Check, Please! Bay Area's Season 8 Episode 6 (#806) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants: Hunan Homes Restaurant, Radius, Guerilla Cafe.

Check, Please! Bay Area's eighth season episode 5 (#805) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants:

1) Bocanova: | restaurant information + video | reviews | CLOSED

2) Willi's Wine Bar: | restaurant information + video | reviews

3) The Rotunda of Neiman Marcus: | restaurant information + video | reviews |

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oKCdV3ojeCc

Other ways to watch the episode online (and on video iPod):

Download episode (requires iTunes or QuickTime)

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My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I'm the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I will be sharing my tasting notes about the wine the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show. I will also share some wine tips with each episode.

2010 Flying Goat Cellars, Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, California ($39) -- This is a Pinot with power. Full-bodied and a touch earthy with ripe flavors of dark cherry and cocoa, it’s a wine that takes a manly approach to a typically feminine variety. Pair alongside beef dishes or hearty cheeses.

2010 Flying Goat Cellars "Goat Bubbles - Blanc de Blancs," Santa Maria Valley, California ($38) -- The label depicts a frolicking goat as a testament to winemaker Norm Yost’s “mission of merriment” with wine. This Chardonnay-based sparkler is rich and creamy yet still maintains vibrancy. Toast to the goat!

2011 Luna Nuda Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige, Italy ($11) -- Not many Pinot Grigios with this price tag have this much complexity. Taut and vibrant with a zip of fresh lemon, it’s an ideal summer wine to stock up on for poolside -- or tableside -- sipping.

2011 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, California ($35) -- You may not have heard of this producer...yet...but you will. Situated in California’s Paso Robles region high atop a rugged hillside, the winery is run by the Daou brothers, Georges and Daniel. Committed to quality, this dark berry and peppery-scented red sports a lush texture and supple tannins. A show-stopping red to drink now with grilled lamb or age for up to a decade.

Check, Please! Bay Area's Season 8 Episode 5 (#805) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants: Bocanova, Willis Wine Bar, The Rotunda of Neiman Marcus.

Check, Please! Bay Area's Season 8 Episode 4 (#804) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants: Pompeis Grotto, Lillie Mae's House of Soul Food, SPQR.

Check, Please! Bay Area's eighth season episode 4 (#804) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants:

1) Pompei's Grotto: | restaurant information + video | reviews |

2) Lillie Mae's House of Soul Food: | restaurant information + video | reviews

3) SPQR: | restaurant information + video | reviews |

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1GyFcAyZxVA

Other ways to watch the episode online (and on video iPod):

Download episode (requires iTunes or QuickTime)

Subscribe to Video Podcast

View photo gallery (flickr.com)

Contribute your food photos! (flickr.com)

My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I'm the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I will be sharing my tasting notes about the wine the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show. I will also share some wine tips with each episode.

2010 Continuum, Napa Valley, California ($165) -- The story of Continuum is one of family. Founded by Tim and Marcia Mondavi, the son and daughter of famed Napa icon, Robert Mondavi, the wine celebrates their heritage. They only produce a single wine at their estate on Pritchard Hill in Napa. A blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, it’s a red that ranks among the wine world’s latest superstars.

2007 Santa Rita, “Triple C” red blend, Maipo Valley, Chile ($30) -- Santa Rita is one of Chile’s foremost wineries with a rich history. As an ancho in the world-class Maipo Valley outside Santiago, its roster of wines ranges from affordable to aspirational. The “Triple C” ranks as my favorite. A supple blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carménère (Chile’s signature red variety) produced from 80-year-old vines, its plush enough to drink now but will age gracefully for years.

2011 Giocato, Pinot Grigio, Primorska, Slovenia ($15) -- Most Americans are unaware of wines made in Slovenia. We do, however, know northern Italian ones and since they are just across the border from one another, many crisp whites share similarities. This layered and vibrant Pinot Grigio is made by star vintner, Aleks Simcic, and is a wine that over delivers on quality.

Check, Please! Bay Area's eighth season episode 3 (#803) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants:

1) Maverick: | restaurant information + video | reviews | [CLOSED]

2) Izakaya Yuzuki: | restaurant information + video | reviews | [now Yuzuki Japanese Eatery]

3) Souk Savanh: | restaurant information + video | reviews | [CLOSED]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/dDQLRVMKwb4

Other ways to watch the episode online (and on video iPod):

Download episode (requires iTunes or QuickTime)

Subscribe to Video Podcast

View photo gallery (flickr.com)

Contribute your food photos! (flickr.com)

My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I'm the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I will be sharing my tasting notes about the wine the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show. I will also share some wine tips with each episode.

2011 Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey County, California ($18) -- Crafted with grapes from two of Monterey’s famous vineyards -- Griva and Ventana -- this beautiful white is one of the best wines I’ve sampled this year. Citrus-scented and floral, the aromas jump from the glass because it’s made with the perfumed Musqué clone of Sauvignon. If you’re going to drink SB, stock up on this remarkably refreshing yet complex wine.

2009 Bernardus Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, California ($35) -- Pinot Noir is my top-pick red due to its elegance and flexibility. A good bottle can pair as easily with fleshy fish as it can with beef stew...and this is a great bottle. Alluring tea leaf and thyme aromas underscore the waft of red berry aromas exploding from the glass. Followed by succulent fruit flavors, a slight tannic grip, and full-bodied flair, it’s a wine to showcase by itself or with anything at the dinner table.

2011 Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Chardonnay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa ($27) -- The company famous for fresh fruit baskets has launched their own line of wines from neighboring Rogue Valley vineyards in southern Oregon. Tempranillo is the sleek signature red grape of Spain, but when planted in Oregon it expresses laid-back ease packed with juicy red berry fruit flavors.

2011 Brassfield Estate “Volcano Ridge Vineyard” red blend, Lake County, California ($24) -- You will not find a better value in California wine than this mélange of grapes such as Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah to name a few. Though the price tag is not cheap, it’s a wine worth twice the price. Dark berry fruit layered with dark chocolate, spice and earth notes, it has a mouth-filling texture than reminds me of velvet. #LOVE.

Check, Please! Bay Area's Season 8 Episode 3 (#803) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants: Maverick, Izakaya Yuzuki, Souk Savanh.

Check, Please! Bay Area's Season 8 Episode 2 (#802) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants: Zare at Fly Trap, Barrio Fiesta, Flora.

Check, Please! Bay Area's eighth season episode 2 (#802) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants:

1) Zaré at Fly Trap: | restaurant information + video | reviews | [now The Fly Trap]

2) Barrio Fiesta Restaurant: | restaurant information + video | reviews

3) Flora: | restaurant information + video | reviews |

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WoHLAFaYd3Q?rel=0

Other ways to watch the episode online (and on video iPod):

Download episode (requires iTunes or QuickTime)

Subscribe to Video Podcast

View photo gallery (flickr.com)

Contribute your food photos! (flickr.com)

My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I'm the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I will be sharing my tasting notes about the wine the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show. I will also share some wine tips with each episode.

2011 Talbott Pinot Noir, “Sleepy Hollow Vineyard,” Santa Lucia Highlands, California -- Hailing from one of California’s top spots for Pinot -- the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County -- this lush, spicy red showcases full-bodied flair. The region’s cool climate allows for long ripening of the old-vine fruit, which creates intensity and complexity.

2011 Talbott Chardonnay, “Sleepy Hollow Vineyard,” Santa Lucia Highlands, California -- A singularly rich, ripe style of Chardonnay kissed by toasty oak notes. Crafted from old Wente clone grapes (the classic variety used to make California Chardonnay), the well-balanced beauty is a white that satisfies. Sip as a cocktail or pair with fleshy fishes and creamy cheeses.

2010 Dry Creek Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California -- A zesty white that captures the citrusy freshness of Sauvignon Blanc layered with succulent tropical fruit flavors. Dry Creek Vineyard is one of the leading producers of the variety and consistently produces among the state’s best.

2009 Harry & David Vineyards, Tempranillo, Rogue Valley, Oregon -- The company famous for fresh fruit baskets has launched their own line of wines from neighboring Rogue Valley vineyards in southern Oregon. Tempranillo is the sleek signature red grape of Spain, but when planted in Oregon it expresses laid-back ease packed with juicy red berry fruit flavors.

Check, Please! Bay Area's eighth season episode 1 (#801) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants:

1) Angkor Borei: | restaurant information + video | reviews |

2) Indigo Restaurant: | restaurant information + video | reviews [CLOSED]

3) Farallon: | restaurant information + video | reviews |

https://www.youtube.com/embed/K3JmMOXcv50

Other ways to watch the episode online (and on video iPod):

Download episode (requires iTunes or QuickTime)

Subscribe to Video Podcast

View photo gallery (flickr.com)

Contribute your food photos! (flickr.com)

My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I'm the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I will be sharing my tasting notes about the wine the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show. I will also share some wine tips with each episode.

2011 Chappellet Chenin Blanc, Napa Valley, California -- Chenin Blanc is an under-appreciated grape variety but one with world-class status in the Loire Valley of France. This unique wine -- from a Napa Valley icon -- is crafted in an appealing off-dry style with floral aromas that entice and succulent fruit flavors that satisfy. A white to pair with spicy dishes, fresh salads, and light cheeses.

2009 Chappellet “Pritchard Hill” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley -- Wine lovers line up to get a bottle of this intense, complex red hailing from one of Napa’s best spots, Pritchard Hill, and from one of Napa’s classic producers, Chappellet. With deep, dark berry fruit and hints of toasty oak, this rich red is an age-worthy beauty. Drink now if you dare, just make sure to decant it for several hours and serve alongside a rare filet mignon for a slice of culinary heaven.

2011 Banfi “San Angelo” Pinot Grigio, Toscana -- What’s not to like about a crisp, juicy Pinot Grigio? It’s usually a simple, crowd-pleasing white. However, this version from one of Italy’s most well-regarded producers, Banfi, offers more. Zesty, citrus-scented and refreshing, it’s an affordable white to stock up on for summer sipping.

2010 Maquis Carmenere, Colchagua, Chile -- Carmenere is a red grape variety with roots in Bordeaux, France but has reached great heights in Chile. Spicy and supple, its dark-fruit aromas with a tinge of fresh herbs make it a wine that intrigues (and pleases). Pair up with chicken in mushroom sauce or grilled vegetables.