Dinner - Zeppolis (California)

Zeppoli's: California

     On April 21st I went to the wine and food pairing at Zeppoli's with my roommate/best friend, Lena.  Zeppoli's is a local restaurant that hosts regular wine tastings and also serves a wide range of delicious, homemade Italian food.  It was founded in October 1996 by Doris Fleming and Joe Slatterly, who aimed to cook traditional Italian dishes with an innovative twist.  It's motto, "Il benevenuto a tutto e gode," or "Welcome to everyone and enjoy," perfectly summed up the night, which was certainly very enjoyable.  The host of our dinner was Matthew Burch, who chose the theme of the evening: "West Coast Wine Showcase."

Lena and I about to start our wine and food pairing!

     The food was served family-style, which meant that we all served ourselves at a generous buffet.  Dishes included: salad, garlic bread, barbeque rolls, manicotti, teriyaki chicken, cheese and crackers, and bread and olive oil.  Additionally, we were given glasses of water to cleanse our palates in between the different wines.  The host of the dinner explained that he had purposely chosen a mix of Italian and Californian dishes in order to emphasize both the cuisine of the restaurant and the origin of the wine selection.

The food selection - a mixture of California and Italian influences.

     I've described the specific wines and food pairings below, but there are some patterns that I noticed during the dinner.  For example, the fruity white wines paired well with the buttery crackers and rich cheeses because the fruit added a sweet component to the otherwise savory food.  They were also great with the salad, which was right in line with the refreshing, cool whites.  Additionally, the red wines paired great with the tomato sauce of the manicotti and the barbeque buns, producing a pairing characterized by bold flavors.  


Pairing a Syrah with the Manicotti.

      I had a great time at this dinner, and I think it definitely helped me learn how to drink wines.  It was very interesting how certain foods completely changed the flavor profiles of the wines.  This dinner provided a useful example of how to drink wine in a more practical, day-to-day way than simply going to a tasting.  I think I have a much better idea of how to choose wines to go with a meal thanks to going to the Zeppoli's dinner.

 

The wine selection - an eclectic selection of red and white California wines.

 

White Wines

• Firesteed 2011 Pinot Gris Oregon
• Zeppoli's review: "Alcohol 12.6%.  Tropical aromas of kiwi and mango followed by falvors of perfectly-ripe summer melon and citrus.  With each return to the glass, the flavors expand on the palate with increasing complexity and texture."
• My review: I definitely smelled both the kiwi and the citrus notes in this wine.  It also tasted very citrus-y, with a hint of pear and vanilla.  It was very light and easy to drink.
• Food pairing: I drank this wine with both the salad and the olive oil bread.  I thought that both of these dishes were as light and airy as the wine, so they paired well together. 
• Lamplighter Chardonnay 2009 California
• Zeppoli's review: "Alcohol 12.6%.  Aromas and flavors of citrus balanced with tropical fruits and honey apricot notes.  With just enough vanilla oak and creaminess to know it's a California Chardonnay."
• My review: This wine smelled very musky, or old.  The taste, however, was much different.  I tasted vanilla and pear, and it was both buttery and slightly dry.  This was my favorite wine of the night.
• Food pairing: Because California Chardonnay's are typically described as "buttery," I decided to taste this wine with the buttery crackers and cheese.  I thought this pairing was an excellent complement: the fruitiness of the wine mixed with the butter of the crackers created an excellent balance between sweet and savory.
• The White Knight Viognier 2011 Clarksburg
• Zeppoli's review: "With blonde color, stone fruit aromatics dominate this blend and aromatics.  Ripe peach skin, apricots, and hints of green apple aromas lean toward flavors of the similar description.  This blend is medium weight with bright acidity to keep the finish refreshing.  A perfect summer sipper with your favorite cheeses and fresh fruit."
• My review: I had trouble identifying specific flavors in this wine; it just smelled and tasted "fruity" to me.  I think I detected green apple and pear, though.  It was very acidic.
• Food pairing: I also decided to try this white wine with the crackers and cheese.  I loved this pairing: the acidity of the wine paired very well with the buttery-ness of the crackers, which mellowed it out.  I also tried it with the garlic bread, which was ... interesting.  I'm not sure that I can fully stand behind the fruity wine and garlic pairing.
• Beringer 2011 Chenin Blanc California
• Zeppoli's review: "Alcohol 11%.  A well-balanced wine with aromas and flavors of crisp citrus, melon, and spicy ginger.  It's meant to be enjoyed with a variety of foods, from Asian and Mexican foods to a casual backyard barbecue with friends."
• My review: This wine smelled very earth-y to me, and I also detected a faint apple smell.  This wine tasted delicious: it was very citrus-y with a light acidity and slight bubbles, which made it both light and very refreshing.
• Food pairing: Because the review said that it goes well with Asian food, I decided to try this wine with the teriyaki chicken.  I thought this made a great combination: the sweetness of the wine was a good counter to the spice and the bold flavor of the teriyaki.

 

Red Wines

• Simple Life Pinot Noir 2011 California
• Zeppoli's review: "Pleasantly fruity with aromas of boysenberry, candied cherry and baked apple highlighted by notes of baking spice.  Flavors range from bright raspberry and lemon preserve to cherry cola accented with a bit of English toffee.  Moderately light bodied, the soft tannins and fresh acidity strike a nice balance, creating a light but lingering finish.  Pinot Noir easily pairs with a wide variety of foods both lighter and richer fare."
• My review: The nose of this wine was very spicy, with a strong cherry note.  I mostly tasted the intense spice flavor, but also a hint of caramel and cola.
• Food pairing: Because this wine was quite spicy, I thought I would pair it with the barbeque buns, because barbeque sauce is often a little spicy too.  This wine also paired well with the manicotti, especially the tomato sauce part.  This wine was very easy to pair.  I think it would also be good with steak or some other red meat.
• Riven Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
• Zeppoli's review: "This Cabernet Sauvignon from California is an exceptional value and a perfect interpretation of what a traditional Cabernet Sauvignon should taste like - with a good flavor profile, light and drinkable but with a good body."
• My review: This wine was very unique, because I smelled a strong cinnamon note.  It tasted wonderful: I tasted cherry, raspberry, and a slight oak-y flavor.  It was also very tannic.
• Food pairing: I did not do a good job with this wine pairing.  I decided to drink this wine with the pepper jack cheese, which turned out to be an awful combination.  Because this wine is so spicy, when it was combined with the pepper jack cheese (also spicy!) the spice was completely overwhelming and set my mouth on fire. 
• Renwood Syrah 2008 Sierra Foothills
• Zeppoli's review: "The 2008 Syrah has classic aromas of berry jam and truffle.  The wine has medium tannins, a refreshing acidity and a long finish.  The fruit flavors dominate, and the oak character is subdued.  This is a nice example of Syrah grown in the Sierra foothills."
• My review: This wine smelled heavily spicy with a strong blackberry scent.  Those same two flavors were also evident when I tasted the wine.  This wine was very tannic, so much so that my lips actually puckered when I first sipped it.
• Food pairing: At this point in the dinner, all I had left was manicotti and barbeque buns, but these proved to work well with this particular wine.  The tomato sauce of the manicotti and the barbeque meant that this pairing was full of bold flavors, which complemented the spicy, tannic wine very well. 
• Cypress Vineyards 2010 Merlot Central Coast California
• Zeppoli's review: "Alcohol 13.5%.  80% Merlot, 16% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Syrah.  A garnet red color of medium density with hues indicative of full maturation.  Fruit aromas of cherry, raspberry, and passionfruit are complemented by a bouquet of toasted oak and cocoa powder.  A large portion of Malbec in the blend increases the fruit signature with a hibiscus character.  The round texture and comfortable weight of this wine is followed by a sweet, mature finish.  2010 Cypress Vineyards Merlot would pair wonderfully with beef filets with a red wine sauce or barbequed ribs.  This wine can be enjoyed in its youth or cellared up to five years."
• My review: This wine smelled very warm and inviting, as strange as that sounds.  It reminded me of Thanksgiving dinner.  This wine tasted very acidic and tannic, with notes of red fruit and a serious mouth-puckering characteristic.
• Food pairing: The food pairing sort of devolved at this point, because all I had left was a little bit of cold manicotti.  It tasted fine with the wine (as I've previously mentioned, I think red wines tend to pair well with tomato-based sauces), but I think this wine would have been much better with a red meat to mellow out the tannins.
• Trentadue 'Old Patch Red' Lot #34 2010 California
• Zeppoli's review: "The 2010 Old Patch Res Lot #34 is compromised of 41% Zinfandel, 25% Syrah, 24% Carignane, and 10% Petit Syrah.  This is a delicious "bistro" style blend with abundant jammy berry flavors, black cherries and plums.  Peppery and spicy with a long juicy finish.  Named in honor of the original 1896 estate plantings, this is very typical of the field blends traditionally produced by the Italian farming families that settled in Sonoma County in the early part of the 20th century.  This versatile wine has rich, plummy fruit with hints of vanilla and red cherries."
• My review: This wine smelled very smoke-y to me.  It tasted like cherry and blackberry, but with an appearance of the Oak Monster.  This wine was also very tannic and spicy, with a surprisingly strong acid component.
• Food pairing: I was unfortunately out of food at this point, so I can't say that I personally was able to make a pairing with this particular wine.  However, like the other red wines I tasted, I think this wine would also be great with a steak or some sort of red sauce.  It would also be good with a dark chocolate dessert.