Check, Please! Bay Area: Season 2: Episode 12 (212)

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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.

Wine of the Week:

2004 Craggy Range “Sophia” Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay New Zealand $50
From one of my personal favorite producers comes this layered, lush Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend. Made with grapes grown on New Zealand’s north island region of Hawkes Bay, its sultry texture coupled with rich fruit flavors ranks this amongst the sexiest sips around.

What to Sip: Jardinere

Wine director Eugenio Jardim has crafted an impressive, world-class wine list. Connoisseurs will appreciate the depth and breadth of selections that span the globe, but novices can find plenty to please their palates. For big spenders, seek out the cellar offerings of stunners such as Jaboulet’s “La Chapelle” Hermitage or Gaja’s Nebbiolo “Sori San Lorenzo” from vintages back to 1998 (these will set you back hundreds of dollars per bottle). To keep your cash close, order one of the many affordable bottles peppering the list. Start with a half bottle of Robert Sinskey Pinot Blanc from Carneros ($36), a rare Sineann Gewürztraminer from Oregon ($40), or Kuleto's Napa Valley Zinfandel ($40). Unique and interesting selections including Raphael Palacios’s crisp, classy Godello “As Sortes” from Spain ($75) keep wine lovers coming back for more.