Happy Holidays From Us To You

Lisa, Alexa and I would like to wish you, your family, and friends a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous holiday season.

Dave Koz Christmas Tour

If you are long time reader of the blog you know Lisa and I are big fans of Dave Koz, he is doing a short christmas tour this year to support a his new CD of original music and jazzed up christmas standards. For those of us who are not big on christmas music Dave's interpretation of the standards will change your mind. If you like up beat jazz, you owe it to yourself to check him out.

12/12 Oakland, Paramount Theatre
12/13 Los Angeles, Wilshire Theatre
12/16 Santa Rosa, Fargo Center
12/17 Mesa, AZ , Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theater
12/18 Santa Ynez, Chumash Casino
12/i9 & 12/20 Cerritos, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

Todd's Cosmopolitan

To do this really right you need some wedge martini glasses that you place in the freezer for a couple of hours prior to making the cocktail.

1.0 part Grey Goose L'Orange Vodka
0.5 part Cointreau
0.5 part Fresh Lime Juice
1.0 part Cranberry Juice

Shake the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, then carefully pour into a martini glass. What you have is a very colorful and tasty cocktail.

Lisa's Blue Margarita

Well, this one is kind of leftover from summer, but it is colorful and tastes great. Lisa first had one of these at our favorite Mexican restaurant "The Blue Agave" in downtown Pleasanton. It has taken a bit of experimentation but here is our favorite way to put this together.

1.5 parts Tequila
1.5 parts Fresh Lime Juice
1.0 parts Blue Curacao

Shake the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, then carefully pour into a glass with or without ice. What you have is a very colorful and tasty cocktail.

Honey Mustard Dressing

We have been trying to eat a little healthier lately so I have been paying more attention to the ingredients in the food we buy, and sure enough salad dressings that you buy at the store have lots of bad stuff in them. So here is my attempt at honey mustard dressing that is actually good for you (it also taste better than the store bought stuff).

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the vinegar, honey, and mustard in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream until dressing is emulsified. I cheat on this I have a small milk foamer (very small had held blender) that I use for this.

Australian Pink Floyd

If you are a hardcore Pink Floyd fan like me, this is the next best thing to being there (given that two of the founding members of Pink Floyd have passed away) it is not likely that band will tour again. These guys are a pretty good substitue, http://www.aussiefloyd.com/


12/3/2008 (My 19th Birthday) at the Fillmore, 1805 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94115

2004 Kistler Vineyard Pinot Noir

The is one of those "Good things come to those who wait" stories. I bought six bottles of this wine two years ago without tasting it. I put it in the cellar and forgot about it (well not really). Recently we went to our favorite steak house and I decided it was time to give this wine a try. From the moment the cork came out of the bottle I knew I was in for a treat. The aroma is rich, deep and fills the room instantly. The flavors are distinctly cherry and cranberry, with a very rich mouth feel, medium body and good acid balance. The tasting notes from the vineyard say that it should hold up for the next 10 years or so, but I don't think so. I have been kind of down on Kistler for the last couple of years, they seemed to have lost what they had in the late 1990's. But after this bottle I may have to re-consider.

Emergency Fundraiser for Open Heart Kitchen

Open Heart Kitchen is 5 weeks away from closing its doors unless they can overcome a large deficit in funding for this needed program. Open Heart Kitchen provides the only free hot meal service in the Tri- Valley area for anyone in need of a nutritional meal. They also provide a weekend box lunch program for low income kids, ensuring that they have something to eat over the weekend. They also provide food staples for people to bring home - often food that has generously been donated by our local grocery stores. Sadly, this commuity food program is in dire need of funding to keep its doors open.

You can help by attending a fun evening fundraiser event at Blacksmith Square on Thursday November 20th from 5-8 PM. There will be free wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres and live music by Roger Kardinal. Program Director Linda McKeever will be on hand to discuss the program and accept your donations. Checks, cash or credit card donations are gratefully accepted. Open Heart Kitchen is a non-profit organization and your donations are tax deductible; Tax # 94-339-6038.

If you can not make it to this evening event , please feel free to go on-line and make a donation via their website at www.openheartkitchen.org. For more information about this fundraising event, please call 925-963-8019.

PinotFest 2008, A Public Tasting of a Sexy Wine

If you go to one wine tasting event this year, go to this one.

This is an extensive tasting of pinot noirs from over 50 of Oregon and California’s best producers is held from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. In addition, the afternoon features sumptuous hors d’oeuvres to complement the wines and an opportunity to meet the winemakers.

For more details go to http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/

Date: Saturday November 22, 2008
Time: 3:00 until 6:00 PM
Place: Farallon, 450 Post Street, 4th Floor
Ticket price: $100 per person.

Participating Wineries Include:
Adelsheim, Argyle, Au Bon Climat, Bonaccorsi, Brewer Clifton, Byron, Calera, Cambria, Chehalem, Costa de Oro, Domaine Drouhin, Domaine Serene, El Molino, Etude, Fiddlehead, Flowers, Fort Ross, Foxen, Freestone, Gloria Ferrer, Greenwood Ridge, Handley, Hartford, Hendry, Hitching Post, Iron Horse, J Vineyards, Keller Estate, Kosta Browne, Littorai, Londer, Lynmar, Marimar Torres, Melville, Merry Edwards, Michaud, Morgan, Patz & Hall, Paul Hobbs, Peay, Pey-Marin, Ponzi, Rex Hill, Radio Coteau, Saintsbury, Sea Smoke, Robert Sinskey, Siduri, Skewis, Soter, Talisman, Talley, Testarossa, Thomas Fogarty, Whicraft, Williams Selyem

The Next Generation Wine Tasting

Here is a great wine tasting event in San Francisco. It is for newer wine makers, in other words wine makers that have been in the business for less that twenty years. If you go make sure to try the Viader "V".

Summertime means Margarita's on the rocks

Well, summer has kicked into high gear around here. Generally that means wine consumption around Casa Kemmerling goes down and Margarita consumption goes up. Over the years I have tried nearly an infinate number of Margarita recipes and this is my favorite.

33% Tequila
33% Cointreau
33% Fresh Lime Juice

Rub the rim of the glass with the lime slice to make the salt stick to it. Dredge the glass in a plate of sea salt. Shake the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, then carefully pour into a glass with or without ice (taking care not to hit the salt).



Now all you need is a warm summer evening, a California sunset, and your honey.

Wayman Tisdale, Saturday June 28th

At the Alameda County Fair shows are at 6 and 8 PM. Okay a lot of people are now asking why do I want to go see a retired basketball player? Well he now is a very fine Jazz musician! Lisa and I have seen him perform several times and he is always great. So if you are looking for something to do next Saturday, journey up to Pleasanton and join us a the 8:00 PM show.

Strawberry Dessert Topping

This is part of a recipe from Yahoo, the main part didn't work out too well, but this is great. Goes great with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups sliced or diced hulled strawberries

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add strawberries and stir until juices begin to exude and the berries are heated through, 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Spoon over anything.

Top Ten Cabernet Sauvignon's

My friend Igor (who got me started on Pinot Noir a couple of years ago) has now picked up the Cabernet habit. He asked me to send him a list of my ten most favorite Cabernet's, which in turn gave me the idea for this post. The first thing that hit me when I started typing up the list was now many Cabernet's I have tried over the years. The second was how hard it was to narrow the list down to ten. Anyway here is the list, most are fairly rare, none are cheap, all are great.

1. Viader “V”
2. Peter Michael (Les Pavots Estate Cabernet)
3. Pride Mountain Vineyards (Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon)
4. Lokoya
5. Spottswoode
6. Pahlmeyer (Proprietary Red)
7. Dunn Vineyards(Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon)
8. Silver Oak (Napa Valley Cabernet, 1997 or earlier)
9. Opus One
10. Quintessa

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990–2005

The one true thing about Annie Leibovitz is that you like her work, or you don't. Her photos seem to provoke some intense emotions in people (me included). Depending on the photo, I am either deeply moved or deeply repulsed. For me, she seems to communicate on very visceral level. If your like me and love art that provokes an emotional response, you'll love it.

Ends this weekend at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. If you plan on going, go early because parking is a nightmare. Also be aware that some of the photos are R rated and may not be suitable for the younger folks.

Here is the blurb from the web site;

For decades, Annie Leibovitz has artistically captured the icons of popular culture with her award-winning photography. Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990–2005 looks at 200 of these photos as well as those she has taken of her family and close friends, and thus views a full “photographer’s life.” As Leibovitz says: “I don’t have two lives. This is one life, and the personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it.”Included in this exhibition are portraits of a pregnant Demi Moore, Nelson Mandela in Soweto, and George W. Bush in the White House; searing photojournalism from the siege of Sarajevo; haunting landscapes from the American West and Jordan; and personal photos documenting the birth of her three daughters and other scenes of private family life.

http://www.famsf.org/legion/

2006, Lucia Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Some history from their website; Lucia was founded in 2000, when the Pisoni family began producing several small bottlings of wines that represent their growing region, the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary, Mark and Jeff Pisoni realize that all great wines start in the vineyard. Committed to producing wines exclusively from vineyards they grow, the Pisoni family is in an ideal position to produce consistently high quality wine.

I have been drinking Lucia Pinot's for a couple of years now and they never fail to be great wines. Very intense, fruit forward, big round mouth feel. This is just what I want and expect from a California Pinot. It is a little hard to get, but worth the effort. If you see it on a wine list you can't go wrong.

Grilling Season Is Open; Seared Tuna Steaks

This is one of those idea's that was inspired by a friend. I had never thought of using cookware on the grill (e.g. pots and pans) until I saw my friend Bob making risotto on the grill. Anyway this is a quick and easy way to put that old cast iron skillet to work on the grill.

2 ahi tuna steaks (1 inch thick)
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Spray a large cast iron skillet with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle tuna steaks on both sides with salt, then sprinkle with coarsely cracked black pepper, pressing gently to adhere. Heat sesame oil in the skillet over high heat. Add tuna steaks and sear until brown outside and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer tuna steaks to platter. Tent platter loosely with foil to keep tuna steaks warm. Add soy sauce, then wine to same skillet. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture is slightly reduced, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce over tuna steaks. Sprinkle with chives.

Livermore Wine Country Festival May 3rd & 4th

Music, Wine, Food, Arts & Crafts and Beer, what more could you ask for. Pay special attention to wine booth #2 (Murrieta's Well and White Crane) and if you get a chance visit our friends at Bent Creek they are at booth #3.

http://www.livermoredowntown.com/winecountryfestival/

Mary's Pizza Shack

So it is Saturday afternoon, you have been walking around Sonoma Plaza, visiting art galleries, wine stores, cooking stores, and the various other shops that help you pass the time and spend your money. Your hungry, you want something casual, and you don't' want to spend a lot because you have reservations at the French Laundry later (costs as much as a small car, okay could be a large car if go for the 97 Screaming Eagle). The answer is (you guessed it) Mary's Pizza Shack. Mary's is your basic pizza place with not so basic pizza, pasta and salads. Friendly staff, good service, and reasonable prices. The original shack is just up the road a bit in Boyes Hot Springs. Mary and family have been quite successful, so they have a number of locations, but it still has the feel of a family owned pizza place. For locations and directions see http://www.maryspizzashack.com/.

2005, Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

This winery in my opinion is a fairly typical example of the new Napa Valley high end wineries. They have a beautiful building, on a very nice plot of land along Silverado Trail, nice people at the tasting room, nice trinkets at the gift shop, good wine to taste. All this sounds very good, and it does make for a pleasant visit, but then you take a look at the price of the wine. Way, way over the top, eighty dollars a bottle. If you read this blog very often, you have come to the conclusion that I spend most of my allowance on expensive wine. I am more than willing to pay more than is sensible for a bottle of wine that leaves me saying, "Wow, that was great". No such luck here, the wine is good, but not great. My advice, visit the tasting room, by a shirt or a hat, take a picture standing in the fountain, then buy your cabs a little further up the road.

Sea Smoke 2006 Vintage Allocation Up For Grabs

I currently have allocatons for;

2006 Ten Pinot Noir
2006 Southing Pinot Noir
2006 Botella Pinot Noir

If you would like some and are in the Bay Area, drop me a line.

PS: Yes this is one of the wines featured in the movie "Sideways" and is always very tasty.

Halleck Vineyard Release Party

At Farallon Restaurant
450 Post Street
San Francisco, CA

April 23rd, 5:00-7:30 pm

Halleck is releasing 2006 Pinot Noirs at a special event at the Farallon Restaurant. This
may be the only chance you get to taste these Estate Grown Pinots, they sell out quick!

Here is the list;

2006 Estate Grown
2006 Hallberg
2006 The Farm
2006 Clone 828
2006 Three Sons Cuvee

Ticket Price: $25.00

Rudd, 2004 Oakville Estate Proprietary Red

This is the fifth vintage from the benchland vineyard at the corner of Oakville Crossroad and Silverado Trail. These folks get a bit fanatic about the grapes, all are had picked and sorted. This is a great wine that will only get better over the next few years. The color is rich and deep, the nose is bold but not earthy. It has a great mouth feel and very long soft layered finish. And it has some Petit Verdot in the blend to pump up the flavor. What else could you want!

Caymus, 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

A friend of mine refers to this wine as a "Big F*#@'n Fruit Bomb". I think that pretty much sums it up. Great nose of cherry and plum. The tannins are a little firm for my taste, but I think if you let this age for a year it will be perfect. Very typical high end cabernet from the Wagner family. If you want a very good (not great) cab you'll like it. I am going to buy a couple and hide them away for a year or two.

Sierra Ski Report (Let's Call It A Year)

The weather is great, but the snow is not so good. Hard and fast in the early morning, very nice from about 10:00 AM till 11:30 AM, wet and heavy from then on. In addition to that I took a lift chair to the head (may explain a few things), and hard fall on some icy moguls, so I am calling it a year.

Todd's Tropical Salsa

The weather is starting to warm up and I am ready to grill anythinig. this is a perfect salsa for just about any grilled fish. I like it with grilled salmon, sea bass or tuna.

1 cup 1/4-inch pieces peeled cored pineapple
3/4 cup 1/4-inch pieces peeled pitted mango
2/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces red bell pepper
1/2 cup 1/4-inch pieces seeded tomato
1/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces red onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno chili
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Mix everything in a medium bowl; season with salt. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, tossing occasionally. Nothing can be easier.

Skiing Is Fun Again !!!!

Skiing is really fun once you learn how (the learning part can be painful). I learned how about 15 or so years ago, and got good enough that I perfer to ski black diamonds (for the non skiers this is an advanced or expert level slope). The main reason I perfer these runs is that very few people (out of everyone at the mountain) ski black. So I was set, ski black all day, avoid the nit wits and drunks, have a great day, see you in the lodge after. But then Alexa was born, didn't ski much for a few years, added some pounds, moved to the east coast (too damn cold to ski out there). Finally, Alexa grows up a little, wants to snowboard (bummer got one of those in the family), doesn't want to take lessons, so dad says he will take lessons with her (so now I can snowboard, and I had the sore butt to prove it). After a few trips she can ride most of the greens and blues (green is beginner, blue is mid level), but I now remember why I worked so hard to learn to ski well, to get off the greens and blues !!! So most ski days I was working as a blocker and traffic cop, not the most fun you can have on a ski slope. But my perserverence has paid off big time, Alexa rides black now, not quite as fast as dad, but she makes it down and has fun doing it. Pretty soon she will leave me behind in a cloud of powder and ice, but that is the fun part of being a dad, you get to watch your kid become better at something than you are.

Ginger Glazed Sea Bass

This turned out much better than I thought it would, the orignal idea comes from the yahoo recipe book, but they have way too much soy and not enough honey. This is my take on ginger glazing fish.

3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
2 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

4 sea bass fillets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a shallow glass dish, stir together the first six items. If you have the good gooey honey this can be a bit of work, but make sure you get it all blended. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. Make sure to coat both sides of the fish. I also usually put several small cuts in both sides of the fish to help the marinade infuse into the fish. Cover, and refrigerate for 45 minutes to marinate.

Heat vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the marinade (keep the marinade). Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets, I usually put them on plate and put the plates in the oven at about 180 to keep warm (and warm the plates).

Pour marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a saucy consistently. Spoon over fish, and serve.

2005 Estancia Reserve Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

This is one I would call a high value wine. Very elegant fruit and soft aromas, and very soft silky tannins on the finish. Not overly complex and easy to drink, it is not as good as the $80 pinots out there, but at a third the price, it competes. If you see it on a wine list go for it.

The perfect marriage of technology and grapes.

Silver Oak Cellars Winter Release Party

This is my favorite wine event of the year. It is being held on Saturday, February 2, 2008 from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM at both the Napa and Geyserville Estates (sadly I will be in Japan). The readers digest version of the event is all the $100 a bottle cabernet you want, food from various artisan suppliers, original works of art be created (and sold). So grab your sand chairs, a blanket, a picnic basket, your honey, and your friends and head up to Oakville Cross Road for a day of food, wine and fun.

See http://www.silveroak.com/news/release_day.html for details.

16th Annual Winter Wineland

This event takes place along the "Russian River Wine Road" in Sonoma. It is a great opportunity to taste limited production wines (hard to get), new releases and library wines (old ones). Some wineries will offer food pairings and others will have tours.

Ticket price will cover the tasting fee at all of the participating wineries for the weekend.Tickets: $50 Weekend, $40 Sunday Only, $20 for Designated Drivers. At the better (more expensive) wineries you can easily spend that much for a tasting of the better wines, so this is a great deal. This event does not take place at one location. Instead, you go from winery to winery, visiting the ones you are interested in exploring.

Designated Drivers will not be served any wine - however they may sample the food and will be offered other beverages to drink. At check-in they are given a different color wristband and a mug instead of a wineglass.

January 19 & 20, 2008 11:00-4:00 both days
111 Wineries
50 Lodgings

See, http://www.wineroad.com/winter_wineland/annualevents/1 for details.

New Years Eve In Paris

I love Paris! It never fails to surprise, entice, and truly amaze me. I have been to Paris a number of times over the last fifteen years. Every time I leave to come home, I begin looking forward to my next visit. I have tried for a long time to figure out what it is that makes me love Paris. I think I finally figured it out on the way home last Sunday; Paris is a city so deeply conflicted I can't help but love it. On one hand city loves tradition, culture, and sophistication, and on the other it loves the new, trashy, and crude. My favorite example of this is art; I don't think you can find better, more diverse art collections than those contained in the Louvre and Muse'e d'Orsay. They are truly amazing, and have something for everyone. These museums are a three minutes walk from one another, and on that walk you will find the most hideous collections of oil on velvet, plastic light up statues, and leather wear that shouldn't be worn (some truly tacky stuff). The people are conflicted as well, I have witnessed some of the most rude behavior known to man, and also the most kind and generous (on this trip a cab driver gave us a free ride).


This makes Paris a truely unique and remarkable place. Visit with an open mind, a fondness of adventure, and most importantly a sense of humor. You will be rewarded with great food and wine, kind and funny people, remarkable art and culture.

Well I really didn't write much about new years eve, but I will say that the throw one heck of party. Imagine 500,000 of your coolest friends drinking champagne, dancing in the streets and kissing everyone in sight. Not a bad way to end the year.

2005 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay

Pahlmeyer is one of our "go to" wines on a wine list. If you want something very good, and are okay spending a bit extra, this wine never disappoints. The color is pale gold, with a great scent of tropical fruit. Slightly bright acidity, but not overpowering. This wine always pairs well with rich seafood dishes. Be aware that you may get a little sediment in the bottle (they don't filter or fine). Only 3,000 cases made, so it won't last long. Rated in the low ninety's out of one hundred by all the critics (including me).

2005 Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

This wine comes mostly from the Ritchie Vineyard just outside of Forestville. Generally I like Sonoma chardonnays more than Napa Vally ones. But in this case I will have to say the Napa version of this wine is much better. I think the thing that puts me off on this one, is that the acidity is just a bit much. I tried all the tricks, let it warm to room temperature, let it breathe for an extended period, but no luck. This wine is rated by the critics a bit higher that the NV version, so I going against the grain here. Also at 15.2% alcohol, it is a bit much. Only 1,100 cases made so it most likely won't last long, but I would advise letting someone else buy it.