“Best of the Blue “Showcases Monterey’s Increasingly Diverse & Deep Wine Region
About 1,400 happy, wine-glass-toting, non-protesting citizens occupied the Del Monte Aviation Center last Saturday with the intent to eat and drink everything possible, from Church Brothers spring mix salads to cactus pear puree with lemonade from D’Arrigo Brothers.
And they had their work cut out for them. At “Best of the Blue,” the assortment of wines was divine and the food choices as abundant as the land in which we are blessed to live. Each entry ticket offered the chance to sample from an assortment of purveyors including Babaloo Cuban, Gypsy Pizza, Lugano’s Swiss Bistro, Me and the Hound Memphis BBQ (loved the spicy pulled pork coleslaw!! Great with the 2008 Talbott Sleepy Hollow Pinot) and Treatbot Karaoke Ice Cream. Other food vendors included Butterfly Brittle, Dr. Kracker, Monterey Chocolate Co., Paris Bakery (loved the mini baguettes!), San Tasti, Joseph Gallo Farms (mooore cheese than you can shake a milk can at), Vertigo Coffee, Marich Confectionery, Williams-Sonoma, Emi’s Biscotteria, Cabot Creamery, ECO-DELI and Maha’s Authentic Lebanese Cuisine.
Food trucks beckoned with delectables for purchase, and the Salinas Valley’s “salad bowl” was on full display with Red Blossom strawberries and artisan lettuces from Tanimura & Antle, which sent people home with field bounty.
Among the wines that made it to the top of my radar screen was the 2006 Brut Cuvee from Caraccioli, a great way to begin, or end, any foodie celebration. Brilliant! Their 08 chardonnay is nicely crisp: Keep that theme alive. (Scott C, below, right)
It’s good to see the Chalone label chugging along despite being part of a conglomerate. Clearly, winemaker Robert Cooke knows how to duck and focus on making wine in the house style. The 2009 Grenache rosé has just enough wood on it to add some nice texture to the plentiful fruit, and the chenin blanc is also richly structured, but not heavy. It’s like those unshaggy Uggs.
Love the minerality that shines through in the exquisite Chalone pinot blanc, also partially barrel-fermented. The pears and melon, the lanolin-like viscosity — what an incredible wine! The 09 pinot is also lovely, with ample mouthfeel and nice layers of fruit combined with hints of roasted chestnuts. Impressive lineup!
The 2009 Coastview chardonnay is big on ripe fruit, while the Ex Anima chard from Wrath is like pure white peaches and nectarines, laced with zippy citrus.
Happily, I did not pass up the chance to taste both the 08 ($34) and 09 ($45) Boekenoogen pinots. All I can say is … fly me to the moon! These are first-class, baby!That’s 
Vineyard Manager/Winemaker, Garrett, left.
The ‘08 is smoky and dense, made from Dijon clones, with the heft to stand up to turducken (ever done this?) Or maybe quail wrapped with bacon (Baker’s Bacon — yum!) But the 2009, with its core of Pommard, is a thing of ethereal beauty, that kind of pinot that stops you in your tracks like a stunning sunset, or the sight of a hawk soaring over the hill crest, up-lit with late afternoon gold, or the sudden tingling sound of wind chimes. It’s seriously elegant, lilting and graceful, and waltzes over your tongue like velvet. Really, no holiday table should be without such a splendid wine.
Steve McIntyre and wife Kim were pouring their new McIntyre 09 Santa Lucia Highlands pinot and brand new 2010 chardonnay. 
Meanwhile, multiple auction tables groaned with superb wine collections, vacation packages and flight 
alternatives. Helicopter rides were quite popular, and the constant chopper sound, even above the band, was a reminder that this is one unique, upbeat venue, buzzing with excitement.
By all accounts, this flight plan will be green-lighted for a repeat performance next year. The runway is prepared for landing.
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