Wine Tasting, Malibu Jack’s

Where: Malibu Jack’s Surf Grill in Furys Ferry Station, 231 Furys Ferry Road.
When: 6 p.m. Thursday, April 23.
Cost: $15

A lively crowd sampled 10 great wines and several delicious food items at Malibu Jack’s Friday night. The crowd filled the new restaurant in Furys Ferry Station on Furys Ferry Road for the tasting organized by the Ninth Street Wine Market.

All of the wines were outstanding, but two of the favorites were the Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc, and the McWilliams Shiraz, a steal at $9.99. The Maso Canali Pinot Grigio and Layer Cake Shiraz also were popular. The Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvignon showed great promise of developing into a blockbuster wine with a little bottle aging.

Ninth Street and Malibu Jack’s also gave away many door prizes throughout the evening.

Here are the wines tasted:

Layer Cake Shiraz

What: A rich wine, tasting of dark cherry, plum, blue and blackberries, tobacco and spice; Hints of leather with a fat mid palate followed by a very long finish.
From: Australia, Barossa Valley
Winery: Pure Love Wines
Goes with: Grilled meat, especially steak

Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvignon
What: This Cab has power from Sonoma, elegance from Napa: aromas of dark fruit jam and sweet nuts. Napa County grapes provide lush, jammy, ripe fruit while the Sonoma Colunty grapes add fresh red and black fruits along with a strong structural foundation.
From: California
Winery: Ghost Pines
Goes with: Steak or pasta with a hearty red sauce.

Maso Canali Pinot Grigio
What: This wine has a brilliant pale golden color and a full, ripe palate. The nose delivers peach, tropical fruit and a hint of honey, and the wine is characterized by enticing flavors of lemon and fresh apple, with floral notes.  It is well-balanced with a long, clean finish and a lively acidity.
From: Italy
Winery: Maso Canali
Goes With: Light fish or seafood

McWilliams Shiraz
What: The supple yet generous palate is dominated by rich, spicy prune juice and blackberry fruit flavors. The wine is soft and well balanced with a lingering, chamois-like tannin finish.
From: Australia
Winery: McWilliams
Goes With: Beef rending or baba ghanoush with toasted Turkish bread.

Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon
What: Flavors of cassis, coffee and toasted oak add to this rich and mouth-filling cabernet. A lingering finish is the result of a well-structured body, full texture with ripe, refined tannins.
From: Napa Valley
Winery: Franciscan
Goes with: Roast duck, steak, ribs.

Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc
What: Zesty flavors and aromas of orange blossom, grapefruit and lemon mingle with a subtle mineral note that is complemented by a lingering finish of guava and pineapple.
From: California
Winery: Ferrari-Carano
Goes With: Simple seafood dishes, and also holds up nicely with white meats such as veal and pork. The wine has lively flavors that go well with spicy and ethnic cuisines such as Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Mexican and Southwestern dishes.

Saddlerock Merlot
What: Beyond the elegant smoky nose that hints at fine tobacco, cedar and pepper, you’ll discover an undertone of sweet berry and fig.
From: Santa Monica Mountains, California
Winery: Malibu Wines
Goes With: Lamb, veal, roast chicken.

Estancia Meritage

What: Intense flavors of chocolate-dipped black fruit, accompanied by notes of sweet oak. Wonderfully structured velvety tanins lead to a nice, long fruit-driven finish. This is a rich, sophisticated, complex and luscious wine harvested from the distinctive terroir of the Paso Robles wine country. This is a French-style blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot.
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Estancia
Goes With: Bleu cheese, veal, beef, duck and lamb

The Crossings unoaked Chardonnay
What: Elegant and mouth-watering, this wine showcases cool-climate Chardonnay highlighted by white peach notes and infused with a fine minerality of stone and flint. Tropical notes lead to a long, crisp citrus finish.
From: Awatere Valley of Marlborough, New Zealand
Winery: The Crossings
Goes With: Fish, chicken, or on its own.