Hoppe's Garden Bistro

April 24, 2010


Spending the weekend in Cambria with my family has been and continues to be one of the great pleasures of my life. The time is typically spent lounging around the house, going on any number of our favorite walks, enjoying our spectacular view, and sharing great conversation over delicious food and wine.

I would like to focus on one particular evening of our three day weekend spent together. This evening began with some time spent out on the deck enjoying the expansive view, an aperitif, fresh Asian pear, prosciutto, assorted cheeses, and crackers. We then headed down to Cayucos to meet up with a friend of ours and talented young winemaker, Aaron Jackson. Meeting at Schooner's, the ultimate Cayucos bar that had everything but the barnacles, we shared a bottle of Aaron's newly bottled Rose. It was great to see Aaron again and as usual we were greeted with his genuine charm and verve for life.

Aaron Wines Rose of Petite Sirah 2009**
The Rose was deep in color, not surprising for anything made from Petite Sirah, but pleasantly light on it's feet. It was refreshing and gushing with watermelon without being sweet.

Off to dinner, down the street at Hoppe's. This establishment has become one of our usual stops while in the area. The food is always very good, the service is welcoming, and the menu is very wine friendly. The selections were varied, but from our table's sampling, all very good. Our starters included: local red abalone, salads, and crab and ahi spring rolls. We enjoyed a bottle Condrieu that was extremely enjoyable with and without the food on the table. For the main course there was: roasted duck, venison chops, filet mignon, and lamb chops. To enjoy along side all of these wonderful entrees was a bottle of Lynmar Pinot Noir from the Russian River that again was a very enjoyable bottle of vino.

Gangloff Condrieu 2007***
Another bottle of Condrieu that shows you just how good Viognier can be. Golden in color and wonderfully rich on the nose and palate. The nose was honeyed with pears and apricots. On the mouth there were gobs of ripe apricots without ever being sweet. It had fantastic balance that, along with the alluring aromas and flavors flowing from the glass, kept you coming back for more.

Lynmar Pinot Noir Quail Hill Vineyard 2005***
Very enjoyable Pinot Noir offering classic Russian River ripe fruit and elegance. Strawberries and cream with a nice medium to light mouth feel that showed great finesse to match perfectly with the tasty fruit.

Back home to polish off the rest of the homemade strawberry pie and relax. Great evening.

Cheers!

0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!

Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.