We been tree wrasslin. Eradicating the evil trumpet vine from the loquat. Trying to prune the acacia into an unridiculous shape. The driveway, once again, is filling up with plant parts. My hands are sore, I have slivers. It has been a weekend of gardening (aka: logging) and cleaning the fine porcelain dust Paul created by grinding the last few feet of red accent tile from the kitchen backsplah. Dust covered EVERYTHING! Not just in the kitchen. The dust floated down the hall and into the dining room and the living room. Vacuuming was futile. It required sponge, mop and water.

Last night, as a reward, we went to a wine tasting dinner at Cuvee in Del Mar with our wine-loving buddies Larry and Jeanne. Clos LaChance was the winery. They not only use grapes grown on their 80 acre estate but grapes from the backyard vineyards they plan, plant and maintain through their innovative company C.K. Vines, mostly in the Santa Cruz mountains. Cheryl Murphy Durzy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and daughter of co-owners Bill and Brenda Murphy was in attendance to talk about the wines and answer questions.

We tasted a 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2003 Chardonnay, a 2002 Pinot Noir, and a 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. Each was paired with a creation by Chef Brad Luckinbill.

2004 Sauvignon Blanc
Cedar-sawdust/pulp mill nose. (Someone out there tell me they can relate to this! - Cheryl percieves with simply as oak.) High above the glass is a light waft of vanilla. More complicated than your average Sauvignon Blanc, crisp yet convoluted and long on the finish. The pairing was with a salad of mixed greens which arrived at table looking beat up and littered with pine nuts, golden raisins, goat cheese with basil vinaigrette.

2003 Chardonnay
The nose is a barnyard - and a pulp mill, though not as strong as the Sauvignon Blanc. Buttery and a little raisiny in the mouth. 10 to 15 Santa Cruz mountain vineyards, some with maritime and some with Burgundy-like climates go into this blend. For those who are interested, Robert Parker gave this wine a score of 89. Whatever that means. This wine was served with a pair of scallops in a buerre blanc - butter in the wine and butter on the nose.

2002 Pinot Noir
Smells like a cool pumpkin pie. What is that spice? The fruit on the nose is like prunes, stewed with some of those pie spices! So unusual. Grapes from 5 vineyards, most from 2 - Elmer Erwin (above the fog) and Biagini (below the fog). This was paired very comfortably with a very good duck and tart cherry risotto - a rustic country dish, not-mucked around with in that too-many-fingers restaurant way.

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
The nose is immediately like some freshly cleaved rock, the dust still floating in the air. Then something green - like the chunk of granite just fell to the grassy, herbal earth. It smells young. Deliciously smooth tannins run down the sides of the tongue and then lift into a fruity vapor. Which fruit? Not sure. Must try again! Served with a tenderloin and blue cheese (again, a classic pairing) the tannic bite became more fluorescent, then a little prickly as the cheese took over. A delightful mouthful.

Overall the mostly classic pairings, although not inspired, worked well. Why mess with the tried and true? The salad course was the exception, limp in conception and presentation.

All the wines were very good. I look forward to trying the '02 Syrah, the '04 Rose and the '04 Viognier, all recommended by Cheryl as her current favorites. You might find them at Jonathan's in La Jolla.