Ta-da….Finally! The wines for May!

Ta-da….Finally! The wines for May!

The flowers are dancing with the raindrops from this warm spring rain. A joyous dance…it is really pretty out!

We have put away the wines from April and have some lovely wines for the May! I have some new recipes to pair with these wines - some are even healthy! I like mixing up the healthy and the rich and cheesy – kind of like “naughty and nice”!

One of our favorite wineries in San Luis Obispo is Tolosa, located in the heart of the Edna Valley. Truly ALL the wines from Tolosa are spectacular, but the one we are highlighting in May is the Pinot Gris. It is light and fruity and just screams “SPRING”! We know it will be a favorite of our guests, as well.

Monterey County begins about 60 miles north of San Luis Obispo, and like SLO it is an area that is producing award-winning wines. We have brought in a lovely dry Riesling from Paraiso Winery and slightly buttery Chardonnay from Bernardus Winery in Carmel Valley. We don’t usually have Chardonnays at Petit because they are so …."everyday", but this Chardonnay from Bernardus is one that is exceptional and very different from our Chardonnays from Edna Valley and Santa Barbara County.

When we were visiting our son in Salzburg, Austria I fell head over heels in love with the Austrian wine, Gruner Vetliner. I have been sampling MANY Gruners from our wine sales reps and I have found that this Loimer Gruner Vetliner is my fave! It is the wine I enjoy at home with fish and salads and chicken – it is light and refreshing and a bit citrusy. I LOVE this wine!

We decided that we would always offer a Rose for our guests to sample so that that old “White Zin” stigma might be lifted. For May we are offering a bone dry French Rose from the Languedoc region of France. It is YUMMY! You will feel momentarily transported to the South of France, I promise!

We have three red wines for the month of May; Brophy Clark Syrah, Clos la Chance Zinfandel and a blend from the Rhone region of France called Jaboulet Parallele 45. The Jaboulet is light and fruity (Grenache and Syrah) and the Clos la Chance Zin is also on the lighter side, but the Brophy Clark is quite dark and lusty. Three very different, yet really special wines.

We think that the wine tasting hours are a really fun part of the Petit Soleil adventure. We always offer delicious little nibbles that have been specially paired with the wines in addition to our ever-present Red Pepper Fennel Almonds – everyone’s favorite!

John and I love to hear what our guests we choose to serve each month. Please find us, or drop a quick note, and tell us what you think and how you like the wines – and the appetizers, too, for that matter!

As always, we send thoughts out to all the moms out there and to all those who love them. We are putting together a special breakfast menu for Mother’s Day - and mimosas, as well.

Happy Days!
…Dianne