The Reserve, a wine bar located in Morgan Hill, had a
”
soft
”
opening back in April of this year. I purposefully waited to
visit the establishment, wanting the owner and business to get
their feet under them before I stopped by. After my first mid-week
visit, I now question
”
Why did I wait so long?
”
The Reserve, a wine bar located in Morgan Hill, had a “soft” opening back in April of this year. I purposefully waited to visit the establishment, wanting the owner and business to get their feet under them before I stopped by. After my first mid-week visit, I now question “Why did I wait so long?”
Franz Ingram, owner of The Reserve, never seems to quit smiling. According to Ingram, a former construction worker and former manager of the Trail Dust restaurant, it is easy to keep smiling. “We have been fortunate so far. The momentum of the wine bar is starting to take off. I have been able to turn an enthusiasm for wine into making a living, which now has turned into a passion. The instant gratification we get from making our customers happy is priceless,” Ingram said.
As I sipped my first wine, a 2005 Borsao rose from Spain, I leaned over to interrupt the conversation between the young couple sitting next to me.
Mary and Mike Wright have been regulars at The Reserve since it first opened. As Mike relaxed carefree, his knee pressed up against the bar, it seemed as if he were lounging at home.
“It is the atmosphere and personalized attention we get when we come here that keeps bringing us back. The staff at The Reserve gives you attention and face time. They try hard to get to know what you personally like,” Mary said.
“This place is unique in the area. It has a community feel to it. We work hard all day long and we don’t want to work hard to have fun. It is nice to have something like The Reserve close by, a place where we can come and unwind from the long day,” Mike said with relief.
In unison, the Wright’s also said they are impressed with the food available, and how the menus, both food and wine, keep changing.
The Reserve had 42 wines available that could be purchased by bottle, with 25 of those wines available by the glass. A nice feature was the choice of having either a full glass or a half-glass of those particular wines, allowing one to skip about the menu.
The varieties of wine ranged from mostly California wines (cabernet, syrah and chardonnay) to pinot noir from Oregon, pinot grigio from Italy and malbec from Argentina. Some local wines were also featured, including some nice selections from Guglielmo, Mann Cellars and Calera.
The next wine I tried was a 2005 Graff Family Vineyards viognier. It was light, full of honeysuckle and citrus, with a sweet finish – mostly from a bit of residual sugar.
Even though I had eaten earlier, I could hardly resist trying some of the tempting items on the food menu, created by Ingram – with the focus on freshness and the limitations of his small kitchen.
A nice cheese plate was available that featured three domestic cheeses: a Humboldt Fog, Point Reyes Blue and a Bear Flag white cheddar. These were served with slices of green apple, walnuts and fig jam. A charcuterie plate consisting of salame Toscano, artisan Felino and proscuitto di Parma, served with whole grain mustard, crackers and caper berries. A combination of these two plates was too irresistible to pass up!
I also tried one of the delicious panini sandwiches, going with Franz’s recommendation of the Italian-style, made with Fontina cheese, fresh tomato, arugula, salami and proscuitto. The melding of these ingredients, pressed on foccacia bread and served with either mixed greens, orzo pasta or potato salad rounded out my gluttonous assault.
As I waited for the food to arrive, I sampled a 2006 Cocodrilo cabernet sauvignon from Argentina. This is an import from acclaimed winemaker Paul Hobbs. The cabernet was dry, oaky with some chocolate and cherry flavors.
I picked up my glass and wandered through the quaint facility, noticing the vibrant magenta colors of the window dressings, the earthy tones of the paint and the soft lighting. Over half of the 15 tables were filled with people enjoying the experience of wine – which should always include good food and great company.
A wine vault was just off the bar counter, enticing patrons to enter and examine closely all the wines that were being served. This was a neat addition to a place that had already surpassed my expectations.
As patrons left, almost all were given hugs by Franz and his wife, Jennifer. The customers left with smiles on their faces, obviously gratified from a great experience – priceless!
A slight error occurred last week, stating this was my last column. In reality, I have one more article that appears next week.
Cheers!
