Criteria for this list: Good food, good wine, buggy-bear pairing love, something unique, something we very specifically loved, just whatever struck our fancy and deserved a list-type spot.
In short, some big impressions of the year past.
So...good, very good and great are listed, with the meh, huh?, and terrible not listed. Because who has the time for the bad in life? Just move on.
Last Year's End
2003 E. Guigal Château d'Ampuis Côte-Rôtie, served w/ Christmas wild boar shanks, farro and grilled radicchio with balsamic
2005 Didier Dagueneau Silex Pouilly-Fumé, served w/ Michael Symon chicken, salsa verde, sweet pea gnocchi and kumatoes with celery leaves
NV Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes de Vrigny Champagne, served w/ French prosciutto, Pierre Robert and sheep's milk brie, baguette, butter & rose petal jam
2005 Bodegas Astrales Ribera Del Duero, served w/ Spanish hanger steak and potato-kale cake
2008 Efeste Syrah Jolie Bouche Boushey Vineyard Yakima Valley, served w/ duck leg confit, tea-smoked lentils & beets
2010 Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre Blanc, served w/ Chilean sea bass and braised endive-leek-tomato stew-salad
2009 Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Sec Cuvée Silex, served w/ Momofuku pork butt bo ssäm
2011 Villa Creek Rosé Paso Robles, served w/ anchovies, sautéed onions and oil-cured black olives on Syrian sesame bread
January
2003 Pirramimma Shiraz McLaren Vale, served w/ wild boar sausages, grapes and tomatoes
2007 Quinta do Vallado Tinto Douro, served w/ Greeked-up hanger steak with skordaliá, pita and tzatziki
NV Champalou Pétillant Brut Vouvray, served w/ Thai hanger steak and papaya salad
2010 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Durant Vineyard Dundee Hills, served w/ tuna, blood oranges and heirloom tomatoes
2011 Cuvée Michel Leon Gewürtztraminer Alsace, served w/ curried-up green beans and potatoes with coconut rice
2011 Villa Creek White Paso Robles and 2009 Trader Joe’s Pinot Noir Grand Reserve Carneros, served w/ Moroccan spread at Shokran
2011 Villa Creek White Paso Robles and 2009 Trader Joe’s Pinot Noir Grand Reserve Carneros, served w/ Moroccan spread at Shokran
February
2010 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Blanc Châteauneuf-du-Pape, served w/ Thomas Keller chicken thighs, fennel, lemon and olives & bacon fat crispy potatoes
2010 Quinta do Vallado Quadrifolia Douro, served w/ cacio e pepe with arugula and cherry tomato salad
2011 Domaine Les Pallières Au Petit Bonheur Rosé Gigondas, served w/ tuna Niçoise
2009 Quinta do Cardo Síria Beira Interior, served w/ veggie explosion of leeks, fennel, tomatoes, curly endive and risotto-d couscous
2008 Neudorf Moutere Pinot Noir Nelson, served w/ beets, carrots and avocado salad and duck breast
2007 Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus Premier Cru Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Champagne, served w/ Julia Child roast chicken, duck fat matchstick potatoes and a green bean, cucumber, avocado and arugula salad
2005 Jean-Claude Berrouet Herri Mina Irouleguy, served w/ gigante bean and white anchovy salad
Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes de Vrigny Champagne, drank at Elizabeth
2009 Betz Family Bésoleil Columbia Valley, served w/ Chinese-style ribs in guava barbecue sauce, carrot-rice cakes and arugula
2011 Vera Alvarinho Monção and Melgaço, served w/ spaghetti al limone & kumato-avocado-quick pickle salad
March
2009 Darting Pinot Meunier Trocken Pfalz & 2011 Marcel Lapierre Morgon, served w/ rabbit loin, celery root purée and dandelion greens
2010 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese, served w/ Thai chicken-coconut soup
2011 Arianna Occhipinti TAMÌ Frappato Sicilia Rosso IGT, served w/ fava bean and ricotta salata strozzapreti
2011 Orballo Albariño Rías Baixas, served w/ Michael Symon chicken and salsa verde
2009 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Columbia Valley, served w/ skirt steak, green sriracha sauce and Portuguese punched potatoes
2004 Two Hands Beautiful Stranger McLaren Vale, served w/ bison hanger steak, yuca fries and calçots
2009 Alain Graillot Syrah Syrocco Morocco, served w/ lamb-stuffed artichokes, garbanzos & pistachio-saffron rice
April
Blood orange sangria, served w/ spice-rubbed chicken with kumquat-lemongrass dressing and celery root and red pepper salad
2008 Villa Creek Mas de Maha Paso Robles, served w/ Cuban braised pork shoulder, rice and beans, and grilled pineapple
2007 Quinta do Vallado Tinto Douro, served w/ Pizza Art Café pizza
2006 Angela Pinot Noir Clawson Creek Vineyard Willamette Valley, served w/ tuna, beets, beet greens and blood oranges
2005 Yalumba Hand-Picked Shiraz-Viognier McLaren Vale, served w/ hanger steak, ginger-garlic sauce and matchstick potatoes
May
2010 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett Mosel Saar Ruwar, served w/ chicken in lemongrass barbecue sauce and wilted arugula over rice
2011 Domaine Chante Cigale Blanc Châteauneuf-du-Pape, served w/ chicken thigh meat with fennel, olives, preserved lemon and garlic with thinly sliced potato roast
2006 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley, served w/ hanger steak, post-grill marinade, baked potatoes and arugula salad
Grilled fruit sangria, served w/ mahi mahi tacos with manzano pepper crema, cabbage, guacamole and grilled corn tortillas
June/July (slowdown mode)
Washington D.C. trip: Komi, 2 Amy's, Jaleo, Minibar, Shake Shack. Komi = Best Restaurant of the Year. 2 Amy's wines on tap - sangiovese rosé, albariño, barbera - simply spectacular.
2010 Rock Wall Tannat The Palindrome California, served w/ Argentinian flap meat
2010 Darting Scheurebe Spätlese Dürkheimer Pfalz, served w/ Iraqi chicken and scallion pancakes
2011 Minimus Copigmentation #2 Oregon, served w/ Spanish lamb
2011 Roots Melon de Bourgogne Yamhill-Carlton, served w/ Greek chicken, heirloom tomato salad and grilled potato salad
August
2001 La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial Rioja, served w/ Provençal beef stew
2012 Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre Blanc, served w/ veggie explosion
2009 Angela Pinot Noir Clawson Creek Vineyard Willamette Valley, served w/ peppercorn-crusted & pomegranate-glazed lamb riblets and farro
2012 Domingo Molina Hermanos Torrontés Salta, served w/ chicken, tomatillo, potato, onion, pickled serrano crock-pot wonder
2011 Ponzi Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, served w/ peppercorn-crusted tuna and Thai-style watermelon-radish salad
2012 Trader Joe's label Saint-Bris Sauvignon Blanc, served w/ dill-tarragon-parsley pesto with farro spaghetti and roasted tomatoes
2006 Marc Hebrart Millesime Special Club, served w/ brandade and fava-corn-avocado-tomato salad
September
Trip #2 to Rioja and Basque Country: El Trujal del Abuelo = #2 Restaurant of the Year. Arzak, Astrid y Gaston, Sacha, Marques de Riscal and Hotel Viura
The house rosado at El Trujal del Abuelo in Cihuri, Spain.
2012 Molina Pérez Tempranillo (5% Viura). Carbonic Maceration. Concrete. Slight chill. Like Ribera and frappato had a baby. Drank at Hotel Viura.
2011 Forja del Salnes Leirana Albariño Rías Baixas & 2011 Domaine Douloufakis Malvasia Femina Crete, served w/ piri piri chicken with farmers' market pepper salad, grilled haloumi cheese, tomato-basil bread and arugula salad
2004 Quinta do Vale Meão Douro, served w/ cocoa-rubbed hanger steak, Portuguese punched potatoes and an arugula-corn salad
2011 Efesté Feral Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley, served w/ panzanella salad
October
NV Juvé y Camps Pinot Noir Brut Cava and Gran Sarao Brut Cava, served w/ fattoush, falafel, pita and hummus
2012 Charles & Charles Rosé Columbia Valley & 2012 Villa Creek Rosé Paso Robles, served w/ lamb and farro-fava-pomegranate salad
A restaurant visit to [name redacted]
November
2012 Charles & Charles Rosé Columbia Valley, served w/ grilled bocadillos with La Quercia, manchego and kumatoes on Pugliese and arugula salad
2011 Minimus Copigmentation #2 Oregon, served w/ chicken marbella
2010 Didier Dagueneau Blanc Fumé de Pouilly, served w/ roasted chicken, Symon salsa verde, arugula, bread and butter
2011 Owen Roe Pinot Gris Crawford Beck Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills, served w/ Anne Burrell chicken Milanese & frisée salad
December
2008 Rôtie Cellars Southern Blend Washington, served w/ David Chang hanger steak ssäm with red kimchi purée and scallion pancakes
2010 Raul Pérez "Muti" Albariño Rías Baixas, served w/ piri piri chicken, carrot-orange salad & fried haloumi
2005 Michel Brégeon Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, served w/ sea bass and Jonathan Waxman braised endive salad (no write-up yet)
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