Steak Night, Fresh Catch and Wine Specials at Wine Bar Destin

Steak Night, Fresh Catch and Wine Specials at Wine Bar Destin

The Wine Bar - Destin 

Visiting our favorite getaway, Destiny Cove vacation rental in Destin Florida, we dined at The Wine Bar restaurant in Destin. 

We first discovered the Wine Bar in the Sandestin Grand Boulevard shopping center. It's adjacent to and affiliated with the Wine World wine shop that has an amazing and impressive selection of 100 point and first growth producer wines. We then learned they have four locations including this one, the Wine Bar in Destin nearby.

The Wine Bar Destin location is located at the Shoppes of Paradise Key (on Commons Drive across from the Destin Commons Center). In addition to the restaurant, they have the adjacent wine shop that also includes a cheese shop - a trifecta, all in the one location, just up the street from our neighborhood!  

The dining room offers casual fine dining in a rustic and quaint setting, intimate and slightly dark, with an adjacent bar and a private wine room for special dinners and private groups.

The Wine Bar restaurant offers a core selection soups, salads and small plates, with chicken, steaks and fresh seafood. They tout an award winning wine list, and and extensive selection of artisan cheeses! 

The wine list offers a broad selection of WBTG - Wines By The Glass; five Sparkling Wines, three Rose's, nine "Fresh and Bright Whites", and nine "Round Rich and Ripe White Wines". For red wine selections they offer seven :Soft and Fruity Reds", twelve "Big and Bold Reds:. 

And, for 'Happy Hour', from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily, they offer a 12 oz. carafe of WBTG selections for the price of a large glass, 8 oz.  They also offer a wine flight of Luxury Whites and one of Luxury Reds.

We ordered from the wine list a carafe specials the premium Brunello Montalcino of which they were out, so, we opted for a Barolo, a Napa Valley Red Blend, and a Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay.

As starters we ordered the cesar salad and the Beet Caprese Salad - heirloom tomatoes, roasted red beets, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, balsamic glaze (shown below).

For entrees, Linda ordered the Manchego Crusted Grouper, the Daily Fresh Catch Special with carolina gold rice, field peas, wild mushrooms, lardons, jalapeno and citrus beurre blanc.

Saturday night is Steak Special night so I ordered the Saturday Night Filet of Beef special, prepared Pittsburgh style, charred on the outside, medium hot pink center on the inside.

With the steak we ordered two carafe special red wines, a Red Blend and a Barolo, our second choice since the published Brunello di Montalcino was not available.

Aril Sonoma County Kick Ranch Red Blend 2017

This is from Aril Wines, founded in 2008 by Harmon and Joanne Brown to produce a small amount of premium, hand-crafted wines based on their Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard in Napa Valley. They retained renowned winemaker and viticulturist Ehren Jordan (Failla/Turley) as winemaker and vineyard consultant in 2014. He employed a simple philosophy of procuring optimal grapes and respecting them in the winery applying a minimalist approach to showcase place, balance, and elegance.

In 2018, the Jay family purchased the brand to continue the legacy and production. 

Aril produce four labels of Bordeaux varietals including this unique blend which includes Rhone varietal Syrah, all sourced from the Kick Ranch Vineyard that sits high atop Spring Mountain which separates Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west. 

Sitting on the western facing slope of the mountain in what is known as the Fountaingrove District in Sonoma County, it has vistas all they way to the Petaluma Gap to the west, which provides cool nights and foggy mornings. The producer site describes the vineyard rows planted to capture maximum sun exposure.

The Fountaingrove District is a sleeper of an appellation within Sonoma County, the 17th AVA, latest and most recent to receive American Viticultural Area (AVA) status in March 2015. 

The District takes its name from an historic area of northeastern Santa Rosa, the Fountaingrove District that was inspired by the legacy of California's original "cult winery." Of the 38,000-acres in the appellation 500 acres are planted to vineyards from five wine producers.

 

The Fountaingrove District sits in the middle of the Mayacamas Mountain range that separates Napa Valley to the east from Sonoma Valley to the west. It is bounded to the north by Sonoma County's Knights Valley AVA, Sonoma Valley to the south, Chalk Hill to the northwest, and Russian River Valley to the west.

This label is a unique blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Petit Verdot. It was aged in 33% new French Oak barrels for eighteen months. This was the six vintage release of this label. Only 275 cases were produced.

This was dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, concentrated full round red and black fruits with notes of dusty rose, leather and spice with hints of anise.

https://www.cellartracker.com/m/wines/4847352

https://www.arilwines.com/


Azienda Agricola Icollirossi Barolo Monforte d'Alba Nebbiolo 2018

Icollirossi Barolo is a DOCG designated wine from the Piedmont region in Northern Italy.

One of the world's great red wines, Barolo is also one of the most distinctive, primarily due to the DOCG rules regulating the grape, how it is produced and the unique terroir of the region in which it grows. Wines from the Barolo DOCG must be 100% Nebbiolo. Barolo wines are noted for their ability to age and need to be aged for at least 38 months after the harvest before release, of which at least 18 months must be in wood.

Located in North West Italy, the Piedmont Wine Region has the largest area in terms of DOC and DOCG wines. Meaning “foot of the mountain,” due to its proximity to the Alps, Piedmont wines including Barolo, Barberesco, Gattinara, Ghemme and Gavi all benefit from the slopes and terrain characteristic of the region. 

Barolo production codes stipulate that vineyards must be located on hillsides, however a recent revision of the production code released in 2010 goes further to specifically exclude valley floors, humid and flat areas, areas without sufficient sunlight, and areas with full-on northern exposures.

Nebbiolo is the dominant grape variety for reds and produces wines with tannic and acidic qualities that can also have fairly high alcohol content. This distinctive combination profile makes distinguished and cellar-worthy wines of Barolo and Barberesco some of the most sought-after. 

This Barolo is from the commune of Monforte d'Alba, one of several  DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) communes in the northern Italian region of Piedmont.

Winemaker notes - "Bold and complex, I Colli Rossi Cru Monforte Barolo 2018 delivers rich flavors of dark fruits, spices, and earthiness. Powerful tannins and a long finish. Pair with lamb, beef, and game."

Bright Ruby colored, medium full bodied, layered flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of earth, anise, tobacco and hints of cedar and clove spice with polished tannins on an expressive lingering finish.

RM 89

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4381237

Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay 2022

This is an entry level label from the legendary Wagner Family wine portfolio, most known for their flagship Caymus brand. Mer Soleil is led by second generation Owner and Winemaker Charlie Wagner. It is sourced from vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA near the coast in Monterey County.

This wine is named for the sea and sun in recognition of the distinctive place where it is sourced. The Santa Lucia Highlands, 40 minutes south from Monterey in North Central coastal California are known for morning fog, bright sunshine and gusting winds and an extended growing season. Grapes stay on the vine longer, leading to the development of intense aromas and flavors. 

Producer's notes - "A lively flaxen gold, this wine features a harmonious nose that previews the playful balance to come on the palate. Scents of brown spice, toasted almonds, custard and light oak mingle with Meyer lemon zest, honeysuckle and a hint of apricot. Entry is round, as this wine's fruit and natural acidity build on each other, with echoes of brown spice, citrus and apricot enveloped in a creamy texture. A vibrant finish of lemon/lime showcases the distinctly bright acidity produced from the Monterey coast, leaving an enticing freshness that prepares the palate for another sip."

Aromas of baked croissant, apricot, lemon/lime and honeysuckle. Round and creamy on the palate with notes of lemon squares and fresh natural acidity. Creamy yet fresh, the wine is balanced by lively acidity and bright citrus.

A widely distributed, moderately priced, easy drinking Chardonnay.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4851990

https://www.thewinebarfl.com/the-wine-bar-destin

Steak Night, Fresh Catch and Wine Specials at Wine Bar Destin

Steak Night, Fresh Catch and Wine Specials at Wine Bar Destin

Visiting our favorite Destin Florida vacation rental, The Cove, we dined at The Wine Bar restaurant in Destin. 

We first discovered the Wine Bar in the Sandestin Grand Boulevard shopping center. It's adjacent to and affiliated with the Wine World wine shop that has an amazing and impressive selection of 100 point and first growth producer wines. We then learned they have four locations including this one, the Wine Bar in Destin nearby.

The Wine Bar Destin location is located at the Shoppes of Paradise Key (on Commons Drive across from the Destin Commons Center). In addition to the fine dining restaurant, they have the Craft Bar restaurant, and the adjacent Wine World wine shop that also includes a cheese shop - a trifecta, all in the one location, just up the street in our neighborhood!  

The dining room offers casual fine dining in a rustic and quaint setting, intimate and slightly dark, with an adjacent bar and a private wine room for special dinners and private groups.

The Wine Bar restaurant offers a core selection soups, salads and small plates, with chicken, steaks and fresh seafood. They tout an award winning wine list, and and extensive selection of artisan cheeses! 

The wine list offers a broad selection of WBTG - Wines By The Glass; five Sparkling Wines, three Rose's, nine "Fresh and Bright Whites", and nine "Round Rich and Ripe White Wines". For red wine selections they offer seven :Soft and Fruity Reds", twelve "Big and Bold Reds:. 

And, for 'Happy Hour', from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily, they offer a 12 oz. carafe of WBTG selections for the price of a large glass, 8 oz.  They also offer a wine flight of Luxury Whites and one of Luxury Reds.

We ordered from the wine list a carafe specials the premium Brunello Montalcino of which they were out, so, we opted for a Barolo, a Napa Valley Red Blend, and a Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay.

As starters we ordered the cesar salad and the Beet Caprese Salad - heirloom tomatoes, roasted red beets, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, balsamic glaze (shown below).

For entrees, Linda ordered the Manchego Crusted Grouper, the Daily Fresh Catch Special with carolina gold rice, field peas, wild mushrooms, lardons, jalapeno and citrus beurre blanc.

Saturday night is Steak Special night so I ordered the Saturday Night Filet of Beef special, prepared Pittsburgh style, charred on the outside, medium hot pink center on the inside.

With the steak we ordered two carafe special red wines, a Red Blend and a Barolo, our second choice since the published Brunello di Montalcino was not available.

Aril Sonoma County Kick Ranch Red Blend 2017

This is from Aril Wines, founded in 2008 by Harmon and Joanne Brown to produce a small amount of premium, hand-crafted wines based on their Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard in Napa Valley. They brought on renowned winemaker and viticulturist Ehren Jordan (Failla/Turley) as winemaker and vineyard consultant in 2014. He employed a simple philosophy of procuring optimal grapes and respecting them in the winery applying a minimalist approach to showcase place, balance, and elegance.

In 2018, they sold the brand to the Jay family who continue the legacy and production. 

Aril produce four labels of Bordeaux varietals including this unique blend which includes Rhone varietal Syrah, all sourced from the Kick Ranch Vineyard that sits high atop Spring Mountain which separates Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west. 

Sitting on the western facing slope of the mountain in what is known as the Fountaingrove District in Sonoma County, it has vistas all they way to the Petaluma Gap to the west, which provides cool nights and foggy mornings. The producer site describes the vineyard rows planted to capture maximum sun exposure.

The Fountaingrove District is a sleeper of an appellation within Sonoma County, the 17th AVA, latest and most recent to receive American Viticultural Area (AVA) status in March 2015. 

The District takes its name from an historic area of northeastern Santa Rosa, the Fountaingrove District that was inspired by the legacy of California's original "cult winery." Of the 38,000-acres in the appellation 500 acres are planted to vineyards from five wine producers.

 

The Fountaingrove District sits in the middle of the Mayacamas Mountain range that separates Napa Valley to the east from Sonoma Valley to the west. It is bounded to the north by Sonoma County's Knights Valley AVA, Sonoma Valley to the south, Chalk Hill to the northwest, and Russian River Valley to the west.

This label is a unique blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Petit Verdot. It was aged in 33% new French Oak barrels for eighteen months. This was the six vintage release of this label. Only 275 cases were produced.

This was dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, concentrated full round red and black fruits with notes of dusty rose, leather and spice with hints of anise.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/m/wines/4847352

https://www.arilwines.com/

We also from the WBTG selections this DOCG Nebbiolo.

Azienda Agricola Icollirossi Barolo Monforte d'Alba Nebbiolo 2018

Icollirossi Barolo DOCG is a renowned Italian red wine known for its complexity, often featuring red fruit, floral, and earthy notes. Barolo, produced in Piedmont, is often referred to as the "King of Wines."

One of the world's great red wines, Barolo is also one of the most distinctive. This is due to several factors, with two being the most important, grape and the soil in which it grows. Wines from the Barolo DOCG must be 100% Nebbiolo and aged at least 38 months, 18 of those in wood barrels. 

Located in North West Italy, the Piedmont Wine Region has the largest area in terms of DOC and DOCG wines. Meaning “foot of the mountain,” due to its proximity to the Alps, Piedmont wines including Barolo, Barberesco, Gattinara, Ghemme and Gavi all benefit from the slopes and terrain characteristic of the region. Nebbiolo, the dominant grape variety for reds, produces wines with tannic and acidic qualities that can also have fairly high alcohol content. This combination makes the distinguished and cellar-worthy wines of Barolo and Barberesco some of the most sought-after, according to our Piedmont Wine Guide. In terms of value, the Langhe, Ghemme and Gattinara areas also produce wine with the Nebbiolo grape, but sell at a fraction of the price. Barbera and Dolcetto offer buoyant red wines that are best enjoyed in their youth. The crisp and fresh white wines from the Gavi DOC are made from the Cortese grape and are suitable pairings for lighter fare, such as seafood or poultry. Moscato is also grown in Piedmont and is responsible for most of the sparkling and sweet dessert-style wines produced in the region. For an extensive list of red and white wines, read our detailed Piedmont Wine Ratings. 

Winemaker notes - "Bold and complex, I Colli Rossi Cru Monforte Barolo 2018 delivers rich flavors of dark fruits, spices, and earthiness. Powerful tannins and a long finish. Pair with lamb, beef, and game."

“This wine is jam packed with character and layered flavors of blackberry and cherry with a bold finish. It needs hearty fare such as ossobuco, roasted herb lamb or pasta, and robiola and truffle.”

Dark ruby colored, medium bodied, concentrated bold complex blackberry and black cherry fruits with earthy spices, tobacco and cedar notes with firm focused tannins on the long finish. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4381237

 

Mer Soleil Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2022

This is a product of Charlie Wagner, oldest son of the legendary ChuckWagner of Caymus fame,  one of the oldest most storied labels in Napa Valley.  Charlie leads second Caymus labels Conundrum along with this coastal Mer Soleil Chardonnay. 

Showing the distinct character that represents the dramatic growing conditions of the Santa Lucia Highlands and Monterey County. In addition to Mer Soleil, Charlie also produces Sea Sun Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The regions where Sea Sun is sourced have included Monterey, Santa Barbara and Solano Counties. Another of his creative endeavors is Red Schooner, a rich, dark Malbec made from grapes grown in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, shipped chilled to Caymus and produced in the supple Caymus style.

Mer Soleil takes its name from the sea and sun – the two forces of nature that form its exotic character, reflecting the  dramatic place where it is sourced. With morning fog, bright sunshine and gusting winds, Monterey county has an extended growing season. Grapes stay on the vine longer, leading to the development of intense aromas such as custard and toasted almonds, rich fruit flavors and enlivening lemon/lime.

Consumed BTG from the wine list this was straw colored, medium bodied with round tones of citrus brown spice and honeysuckle and pain grille with a crisp refreshing, clean finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.wagnerfamilyofwine.com/

https://www.thewinebarfl.com/the-wine-bar-destin

Caymus Vineyards Estate Visit and Tasting

Caymus Vineyards Estate Visit and Tasting

Our last tasting appointment of our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2018 was a private tasting at legendary Caymus Vineyards, are one of the most well known and established brands in Napa Valley dating back to 1972. Since then their production has grown from 240 to 65000 cases per year. They're most known for Caymus Cabernet - their two Cabernets Sauvignons; “Napa Valley” and the venerable “Special Selection”. Both are crafted by winemaker, founder and patriarch Chuck Wagner.

Caymus have managed to continue to produce respectable Cabernets despite their large growth in production. Both wines are known for early gratification, drinkability when young, as well as aging ability. We hold many vintages of Caymus Cabernet and Caymus Special Select dating back to the 1990 vintage.

A couple years ago, for their fortieth anniversary, Caymus changed their packaging with a new label design and new foil that prominently featured the number '40'. Each year since, they increment the number representing the number of years that they have been producing Caymus Cabernet. We purchased a collection of that label and every one since, as our wedding anniversary coincides with the same number of years as Caymus. Ever since, we serve Caymus Cabernet as part of our 'shared; anniversary celebration. That first year's celebration is featured in this linked blogspot post. Last year's anniversary celebration was featured in this linked blogspot. 

Caymus Vineyards remains 100% family-owned by the Wagners, elder Charlie, Lorna Belle, and Chuck who are joined by the next generation, Chuck's two sons, Charlie and Joe, and daughter, Jenny. They farm about 350 acres of choice Napa Valley vineyards.

Caymus is named for the historic Mexican land grant known as Rancho Caymus, given to George Yount in 1836, which encompassed what eventually became the town of Rutherford and much of the surrounding area.

The Caymus portfolio has grown with new labels that include the Emmolo and Mer Soleil brands.

The Emmolo brand is named after the mother of Jenny Wagner. Emolo wines are sourced from fruit from the family Estate north of the Caymus property in the Rutherford district of Napa Valley. Jenny’s great grandfather emigrated from Italy in 1923 to settle in Napa Valley and planted vine stock nursery. Her grandfather planted vineyards in the 1950’s and her mother started producing Emmollo wines in 1994.

The Mer Soleil label is the handiwork of Charlie Wagner. He sources grapes from a number of properties from Sonoma to Santa Barbara. Mer Soleil means sea and sun referring to the coastal vineyards from which the grapes are sourced. The brand tends to feature Burgundian grape varietals Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which are more suited to such sites.

Like some of our other producer visits this week, we scheduled a private tasting at Caymus to experience some of the brands' labels that are limited production and available only at the winery or directly from the producer.  Of the six wines we tasted, only two are such offerings, the Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir and Caymus Estate Napa Valley Zinfandel.

In retrospect our tasting visit was a source of major agitation and aggravation when we learned after the fact, reading on their website, that the tasting fee is waived with the purchase of four bottles of wine. We purchased three, one, and would've naturally bought another since it would've essentially been gratis when factoring in the tasting fee. It would've been nice had we been offered this or told of this policy when were there. Our image of the brand will forever be tainted by this shortsightedness as we feel shorted.

Note we purchased the labels not in general or limited in distribution, the Pinot and Zinfandel, and another label not tasted, Caymus-Suisun Grand Durif, all of varietals we don't generally collect for longer term cellaring. The Bordeaux varietals we normally collect and drink that were tasted, are generally available in distribution and at our local merchant, hence there was no need to acquire at the winery to ship home.

Our tasting flight:

Emmolo Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Mer Soleil Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2015

Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2016

This is the first inaugural release of this Pinot Noir label, sourced from vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation in coastal central California.

This was garnet colored, medium bodied, bright flavors of cherry, strawberry and subtle cranberry accented by a layer of bacon fat, earth and spices with soft tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2949226

Caymus Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Caymus Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Caymus Special Selection is the flagship wine of the Wagner family and is comprised of the very best barrels of the vintage.

We hold this wine in several vintages including the 1990 release which was Wine Spectator wine of the year and is birth year wine of Son Alec.

Caymus Estate Napa Valley Zinfandel 2016

The label says this is produced by Caymus in Fairfield, CA. This is a very limited production label available only at the winery that has actually been produced since 1975. According to our server, this is a favorite of Chuck Wagner, personally produced since the earliest days for personal consumption, and available in small quantities from the winery direct.

Caymus-Suisun Grand Durif 2016

We also purchased this wine to try as we're fans of Sirah and Petit Sirah. Fruit for this wine is sourced from the Suisun Valley located in the California Central Valley about forty minutes east of Napa Valley. The fruit for this wine is the Durif grape varietal which is also known as Petite Sirah.

Watch for our tasting experience.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2974168

http://www.caymus.com/