Today’s tip is on an elegant white wine I had over the weekend: Retzlaff’s 2002 estate grown Chardonnay. They sell it for $18 in the Livermore tasting room. More than I’d usually pay for anything white, but it had such a light hint of oak, it was a welcome relief from all those big, overboard, butterball Chardonnays. Did I mention I’m not a Chard fan? Try it!

A few years ago, I sampled some amazingly meaty wines at Rancho Arroyo Grande Winery & Vineyard, a small barnyard of a winery in rural San Luis Obispo County. I regret never buying the wine (why do we do that?) and recently found it online.

It’s called Wild Game Blends, on the River Wild Winery label. They make wine for hunters but if you eat meat, you too can drink like an American, right?

Anyway, my favorite is the Venison Blend, it’s Cab, Merlot and Cab Franc and it’s bold enough to go with antelope. I think I’ll have it with meatballs.

They also make a Trout Blend, Turkey Blend and Waterfowl. Check em out: www.riverwildwinery.com.

So I’m working on a story about organic wines, a big trend of late, and tasted one last night that blew me away: Ceago Vinegarden’s 2001 Merlot.

My roommate called it the "most merlot merlot I’ve had in a long time." Now, we know that 2001 was a stellar year for grapes, and anything made then is probably ready to drink now, but there was something more to it. It tasted like wine SHOULD taste, not oaky, not bitter, not sweet. Do you know what I mean?

Ceago is actually one step further than organic — their wines are biodynamic, meaning that in addition to being free of pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers and other synthetic chemicals, they use nature’s own rhythms, the sun and the moon, to grow their grapes and produce their wines. Look for a story I’m writing on biodynamics in the April 5 Food and Wine section.

You can’t call yourself a wine enthusiast if you haven’t visited Paso Robles. I lived in San Luis Obispo from 2002 to 2004 and consider that area the foundation of my love affair with wine.

This weekend’s 14th annual Zinfandel Festival was my first trip back in over a year. The growth in that short amount of time astounds me. Not only is Paso Robles officially the state’s third largest wine region (there are 100 wineries and counting), but the quality has not been sacrified in light of accolades and a lot of media attention (a PBS reality show on winemakers there is in the works, more on that to come).

Neither has the down-home hospitality and overall farmer spirit. There is class, not snobbery. A few wineries have incorporated tasting fees, but it’s still for a purpose (a glass; 10 tastes) and is often waived if you make a purchase.

I recommend hitting Highway 46 West, which starts at the ocean off Highway 1 and spills into what I’m convinced is the most beautiful land in California. It pops you out at Hwy. 101.

To be honest, I couldn’t find one thing I liked better about tasting in Napa. Here are 12 wineries you won’t want to miss in Paso:

Castoro Cellars: "Dam Fine" Zins.

Eberle Winery: Don’t miss the complimentary cave tours.

Four Vines Winery: Young winemakers doing forward-thinking blends with hip names. Try the "Anarchy."

JanKris Winery: Almond Champagne that’s actually not too sweet and only $12. They also have a cafe!

J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery: The 2001 Cabernet Sauvingon is in my Top 5.

Justin Vineyards & Winery: So is their 2001 cab. Beautiful grounds with an inn and restaurant.

Martin & Weyrich Winery: Stunning orange muscato.

Mastantuono Winery: Ditto on the raspberry champagne.

Peachy Canyon Winery: The Incredible Red is a best seller at Trader Joe’s.

Stephen’s Cellars: Organically-grown grapes. At $16, the Pinot’s a steal.

Tablas Creek: Also organic, and fabulous.

Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards: One of the all-time favorite merlots.

For more info., go to www.pasowine.com.

Steak and champagne. There, I said it. Anyone who thinks the two are not a pair probably have their head buried under an old vine somewhere.

Our first winemakers dinner — last night at Bridges in Danville — sold out, and it’s no wonder. People were there to find out how to enjoy bruts with seared pork and crusted beef tenderloin. The whole champagne and strawberries thing is so ‘87.

Executive Chef Kevin Gin showed us how. Boy, did he. As our MCs, BevMo cellarmaster Wilfred Wong and Roederer Estate winemaker Arnaud Weyrich, exchanged California-France cheap shots (all in fun, good taste, of course) we nibbled on four mouthwatering courses and learned a lot about the production of bruts.

The Roederer sparklings are known for their smooth, clean, taste — what the French call ‘finesse’ — and it became clear early on that light sweet touches like cranberry-ginger chutney and caramelized onions help bring out the full-bodied flavors of the bruts, particularly the roses. The Estate L’Ermitage Brut ‘99 made Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 last year.

Our next winemakers dinner is June 6 at Wente Vineyards in Livermore. The restaurant was recently voted one of the best in the East Bay. Don’t miss it!

Never drink when you’re upset, right? Well, I’m one to believe that if the genetic gods are on your side (and they are with me, thank ‘em to high heaven), a juicy glass of antioxidants can ease the tight-roped muscles in your back and soothe away a day’s anxiety.

So, that’s what I did last night.

Syrah, potato-wrapped scallops and goat cheese mac at Oola, a fabulously moody American bistro in San Francisco’s SOMA. Bon Appetit called it one of the nation’s top 50 hot spots. They’re right.

I appreciate those of you who’ve e-mailed, called or stopped me on the street to see how we’re holding up here with the looming resale of our newspaper. The Times is lucky, truly, to have readers like you, people who take such ownership of the paper. So, wanna buy us?

Just kidding. We’re going to be fine. I realized this swirling my syrah last night, listening to the laughter of friends and getting lost in the legs of that glass, wondering which way the wind was blowing in southern Australia when those grapes were growing.

That’s why it’s okay to drink when you’re down.

Let’s take a moment of silence to celebrate with our East Coast food and wine kin. After more than 30 years of bragging about our favorite affordable, Polynesian-themed gourmet grocery store, New York City is getting a Trader Joe’s.

No more rubbing it in their faces. They can now get Two Buck Chuck, wild blueberry juice and Valrhona chocolates like the best of us. The store will open on March 17 down the street from a Whole Foods and not far from the City’s own household grocery names, Zabar’s, Sahadi’s, Agata & Valentina. To them, we say good luck.

Corkheads alert: Our first winemaker’s dinner is on March 16 and it’s almost sold out. So if you want to go, best reserve your spot!

Here are the deets: It’s a five-course meal (including hors d’oeuvres and dessert), prepared by Chef Kevin Gin at Danville’s Bridges restaurant. Each course is accompanied by a Roederer Estate wine. If you’re not familiar, they were at the Dozen Roses event and make fabulous sparkling wines.

That’s the focus of this dinner — proving that sparkles don’t mean celebration — and that you can drink them on a Tuesday night with a crab sandwich. That said, I’ve seen the menu and it looks fabulous. Sea scallops, rock shrimp, caviar, chocolate mousse.

Tickets are $75. The wine reception starts at 6:30 p.m.; dinner’s at 7 p.m. For more information, call Rachel Armstrong at 925-952-2639. 

Like I mentioned yesterday, grapes from Contra Costa County are finding their way into major wines. If you want to get a feel for them, hit this event: The Wines of Contra Costa, 3 to 6 p.m. May 13 at the Antioch Historical Society. I’ll be there.

The wines featured are made from grapes grown only in this county, including some of my faves: Cline Cellars, Rosenblum Winery,  Delta Diablo Vineyards, Vianno Winery, Kendall-Jackson Winery and Fenstra Winery.

It’s 30 bucks and proceeds support scholarships at Los Medanos College. The society is located at 1500 W. 4th St. For tickets, call 925-439-2181, ext. 3215.

Cheers!

For my 30th birthday, a white stretch limo carrying four of my dearest friends rolled up to my house. Inside, flowing presents, basil-infused brie and Vevue Clicquot. Turns out we were going to Sonoma for the day.

Bragging rights aside (I do have the best friends on the planet), I’m writing to tell you the wineries we hit because I know how daunting it can be when you have one day in Sonoma and hundreds of wineries to hit. The route Jenny picked was perfect, and I want to pass it on to you:

On Hwy. 121, we started at Cline Cellars, makers of award-winning zinfandels. The Oakley Five Reds made me proud to come from Contra Costa County. And the popcorn machine out-front confirmed my belief in wine as a snack beverage.

Just up the road, we arrived at champagne maker Gloria Ferrer, which had quite the hipster vibe, with Coldplay pumping through the sound system and tables of young men. Our favorite was the 1991 Carneros Late-Disgorged. It had notes of honey.

From there, we melted back into our leather seats and made our way to B.R. Cohn, where I was almost more blown away by their olive oils than their Cabernets. A hot spring runs beneath the vineyards, which was also pretty cool.

We ended our day at Arrowwood, where the Victorian setting and magnificent Syrahs were the perfect ending to a perfect day.