Relax, enjoy fine wines at Loews Coronado
If a 180 degree view of the bay and downtown San Diego at a lovely bayside resort is your idea of relaxation with a glass of wine (it’s also mine), then you need to find some time to take the drive over the bridge, past the Del and down the strand a few miles to Loews Coronado Bay Resort and Spa. At Azzurra Point Restaurant you will meet manager Michael Graichen and wine Sommelier Kurt Kirschenman who will introduce you to a stunning, savory “Seasonal Sparkler” to wet the appetite and wipe away any stress baggage you might have.
It’s equal parts Pallini Peachcello and B&B in a champagne flute. Domaine Carneros Brut Sparkling wine is added and topped with a ripe peach.
This restaurant will undergo a makeover in the fall, when it becomes MISTRAL, concentrating on local flavors, pulled from land and sea, with the emphasis on local farm produce. The ideal Mediterranean climate we have will present opportunities from the resort’s 3,800 square foot herb garden, that grows over 40 vegetables and herbs. You can already find these accents in the present menu.
Kurt is working the wine menu to present varietals that will enhance the menu trend… more Italian and Rhone favorites. He is doing some exploring with the wine flavors of Southern Italy and Sicily.
A unique treat for visitors to Loews Coronado are the gondola rides each Wednesday at 5:30pm. The magic of Venice is right there with Sunset cruises gently making their way through the canals of Coronado Cays. Kurt or Michael are on board presenting three tasting flights of their accomplished wines. It’s an hour-long dreamy interlude and an unforgettable experience at one of San Diego’s loveliest oasis.
Keeping wine fresh
When you pop a cork on a new bottle of your favorite wine, if you don’t finish it, you are now in a race against time and oxidation. Within three to four days, that wine will taste tarnished, maybe undrinkable, unless steps are taken to protect it from air getting in and destroying the flavor.
Of course with the new screwtops that are increasingly showing up in an increasing number of wines, this problem is not as serious, as these tops do a better job of sealing in the flavor.
The simplest and least expensive gadget to have at your fingertips is a “Vacu-vin” preservation system that is a hand pump that fits snugly over a rubber stopper.
It physically removes air from the bottle after a few cycles of pumping. The newest ones actually let you know by a clicking sound, when you have accomplished your task. Then there is a wine “life preserver,” favored by professionals. It has a straw at the end of a can of inert nitrogen. You spray it into the open bottle and immediately re-cork. The blanket of nitrogen protects your wine from oxidation.
The “keeper system” uses 100% nitrogen to preserve your wine by insertion of a faucet system to serve the wine, connected to a disposable cylinder. All these help-mates should be available in wine shops and wine accessory catalogs.
The local sip
Here is another great reason to access www.tasteofwinetv.com.
The producers are requesting that wineries, wine shops, restaurants and markets where wine is sold, submit coupons and offers to the website so viewers can access favorite values. The site is running up huge “hits,” the most hits of any site when users go through Google to learn about wine.I am the most excited about this medium for my columns, than any other I have been involved in. It’s an “insider’s wine club” without any entrance charges. Vendors and viewers simply access wineclubber@yahoo.com. These offers will not be found anywhere else on the web.
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Barolo vs. Barbaresco, which is it? The answer may lie in the blind tasting at the WineSellar and Brasserie in San Diego on Saturday, July 21 between 11:30 and 1:30pm. Big bold Barolo vs. elegant Barbaresco. Cost is $34 per person. Call 858-450-9557 for details.
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Lake San Marcos Resort and Vino 100 are getting together for a “Wine and Amuse Bouche Pairing” Thursday, July 19 at 6:30pm. A five course dinner is an attraction, paired with great wines that relate to the menu. Jazz is also on the “menu” for the night. Call 760-591-9113 for price and details.
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Firefly Grill and Wine Bar and The LoftWine Shop in Encinitas, team up for a Latin-inspired evening with exquisite wines, cuisine and cigars Thursday, July 19 at 6:30pm. Call 760-635-1066 for price and details.
Frank Mangio is a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator. Reach him at mangiompc@aol.com.
10631 Vinedale Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352 - Phone (818) 767-3413 - Fax: (818) 767-1410
