A luscious Chardonnay to pair with Seascape’s new menu
Eight of us gathered in the casual bar area of Seascape Beach Resort to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Drinks all round were ordered, including a bottle of Martin Ranch Winery’s Chardonnay 2013—a luscious wine made in the traditional Burgundian style.
Grapes for this Chardonnay are harvested from the Griva Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco region of Central California. On the nose it shows bright green apple with hints of grapefruit and a touch of pear. With a solid acidic middle and a fresh, yet long and lingering finish, it pairs well with seafood and chicken dishes.
Seascape Beach Resort is now offering a brand new menu called “the Restless Palate,” and we sampled several dishes from it, including Pad Thai seared scallops (called “Mad Thai”); grilled chicken satay lettuce cups (with ginger and coconut-milk-marinated chicken); Tiki fish tacos (with crispy Alaskan cod); Mongolian-style pork belly sliders (in a steamed bun); and Calitnamese spring rolls (an amalgam of California/Vietnamese cuisine). We have executive chef Mario Garcia to thank for this imaginative new menu—and next time we gather in the bar, we’ll try the “Not So Secret” burger, the grilled cheese sandwich, and the el Banh-Mi sandwich with pork carnitas, chorizo jam, jalapeños, cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon radish, cilantro, and sriracha aioli.
A wine as flexible as Martin Ranch’s Chardonnay is an excellent pairing with most items on this menu, and at $35 it’s worth ordering a bottle to share.
Martin Ranch wines are available at an abundance of local markets and restaurants, and their tasting room is a fun place to visit. They’re open on the first and third weekend of every month, and owners Dan and Thérèse Martin are always there to welcome you.
Martin Ranch Winery, 6675 Redwood Retreat Road, Gilroy, 408-842-9197. martinranchwinery.com. Fall/winter hours are noon to 4 p.m.
GRAPE ESCAPE Martin Ranch Winery’s lower vineyard gets a little sunshine after a winter rain shower. PHOTO: MARTIN RANCH WINERY
