Top 10 California Chards & Chard Dishes

[Randy Caparoso]

Thanks for the list, Rick. I've been out of town. But yours looks pretty solid to me. I'm especially curious about the Hobbs. I've tried one, but perhaps the circumstances weren't the best since I wasn't dumbstruck. Which means I just have to seek it out and do it again.

Things like Stonestreet, Steele and Newton, however, are just not to my taste -- a little lean for me. But I have to agree on the Byron "Reserve" -- highly underrated.
Neither one of us, however, mentioned Ferrari-Carano; which obviously makes great stuff. My only reservation is that the fruit in Ferrari-Carano Alexander Valley cuvees (much better than the Ferrari-Carano Carneros Reserves) tends to be almost too luscious; but well balanced nonetheless. I guess my point is that if we're going to mention things like Pahlmeyer, Patz & Hall and Matanzas Creek, Ferrari-Carano probably deserves to be mentioned because their wines have been as consistently great. In fact, I think they're distinctly better than Bernardus and Durney; and certainly more interesting and more consistently generous than Stonestreet. Then again, that's what makes the world go round -- variety of tastes and opinions!