Live, from Boston, it's Stepping Stone

It's been a long time since my bedtime was such that I'd watch Saturday Night Live...or do anything else but sleep at 11:30 p.m. So I wasn't a likely prospect to be one of 6 East Coast bloggers sampling the new release of Stepping Stone wines from Cornerstone Cellars. But a misread of the times on the email (missed that the 8:30 time was for the folks at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla) let me to sign up for what turned out to be a late night tasting. Oh happy mistake--with the help of Jodi and some of the friends she recruited, we had a good time and sampled some very nice wines. This tasting was part of the Taste Live program, whereby wine bloggers sample a selection of wines and tweet their comments at a designated time.

I can't recall whether or not I've tasted Cornerstone Cellars wines, but their primary label includes Cab from Howell Mountain, so needless to say like many Napa stars it comes with a price tag beyond my usual range. So they also now produce the Stepping Stone label, with the goal of creating "memorable wines at Wednesday night prices" as they put it.

They have definitely hit the mark in terms of making good quality wines for the Stepping Stone label, and this lineup is relatively affordable by Napa standards. With prices ranging from $16-$35, they are not strictly speaking within my typical Wednesday night wine budget. But I would definitely consider them good values overall--the Sauvignon Blanc and the Syrah are the 2 I'd be most likely to pick up at the wine shop. Here's the summary of my tasting notes and some of the comments of our guests. With the exception of the Rose, they are all single varietals made from Napa Valley fruit.

2009 Stepping Stone Sauvignon Blanc, Cuvee Musque ($16) Light bouquet, I first tasted grapefruit and pine. Good structure, but the acidity was calling out for food--wished I'd had some pesto to go along with it. I did have guacamole and some goat cheese on hand--and nibbling this along with the SB definitely made me enjoy it more...not sure if it was just the effect of the food, and/or breathing a tad, but it definitely improved as I sipped more. I'd buy this to go with pesto for sure. The Cuvee Musque is a Sauvignon Blanc clone--I need to learn a little bit more about this, stay tuned...

2009 Stepping Stone Corallina Red Hills Lake County Rose ($16) People couldn't get their nose out of their glasses on this one, the bouquet alone was intoxicating! I got a touch of raspberry jam on this along with some dusky tones in the background. Definitely another good value. This one is a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah.

2009 Stepping Stone Syrah ($20) This was perhaps my favorite, definitely felt it was the best value. This Syrah had a woodsy aroma, soft on the palate with nice cherry fruit, well-structured. Friends were picking up clover and cinnamon on this one. Really nice mouthfeel. This could work well with a lot of meat dishes.

2008 Stepping Stone Cabernet Franc ($30) Alas, it was well past midnight when I sampled this one, and the key phrase I get from my notes is "tasty". This has a lot of flavor and improves in the glass...it's only one of the lineup where I'd say it would do better with a bit of aging or decanting, as the breathing time in the glass rounded things out nicely. Wish I had another bottle to try it at a more reasonable hour...

2008 Stepping Stone Cabernet Sauvignon ($35) This was an interesting wine. I got vanilla tones along with berry fruit, and a nice long, pleasing finish. Other folks here used the term "sweet" to describe it. I usually think of a cab when I'm eating steak or some other such hearty fare. But this one was very pleasant to sip, but the vanilla/sweet element makes me think it might not do too great with steak. I'd be happy to drink more of it if it were given to me, but considering the price, it didn't compare well for me compared the rest of the Stepping Stone lineup in terms of value.

Overall, I'd say these are all good quality wines. Sometimes a tasting like this generates a consensus favorite, but different wines appealed to different group members. I'd say that's an indication that everything was of good quality and it was more a matter of personal preference as to what people picked as a favorite.

The ones that come in at $20 are values I'd definitely consider buying. While I enjoyed the two that were over $30, I feel I might do better for the same price on other wines (thinking about a number of good bottles I've had from the Pacific Northwest lately). I'd also be interested in trying something from the Cornerstone lable following this tasting...I'd even sign up for another 11:30 p.m. tasting!

Full disclosure: these wines were sent as a complementary sample from the winery as part of the Taste Live program.

Cooking for the Cause: Tasting Menu with Recipe Links

OK, once again I found myself "cooking for the cause"--blending my day job @ Social Capital Inc. with my interests in food and wine. A logical combination, given the central role food and feasting plays in cultures around the world. As Michael Pollan said in Omnivore's Dilemma, "A community's food preferences reflect one of the strongest social glues we have." In this spirit, about 20 friends, neighbors and supporters came to enjoy a Sunday afternoon of good company and conversation.

I promised our guests to post the menu with recipe links, so here it is along with a few comments about the food and wine.

Preliminary Nibbles, Part 1

Crostini with Pesto

Pate L'Orange

Spicy Dip & Chips

Wine Pairing: A Pair of Picpouls

2009 Domaine Felines Jourdan

2009 Saint-Peyre

Picpoul Blanc is a white grape varietal featured in these Picpoul de Pinets from the Languedoc region in Southwestern France. This refreshing wine made a nice pairing for pesto, which I elaborate on here.

Preliminary Nibbles, Part 2

Tomato & Mozzerella Skewers with Balsamic-Basil Dipping Sauce

Wine Pairing: 2009 Chateau La Moutete Rose Reserve 2009

Thanks to Pairings for donating this pairing, and their help with putting together the other pairings as well. The recipe link above also has info on the very tasty rose.

First Course

Shaved Raw Asparagus Salad with Pecorino Dressing

This salad recipe from Food & Wine has fast become a spring standby for us!

Wine Pairings:

2009 Guidobono Roero Arneis

Arneis is white Italian grape native to the Piedmont. It did well with the difficult to match asparagus, with a big assist to the wine-friendly cheese in the dressing!

Second Course

Harissa Chicken with Green Chile and Tomato Salad

Wine Pairing:

2007 WillaKenzie Estate Willamette Valley Gamay Noir

This Gamay is a very special wine--there were only 5 cases available in MA, all @ Pairings, and that supply has dwindled rapidly. Made with the grape featured in Beaujolais, but with a style more like pinot noir, the wine is delicate but complex, cherry fruit and interesting spice. That spicy element worked nicely with the chicken, which definitely had some kick! (another Food & Wine recipe worth trying)

Third Course

Lime-Cilantro Marinaded Pork Tenderloin

Served with Chipotle Cream and Sweet Potatoes Mashed with Sage-Cumin Butter

Wine Pairing: 2007 Helix Columbia Valley Merlot, from Reininger

OK, Food & Wine gets credit for the ideas behind the first two courses, but the pork & sweet potatoes are my creation--and a pretty good one at that. A medium bodied Merlot will often be a good match for pork, this one has more of a spice element to it as well as big fruit, which helped it pair with the cumin and cilantro flavors.

Guest Post: Tomato & Mozzarella Skewers with Balsamic-Basil Dipping Sauce

This guest post comes from Ray Schaefer, who along with his wife Lori recently opened Pairings Wine & Food in Winchester, MA. He's providing this pairing as part of a tasting event in support of Social Capital Inc. later today.

At Pairings we seek combinations of wine and food that enhance one-another. While great pairing is an inherently personal thing, we find a commonality in many pairings. A good example is today’s pairing of tomato and mozzarella skewers with a fresh rosé from Provence…see what you think.

Ingredients for 20:

2 handfuls fresh basil leaves

ground black pepper to season

2 tsp. capers, drained and rinsed

4 oz. mozzarella cut into 20 pieces

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

20 grape tomatoes

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Basil leaves torn into 20 pieces

3 tbsp. olive oil

20 toothpicks

Make the sauce: Put first 6 ingredients (basil through pepper) in blender and process until smooth.

Can be made and refrigerated beforehand.

Prepare skewers & serve: Skewer a tomato, piece of basil, and piece of mozzarella onto one end of a toothpick. Serve with dipping sauce.

Wine Pairing:

Chateau La Moutete Rosé Reserve 2009,

Provence, France. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault & Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% alcohol. This salmon colored rose is a classic Provencial Rose, dry, with a beautiful nose and long on the palate. Don't let the light color fool you, this wine is delicious, with bright ripe fruit and good acidity; a good wine to drink by itself or pair with many foods, such as these tomato & mozerella skewers.