Have you tasted wine with the winemaker before?
Recently I met with Richard Oh Carmel based entrepreneur, restaurateur and the winemaker behind Oh Wines and Otter Cove.
I have seen Otter Cove on a local wine menu before and remembered the name because Sea Otters are a symbol of Monterey Bay. Oh Wine and Otter Cove do not have a tasting room so I met with Richard at Edwin’s Carmel which has since become one of my favorite restaurants.
Richard led me through a tasting which included his Otter Cove Chardonnay, Off Dry Riesling, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and the Oh Wines Pinot Noir.
I’m always interested in trying different Chardonnays. As I’ve been drinking more Chardonnay, I try to pay extra attention to what the wine is aged in. Otter Cove Chardonnay was aged in both stainless steel and neutral oak.
Throughout the tasting Richard, who is also accomplished at sleight of hand, entertained me with a few card tricks. I honestly can’t figure out how he did some of them.
Pinot Noir is a personal favorite of mine and I love trying Pinots from the same winemaker side-by-side is always a treat.
The 2015 Oh Pinot is from the Apex and Monte Nero Vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA and aged in 30% new French oak. With notes of raspberry, cherry and chocolate, mild tannins and a blanched finish.
The second Pinot, the Otter Cove 2016 is sourced from Chock Rock and aged in a combination of French and American Oak. I found this to be much more fruit forward, with notes of fresh strawberry and a lot less spice than the Oh Pinot. I really enjoyed this Pinot.
Hosting a wine tasting at a restaurant also has the benefit of impromptu food pairings.
We paired the Off Dry Riesling with Edwin’s Balinese Fried Chicken which was breaded, fried and served with Indonesian style fried rice. The Reisling had notes of apricot and peaches and paired very well with the sweet and sour flavors of the dish.
It was a very fun night and I really enjoyed learning more about Oh Wine and Otter Cove. The stand out for me was the Otter Cove Pinot Noir and I have since bought two bottles of it.
