Belle Farms Oil Makes Great Gift: Nice touch, the little take-away gift for guests at last week's Farm to Table winemaker dinner at Sesnon House. A little bottle of Belle Farms extra virgin olive oil turned out to contain a peppery, delicious oil made from orchards right here in the Santa Cruz Mountains foothills. The olive oil is one of the delicious products from Belle Farms, a family-run seven-acre sustainably farmed orchard planted 14 years ago. The results are fresh and zesty, conveying a new world assertiveness through Tuscan olive varieties. I'm thinking a bottle of locally-made Belle Farms olive oil would make a terrific souvenir holiday gift, especially since these oils are available all over the place at stores such as Staff of Life, New Leaf and Deluxe Foods, as well as at the Saturday Aptos Farmers Market.
New Wines in Old Favorite: Great to see the old favorite wine bar growing more vibrant by the week. A newly updated wine list at Pizzeria Avanti brings much to like, especially a gorgeous 2010 Villa de Geggiano Chianti ($11) that was born to meet up with red sauce. Obviously this is a go-to partner for the extraordinary house meatballs and reginetta pasta dish. But we found it a bold match for the “Avanti,” a pizza graced with a delicious, thin, crisp crust—prosciutto, tomato sauce, Parmigiano reggiano and a liberal topping of baby arugula. Owner Jeremy Federico also now offers a robust 2011 Cantine Valpane Barbera for $8 a glass. Total bargain! Come on over. And yes, they do serve breakfast on weekends from 8am-2pm.
Beauregard Report: André Beauregard, the latest of the multi-generational Beauregard winemaking dynasty, has created a vintage 2012 wine that is very holiday table-friendly, a red blend called Monarch, under his festive red and gold West Cliff Wines label. For $14.99 this is a lot of easy access wine, a well-made 13.9% alcohol creation of Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that offers up plenty of berries, spice and soft tannins. Get a case and feel smug about the upcoming holiday meals.
Meanwhile, brother Ryan of Beauregard Vineyards has released a lively 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles, on offer at Shoppers Corner for $13.99—ah, that consumer-friendly bargain wine rack at Shoppers! Bright and citrusy on first sip, it opens into limestone and chestnuts, with a crisp mineral finish. The 13.5% alcohol makes this an obvious choice for either a Dungeness crab course or that baked ham with sweet potatoes.
Muns Vineyard Updates: Ed and Mary Muns write to tell me that they have completed a 40-ton harvest of estate Pinot Noir, and just last month harvested 3.5 tons of Syrah. Yes, that is a lot of grapes. “This has been an incredible harvest,” they are thrilled to report. “One of the best ever.” Muns’ celebrated pinots have long been a smart choice for holiday tables, and if you need more convincing before you select your Christmas and New Year’s libations, you will want to sample Muns Vineyard wines on Sunday, Dec. 1 at VinoCruz, from 2-5pm. Here's a chance to try the new 2010 Pinot Noir, among other vintages. The $10 tasting fee for VinoCruz events is waived with the purchase of a bottle of Muns wine—now that's a sweet prospect. VinoCruz, 725 Front St., in downtown Santa Cruz (next to Lulu's Octagon and Annieglass); (831) 426-8466.
