In Oak Tree Ristorante, chef Sebastian Nobile (standing) chats with members of the the Santa Cruz Mountains Gourmet Dinner Club. Clockwise from bottom left, they are: Donna DeGrand, Norman Gruczelak, his wife Colly and Grant Plemons. Plemons is the clubs

The moment “the couple” walked into the Oak Tree Ristorante carrying a bottle of wine, my interest was piqued. Soon the server had the bottle uncorked and as the wine was breathing, Sebastian, the owner/chef appeared at their table with his empty wine glass in hand. The beautiful red wine was poured, tasted and commented upon by the threesome.
Ah Ha! I thought; someone who likes great food in a beautiful setting and brings his own wine. This couple has all of the trappings to become members of the Santa Cruz Mountains Gourmet Dinner Club.
I must have had “that look” about me as I rose from my seat.
“You can’t go over there unannounced” my hubby Norm said. And in an instant I was introducing myself to the couple, Donna DeGrande and Grant Plemons.
I was told by Grant the bottle of wine they had brought was of his own making and I was welcome to sample it. Thanking Grant for his offer, I confessed that my real reason for intruding on their evening was to tell them about the Dinner Club and I thought they might be interested. I left them with our brochure and their promise to get in touch.
A year passed after our encounter. I thought of Donna and Grant each time we dined at the Oak Tree, wondering what had happened to them and how that year’s wine had turned out. Little did I know that the dinner club had been in their thoughts. I finally received an e-mail saying they were ready to join.
Shortly thereafter, with his wonderful knowledge and experience with wines, Grant agreed to become the Clubs’ Sommelier and is sharing the following with us today:
A sommelier’s tale
My wine education began when my family moved to Portugal. I was 15. Wine was considered food, not alcohol, and was served in the school’s cafeteria along with water and milk on each table.
Our family had cheap local red wine at dinner each night, bought at the outdoor market in 4 liter bottles or out of the barrel into a pail. For special occasions we had bottled wine from the nearby wine regions
Later, at college in Paris, my roommates and I bought inexpensive Rhone blends. When parents visited we had better wines from Burgundy or Bordeaux. At age 21 I returned to California and have been drinking California, Spanish and Portuguese wines ever since.
In 2005, Donna and I began making red wines and plan to make our first white wine next year.
I have found the best wine with any meal is a wine you enjoy drinking. There are, however, a few simple rules for pairing wine with food. Start by thinking about the dish or meal as a whole. Is it mild or flavorful? Is it fatty or lean? Is it rich or acidic?
With these characteristics in mind, select a wine that will keep flavors in balance, i.e. big flavorful foods like pepper steak with a bold wine like zinfandel; for rich foods like chicken in cream sauce, you want a rich wine like a good chardonnay. A fatty dish like beef steak calls for a red wine with good tannins and acidity which helps cleanse the palate.
If you are eating a rich, fatty dish like fried chicken, you want to contrast the meal with crisp acidic wines like a sauvignon blanc.
Here in the mountains consider a Zayante vineyards zinfandel; a rich chardonnay from Storrs or Soquel vineyards; or a sauvignon blanc with a bit of semillion from Soquel vineyard; or a pinot noir or syrah from Hunter vineyards.
Other reds that will hold up to strong flavors are Spanish and Portuguese wines made locally by Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyards under their Quinta Cruz label. Local pinot noirs and syrah stand up well to dishes with sauces
Places to buy these wines locally are Verutti’s Liquors, Ben Lomond/Scotts Valley Market, Safeway and New Leaf.
Having a dinner with many dishes? Don’t worry, no matter what wine you choose, it will match perfectly with some part of the meal.
Cheers and Happy New Year’s.
-Grant Plemons

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Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at [email protected].

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