Maverick, Izakaya Yuzuki, Souk Savanh: Check, Please! Bay Area reviews

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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. I will also share some wine tips with each episode.

2011 Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey County, California ($18) -- Crafted with grapes from two of Monterey’s famous vineyards -- Griva and Ventana -- this beautiful white is one of the best wines I’ve sampled this year. Citrus-scented and floral, the aromas jump from the glass because it’s made with the perfumed Musqué clone of Sauvignon. If you’re going to drink SB, stock up on this remarkably refreshing yet complex wine.

2009 Bernardus Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, California ($35) -- Pinot Noir is my top-pick red due to its elegance and flexibility. A good bottle can pair as easily with fleshy fish as it can with beef stew...and this is a great bottle. Alluring tea leaf and thyme aromas underscore the waft of red berry aromas exploding from the glass. Followed by succulent fruit flavors, a slight tannic grip, and full-bodied flair, it’s a wine to showcase by itself or with anything at the dinner table.

2011 Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Chardonnay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa ($27) -- The company famous for fresh fruit baskets has launched their own line of wines from neighboring Rogue Valley vineyards in southern Oregon. Tempranillo is the sleek signature red grape of Spain, but when planted in Oregon it expresses laid-back ease packed with juicy red berry fruit flavors.

2011 Brassfield Estate “Volcano Ridge Vineyard” red blend, Lake County, California ($24) -- You will not find a better value in California wine than this mélange of grapes such as Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah to name a few. Though the price tag is not cheap, it’s a wine worth twice the price. Dark berry fruit layered with dark chocolate, spice and earth notes, it has a mouth-filling texture than reminds me of velvet. #LOVE.