Hope you made it out to the inaugural San Francisco winemakers tasting on July 27 at Arlequin Wine Merchant. I’m assuming you did because it was a packed house. I applaud Arlequin for taking on this event and cause, and hope they make it an annual thing. Negociants have been the Renaissance men and women of wine forever and in countries around the world. It’s SF’s turn.

I’ll try to stick to wines and winemakers I haven’t mentioned in this blog, though it’s hard…not…to…gush about Bryan Harrington’s wines. I savored every drop of the 2006 Brosseau Vineyard (Chalone) Pinot Noir ($52.50). The limestone in the soil of this Monterey property is a dead ringer for Burgundy, with tea, herbs and chalk.  Check back with me in 2013 on that one. If you want Bryan’s wines, go to his web site.

Onward. Riding the same elegant wave is August West’s 2006 Pinot Noir Graham Family Vineyard ($48). Ed Kurtzman’s Sandler 2006 Dry Creek Zinfandel ($30) is also a nod to balance and subtlety, two words you probably don’t associate with California Zinfandel. It was a cool year, apparently, because the grape behaves way more like a Pilates instructor than a body builder. It’s lithe, not brawny. For Ed’s wines, sign up for his mailing list. No guarantees, but it’s worth a try.

A.P. Vin poured two Pinot Noirs, and the 2006 Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley ($48) was showing beautifully. Freakishly balanced, it showed equal parts fruit, pepper and earth, and paired amazingly well with everything Arlequin was serving — from heirloom tomato gazpacho and grilled cheese to lamb sliders.

My biggest thrill of the day was tasting the wines of Broc Cellars. I bought a bottle of the 2006 Dry Stack Vineyard ($34) from the Bennett Valley and am so stoked to share it with some Rhone rangers. Jeff Cohn,  have you tried this wine? It’s game, it’s velvet, it’s herbs and smoke. Chris Brockway brings it. A delightful wine at a good price point. You can buy it on his web site.

Grand time at Taste of Terroir last night. Those of you who showed up — it was sold out at 400 people — are probably still dreaming of the Palm Event Center’s duck bratwurst with homemade caraway bun and house made mustard. They brought it last year with those wild boar sliders and they did it again. Kudos. Consistently surprising and top-notch cuisine from an event center.

I was one of the event judges and the dish so impressed and satisfied us that we created a new category on the spot — Best Dish. We also created a Best Wine category and awarded it to the White Meritage from Murrieta’s Well. In a sea of flabby, oak-covered whites, this Bordeaux blend of Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc stood out with its vibrant nose, playful palate and crisp acidity.

The on-the-spot categories was our way of recognizing award-worthy wines and dishes from among the 16 entries that simply did not work as pairings. We were surprised and disappointed to see basic pairing rules — matching or complementary textures, flavors and aromas — ignored, and chances taken that shouldn’t have been. Mango with Merlot? We didn’t understand.

I will say, however, that when they tried, it showed. Executive Chef Arthur Wall of the Restaurant at Wente Vineyards scored our Judges Best for his rustic play on the elegant braised lamb and green beans. An eternally comforting dish with a summer spin, it had crunch, savory flavors and aromas. The 11 percent Cabernet in Karl Wente’s Nth Degree Merlot — with its lovely Earl Gray tea aroma and Karl’s signature Hungarian oak finish– provided the tannin and acidity necessary to round out the often difficult-to-pair Merlot. Everything worked. They improved each other. We desperately wanted seconds.

When I wasn’t sequestered in the Judges’ chambers, I took a peek at the event layout. Always a pleasurable set up. The lush patio opens into the event center, where each winery-restaurant team had a station. The dessert room delivered again, though it was not as grand and chocolate-laden as last year. Perhaps they tossed too many brownies in 2007. Who knows. I noted more party fouls — that’s broken stemware — this year. I was only outside the Judges’ room for 10-15 minutes but I heard about three glasses drop in that time. No, none of them were mine.

If you’re in the Hayes Valley hood this Sunday, you should stop by Arlequin Wine Merchant. They’re hosting the first ever tasting of resident San Francisco winemakers. There are five, including the Pinot painter Bryan Harrington, who as far as I know is still part of East Bay Vintners, which incidentally, has their annual Urban Wine Experience on August 9. But more on that in a future post.

Ones to watch for me in SF are Ed Kurtzman of August West Wines. I first tasted his wines last fall in the back room at Siduri in Santa Rosa. He wowed me with his Rosella’s Vineyard bottlings of Syrah and Pinot Noir. Gorgeous fruit with little man-handling, at least to me.

Also, Andrew Vingiello of AP Vin. Talk about little manipulation and lovely forest floor flavors. He sources fruit from Rosella’s too, in addition to Gary’s Vineyard, also on the eastern side of the the Santa Luica Highlands. Gary’s Vineyard is known for its cool ocean breezes and fog from the Salinas Valley — pretty much ideal conditions for high quality Pinot.

All these wineries have uber small production, so I really suggest you buy a $25 advanced online ticket and taste for yourself. Click on the link to see the other wineries that will be pouring. Ten years from now, you’ll be saying you were then when…

Just in time for the release of “Bottle Shock,” the story of the landmark Judgment of Paris tasting where an American winery, Napa’s Chateau Montelena, defeated the French first time, Montelena is about to be acquired by none other than a French company. It all comes full circle doesn’t it?

Earlier today, Michel Reybier, owner of Chateau Cos d’Estournel, the grand cru classé of Saint-Estèphe, announced that he is in discussion with Chateau Montelena’s founder, Jim Barrett (played by Bill Pullman in the movie which opens Aug. 6), to acquire the Napa Valley winery, pending red tape and paper work.

The Barrett family acquired Chateau Montelena in 1972 and transformed the estate into what those in the wine industry call an American first growth. “This is a perfect fit - a dream marriage,” said Jim Barrett in an official statement. “We could not have asked for a finer team to carry on this legacy.”

Jim’s son, Bo, will continue to make the wine. I’ll be writing about “Bottle Shock” and interviewing the cast for my column on Aug. 6, so look out for it. It’s quite an ending to a film I already found to be a bit flabby.

This Thursday, July 24 is my favorite night of the year in Livermore. It’s the annual Taste of Terroir, the Valley’s ultimate evening of food and wine. I’m still day dreaming about that 2005 Mitchell Katz Syrah with Wild Boar Sliders on Sweet Potato Brioche with Syrah-Sour Cherry Ketchup.

Good thing I’m judging this year.

At Taste of Terroir, sixteen local chefs and winemakers team up to create what I’ve found to be some of the most consistently innovative yet approachable pairings of the year. You can cast your vote too for the People’s Choice Award then come visit with me wherever they hide the judges so we can compare notes. We’ll be presenting awards for Most Innovative Pairing, Judges’ Best, and Best Use of Local Ingredients.

The awards will be announced at 8:15 p.m. and the event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Palm Event Center, 1184 Vineyard Avenue, Pleasanton. Cost is $75 a person and it’s nearly sold out, so get your tickets here and see a list of participating wineries and restaurants here.

By the way, if you have a sweet tooth, I guarantee the dessert selection alone will rock your world. I recall a grand dessert room cloaked in red velvet and filled with chocolate dipped strawberries, cookies, truffles and brownies as far as the eye can see. Women were wrapping things in napkins and stuffing them in their purses. When those maxed out, they used their husbands’ pockets. Too bad my boyfriend will be out of town. See you there!

I just walked by California Wine Merchant on Chestnut Street in San Francisco. If you haven’t checked out their Monday Night Winery events, you should. For $20, you taste four wines and receive a discount for any take home purchases. Sometimes, you can even meet a star.

Last Monday, the wine bar showcased the newest wines from legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett, creator of four 100 point wines, including the iconic Screaming Eagle. In a rare appearance, Barrett was on site, signing bottles and chatting with customers. Can’t believe I missed it!

If you did too, you can still taste some of her wines for La Sirena, including a Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, at the bar. This coming Monday, July 21, the wine bar is featuring Ladera, producers of estate hillside Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Another not to miss event. Check it out. 

I spend most Wednesday nights with my best friend, Jenny. Both fresh off a workout, she whips up a salad or pasta and I bring the wine. With the yo-yo heat wave, I’ve been sticking to interesting, minerally whites that do well with all kinds of foods and cost less than $15.

But last night, with the sun significantly milder, I decided to bring a red, something soft enough to work if we went with salad, but hearty enough to stand up to a red pasta sauce. I went with a 2005 Friday Monkey Shiraz. I know what you’re thinking — South Eastern Australian Shiraz would squash a salad with its near 16 percent alcohol, right? Not this one.

The wine, which retails for about $8, was quite balanced, with light tannins, blackberry aromas and flavors and a spicy, American oak finish. We decanted the wine and drank it over three episodes of “Mad Men.” This morning, Emmy nominations were announced, and “Mad Men” walked away with a whopping 16. I think Friday Monkey deserves at least that many accolades.

Check out their other selections, including a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet-Merlot blend, by visiting the store locater on their web site.

Yes, it’s not April, and I’m not fooling you. I was talking to a wine colleague recently who told me that the venerable Bordeaux producer, whose wines are among the world’s most expensive, has been experimenting with screw caps for almost five years now.

While its no biggie for the New World. Fifty percent of Australia’s wines are sealed under a cap, and another 50 come in a box. But, for the French, putting a cap on the familiar sound of a popping cork is like drinking coq au vin with something other than Burgundy. Slightly revolutionary.

But France is not exempt from the head aches and heart aches associated with cork, namely taint that results from oxidation. And we’re not talking about dumping a $7.99 south eastern Australian Shiraz here. It’s rumored that Romanee-Conti, whose legendary Burgundies fetch tens of thousands of dollars, are phasing out corks as well.

Another famous Burgundian producer, Jean-Claude Boisset, already uses them on top wines such as the Chambertin grand cru. About 70,000 of Boisset’s 200,000 bottles use screw tops.

While I don’t have any horrible personal experiences associated with cork (see those in George Taber’s “To Cork or Not To Cork”), I’m all about efficiency, the environment, and fewer wines that smell like wet basement. I’ve gone over and over it in my head and while I truly enjoy the rush and romance of the pull, I know the future of what’s best for wine and even wine aging is on the inside of a cap.

Just this year, the number of wines under screw cap has increased to 2.5 billion from 300 million in 2003. It is estimated that by 2015 the number of screw capped wines will outnumber wines under cork. Unless the cork industry can come up with ways to prevent oxidized, corked wines, this figure is not hard to believe. What are your thoughts? Can you let go of the romance?

Check out my friend Linzi Gay’s new site and blog, Local Pairings. It’s sophisticated and informative. Linzi started the site with her pal and wine industry colleague Karen Grimes, and Grimes’ sister, a Napa Valley chef.  All the women are Napa natives. I like their recent posts on organic wines and picnic-friendly wineries.

Linzi and I know each other from Women for WineSense. She’s fabulous and has her pulse on what’s hot in the Valley. She also knows how to make one heckuva summer salad. See the recipe from her July 9 post.