Market (4.69)

http://www.marketsthelena.com/

Open: 11:30am-9:00. Open until 10pm on Friday and Saturday, and open at 10am for Sunday Brunch

Reservation required? No, but recommended. Click below to reserve a table:

Menu: http://www.marketsthelena.com/menus.html

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2011

Directions:

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The Meal:

Wine country is full of great places for rich meals that feature local farm produce and ingredients. Sometimes, you just crave some comfort food. Market offers both. It boasts an "elegant, yet comfortable experience" located right in downtown St. Helena. Market was opened in 2003 by Douglas Keane and Nick Peyton who then went on to start a Barlin wine country favorite, Healdsburg's Cyrus. It is now run by Executive Chef and Owner Eduardo Martinez and his partners. Martinez had stints at the Rutherford Grill, Napa Valley Grill, the CIA (that’s the Culinary Institute of America, not the Intelligence Agency) before becoming the sous chef and then Executive Chef at Market. He bought the restaurant with his partners in 2008.

We went there on a Friday night and had reservations at 8. After a very long day of tasting, we were exhausted and hoping to get in a bit earlier. The place was all booked up on Open Table but with a quick phone call, we were encouraged to come in whenever we were ready. We stood by the bar briefly and scoped out the space. The restaurant itself is one large open room with a bar running down half its length and cut stone covering the walls. It is warm, inviting and bustling.

After a short wait, we were seated at a table right in the window. We had a hard time choosing what to order as everything on the menu looked great. We were tempted by the BBQ glazed baby back ribs and the Zinfandel Glazed Lamb Shank but eventually decided to share the Day Boat Scallops (served with Cauliflower Puree, Mushrooms, Bacon, Almonds, Aged Balsamic and Lemon Oil) and the Organic Fried Chicken (with Garlic Sautéed Spinach, Warm Jalapeño Cornbread, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy). It was delicious!

Excellent service, delicious food and excellent value: entrees ran in the $14-25 range with appetizers $10-20. We can't wait to go back!

Recommended food:Both of our entrees (scallops and fried chicken) were great.

Ratings (out of 5):

FOOD	4.50	SERVICE	4.75
ATMOSPHERE	4.50	VALUE	5.00
OVERALL		4.49

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Lava Vine (4.63)

http://lavavine.com/

Open: 10am-5pm

Appt required? No (requested if group is 6 or more)

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2011

Directions:

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Tasting:

We tried Lava Vine on the advice of the esteemed Bob Thomas. Bob was coming off a string of so-so wine recommendations -- Russian Hill (2.63) and Failla (3.94) come to mind -- and to paraphrase Dumb & Dumber, “You know Bob, just when I thought you couldn’t (suggest any more average tasting spots), you go and do something like this…and TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!”.

Lava Vine was great. We decided to sneak in a start-of-the-day tasting before an appointment at Jericho Canyon, and the energy level was already awesome by the time we walked in shortly after 10. The three guys working the tasting room seemed to genuinely enjoy their job and the winery, and their constant banter and ribbing of each other lightened the mood. Surprisingly, we were not alone at this off-the-beaten-path stop early on a Saturday, and the four ladies who beat us there by a few minutes plus the two of us made for crowded conditions in the small tasting room.

For our tasting, we tried six wines, many paired with small food samples to accentuate the nuances of the wine. We started with two delicious whites: a Chardonnay and a Viognier. We then moved to a tasty Grenache, followed by a lackluster Syrah and a far more memorable Cabernet. We finished with their Port and nearly had a taste of their members-only Petite Sirah before our host was notified that it was "beyond spoken for" and he’d just cut the foil on someone’s purchased bottle…oops!

The food samples for the most part were things one of the staff had picked up that morning at the Calistoga farmer’s market. Offerings like fresh figs to go with the Viognier or salted dark chocolate to pair with the Cab made the tasting experience both memorable and enjoyable. When we decided at the close of the tasting to purchase a few bottles (shocking, I know), the guys walked us to the car and carried our wine for us, an unnecessary but genuinely kind gesture.

Overall, this stop was one of the highlights of our last trip and we’ll definitely be returning for more fun in the future.

Recommended wine: I enjoyed just about everything they poured. Very good and affordable whites, and the Cabernet was a great accompaniment to our dinner at JoLe later that night.

Ratings (out of 5):

WINE	4.25	TASTING ROOM	4.25
ATMOSPHERE	5.00	VALUE	5.00
OVERALL		4.63

Bravante (4.44)

http://www.bravantevineyards.com/

Open: 11am-4pm, Wed-Sun (and sometimes Tuesday)

Appt required? Yes. Call 707.965.2552 to schedule.

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2012

Directions:

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Tasting:
Tasting notes forthcoming...

Recommended wine: The Simpatico Red Blend was pretty good, as was the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet France

Ratings (out of 5):

WINE	4.25	TASTING ROOM	4.25
ATMOSPHERE	4.75	VALUE	4.50
OVERALL		4.44

White Cottage Ranch (NR)

http://www.whitecottageranch.com/

Open: By appointment

Appt required? Yes. E-Mail info@whitecottageranch.com or call 707.965.0516 x205 to schedule.

Last barlinwine.com visit: Never

Directions:

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El Dorado Kitchen (4.44)

http://eldoradosonoma.com/el_dorado_kitchen.html

Open: 11:30am - 2:30pm for lunch, 5:30-9:00 for dinner

Reservation required? No, but recommended. Click below to reserve a table:

Menu: http://eldoradosonoma.com/pdf/EDK_DinnerMenu.pdf

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2011

Directions:

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The Meal:

Encompassing the back of the chic El Dorado Hotel on the historic Sonoma Square, El Dorado Kitchen is a fun spot for great wine country cuisine in an urban style setting. Their main dining room has a great large table for groups and they also offer a beautiful poolside courtyard for outdoor dining under fig trees. The open spacing and low lighting in the restaurant allow for an intimate dining experience in any location.

El Dorado Kitchen has mastered the typical wine country cuisine featuring local produce and ingredients. The last time we dined we went with a group and shared a bunch of appetizers and entrees. For starters, we loved the braised pork belly with watermelon and jalepeno viniagrette and kanpachi crudo with citrus, watermelon relish, jalapeno and herbs. Entree highlights included the skate wing with sunchoke puree, brussel sprouts, bacon lardons and sherry jus and the wild mushroom risotto with black truffle, marscapone, sweet corn and spinach. All of these were delicious and made for a great meal.

However, what sets El Dorado Kitchen apart for me was my run-in with a seasonal special: Sweet Corn Agnolotti that I ate 4 years ago. I still crave it! I recall fresh corn, a soft cheese such as marscapone and a delicious home made pasta. The details are a bit fuzzy but the taste was amazing. At that same meal Greg had a Braised Short Rib with Truffle Fries that he still raves about. You had to stop us from licking our plates that evening. Our second visit wasn't quite as magical in my mind but the food was all very good. We were staying at the hotel during our last visit so the $15 corkage fee was waived. Dinner for 5 of us ran around $50 a person, not including tip. I recall our waiter being a bit annoying, but he was helpful with recommending dishes on the menu. Greg doesn't remember anything annoying about the waiter and thought the second trip was as excellent as the first!



El Dorado Kitchen also runs a little cafe for those looking for a more laid back option. Their chalkboard menu features coffee, pastries, oatmeal and the like for breakfast and then lunch and dinner entrees later in the day. It's a really cute spot for a cute bite.

Recommended food:Sweet Corn Agnolotti!!! From the everyday menu, the Wild Mushroom Risotto and the Pork Duo are both excellent.

Ratings (out of 5):

FOOD	4.75	SERVICE	4.25
ATMOSPHERE	4.50	VALUE	4.25
OVERALL		4.44

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Neal Family (NR)

http://www.nealvineyards.com/

Open: Monday-Saturday, 9am-3pm (til 2pm on Saturday)

Appt required? Yes

Last barlinwine.com visit: Never

Directions:

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Hall (Rutherford) (NR)

http://www.hallwines.com

Open: By appointment only. Note that Hall has 2 locations: 1 in St. Helena on Hwy 29 (open 10-5:30), and the Rutherford location east of Silverado Trail

Appt required? Yes

Last barlinwine.com visit: Never

Directions:

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Ladera (NR)

http://www.laderavineyards.com/

Open: 10am-3:30pm

Appt required? Yes. Email winery@laderavineyards.com or call 707-965-2445 to schedule.

Last barlinwine.com visit: Never

Directions:

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Zichichi (4.69)

http://www.zichichifamilyvineyard.com/

Open: 11:00am - 4:30pm

Appt required? No

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2011

Directions:

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Tasting:

Given how many times I've been to Zichichi and how much I enjoy the winery and tasting room, it's a bit of a shock that it didn't make it onto barlinewine.com sooner. But nevertheless, here it is in all its glory.

Zichichi (zuh-kee-kee) Family Vineyards is located in the northwest part of Dry Creek Valley, where Yoakim Bridge Road meets West Dry Creek Road. The winery was started by Steve Zichichi after a career in the medical profession gave him the means to follow his dream of opening a winery and raising his family in wine country. Each time I've visited, Steve is manning the tasting room, treating guests to samples of his delicious Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.

When you walk into the Zichichi tasting room, you come face-to-face with a large 3-sided bar. Tastings typically start here, where Steve will pour a taste of his Estate Zinfandel and Old Vine Zinfandel, as well as a Dry Creek Cabernet. On our most recent trip, we had the '08 Estate Zinfandel, '09 Old Vines, and the '07 Cab. The Cab and Estate Zin were good, but I thought the '09 Old Vine Zin was excellent. But the best part of the tasting was still yet to come.

After the initial tastes at the bar, Steve takes guests back into the production room to taste Zichichi Petite Sirah straight from the barrel. Any time I can get wine from barrel to wine thief to glass, I'm happy, but I am doubly happy when the wine is excellent. There was only one problem on our last visit:

"I'd taste the Petite Sirah for you, but we're already sold out," Steve somberly informed me. Nooooooo!

Of all of their wines, the Petite Sirah is the best, and one of the better Petites you'll find in Northern California. Steve has been selling it strictly as futures for a number of years now, but this was the first time that I got shut out of being able to order it for future shipment. We weren't completely without a barrel taste, though -- Steve had the '09 Estate Zin ready to try, and try we did. We also had the advantage of being there during crush, so we got to see the winery in action.

Despite missing out on the Petite Sirah, the visit to Zichichi was enjoyable as always. Steve is always a great host, the tasting is always feels personal even when its busy, and the wines are solid. This is definitely worth a stop for any lovers of Petite Sirah or Dry Creek Zinfandel.

Recommended wine: The Petite Sirah is fantastic if you can get it, and the Old Vine Zin is also very good.

Ratings (out of 5):

WINE	4.50	TASTING ROOM	4.75
ATMOSPHERE	4.75	VALUE	4.75
OVERALL		4.69