Last week the San Francisco Wine Center sponsored a tasting
at Ben Shemano Jewelry, a beautiful second-floor showroom in Union Square that
specializes in antique and custom jewelry. For collectors of the finer things in life,
the focus of the evening was on fine wristwatches from designers including
Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Audemars Piguet. For the group of about 30 people I helped pour an
array of wines from around the world and shared stories about winemaking and
travel. We even learned that the late owner of Pride Mountain Vineyards in Napa
Valley was a former dentist. Wonder what toothpaste he’d recommend for wine
stains? He actually wasn’t a practicing dentist but a consultant who advised
other dentists on how to optimize their office layouts.
From the white wine drinkers we found many Sancerre lovers
and even converted some to Riesling fans. It was a warm evening in San
Francisco and many opted for the cold ones. We encountered those who thought
Riesling was always sweet, so we educated them on the various styles of
Riesling and the labeling term used to denote ‘dry’ in German, which is
‘trocken.’
Red wine fans enjoyed classic west coast examples of Pinot
Noir, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel, plus a Chilean blend dominated by Cabernet
Sauvignon. A couple of magnums dared to impress bold palates and showed how the
right amount of air can make a wine open up.
Inevitably, with an even number of wines it’s easy to find
yourself comparing. 2 whites, 2 reds, 2 magnums. The Sancerre had a flowery nose and a rich palate. The
Riesling had the distinct petrol nose that developed into stone fruit, followed
by beautiful citrus and orange blossom on the palate. The Oregon Pinot Noir was
earthy and leathery, while the Napa Petite Sirah had a flowery but smoky nose
with spice, lead pencil and roses on the palate. The two magnums couldn't be
more different; the Brown Zinfandel was immediately rich, fruity and lush,
while the Chilean blend was super tight, smoky and herbal at first, eventually
opening up to reveal warm spice, red fruit, and an herbal forest. I found this one to be the most interesting,
particularly as it evolved over the course of the evening.
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Wine List
- Gitton Sancerre 2012 - France
- Peter Jakob Kuhn Riesling Trocken 2010 – Germany
- Provocateur Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2003 - Oregon
- Pride Petite Sirah Napa Valley 2003 – California
- Brown Estate Zinfandel Napa Valley 2006 – California (Magnum)
- Primus The Blend Colchagua Valley 2008 – Chile (Magnum)
Bites from The City Kitchen complimented the wines and provided a wonderful appetizer to later dinner plans. For some, the jewelry was dessert.
