Category: <span>Wines</span>
Sea Salt Blondies With Peachy Canyon Cabernet
When I was a kid we followed the holiday tradition of leaving cookies out for Old Saint Nick and they were always chocolate chip cookies. (I think this was an ingenious way for my dad to ensure that there was an ample supply of his favorite treat.) Getting into the season I wanted to dress up this tradition with Sea Salt Topped Blondies paired with Peachy Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon. I had to do a little research on the pairing and the Cab does work nicely. Anther pairing to balance the sweet would be a tawny... [Read more...]
Shepherds Pie With Cass Viognier
A few weeks ago, while working at our Sustainable Ag Expo, I grabbed a quick lunch of Shepherds Pie from the local English pub and I have been jonesing for more ever since! I must say this delightful meal is fast, easy and scrumptious. As usual, I cooked based on what is in the pantry rather than following a recipe Since I subbed ground turkey for the traditional beef or lamb, I paired this dish with a light viognier from Cass Winery. Shepherds Pie 10-12 white or red potatoes, quartered 3 tbsp. butter 1 c. half... [Read more...]
Green Curry Carrot Soup With Gewurztraminer
The simplest recipes can be the best and this quick fix is perfect for a cozy evening by the fire. A friend of mine shared this recipe with me and we were both intrigued by the use of rice as a thickener in the soup. Of course no cook can help tinkering with a recipe so we have added a little green curry powder that I brought back this summer from a great spice shop in Murphys, CA. Green Curry Carrot Soup 7 lbs. (about 7 medium) carrots 2 Tbs. butter 1 tsp. green curry... [Read more...]
Wine for Sangria
Sometimes it is nice to get a taste of summer when the weather is chilly and gray. Initially I was really going for summer fare with a recipe for sangria sorbet. Naturally, making sangria sorbet means making sangria first. As it turns out, the sangria was too good to freeze! The first step is picking wine for sangria. I decided not to over think this and simply choose a Pinot from Tolosa Winery that I love. From there, you basically add some fruit and brandy and presto summer. Sangria 3 c mixed berries (fresh or... [Read more...]
Eggplant Rollatini with Ancient Peaks Rose
[caption id="attachment_3871" align="alignright" width="150"] Eggplant Rollatini[/caption] Living in the fog zone here on the Central Coast I am a sucker for warm, cozy comfort foods. Recently I tried my hand at eggplant rollatini which was not only excellent but surprisingly simple to make. I had a smoking hot tray of cheesy rollatini on the table paired with a nice rose from Ancient Peaks in about one hour. And the best part is, this recipe will not break the calorie bank and still satisfy your taste buds. Eggplant Rollatini 2-3 eggplants, stems removed and cut into... [Read more...]
Risotto Recipes With Pinot Noir
A nice and easy way to pair wine with food is to cook and drink with the same bottle (I am sensing a theme in our recent blog posts)! And I love trying new risotto recipes. So, I am a fan of this recipe for Drunken Wild Mushroom Risotto with 2007 Mesa Pinot Noir from Riverbench. Drunken Wild Mushroom Risotto with 2007 Mesa Pinot Noir This recipe, submitted by Colleen Davis of Riverbench, has pretty quickly become famous around here. It’s perfect for a cold, cold night when you just need some comfort food. • 4... [Read more...]
SIP Spotting at Sunset’s Savor the Central Coast
Last weekend was the big Savor the Central Coast event at Santa Margarita Ranch in Santa Margarita. As my wife and I meandered through the event we saw many SIP Certified logos, great wineries, awesome farm fresh booths, beer, out of this world food, and the beautiful gardens filled with many innovative and sustainable gardening ideas. It’s so cool to go to all these different events and see SIP represented by these amazing wineries and vineyards. Be sure to look for and check out the SIP wines. Cheers and have a great week! [cincopa AgPA9-6-T3dp] [Read more...]
VinTank is Going Green
VinTank is going green and now wineries can declare their sustainable practices within their VinTank account. They have even integrated several certifications for wineries to choose from including Sustainability in Practice (SIP). [Read more...]
Murphys
[caption id="attachment_3703" align="alignleft" width="145"] Murphys[/caption] This summer I had the opportunity to speak about SIP Certification to the farmers in Calaveras County in a fabulous little town called Murphys. Now Murphys, California is a about a million miles from nowhere and yet this picturesque town has loads to offer. Located in the Sierra foothills, many of the goldrush-era buildings are still in use today including my lodging, the Murphys Historic Hotel. The shaded streets (street really - this is a 2,000 person town) are lined with fine cuisine, neat shops, and of course, wineries. Murphys... [Read more...]
SIP Goes to the Gourmet Mac & Cheese Festival
[caption id="attachment_3812" align="alignleft" width="158"] Mac & Cheese Festival[/caption] No matter where you go, there’s SIP! My wife and I attended the Gourmet Mac & Cheese Festival (yes, gourmet mac & cheese, a little heaven on Earth!) this past weekend in Paso Robles and yes, the mac & cheese was simply amazing. There were approximately 20 restaurants and caterers that brought their “A” game mac & cheese for all to try and the variety was quite impressive. There was everything from chili to lobster to BACON all tossed in and to be completely honest…every single one... [Read more...]