We were recently invited to a Bouchaine wine pairing dinner at Nyack's Velo restaurant, presented by winemaker Michael Richmond and Northeast Regional Manager, Nyack's own Bob Fallon. Michael flew in from Napa to be at this tasting. We were seated with him and were able to discuss wine and wine-making for a bit while enjoying the excellent food that Anthony DeVanzo, chef/owner of Velo, paired with the wines.

We started with a 2008 Rose of Syrah that had great backbone, depth and complexity mixed with great fruit flavors. This was paired with seared rare Tuna Au Poivre, Kumato tomato and watermelon salad, which was a perfect match. Next was Bouchaine's outstanding 2008 Estate Chardonnay, which is crafted just perfectly; just the right Chard characteristics and not a tad overdone. This was a very complementary pairing with a wild mushroom and goat cheese risotto.

Are we making you hungry? Velo has these wines on their wine list, and we have them for sale in our store.

With our main course of Roasted Quail, their 2007 Pinot Noir was served. This wine received 92 Points from Wine Enthusiast. It is scrumptious, dry, silky and savory. With our dessert of Baked Peaches and Mascarpone laced with toasted almonds and sea salt, we had Bouche D'Or Late Harvest Chardonnay 2009. This wine is made with the Chardonnay grapes that don't get used in their Chardonnay. It is rich and honeyed, yet not too sweet, and was a perfect marriage with the end of our meal.

Bouchaine is a family owned winery founded in the mid 1800's, and is the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros. During prohibition an Italian immigrant bought it, and after prohibition opened their first tasting room. In 1951 Beringer bought it to use as a storage and blending facility. In 1981 the Coplelands and some investment partners bought the winery. They brought it back to life for their love of Pinot Noir. In the mid 1990's the Copelands bought out their partners and began a massive renovation, with the newest technology brought in.

Seven years ago Michael Richmond found out they were looking for a winemaker/general manager. He had worked at Freemark Abbey, then went on to tweak Carmenet winery before co-founding Acacia Winery. He had taken classes at UC Davis and eventually ended up at Bouchaine, and we are so happy he did. He also started the Steamboat Pinot Noir Conference, where all the Pinot Noir winemakers get together and share their knowledge. There are no secrets - they hang out, try each others wines and let the good times roll!

Carneros did not become an AVA (American Viticultural Area) till 1981. It is the only AVA that spans Napa and Sonoma. When Michael was at Acacia, they were the first to have vineyard-designated wines. Carneros has a cool climate with a marine influence from San Pablo Bay; hot days and cool evenings with a wind from the Bay makes the perfect climate for these cool climate grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Now with low yields, water conservation, good drainage, compost and crop covers, they are not only farming sustainably but have the designation of being certified fish-friendly. They have set up bluebird and owl boxes to keep the rodent population down. They are also involved with community outreach programs and sending kids to school.

Environmental sensitivity, community activity and outstanding wines! How can you resist supporting this wonderful winery?