Check, Please! Bay Area: Season 2: Episode 19 (219)

Other ways to watch the episode online (and on video iPod):
Download episode (requires iTunes or QuickTime)
Subscribe to Video Podcast

View photo gallery (flickr.com)
Contribute your food photos! (flickr.com)

My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I’m the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I will be sharing my tasting notes about the wine the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show. Also, in my "What to Sip" suggestions, I choose one restaurant from each show and offer tips for selecting libations to enjoy with your meal.

Wine of the Week:

2006 Merryvale "Starmont" Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, California $18
From their well-priced Starmont line to the classy (and pricey) red blend "Profile," Merryvale ranks among the bearers of quality in Napa Valley. This racy, refreshingly crip white wine is one to pour with chicken satay and peanut sauce or seared scallops.

What to Sip: The Mountain House Restaurant

Considering the Mountain House's rustic wooded setting and game-influenced menu, I expected their wine list to be focused on bold, beefy reds.

The two-page list, though small, does deliver plenty of hearty reds to complement the fare but isn't shy on a good selection of whites, either. The focus as a diner should be to sample the extremely well-priced wines from several local producers in the Woodside and Santa Cruz Mountains areas.

For a smooth red blend try the Thomas Fogarty "Skyline Red" ($30), which has enough heft to pair with the massive double cut pork chops. The rack of lamb or venison begs for an earthy Cabernet Sauvignon so reach for Woodside Vineyards' version priced again at a cool $30.

Those sipping whites with their Cajun popcorn shrimp or Chinese chicken salad should try the juicy Storrs Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains ($34) or the floral-scented, zesty Thomas Fogarty Gewurztraminer ($27).