San Diego Natural Wine Summit August 9

Jaynes Gastropub is proud to present the first annual

SAN DIEGO NATURAL WINE SUMMIT

Sunday, August 9, 2009
2 pm – 6 pm Public Tasting $45/person 
Noon – 2 pm Media/Trade Preview.  RSVP Please

Jaynes Gastropub
4677 30th Street (@ Adams Avenue)
San Diego 92116

To reserve tickets please call 619.563.1011 or email info@jaynesgastropub.com

Space is extremely limited so please reserve now!

WINE AS NATURE INTENDED IT.

Taste more than 20 natural wines and enjoy a “farm to table” menu prepared especially for this unique event. The Jaynes Gastropub staff and natural wine experts will be on hand to discuss natural wine, its importance today, and why natural wine plays such an important role on the Jaynes Gastropub wine list.

Above: geese pooh helps make natural wine in Tuscany. Many believe that animals — wild and domestic — foraging among the vines is part of what makes terroir.

What is natural wine?

Natural wine is “wine as nature intended it.” Natural wine is wine that expresses the character of the place where it is made, the grapes with which it is made, and the people who make it. The grape is a natural winemaker. When the berry falls to the ground, naturally occurring yeasts on its skin will turn its sugar into alcohol. The skin then acts as a natural and ideal vessel for grape juice to be turned into wine. Natural winemakers employ “minimal intervention” in winemaking in order to allow Mother Nature to perform her miracle.

Above: sometimes natural wine is orange and cloudy instead of white and clear. It can be stinky and we like it that way.

Is natural wine organic?

Grapes for natural wine are often grown using organic, sustainable, and integrated farming practices but natural wine is as much about the work in the cellar as it is about work in the vineyard. Natural winemakers use “ambient” or naturally occurring yeasts for fermentation and they do not “spoof” the wine by artificially raising alcohol levels or concentrating flavors.

Above: natural winemaker Ales Kristiancic of Movia (Slovenia) showed Jon the sediment in his Puro at the Wine and Spirits top 100 tasting in San Francisco last October.

Who is natural wine?

A growing number of like-minded European winemakers, mostly in Italy and France, mostly in the Loire Valley, but also in Spain and Slovenia.

Above: The cloistered vineyards at Nicholas Joly’s estate in Savennières. Joly is the “father” of biodynamic winemaking, one of the most important movements in natural wine.

Where is natural wine?

You will find natural wine at Jaynes Gastropub nightly. Check the Jaynes Gastropub blog for updates.

Wines will be also be available for sale through our partner, Do Bianchi.

SAN DIEGO NATURAL WINE SUMMIT

Sunday, August 9, 2009
2 pm – 6 pm Public Tasting $45/person
Noon – 2 pm Media/Trade Preview  

Jaynes Gastropub
4677 30th Street (@ Adams Avenue)
San Diego 92116

To reserve tickets, please call 619.563.1011 or email info@jaynesgastropub.com

Space is extremely limited so please reserve now!

Jaynes named one of top 10 gastropubs in U.S. by Draft Mag!

Jayne and Jon are thrilled to announce that Jaynes Gastropub has been named one of the top 10 gastropubs in the U.S. by Draft Magazine.

“3. Jaynes Gastropub. After perfecting food (maple leaf duck breast, butterscotch crème brûlée) and beer (Green Flash Le Freak, Alesmith IPA), Jayne’s is sharpening its wine list with treasures like Il Poggione’s Brunello di Montalcino.”

“Serious beer and culinary chops have made these venerable Gastropubs mainstays in foodie culture.”

Other top-10 honorees include our friend and neighbor Jay Porter’s The Linkery (San Diego) and Mario Batali’s The Spotted Pig (NYC).

Thank you Draft, you ROCK! And congrats to Jay and Mario! You guys rock too…

Stay tuned… a big announcement is coming up tomorrow at Jaynes… YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS!

Two Great Natural Wines Are Back

We have brought back the 2007 Clos Roche Blanche Cabernet and the 2007 Domaine de la Pepiere ‘Sur Lie’ Muscadet, two iconic natural wines from the Loire Valley.   Both wines are available by the glass.  Come give them a try!

Braising Lovers Unite! Short Ribs Back This Weekend.

Chef Daniel’s much beloved Braised Short Ribs are back this weekend.  We look forward to seeing you!

The Great Pinot Showdown: Tuesday-Thursday this week.

            In the fall of 2007, after bumming around the streets of Paris for nearly a month, I found myself on the seventh floor of a beautiful Haussmannian flat, watching The Great Dictator while drinking Grand Cru Pinot Noir. It was that evening that I first heard the phrase gout de terroir or “flavor of the soil” while discussing wine with my French friend. I’m not certain if I would have gone on to carry my French friend’s passion for terroir in the states if I didn’t find myself working amidst the same passion back in San Diego at Jaynes. After almost two years of living back in California it’s no longer a question. Whether it’s the image of Marseille evoked from the aroma of Bandol rose’ or the sight of the Tuscan countryside that I get when I drink Chianti, I love nothing more in wine than experiencing gout de terrior, the Marcel Proust like connectedness with the wines I drink and the regions they come from.
             This week at Jaynes, Tuesday through Thursday, our wine flight features three classic examples of terroir driven Pinot Noir from Oregon, Napa and Burgundy. Whether it’s the Grand Cru status of Shea Wine Cellars, the militant organic farming of Robert Sinskey, or the hand picked grapes of Bachey-Legros, the traditional winemaking of each of these producers provides three different examples of Pinot Noir that reflect the distinct soil characteristics of the regions they have been grown in. Poured side by side we look forward to seeing how the regions of Oregon, Carneros, and Burgundy exemplify the different characteristics of Pinot Noir.
             Dick and Deirdre Shea founded Shea Wine Cellars in 1996 and currently produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made from fruit grown entirely on-site at Shea Vineyard. Shea Vineyard was first planted in 1989 and is currently produced by winemaker Drew Volt. The 200-acre vineyard property lies at the heart of Oregon’s Yamhill-Carlton District. Named one of only Five Vineyards in the U.S. to receive the distinction as Grand Cru, the region is noted for its sedimentary soil that sits over fractured limestone. It not often I feel the need to mention the soil content of a west coast wine, but this is one of the special few that possesses the ability to reflect the region where the fruit was grown.
                  There’s much to say about Robert Sinskey and his wine making, but all I want to say is that it makes me feel good. Everything from the beginning production to the last sip of Robert Sinskey’s Pinot Noir makes me feel good. Robert Sinskey converted the vineyards to organics beginning in 1991. When describing his passionate pursuit of biodynamic wine practice he simply  states, “We’re dirt farmers.”
                  Christiane Bachey has guided the domaine her great-grandparents founded since 1993. However, in recent years her two sons Lénaïc and Samuel have assumed stewardship of Bachey-Legros. Bachey-Legros’ primary vineyard holdings lie in both Santenay and Chassagne-Montrachet, in the burgundy region of France. There is no organic gimmick to the production of wine at Bachey-Legros. They still continue the wonderful tradition of making wine the way it has been done in France for hundreds of years. The vines are tended by hand and workers manually plough the stony, mineral-rich soils rather than using chemicals, making the balanced, elegant, and youthful 2006 Bachey-Legros Bourgogne, a great example of classic Burgundy terroir.
                  Our recommended Pinot pairing is this week’s special: Wild Marbled Pacific Salmon from Washington State, served over a delicious sautéed medley of spinach, chopped smoked bacon, sliced baby carrots, English peas, white corn, caramelized pearl onions, and shitake mushrooms, then finished in a tarragon vinaigrette.
                  We hope to see you this week at Jaynes. Stop in, say hello, and tell us about your weekend. We’d love to hear about it in great detail. My advice is to come early, enjoy some fantastic wine and a nice meal, then go see The Hangover, it’s absolutely hilarious.

author: eric

Now Playing at Jayne’s: Koko Taylor, September 28, 1928 – June 3, 2009

Koko Taylor dies at age 80 on Wednesday June 3rd, 2009.  One of the all time great singers and an icon of Chicago blues.  Watch and listen to Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and Hound Dog Taylor play along with Koko’s ferocious singing on her 1965 smash hit, Wang Dang Doodle.

Riesling and Ceviche This Week, June 2nd through the 4th

Riesling

The most misunderstood grape in the world. It is also the most food friendly, and diverse white grape varietal in the world. The most common misconception about riesling is that they are all sweet, which can be very frustrating because as Americans we talk dry and drink sweet throughout our lives. Rieslings are much lower in alcohol 8-12% on average which when married with the beautiful balance between extraction of fruit and acidity could allow them to develop for decades in a bottle holding onto the true essence of the soil. They are not aged in oak which can feel dull on the palate when it is not in balance with the fruit. Germany, Austria, and Alsace, France are the most notable producers of the grape although you will find it grown throughout the world. It works so wonderfully with food because it is low in alcohol in turn having less of an effect on the human system, crisp acidity (no oak aging) leaves your mouth with a certain fruit tartness that cuts through butter or cream sauces, the delicate richness of animal fat and cleanses the palate yearning for another bite or sip. It goes very well with dishes made with sweet roasted garlic, fiery chilies, and beautifuly aromatic herbs such as cilantro, kaffir lime and basil as we find in Thailand, South America and Spain. Try that with a wine that is over ripe with an alcohol level pushing 16% and see what happens. This week we are proudly showcasing two riesling side by side the first is the 2007 Rudiger Krober riesling “Winninger Bruckstuck” from the Mosel region of Germany offering a bright off dry flavor profile of lush citrus, rich lychee mouthfeel with a steely mineral finish. To contrast this style we offer the 1998 Hugel “Hommage” riesling from Alsace, France. The nose is of classic petrol, wet stone, while on the mouth the beautiful deep flavors of apricot, white peach, ginger and lemon curd gently linger on the tongue. If ordered by itself we recommend decanting this wine for ten minutes or so to fully allow the wine to develop. One other very important aspect to remember not only with these two selections but with all white wines is to not drink these wine to cold, let them sit on the table. Being to cold will mask the fruit. We look forward to sharing these wines with you and the beautiful dishes we have created to experience along with them. 

     Riesling, perhaps the most misunderstood grape in the world. It is also perhaps the most food friendly and diverse white varietal. The most common misconception about riesling is that they are all sweet, which can be very frustrating because as Americans we talk dry and drink sweet throughout our lives.
     Rieslings are much lower in alcohol 8-12% on average which when married with the beautiful balance between extraction of fruit and acidity can allow them to develop for decades in a bottle, holding onto the true essence of the soil. They are not aged in oak which can dull the sensation to the palate when out of balance with the fruit. Germany, Austria, and Alsace, France are the most notable producers of the grape, although you will find it grown throughout the world.
      It works so wonderfully with food because it is low in alcohol in turn having less of an effect on the human system.  Crisp acidity (no oak aging) leaves your mouth with a certain fruit tartness that cuts through butter or cream sauces, the delicate richness of fats and cleanses the palate yearning for another bite or sip. It goes very well with dishes made with sweet roasted garlic, fiery chilies and aromatic herbs such as cilantro, kaffir lime and basil as found in Thailand, South America and Spain. Try that with a wine that is over ripe with an alcohol level pushing 16%.
       Our wine flight this week we are proudly showcasing two rieslings side by side.  The first is the 2007 Rudiger Krober Riesling “Winninger Bruckstuck” from the Mosel region of Germany offering a bright off dry flavor profile of lush citrus, rich lychee mouthfeel with a steely mineral finish. To contrast this style we offer the 1998 Hugel “Hommage” Riesling from Alsace, France. The nose is of classic petrol, wet stone, while on the mouth the beautiful deep flavors of apricot, white peach, ginger and lemon curd gently linger on the tongue. If ordered by itself we recommend decanting this wine for ten minutes or so to fully allow the wine to develop. One other very important aspect to remember not only with these two selections but with all white wines is to not drink these wine too cold, let them sit on the table.  Lower temperatures can tend to mask the fruit.
        We will be pairing the Rielsing with our Alaskan Halibut Ceviche.  The Halibut is “cooked” in fresh lime juice then tossed with fresh avocado, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro and tomatillo salsa.  This dish is served with fresh corn torilla chips cooked to order.  
        We look forward to serving you!
 
author: nicholas 

Show Me What You Got: Billecart-Salmon Rose’ Champagne

Because the beginning of my career in hospitality coincided directly with the dot-com boom, going to work at night was not entirely unlike filming one long rap video. Newly minted millionaires were everywhere and, having no idea what to do their money, they resorted to the most conspicuous form of consumption imaginable – buying expensive champagne, shaking up the bottle and spraying it all over the room. In the same way a McDonald’s employee may come home at night smelling like fries, I reeked of $500 Cristal. (The effervescent muse of Diddy and Jay-Z, Cristal was invariably the favorite of the trigger-happy nouveau-riche – To this day, I can’t see a bottle without ducking). After a few weeks of relentless sparkling showers, I asked to be switched to an earlier shift. It was then, during the quiet evening hours, that I was introduced to Billecart-Salmon. Couples coming from the theatre or opera would retire to hushed corners of the restaurant to inconspicuously enjoy this elegant, graceful Champagne from a 200-year old House in Mareuil-su-Aÿ. One such couple, a retired composer and his wife, were kind enough to offer me a taste (in a glass!) of the Brut Rosé. And though it has been one of my great favorites ever since, I hardly ever see it offered in restaurants. That’s why I was so thrilled when Jayne and John decided to add it to our list. A beautiful pale pink with bright notes of strawberry and cherry, the Brut Rosé manages to be both delicate and lush at the same time. It would pair amazingly well the Pacific Blue Crab Cakes we’ve just added to the menu and – if you can make it last that long – would be the perfect counterpart to the Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata. I promise that its so incredible, you won’t want to spill – let alone spray – a single drop.

author: sarah 

The Age of Romanticism: Chateaubriand this Weekend

As we look out the window and see the cool grey mist of the marine layer gently hanging over our beautiful city, there is a craving within for food that will warm the body and drink to enrich the soul. This weekend, as our featured entree, Chef Daniel will be offering the classic dish Chateaubriand. It was first created in the early 1820’s for author and diplomat Vicomte de Chateaubriand by his personal chef Montmireil. Daniel will be using the leanest and most tender cut filet mignon served with tournee potatoes, asparagus, baby carrots, and mushrooms in a red wine demiglace finished with a tarragon shallot butter. Now what to drink? Perhaps you like to wrap your hand around a pint glass of hand crafted beer or if you prefer wine, will it be in the style of the old world or the new world? Here at Jayne’s we have created a balanced list of selections from around the world and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to serving you.  Have a wonderful weekend!

author: nicholas

The Rose’ Pirates are Coming!

The European Commission will be making their final labeling decisions over the next few months on a new form of French rose’ made by simply blending finished red and white wines together.  Until now wines labeled as rose’ in France were made by allowing the red grape skins to soak with the macerating white juice for a very brief period and then removing them from the process.   This brief skin contact  is what gives rose’ its pink hue.  The European Commission, in what appears to be a desire to compete with relatively new wine producing regions such as Australia, South America and California, believes that the much less expensive method of blending will make them more competitive.  Under discussion is labeling wines as either ‘Traditional’ or ‘Blended.’   It appears that the vast majority of the French citizenry oppose allowing the blend into the fold, especially President Nicolas Sarkozy   We at Jaynes agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Sarzozy’s opposition. Just as french rose’ is gaining much deserved and long overdue worldwide recognition, we are seeing the 1970’s Paul Masson jug wine ‘Chablis’ and ‘Burgundy’ pirate fleet fast approaching the south of France…