DINING OUT
On March 20, 2020, the
hospitality industry and
thus the experience of
discovering a great bottle
of wine at a restaurant
changed in Florida. For the
last few months, I’ve been
gathering a list of wines that
I’ve been itching to share
with people. In one way or
another, these wines have
helped me personally or our
industry as a whole cope with
the pandemic, isolation, and
maintaining some sense of
normalcy.
I want to start with a bottle
that I had tried just before the shutdown and haven’t had the
opportunity to share with anyone yet, Walter Scott Chardonnay.
About a week before the shutdown a fellow wine professional
was having a going away party. There was a small group of wine
lovers pulling out all the stops and bringing in their best bottles
that don’t often come out of the cellar. The lineup included:
2000 Rabaja Barbaresco Reserva, 2013 Soliste Pinot Noir, 2011
Marcassin Vineyard Chardonnay, Domaine Marquis d’Angerville
1er Cru Volnay, and 2007 Vallet Fréres Grand Cru Batard-
Montrachet.
This is a very geeky round of wines, so when a bottle of Walter
Scott Chardonnay was thrown in the mix it was no surprise that
other great chardonnays on the table. I found myself still thinking
about this wine weeks later. Unfortunately, they have not broken
into the Florida market just yet.
Kudos
After weeks of take-out orders only and rarely getting to talk
about wine with guests, the shutdown was taking its toll on my
spirit. And then Belle Glos and Duckhorn Vineyards stepped up to
support the restaurant industry in a big way. When I called these
wineries with an idea to pair their wines with meal kits being
prepared for takeout by Rococo Steak, they just wanted to know
how they could help. They both donated wine, gifts, wine openers,
great things about these wineries, not only because the wine is
delicious, but because the people behind the wines were there for
us when we needed them.
Belle Glos is made by Joe Wagner, son of the famous Napa Valley
winemaker Chuck Wagner. Pinot noir is Joe Wagner’s grape of
18 StPeteLifeMag.com May/June 2020
choice and at Belle Glos he
makes three outstanding
single vineyard pinot noirs:
Las Alturas, Dairyman,
and Clark & Telephone. I
comforting and uplifting like
a sunny day in St. Petersburg
or Mom’s cooking. Each
vineyard is located in a
distinct region for California
pinot noir including Santa
Lucia Highlands, Russian
River Valley, and Santa Maria
Valley.
Duckhorn Vineyards creates
the most consistently
excellent cabernet sauvignon in Napa Valley, but in addition to
their Napa cabernet, they have vineyards throughout California
and now in Washington, as well. The quality is incredible
regardless of whether we’re talking about Canvasback cabernet
sauvignon from Red Mountain, Goldeneye pinot noir from
Anderson Valley, or Duckhorn Vineyards cabernet sauvignon from
Napa Valley. Each of the Duckhorn family of wines have their own
identity, but share the common goal of expressing the best quality
wine possible no matter what it takes.
You won’t be disappointed in these:
Valley - An illuminating style of chardonnay, showcasing density
and precision. The palate spotlights evolving layers of textures
which follow the aromatic notes of lemon blossoms, with the
- Deep garnet in color with an aromatic medley of black cherry,
marionberry, ripe plum and a hint of anise. Dark fruit on the
nibs complemented by subtle notes of vanilla, cedar and a hint of
-
Lush, energetic and intense, this gorgeous cabernet begins with
aromas of blackberry, huckleberry and chocolate, as well as hints
of mint, cardamom, clove and graham cracker. On the palate it
Will Howard is Sommelier at Rococo Steak in St. Petersburg.
Wine Therapy
BY WILL HOWARD
/StPeteLifeMag.com