Guest Blog: A Wine-Loving Birthday He’ll Never Forget.

I have to gently remind my wife to read the blog (so she can appreciate the hard work I’m doing every time I get the corkscrew out) but I really hope she reads today’s entry more than any of the others…

My good friend Joseph Uliano just celebrated his birthday, and his wife decided to give him a birthday that he would never forget:  an incredible culinary/wine journey through Paso Robles. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind blogging about it and he happily obliged.

…and Joe knows a thing or two about food and wine; he’s a partner of Il Sole, a highly rated Italian hotspot on the Sunset strip in West Hollywood with a wine list that will knock your socks off.

His birthday weekend to this gorgeous Central California wine region culminated with a meal fit for a king at Artisan, an acclaimed restaurant in downtown Paso.  Run by the Kobayashi family, Executive Chef Chris, Generel Manager Michael and Wine Director Shandi, Artisan prides itself on supporting the Paso Robles community by having a menu that “…combines the very best of the superb local fare.”

I should mention that his trip was arranged by Joe’s lovely wife Sophie Uliano, author of the New York Times Best selling book:  “Gorgeously Green”, who met the Artisan team when she was in Paso Robles doing research for her newest book.

Joe’s blog below is in a shade of gray with notes from the Executive chef in green italics.

WIthout further ado, take it away Joe….

I must say I recently had one of the best birthday dinners of all time…and I have had a few.  My wife Sophie arranged a surprise dinner at “The Artisan” restaurant in Paso Robles and took me on a road trip to get there.

I would later find out, that It all centered around a 7 course “Locals Only” menu that Sophie and Artisan’s Michael Kobayashi had arranged far in advance.  The challenge was that every thing had to be local, wine included…  Of course I had no knowledge of this until sitting down and being handed the menu.

We had been on the road spa hopping for a few days as we made our way into Paso Robles.  Each stop was a well orchestrated surprise.  On the second day, my birthday, we rolled right into the beautiful town square to the Hotel Cheval.

As we checked into our room,  one of the first things I notice was a case of 2004 Reserve EOS Petite Sirah that was sitting by the fireplace. (NICE), it had arrived in a very round about way, from my in-laws in England.  They had seen a review in the London Daily Mail, called the local vineyard, who in turn delivered it to my door.

After a round of massages at the Inn, Sophie took me to their sitting room for a glass of bubbly, where I discovered that 4 of my closest friends (Mike, Rebecca, Russell and Finola), were dressed and already knee deep in Vueve Cliquot, (French and not so local) …So we cheated and had an import…sue me.  After a few glasses, and the obligitory ribbing about being old, we strolled out across the square to “The Artisan” restaurant.

As we walked into the place I noticed on the back wall two very important things:  1. The wine cellar and 2. A familiar photo of Paul Simonon of The CLASH taken by Pennie Smith:  The album cover of “London Calling”…I knew I was in good hands.

We were seated at a fantastic table just in front of the open kitchen, beautifully lit and with a very special menu.

THE STARTER: I’ll just start by saying…have you ever had a Cayucos Red Abalone “BLTA”, organic pancetta and barbara’s arugula (locally grown)? Oh yeah and paired with Anglim, Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier “Cameo”, ‘06 ? Me neither, it brought tears to everyone’s eyes.

We tend to use at least one Anglim wine for most tasting menus. Their wines are simply elegant, not overblown, perfect with food. The Cameo has that perfect acid/mineral balance while still showing great fruit and complements the abalone dish perfectly.

Course #2: Silver Horse, Albariño, ‘07 with Seared Dayboat Scallops, laughing bird shrimp, mussels, clams, Spanish chorizo, and saffron.  The wine cut straight through the richness of the food with a perfect balance of fruit and acidity.  It cleansed the palate with every sip.  Pure spring water!!

Steve Kroener did an excellent job with this Albarino – we all love it so much that we put it on by the glass and the customers love it too. Again, the balance of acidity and the fruit is what we look for when pairing with food .

Course #3 Halter Ranch, Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre Rose, ‘07 with Bison Strip Loin Carpaccio, crispy potatoes, romesco and onion sprouts. As we all sat and enjoyed the night and each other, we could not believe our good fortune to be eating and drinking totally local food and wine that had been put together with such imagination.

Halter Ranch has always been one of our favorite wineries; the wine, the place itself, the people, the style, everything represents the best of Paso. We sold an incredible amount of this wine this past summer and use it every time we are given the opportunity to create a pairing menu. It is dry and still shows great fruit – pairs with almost every starter we have on our menu.

Course #4:  Booker, Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot “Remnant”, ‘05 with Braised Berkshire Pork Belly, caramelized apples, celery root and barbecue jus. The Syrah in this otherwise Bordeaux blend made a perfect match with the barbecue jus.  WOW!

Winemaker Eric Jensen usually makes only Rhone blends – this was a step out of his normal style and we love it.

Course #5:  RN Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot “Cuvee des Trois Cepages”, ‘06 with Grilled Colorado Lamb Chops, merguez, green chickpeas and crushed oil cured olives. The fruit in the California Style Bordeaux held up against the spice in the merguez and the rest of the dish.

By far one of the best new wineries in Paso, RN Estates owner Roger Nicolas was a restaurateur and it shows in all of his wines.

Course #6:  Domaine Chandon, “Blanc de Noirs”, NV with the Artisan Cheese Plate, four cheeses with paired accompaniments. The acidity of the bubbles was a great palate cleanser in between tasting each of the four cheeses on the platter.

Course #7: Zin Alley, Zinfandel Port, ‘05 with House Made Chocolate Confections. MMMMMM!!

The Nerelli’s make the best Zinfandel port in Paso. Made in the old Portuguese style, the berry, vanilla, spice make it the classic pair with anything chocolate

The amazing thing was that no one felt stuffed or full and everyone was smiling and so thankful for the night and the knowledge that had been bestowed upon us by this menu and it’s local treasures, the best one being ARTISAN  and THE KOBAYASHI’s (CHEF KOBY)  CHRIS and his brother MICHAEL AND THE EVER TALENTED SHANDI… and of course my fabulous wife for setting it all up.

We all strolled back through the town and across the square around midnight back to the Hotel Cheval, where we cozied up by the fire in the library and waxed poetic about the night.  It felt good to be with friends and to have shared that night.