"sf chronicle" news and stories

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine section has officially moved from Thursday to Friday.

Wine tasting isn't exactly a cheap pastime, but still, California wineries drew more visitors than Major League Baseball in 2003. Because tasting rooms are a critical source of income for many wineries, they're stepping up wtih creating fancier, more elaborate :destinations." If you're planning to go tastin gin the Wine Country, the Chronicle aslo has tips for how to do it like a VIP, and ratings/reviews of tasting rooms. This week, the ylook at Coppola and Parducci, both of which get three out of four stars (***).

The Wine Selection of the week is South Central Coast Zinfandels, which "could convert Zinfandel naysayers by demonstrating that high alcohol and fruit can be present but not overshadow the wines' other charms."

To pair with the Zins? Braised meatballs. If you're drinking something along the lines of "a red wine that is not too serious or weighty, such as a California-appellation Merlot," then pair it with Beecher's Handmade Flagship, a Cheddar-like cheese from Seattle.

There's a new wave of artisan chocolatiers, and the Bay Area is at the forefront.

Recipes and stories this week are: Grandmother's Oven-Baked Chicken, Almond Milk Curd (Hung Yun Dow Foo), Cojondongo (Gazpacho Salad), Mrs. Hyder's Mango Gazpacho, and Mango-Cucumber-Jicama Street Food.

All kinds of news-y tidbits: a soymilk maker, north Berkeley's old Bendean is now Bui, and kids' cookbooks from Williams-Sonoma.

With childhood obesity getting out of hand and food allergies becoming more severe, kids' school lunches require careful attention. If you're packing it to go, try: Corkscrew Pasta Salad with Edamame, Red Peppers & Crunchy Noodles, Mini Pita Pizzas, Quinoa for Kids, Sweet Potato Burritos, Chicken Nachos and Chunky Salsa Base to go with the nachos or burritos.

Lunch-to-go isn't just for back-to-school. Adults pack lunches to take to work: Sesame Soba Noodles with Tofu and Spinach, Chicken and Rice PIlaf with Tomatoes, Chilled Artichoke with Homemade Tartar Sauce, Thai-inspired Noodle & Vegetable Salad, and Pan Bagnat.

If you'd rather go out for an hour during lunch, pick from Amanda Berne's fairly long list of favorite lunch spots around the city.

We're no strangers to blends, but we're probably far more familiar with wines that have been made from blending different grapes in the fermentation tank. However, wines made from different grapes that were grown together in the field, called field-blends, are "aromatic, seamless...more than just the sum of its parts."

The Wine Selection of the Week is Sauvignon Blanc from the Sonoma County. The highest rated of the bunch is 2005 Gary Farrell Redwood Ranch Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc ($25), which received three out of four stars (***).

A summery gazpacho uses up the tomato harvest and pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc. Smoky Italian cheese, Scamorza, is a good stand-in for mozzarella.

This week, the feature story is not on wine, but cocktails. Rather than relying on the standard, vodka, Bay Area bartenders are turning to artisan tequilas, locally brewed and Mexican beers, rum and other exotic spirits. There are recipes for Neptune's Garden, Leilani Volcano, China Clipper, Coconut Batido, Basil Gimlet. Watermelmon Margarita, and Sidewinder's Fang.

The Chronicle's Wine Selection of the Week is Pinot Noir, about half of which are from the Santa Cruz Mountains, the other half from the Central Coast.The opt of their favorites is 2004 Carmel Road Monterey Pinot Noir. The Bargain selections are light, summery whites, including a sparkling wine, NV Lorikeet South Eastern Australia Brut.

Black Bean Spareribs pair well with the Pinot Noir selection, and the Cheese Course of the Week is a buffalo-milk mozzarella, Bubalus Bubalis.