Valley Restaurants are Wining Diners

Nope, that’s not a typo. Wine Spectator’s list of restaurants with award-winning wine programs, released online today, shows that Coachella Valley restaurants are elevating their diners’ wine experiences, wining their diners if you will.

 

In addition to the 15 valley restaurants that made the list, another six restaurants are located in other parts of the Inland Empire, including Cabazon with its steakhouse Cielo at the Morongo Casino Resort.

Not surprisingly, seven of the valley restaurants garnering an award are steakhouses. Of the 15 local winners, Palm Desert is home to six while Palm Springs claims four. Three of the 21 in the greater region are in casinos.  

Most local restaurant wine programs earned the “Award of Excellence” or “Best of Award of Excellence” designations (only 88 worldwide earned the highest “Grand Award”). However, Wine Spectator gave many valley programs a 2 of 3 in “wine strength”, with only Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Rancho Mirage reaching 3 of 3 in this new (to date, undefined) category.

These awards and similar types of accolades have been slammed. Their critics claim that such honors are instead creative marketing because getting an award may require little more than showing up, doing the paperwork and paying the fee, akin to being listed in a “Who’s Who” directory. (Current application prices for the Wine Spectator awards range from $325-375.)

Not so, says Wine Spectator. Their website specifies basic requirements for a wine list to be considered, including its appearance – yes, spelling counts – and overall presentation. The list entered into competition must reflect the exact wines currently being served at the restaurant at the time of submission, that is, the wines that customers can truly review on a list and be served. This requirement likely discourages applications from status-seeking restaurateurs and beverage program directors who might consider padding the application list with fantasy wines, depth or variety sure to please the judges.

The list itself must include vintages, appellations and prices for all the wines, including by-the-glass selections. In all, at least 90 selections must be presented for “Award of Excellence” consideration. Restaurants seeking the two higher-level awards typically offer at least 350 and 1,000 selections, respectively.

Besides the actual wine list and current dinner menu, the application’s cover letter includes other relevant wine program information such as the wines’ storage conditions, pricing, inventory and other aspects that distinguish the applicant’s wine program. After that, it’s up to the judges, whose methods and identities remain unknown.

Whether you believe this or any other type of wine award accurately reflects the strength of a restaurant’s wine program, diners who seek a quality dining experience should still find Wine Spectator’s list a useful guide, especially when traveling or choosing a special night out. Their new geomapped interactive guide makes it easy to find a winning restaurant nearby.

One way to view these types of lists positively is that in general, restaurants that invest in developing strong wine programs are more likely to serve food that merits their range of carefully chosen wines. They also tend to offer better service. Though many can be pricey, others are more moderately priced, as with valley awardee Cork and Fork.

Sadly, the reverse is not true – that is, plenty of restaurants with fabulous food have wine lists in need of major resuscitation. Some establishments have wine lists that are out of sync with the style of food served, perhaps due to clients’ loyalty to tried-and-true favorites (Rombauer and Caymus or Prisoner with everything!) or owners’ particular reasons for not putting more energy or creativity into the wine list and wine service. Also, dedicated wine service doesn’t come cheaply, starting with glassware, proper storage space and perhaps a sommelier.

Other times you encounter what might be considered a lazy wine list, for example, at Italian restaurants with exceptional food that deserves excellent wines but whose lists instead present an uninspiring, safe or predictable range of Italian and California choices that will sustain but not elevate the meal.

Enjoy your next memorable food-and-wine experience at some of the restaurants included in Wine Spectator’s list below, whether here in the valley or within an hour’s drive. (Dates in parentheses denote the year they first won a Wine Spectator award.) See the full list in the magazine’s August 31, 2016 issue.

Coachella Valley:

Cork & Fork, La Quinta (2014) 

Cuistot, Palm Desert (2005)

Europa Restaurant, Palm Springs (2005)

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Rancho Mirage (2002)

Mastro’s Steakhouse, Palm Desert (2013)

Mitch's On El Paseo Prime Seafood, Palm Desert (2013)

Morgan's In The Desert, La Quinta (2012)

Morton's, The Steakhouse, Palm Desert (2016)

Ruth's Chris Steak House, Palm Desert (1997)

Sullivan's Steakhouse, Palm Desert (2001)

Spencer's Restaurant, Palm Springs (2011)

The Steakhouse, Palm Springs (2004)

The Steakhouse, Rancho Mirage (2007)

Vue Grille and Bar, Indian Wells (2015)

Zin American Bistro, Palm Springs (2015)

Inland Empire and Environs:

Caprice Café, Redlands (2015)

Cielo, Cabazon (2015)

Citrone Restaurant & Bar, Redlands (2015)

Duane's Prime Steaks & Seafood, Riverside (2004)

Mario's Place, Riverside (2004)

The Sycamore Inn, Rancho Cucamonga (2003)

Syrah Says, Don't Call Me Slutty

As October temperatures begin to drop, red wine lovers are reclaiming their love for big reds, which held about as much summertime appeal as a hot shower. Warm weather red rescue came in the form of Pinot Noir, Beaujolais and Barbera. Along with rosés and crisp whites, these three reds made cool company for fare that called out for juicy, low-tannins wines with good acid, lighter body and perky fruit.

Now that autumn is in the air, taste buds eager for heartier foods also begin to crave red wines with more animal – feral wines with bigger fruit and tongue-lashing tannins.

 Curtis 2007 Syrah, $12.95 at Dan's Wine Shop, Palm Desert

Syrah is a red that answers the call to fall. Rich in flavors of berry compote, Syrah has a meaty, leathery character that, depending on its style and origin, can also unfurl layers of smoke, herbs and peppery spice. Whether known as Syrah or by its Aussie moniker Shiraz, this red's flavors and girth play well against savory fall foods such as game meats, root vegetable dishes, stews and lamb.

So why all the Syrah dissing in the wine press? And why are sommeliers, whose job entails creating a comfort zone around wine, using the word slutty to describe certain Syrahs on their lists?

One way to answer such questions is to contrast classic Syrah from France's Northern Rhône region with the grape's behavior and vinification on New World soils. In the Northern Rhône, Syrah is a powerhouse, albeit without the head-banging fruit and high alcohol levels associated with some New World namesakes. The assertive flavors of Old World Syrah are woven with olive and smoked blackberry fruit, strung together on an undercurrent of bacon and tar. In short, a wine that's both sexy and sauvage – but slutty? No.

Many New World Syrahs that have entered the wine market in the past decade began their journey from grape to glass in climates warmer than the Northern Rhône valley. Such wines tend to be less earthy, with more new oak influence, plush fruit, softer tannin structure, an alcohol-driven richness and a peppery finish. While big on intensity, warm-climate Syrah can lack the complexity, balance, ageability and earth-driven nuance of classic Old World wines from Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage.

Spurred by the efforts of a group of Rhône-focused vintners that eventually came to be known as the Rhône Rangers, plantings of Syrah in California increased dramatically at the end of the last century, with harvested tonnage jumping nearly one-hundred-fold over the course of a decade, beginning in 1992. Though Syrah covers more California acreage than any other Rhône variety, the Syrah grape crush accounted for three percent of the state's total winegrape crush, according to 2010 figures from the Wine Institute.

New World vines have matured. Site selection continues to evolve. Outside of France, winemakers are climbing the steep slope of the wine-learning curve. Today, California Syrah shines in Edna Valley at Alban and at Kenneth Volk in Santa Maria Valley. Chuck Carlson, one of California's earliest Rhône champions, chose the Santa Ynez Valley as the site for Curtis' Rhône-styled wines. Beyond its varied expression along the Central Coast AVA, Syrah has also found a home in Washington State, where Christophe Baron of Cayuse makes thrilling Syrahs to rival those of his French homeland. These are gorgeous and sexy wines without a doubt, with no sluts in sight.

Syrah slammers may reject Syrahs that seem overripe or over-the-top. While that claim has some basis in reality, it is worth noting that five-alarm alcohol levels, heavy wood and intense fruitiness haven't turned American wine buyers off to Zinfandel or big Cabs, neither of which gets branded as slutty.  

Syrah's a hurting varietal right now. Seductive yet shunned, she languishes on store shelves, passed over for Pinot or some blend that's neither here nor there. Was the Australian wine glut to blame? Or was it that newer wine consumers, confused by Syrah-Shiraz or Syrah-Petite Sirah choose to simply skip it instead? Whatever the reason, cooler climate Syrahs are not only well worth your wine dollar, but will also land you better odds of picking a winner under $20 than a comparably priced Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon.

New World vintners are now finding their groove with this classic varietal, and the results shouldn't be missed. Get a piece of great value Syrah, as in the Curtis. If you're game to shell out a C-note or more, you can go home with a knockout such as Australia's Penfolds Grange, California's Alban and Justin, or Washington's Cayuse. Mid-range, look for Washington's Abeja and Reynvaan (Walla Walla), Charles Smith (Columbia Valley) and Betz (Red Mountain), among others. Go for a romp with Rhône Ranger Justin or Santa Barbara County's Jaffurs. Whether from a warm or cooler zone, Old World or New, take a little ride with the Syrah style that suits your palate.

Syrah's rich payoff will reward your efforts. Swirl, savor and begin to understand how sultry a wine can be. Just don't call her slutty.

September is California Wine Month

Even though September is half gone, you still have time to celebrate California's wine industry at festivities up and down the Golden State. Use your keyboard to take this roadtrip or find an event or tasting near you.

Photo courtesy Wine Institute of California

Just how much do you know about California's wine industry? Find out by taking this quiz based on the latest (2011) statistics provided by The Wine Institute.

Check your answers below. For each incorrect answer, your assignment is to open and share a bottle of California wine from a producer or region new to you. For each correct answer, please do the same for any of your favorite California wines.

A perfect score of 100% gives you the go-ahead to purchase or open a California wine from your special-occasion or wish list.

Good luck and salute!

1) Who is the world's fourth-leading wine producer after France, Italy and Spain?

2) True or False: California accounts for 90% of all wine made in the United States.

3) How many tourists visit California's wine regions in a year?

            a) 1 million

            b) 5 million

            c) 15 million

            d) More than 20 million

4) True or False: Over the past 20 years, the number of bonded California wineries has grown by more than 100%.

5) True or False: Most of California's 3,540 bonded wineries are family owned.

6)  What is the economic impact of California's wine industry on the state?

            a) $557 million

            b) $12.3 billion

            c) $61.5 billion

            d) $121.8 billion

7) Compared to other agricultural crops, where do California wine grapes rank in terms of statewide importance by value?

            a) #1

            b) In the top three

            c) #5

            d) Not in the top ten

8) True or False: California grows more than 110 different varieties of grapes.

9) Of California's 58 counties, how many grow wine grapes?

            a) Less than 20

            b) About half, or 26

            c) Most of them, or 48

            d) All 58

10) California wine accounts for what percent of all wine sold in the United States?

            a) 90%

            b) 75%

            c) 60%

            d) 50%

Answers:

1. California (also accepted: United States)

2. True

3.  d

4. True

5. True

6.  c (Note: Answer d is the national economic impact of California's wine industry.)

7.  b

8. True

9.  c

10. c (Note: All wine sold in the U.S. includes imported bottles.)

How did you do? Send this challenge to your wine friends by tweeting this.

Let us know what you're drinking as we raise our glasses to California wine, the pride of our Golden State.

Spicy Red: Gravity Hills Zinfandel

Wine #4 for this Wednesday is a spicy red from California's Central Coast: Gravity Hills 2006 Zinfandel. Nicknamed The Sherpa, this medium-bodied Zin has a kick of white pepper along with raspberry and blackberry fruit. Adding interest on the palate are savory baconfat and herbal flavors, perhaps with a touch of eucalyptus.

Sound inviting? How about finding it for only $8.99 at Dan's Wine Shop in Palm Desert? And it's a screwcap too, in case you want to take it with you while mountaineering this weekend per the crazy tasting notes on the winery's website.

We'd rather snap it open with pizza or pasta arrabbiata at home alongside a roaring fireplace. It's a sure pick for barbecue, chili that's not too fiery and sausage dishes.

Have you signed up yet? Don't get left out in the cold – go to the Events page at The Girlfriend Factor and get going! Girlfriend Teri's venue is alive with colors and textures from her hand-painted silk scarves and gorgeous wearable art accessories. It's going to be fantastic – see you there!