With cool-climate coastal vineyard sites in Western Sonoma County and Anderson Valley to produce wines with distinct sense of place, Sonoma County newbie, Radio Coteau makes a fierce glass of juice. To pair with my Pinot Noir this evening, I’ll take mine with some fierce Italian food as well from Scopa in Healdsburg on the Square.
Recently I dined at Winemaker Wednesday Dinners at Scopa. The producer this week was Radio Coteau Winery based in Sebastopol with vineyards in Occidental, California. I met a lovely couple of ladies sitting next to me who were long time fans of Scopa and had just recently discovered Eric Sussman’s wine label. We chatted and they were ever so helpful with selecting great dishes for the evening and I hope they keep in touch… Chin Chin
More about the wine folks… I am a big fan of these Pinots and had looked forward to meeting with Eric Sussman, winegrower and proprietor. I had never met with him before and it was nice to put a name to the face. The face of the wine and all the press I had read and tasted on the Radio Coteau label recently was good.
From the Radio Coteau website:
“Radio-Coteau (rā’ dē ō – kō tō’) adj. A colloquial expression suggesting “word of mouth.” Region: Northern Rhone.
Literal Translation: broadcasting from the hillside.Focus is on detailed and sustainable viticulture in conjunction with a natural, non-interventionist approach in the cellar to more accurately reflect the unique character of each site and season.”
Eric came over to the table to greet us when we were seated in the restaurant and opened a bottle we had brought with us of the 2006 Cherry Camp Syrah, a real treat to sip and a lovely wine I might add.
The cellar time really helped and the 2006 Radio Coteau drank beautifully in 2014. The Syrah from Cherry Camp Vineyard was very fruit forward with lots of blackberry (my favorite) and some spice notes as well on the end. It really drank beautifully after the years of cellaring had opened up the deep sweet berry flavors.
We also opened the 2006 Russian River Valley Alberigi Pinot Noir that evening, another winner on the Sonoma County wine front. The Pinot Noir has a real strong spice to it and had benefitted from the longer time in the cellar as did the Syrah we had just drank. Alberigi had a bright ruby red color and a long finish.
We chatted for a moment with Eric and I got the impression that he is not one for such a small social setting as is the atmosphere of Scopa and was out of his element. It might be time to schedule a visit with him at the winery to learn more and spend time without other distractions. The food at Scopa was amazing with great attention to detail when it came to presentation and authenticity of the Italian style of eating a meal.
What We Dined On:
Grilled Romaine Hearts with anchovy dressing, slices of parmesan and anchovy crostini… Yum and the warm lettuce was a terrific start to the meal. We also tried the buratta which was lovely and a nice presentation.
Tomasso’s Sugo Calabrese was amazeballs and came highly recommended by the ladies next to us as well…. a healthy portion which will leave great lunch bites for the following day. I also had the Margherita Pizaa which was sweet yet also had that terrific savory sauce.
Scopa is a small space allowing for closeness and conversation decorated in wine country Italian style themed and with the perfect pitch of mood lighting to boot to keep the overall feeling close and personal. It has been a local mainstay in the Downtown Healdsburg Square for travelers and locals alike.
SCOPA Restaurant – Website HERE.
109 Plaza St, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Contact: (707) 433-5282