Seasalt Del Mar, the seafood bistro along the lagoon on Carmel Valley Road, considers Ferrari-Carano wines from Sonoma, its “full house” winery event. When this Italian style wine is featured, it’s a sellout.
Photos by Frank Mangio
“Ferrari-Carano and I go back a long way,” said owner Sal Ercolano. “Our diners know that with the lineup of beautiful wines, from the Fume Blanc to the elegant Tresor, our menu comes alive and comes together with the wines. Chef Hlario loves it when a Ferrari-Carano event happens.”
On this occasion last month, chef chose for the main entrée, a Hunter’s Venison loin with a Cabernet reduction, dry cherries and root vegetables. The 2013 Tresor, the signature wine for Ferrari-Carano, was the lead wine with the entrée ($39). It’s inspired by the great wines of Bordeaux France and it means “treasure” in French. Only the finest lots of varietal grapes are chosen: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot and Cab Franc.
I personally feel that the Tresor label is the most beautiful I have ever seen. It is a dramatic sunset painting with sensational splashes of yellows, oranges and reds hovering over what I found out was Laguna Beach. I loved the colors and how they stimulated me so I bought a BMW Gran Coupe car bathed in the same color combination that I call “Blood Orange.” Of course, Tresor is also one of my favorite blend wines.
November will be a big wine month for Seasalt! On the ninth of the month, Caymus wines of Napa Valley will be the headliner. There is no better in Napa. Then, on Nov. 30 Banfi Wines from Tuscany Italy arrives with its Brunello and many more award winners from “Italia.”
Keep up with the Seasalt news at seasaltdelmar.com.
A TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF MIKE HURST
Mike Hurst loved his Ferrari-Carano Tresor wine. Taste of Wine readers knew that. One of my Top Ten Tastes for 2016 was the 2013 Tresor.
He would proudly hold it up for a photo about every time we would get together, which would be each time he presented Ferrari-Carano at the numerous events I reported. Not three days after his wine event at Seasalt that is described above, at a baseball game in Los Angeles on July 29, the wine world in
Southern California went into shock and disbelief as Hurst unexpectedly passed away at age 63. For 19 years he represented Ferrari-Carano wines with love and passion, as a person who would represent his family.
His quick booming laugh would immediately warm up a room as well as a glass of Tresor.
Tammi Wyckoff, Southern California manager for Ferrari-Carano, issued a statement which read: “Mike has been the face, historian and backbone in Southern California for Ferrari-Carano for nearly 20 years. He was not only a co-worker or supplier, he was family and a friend to all. I will miss his jolly laugh, quotes, words of wisdom, integrity and sense of humor.”
On behalf of all who enjoy Taste of Wine, we all salute you, and thanks for the memories, Mike.
WINE BYTES
Taverna Blu in the Del Mar Highlands Center has a Robert Hall wine dinner from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 23, to pair with a lovely Greek dinner. Cost is $47.50 each. Call (858) 509-3950 for an RSVP.
Wiens Winery in Temecula offers its World of Wine with international food and wine pairings from 7 to 10 p.m. Aug. 26. Live music, food and wine stations and five different Wiens wines to taste. Pricing starts at $60. Visit wienscellars.com.
La Costa Wine is presenting a special Cass Wine of Paso Robles dinner, starting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26. Chef Erin Sealy will offer a customized wine/food menu to match the wines. Winemaker Ted Plemons with guest appear. Cost is $80 each. Call (760) 431-8455 for details.
Frank Mangio is a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator. He is one of the leading commentators on the web. View his columns at http://thecoastnews.com. Go to menu then columns. Reach him at [email protected].
