An evening at Rosenblum Cellars

The 30th anniversary celebration is underway at Rosenblum Cellars. I have been there long enough to know how this family works. Kent and Kathy Rosenblum have come a long way from the basement of their house, to a run down bar in West Oakland, finally to a warehouse used to repair trains during WWI and WWII where they now house the winery. They are the kind of people that you can sit with and laugh, learn, and drink without ever thinking that they are your bosses. The whole family is so loving, the kids, the extended family, and their friends, that it has always been a true pleasure to work for them. Now, on their 30th anniversary they have finally decided to send their baby to college, packing her up and sending her to Diageo Chateau & Estates to really see what she can become. I know this transition has been difficult for Kent and Kathy, but not many people can turn a hobby into such a successful business.

On Friday night my wife and I had the pleasure of enjoying a catered meal at the winery. The food was supplied by The Girl and the Fig in Sonoma and paired with a selection of Rosenblum wines from some of their Sonoma Vineyards. The crowd was a collection of wine lovers, club members, and employees. The old warehouse looked beautiful, with black tablecloths over round tables, barrel staves and candles as a centerpiece, five wine glasses, and enough silverware to drive a dishwasher insane. The lights were low and tempered glass candleholders were placed on the barrel racks that lined the room. The vibe was very relaxed and as we sat one of the chefs came out to explain the first course, a seared scallop with beats and polenta which was paired with the 2006 Preston Ranch Marsanne. This is a typical Rosenblum white, big, bold, with pronounced ML. It had honey and pie crust on the note, with violets and cloves on the palate. It takes a big wine to pair with scallops. As I fin that the pungent taste can easily overwhelm a Sauvignon blanc of an unoaked Chard.

The second course, roasted suckling pig loaded with spices, was paired with a duo of big time Zinfandels. The 06 Maggie’s and the 06 Monte Rosso Zins are two of Rosenblums best known and they certainly played games with the pig, competing for dominance. The Maggie’s was very tannic with ripe strawberry, rhubarb, and mint on the palate. The Monte Rosso was the pick of the table and was bigger and jammier with blueberry, dark chocolate, cassis, and coffee.

The third course was a cheese plate paired with the 05 Kick Syrah. This was my favorite wine from 2005 and Wine Spectator gave it a 94. It was bold and dark, a beautiful purplish black with flavors of blueberry yogurt, smoked meat, and an herbaceous mouth feel. Finally the dessert, a peach trio served with the 05 Late Harvest Ripken Ranch Viognier. This is my favorite Rosenblum dessert wine, and it felt like honey and sweet flower were dancing on my tongue.

All in all the dinner was a wonderful time and as I sipped a glass of Fran’s Syrah, I remembered how lucky I am to work at a place as special as Rosenblum. I got a job at Rosenblum right out of college and spent the first few years in the production end of the company. Watching Kent, John Kane, and Tom Pitchon painstakingly taste through the assortment of vineyards and French barrels, I began to understand why the wine is so consistently good. They work to find the blend that is perfect to them, not what they think will sell best, because they want to produce the best wine, without consideration of cost of constraint. When I moved to the retail department I remember Kent calling me over to taste through some large volume barrels of Rockpile Zin. He asked my opinion and we tasted through Vosgue and Allier barrels, noting the slight differences. He didn’t have to include me in this, but he did because he respects his employees, and therefore every single one of them respects him. I remember coming in at five in the morning on a frigid Saturday morning just before Christmas and I heard something from the barrel room in the pitched black winery. I turned the corner and saw a light coming from one of the rows and I slowly crept down the hall where I saw Kent, tasting a few barrels before heading up to Tahoe for a day on the slopes. His work ethic and love of wine build Rosenblum to the level it is today and I hope that Diageo will continue with their commitment to improve Rosenblum.


WINE OF THE WEEK- 2006 A by Acacia Pinot Noir, Sonoma ($17)- Pinot Noir is one of the easiest wine to find a pairing recipe. The many characteristics of the wine allow it to pick a bit of almost any recipe. It’s a red that can pair as easily with salmon as it can with roast beef. The recipe that I chose is a chicken recipe that I picked up from my father in law in the tiny town of Itapejara d’Oeste in the southwest of Brazil. He is a champion griller, but this chicken marinade took the cake. The spice and lime from the recipe match with the acid and herbaceous characteristics of the wine. I adapted the recipe a bit and it can be used for chicken or pork. This nice light summer recipe is great for the grill.

Frango Agilberto (Agilberto’s Chicken)
3 tbsp olive oil
Large handful of cilantro leaves
3 green onions
4 cloves of garlic
¼ cup lime juice
black pepper
kosher sea salt
boneless chicken (either breasts or thighs)

Combine the first five ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and runny. Clean the chicken and dry, then lightly dust the chicken with salt, pressing it into the poultry. Put in a Ziplock bag, pour the marinade over the chicken, seal and mix. Refrigerate for 2 hours or so. Grill the chicken high heat until thoroughly cooked. I prefer to serve this with rice with cilantro and lime.