I joined a fun group of bloggers for a glass of wine prior to dinner, and then we proceeded to our table to get started on dinner. Turner’s General Manager, Wayne Wood, dined with us, and was able to walk us through the menu using his expert knowledge of the dishes to help us all order.

First up was the Atlantic Shelf platter for the table to share.

The cold seafood platter was one of my favorite parts of the meal. I could pair the delicious Viognier we were sipping (Bridlewood), with cold seafood and spicy cocktail sauce for dinner every night. Mussels, clams,s callops,  oysters, and shrimp were all super fresh and delicious with a spicy cocktail sauce. As always, I dipped my bread in the mignonette. It makes for a zingy bread topping. Sometimes we make mignonette just to top lettuce or bread. This platter reminded me of summer in New England, just perfect.

In the menu introduction, Wayne  recommended the tomato bisque, even as someone generally not a fan of tomato soup. The soup, in addition to being delicious, also happens to be vegan; the pureeing of the tomatoes creates the creaminess. It was smoky, basil-y, smooth and creamy, and clearly I hated it.

It was a dreary soup kind of day, and this hit the spot big time.

Turner’s has many tempting entrée options, and I literally went back and forth on a few until it was time to order. I just couldn’t resist the stuffed shrimp though. I love that you order them by the piece to decide how much you want to eat. I hate being super full after a meal or wasting food, so two of these large shrimp were perfect. The citrus cream underneath? To die for.

By the time dessert rolled around, I was fairly full, but I still wanted to give dessert a try. I thought an espresso and the Boston Cream Pie would pair nicely, and I was right.

The Boston Cream Pie was a delight, but it was Fiona’s dessert, the Meyer Lemon Puffs, that won me over.

I loved the fresh, lemony cream and light pastry. It was perfect for warmer weather, and I will definitely be ordering these next time.

Turner’s always does a really great job, and I was happy to be invited to try their latest menu. It’s great that they change things up seasonally; it doesn’t just guarantee the freshest ingredients, but it also keeps diners coming back to see what’s new.

*Dinner was provided by Turner’s, but as always, my opinions are my own.

Technorati Tags: blogger events, events, Food, restaurant, seafood, Turner Fisheries, wine

Knowing people, first through a channel like Twitter and then in real life, has also given me the great privilege of following people as they make life changes; moves, marriages, babies, new jobs, and starting businesses. This past Thursday I finally had the time to stop by TerraVino Wines, Brookline’s newest wine store, opened by a great young local family.

I met TerraVino’s owner, Christopher, at a wine event last year, and his knowledge of and passion for wines that are sustainable, biodynamic, and organic has come to life in this spacious store on Harvard Street, very close to the Brookline Trader Joe’s.

The store is uncluttered and well-lit, making it easy to read labels and check out the selection Christopher has chosen for his customers. Shiny wood floors, wooden shelves, and a rustic tasting table all make for a cozy and comfortable space, perfect for tasting and browsing.

This is a true neighborhood store with great deals and a selection of interesting and affordable wines. For example. last Saturday, the store did a tasting of Yellow +  Blue, boxed wines that get great reviews and sell at the store for $12.

For me, it was love at first sight when I saw this table of pink. Everything about rosé is lovely. We just need some rosé weather!

TerraVino also sells craft beer, and just as they do with wine, they have local beer in stock.

TerraVino Wines offers a variety of wine tasting events, including a Spanish wine event for Cinco de Mayo today.

In addition to tasting events, the store has eight wines available for tasting in their tasting machine. Almost all of the wines currently in the wine station are under $20, making this the perfect opportunity to try a wine or two and to stock up for May events.

This month’s featured wines:

Whites/Rosés

• Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2011 $17.00
• Angerer Grüner Veltliner 2010 $18.00
• Guy Bossard Muscadet 2009 $17.00
• Domaine de Fontsainte Corbiéres ‘gris de gris’ 2011 $16.00

Reds

• The Pinot Project 2011 $17.00
• Monje Listan Negro 2008 $24.00
• Fuso ‘Barbera’ 2010 $14.00
• Peyrassol ‘La Croix’ Red Blend 2010 $16.00

Christopher has done a great job with the store, and I really look forward to seeing what he has up his sleeve for his customers as time passes. If you are in Brookline, definitely stop in and say hi. And if you are on Twitter, you can follow and stay up-to-date on TerraVino news.

Have a great Saturday, everyone!

Technorati Tags: Brookline, wine

The Rioja, divided into three sub-regions, Alta, Alavesa, and Baja, all which have, as I learned on the chat have different seasons as far as harvest goes. I was .sent two different wines to taste (There were three, but I never received the third.) Both the wines were classified Crianza which means they were aged for at least two years, once of which has to be in oak. The first wine we tasted was the Ontañon Rioja Crianza 2008 which was a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha. Half our group liked the smokiness and spice of this wine. I could really taste the oak, but not in a bad way at all. It was balanced and had some nice fruit flavors.

I absolutely loved the second wine, the Conde de Valdemar Rioja Crianza 2007. A blend of Tempranillo and Mazuelo (Carignan). It also had a bit of smokiness, dried leaves, spice, and fruit. Someone on the Tweet Chat pointed out that Rioja wines are mysterious, and they kind of have that quality. They’re also a great value. The Conde de Valdemar retails for around $11.

What do you pair with Rioja? I didn’t have much experience, so I just went with what I felt like making and what was easy to put out for a Sunday. One of our guests is a trained chef and the best hostess I know, so as always, I was a little nervous!

On the menu:

Sliced goat cheddar

Sliced sharp cheddar (I wanted to get Manchego but Roche Brothers had a terrible cheese selection.)

Stonewall Kitchen Hot Pepper Jelly over baked brie (I didn’t do a puff pastry wrap, just baked a wedge of brie topped with jam at 350 for about 15 minutes until nice and gooey.)

Spicy turkey meatballs (store bought meatballs in a homemade spicy marinara, super easy)

Baguette slices and lots of different crackers

Amazing homemade calamari and sauce made by our friends

Lots of wine. Too much wine for a Sunday, but it made for a very fun and delicious evening.

We ate and drank wine until 10:00 which is definitely wild and crazy for a Sunday night. Sometimes it just has to be done.

My work week is crazy this week. I am basically jumping between 4-5 jobs every day all day and commuting into Boston for half days, then coming home at 6 and finishing the rest of my work. And I am determined to get in shape for summer, so there’s that. I have a bunch of way overdue doctor’s appointments scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, so I took a few hours off. I am actually looking forward to sitting in the waiting room and reading.

Do you watch Mad Men? I am finding this season boring, but lots of people on Twitter disagreed with me on Monday. I just can’t seem to get into it.

Technorati Tags: blogger events, events, Food, Rioja, Twitter, wine

As you know, we kicked off our trip with a little Gloria Ferrer and art and spent the second day sipping bubbly and visiting Ma(i)sonry. After a Saturday night dinner with friends, we awoke rested and ready to participate in the last day of barrel tasting. First up, breakfast at the hotel, coffee, hardboiled eggs, and yogurt. I love free breakfast!

We were in vacation-land, which is far from my normal “plan every second” mentality, so we actually had no itinerary in mind as we left Sonoma and headed for Santa Rosa to Sonoma Vintner’s Square, a place that houses some of our favorite wine in all of Sonoma and Napa. You may remember we spent a bit of time there during the Food & Wine Affair.  We probably never would have found this somewhat hidden gem if it was not for our fabulous host William, but we have returned to these tasting rooms, I think, a total of six times. The complex has been growing over the years, and it’s fun that every time we visit, they’ve done more work, added a new business, or somehow made the space better.

I love this wine bottle wall.

Vintner’s Square features a bunch of amazing tasting rooms, including Sheldon, D’Argenzio, and Krutz Family Cellars. Great wines and great people are here, and if you head to Sonoma County, you should definitely make a point of spending some time with them.

Sheldon’s Vinolocity Blanc is definitely at the top of my list of favorite white wines. This blend of Grenache Blanc, Rousanne, and Viognier  is positively luscious. As I type this, I am drinking a smoky, lightly spiced Krutz Syrah.

D’Argenzio makes some killer Zinfandel, which we got to taste from the barrel.

The folks at Sheldon were kind enough to give us a few recommendations since we wanted to visit some new places on this trip. We made our way to Inspiration and then to Carol Shelton, where we enjoyed Zinfandel and live music. These wineries are also in a complex, kind of like a corporate park. The area where the tasting rooms are is not as scenic as some, but it provides a great opportunity to try wines from a bunch of winemakers in one place.

We finished our barrel tasting at Portalupi on Healdsburg Square, loving the barrel tasting of their Pinot Noir before grabbing an iced coffee at my beloved coffee shop, The Flying Goat and heading to our hotel for a rest.

As we walked to downtown Healdsburg later that evening for dinner at Barndiva, we stumbled upon another recommendation from the Sheldons, Cartograph, close to Healdsburg Plaza. Luckily, unlike other tasting rooms, Cartograph is open a little late, and we were able to taste their wines along with wines from Stark, a winery they share their serene, cool tasting room with.

After barrel tasting lots of reds, I was all about the whites, particularly the Cartograph Gewurztraminer and the Stark Viognier.

Cartograph owner/winemakers Alan and Serena were warm, welcoming, and a lot of fun. If we didn’t have dinner reservations, we probably would have grabbed a glass and stayed.

If you are looking for a great wine country event, the Wine Road hosts a bunch, and it is worth planning a visit to Sonoma around one of them. And if you are looking for something a little different and less touristy, the abovementioned wineries and tasting rooms all have a great story, delicious, interesting wines, and great spaces. I would recommend them all!

It’s only been about six weeks since our trip, and I feel like I haven’t been anywhere in ages (dramatic). I am ready to start planning more travel, but luckily I have too much work right now.

Do you have any trips planned?

Technorati Tags: Barrel Tasting, California, events, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, Travel, wine, wine tasting