By Bruce Neyers

Saturday 19th October, 2024

Enjoying Zinfandel with Lulu – Over a memorable meal in Venice

I’ve been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember. My fondness for the game started in the mid-50’s, with little league, and I find it every bit as fascinating today. I was raised about 30 miles from Philadelphia and began to go to Phillies games when I was ten. I loved all the players, but I had two heroes: the talented shortstop Chico Fernández and pitching ace Robin Roberts. Back then, though, the Phillies were perennial cellar dwellers. When their season ended, so did mine. In 1957, a family from New York moved into the house behind ours, and I became friends with their son. We played baseball often and talked about it even more. I recall their family conversations about the famous New York center fielders that were at the heart of baseball lore then — Willie, Mickey and the Duke. They argued about who was the best, but I wanted to stop them to speak for my candidate, Phillies center fielder Richie Ashburn. The season would end in September, the playoffs would begin, and my Phillies would go home for the winter. I’d listen to the World Series, but never as enthusiastically as a fan with a stake in the outcome. I expected that would change when San Francisco became my home in 1970, and while things looked up for a while, it wasn’t long before the Giants were playing golf in October, while other teams played post-season ball. It’s the story of my life I guess, although one with a happy ending. The Phillies are one of the best teams in baseball this year.

During my early years in San Francisco, I got in the wine business. I consoled myself with the fact that while I wouldn’t see much baseball in October, wrapping-up the harvest in chilly, fall weather set the stage for what I now think of as Cabernet Sauvignon Season. Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite wine, and while I enjoy a bottle or two during the summer, the season really begins with the first cold day in October. We have a good amount of aged Cabernet Sauvignon in our cellar, but it’s especially comforting now to open a bottle of our 2018 Neyers Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine from one of the best vintages in the past two decades. We picked our 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at Neyers Ranch later than normal, during the last three days of October. The yield was under 2.5 tons/acre. The wine is dark and rich, with an attractive aroma of spice, black cherry, and an earthy minerality. The flavors of blueberry and cassis are charming and complex. I’m most impressed by the long, soft finish though, as it seems to last forever. This vineyard, planted by Dave Abreu, was 25 years old in 2018, an important milestone for Cabernet Sauvignon. We expect the wine to improve for another 20 years or so.

Cherry Tomato Pasta – Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• • ½ white onion minced
  • 5 cups cherry tomatoes, such as Sweet 100 and Sungold
  • 2 slices of pancetta about ¼-inch thick, cut into lardoons and sautéed until crisp
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 package of Orecchiette pasta or pasta of your choice
  • Fresh basil torn into small pieces
  • Diamond Chrystal Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until clear in color
2. Following the directions on the package, cook the pasta until done
3. While the pasta is cooking, add the remaining olive oil, cherry tomatoes and cayenne to the onions, and cook until the tomatoes are warm and begin to soften
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Drain the pasta and add to the tomato mixture
6. Add the cooked pancetta
7. Serve the cherry tomato pasta and sprinkle each serving with basil and Parmesan cheese