experience.
Every holiday party deserves a little cocktail. Don’t you agree? Using seasonal ingredients to create both savory and sweets is a given. Drinks should share in what the season has to offer and that is exactly why this cocktail will be what we will be toasting with this season.