The Iron Chevsky Wine Blog

Great dinner last weekend at Chris & Molly's (our dear friends) - Chris is a master griller and he impressed once again with his lamb chops! (pun intended). Serious winos in attendance contributed a tasty array of wines. While most of the wines delivered, the consensus seemed to be that the 1996 Clape Cornas stole the show with the lamb. I especially liked the 2002 Beaune-Greves 1er Cru burgundy from Michel Lafarge, even though it was perhaps a bit too bright and delicate for the lamb, but so satisfying, complex and charming like only an aged burgundy can! Here are the wines and dishes to salivate over: Champagne starter. Fascinating wine - a 1987 Corton-Charlemange white burgundy from Mommessin, the producer of the famous Clos de Tart grand cru - who knew he had a white grand cru! Silky texture, copper tones (color and palate), unfortunately over the hill, with oxidized notes. Still a rare treat. The '97 Brunello Poggio Alle Mura from Castello Banfi was in goo...

San Fran is so big and happening, yet finding a place that hits the spot is not necessarily a slam dunk. As I examine my inner self, I tend to gravitate toward Italian food. It's funny because French and Chinese are my favorites. Yet, for comfort, I want gourmet yet relaxed sort of a place. Italian and Spanish are just right. Plus, any excuse to drink vino Italiano is worth consideration. The other night, Rona and I found ourselves spending four hours at Beretta - in the Mission district. Just long enough to consume respectable amount of vino and still be good to drive! Terrific food, perhaps just a notch below Restaurant Delfina , but then the parking is a hell of a lot easier at Beretta. Get there early (5pm) and call in 45 min beforehand to get on the waiting list. Since our friends were interested in learning about wine, I brought a couple of special selections: a 2008 Roero Arneis from Bruno Giacosa (top Arneis in the world, from Roero area in Piedmonte) and a 2001 Bertan...

During warm days of August and September in the Bay Area, making a simple panzanella salad from fresh ingredients from my garden with a crisp glass of white wine is my late summer comfort food. Step 1. Pick heirloom tomatoes from the garden. Chop or slice. Step 2. Pick fresh basil from the garden. Chop. Step 3. Finely chop couple of cloves of fresh garlic. This is a key ingredient, just like basil - it really takes tomatoes to a whole other level. Step 4. Cut fresh buffalo mozzarella into large chunks. The quality of the mozzarella is very important. None of the cheap rubbery stuff. In the Bay Area, I find that A.G. Ferrari and Costco have excellent quality buffalo mozzarella. Step 5. Cut stale rustic bread into big chunks. Step 6. Mix everything, and dress with high-quality olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Some people like to add a bit of vinegar, but if the tomatoes are tangy enough, I'd skip. Another delicious alternative (or addition) to vinegar is lemon ...