Our lunches at the Anaheim White House always seem to turn into a special event.  This time we met, by chance, a  long time acquaintance from the wine industry, Mark Abraham, So. Calif. manager for Pedroncelli Sonoma County wines.  When we arrived Mark was meeting with Franco Pafundo, wine director and beverage manager at the White House.
Later he came over and sat at our table while we talked about old times.  Pedroncelli wines are almost aways featured at the So. Calif. Restaurant Writers Awards Dinner and we told Mark how the dinner in March 2014 would be held at the new banquet hall of the Titanic Exhibition in Buena Park.  The hall, when completed, will be  a replica of the Titanic's first class dining room.
Then Franco came over to join us and asked if we had sampled the 2013 Beaujolais Noveau. We said no so he brought over a bottle of 2013 Georges Dubuff for a tasting.  We both agreed that this year's vintage had inched up in quality from the 2012 bottling.
As usual we dined well.  My dining partner and I shared a plate of Calamari which came with a memorable dipping sauce.  My entree was breaded Sand Dabs with shallots while my partner ordered the Bucatini Con Gambai, a Sicila region pasta with shrimp. He liked the dipped sauce so much he ordered another bowl to go with the shrimp.  Our desserts were Tiramisu for me, one of my favorites, and a Dolce al Zaagliore Sorbet for him.
I am a great advocate of the two and one half hour lunch.

The 2013 Harvest Report of the Wine Institute is in and there is agreement by vintners from Mendocino county in the north to Temecula Valley in the south that this year's vintage will be exceptional. 
The harvest was easy and bountiful with yield increases in almost every appellation.  Last year total tonnage of the harvest was four million tons and that amount may increase slightly this year, slightly lower in coastal areas but increases in interior regions.
The 2012 vintage was considered outstanding and many vintners are saying that 2013 harvest will make it two exceptional years in a row for quality wines.
California is the world's fourth largest wine producer and exports are growing continually.

A good bottle of wine and its label can take one to some interesting learning experiences.  Last evening we were, once again, at Phoenicia Restaurant in Glendale renown for its Lebanese cuisine.  Our wine was a bottle of  Chateau Ksara Blanc de Blanc from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. 
A good deal of history here since grapes have been grown and wines made in Lebanon for 7,000 years.  The Phoenicians were exporting wine from Lebanon to other countries before the birth of Christ..  Chateau Ksara was founded in 1857 by Jesuit Priests.  A part of the Ksara cellar is a grotto from Roman times.
Our Blanc de Blanc was a blend of 50 per cent  Sauvignon Blanc, 25 per cent Semillon, and 25 per cent Chardonnay.  We thought the wine perfect to accompany the many dishes that arrived from the Phoenicia kitchen.  Nimo, our waitress was wonderful, always gracious and smiling, while explaining some of the appetizers.
All of which keeps Phoenicia, with its five star rating, one of the best restaurants in Southern California.

Just returned from trip to Temecula which makes me one of two million people who visited the city and surrounding wineries this year.
This visit included  a tour of South Coast Winery and Resort and its newly opened Hotel with 53 guest rooms, all like mini suites with ourdoor patios overlooking the vineyards.   We were greeted by Owner Jim Carter who continues to improve South Coast which has already won awards as the best Winery Resort in California.
As for the wines they also are continually bringing home awards from competitions.
We then moved to the Barrel Room where a presentation of chefs from some of Temecula's best restaurants took place to celebrate November as Restaurant Month.   This event will duly be reported in Vittles next issue.

Our return from San Diego took us on another of our auto tours.  We headed east on Interstate 8 leaving at first light.  Once past Alpine we had an empty highway which gave us time to stop here and there for photos and to admire a wild scene of rock mountains that extended to  distant horizons. At Ocotilo Wells we left the Interstate for S2 whch would lead us to Borrego Springs and our destination, Anza Borrego Desert State Park.
This State Park is the second largest in area in the U.S.  On S2 we were checked at a Border Patrol station, chatted with three agents who looked into the trunk of my car and then passed me on.  So far I had not seen a single other car but did sight a southwestern desert fox, the first I have ever seen in the wild.  I stopped my car and watched till he finally loped off in the brush.
Next I saw three coyotes and again stopped to admire this family, since I believed it was a mother and her two almost grown pups.  Again a first since previously I have never seen more than one coyote at a time.
Our drive was at a leisurely pace with stops to look at signs hinting of exciting adventures: Indian Gorge, Well of 8 Echoes and Box canyon to name a few.
We also watched a road runner skip across the road in front of us, seemingly from a long ago cartoon.
Our visit to the State Park will be told in a future Vittles story.  This day we moved on past the Salton Sea and finally onto Interstate 10 for home.

On our most recent trip to San Diego we discovered another great Chinese restaurant featuring Dim Sum.  It is the Jasmine located at 4609-A Convoy Street.  It has also received good reviews from other writers for its seafoods.  We stayed with Dim Sum on our visit with steamed Shrimp Har Gow, Pork Siu Mai,, Chui Chow Fun Gor and steamed BBQ Pork Bun.
Jasmine is a spacious restaurant with an excellent attentive wait staff .  On our next visit we will try their famed seafood menu which is large and enticing.
Jasmine offers off street free parking and is open for lunch and dinner.  Call 858 268-0888, on the web at www.jasminerestaurants.com.

Once again  on assignment  in San Diego.  This time I started in Old Town, first on two hour trolley tour which took us through city's most interesting locations.  Then spent much time in Old Town Historic State Park, which is the most visited Park in California.  Also visited Mormon Battalion Historic Site which was a truly rewarding experience.  Lots more to come about this day.