We are Innovatively Delicious!

A couple of weeks ago, La Rochelle Winery's 2006 Pinot Noir - Classic Clones, Arroyo Seco was paired with a Squash Blossom Tamale created by the talented folks at Campo di Bocce restaurant in Livermore...and came away with the most innovative pairing award at the annual Taste of Terroir.

(Photo of La Rochelle's Tracey Morretta and Steven Mirassou courtesy of Vanessa Pelletier)

A blend of older clones from several Arroyo Seco vineyards, including the Mission Ranch, this new release is brimming with dark cherry, plum, and coffee notes. In the mouth, the wine is all silk and power...easily capable of aging 7-10 years.

The tamale, with its squash blossom shell, was stuffed with pinot noir-braised lamb, ricotta polenta, and fresh zucchini, brought out the wonderful fruit notes in the Pinot; the wine, in turn, highlighted the earthiness of the dish.

The Taste of Terroir is an annual event that brings together the talented vintners and restaurateurs of the Valley to give nearly 500 guests a hedonistic view of the progress of our ever-improving wine region.

And the wine's are improving dramatically: from Deer Ridge Winery's Moonstruck to Karl Wente's Nth Degree Merlot, our wines are showing more complexity, more classic structure, and even more value.

Not all the entries were equally successful, but if the pace of recent progress continues in Livermore, if more growers, producers, and consumers understand how capable were are of making world-class wines, it won't be long before the wine world as a whole embraces our appellation.