Archives
Meet the SIP Farmers: Jim Stollberg
[caption id="attachment_3760" align="alignright" width="300"] Jim Stollberg of Maverick Farming[/caption] We all enjoy getting to know people better; whether it’s interesting facts, thoughts, or humorous tidbits. So we came up with some questions to ask the farmers of SIP that we feel will give us a more interesting view of them behind the soil and vines. First up is Jim Stollberg, the manager at Maverick Farming. Classic rock or classic country? Country Favorite spot in the vineyard? Sorting fruit from the hand harvest crew. We get the satisfaction of seeing all of our hard work for... [Read more...]
Strawberry Recipe
Tis' the season for fresh fruit and strawberries are always a favorite. With a bounty of luscious fruit at our disposal I was excited to see this strawberry recipe from the Riverbench team: Strawberry Bread with 2007 Riverbench Estate Pinot Noir One of our staff members, Megan McDermott, brought this delicious cake to a staff meeting recently. Though desserts can be difficult to pair with wines, this was a mouth-watering combination with our Estate Pinot Noir! And since Santa Maria is so famous for its strawberries we couldn’t help but be thrilled. • 1... [Read more...]
Bread Machine
[caption id="attachment_3396" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bread Machine Wonder"][/caption] I have a new cooking hobby: the bread machine. I made a loaf of bread from scratch last week which was excellent but tied up a significant amount of time in mixing, kneading, rising, punching down, rising, punching down, rising, rising, RISING... This got me to thinking about an easier way to enjoy warm, fluffy, fresh baked bread. So I got a Breadman bread machine. I figure for 25 bucks off of Craigs List I can entertain my whim and not be "on the breadline" when I am... [Read more...]
Baked Chicken Recipe
I have been thinking about roasting a whole bird...for years. The time had come for me to roll up my sleeves and dig into the task. And, I am happy to report that there is little to report! I started with a trusty internet search for baked chicken recipe (of which there are thousands). Fortunately they are all rather similar so I went with a fresh herb and lemon rub. It is really a simple process: remove innards, rinse, dry, stuff, rub with herbs and spices, place in oven, and wait. Baked Chicken Recipe 3-4lb... [Read more...]
Vodka Recipes | My Infusion Kick
It all started a few months ago at my friend Stef's house when she offered me a "lady drink". Who could say no to something that sounded so sophisticated? And ladylike was my crystal tumbler filled with home-infused lavender vodka and sparkling lemonade over ice. It turns out that infused spirits are not only glamorous but easy! All you need is a clean glass container, any clear spirit (vodka, rum, tequila), your flavor du jour, and three to five days. To date we have made a few vodka recipes including lavender vodka (great with a... [Read more...]
A Video Synopsis of Earth Day Food & Wine
While roaming through the Earth Day Food and Wine Festival at Pomar Junction Winery, my wife and I were sure to get a bunch of photos and video of all the happenings. In a previous post (linked here) we included the photos in a handy dandy little slideshow that you should check out if you missed it, but in this post we wanted to share some of the event that we captured via video. So check it out, enjoy the music by The Mother Corn Shuckers, and be sure to join us next year for... [Read more...]
Sitting Down with Amy Freeman, Winemaker for EOS Estate Winery
How did you get into the wine industry? My roots are in the Midwest, specifically Wisconsin and Minnesota. I moved to California in 2001 after graduating with a BS in Nutrition from the University of Minnesota. Two of my siblings had settled in California and worked in wine production, I visited them often and had become a pretty avid surfer, and I decided to check out the central coast. I was incredibly lucky to have an amazing first harvest working as a lab tech at Byron Winery in the Santa Maria Valley. That experience largely... [Read more...]
SIP and Shuck: Only at Tolosa Winery!
I had the difficult task of heading down to Tolosa Winery in San Luis Obispo (thanks to Central Coast Vineyard Team and the SIP Certified program) with my wife to check out this awesome event with an amazing name: SIP and Shuck! It was all about Tolosa wines, their 2011 Sauvignon Blanc to be specific, and some amazing oysters from Ciopinot Seafood Grille. Not only was I completely impressed with the idea of the event but it’s absolutely true…the pairing was off the hook! It was a beautiful day to sit on the patio at... [Read more...]
Chicken Recipe With 2008 Riverbench Cork Jumper Champagne
I love bubbly so this recipe from General Manager Laura Mohseni at Riverbench Vineyard and Winery immediately caught my eye. Here is a note from Laura and her chicken recipe for Champagne Chicken with 2008 Riverbench Cork Jumper. Champagne Chicken When my mom was in cooking school at La Varenne in France she learned to make this dish. It’s so simple but so luxurious and decadent. Use a little sparkling wine to make the chicken, then enjoy the rest with it- you won’t be sorry! Yield serves 4 Ingredients • 2 tbsp. flour • 1 tsp. salt... [Read more...]
Earth Day Food & Wine Festival: The Recap
As with any event, there was a lot going on at the Earth Day Food and Wine Festival 2012…from live demonstrations of milking sheep to tasting sheep’s milk ice cream to one of the sheep escaping and running through the vineyards before finally being lassoed…now that is an event. And guess what, that was just the tip of the iceberg!! As we meandered through the tents full of wine booths, food booths, exhibitors, and all the awesome attendees there was a definite buzz; even in the 95 degree Templeton sun. There was plenty of shade... [Read more...]