Fred Peterson was Here

Last week we had another wine dinner at Ursula's Wine Bar and Cafe in beautiful downtown White Bear Lake (did I mention I owned it) with Fred Peterson of Peterson Winery in the Dry Creek Valley of Northern Sonoma County. Fred is one of the good guys in the wine business, he's gracious, knowledgeable, fun and makes great wine. We started the evening with his Zero Manipulation which is mostly carignane, it was a bit tart at the start but with food it shaped up nicely. The first course was a roasted mushroom and housemade boursin tart, a lovely way to start the evening and it was paired with Peterson Sangiovese. The combination was stellar with the mushroom and the sangiovese complementing each other perfectly. Grilled peach and bleu cheese with strawberry balsamic paired with Fred's Tradizionale Zinfandel came next and the peach, blue cheese and zin was a delightful flavor combination. The Dry Creek Zinfandel was served with reddened catfish, lime and watercress. The pairing worked beautifully, the zin did not overpower the catfish and the catfish stood up to the zin. We finished with smoked venison tenderloin, wild rice-apple salsa and micro herbs and a glass of Peterson Cabernet Sauvignon. The cab was outstanding, soft and luscious, dark cherry flavors and a satisfying finish. The venison was perfect, nice and tender and the salsa and herbs was a winning dish. Fred is such a nice man and his wines are great, add a little food and what could be better.

Dinner with an Aussie

On occasion at the restaurant (Ursula's Wine Bar & Cafe in case you have forgotten) we entertain visiting winemakers with 5 course dinners and wines paired with the course. April 6 we were fortunate to have Stuart Blackwell from St. Hallett in the Barossa Valley in Australia as our guest. The winemaker dinners are fun, the winmaker generally has great stories, terrific insight and he shares his take on how to make great wine. We started the evening with an olive and sundried tomato tapanade pair with Poachers Blend. Poachers Blend is semillon, sauvignon blanc and riesling. There is just a touch of sweetness. It made a wonderful aperitif with the semillon shining in the blend. A spicy mango shrimp served with riesling was up next. The reisling was fairly dry but was a great match for the shrimp. Gamekeepers Reserve is a blend of shiraz, grenache and touriga nacional. A wee bit lighter red that was served with chicken pot pie to which was added tomato, red pepper and sweet potato to meld better with the red and I must say it worked beautifully. The Faith Shiraz was simple and straight forward. It was controlled and very drinkable. A rack of lamb with mint sauce paired very well. Finally we had a New York strip with a Yukon gold and chevre gratin and crispy leeks serve along side the Blackwell Shiraz. I loved the Blackwell. It was a classic with hints of pepper, leather and berry fruit. It was stylish and sophisticated with a rough edge. Stuart was a delightful guest, his manner and charm made for a warm evening on a chilly day.

Birthdays Come But Once a Year

As is customary, my wife had her birthday this year. We were both working at Ursula's so I didn't have to spend big bucks on a huge night out. The subdued affair was sublime yet thoughtful. Dinner was simple she had haddock and I had pasta. The haddock was pan seared and served with asparagus and risotto. It was lovely. My pasta was penne with garlic sausage and a little balsamic, keep it simple. For a birthday I think bubbles are always appropriate. We opened a split of Gruet Blanc de Noir. It's made in New Mexico and is wonderful. Crisp and clean, with teeny tiny bubbles. I marvelous reminder of summer on an unseasonably cool March night. We went home after work and watched a Thin Man movie with a bottle of O'Shaugnessy Cabernet. This is a stellar cab. Howell Mountain fruit (which I adore), a beautiful close to a delightful day.

Open That Bottle Night

Periodically the Wall Street Journal declares open that bottle night. What they are doing is giving people permission to open that bottle that they have been saving for a special occasion. Usually a special occasion never quite comes around, hence open that bottle night. I had a bottle of 2004 Domaine Serene Cote Sud Chardonnay sitting in the cellar that wasn't going anywhere. On February 28 we popped it open for dinner. Dinner was a simple pasta with sun dried tomatoes, asparagus and balsamic vinegar but the wine was outstanding. It was well balanced, the right amount of acid and the flavors were delicious. Hints of vanilla and nuance of caramel that filled your mouth and wanted to sit there all night long. I should open that bottle every weekend.

I Love My Job

I got a tough job. I talk to people, pour wine, somebody makes dinner for me every night, I have to answer the phone and people make me try wine. I know you feel real sorry for me. Ursula's Wine Bar & Cafe has a corkage fee of $7. When people bring in their own wines we charge the fee. Quite often people ask me to sample their wines. In a 2 week period in January I had the privilege to try the following wines. Auberg Pinot Noir 2006, Russian River Valley-delicious, Walnut Block Sauvignon Blanc 2007, from New Zealand it is not over the top but refined and elegant, Sterling Syrah from Napa, an 04 that was tasting wonderfully, Geyser Peak Cab 02 which was very nice, Elyse Korte Ranch Zin 2006 that was fabulous, big rich and luscious, Seghesio Old Vines Zin 02 which still had charm and fresh fruit. The highlights of my vinorific wanderings were a 2005 Clio Jumilla from Spain, the grape is monastrall and this baby was big and juicy and chewy and stunning. A customer brought in a 1998 Bryant Family Cab. Bryant is a cult wine, I've never seen one and I'm glad I got to try one, it was delicious. Joseph Phelps Insignia 2001 was a delight, I've never been disappointed in an Insignia. We did have a barker in the group, a 1998 Pine Ridge Howell Mountain Cab that was weak and flabby, it sadly had no zip or zing. I know you feel badly about all the on the job hardships I endure but I'm willing to take one for the team.

It's A Brand New Day

January 20 was a day to celebrate or commiserate. We chose to celebrate, it's better for the cash flow. At Ursula's Wine Bar & Cafe in beautiful downtown White Bear Lake (which I own in case you haven't heard) we held an inauguration dinner for those who couldn't get Wednesday off so they scrapped their plan to fly to DC. We offered a 5 course dinner with wine pairings. I always like to start with some bubbles. We chose the Gruet Blanc de Noirs from New Mexico. This is a well kept secret. Tiny bubbles, refreshing, clean taste. I love it. We served the Gruet with endive spears and cherry pecan chutney. Course two was grilled Mahi Mahi with roasted pineapple and tangerine mostarda. The wine was Andrew Rich's White Tabula Rasa. It's a blend of rousanne and gewurztraminer. It was terrific with the fish, not to heavy, but enough weight to handle the pineapple and fish. We moved on to a lamb tenderloin with roasted asparagus, squash and tomato jam. I love lamb, it was awesome, but the tomato jam stole the show. It was paired with Robert Hall Rhone de Robles. Robert Hall once lived in Dellwood, which is a 3 minute drive from the restaurant. The Rhone de Robles is a syrah, granache, mourvedre blend from Paso Robles. It married very well with the lamb. We moved on to a cheese course. All the cheeses were American. We had a 5 year old Vermont Cheddar, an Oregon Manchego and Northern Lights Blue from Minnesota. I opened a 2000 1.5 liter of Marietta Angeli Cuvee, a zin blend, for the cheese. I've had the bottle since the restaurant opened and I was worried it could take a downhill turn. It wasn't at the top of it's game but it was very good and I'm glad I could share it with our guests. We finished with an apple tart and Pacific Rim Vin de Glaciere Riesling. A great combination to finish off the evening. We were even lucky enough to have a special gust drop in. Check the photo. Stay warm (it's 4 below in Minnesota today). What are you gonna do? Have a big red for dinner, cheers.

Ring in the New

I love New year's Eve, I always have a great time. I always work that night (did I mention I own a restaurant called Ursula's Wine Bar & Cafe in beautiful downtown White Bear Lake, MN). It's one of the funnest nights we have. The chef prepares a 5 course price fixe and we pair wines with each course. I spend the night grazing and sipping. I started my night with some ahi tuna tartare. It was great, especially with Jean-Noel Haton Brut Rose. I have a special place in my taste buds for sparkling roses. The Haton is wonderfully clean and seductive. I moved on to a spinach and ricotta ravioli with saffron lobster sauce. Chef Andrew Whalen makes great ravioli and the lobster was a treat. The wine I paired with it was the Ken Wright Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir. It was a little reductive on the nose but it blew off and tasted divine, it was powerful yet demure. I finished my evening with duck breast on a golden chanterelle risotto. I love duck and this dish was marvelous, especially with the risotto. The combination was stunning and I was lucky enough to have a bottle of Turley Pesenti Zin open, wow. It was big without being over the top and the briary, brambly flavors matched the duck perfectly. I finished dinner with a raspberry truffle from the Backdoor Candy Store here in town. Paired with Chateau Reynella Old Cave 12 Year Tawny Port there was no place epicurean left to go. Cheers and happy new year.