Show 538, August 12, 2023: Presqu’ile Winery, Santa Maria with Tim Wanner, Director of Hospitality and Sales Part One

Tim Wanner of Presqu'ile

This year the Murphy family is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the handsome Presqu’ile Tasting Room in Santa Maria Valley “where for a decade they’ve been sharing their estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Aligoté, Gamay, Nebbiolo and méthode champenoise sparkling wines.”

“The winery began in 2007, but the opening of the architecturally significant modern-meets-rustic hospitality center marked a new chapter in the Murphy’s unwavering dedication to growing, producing and sharing premium cool-climate estate wines in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley.”

“Located less than two miles from Highway 101 in Northern Santa Barbara County, the hilltop Tasting Room and encompassing ranch are designed to complement the sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and Presqu’ile’s organic vineyards, while delivering a respite for guests and wine club members. From the arrival down the private mile-long drive, to the fireside alfresco lounge spaces, every detail is designed to create lasting memories for guests.”

“Wine should be inspiring, joyous and relaxed, so we share our wines with enthusiasm but without pretense,” says Matt Murphy, Presqu’ile’s president. “We like to think of it as an elevated wine experience steeped in our family’s tradition of laidback Southern hospitality.”

Since opening, the estate’s guest experiences have evolved and expanded. Presqu’ile now offers five different guest experiences open to the public. The Wine & Food Experience, for example, features a curated tasting flight paired with Chef Julie Simon’s Mezze Picnic. “Chef Julie’s menus are crafted from the winery’s organic one-acre vegetable and herb garden and feature the seasonal bounties of the Santa Maria Valley’s top purveyors.”

Another standout experience is the “Wine & Food Tour which includes a private walking tour through Presqu’ile’s wine caves, the winery and up to their estate hilltop pond. Guests then settle into a private, 5th floor lookout terrace for a sumptuous food and wine pairing while taking in the unobstructed views of the vineyard, the San Rafael Mountains, Solomon Hills, and Pacific Ocean.”

Tim Wanner, Presqu’ile’s Director of Hospitality and Sales, joins us to gently pull the cork on all that is Presqu’ile.

Show 538, August 12, 2023: Presqu’ile Winery, Santa Maria with Tim Wanner, Director of Hospitality and Sales Part Two

Tim Wanner of Presqu'ile

This year the Murphy family is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the handsome Presqu’ile Tasting Room in Santa Maria Valley “where for a decade they’ve been sharing their estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Aligoté, Gamay, Nebbiolo and méthode champenoise sparkling wines.”

“The winery began in 2007, but the opening of the architecturally significant modern-meets-rustic hospitality center marked a new chapter in the Murphy’s unwavering dedication to growing, producing and sharing premium cool-climate estate wines in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley.”

“Located less than two miles from Highway 101 in Northern Santa Barbara County, the hilltop Tasting Room and encompassing ranch are designed to complement the sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and Presqu’ile’s organic vineyards, while delivering a respite for guests and wine club members. From the arrival down the private mile-long drive, to the fireside alfresco lounge spaces, every detail is designed to create lasting memories for guests.”

“Wine should be inspiring, joyous and relaxed, so we share our wines with enthusiasm but without pretense,” says Matt Murphy, Presqu’ile’s president. “We like to think of it as an elevated wine experience steeped in our family’s tradition of laidback Southern hospitality.”

Since opening, the estate’s guest experiences have evolved and expanded. Presqu’ile now offers five different guest experiences open to the public. The Wine & Food Experience, for example, features a curated tasting flight paired with Chef Julie Simon’s Mezze Picnic. “Chef Julie’s menus are crafted from the winery’s organic one-acre vegetable and herb garden and feature the seasonal bounties of the Santa Maria Valley’s top purveyors.”

Another standout experience is the “Wine & Food Tour which includes a private walking tour through Presqu’ile’s wine caves, the winery and up to their estate hilltop pond. Guests then settle into a private, 5th floor lookout terrace for a sumptuous food and wine pairing while taking in the unobstructed views of the vineyard, the San Rafael Mountains, Solomon Hills, and Pacific Ocean.”

Tim Wanner, Presqu’ile’s Director of Hospitality and Sales, continues with us gently pulling the cork on all that is Presqu’ile.

Show 407, January 9, 2021: Christopher Buchanan, Winemaker & Proprietor at Terragena Vineyard, Humboldt County Part One

Chris Buchanan of Terragena Vineyard“Are you fascinated by the margin between art and science? That wild edge where creativity and beauty sprout? That’s what wine is for Winemaker and Proprietor Christopher Buchanan at Terragena Vineyards (Craft Wine certified) in Northern California. He believes both creating and enjoying wine is an intrinsically personal and complex experience.”

“Chris explores and strives to understand the complex components, step by step, while building Terragena, a completely off-grid, sustainable vineyard and winery located in the rugged hills of Humboldt County. Terragena partners with small, family-owned vineyards to produce wine that has been tenderly loved from start to finish.”

“Terragena is dedicated to building a strong network of small producers committed to eco-friendly methods who will succeed as they have, while also nurturing an experimental Pinot Noir vineyard in a unique, viticulturally unexplored location.” The winery is completely solar powered and the water source for irrigation is rainwater stored in an on-site pond.

Terragena Vineyards produces small lots of hand-crafted Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Rose of Pinot Noir, single vineyard Pinot Noirs, Barbera and Nebbiolo. Craft wineries operate on thin margins. Best to source their fine wines directly from the Winery so more of the purchase price stays with Terragena.

Chris Buchanan pulls the cork on Terragena Vineyard for us.

Show 407, January 9, 2021: Christopher Buchanan, Winemaker & Proprietor at Terragena Vineyard, Humboldt County Part Two

Chris Buchanan of Terragena Vineyard“Are you fascinated by the margin between art and science? That wild edge where creativity and beauty sprout? That’s what wine is for Winemaker and Proprietor Christopher Buchanan at Terragena Vineyards (Craft Wine certified) in Northern California. He believes both creating and enjoying wine is an intrinsically personal and complex experience.”

“Chris explores and strives to understand the complex components, step by step, while building Terragena, a completely off-grid, sustainable vineyard and winery located in the rugged hills of Humboldt County. Terragena partners with small, family-owned vineyards to produce wine that has been tenderly loved from start to finish.”

“Terragena is dedicated to building a strong network of small producers committed to eco-friendly methods who will succeed as they have, while also nurturing an experimental Pinot Noir vineyard in a unique, viticulturally unexplored location.” The winery is completely solar powered and the water source for irrigation is rainwater stored in an on-site pond.

Terragena Vineyards produces small lots of hand-crafted Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Rose of Pinot Noir, single vineyard Pinot Noirs, Barbera and Nebbiolo. Craft wineries operate on thin margins. Best to source their fine wines directly from the Winery so more of the purchase price stays with Terragena.

“The Terragena Vineyard team, headed by winemaker and vineyard proprietor Chris Buchanan, crafts limited production wines with the same spirit of adventure that first led them to build their off-grid vineyard in Humboldt County. Chris was inspired by the ruggedly beautiful hills, forests, and meadows around area to create wine that expresses these characteristics of the land without any added fluff or distraction. Terragena is a latin word meaning “born of the earth.” Terragena is dedicated to sustainably expressing the unique characteristics of their estate vineyard as well as their diverse partner vineyards by nurturing the wine from the earth to the bottle.”

Chris Buchanan rejoins us as he pulls the cork on Terragena Vineyard’s Nebbiolo from Lost Coast’s Dragon Vineyard for us.

Show 150, December 12, 2015: Ray Magnussen, Lechuza Winery, Guadalupe Valley, Baja

Ray Magnussen One of the promising, up-and-coming wineries in the Guadalupe Valley in Northern Baja is Lechuza, founded in 2005. It’s owned by Ray Magnussen (with his wife, Patty) who is also the hands-on winemaker. They are Americans.

“Lechuza” is Spanish for “burrowing ground owl.” This bird frequents the Lechuza vineyard property. The modest vineyard estate is adjacent to Laja, one of the most well-reviewed restaurants in Baja, California.

Lechuza currently offers Lechuza Amantes (Blend), Lechuza Cabernet Sauvignon, Lechuza Nebbiolo, Lerchuza Merlot, Lechuza Tempranillo and Lechuza Grenache Rose. The Amantes is also affectionately known at the winery as “The Wedding Blend.” When the Magnussen’s daughter was married she chose the Amanates to serve at the reception.

The winery and tasting room at Lechuza is open to visitors by appointment. The Magnussen’s particularly look forward to welcoming American guests.

Other restaurants in the Valley that the Magnussen’s recommend are Deckman’s En El Mogor, Finca Altozano and Hacienda Guadalupe.

Their wines are conveniently available on-line via their San Diego-based distributor LMAwines.com

We’ll meet Ray.

Show 60, February 8, 2013: Allan Stark, San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles

LA Cetto WinesDid you know there is a burgeoning wine industry in Mexico? Finally some of these affordable wines are finding their way into the United States. Shouldn’t a fine Mexican restaurant also offer premium Mexican wines?

One of the premier grape growing areas of Mexico is in the Guadalupe Valley (and adjacent valleys) located in Northern Baja California. It has the rural feel of the flat areas of Sonoma County from 40 years ago.

The predecessor wine interests of L.A. Cetto were established in Baja by Italians in the late 1920s. In 1960 L.A. Cetto acquired their first vineyards in the Guadalupe Valley. Today they have some 2,500 acres in the Valley under the stewardship of the 3rd generation of the Baja-based Cetto Family. They are the largest producer of table wines in Mexico.

L.A’s own San Antonio Winery (dating to 1917) is the distributor of L.A. Cetto wines in Southern California. Allan Stark, a 25-year veteran of San Antonio Winery joins us to tell the L.A. Cetto story and discuss some of their premium reserve wines including Nebbiolo, Chardonnay, and a Brut Sparkling wine.

L.A. Cetto wines are on the wine list at Loteria! Grill in Hollywood, Mariasol Cocina, and Camacho’s Cantina at Universal CityWalk.

They are available at the San Antonio Winery retail store as well as at better beverage shops.

February 8: Caroline Styne, San Antonio Winery, Andrew Gruel, Brad A. Johnson, Paul Gstrein, Linda Kissam

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Caroline Styne, Wine Director and Partner, Lucques, A.O.C., The Tavern, and The Larder
Segment Three: Allan Stark, San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles
Segment Four: Andrew Gruel, Executive Chef & Partner, Slapfish
Segment Five: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic, Orange County Register
Segment Six: Paul Gstrein, Executive Chef, Bayside Restaurant
Segment Seven: Linda Kissam, Food, Wine & Travel Journalist, 1st Vice President, IFWTWA
Segment Eight: Jet Tila on Manhattan Dining

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Valentine’s Day is next week so get moving and don’t panic. It falls on a Friday this year. Friday is an especially tough day for restaurants due to Valentine’s Day anxiety so if you want to be a bit more relaxed make your plans for Saturday or Sunday instead. Still the Valentine’s Day orbit but a bit less crazed for the restaurant. You’ll definitely have better service…

Chef jet Tila and Alton BrownFood Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” with host Alton Brown is back on Sunday nights for Season 2. Our own Chef Jet Tila is the most frequently appearing solo judge on this tough competition show that requires strategy as well as cooking chops. Look for Jet’s new episodes starting in February.

It’s the Winter Olympics in Sochi and a classic Newport Beach restaurant is serving a special Olympics-themed menu for the duration. We’ll go inside the menu with the creative executive chef. Caroline Styne is the partner and Wine Director (with Chef Suzanne Goin) in Lucques, A.O.C. and Tavern in West Hollywood and Los Angeles. We’ll talk with her and get insight on how you keep a firmly established and growing restaurant group fresh for the dining public. We’ll also hear the story of Slapfish which started as a modest food truck and now is a growing international empire. Did you know there is an emerging wine region in Northern Baja? You’ll learn about a promising winery in the Guadalupe Valley founded by Italians. Brad A. Johnson, the restaurant critic for The Orange County Register, joins us to talk about letter grades for restaurants. We’ll also have a visit with travel journalist Linda Kissam, who was recently in Spain touring the wineries representing the 50 best Cavas produced there.

All of that and lots more incredible deliciousness on the “SoCal Restaurant Show.”

Caroline StyneCaroline Styne had an extensive background in specialty food products, catering, and restaurant management before partnering with Chef Suzanne Goin to open Lucques in 1988. In December of 2002, Goin & Styne opened their second restaurant, A.O.C., where the concept of small plates and fifty wines by the glass was born out of their shared passion for going out and sampling a variety of appetizers and intriguing wines. A.O.C. relocated to the face-lifted former Orso space about a mile West on 3rd Street in late 2012. Styne is the Wine Director for all the restaurants.

Tavern, in Brentwood, followed in May of 2009. It offers fine dining all day along with The Larder which has gourmet prepared foods and packaged goods. There is a new Larder at Burton Way in the luxury 8500 Burton Way Apartments on the border of L.A. and Beverly Hills as well as at LAX.

Styne contributed the helpful wine notes to Suzanne’s The A.O.C. Cookbook.

“And because wine and cheese are at the heart of A.O.C. there are two exciting additions. Caroline Styne presents a specific wine pairing for each dish. Styne explains why each varietal works well with the ingredients and which flavors she’s trying to highlight, and she gives you room to experiment as well – showing how to shape the wine to your own palate. Whether you’re just grabbing a glass to go with dinner or planning an entire menu, her expert notes are a real education in wine.”

LA Cetto WinesDid you know there is a burgeoning wine industry in Mexico? Finally some of these affordable wines are finding their way into the United States. Shouldn’t a fine Mexican restaurant also offer premium Mexican wines?

One of the premier grape growing areas of Mexico is in the Guadalupe Valley (and adjacent valleys) located in Northern Baja California. It has the rural feel of the flat areas of Sonoma County from 40 years ago.

The predecessor wine interests of L.A. Cetto were established in Baja by Italians in the late 1920s. In 1960 L.A. Cetto acquired their first vineyards in the Guadalupe Valley. Today they have some 2,500 acres in the Valley under the stewardship of the 3rd generation of the Baja-based Cetto Family. They are the largest producer of table wines in Mexico.

L.A’s own San Antonio Winery (dating to 1917) is the distributor of L.A. Cetto wines in Southern California. Allan Stark, a 25-year veteran of San Antonio Winery joins us to tell the L.A. Cetto story and discuss some of their premium reserve wines including Nebbiolo, Chardonnay, and a Brut Sparkling wine.

Andrew GruelFood trucks have proven to be a worthwhile testing ground for innovative food concepts. A great example is Slapfish with a limited service, fast-casual restaurant in Huntington Beach located in a strip center. A new Laguna Beach location will launch later this year.

The partners started with one food truck serving the OC in 2009. By 2011 they had three trucks serving both Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Executive Chef Andrew Gruel is with us to fill us in on the Slapfish tale. They have just signed a franchise agreement to open 75 full service restaurants in the Middle East over the next 5 to 7 years.

They like to characterize Slapfish as a modern seafood shack. It’s a real American seafood experience that revolves around fresh, sustainable fish, prepared simply, but delivering big flavors.

Letter Grades at RestaurantsLast month The Orange County Register’s James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic, Brad A. Johnson, was looking to review a Newport Beach restaurant. Instead all of the members of his dining group came down with severe cases of food poisoning. When Brad checked the Health Department records of this restaurant he was surprised to learn that they had received a serious violation on each of their previous inspections since they opened two years ago.

Brad is with us to discuss his campaign for Orange County restaurants to receive Letter Grades as a result of their Health Department inspections as is practice in Los Angeles County and other areas of California.

The Winter Olympics in Sochi is underway. Russia is on peoples’ minds.

Paul Gstrein of Bayside RestaurantPaul Gstrein, the long-time (Austria-born) executive chef at Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach has been inspired by Russia, too. For the duration of the Games Paul will be featuring Russian dishes as appetizers, entrees, and even desserts. How about Beef Short Rib Borscht and Berkshire Pork Tenderloin Stroganoff?

Please note that not every appetizer or entrée on the special Russian menu will be available each night.

Linda KissamThe very well-traveled Linda Kissam is a respected food, wine, and travel writer who is on the go most of the time. She serves as the 1st Vice President of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association. She is also an author and the Global Wine & Travel Editor-at-Large for Luxe Beat Magazine.

Late last year Linda was invited to Spain to tour the Penedes wine region, the heart of cava sparkling wine production. Her mission was to taste and evaluate 50 fine cavas over an intensive five day period. Linda shares the highlights of this very special experience with us.

Le BernardinChef Jet has been in New York twice over the last two weeks and has enjoyed some standout dining adventures along the way. Jet shares the details of his truly exquisite meal at the classic Le Bernardin. It’s expertly prepared French seafood from Chef Eric Ripert at a very high level.

Jet also visited Ippudo, a well-known Japanese ramen shop.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Caroline Styne, Wine Director and Partner, Lucques, A.O.C., The Tavern, and The Larder
Segment Three: Allan Stark, San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles
Segment Four: Andrew Gruel, Executive Chef & Partner, Slapfish
Segment Five: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic, Orange County Register
Segment Six: Paul Gstrein, Executive Chef, Bayside Restaurant
Segment Seven: Linda Kissam, Food, Wine & Travel Journalist, 1st Vice President, IFWTWA
Segment Eight: Jet Tila on Manhattan Dining