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The 5 Top Tastes of June, 2018

This month I deviate from my policy that all five tastes must be reasonably local, meaning in and around Los Angeles. The outsider comes from Oregon, fries so good you'll want to go there just to try them. 

1. Avocado Roll from The Kimbap in Koreatown. This restaurant specializes in the Korean seaweed-wrapped rice rolls called kimbap. The filling for this one is avocado, fish cake, egg and carrots. It's a generous serving--12 slices plus crunchy sweet daikon pickles and a bowl of soy sauce for dipping.

The Kimbap, 400 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles CA 90020. (213) 365-1040.

2. Mexican Corn Elote Bowl at Sweetgreen. This bowlful of healthy goodness is one of Sweetgreen's summer specials. What makes it Mexican is roasted corn and tortilla chips. Also piled in are organic arugula, green peppers, tomatoes, warm quinoa, sunflower seeds and bits of goat cheese. The dressing is a lime, cilantro and jalapeño vinaigrette. 

Sweetgreen, 180 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036. (323) 688-5700. And other locations.  

3. Wild River's Famous Hand Cut Pub Fries. Soaked in beer, dusted with seasonings and fried crisp, these are as good as fries get. The photo was taken at Wild River Pub in Grants Pass, Oregon, but other Wild River Brewing Co. locations in southern Oregon have the fries too. You can add toppings for an extra charge or just dip the fries in ranch dressing. 

Wild River Pub, 533 NE F St, Grants Pass, OR 97526-2360. (541) 474-4456.

4. Saag Paneer from Biryani Pot in Artesia. This combo of the Indian cheese paneer and spinach is thick, velvety and a little sweet, balanced by subtle spiciness. It's true Indian comfort food.  

Biryani Pot, 18600 Pioneer Blvd., Artesia, CA 90701. (562) 402-8448.

5. Rugelach from Beverlywood Bakery. Located in the Pico Kosher Corridor, Beverlywood is famous for these rolled pastries. They're just what you want with morning coffee--or anytime. Filled with chocolate, raisins or nuts with cinnamon, they're all scrumptious.

Beverlywood Bakery, 9128 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035. (310) 278-0122.

Abacela, the Tempranillo Pioneer

Visiting Abacela winery is like treading on sacred ground, that is, if you worship the Spanish red wine grape Tempranillo. 

It was here, in Southern Oregon's Umpqua Valley, that Earl and Hilda Jones introduced Tempranillo to the Pacific Northwest, with stunning results.

How they did this is an amazing story, which you can read on the winery website. Both dumped scientific careers to become wine pioneers, spurred on by their love of Spanish wines backed by extensive research. 

Abacela's first Tempranillo vines went into the ground in 1995. Three years later, the couple had an award-winning wine. And in 2015 they were granted a lifetime achievement award by the Oregon Wine Board.

When I dropped into Abacela late one afternoon, Hilda (above) was there, but Earl was in Spain. 

With Hilda's guidance, I tasted the two Tempranillos that were on hand. At right in the photo above is the 2015 Fiesta Tempranillo, which Hilda calls an entry level wine, in a lighter style with less tannin. 

The Barrel Select Tempranillo 2014, made from a different clone, is more intense, a beautiful, powerful wine that deserves Hilda's title for it, the Cabernet Sauvignon of Spain. 

Here's another look at it, a bottle that I took away to drink at dinner. 

The two other Tempranillos on the tasting list, the 2009 Paramour Gran Reserva and the 2014 SE Block Reserve, were sold out. Not surprising, considering that the Wine Enthusiast gave the SE Block Reserve 94 points and named it editors' choice.

But there's more than Tempranillo at Abacela. Above, Alison Galbraith pours the 2017 Albariño, another Spanish wine grape pioneered there. Crisp and fresh, it was fermented entirely in stainless steel.

Only available at the winery, the 2017 Private Selection Albariño has a touch of oak, making it richer. Albariño has done so well at Abacela that more vines will be planted.

Next, I tried the 2017 Grenache Rosé, a great summer wine for red wine enthusiasts but good all year. The Spanish red wine grape Garnacha (Grenache) requires heat to grow well, and Abacela has a sunny slope to provide that.

The 2015 red Garnacha is easy drinking, goes well with everything and is absolutely yummy, to use an overworked word.

And so is the 2015 Malbec. I would love to have tasted the 2014 Tempranillo-Malbec blend, but that was sold out.

At Abacela, Tempranillo is used for more than drinking. The juice goes into the starter for sourdough bread baked there weekly. This tangy bread (above) is a wonderful complement to the wines.

The sold-out Tempranillos and the Malbec blend will be available again in new releases, but the Tempranillo-based starter isn't produced to sell, which is sad for bread-bakers like me.    

Abacela, 12500 Lookingglass Road, Roseburg, Oregon 97471. Call (541) 679-6642.