Page 28 - Sonoma County Gazette January 2016

Some Wines for Winter-time
Friedeman Chardonnay Lancel Creek Vineyard Russian River
Valley 2013 ~ The newly released chardonnay from Friedeman wines exudes a lemon-curd nose with honey-suckle and toasted almond. The palate is rich in acidities, pineapple, hints of coconut and bright racey acidity. Fermented in French oak with 100% fermentation. This wine has the capacity to age for four years and is also going to be an excellent food compatible wine. The richer the seafood, such as scallops, salmon, the better. For more information on Friedeman Wines, visit www.friedemanwines.com
Paul Mathew Cabernet Franc Russian River Valley Allegria
By Amy Levine
The historic Village Inn must be Monte Rio’s best kept secret. Perched above the Russian River on a side street, my dining partner and I had the place mostly
to ourselves. Last April, new owner Judy Harvey updated the decor and hired new executive chef, Christopher Ludwick, so we wanted to see how it had fared since it had changed hands. We were pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere
was warm and festively decorated for the holidays. Yes, there were white table cloths but it wasn’t overly stuffy. After all, this is the Russian River, Vacation Wonderland, where people can wander in from a day of canoeing or escaping from the kids and cozy up to a
glass of local Chardonnay. They
have an impressive Sonoma County
wine list as well as a full bar and
a gorgeous view. What could be
better?
Gustafson Cabernet Sauvignon Watchtower Vineyard Dry
Creek Valley 2011 ~ The nose of this Cabernet Sauvignon is filled with
beetroot, blackberry jam and, raspberry and spice. Flavors are tangy, earthy and herbal throughout the palate. Spices of cardamom along with ample cedar fill the palate. When pairing the 2011 vintage, red meat, game, venison, lamb or duck are in order. Decant for 45 minutes. Enjoy now through 2017. For more information on Gustafson Family Vineyards, visit www.gfvineyard.com
Thumbprint Cabernet Sauvignon Lisa’s Vineyard Top Block Knight’s Valley 2012 ~ Sweet tobacco, spice and berries comingle in
what is, perhaps, the best Cabernet Sauvignon ever produced by Thumbprint Cellars. Black cherries and brambly blackberry finishing out with an earthy mushroom forest floor finish, with the capacity to age easily for several years. Food pairings are going to be abundant as this is a perfect pairing for any red meat such as prime rib, standing rib roast or tri-tip. For more information on Thumbprint Cellars, visit www.thumbprintcellars.com.
Krohn Ports ~ The winter time is always a good time to finish a dinner or sit around the fire and enjoy a late harvest wine or port. They also pair well with chocolate, coffee, espresso and cappuccino. Krohn, which is a Portuguese port house, produces a variety of ports from ruby to late bottled vintage, vintage and tawny, each of which stands on its own and is entirely different to the other. The ruby provides ample black fruit flavors, the late bottled vintage exhibits red fruit, red licorice, black licorice and spice. The tawnies are cask- aged and duly note the years they have been aged in cask. All these ports are a wonderful winter-time beverage next to the fire.
Winter Wineland, January 16 - 17, 11am - 4pm each day
~ It’s the 24 Annual Winter WINEland. This is a great opportunity to meet winemakers, taste limited production wines, new releases or library wines. All wineries will have something on SALE for the weekend! Some wineries will offer food pairings and others will have tours. Download the program to see what each winery will offer for the weekend. Ticket price includes wine tasting. NEW this year - WineRoad will also be hosting a Breakfast with the Winemaker on Saturday Jan. 16 from 9:00-10:30. Winter WINEland does not take place at one location, you travel from winery to winery, visiting the ones you are interested in exploring. All Wine Road events are for adults only... NO ONE under the age of 21 is allowed to attend. www.wineroad.com/events/ winter-wineland/
28 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 1/16
The County Line Arugula Salad wasn’t as thrilling as the previous course. I wanted the dressing to be a bit more astringent to counter balance the sweet caramelized hazelnuts which reminded me of peanut brittle, something I’m not fond of. But the presentation was impressive with the arugula sitting on a fan of paper-thin slices of asian pears and Redwood Hill goat cheese from Sebastopol dotted throughout.
Monte Rio’s Village Inn Restaurant Locally-Sourced Perfection
Vineyard Russian River Valley 2014 ~ The tannins of the Paul Mathew Cabernet Franc have dry red plumb skin with hints of red licorice. Flavors are of tart raspberry, green papaya and burned orange rind. As this is a recently released vintage, time will reward those who are willing to allow the wine
We started out the evening with
glasses of Hartford Court, Russian
River Chardonnay which went
perfectly with the soup du jour,
wild mushroom bisque. The soup
was delicately garnished with
crunchy fried potatoes, a splash of
cream, a bit of chanterelle and just
a drizzle of something sweet. It
was delicious, locally-sourced and
seasonal. French bread was on the
table with an (and I don’t use this word lightly) adorable pat of herb butter.
to age for several more months, this wine will age still further for three more years. If pairing with food, use these flavors to your advantage and pair with sweet and or hot foods – Thai food would be great, Chinese food with a little bit of chile flake. For more information on Paul Mathew Vineyards, visit: www. paulmathewvineyards.com.
For the main course, I ordered the Butternut Squash Risotto. I’ve tasted a lot of risottos, even in Italy, and this was really delicious and a perfect antidote
for the cold weather. The arborio rice had a wonderfully chewy texture. Many risottos are impatiently cooked so the rice becomes gelatinous. This risotto was a deep saffron yellow with small chunks of butternut squash and tiny mushrooms mixed in for variety and flavor. The chef topped it with pumpkin seeds, tiny beet sprouts and a leaf of bloody dock for an amazing presentation. Almost too beautiful too eat, but I managed somehow.
My partner had the Grass Fed Beef Short Ribs from SunFed Ranch which was set on a bed of mashed potatoes, carrots and beets surrounded by an outstanding Cabernet jus. I thought the chef had mixed up our order as the ribs were ribless. But the server assured us that this was the right dish. No matter, it was so perfectly cooked you could cut it with a fork.
Other dishes on the menu were equally enticing such as whole roasted Branzino, a type of sea bass, accompanied with black-eyed peas, bacon, truffle jus and hush puppies. And for the vegetarian, baked acorn squash with grits, wild mushrooms in a balsamic porcini reduction.
Unbelievably, we still had room to share a dessert. We had a choice of apple cobbler, pumpkin cheesecake, a variety of Three Twins Ice Cream or chocolate torte. Our server confided they had one more vanilla bean crème brûlée which came with a mini chocolate eclair. I can rarely resist a crème brûlée. At one point, I even made it a life’s goal to eat crème brûlée every time I went to a new place where it was offered. But I soon nixed this idea should the experience become ho-hum. Then we shared a glass of Ficklin Port which was the sweet ending to a delightful evening.
Whether you are visiting from parts unknown or locals heading toward the coast looking for a new dining adventure, The Village Inn is a romantic gem of a destination that deserves to be experienced. They’re open for dinner at 5 pm Wednesday to Sunday. Bar & Small Plates are offered from 3 pm.
Village Inn & Restaurant
20822 River Boulevard, Monte Rio, 707.865.2304
www.villageinn-ca.com