Pinot Noir 2007 – Estate Reserve Principal’s Choice
A Russian, a Greek and a Brit go out for dinner and drink a bottle of Pinot Noir. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but I, the Brit, do, in fact, have friends from Russia and Greece and we go out for dinner now and again.
On this occasion, we were having a twilight meal at Ristorante Barolo in the Bayview Hotel in Aptos village, so I took along a terrific bottle of wine that would go well with the restaurant’s rich Italian food—a Burrell School Pinot Noir Estate Reserve Santa Cruz Mountains called Principal’s Choice. My friends love a good bottle of wine, and this one meets all criteria.
Aromas of dark fruit with hints of applewood bacon, coriander and plums are huge on the nose; and flavors of chocolate, cherry jam and licorice are bold and enticing in this very vibrant Pinot. When the three of us take a first sip, we all agree that this new release is a well-structured wine with a gorgeous mouthfeel. One of us had lamb, another a steak, and I had a delicious eggplant dish—and the Pinot paired superbly with all three dishes. This wine usually sells for $44, but it’s on sale for $30.
Burrell School Vineyards & Winery, 24060 Summit Road, Los Gatos, (408) 353-6290. Open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. burrellschool.com.
WINE EVENTS
Michael’s on Main Tuesday Night Dinners
Michael’s on Main continues with its guest chef dinners as part of the restaurant’s ongoing Tuesday night featured food and wine-pairing. Dawn and Karl Shubert will be cooking up a storm from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Aug. 21—with a focus on Catalonia-style tapas and paella—all paired with Spanish wines. Cost: $25. Info: Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel, 479-9777. Michaelsonmain.net.
Sunset at Surf City—A Food and Wine Affair
This is a dinner market, urban picnic and community banquet all rolled into one. Surf City Vintners will be pouring their wines, and food will be available from many local vendors – all available for sale. There is no entrance fee. Guests are encouraged to bring their own plates, utensils and wine glasses in support of sustainable practices. The Faire (complete with live music) will be held in the parking lot near Copious Winery and Equinox from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18 at 427 Swift St., Santa Cruz. For more information, see the group website at surfcityvintners.com. Prudy Foxx Talks on Viticulture Guest speaker Prudy Foxx, of Foxx Viticulture, will give a talk entitled “Fine Wine Starts on the Vine” from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25 at Vino Tabi, 334 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz, 426-1809. Cost: $30 including appetizers and wine. Info: vino-tabi-wine.com.
