Written By Larry J . Mickartz

partnership made in heaven is what I would call the marrying of the fine wines at Bella Viva Wine Bar and the gourmet cuisine of Garlic City Café . Over the past several months , J . Chris and I have enjoyed some amazing wines and excellent entrees sitting at the wine bar while our gourmet dinners were brought in from the Garlic City Café just down the street in downtown Gilroy . It was great fun sharing the unique experience with our Morgan Hill friends Dana and Elaine Ditmore .

Over the past few years Bella Viva has developed quite the reputation as the “ go to ” local wine bar . Although not the easiest to find due to the lack of signage , word of mouth has made it one of Gilroy ’ s not-so-well-hidden jewels . The owner , Kellan McBain , has gathered an interesting and unique collection of wines and beers . He has an excellent palate and does a marvelous job of matching his collection to the tastes of his patrons and providing a tantalizing experience . In addition to their working relationship with Garlic City Café , Bella Viva now offers artisanal pizzas on weekends . That was a nice surprise for us .

It was a cold and rainy night when we visited so , although the covered courtyard with a fireplace facing Monterey Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets was inviting , we ventured inside to enjoy the ambiance of what could be characterized as “ San Francisco-ish .” The wood bar is grandiose , the piano in the corner elegant , and on this night , Chris Trevisan on the keyboard filled the rooms with pleasant music throughout our visit .

We began our dining experience by ordering the Greek pizza , which was a tasty mix of carmelized onions , Kalamata olives , feta and mozzarella cheese , topped with fresh arugula . It proved to be an excellent appetizer to share as we began tasting our wine flights of choice . We all agreed that it was a “ very good pizza .” The dough was fluffy and chewy at the same time and the ingredients fresh , with a bit of zing . We plan to return and try the two other pizza offerings , the Margherita and a prosciutto and goat cheese . We were told that soon they will also be offering salads , cheese plates and desserts .

We each ordered a flight of wine that fit our personal preferences . Dana had the “ Call a Cali Cab ” consisting of a 2014 Daou , a 2014 Plumberhead Cellars and a 2014 Pine Ridge “ Forefront ,” all California cabs . Elaine opted for the “ Tre-Fantastic ” featuring 2013 Lararia Pinot Grigio , 2014 Ca ’ Bianca Gavi di Gavi and a 2012 Zaccagnini Riesling all from Northern Italy . J . Chris opted for the “ Brave New World – New World versus Old World Chardonnay ” with a 2014 Donate Family “ Sister Forever ” from Monterey , a 2014 Black Stallion from Napa and a 2014 Cave de Lugny “ Les Charmers ” from France . I went for the “ We Know Pinot ” with a 2013 Elouan Pinot Noir from Oregon , 2013 Jacobs Creek Reserve from Australia and a 2013 Pine Ridge “ Forefront ” from Napa . Each flight consists of three 3-ounce pours . There are at least three other flights on the menu to choose from and with a little convincing Kellen might come up with some others to suit the individual palate .

Then it was time for dinner and a review of the entrees available from Garlic City Café . Ordering was seamless , with Kellen taking our order and Garlic City Café , which is a few doors north of Bella Viva , delivering it . Before long our salads and dinners were being served . Elaine ordered the Chicken Dijon , a pan roasted chicken breast finished with mushrooms , and white wine Dijon mustard cream sauce served over mashed potatoes

GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MARCH / APRIL 2017 gmhtoday . com

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