Gloria Ferrer tasting seminar

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Troya

Well as you can imagine from reading my posts that I may not have the most patience when it comes to lectures or seminars. Doc and I ventured out to Yosemite at the Ahwahnee Hotel for their annual vintners event. First up is the Gloria Ferrer tasting seminar. Well I may have stopped listening and skipped ahead and tasted all my glasses of sparking 😉 My favorite is the NV Blanc de Noir. It’s a sparking made of Pinot grapes. Very tasty and smooth. Runner up was the 2007 Blanc de Blanc made 100 % of chard. Subtle and great alone on a warm or cold day. My least fav was their 2005 Royal Cuvée. It smells “old” is the only thing that comes to mind then it tastes too yeasty and sour to me. I do like to visit the winery when in Napa and now I’m excited to know exactly what to order when I’m there on my next visit!

Kauboi

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Troya

New restaurant that just opened in Aptos….different for the area for sure. Japanese sushi place with a fun bar. Josie our bartender was sweet but didn’t know much about the wine selection. In her defense the place is brand new so I’m going with the fact that she just isn’t familiar with the list yet because her beer and sake knowledge were great! I had a fabulous draft beer from San Diego. It was a pale ale made with Serrano chilies! Spicy at the finish and oh so tasty. Doc and I had the Kobe sliders to start. A little rare for my taste (and I like pretty rare steak) but ok. They had a wasabi aioli sauce that was good. The fries crispy and fresh(the way they should be). Fish was very fresh and local. I did not care for the shrimp tempura batter it was not my fav. Not very flavorful. All in all a decent meal with great beer and sake. I will try again to make one more assessment before I write the food off, but I will definitely be back for the beer.

Booka Revisited

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Doc

A while back Troya and I visited Booka in Aptos. We were impressed with the food, felt the drinks and wine could use some work, and were not impressed with the service. Lored back by the food, our recent experience was quite different, for the better. The food was still excellent, maybe even better. The wine list has expanded, and the service we had was great. Myles, our server, was cheerful and knowledgeable, busy but very attentive, and had great recommendations on wine pairing with our entrée. Booka has broken through, it is now a “go-to” here in Aptos.

Mexico’s Best and Puerto Vallarta

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Braxs

To celebrate by birthday my wife asked me what I would like to do. My tequila cabinet was getting low so, I suggested we go to Puerto Vallarta. Jalisco Mexico is the capitol of tequila country. Puerto Vallarta is one of my favorite places to relax and enjoy the best of Mexico. So, we got the band together and headed South. We checked into the Grand Lux in Nuevo Vallarta. The Grand Lux is located 20 Min North of Puerto Vallarta in Nayarit. There are three other resorts, that you have access to, on the property. The Grand Mayan, Mayan Palace and The Grand Blis. Puerto Vallarta has all the regular tourist attraction; parasailing, scuba diving, zip lines, ATV etc… Nuevo Vallarta has long sand beaches and the water is in the 80’s this time of year.

One of our favorite spots to visit is a little surf town 1 hour North called Sayulita. Sayulita is located on the North side of Punta Mita. Sayulita has a lot of old world charm with its cobblestone roads and traditional style building. The beaches are beautiful and the surfing is usually pretty good. On this occasion, Doc was less than please with the waves. I thought they were the perfect size for someone like me who wants to learn. The town square is the center of activity. It is surrounded by restaurants, bars and boutique shops. The prices for food and alcohol are tailored towards the locals. After a relaxing afternoon on the beach, we headed to Leyva Family distillery. Makers of fine tequila.

We were walked through the tequila making process and at the end, we were treated to a tasting. Some of the main things I learned was. There are over 600 varieties of agave. Over 400 of them are blue(Azul). The first distillation of tequila is called blanco. Tequila put in an oak barrel for up to 11 months is called Resposado. Tequila put into an oak barrel for up to 4 years is called Anejo. Like wine, there are blends and single varietals. Mexico grades the quality of tequila. So, 100% de agave could be a blend of agave and sugar cane. 100% de agave Azul could be the single varietal and better still, 100% puro de agave is tequila without any other additive such as cane sugar. Remember this and it will ensure you are getting the best quality tequila.

Tequila tasting is also similar to wine tasting. Enjoy the color and clarity, inhale the bouquet, take a sip and let is roll over you tongue. After you swallow, exhale and appreciate the smoothness.

I am always interested in a good tequila. If you come across one I would love to hear about it.

Cheers,