Check, Please! Bay Area: Season 3: Episode 7 (#307)

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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.

Wines of the Week: KQED Wine Club

From the KQED Wine Club come our selections poured on this week's show. Join the club!

Wine of the Week: 2003 L'Uvaggio di Giacomo, "Il Gufo," Barbera, Lodi, California
Winemaker Jim Moore focuses on making wines in the Golden State from Italian grape varieties. Barbera is a workhorse red grape in northern Italy, but when grown in California, it expresses robust flavors along with complexity. This delicious example is juicy and fleshy, but still vibrant. Enjoy it alongside mushroom pasta or sausage pizza.

What to Sip: Côté Sud
Touting themselves as the only French restaurant in the Castro, you'd except a wine list oozing with beauties from France. That's exactly what you get at Côté Sud, although if you want to stay local and drink Californian, you can do that too. Prices are realistic with many wines in the affordable range, making it simple to sip with your meal.

Glancing at the list, I head straight to Burgundy for classics made with my favorite red grape, Pinot Noir. Organized under "Bourgogne Rouge," the bargains you'll want to steer towards include wines from areas named Volnay, Savigny-Les-Beaune, and Marsannay. Top-notch producers such as Moillard, Boisset, and Boillot have offerings to please any Pinot lover. If the confit de canard or lapin (duck confit or braised rabbit) are tempting you, Burgundy is the bomb.

When Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are your drinks of choice, sink your teeth into a red Bordeaux. Picks are separated by appellations like Margaux, Saint-Emilion, and Pauillac (including the dreamy Château Lynch-Bages), so you can find just the right bottle to savor with their signature rack of lamb.

Bon appétit!