Let's begin by wishing everyone a Happy
New Year! After the hectic holiday season, we decided to start the
year off with a little R & R. We
thought....Mexico?....Hawaii?...Key West?... And then we heard those
voices by the Bay.....about 75 miles away....beckoning to us! Fog,
rain and cold, but who cares....we would bask in the glow of the best
restaurants and wine and dine for a week in San Francisco. We "holed"
up in a heavenly room for six nights on the 29th floor of the St.
Francis that gazed out over the bay and its Golden Gate Bridge. We
selected from our list of restaurant destinations and dined out
for lunch and dinner every day. Please note our capsulated restaurant
reviews below.
Enough you say! What does this
have to do with wine? Well, in the course of our SF
dining ventures, we were reacquainted with a wine that I had a brush
with in mid November. Although just bottled and a little shady at the
time, I liked "The Prisoner" and thought it had excellent potential if
it spent just a little more time in the bottle. Also, my inventory
was set for December, and I was still dealing with the likes of such
characters as "Angus the Bull" and "The Ball Buster"! Little did I
know that Mantra was lurking in the wings. Anyway, "The Prisoner" just
started showing up in the best joints, three to be exact, and
I exclaimed to Renee...."I know that wine!" Ordered, but
"misplaced" in a line up flight of four Syrahs, "The
Prisoner" was captivating with the house made "duck and foie gras
sausage". However, "The Prisoner" was on its very best behavior when
paired with the black pepper rubbed rack of venison with aged
balsamic!!! So upon our return to Sacramento, one of
the first telephone calls I made was to the see if more of "The
Prisoner" could be released!! So here is a little background check
for you to consider -
2002
Orin Swift "The Prisoner" is produced by Dave Phinney. Dave
immediately arouses suspicion because he has named his winery by using
his father's middle name (Orin) and his mother's maiden name (Swift).
Without any professional training or wine background Dave begged for
any job he could find in Napa Valley until Robert Mondavi finally took
him off the streets. After numerous petty jobs with RM, Dave mentored
with Dean Sylvester at Whitehall Lane and really learned the biz and
the best connections and sources. "The Prisoner" has a long reference
sheet, as it has been sourced from 14 vineyard sites....many of the
very best in Napa Valley; Morisoli, Leonardini, Taplin, Tofanelli to
name a few. Certainly no pure blood, "The Prisoner" is a mongrel
composition that proves the whole is better than the sum of its parts;
53% Zinfandel, 15% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon,
10% Charbono, 7% Petite Sirah. The best way to describe "The
Prisoner" is a "fruit bomb" with finesse and breeding. Full, lush and
ripe juicy black fruits on the nose and mouthcoating on the palate, the
wine provides an adrenalin rush if you drink it now. Certainly no
hurry, but why wait when you can lock down all this charm now!! 2000
cases were produced, but only 500 are still available so it is going
fast!
Don't delay! This wine is
destined for CULT status like the C in Cell Block C!
Normally,
bail should be set much higher for a wine of this magnitude! But,
trust me, Dave is not playing you for a fool when he set the price at
$25 a bottle. And I guarantee you will become a recidivist after you
make your initial purchase from The Wine Consultant for only $21.75 a bottle!!
ORDER NOW!
ALL ORDERS WILL BE ANSWERED BY REPLY EMAIL WITH CONFIRMING INVOICE
NUMBER.
AVAILABLE TO TASTE AFTER DELIVERY THIS
THURSDAY - JANUARY 22ND.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED San Francisco
restaurants visited from January 4th to January 10th by Eric Stumpf and
Renee Kroeger of The Wine Consultant (#100-5355)
-
Farallon - 450 Post Street (between
Powell and Mason - Union Square), (415) 956-6969 - Seafood
- We like to stop here for
appetizers and cocktails, but the dinner menu is fantastic too! Black
cod sashimi and tuna tartar were memorable this time! Serious
"E-Ticket" underwater fantasy decor (Pat Kuleto)...
Slanted Door - 100 Brannan
St. (Embarcadero), 861- 8032 - Vietnamese
- Very intense, clean and
refined flavors. Spicy shrimp soup and braised short ribs are very
understated descriptions!! Will move (again!) to the Ferry Building a
few months from now.
Tadich Grill - 240 California Street
(Financial), 391-1849 - Traditional Old San Francisco
- Sit at the long counter and
enjoy great seafood classics like cioppino, hangtown fry, grilled sand
dabs, or Turbot stuffed with shrimp and crab and baked in a decadent
Newberg sauce. Old time waiters are fun to watch!
Piperade - 1015 Battery (at Green),
391-2555 - Basque
- Rustic Basque inspired
food with a California spin. Great selection of small plates; warm
terrine of sheep's milk cheese and Serrano ham, sweetbreads with
peppers, oxtail patties! Basque wine selections by Master Sommelier
Emmanuel Kemiji.
Kabuto A & S - 5121 Geary Street
(at 16th Avenue - Richmond District), 752- 5652 - Sushi
- Small and modest store
front, but considered the best Sushi restaurant in the Bay Area! Very
creative! Ceviche sushi (halibut) with fried seaweed "taco", foie
gras sushi, and incredible selection of tuna sashimi. Redefines
"fresh" fish! Sophisticated Sake selection.
Bacar - 448 Brannan Street (near 3rd. -
SOMA), 904 4100 - California Brasserie
- Late night dining and
jazz! Creative French bistro cuisine with a California slant. Over
100 wines by the glass!
Chez Papa - 1401 18th Street (at
Missouri - Potrero Hill), 824 8210 - French Bistro
- Authentic! Tiny place in
former neighborhood ice cream parlor. Lots of small plate options;
mussels with fennel (be sure to order a side of pommes frites....extra
mayo!!!), crispy whiting fillets, ratatouille, goat cheese tarts. Warm
chocolate carmel souffle. Friendly service! If the wine buzz needs
to wear off, then walk two blocks up the hill to a salon on the corner
for manicure/pedicure.
1550 Hyde Street Cafe and Wine Bar -
(at Pacific - Russian Hill), 775-1550 - Contemporary California
- Small little neighborhood
store front with a scaled down, but ambitous menu focusing on seasonal
freshness and highest quality! Good wine selections. Reasonable
pricing. Gracious service.
Campton Place - 340 Stockton Street
(Union Square), 955-5555 - French (Haute Cuisine)
- Chef Daniel Humm is
only twenty something!! Dining on art!! Our bottle of 1989 La Mission
Haut Brion was perfection with the honey glazed duckling served to
us two ways in two separate courses. Accomodating and professional
service. Very Expensive!
Bizou - 598 4th Street (at Brannan -
SOMA), 453-2222 - French Bistro
- High
energy, homey-style bistro was perfect for a rainy day luncheon! Crab
cake with blood orange and fennel. Duck liver pate with pickled
onions!! Wood burning oven thin crust pizza....Next time for the beef
cheeks or braised pork shoulder. Perfect place for nurturing!
Albona - 545 Francisco Street (between
Taylor and Mason - North Beach), 441-1040 - Italian/Slavic
- Istrian cuisine originating
from the northern Adriatic corner of Italy, but since World War II is
now Yugloslavia. Charming owner Bruno Viscovi will guide you through
his menu with recommendations and stories abound. Only ten
tables. Pastas BRAVO! Veal shank perfection! We suggest you bring your own wine. Corkage $12.
Thank you!
Eric Stumpf
Warden at The Wine Consultant
8039 Greenback Lane
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
(916) 721-WINE (9463)
OPEN: Tuesday - Friday from 11 am to 6
pm, Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
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