Merlot is back! Actually, it never went away, it just fell out of favor with a lot of wine drinkers. Recently I visited Hourglass Wines in Napa and talked to owner Jeff Smith about Merlot, a wine many people think is insipid. Was it the dreaded Sideways (the movie in which the lead abhors Merlot) affect? Not according to Smith, "Sideways wasn't the problem, it was the punctuation point, at the end of the problem." And it's true, at the time of Sideways, there was a lot of lousy Merlot. 

Lately there are a lot of Merlot producers, even some very good ones, trying to market Merlot by saying things like "Merlot for Cab lovers" but Merlot should be appreciated on its own merits. If you haven't had a really great Merlot in a long time, or ever, here's what Smith says it should taste like--spicy, aromatic, with density, rich and vibrant. The holy grail? According to Smith it's richness with energy and structure. Although often blended with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon is darker, more tannic. Merlot is an easier drinking wine with lots of black and red fruit. Here's an easy way to think about Merlot. Think Marilyn Monroe--voluptuous, fleshy and soft, sometimes elegant.  

So the thing to know about pretzels is, you have to dip them in an alkaline solution. Pretzel Making at Home gives instructions for using food grade lye but also for using baking soda which is a lot less intimidating. The cool thing about the book is it shows you lots of different shapes you can make--sticks, rolls, bites, tiny twists and minis. That alone makes me want to make pretzels. I didn't realize how many kinds of pretzels there are until I got this book--sweet ones, savory ones, soft, hard, you name it. 

Making crackers is ridiculously fun, in part because they are so easy to make! The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rest and rolling them as flat as you can. Some of the instructions in Crackers and Dips say roll out to 1/16 of an inch. If you have any idea how thin that is, you are one up on me. I'd just say roll them as thin as humanly possible. I started with the "everything" Flatbread Crackers and have not looked back since. I haven't made any of the recipes that require yeast yet, but I probably will soon. 

True to it's name Crackers & Dips has plenty of dip recipes. You will end up wanting to skip tortilla chips and pita chips in favor of your own homemade crackers. The savory dips run the gamut from vegan and vegetarian and to meat and fish based. Some are indulgent but others are healthy. Once you get the hang of the bean dips and pates, you may find yourself customizing those too. I've found a platter of crackers and dips can easily morph from appetizer to light meal. 

Yeast is to used convert grape juice into wine, but also for flavor. At Franciscan Estate Winery they make two different Chardonnays, one specifically with wild yeast. I spoke with winemaker Janet Myers to find out more. But first, it's important to be familiar with some wine vocabulary:

Lees: The dead yeast at the bottom of the barrel, wine can absorb some of the yeasty flavor from being aged with the lees. 

Malolactic: The fermentation process when tart malic acid, naturally present in grape juice and skins is converted to softer lactic acid. In Chardonnay a by product of malolactic fermentation produces a buttery flavor and a soft mouthfeel. 

Carneros: An American Viticultural Area which includes parts of Southern Napa and Sonoma. It is relatively cool because it is closer to San Francisco Bay breezes. 

I used to be tired of it; when I got here 10 years ago Chardonnay was too oaky and buttery, many were a caricature of themselves. I want oak and malolactic to complement. The barrel frames the fruit. Being here, I've made some slight changes, our Chardonnay used to be more oaky, and I've taken it to be a little softer--less toast, there's a gentler voice of the barrel. I've done that with both of the Chardonnay. We like the fruit expression here and it's where the consumer is going. 

The reserve ($40) has much smaller production, versus the Napa Valley ($18) and it has has much less new oak, it is made to be fruit forward. Stylistically they are different, the reserve is in the barrel twice as long. It has a lot of Carneros fruit, it's vibrant with minerality, creamy but not buttery, there is oak to support but not to dominate. 

The winery started in 1987, and the winemaker at the time was interested in Burgundy and how wild yeast was used. He was the first to use wild yeast in Napa. Even our Napa Valley Chardonnay is half wild yeast fermented. Using wild yeast takes more work and it takes longer; it takes longer for it to finish. There's less yeast and it's less reliable. 

We like the results with the commercial yeast, but we get a little more complexity with the wild yeast. The difference is not night and day but if you taste blind you will notice it. The reserve has the biggest richest fruit lots, but layered on complexity. Malolactic fermentation takes more time on the lees -- 15 months versus 7 months.

When you let the native yeast do the fermentation, the yeast that's on the bloom, there might be a dozen type of yeasts. Plus some that are native to the winery. Each gives a different flavor. They each have a  niche for alcohol tolerance so it's like a relay in that one starts, then as the alcohol rises that species might rest and another kicks in. It's luck of the draw with the yeasts in the environment and on the grapes. 

It's in the cooler part of Napa which is conducive towards natural acidity and balance. It's cooler, crisp and vibrant. Our Napa Valley Chardonnay is over half Carneros fruit, in Napa and South. I don't buy it from up valley, it's not stylistically what I want. I don't want a low acid Chardonnay.

What do you think of Chardonnay from Napa today?
I think Chardonnay is in a really good place right now, the pendulum hasn't swung too far. There's good balance, and it's very well crafted. But it's ultimately a matter of taste, so find a producer that you like.

I couldn't agree more! Thanks Janet! 

Franciscan Estate Winery is open to visitors from 10 am - 5 pm daily, go and you can try both Chardonnays. No appointments necessary. Call ahead if you wish to take part in one of their "Taste Explorations" including a wine blending session or a sensory evaluation class.

Franciscan Estate Winery
Highway 29 @ Galleron Rd
St. Helena CA
707.967.3993

The last few years the American Lamb Board has hosted an event called the American Lamb Jam. If you're a fan of lamb (and I know ewe are) this is a great way to see what top chefs can do with lamb and how truly versatile it is. 

As a preview to the event, I got a chance to attend a lunch after a garden tour (with a bobcat sighting!) at Wente Vineyards. 

Chef Matt Greco from The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards prepared a feast starting with a range of appetizers--lamb sausages, lamb mole tamales, barbecue pulled lamb, lamb pastrami (my favorite). He even found ways to use lamb fat in a grilled panisse with braised neck, green chickpeas and gypsy peppers. 

We then sat down and had our fill of roast leg, saddle and rack of lamb. 

Some things you might not know about American lamb:

On Sunday, July 21 the American Lamb Jam will take place at Golden Gate Club from 2 � 5 pm.

Competing for the titles of �Best in Show,� �People�s Choice� and �Best Leg, Breast, Shank and Shoulder,� each chef will prepare a sampling of American lamb, to be voted on by members of the media as well as attendees.

In addition to eating plenty of lamb, attendees will enjoy local wine and beer, watch lamb butchery demos, and take home lamb swag.

Dino Vazquez, Eastside West Restaurant & Bar
Larry Finn, Scala�s Bistro
Vernon Morales, Town Hall Salt House
?Sophie Uong, Pican Restaurant
?Adam Mali, Mandarin Oriental Brasserie S&P?
Francis Hogan, Bluestem Brasserie
?Matt Greco, The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards?
Ben de Vries, Luella Restaurant?
Mike Ransom, Jasper�s Corner Tap & Kitchen?
Alicia Jenish, Grand Caf�?
Antelmo Faria, Tacolicious?
Laurance Gordon, Thirsty Bear?
Charlie Ayers, Calafia Caf�?
Kyle Itani, Hopscotch?
Avery Holt, Puccini & Pinetti

Tickets are $60 for general admission. To buy tickets and for more details go to San Francisco Fans of Lamb.

A portion of the proceeds from Lamb Jam SF will benefit La Cocina?, a non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating low income food entrepreneurs, providing affordable commercial kitchen space, industry-specific technical assistance and access to market opportunities.

For more information about the Lamb Jam or the American Lamb Board, please visit the American Lamb Board 

Symon was in San Francisco to talk about bourbon and Knob Creek in particular, an award winning bourbon made in small batches. It's aged in very deeply charred oak barrels, and is bottled at 100 proof. It has a distinctive sweetness and big flavor. Symon told me he like the boldness of it, saying it goes great with the kinds of things he likes to cook.  "It's smoky, you can taste the age, like you can with a good salami. It has great depth of flavor, like wine and I appreciate what goes into making it--the 9 year aging process." Bourbon matches Symon's approach to cooking, "Things I like to cook take time and patience like charcuterie. Knob Creek is the charcuterie of the spirit world"

We talked a bit about using Knob Creek in cooking, he uses it in spicy glazes, with fruit like cherries, peaches or apples, and says it works equally well with pork or seafood. According to Symon, "It has complexity. I wouldn't use it with halibut but with salmon it holds up well--paired with mustard or maple, hard caramelized onions, anything sweet and smoky." 

Inspired by Michael Symon, I created this very simple but luscious recipe for salmon glazed with bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar and soy sauce.

Bourbon Glazed Salmon 
4 servings

Ingredients

4 4-5 ounces pieces of wild salmon

2 Tablespoons bourbon, preferably Knob Creek

1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1-2 drops liquid smoke, optional

Instructions

Combine the bourbon, maple syrup, soy sauce and liquid smoke in a large zip top bag. Add the salmon to the bag and squeeze out as much air as you can, then seal it. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove salmon from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels and sear the salmon, skin side down in a very hot pan, such as cast iron for a couple minutes or until the skin is beginning to get crisp and no longer sticking to the bottom of the pan. Transfer salmon to the oven and cook until internal temperature reaches 120 degrees, the temperature will be higher by the time it reaches the table. The time will vary depending upon the thickness of the salmon filet or steak, but a rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch thickness. 

Enjoy!