Check, Please! Bay Area's fourth season episode 1 (#401) profiles and reviews these three Bay Area restaurants:

1) Mescolanza Restaurant: | restaurant information | reviews |

2) Basque Cultural Center: | restaurant information | reviews | recipe |

3) Alexander's Steakhouse: | restaurant information | reviews | recipe |

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtkTiO9GqAg

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.

Wines of the Week: KQED Wine Club

Our guests enjoyed these two delicious offerings from the KQED Wine Club. These wines serve up worldwide diversity from a refreshing white to an elegant red. Join the club!

2006 Seifried Sauvignon Blanc, Nelson, New Zealand

With fresh herbal aromas and mouth-puckering citrus flavors, this is a classically styled New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Refreshing and bright, it’s a wine to pair with salads, light fish dishes, or even spicy burritos.

2005 Cima Collina Pinot Noir Monterey County, California

For lovers of Pinot Noir, this complex, fruit-driven red is reminiscent of an earthy Burgundy, but is layered with lush California ripeness. Try it paired alongside pork in a mushroom sauce or with grilled salmon.

Special Wine

2004 Hartwell Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California

When you're looking for a unique red to treat either yourself or someone special, reach for the Hartwell. Intense aromas of licorice, cocoa, and spice are complemented by lush dark fruit flavors. This wine will last in the cellar for years, but who can wait? Simply decant and give it time to open up before enjoying with a seared steak.