The Cove Trattoria in Scottsdale

OK, well this should've been written a week ago . . . I can't believe how quickly time flies . . . however, our trip to Cove Trattoria in Scottsdale for a winemaker's dinner on the 20th was definitely memorable and worth a write-up in the blog.

Cove Trattoria is located next to Ruth Chris' Steakhouse on the corner of Indian Bend and Scottsdale Rd (in the same shopping center as Terroir Wine Bar). When we arrived I was impressed with the clean presentation, stainless steel, open kitchen and beautiful bar. When I peeked at the wine list I was also impressed by the prices - all glasses were $10 or less!

We were excited to participate in this winemaker dinner with Maurizio Marchetti, an Italian winemaker who owns a small vineyard in the Marche region of Italy, a location that I will definitely want to visit on my next visit to Italia! The evening started off with a short education on Italian wines and on the Marche region (including a map that was very helpful). Our host, Maurizio, was gracious and humble. Dinner was served family style to three long tables which was great to open up conversation with our neighbors and make some new friends!

Our first course was a "Piadine e Insalata" poured with a 2007 Marchetti Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico. Chef Matthew Davin created this course in honor of the Marche region. It is similar to a pizza but instead of sauce and pepperoni, it's topped with a salad. The official description is "a wood fire oven baked flatbread (oh, did we mention that they have a wood-fired oven!!!) with oil cured olives, brandied onions, fresh thyme and fontina cheese. Topped with field greens and organic chioga beets tossed in a lemon vinaigrette". The flatbread was light and the salad was fresh and tasty! It was a very nice first course and there was plenty of it . . . once we finished one plate, more kept coming! The wine was very nice, very light and a perfect pair with the salad.

The second course we enjoyed was also in honor of Maurizio's hometown region - "Muscioli e Finocchio" - mussels are a staple in this coastal region. The Prince Edward Island mussels were served with organic fennel in white wine, lemon, saffron, parsley cream sauce and they came with giant croutons. The first thing we noticed about this course was those enormous croutons. I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to be able to eat one without making a big mess, but these deep fried massive morsels were soft in the middle - they didn't break apart (and end up all over my dress), instead they melted in my mouth. I think this was my husband's favorite part of the dinner. They were SOOOOOOO good. The mussels were large and cooked perfectly (not chewy at all!) and the fennel broth was really yummy, especially when we dipped our croutons into it. Again, portions were big and kept coming.

The wine served with this course was similar to the first wine . . . although, this was the "late harvest" crop. A 2007 Marchetti Verdicchio dei Catelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Tenuta del Cavaliere DOC "Late Harvest", Maurizio utilizes his best grapes and let's them hang a little longer on the vine. Traditionally this would make a wine sweeter, but that's not what happened here. The color was a deeper yellow and the flavors were enhanced, but there was no sweetness to this wine . . . it reminded me of a nicely layered dry chardonnay or viognier . . . the depth of flavor was very nice.

Our third course consisted of Braciola con Pomodoro, Polenta e Tartufo Nero . . . a grilled pork rib chop served with organic oven roasted "baby roma" tomato, onion and garlic sauce accompanied by creamy black truffle polenta. WOW!!! Again, this was no baby pork chop. This was a thick huge steak of a chop, cooked perfectly and nicely spiced (simple salt & pepper, I think) allowing the flavor of this beautiful piece of meat come through. The polenta was just sinful! Chef Davin is not a skimper . . . a lot of truffle flavor came through and the creaminess of the polenta was out of this world! A perfect match with the pork.

The wine, the last of Maurizio's to be served this night, was a 2004 Marchetti Rosso Conero DOC. The varietal was a Montepulciano, which has quickly jumped to the top of my list as a favorite. This wine showed great depth and strength. No whimpy grape juice . . . this wine was bold, nicely tannic and had great layers of flavor. It could've overwhelmed the pork chop but didn't. Instead it paired very well, allowing both the pork and the wine to stand up tall and each showcasing its depth of flavor.

The fourth course was a perfect ending to an amazing meal. Platters of fruit and cheese arrived, along with a nice, light panna cotta. Heavy cream and vanilla bean custard with caramel sauce and candied walnuts; fresh strawberries with balsamic and cracked black peppercorn; Assorted Italian cheese and chocolate with fresh pears, grapes, berries, mandarins and pineapple. This course was paired with a 2007 Tre Donne Moscato D'Asti DOCG - a unique sparkling wine that again showcased the Marche region.

Chef Matthew Davin really showed off his skills at this amazing dinner. I haven't been able to stop talking about this place to anyone I come across. The quality and freshness of the food was showcased and the blend of flavors was mesmerizing. Previously at the Asylum in Jerome and at Roka Akor in Scottsdale, Chef Davin has previous experience with fresh food and local flavor. He and his family provide the perfect balance of ambiance and personality to make any dinner here a memorable event. I hope you choose to visit them when in Scottsdale, you won't be disappointed! The offer monthly winemaker dinners and I look forward to "visiting" new locations in Italy into the future! http://www.thecovescottsdale.com/

Celebrating Earth Day at the Farm

April 22nd, 2009 - Earth Day. Although I try to honor Earth everyday, it's not often I get an opportunity to truly celebrate Mother Earth and show appreciation for the bounty and beauty that's provided to me everyday. The Farm at South Mountain gave me the perfect way to do so.

Gathering in front of Quiessence at 6:30, we enjoyed a "meet and greet" with our fellow celebrators. I enjoyed meeting Lauren, a Chowhound friend of my dining companion Christina, and Chris a professor of nutrition at Arizona State. Drinking fresh Strawberry Lemonade, servers made their rounds with some tasty morsels from the garden to satisfy our hungry tummies. Plates were never empty and glasses were always full. Ty Largo of Rivers and Leaves Marketing asked everyone to gather around to learn a little bit more about the farm and its history. We were honored by hearing from owner A. Wayne Smith about how the farm began and how he created the current concept. You could feel that Mr. Smith had a great affinity for the property and a true respect for what it has become. He eloquently spoke of the native American history, the movement away from agrarian life to urban sprawl and, of course, of the time during his ownership and the transformation of the property to what it is today. My favorite tidbit was when he shared that his grandchildren had been born in the home that currently houses Quiessence.

Our next speaker was the gardener of the property and we took a short tour of the plants and flowers in front of Quiessence. This woman loves plants and her energy was contagious! It really made me want to try to lose this black thumb and aspire to a green one!

Our next treat was meeting Maya Dailey, queen of Maya's Farm. This woman definitely shares a special kind of energy with her farm; the love she has for the dirt and the plants is ultimately reaped by those of us who get to dine on the fruits of her labor! The honor she displays for those who have gone before is truly inspiring. OK, I really MUST start buying my foods at the farmer's market - there's just no excuse! I have to believe that food raised with such respect and love MUST be healthier and also taste better. An Earth Day inspiration!

Now onto our fabulous dinner. OK, it was a vegetarian dinner. When I saw the menu, I'll be honest, I was a little deflated - no homemade salumi? I worked past it and found the pot of gold on the other side. This was no disappointment at all. Again, it worked to inspire me to include more vegetables into my diet. Although I was very full at the end of the meal, I wasn't miserable. And I was also inspired to be more creative with my vegetables because this entire meal was created "out of the box"!

Oh, and did I mentioned, no wine at this event. Instead we enjoyed artfully infused "mini" cocktails (which also utilized the bounty from the farm) paired with each course.

Our first course was a Sugar Snap Pea Soup with Creme Fraiche paired with a Fresh Mint and Organic Vodka Spritzer. The cocktail reminded me of a mojito, a natural mojito (with vodka, not rum). The soup was nice and smooth and the Creme Fraiche really rounded it out.

Course two consisted of a Marinated Spring Vegetable Salad, with Sugar Snap Peas, Baby Carrots, Fava Beans, Radishes, Asparagus and Housemade Ricotta. It was fantastic! The fava beans were a great addition and the radishes at the farm are like none I've ever tasted anywhere else. If you eat at Quiessence and have a chance to eat the radishes . . . don't miss the opportunity! I was a little concerned about the cocktail served with this course . . . a Tomato Water Martini. I'm not a fan of tomato juice in anything (except a good HOT tomato soup) . . . I know, I've heard it before, I'm really missing out. I keep trying and it just doesn't work for me. Well, back to the cocktail . . . this was REALLY good! It was very unique. I know it won't sound good, but it tasted like I was drinking a pizza. The cocktail was clear, with a slight tinge of red, and looked like a shot of vodka . . . a martini. The smell was pure tomato. The basil flavor combined with it all to create one of the most unique things I've ever had and it brought me to a happy place . . . I mean, doesn't pizza make everyone happy! Well, this was a pleasant surprise!

Our next course was probably my favorite of the evening . . . Rainbow Valley Farmer's Cheese Gnocchi with Maya's Baby Beets, Pistachios, Marjoram and Brown Butter paired with a Spiced Beet Bubbly. OK, another thing you should never pass up at Quiessence is the gnocchi. Chef de Cuisine Anthony Andiario makes incredible gnocchi and last night was no exception. The fresh beets and pistachios were a great compliment to the already great gnocchi . . . I didn't see an empty plate in the house! The cocktail was incredible!!!! At first we were a little confused when they poured this thick red puree into our glasses but we were instructed that the champagne was following. The combination of the champagne and the beet puree was delicious! It wasn't sweet, perfectly dry and tasty. We were all pleasantly surprised and discussed how the color would make it the perfect holiday cocktail!

Our next course was the Carrot and Spring Leek "Risotto" with a Carrot-Apple Gin Fizz. When they served the "risotto" I was a little confused . . . where's the rice? Ahhhhh, then my dining partner explained that the carrots were cooked risotto style. Again, Chef LaPrad, surprised me and created a dish that was way beyond my expectation. I honestly didn't know that cooked carrots could taste so good and the cocktail brought a sweetness in the fresh carrots that complimented the food very nicely.

OK, by this point, we didn't have any room left . . . how is it possible that no matter how full you are, there is always at least a little bit of your tummy that finds a spot to fit in dessert! The Vanilla Cinnamon Irish Coffee was the perfect pick-me-up following this full meal. And the Vanilla Lavender Sorbet with Fennel Seed Pizzelle finished off the meal perfectly. The Sorbet was light and sweet with a nice lavendar flavor. The Fennel Seed Pizzelle looked like an onion ring (it didn't taste like an onion ring!) and the flavor matched perfectly with the sorbet.

Just when you thought they couldn't give you anything else . . . they had parting gifts for everyone . . . little plants. Mine was an eggplant (I asked them, which one am I least likely to kill). Ty, Adam, Chef Greg, Chef Anthony, Maya, our wonderful service team, and everyone else who took part in making this a great affaire, please accept my heartfelt "thank you!". It was amazing. Most of all, it really made me realize that I need to make it a priority to celebrate and appreciate the earth every single day, to count my blessings and do what I can so that those that follow can enjoy the same.

Great weekend in Sonoita (Part 2)

Well, Saturday proved to be a great day in Arizona's wine country as well. It was the day of the Canelo Hills Winery & Vineyard Farm & Wine Festival - 3rd Annual. From the feedback I heard, this proved to be the best yet!

For starters, the weather couldn't have been better! In the mid 70's for most of the day, I didn't even realize I was getting totally sunburned! A light breeze kept things perfect.

Five wineries were pouring wines (all AZ wines, of course!). For only $10 you received a "take-home" glass with six tasting tickets. Charron Vineyards from Vail was pouring their trademark white merlot. Learn more about Charron at http://www.charronvineyards.com/.

Of course, Canelo Hills was pouring wines from their collection. Whites and reds. http://www.canelohillswinery.com/

Pillsbury Wine Company, a Cochise County winery, was pouring their new "One Night Stand" Rose, Roan Red (a classic spicy Rhone blend) and Diva (a bold, Syrah based red blend). http://www.pillsburywineco.com/.

Keeling Schaefer from Pearce, located at the base of the Chiricahuas, poured their Chardonnay, Syrah and Grenache. http://www.keelingschaefervineyards.com/

And I was the most excited about tasting the newest winery in the state . . . Lightning Ridge Cellars. Ann and Ron Roncone debuted their wines at this event and it was so much fun to see the delight on their faces. The wines were received very well and I saw many bottles leaving the area! They have a white wine - a muscat - and a red blend (nebbiolo, sangiovese, mourvedre . . . and I think I'm missing one). We took two bottles home with us and enjoyed one that evening. Very impressive!

Another highlight were the alpacas. Square Top Alpaca Farm was present with two of their junior alpacas. These guys have the sweetest faces. When you visit Sonoita, be sure to stop by and meet these cute little creatures.

Food was provided by Cafe Sonoita. Other local products were available as well, including gift baskets, Native Seeds Research, herbs and others. The Santa Cruz Humane Society was also finding homes for some very cute puppies and kittens.

We also enjoyed a tour of the vineyard and winery, learning about the history of the winery and how the operation works. It's truly a family run business.

Great job Tim, Joan and Kathryn! I'll definitely be back next year!

Great weekend in Sonoita (Part 1)

What a wonderful weekend in Sonoita. Wine country is fabulous!

Friday started early with a business visit in Tucson, another business meeting in Sonoita and then an interview with Kent Callaghan of Callaghan Vineyards to wrap things up. Kent will be our next featured winemaker and the interview went very well. I really enjoyed talking to Kent and getting his unique perspective on winemaking and on wine in Arizona . . . you'll have to pick up the next issue of the magazine to learn more about this subject! ;)

Josh and I decided to take advantage of a night off with a dinner at Canela Bistro, in the heart of Sonoita. We enjoyed dinner here on a previous night last November and wanted to give it another go. Well, we were so happy we did. Oh my gosh! It was good last time . . . this time it was heavenly. Josh was making happy noises throughout the entire dinner. That doesn't happen very often!

We decided to honor our interview with Kent by making it a Callaghan night and drinking only Callaghan Vineyard wines. This is not a difficult or painful thing to do. I enjoyed a glass of Callaghan's Lisa (a nice smooth white wine) while Josh enjoyed a glass of Junior (a cabernet syrah blend). I really wanted to try the asparagus, described as tempura fried asparagus garnished with Dale's fam fresh poached egg & pancetta-dijon vinaigrette. It was light and the asparagus was cooked perfectly, a light crunch but not undercooked. Josh ordered the cheese platter with Dutch aged Gouda, a mild Dutch sheep's milk Gouda and a Fourme d'Ambert (pasteurized cow's milk blue cheese from France). It was garnished with walnuts, honey and toast. When I nibbled on the cheese, I sipped from the Junior, it was a perfect compliment. We were off to a great start.

Then we were onto dinner. I ordered the special, a grilled organic Lazy Double J Ranch (from Willcox, AZ) Pork Chop which was served with light and creamy sour cream polenta, sauteed green apples, "Tokyo" white baby turnips and Italian style salsa verde. The salsa verde was the perfect compliment to the pork chop - wow! You may feel like you're in Kansas, but you're not in Kansas any more, Toto! These people are serious about their food! Portions were nice and food was cooked perfectly. Josh isn't a big fan of apples with his meat but after tasting this combination, he was pleasantly surprised.

Josh played it safe and ordered the grilled ribeye (or so he thought). What could have been very boring and neutral in another location turned into something very special here. The ribeye was cooked a perfect medium rare and was sliced, which initially turned Josh off. Then when he tasted it, though, he had the realization that it was perfect and couldn't have been better if served differently. He gushed that the flavor of the fat was like foie gras, not chewy and gristly like a lot of ribeyes can be. Then I thought he was going to explode with delight when he tasted the gratin of Bob's spring garlic & potato. I really don't think I've ever seen him this excited for a potato before, generally he only eats the entree and leaves the rest on the plate. He was nice enough to share a few bites with me but finished his entire plate pretty much on his own (although, I think I heard a button fly off . . .).

Oh, and the perfect match for this delictable meal was a bottle of Callaghan Vineyards Caitlin's. A blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc. It was truly amazing. It had some nice spice yet didn't overpower the food. I think this may have become my favorite Callaghan wine! We rolled out of there and into bed and I think we were both still full the next day.

I really recommend that you dine at Canela when you visit Sonoita. Any foodie would have a field day here, between the local, quality ingredients, the character of the dining room and the obvious skill of the chef, anyone would be surprised and delighted after their meal. Keep in mind that they are only open four nights a week from Thursday to Sunday and only open during the day for Sunday brunch. They are receiving a lot of deserved media attention so it's a smart idea to make reservations. Owners Joy and John really have created an amazing experience for their diners!

Locavore at the farm . . .

Oh, how time flies . . . last Saturday, April 4th, I had the most amazing experience. I actually dined with a bunch of cows! Yes, and it was the coolest thing in the world! Someone called it "ridiculous", but in a really great way!

Chef James Porter from Tapino did again, but on the road! At Superstition Farm, we enjoyed a gourmet dinner on white linens with china and glassware, surrounded by the dairy cows at their dinner time. I know the first question . . . how did it smell. Well, it smelled like a farm, but it really wasn't bad. It didn't interfere with my enjoyment of wines from Sam Pillsbury or from Rod Keeling & Jan Schaefer . . . and it certainly didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the tasty spread!

I'm going to let the pictures tell the story for the most part in this blog - I think they say more than enough . . .

Dining al fresco gets a whole new meaning here!

Sam Pillsbury, winemaker from Pillsbury Wine Co. He poured his Rose and Roan Red.

Meet Jan Schaefer and Rod Keeling of Keeling Schaefer Vineyards. They poured their Two Reds Granache and their Three Sisters Syrah.

Great meal included: Native tepary bean hummus with rustic grilled flat bread and Queen Creek olive oil . . . Seacat gardens salad with his roasted baby beets, glazed turnips, batavian lettuce, Superstition Farm farmer's cheese and Maya's herb garden vinaigrette (which was amazing!!!) fire roasted arizona suckling pig and charbroiled Double Check Ranch beef, with Maya's braised fennel, rosemary baby carrots, creamed spinach and One Windmill Farm campfire potatoes and Green Valley pecan and Sphinx Date Ranch "brown betty pie" with Udder Delights old fashioned ice cream.

Finished it off with some Superstition Farms milk - fresh from the cow!

Here's a happy customer. Who says California cows have it the best!?!

Twitter and Facebook

BTW - We're now on Facebook and Twitter!

Be sure to become a fan or a follower! It's great fun!

Tempe Festival of the Arts & Arizona Wine Festival

Wow! What a great weekend we had! Last weekend (March 27th through 29th) was the spring edition of the Tempe Festival of the Arts. The Arizona Wine Growers Association sponsors a wine garden at the event every year. Boy, this year was impressive.

There were nine wineries present! Unfortunately due to a death in the family we had a tenth winery pull out at the last minute. Present were . . . Su Vino Winery in Scottsdale, Kokopelli Winery (which operates two locations, one in Chandler and one in Surprise), Keeling Schaefer Vineyards from Pearce, Kief Joshua, Dos Cabezas and Wilhelm Vineyards - all from Sonoita, Pillsbury Wine Company from Willcox AND finally, Jerome Winery and Page Springs Cellars from up north! We had all types of wines for all types of palates.

Luckily the wind died down for us on Friday, I was a little concerned when on Thursday night we had 40 to 50 mph winds. Could of made for an ugly festival! But instead the sun shone down and we had perfect weather, 70s and 80s.

Josh and I worked (along with some very helpful volunteers) the front, selling glasses and tickets for the wine tasting. It's a great deal. For $10 you get a very nice wine glass to take home with you and six tasting tickets. Each ticket allows about an ounce pour offering a great way to try many new wines. Some folks didn't get enough tastes with those tickets so we were selling an additional six tickets for $5! Sam Pillsbury noted that the hot dogs were selling for $7 in the Food Court at the event, so a $5 glass of wine was a steal!


They place the wine garden adjacent to the entertainment stage so it's enjoyable to sit with your wine, friends and listen to the great jazz coming from the stage.

We had some great volunteers help us out - Colleen Chase and Tina Gibson from Arizona Grape Escapes (they do great wine tours!), Gavin & Irlyn Gallifant who are in the process of creating their own wine (Gallifant Cellars) and Carlos and Anne De Leon - who also are upcoming in the industry having purchased 40 acres down in Willcox to plant vines over the next few years.

The turnout was HUGE!!! We actually ran out of glasses on Sunday (luckily not until about 4PM) and offered folks some plastic glasses for their tasting (at a discount, of course). The great news is that we had almost 2000 people tasting AZ wines! We even had a few converts what had been previously convinced that Arizona wasn't producing quality wine. Now, that was exciting!

The festival is held in the fall and in the spring. Be sure to check out our events page to stay abreast of all the great wine events being held throughout Arizona! You won't want to miss the next event!