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Wine Notes with Mark: Same Grape, Different Name

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward Mark Jacklich is continuing his studies with the Court of Master Sommeliers through 2012.  In addition, he plans to spend a lot of time working with Jim Bernau’s team at Willamette Valley Vineyards and learn more about the process from grapes to wine full circle. Mark is eager to share his knowledge with you in an educational series we call: Wine Notes with Mark. Enjoy!

When ordering a glass of wine, some can be confused by the similar names that varietals can have. While similar in name, I can assure you that there can be some distinguishable traits between these wines.

Let’s begin with Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio. They are both the identical in the fact that they are made from the same grape, Pinot Gris being French and Pinot Grigio being Italian. However, they can be completely different in the range of styles that can be made.

The Italian style Pinot Grigio wines are typically lighter-bodied, crisp, fresh, with vibrant stone fruit and floral aromas and a touch of spice. In contrast, French Pinot Gris wines are more full-bodied, richer, spicier, and more viscous in texture. Today, both styles are made in wine regions around the world. My picks for Oregon Pinot Gris are King Estate and Firesteed.

The Syrah wine grape, called Shiraz in Australia, is native to the Rhone Valley, in southeastern France and still thrives today. Syrah and Shiraz wines are created from exactly the same grape variety but, as is true of any wine, the taste is very much dependent on the various land and winemaking types it’s produced under.

Even in the Rhone Valley itself, there is an enormous difference separating the way Syrah is utilized in the northern and southern wine-producing regions. In Australia where it has regained its position as the most planted red grape, it is responsible for large scale production of everyday, smooth, spicy, blackberry flavored reds. It is also blended very successfully with cabernet sauvignon at all quality levels and is made into a delicious, full bodied, ripe, spicy red wine.

If you have more questions or want to learn more, ask for me next time you come to Bentley’s Grill and I would be happy to help you find the perfect wine to accompany your dish.  Till then, Cheers! -Mark

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Posted in Wine Notes With Mark

Mulled Wine is the Perfect Way to Enjoy the Holidays

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

By Mark Jacklich
Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward

The holidays are here and with them comes shopping, feasting, and making memories with friends and family. This season I invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy a nice hot cup of mulled wine.

The word “mulled” literally means a heated drink with added spices and sweetener to it. It dates back to the 14th century as it was a drink that was made when wine was about to go bad in order to preserve the wine.

This drink is great because it is one of those things you always get right, everyone has their own style. Go ahead, pick a country. Bulgaria? They make it with red wine, honey and peppercorns, sometimes adding citrus fruits. They call it greyano vino, meaning ‘heated wine’. In France, vin chaud (‘warm wine) is made with cheap red wine, cinnamon, sugar, and lemon, leaving this version less sweet. Romania sometimes uses white wine for it’s vin fiert (boiled wine), adding sugar and cinnamon.

In Nordic countries, mulled wine is referred to as ‘Glogg’, and the main ingredients are usually red wine, sugar, and spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves, as well as stronger spirits like vodka, akvavit, or brandy. In Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia, glogg spice extract and ready-mixed spices can be purchased in grocery stores. When made, it should be heated for at least an hour in order for all of the flavors to infuse, preferably longer. A good idea would be to make it in a crock pot to let all the flavors meld together for the whole day. I won’t tell if you sneak a cup before it’s ready!

While some places use cheap red wine for this holiday favorite, I prefer something a little more desirable to the palate, while still not breaking the bank. I suggest Trinity Vineyards Syrah or Eola Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. I hope you all enjoy your holiday season and I leave you with this mulled wine recipe. Feel free to make it your own and have fun experimenting!

Mark’s Mulled Wine

6 whole allspice berries
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 whole star anise
3 cinnamon sticks
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
3 large strips orange zest
3 large strips lemon zest
2 (750-ml) bottles red wine
3/4 cup honey

Add ingredients to slow cooker or large pot and heat thoroughly. Serve warm in mugs.

Posted in Wine Notes With Mark, Wine and Food

Featured Bentley’s Grill Holiday Cocktail Recipe: Santa’s S’more

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

The Bentley’s Grill Lounge Bar is known for their creative and seasonal cocktail creations.  As a matter of fact, we have been voted Most Creative Cocktails in Willamette Valley for two years in a row!

Bar Manager (and social media guru) Soraida Cross was recently asked by The Statesman Journal to share the recipe to one of her signature seasonal concoctions that can easily be made at home.

This recipe is perfect for holiday gatherings and will spread some holiday cheer!  Happy Holidays and enjoy the recipe!

Bentley’s Grill Santa’s S’more

1 oz Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka
½ oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
½ oz Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur
6 oz Hot Chocolate
Rim glass with graham cracker crust, Marshmallow sprinkles optional.

Drop by our lounge bar for daily happy hour specials after 4pm.  Each week we host Lounge Lizard Monday, Tuesdays Tinis and Wednesday Ladies Night.  Like us on Facebook to see our weekly drink and appetizer specials.

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Posted in Events, Holiday Event, Wine and Food

Best Wines to Go With Your Thanksgiving Meal

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward Mark Jacklich has begun his work on the Master Sommelier program this year. He plans to continue his studies with the Court of Master Sommeliers through 2012 and to spend a lot of time working with Jim Bernau’s team at Willamette Valley Vineyards to receive some training on the process from grapes to wine full circle. Mark is eager to share his knowledge with you in a new series of posts: Wine Notes with Mark. Enjoy!

When paring wines for a grand meal such as Thanksgiving dinner there are a few things to take into account. While there is no perfect answer on what wine to choose there are a few guidelines to stick by that can keep your paring smooth with less friction.

More recently Sparkling wine has been a go-to for Thanksgiving . The crisp taste and palate refreshing bubbles keep you in the game without smothering the foods we know and love. If you are able to get your hands on some Sparkling Rose it might just make your dinner one to remember.

If bubbles are not your thing the ever versatile food friendly Oregon Pinot Noir might be right up your alley. With its typical light to mid-bodied mouth feel, fruit forward flavors, and soft tannins, this wine will compliment everything on the table. well maybe not your Aunties green bean casserole.

For those who like a bigger wine a good Syrah or a Zinfindel is a good choice.  The full bodied flavors and spice will compliment your stuffing, gravy and turkey (especially smoked).

For the white wine lovers a Riesling or Sauviginon Blanc will do nicely. With a Riesling you can go dry or super sweet and still find success with the array of foods with their sweet and salty flavors. Sauvignon Blanc also pairs well with its crisp acidity and minerality.

If you saved room for dessert a nice Port or a late harvest Riesling will hit the spot. These two wines pair amazing with pumpkin and most other kinds of pies. The sweetness and rich flavors can bring your dessert experience to new heights.

No matter which wines you choose, I hope you all enjoy a wonderfully happy Thanksgiving!

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Posted in Events, Wine Notes With Mark, Wine and Food

Wine Notes From Mark: The Secret to Great Wine Begins with the Soil

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward Mark Jacklich has begun his work on the Master Sommelier program this year. He plans to continue his studies with the Court of Master Sommeliers through 2012 and to spend a lot of time working with Jim Bernau’s team at Willamette Valley Vineyards to receive some training on the process from grapes to wine full circle. Mark is eager to share his knowledge with you in a new series of posts: Wine Notes with Mark. Enjoy!

Ever wonder what gives Oregon’s wine such a unique taste? I’ll give you a hint- Its beneath your feet.   That’s right- dirt!   The stuff you see under the beautiful canopy of our great Oregon vineyards.   Because of these soils in Oregon you get a true taste of the Terroir or “land” in our wines that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Jory soil and Missoula flood sediment are our dynamic-duo of soil types in Oregon- here is a little more information about them:

Jory Soil

  • Is our beloved state soil.
  • Jory is named after Jory Hill in Marion County which was named after the Jory family that settled here in Salem by way of the Oregon Trail in 1852.
  • The soil is derived from years of erosion from igneous rock from volcanic settlement.
  • It is a deep and porous soil that is reddish brown in color.
  • Very loose and well drained while the deeper you dig the more clay like it becomes.
  • It is found at the foothills of low grade mountains across the Willamette Valley and supports all crops associated with Oregon (Christmas trees, berries, grapes and hazelnuts).

Missoula Flood Sediment

  • The Missoula Floods refer to the breaks in the ice dam on the Clarke Fork River in Montana and Idaho between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago.
  • This ice dam would break periodically every 50 or so years for 2,000 years.
  • With these breaks, water would flood through the Columbia River Gorge down into the Willamette Valley. These floods carried Loess, sediment and basalt from the channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington.

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Posted in Wine and Food

Wine Notes from Mark: The Five Most Common Wine Bottles

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Bentley’s Grill Wine Steward Mark Jacklich has begun his work on the Master Sommelier program this year. He plans to continue his studies with the Court of Master Sommeliers through 2012 and to spend a lot of time working with Jim Bernau’s team at Willamette Valley Vineyards to receive some training on the process from grapes to wine full circle. Mark is eager to share his knowledge with you in a new series of posts: Wine Notes with Mark. Enjoy!

Standing in a wine shop, or the wine section of a store can be overwhelming  for many reasons. So many choices, Pinot Noir or Cabernet? Sparking wine or Pinot Gris? Once you decided on what varietal you will be going with, the next question that arises could be – what size?

Many may not realize that there are a range of sizes to chose from. Everything from a single serving to satisfy the lone wolf, to one that can please the whole pack. There are over 20 different sizes of wine bottle . I’m going to highlight five of the more common bottles.

The Split
Also known as a “piccolo”(meaning ’small’ in Italian) the split is essentially a quarter bottle, being 187.5 ml in volume. The split is most commonly known to be used for single serving of champagne or sparkling wine. In recent years single servings of other varietals have popped up for sale in convenient stores.

The Half Bottle
Also known as ‘the Demi’(meaning half in French) is a perfect bottle for those couples (or singles!) who don’t want to indulge in a whole bottle. Being 375ml, the half bottle serves a comfortable two glasses of wine

The Half Bottle

The Standard
The most common size in wine bottles. Appropriately 750ml, or around 4 glasses of wine. Some may not know that certain Reidel wine glasses (a high quality crystal wine glass) can hold an entire 750ml bottle of wine. Of course this is not the recommended serving, nor the amount you should have in a Reidel.

The Standard

The Magnum
This whopper of a bottle weighs in at 1.5L, serving eight glasses of wine. This is usually only popular for special occasions, and is a bottle most likely found only in a specialty wine shop or directly from the vineyard.

The Magnum

The Jeroboam
If the Magnum seemed big, the Jeroboam might be considered the mother load !  Other wise known as the ‘Double Magnum’, the Jeroboam is an astounding 3liters, which could yield 16 glasses of wine. Although a rare commodity, the Jeroboam would sure to be a party pleaser!

The Jeroboam

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Posted in Wine and Food

Bentley’s Grill Receives 2012 Superior Cellar Award

Monday, September 12th, 2011

We are happy to announce that that Bentley’s Grill has once again been honored by the Oregon Wine Press with a 2012 Superior Cellar Award. These awards recognize restaurants whose wine programs place particular emphasis on Oregon wines.

We are proud to offer a wide variety of West Coast wines featuring Northwest producers. We feature wines that cater to every taste and occasion. Our wine steward, Mark Jacklich, will be happy to help you choose the perfect wine to accompany your dining selection from our broad menu.

Click here to see our Wine List and our Wine by the Glass list.

The Superior Cellar Awards were launched last year and focused on Oregon restaurants that stood out for their commitment to Oregon wines.   For 2012, The Oregon Wine Press has partnered with the Oregon Wine Board for the national expansion of the Superior Cellar Awards and we are thrilled be among the 70 restaurants to receive this recognition.

For a complete list of all of the restaurants to receive this honor, visit oregonwinepress.com

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Posted in News, Wine and Food

Oregon Wine Notes: Drinking Reds Can Be Cool Too!

Monday, August 29th, 2011

I recently saw a great post from Jim Bernau, Founder/Winegrower at Willamette Valley Vineyards where he reminds us that drinking chilled red wine, especially a Pinot, can be as delightful and refreshing on a warm summer day as the traditional chilled wines like Pinot Gris, Dry Rosé, and Riesling. The key, he says, is to understand which red wines lend themselves to being chilled.

In a recent CNN.com article, Chilling with red wine, Ray Isle asks, “Why don’t people drink red wine cold?”  and recommends trying the 2010 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir chilled:

Some Pinots don’t chill well—more robust versions, for instance a good percentage of what California produces. But find a delicate, lighter style, and Pinot tastes great chilled down. Oregon’s a good place to look; among the best choices there is the floral 2010 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir …

What about you?  Do you think red wine can be chilled and refreshing?  Have you tried it yourself?  Let us know!

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Posted in Wine and Food

What Do You Enjoy the Most About Lunch at Bentley’s Grill?

Monday, August 15th, 2011

We get A LOT of business lunch patrons. In fact, we are among the favorites in Downtown Salem for the business lunch crowd each week. We have won the Gold in the Best Business Lunch Category in The Statesman Journal Best of the Mid-Valley Poll for two years in a row.

I started asking around what makes us such a popular lunchtime destination, and got some good answers:

  • People appreciate the quality of the dishes and the variety of sandwiches, salads and entrees on the Bentley’s Grill Lunch Menu
  • Our close proximity to most Downtown businesses make us ideal for a mid-day break.  In fact, we are adjoined to the Salem Conference Center!
  • Our kitchen staff and servers understand the concept of the lunch hour. Its true that our fine dishes and elegant atmosphere will tempt you to linger for hours on end (which you are welcome to do) but we get that most of you do not have that luxury on a work day.

Want to know #1 reason Willamette Valley loves us at lunch time? The Bentley’s Burger. We have built what we believe to be the perfect burger.

We began with a perfectly half pound of ground chuck cooked to perfection and enhanced with with: Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese, pepper bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato, red onion and our famous Bentley’s burger spread.  We serve our creation on a Kaiser roll with fries.

What about you?  Tell us what you enjoy about lunches!

What Do You Enjoy the Most About Lunch At Bentley's Grill?

View Results

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Posted in Wine and Food

Happy Hour Specials Week of May 23-26

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Lounge Lizard Monday, Tuesday Tinis, Wednesday Ladies Night,  A Bottle Among Friends on Thursday!

Stop by and enjoy our delicious cocktails, appetizers, beer and wine specials after 4pm in our lounge each week!   Our guests love Chef Derek’s delicious appetizers from our Happy Hour menu . Here are the Happy Hour Events for the upcoming week!

Please note, specials are only offered in the Bentley’s Grill Lounge.

Monday, May 23, 2011: Lounge Lizard Monday 4pm-close

We invite you to relax and be a Lounge Lizard each Monday with special cocktails made with our featured liquor served with complimentary promotional merchandise (while supplies last).

5/23 Lounge Lizard Monday Drink Specials Featuring Rokk Vodka

  • Raspberry Orchid Martini: Rokk Raspberry Vodka, Parrot Bay Rum, with cranberry and pineapple juice
  • Rokk & Roll: Rokk Citrus Vodka and lemonade, on the rocks

Tuesday, May 24, 2011: Tuesday Tinis 4pm-close

What better way to unwind on a Tuesday afternoon than with a delicious Martinis in our lounge?

5/24 Tuesday Tini Specials

  • Peach Lemon Drop: Smirnoff Peach Vodka, DeKuyper Triple Sec, muddled lemons and a splash of sweet and sour
  • Grass Skirt Martini: Tanqueray Gin, muddled limes, pineapple juice and a splash of grenadine
  • Washington Apple: Crown Royal Whiskey, DeKuyper Apple Pucker and cranberry juice.
  • Paradise Martini: Smirnoff Pomegranate Vodka, pomegranate and pineapple juices

Wednesday, May 25, 2011: Ladies Night 4pm-close

Four cocktail specials, 2 wine selections, 1 beer special and delicious appetizers! Bonus for Bentley’s Grill Facebook Friends: Each week, we will post a special “Ladies Night Facebook Phrase” on our Facebook Page.

The first 25 customers who repeat the “Ladies Night Facebook Phrase” during Ladies Night (4pm-close each Wednesday) will receive a complimentary promotional gift! Check the page each week and invite your friends to take advantage of this fun offer!

5/25 Ladies Night Specials

  • Blonde On The Rocks: Rokk Raspberry Vodka with pineapple and cranberry juices, served on the rocks
  • Silver Margatini: Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila, DeKuyper Triple Sec, muddled limes and sweet & sour
  • Weed & Lemonade: Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka and lemonade. Served on the rocks
  • Red Devil Martini: Smirnoff Green Apple and Watermelon Vodka, sweet and sour, and a splash of cranberry juice

Thursday, May 26, 2011: A Bottle Among Friends Wine Specials….

Check our Facebook page or Twitter for special updates!

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Posted in Weekly Events, Wine and Food

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