F: Is for Food, Wine and Music.

Last week my friend Desta wanted to introduce me to a new company. He invited me to two events. The first one was last Monday night, which I could not attend so I sent Tom who is a wine connoisseur. He not only loved the wines but also loved the concept of blending new music. On Tuesday I was excited to join in the festivities. Wente wines are produced in the Livermore Valley, which is near San Francisco Bay. I spent some time in San Francisco and I have family friends who grow grapes and produce wine there. This area has an ideal climate for producing some of the best wine around. I tasted the following wines: Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon, Crane Ridge Merlot, Smith Bench Zinfandel, Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Shorthorn Canyon Syrah, Morning Fog Chardonnay and Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc. These grapes have an intense varietal character and are beautifully balanced wines. Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2004 got 89 points, Editor's Choice, in Wine Enthusiast, December 31, 2006.
What does Wente winnery, Blues Traveler, Heart, Styx, The Beach Boys and The Dobbie Brothers have in common? The answer is this gorgeous stage. It is housed on Wente Winery grounds and these artists have all played there plus many others. Now they are introducing new artists. Two lucky readers can Log onto www.wentevineyards.com and enter NPP495 or 4J8HW7. Those are my codes to hear the free music and I give them to you. It will only work once per code. There is also a golf course and an award winning restaurant. The only draw back for New Yorkers is this is all in California. The good news are the wines will be for sale here and served at some of the better restaurants in town. They do however have a cookbook for sale called " Sharing the Vineyard Table".

Served with the wine was a food tasting. The food was exquisite but the most amazing part was I ate Ostrich and Boar. Now for most of you this might seem normal but for me it is not. I stick to what I know and I have no urge to stray on the off beaten path. Though I would not order either dish they were quite tasty, but even without knowing I still only ate them once and went back to the lamb chops and the scallops. Mark created dishes to be paired perfectly with the wine. My favorite was the Scallops with the Cabernet. I guess deep down I know what I eat. The chef was famed New York based Mark Fahrer Caterers leading party specialists. Mark's advice on recipes and entertaining has been featured on the TV Food Network, The New York Times, New York Daily News, The New York Post, Signature Magazine, and Bride's Magazine. Mark also has a blog where he gives tips. To learn what Mark has to offer log onto www.pantry.blogspot.com/

It is a F.A.C.T. with Thanksgiving coming up we can use help. My suggestion try Wendt's wines or their cookbook for some delightful ideas. Try Mark's blog for some use full tips.