Wineaux: This and that ... and a glass of wine

A few weeks ago I wrote about wine and health and the latest studies claiming that no amount of alcohol is really safe. I wished in that column that the blanket “alcohol” could be a bit more discriminating. And I got my wish.

A new study that appeared in JAMA Network Open (published by the American Medical Association) separated mostly-wine drinkers from drinkers of other alcoholic beverages or folks who mostly drank with meals. What they discovered: these had lower mortality rates than their other imbibing cohorts. Also in that study, researchers found that light-to-moderate drinking had no deleterious effects on people without serious existing health problems and of higher socioeconomic status.



Interesting result, definitely worth thinking about. People of higher socioeconomic background have, of course, better health outcomes in general — they tend to have better medical care, eat better food, and no doubt drink better, cleaner wine, beer, and spirits. On a different note, Food and Wine magazine (this month's issue) featured a piece called “The History of California wine in 11 bottles.

” The final bottle, under the heading “left-coast natural,” was Broc Cellars' “lively, light-bodied” 2022 Amore Rosso. “Count Chris Brockway as a true revolutionary ..

. he's been at it since 2002.” I've been singing the praises of Berkeley's Broc Cellars for over a decade (as have many other wine writers), and Amore Rosso is one of my all-time favorites.

I first tasted it at a tiny wine bar in Mendocino Village and at my first sip, I was smitten. Subsequent sips did nothing to change my mind. You don't even have to go Berkeley to get it — you can pick up a bottle, and several other of Chris' wines, at the Co-op ($27).

In the same issue, under the title “Five all-time great values” is the 2022 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc, a blend of vermentino and grenache blanc. When I read this, I had just finished a bottle of the 2023 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Orange, which I like even more, a blend of Central Coast grenache gris, grenache blanc, grenache rouge, orange muscat, and chenin blanc. A bright copper color from its skin contact, it's a fun, peachy, citrus-y wine that's eminently food-friendly.

It would be especially good with spicy foods. I served it to guests with a fresh corn and basil sauce over farfalle, and it brought a smile to the table. Both the white and this orange come from Bonny Doon founder Randall Graham, an iconic figure in California winemaking and one of the original Rh ȏ ne Rangers.

Both the blanc and the orange are available from the Co-op for $15. In addition, the Food and Wine editors picked out five “good-for-the-planet” wines that included the 2022 Tablas Creek Vineyard C ô tes de Tablas: “Its Rh ô ne-style reds and whites are superb; for an example, check out this spicy, Grenache-driven blend.” Yes, they are superb, and yes, the blend is excellent.

You can get a bottle of this one at the Co-op too, for $22. At just 12.5% alcohol, it's a great warm-weather red — give it 45 minutes in the fridge before drinking.

Yet another bottle on the Co-op shelves ($27) that I've enjoyed recently is the gorgeous 2022 Juliénas from Michel T ê te, considered the best producer in the Juliénas (Beaujolais) area. T ê te's vineyards grow in rare, prestigious blue volcanic soils, and the grapes here (100% gamay) come from 60 year-old vines. The wine is made traditionally (semi-carbonic) with minimal intervention.

Bright, spicy, juicy with red berries, it's the perfect fall red for all manner of dishes. We drank it with a fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella, and three-mushroom pizza, and it was, well, perfect. I'm adding it to my list for Santa this year.

Skurnik is the importer of this beauty. If you're just scanning wine shelves and don't really know much about the wines you see, you can feel confident choosing a Skurnik bottle. From The Wall Street Journal : “Skurnik Wines & Spirits isn’t just an incubator of sales talent but a source of some of the greatest wines in the world.

" The family-owned importers pride themselves on responsibly-made, excellent value wines no matter the price point. Finally, I noticed last week that the Co-op had gotten in the 2023 Camp Central Coast Chardonnay. The 2022 (still in stock — try comparing them) has been an excellent and frequent companion to our summer meals, so I was eager to try the new vintage.

A tiny bit lusher, just as delicious, and, at $18, just as good a bargain. And both bottles are low in alcohol (12.4 and 12.

5), unlike most California chards, which tend toward 14%, some even higher. Try either of these wines with a salmon burger, piled high with fresh tomato and baby arugula and dripping with chipotle aioli. What could be better for a festive late-summer supper? A couple of events you might like to attend.

Coming right up: Saturday, September 21, The Pip in Dixon will be hosting a pizza night. From Amy: “Chef Jodie slings the BEST pies! She sets up her pizza station outside, behind The Pip, we open up the curtains from front to back and become a pizza hall with seating inside and outside (weather permitting). We have our regular beer on tap and offer a simple & tasty wine menu made up of five wines .

.. Chef Jodie creates her pizza menu and takes payment for pizza; we manage all things beverage.

Pizza Night has its own, groovy vibe.” The following Saturday, Sept. 28, Berryessa Gap Winery will be celebrating — with wine, of course — the 20th anniversary of their downtown Winters tasting room, which opens at 11 a.

m. Both events would be perfect for entertaining late summer out-of-town visitors. Or take them to the Davis Wine Bar any afternoon for a glass of Mosel riesling and an order of spinach-artichoke dip.

— Reach Susana Leonardi at [email protected] . Comment on this column at www.

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