Starbucks never spells “Jared” right

Yesterday was JP’s birthday!  He’s enrolled in a two week wine business course at UC Davis, so we met halfway in Pleasant Hill for dinner at a place called Nibblers Eatery & Wine Bar (www.nibblerseatery.com).  I love these kinds of places.  Tucked away in a residential strip mall, serving little-known but terrific wines and small plates of seasonal, locally-grown foods.  Each month they dedicate a column of their menu to a different ethnic region.  This month is Provence, so lots of French food and wines.

The food was good – especially the pulled pork sliders, heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella and basil vinaigrette, and prosciutto wrapped figs with blue cheese (sorry no pictures, forgot my camera) – but I’m here to talk about the wine.  To begin the night, we each started with a glass of White.  We each liked our own the best, so everybody wins!

Lea had the Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris (Alsace) ~$18/bottle

• Notes – This was the sweetest of the three.  Alsace is generally known for dry Rieslings (dry = not sweet), but this Pinot Gris has enough residual sugar that it smells a little like a late harvest wine.

JP had the Martin Codax Albarino (Galicia) ~$13/bottle

• Notes – Albarino is a common variety of white wine grape in Spain.  On the sweetness scale, this falls in the middle of the three we tried, and has a ripe pear aroma.

I had the Murrieta’s Well White Meritage (Livermore – blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon) ~$20/bottle

• Notes – This meritage is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon,  and a bit on the dry-side, but by no means stifling.  Smells of fresh-cut grass make this a super summery sipper.

Our first bottle of the night was Le Jaja de Jau (60% Syrah, 40% Grenache) – retails ~$8.99.  The Grenache, to me, makes this wine stand out as very “old-world” style.  It’s more minerally and light bodied, while the Syrah is more fruit-forward.  “Jaja” is French slang for “everyday wine,” but I don’t think I’d want to drink this everyday.  Or ever again.  Too thin for my taste.

The hero of the night was our last bottle.  Vina Cobos LaGarto Merlot – retails ~$15.99 (Vina Cobos is the Argentina winery of winemaker, Paul Hobbs).  This Merlot drinks like a California Cab.  “Jam town” was Lea’s remark.  We usually collect corks after special occasions like this, but this wine was soooo good, we even kept the empty bottle!  Maybe the best wine I’ve had in weeks, and at ~$15.99, it’s just too good to be true!

We spent nearly four hours at our table enjoying good food, good wine, and most of all, good company.  I love you, Brother.  Happy birthday!