Check, Please! Bay Area: Episode 9 (#109)

My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I’m the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. After each episode I’ll serve up a behind-the-scenes look at what went on during filming, including the wine we were sipping…

Gregory is a self-admitted food snob. He's proud of his discriminating palate and searches for restaurants that only use the freshest ingredients. We were all surprised when he tore into Anh Hong about the freshness of the vegetables because that's their specialty. Ah...to each his own. I was a little concerned that diminutive, sweet Shelley wouldn't get a word in edgewise with all of us, but she was authoritative and talkative. Having just returned from a trip to Morocco, she was the perfect person to review Gregory's Moroccan pick, Aziza. Tova showed up in the green room before the show with the best wardrobe. I wanted to wear all the coats she brought and she wanted to wear my fake eyelashes! She looked great and was full of energy (and opinions). Shelley and Tova actually live within blocks of one another so they've already planned to get together.

Wine of the Week:

2004 Redbank Winery, "The Widow Jones" Viognier, King Valley, Victoria, Australia $16
Ann Jones, a colorful character of King Valley lore, ran a hotel in the 1880s and threw a legendary party for a gang of outlaws. Must have been some bash since a wine is now named after the femme fatale. This Viognier is fleshy and full with floral and spice notes and flavors of tangerine and juicy melon.

Sponsor Wine of the Week:

2004 Five Rivers Winery Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, California $12
Silky, fruit-driven Pinot is pleasure in a bottle but you rarely find it priced so affordably. Complex and classy, this wine easily matches versions costing twice as much. Pour it alongside pork tenderloin roasted with sliced plums and a sprig of fresh lavender.