Surf & Turf - Fresh caught red snapper with filet of beef tenderloin

Surf & Turf - Fresh caught red snapper with filet of beef tenderloin 

During our getaway to The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental home, we took advantage of the Destin based largest commercial charter fishing fleet in the nation to obtain the fresh catch of the day for a festive seafood dinner.  

We went to John’s Sea Market on Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin and got the smallest whole red snapper they had, which was still large enough to feed our four adults and two small children!  

Destin is called “the world’s luckiest fishing village” due to its historic reputation as a destination for gulf coastal and deep sea fishing. As mentioned, it has the largest commercial charter fishing fleet in the nation. 

Destin’s immediate history is attributed to a fisherman, Leonard Destin, who moved down from New London, Conn., and settled in Northwest Florida about 1845. For decades, he and his descendants fished and navigated the only channel passage to the Gulf of Mexico between Panama City and Pensacola, known as Destin’s East Pass.

Destin is a place where highest quality freshest seafood is readily accessible - direct off the many charter and commercial fishing boats in Destin Harbor, through numerous fresh seafood markets, and of course, at a myriad of daily fresh catch seafood restaurants. 

One of many seafood markets is Sea Market. own and operated by John, a commercial fisherman in his own right. At the Sea Market he sources fresh catch seafood through exclusive arrangements with a dozen local fishing boats - wherein he guarantees to take 100% of their daily catch, and hence has assurance of supply to service his retail and wholesale customers. 

In addition to the fresh local daily catch that regularly includes Grouper, Mahi Mahi, Pompano, Snapper, Cobia and Sea Bass, he also offers shellfish such as Stone Crab and Wild Caught Scottish Salmon which is flown in fresh from Scotland, and prime and exotic meats.

John also prepares John and Araya’s Seafood Gumbo, and Chowder, and they are especially known for his “John’s Famous Crab Cakes”. His wife Anaya produces a collection of sauces including Araya’s Seafood Sauce, Tuna Dip, Araya’s Thai Steak Sauce, and John’s Roumalade, for pairing with the seafood. 

Linda picked out this fresh whole Red Snapper which John’s associate scaled and scored the fish for us to prepare it for grilling.

Sean and Linda stuffed the fish with citrus oranges and fresh seasonings including fresh lemon, garlic salt and pepper.

After grilling we served it with Jasmine coconut sticky rice and mango salsa. 

They also grilled filets of beef tenderloin with pineapple and asparagus. 

 

With dinner I pulled from the wine cooler two wines to accompany and complement the entrees - a white and a red. The optimal pairing amplified the enjoyment of both for a delicious dinner. 

Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay 2023

We picked this up at Wine World in Destin, where we attended the Italian Wine Month Dinner at Wine Bar Destin wine dinner just the other night. It proved to be a huge QPR - Quality Price Ratio value for a bold sipping Chardonnay to accompany our seafood dinner. 

This is from winemaker Greg Brewer who founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 to produce wines that reflect the geographic, geologic and climatic uniqueness of California’s Sta. Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County.

Sant Rita Hills has one of the coolest climates on the west coast, Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County, with a long growing season, making it ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The unique topology where the valleys run perpendicular to the coast funnels the maritime influences through the hills to the small appellation that is filled with variations in soil, aspect and micro-climates to produce terroir ideal for those varietals.

Greg Brewer also produces Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay which we have enjoyed in the recent past, another high QPR easy sipping Chardonnay. We wrote about it in these pages in this recent blogpost - Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023.

We visited the Brewer Clifton tasting room in the town of Los Olivos during our Santa Barbara Country wine experience back in 2023.





Jeb Dunnuck gives their Sta Rita Hills estate Chardonnay 95 points and writes, “I've written many times, this appellation release can stand toe to toe with any Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County.” 

 That release was rated 95 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 94 points by James Suckling, 93 points by Wine Spectator, and 92 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Vinous and Wine Enthusiast.  

Winemaker Notes - With the goal of expressing a comprehensive expression of the appellation, Brewer-Clifton selected four unique vineyard sites to create this Sta. Rita Hills bottling. This blend is comprised of 3D, Machado, Acin and Hapgood vineyards. While each lot is handled separately and in a completely uniform fashion in the winery, each contributes vastly different expressions which ultimately harmonize in the finished wine.

This was pale golden straw colored, medium-bodied, crisp, clean and pure with , A savory bright vibrant acidity to the fresh-cut green apple and ruby grapefruit flavors with mineral richness, intense Meyer Lemon citrus on a robust lingering finish. 

It was so bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood, which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine. It was great with our seafood entrees.

This release was aged nine months in 100% neutral oak barrels but any sense of oakiness is muted.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5299506

https://www.bygregbrewer.com/brewer-clifton

For a red wine with the filets of beef, we finished off this bottle we had open from earlier in the week. 

Madame de Beaucaillou Haut-Médoc

I wrote about this new release label in this earlier blogpost, excerpted here. 

Madame de Beaucaillou Haut-Médoc 2018 

We're long time fans and collectors of the grand vin Ducru Beaucaillou and picked up a case of this new label in its inaugural release. 

We visited the famous Château Ducru Beaucaillou during our Bordeaux St Julien wine experience in 2018 and tasted the 2018 release from the barrel. That vintage went on to receive 100 points from Wine Enthusiast and 99 points from just about everyone else. They released this new label for that vintage so we were compelled to pick some up. 

As I have oft written in these pages, in top vintages, 'all boats rise with the tide', meaning great Chateaux will produce great wines even in their second and third labels, such that those labels often provide tremendous QPR - Quality Price Ratios, superb wines at a fraction of the price of the grand vin. 

Wine critic Jeb Dunnuck wrote about the 2018 Bordeaux: "In short, 2018 is a thrilling vintage with no shortage of legendary wines and I cannot imagine anyone who purchases these wines will be disappointed...It’s possible to find attractive, well-made, even outstanding, wines that punch well above their price points." 

This is the very first vintage of this new label coming from the cellars of Ducru Beaucaillou. The new wine comes from vineyards located in the Haut-Médoc; plots brought by Madame Eugène-Borie on her marriage and more recently by the acquisition of plots from Madame Fort-Pradère. This wine label was created to pay homage to the woman who chaired the Board from 1998 to today, but also to an attentive and loving mother. Under the Haut Medoc appellation, this wine offers Borie quality at an entry-level price.

In recognition of Ducru's long line of women owners, the chateau released this label noting, “equally inspiring and demanding… all of them had an essential role in the development and renown of Ducru Beaucaillou’s signature style – strength and grace.”

Ducru Beaucaillou is a Bordeaux Second Growth that dates back to 1720 and is named for its terroir – the beautiful stones - ducru beaucaillou ... that are a large part of the composition of the soil of the vineyards adjacent the Gironde River. These stones, and the vineyards planted on them, are part of what gives Ducru Beaucaillou its particular Saint Julien character. Adjacent is a commemorative 'beautiful pebble', engraved with the historic chateau, in a gift box given to guests at to the estate.  

With the 2018 vintage, Ducru Beaucaillou decided to honor it’s 300^th birthday and its Chairman [chairwoman] of the Board, Mrs. Eugene Borie, for the past decade by creating a new cuvee from her family’s home vineyards. The cuvee is this one, the Madame de Beaucaillou, released in 2020. 

This is vinified in the cellars by the Ducru-Beaucaillou team, receiving the same care and attention: the technical winemaking process, selective blending, and careful ageing for 12 months in barrel (including 20% new oak). 

In classic Bordeaux style, this is a blend of 39% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. 

Deep garnet-colored, medium bodied, bright expressive vibrant blackberries, blueberries and plum fruits, accented by graphite and a touch of clove, hints of coffee tobacco, cigar and cedar with a savoury round finish with firm structured backbone and sturdy, fine-grain cloying tongue coating tannins that are not for the feint of heart but will impress big Bordeaux enthusiasts. 

This was delicious already and I can only imagine how this will be with three to five or more years of additional integration and aging. 

RM 90 points. This was awarded 91 points by James Suckling

Upon tasting this, I quickly got on line and ordered the current release of this label, available through En primeur (futures purchase). 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?3662209

@DucruB #stJulien #medoc #bordeaux #GrandCruClasse1855

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/  

https://freshfishdestin.com/

Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s

Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin/Miramar Beach

Visiting The Cove, our Destin, FL vacation rental, we dined at Captain Dave’s, a favorite, a local institution, and a short walk down the beach from our house. 

Captain Dave’s On The Gulf is the oldest seafood restaurant in Destin, (FL), family owned and operated since 1968. It offers beach front views from the spacious high ceiling dining room overlooking the gulf. 

Before dinner we sat on the deck overlooking the beach to watch the sunset with a Captain Dave’s Rum Punch. 

Tonight was a replay of a previous visit to this restaurant from last fall, when we even ordered the same entrees as tonight - Nickel & Nickle Chardonnay BYOB at Captain Dave’s Destin.

We each ordered our favorite entrees - Linda the Coconut crusted shrimp …. 

… I ordered the Captain Daves signature Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi. 

We took BYOB this Chardonnay from Sta Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County that we just picked up at Wine World in Destin. It proved to be a huge QPR - Quality Price Ratio value for easy sipping Chardonnay. We liked it so much, we went back and picked up a couple more bottles.  

Brewer Clifton Sta Rita Hills Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2023

Winemaker Greg Brewer founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 to produce wines that reflect the geographic, geologic and climatic uniqueness of California’s Sta. Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County.

Sant Rita Hills has one of the coolest climates on the west coast, Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County, with a long growing season, making it ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The unique topology where the valleys run perpendicular to the coast funnels the maritime influences through the hills to the small appellation that is filled with variations in soil, aspect and micro-climates to produce terroir ideal for those varietals. 

Greg Brewer also produces Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay which we have enjoyed in the recent past, another high QPR easy sipping Chardonnay. We wrote about it in these pages in this recent blogpost - Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023.

We visited the Brewer Clifton tasting room in the town of Los Olivos during our Santa Barbara Country wine experience back in 2023. 

Jeb Dunnuck gives their Sta Rita Hills estate Chardonnay 95 points and writes, “I've written many times, this appellation release can stand toe to toe with any Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County.”  That release was rated 94 points by James Suckling and 93 points by Wine Spectator.

This was pale golden straw colored, medium-bodied, crisp, clean and pure with bright vibrant, intense Meyer Lemon citrus, accented by notes of pear and hint of green apple fruits, with tangy acidity, and expressive mineral on and a great lingering finish. So bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine. 

It was so bright and vibrant, it needs food or a cheese accompaniment such as tonight’s seafood, which was an ideal pairing, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of both, food and wine. It was great with our seafood entrees.

This release was aged nine months in 100% neutral oak barrels but any sense of oakiness is muted. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?5299506

https://www.bygregbrewer.com/brewer-clifton

https://www.captdavesonthegulf.com/

Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023

Great QPR in this Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023

Over the course of a couple evenings, we enjoyed this crisp clean un-oaked central coast Chardonnay, first with baked chicken with potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions, then with some artisan cheeses and fresh fruits. 

This is from accomplished producer/winemaker Greg Brewer, who produced his first vintage in 1996, Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs - raised in neutral barrels with whole cluster fermentation. He also “acts out his almost deviant desire to go outside his Brewer-Clifton paradigm to explore a new muse – Syrah” produced under his Ex Post Facto label.

This moderately priced Diatom label by Brewer, comes from the Mission Mills Vineyard just outside of Los Alamos. As noted on the rear label, Diatom is named for the fossil-rich diatomaceous earth in which these vines grow. 

Brewer’s wines are showcased at his tasting room in Los Olivos, by appointment only. 

We visited and wrote about Los Olivos and the large number of tasting rooms there in our blogpost back in 2022.   

This label was wine #37 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of 2023 and #18 in the Top 100 Wines of 2025. 

This 2023 Diatom Chardonnay can be had for under $25 and provides great QPR - quality price ratio at that price point. 

Vinous writes, “This is a stunning wine for the price and for its production of around 40,000 cases.” With that level of production, it should be readily available in local wine shops as well as the big box beverage marts. 

Jeb Dunnuck writes, “This impeccably made Chardonnay should be snatched up by readers, as it competes with wines at two to three times the price, a no-brainer purchase for those who love Santa Barbara County Chardonnay. ”

Decanter wrote; “One of the region's perennial top-value Chardonnays that retains the truest sense of place.”

Linda especially loved this unoaked and fermented in steel tanks Chardonnay with its full-bodied but balanced and amazingly rich in ripe fruit. 

Wine Enthusiast wrote - “This wine made by the legendary Greg Brewer offers a very affordable taste of his mastery.”

All of this fruit is from Mission Hills outside Los Alamos in Santa Barbara County.

 

Winemaker Notes - “ Our singular focus is to present a pure and precise expression of Chardonnay. The Diatom Santa Barbara Chardonnay offers aromas of lemon, citrus blossom and wet sand with flavors of saline and white peach on the palate. A precise, balanced wine. winemaker Greg Brewer calls the wine ‘big and neutral, blurring the lines of expectation.’”

This release was rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck and Vinous, 93 points by Decanter and Wine Spectator who calls it a ‘Smart Buy’, and 92 points and “Editors Choice” by Wine Enthusiast.

Golden colored, medium full bodied, crisp, clean, pure, round but nicely, balanced, smooth flavors of citrus, green apple, cardamom and floral with subtle pineapple mangoes, and chalky mineral, with soft tangy acidity, on a smooth balanced finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/4948763

https://www.bygregbrewer.com/

 

 

Tensley Santa Barbara County Shiraz 2022

Tensley Santa Barbara County Shiraz 2022

We received our wine club allocation shipment of (2024) Tensley Santa Barbara County wines. So, I pulled from the cellar an older vintage bottle of the just received label, as part of cellar inventory management, to try. 

We enjoyed this with leftover ravioli and bolognese sauce, and the remains of my veal saltimbocca from our Wine & Dinner at Bruna’s in Chicago’s Little Italy, the other evening. 

Tensley Santa Barbara County Shiraz 2022

We discovered this producer and acquired their wines, and joined their wine club, during our visit to the Santa Maria Valley Foxen Canyon Wine Trail back in 2022. We saw their vineyards and then their tasting room in downtown Los Olivos, during our Wine Experience, chronicled in this blogpost at the time, excerpted here - Tensley Santa Barbara County Wines.

Tensley Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County Wines

During our Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley Wine Experience, we drove the Foxen Canyon wine trail. On one of our stops, we were referred by one producer to check out Tensley Wines, which was near the estate we were visiting. 

We drove by the Tensley vineyards on Alisos Canyon Road, (shown left) which was closed, so we stopped in the Tensley Vineyards hospitality tasting room in downtown Los Olivos.

We first visited a central location serving as the confluence of many producers in Woodinville, Washington, during our Seattle/Woodinville Wine Experience, where over a hundred wineries have retail tasting facilities. 

The town of Los Olivos is all about winery tasting rooms with forty different producers having public retail facilities there. It is the anchor for the Santa Ynez Valley wine appellation, situated on State Road 154 just off the major Route 101, about thirty five miles north, inland, from Santa Barbara.

One of the great surprises of our Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley wine experience was the revelation of Syrah being one of the lead varietals in the area. 

We were expecting to see Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are predominant taking advantage of the cool climate being close to the coastal maritime effects. The cool coastal breezes run up the valleys of the mountains that run perpendicular to the coast. 

We were delighted to find several producers featuring or even specializing in Syrah, Tensley included. 

We taste a flight of their wines during our visit to the producer's hospitality tasting room downtown Los Olivos, where we were able to taste a flight of their Rhône varietals centered on their Syrahs.  

Readers of these pages know we're huge fans of Syrah as one of our favorite varietals for big fruit filled every day sipping as well as serious wine pairing with robust foods such as BBQ.

Joey Tensley launched Tensley Wines in 1998 with the goal to produce well-priced, Syrah-driven wines, by "sourcing the best fruit possible and let the unique vineyards of Santa Barbara County speak for themselves." 

The first release of Tensley totaled just 100 cases. By 2015, production had grown to 5,000 cases and included five single-vineyard Syrahs, the most in Santa Barbara County. Tensley Syrah’s have made the Wine Spectator’s Top 100, scored 99 points with Robert Parker, and won Food and Wine Magazine’s award for the “Top Syrah in America over $20.”

Joey’s first experience with wine took place when he was just twelve-years-old, when his soccer team toured a winery while taking part in a tournament in France. He vividly recalls the chill of the old caves and the aromas of wines fermenting in barrel. From that moment on he knew he wanted to be a winemaker. “Which pretty much made me the only kid in Bakersfield with that particular dream,” Joey says.

Joey got his start in the wine business working as a “cellar rat” for Fess Parker Winery in Santa Barbara County in 1993. Three years later, he became assistant winemaker at Babcock Vineyards. There, he came to appreciate the importance of the vineyard and the grower. 

Over time, Tensley also came to appreciate the uniqueness of Santa Barbara County as a growing region. “We’re one of the only places in the world with a mountain range that runs east-west. That gives us many different, unique micro-climates, so a Syrah grown in one place is so different from a Syrah grown in another. It’s an exciting place to make wine.”

In 1998, Joey became assistant winemaker at Beckmen Vineyards where he was also offered the chance to produce his own label. There, he developed his love for Rhône varietals and decided Tensley would produce only Rhône varietal wines, sourced solely from Santa Barbara County.

Tensley wines gained the attention of the wine press in 2001 when Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator named two of Tensley’s 2001 Syrah’s to his list of the Top Ten Wines in the World, and, Robert Parker scored all the ‘01’s in the high 90’s, calling them “serious, hand-crafted efforts.”

In 2008 Food and Wine Magazine named the Tensley 2006 Colson Canyon Syrah “Top Syrah in America Over $20.” Two years later, Robert Parker gave the 2008 Anniversary Series Colson Canyon Syrah 99 points, and The Wine Spectator named the 2008 Colson Canyon Syrah #17 of its Top 100 Wines in the World. The 2007 Colson Canyon Syrah was ranked #22 the year before

More recently Tensley received high praise and high scores from wine critics Josh Raynolds, James Laube, and Jeb Dunnuck. Dunnuck gave Tensley’s 2008 Syrah Noir 99 points and named Joey, “one of the rising superstars in California.”

I was not aware of this brand prior to this trip. It was a top discovery and revelation and may certainly be one of our go-to boutique labels going forward. We joined their wine club to obtain a supply of their labels from these tasted and going forward. 

After we returned to OC, we visited the two top wine shops, Total Wines and High Time in Cosa Mesa, the top independent merchant in the area. We were surprised and delighted to find Tensley wines on the shelves in both outlets.  

Three years later, more recently, we now are delighted to find Tensley at Total Wine and Binny’s Beverage Depot, our two ‘home’ wine superstores. 

Our Tensley tasting flight in Los Olivos included: 

• Laird Vineyard Marsanne 2021
• 'All Blocks' Estate Blend 2020 
• Colson Canyon Syrah 2020, and,
• Santa Barbara County Syrah 2020 - the then current release of this just received, and tasted wine.   

Tensley Santa Barbara County Syrah 2020

Winemaker Notes: "Every year the vineyard percentages change, yet the style remains the same. In 2020 we introduced Laird Vineyard to the blend. By adding this vineyard we continue to work with sandy cool sites to add freshness and savory notes to the final blend.' 

"We add complexity and power by including all of our single vineyard Syrah sources. At the end of the day, this wine is both powerful and fresh. It beams with bright acidy and saline notes, rounding out with blue and black fruits to make it generous, juicy and easy to drink. It will age 7-10 years, but do not hesitate to open and enjoy its freshness today." 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4091582

Tonight, we tasted the 2022 release of this label. 

Tensley Wines Santa Barbara County Syrah 2022

This release was awarded 94 points and"Top Buy: America's 30 Best Syrahs," by Decanter, 92-94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points by Erin Brooks of the Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Wine Spectator.

This label is 100% Syrah sourced from five different vineyard sites across the appellation with a diversity of terroir, providing a broad, bold and complex tasting profile. 2,100 cases were made.

Deep inky purple garnet colored, full-bodied, concentrated, dense, almost intense, full round, complex rich ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits with savory layers of black olive, black pepper, cassis, black tea and sage with full approachable tannins on a moderately acidic finish. 

RM 92

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4747493

https://tensleywines.com/

https://twitter.com/tensleywine

@tensleywine 

Tensely Santa Barbara County Shiraz 2022

Tensely Santa Barbara County Shiraz 2022

We received our wine club allocation shipment of (2024) Tensley Santa Barbara County wines. So, I pulled from the cellar an older vintage bottle of the just received label, as part of cellar inventory management, to try. 

We enjoyed this with leftover ravioli and bolognese sauce, and the remains of my veal saltimbocca from our Wine & Dinner at Bruna’s in Chicago’s Little Italy, the other evening. 

Tensely Santa Barbara County Shiraz 2022

We discovered this producer and acquired their wines, and joined their wine club, during our visit to the Santa Maria Valley Foxen Canyon Wine Trail back in 2022. We saw their vineyards and then their tasting room in downtown Los Olivos, during our Wine Experience, chronicled in this blogpost at the time, excerpted here - Tensley Santa Barbara County Wines.

Tensley Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County Wines

During our Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley Wine Experience, we drove the Foxen Canyon wine trail. On one of our stops, we were referred by one producer to check out Tensley Wines, which was near the estate we were visiting. 

We drove by the Tensley vineyards on Alisos Canyon Road, (shown left) which was closed, so we stopped in the Tensley Vineyards hospitality tasting room in downtown Los Olivos.

The town of Los Olivos is all about winery tasting rooms with forty different producers having public retail facilities there. It is the anchor for the Santa Ynez Valley wine appellation, situated on State Road 154 just off the major Route 101, about thirty five miles north, inland, from Santa Barbara.

One of the great surprises of our Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley wine experience was the revelation of Syrah being one of the lead varietals in the area. 

We were expecting to see Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are predominant taking advantage of the cool climate being close to the coastal maritime effects. The cool coastal breezes run up the valleys of the mountains that run perpendicular to the coast. 

We were delighted to find several producers featuring or even specializing in Syrah, Tensley included. 

We taste a flight of their wines during our visit to the producer's hospitality tasting room downtown Los Olivos, where we were able to taste a flight of their Rhône varietals centered on their Syrahs.  

Readers of these pages know we're huge fans of Syrah as one of our favorite varietals for big fruit filled every day sipping as well as serious wine pairing with robust foods such as BBQ.

Joey Tensley launched Tensley Wines in 1998 with the goal to produce well-priced, Syrah-driven wines, by "sourcing the best fruit possible and let the unique vineyards of Santa Barbara County speak for themselves." 

The first release of Tensley totaled just 100 cases. By 2015, production had grown to 5,000 cases and included five single-vineyard Syrahs, the most in Santa Barbara County. Tensley Syrah’s have made the Wine Spectator’s Top 100, scored 99 points with Robert Parker, and won Food and Wine Magazine’s award for the “Top Syrah in America over $20.”

Joey’s first experience with wine took place when he was just twelve-years-old, when his soccer team toured a winery while taking part in a tournament in France. He vividly recalls the chill of the old caves and the aromas of wines fermenting in barrel. From that moment on he knew he wanted to be a winemaker. “Which pretty much made me the only kid in Bakersfield with that particular dream,” Joey says.

Joey got his start in the wine business working as a “cellar rat” for Fess Parker Winery in Santa Barbara County in 1993. Three years later, he became assistant winemaker at Babcock Vineyards. There, he came to appreciate the importance of the vineyard and the grower. 

Over time, Tensley also came to appreciate the uniqueness of Santa Barbara County as a growing region. “We’re one of the only places in the world with a mountain range that runs east-west. That gives us many different, unique micro-climates, so a Syrah grown in one place is so different from a Syrah grown in another. It’s an exciting place to make wine.”

In 1998, Joey became assistant winemaker at Beckmen Vineyards where he was also offered the chance to produce his own label. There, he developed his love for Rhône varietals and decided Tensley would produce only Rhône varietal wines, sourced solely from Santa Barbara County.

Tensley wines gained the attention of the wine press in 2001 when Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator named two of Tensley’s 2001 Syrah’s to his list of the Top Ten Wines in the World, and, Robert Parker scored all the ‘01’s in the high 90’s, calling them “serious, hand-crafted efforts.”

In 2008 Food and Wine Magazine named the Tensley 2006 Colson Canyon Syrah “Top Syrah in America Over $20.” Two years later, Robert Parker gave the 2008 Anniversary Series Colson Canyon Syrah 99 points, and The Wine Spectator named the 2008 Colson Canyon Syrah #17 of its Top 100 Wines in the World. The 2007 Colson Canyon Syrah was ranked #22 the year before

More recently Tensley received high praise and high scores from wine critics Josh Raynolds, James Laube, and Jeb Dunnuck. Dunnuck gave Tensley’s 2008 Syrah Noir 99 points and named Joey, “one of the rising superstars in California.”

Tensley Santa Barbara County Syrah 2022

This release was awarded 94 points and"Top Buy: America's 30 Best Syrahs," by Decanter, 92-94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points by Erin Brooks of the Wine Advocate, and 92 points by Wine Spectator. 

Winemaker Notes: "Every year the vineyard percentages change, yet the style remains the same. In 2020 we introduced Laird Vineyard to the blend. By adding this vineyard we continue to work with sandy cool sites to add freshness and savory notes to the final blend.' 

"We add complexity and power by including all of our single vineyard Syrah sources. At the end of the day, this wine is both powerful and fresh. It beams with bright acidy and saline notes, rounding out with blue and black fruits to make it generous, juicy and easy to drink. It will age 7-10 years, but do not hesitate to open and enjoy its freshness today." 

This label is sourced from five vineyard sites. 2100 cases were produced

This is the classic big bold Syrah style that we love. Deep dark inky purple colored, full bodied, rich, round, concentrated black currant fruits with notes of anise, menthol, clove spice and wet earth with firm tannins and tangy acidity on the lingering finish. 

RM 93 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4140592

https://tensleywines.com/

https://twitter.com/tensleywine

@tensleywine 

Emeril’s Coastal Restaurant Miramar Beach

Emeril’s Coastal Restaurant Miramar Beach 

Vacationing with Linda’s friends Pat R and Marylou at The Cove, our vacation rental in Destin (FL), we dined at iconic chef Emeril Lagasse’s Emeril’s Coastal Restaurant at the chic stylish Grand Boulevard in adjacent Miramar Beach. 

Our table was in the dining room next to the trendy high-top tables that align the bar area.

For the appetizer course we ordered the Roasted Oysters with garlic, butter, parmesan and a baguette, New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and biscuit, and the Coastal Crabcake. 

We tasted two wines from Emeril’s Wine Cellar (shown below) wine list. 

For a wine accompaniment with the starter course we tasted Emeril’s Private Label Chardonnay. 

Emeril’s Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2018

As the labels states this special private label bottling is produced by Jim Clendenon and the Au Bon Climat vineyards and winery in Santa Barbara County.

This was delightful and offered great QPR - Quality Price Ratio, as one would expect if the chef puts his name on the label. 

Light straw colored, medium bodied, this was full and round with tones of peach and passion fruit with nice balance and acidity on the refreshing finish. 

For dinner entrees, we order the two daily Fresh Catch specials (shown below), grilled Grouper with creole meuniere, and Crispy Skin on Salmon with Creole cream and Parmesan Risotto.

For a wine accompaniment with the main course, we ordered from the cellar wine list the popular well known Frank Family Napa Chardonnay. 

Frank Family Vineyards Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay 2022

The Frank Family Vineyards estate up in Calistoga is housed in an 1884 stone cellar—the third-oldest building in Napa Valley.  They did a massive renovation of the original historic Hans Kornell Champagne Cellars and the 19th-century Larkmead before that. The site is one of the most beautiful and interesting in Napa Valley. Ironically, it is one of the first wineries we visited during our very first Napa Valley wine visit back in the seventies! 

The winery and tasting room were totally reimagined a few years ago for their 25th anniversary. The Hollywood Room is a tribute to founder Rich Frank, past president of Disney Corporation and wife Leslie’s career as an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist and Hollywood reporter. On display are the couple’s two Emmys. Frank is known as one of the guys who green-lit Aladdin and The Lion King, but it’s Frank’s penchant for hospitality, not his Hollywood credential that is behind Frank Family Vineyards being named “Best Napa Winery” eight years running by Bay Area A-List

The fruit for this Carneros Chardonnay release is from the Carneros sub-appellation in south western Napa Valley. sourced from is the winery's estate Lewis Vineyard, with additions from neighboring Beckstoffer Vineyards in the Napa-Carneros area and Sangiacomo Vineyards from the Sonoma-Carneros area.

Winemakers notes - This wine is a testament to the Carneros region, brimming with Meyer lemon, yellow apple, and salted butterscotch notes. Concentrated layers of spices and creamy vanilla meld with well-integrated oak and elegant waves of fresh acidity on the palate.

Producer’s Notes - A bright and balanced wine with vibrant aromatics of baked apple, white nectarine, and toasted oak. A lively entry of tropical fruit, and citrus expands with notes of rich lemon curd and brioche bread pudding. Ample yet refined, this unmistakably Carneros wine finished with a refreshing wave of acidity.

This wine is perfumed in brioche and baked apple, with seasonings of nutmeg and vanilla. It opens in a rich, full-bodied concentration of citrus and white peach and evolves on the palate to show structure and depth. Bright acidity lifts hints of toasted oak, maintaining a fresh and plush finish.

https://shop.frankfamilyvineyards.com/product/2022-Carneros-Chardonnay

https://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/

We closed out the evening with two delectable desserts - the Crème Brûlée and the unique Emeril signature dish, the oddly named Olive Oil Cake for the distinctive recipe and method of preparation. We suggested this should be named Emeril’s Special or Secret Cake.  

We ordered the Crème Brûlée and at the urging and advise of our server, we tried the Emeril’s Olive Oil cake, who described its heritage distinct recipe and preparation, implying that our other Crème Brûlée was standard and widely available. In the end, the Crème Brûlée was equally distinctive and delicious. 

Because I did not order a dessert, expecting to sample shares of the other selections, I was served a special surprise, held for special occasions and diner’s celebrations - an extraordinarily unique sparkling Roman candle with cotton candy! 

Everything was delightful, delectable, delicious, all served with attentive, knowledgeable and engaging staff. Emeril’s is a treat to be enjoyed when visiting the Florida panhandle Emerald Coast.