mrspjuth

Happy New Year to all of you. I hope you had a happy new years celebration with tasty food and wine. 2013 has ended and we now have 2014 and a whole year in front of us. Lets make it a happy one.

Here is my list Best of 2013. Enjoy!

Best restaurant:
1. RN74, San Francisco
2. Zazu, Sebastopol, Sonoma
3. Fäviken, Åre, Sweden

I had the pleasure to once more visit California and this time made a tour around the state. Finally I made it to RN74 and it was as good as I had expected or even better. That I made the visit with my old high school buddies from Clovis West, Fresno, and my oldest daughter made it all a fabulous dinner.
Nr 2 on my list, Zazu kitchen in Sebastopol, Sonoma, is a great treat. Lovely food and great and friendly service. I will for sure return.
Fäviken, nr 3, surprised me this time. My visit in 2011 was good but I left feeling that it was a little bit to much for my taste and the service was not the friendly style, it was more stiff and boring. My last visit in fall 2013 was great. Almost so good that it deserve the nr 1 spot. Service much more friendly and personal and the food…the food….Magnus Nilsson showed me how good he is at this. Out of the 20-something courses all was good and 98% of them were really great. I don’t regret my visit.

Best wine experience:
1. My visit to Greg Brewer in Lompoc, Ca
2. My Sonoma visit
3. Dinner in Fresno with friends

2 years ago I met Greg Brewer and Mr Ron Melville in St. Rita Hills at Melville Winery. That meeting led to a Wine Makers dinner at my restaurant The Local in Kall, Sweden. A really great wine dinner with 11 wines from Melville and Brewer-Clifton.
In August 2013 I made a visit to Gregs winery in Lompoc and we also went out for a nice dinner after testing some of his wines. Always a pleasure. Greg is the coolest!
I made it to Sonoma after, probably, my 8th visit to California. Traveled Sonoma for 2 days with my daughter. Stopped at Hanna Wines and Dutton. The stop at Dutton was really great.
Well, a dinner with good friends is always nice. This one in Fresno turn out great. We opened some 8-10 different wines from Napa, Sonoma, Lompoc and Paso Robles. All orchestrated by my wine friend Lars Petersen, the great Dane!

Best Champagne:
1. Pol Roger 1999
2. Gosset 1998
3. Taittinger 2004

Champagne with some age will always have a place in my home!

Best white:
1. Diatom Huber 2007, Greg Brewer, St. Rita Hills, Ca
2. Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010, Albert Mann, Alsace
3. Booker Vineyard 2010, Paso Robles, Ca

My friend Greg Brewer makes fabulous wines and the best chardonnay I have ever tasted so far is the Diatom Huber 2007. No words needed!
Nr 2 on my list will always have a home in my wine cellar. Maybe because I had the pleasure of working 2 weeks with Jacky and Marie-Theres at Albert Mann. Alsace riesling is just a joy and is always good on any table.
My friend Lars brought the Booker wine to the dinner in Fresno. Made of 75% Rousanne 25% Viognier from the beautiful Paso Robles. It is a different wine but oh so great.

Best red:
1. Etude Heirloom 2010, Napa, Ca
2. Monthelie 2005, Pierre Morey, Bourgogne
3. Herman Story 2011, Paso Robles, Ca

Three different wines but just so….GREAT! Etude…love it. Monthelie…love it. Herman Story…Love it. To bad that I don’t have any in my cellar but maybe I can get hold of some. Will have to start looking.

Extra mention: The so wonderfull Aloxe Corton !er Cru, Clos du Chapitre, Morey-Blanc, Bourgogne that we had on the gold course, not the club house, on the golf course playing golf in the fall of 2013. Maybe a bit cold because of the weather but imagine drinking a Aloxe Corton while swinging your clubs. Loved it!!

My classic restaurant that never will fail on me:
Restaurant The Wolsley, London

If you are in London and don’t know where to eat don’t miss out on The Wolsley. You will not be disappointed. Effective and friendly service and an atmosphere over the top. I will always be a fan of it.

Rising star of the year:
Åre Bryggcompagnie

Our new local brewery here in Åre, Sweden. 4 young beer lovers that brew great local beer. I hope that they will have a great 2014.

That was it. I will get back soon with my stories of wine tastings, food, restaurant visits and trips and of course stories about my grandfather Bo Spjuth. Take care!