Charles R Us

Sorry if I get all “stream of consciousness” on y’all, this week was actually pretty funny.

Kathy and I get lots of e-mails from lots of wineries, and one in the in-box indicated that one joint in Livermore, just south of us in Oakley, had space for their “August Moon” dinner. And like Lon Chaney Jr. in the iconic Wolfman pix, Kath bit. Arroooooo!

Now, for us to eschew Snappy Hour at the house on a valuable weekend in order to do the do south in Livermore, well that’s a commitment from this couple. Glad we did.

Couple of things about Charles R Winery: they very recently lost a family member/winemaker. The fam closed down for a bit, but then regrouped in the original spot to let the beat go on. We first discovered them December of 2009 during the holiday fest; we were knocked out by their unoaked Chardonnay. They’ve since become a go-to destination for the varietal, and when a special event appeared on their calendar, we took the proverbial plunge.

Guys, our “August Moon” dinner could not have had better tablemates. Kath and I chatted with Terri and Mike in the salon, commenting (favorably) on the unoaked Chardonnay. They shared table space with us, as did Darren and Gina.

Where else does one find a half-dozen people sharing a table; memories and menus a la carte? K and I had a very nice time at the dinner; the centerpiece was the flank steak marinated in a Zin reduction, but a lot of laughs au gratin. Chef Jim Thurman from Smokey’s Kitchen apparently is in great demand catering Livermore wine events, and it’s easy to see why: His easy hand on the ingredients, and his ease at articulating the structure of each course before it was served was a very nice touch.

And a full moon, visible at dusk as we finished our main course al fresco, tied it all up with literal lunacy. Perfect!

Oh, and check this out: I have never won a raffle in my life. Three filled-out tix were to be drawn, and since my tablemate Mike one the first prize, I thought that was that. My name was called next! And even though someone at a distant table immediately cried, “He’s not here!,” I actually scored a bottle of wine, just before they were going to pull another ticket, believing that mofo.

I finally got the loot, and, dude, it was tastay. The Charles R 2006 Livermore Valley Cabernet Sauvignon had a nice deep purple-black look. Lots of nice plum on the nose, and a spicy bit on the medium finish.