Archives
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...]
Homemade Soup on the Cheap
Empty fridge? End of the month? I have the answer...soup. Seriously. Once you have cooked up a homemade soup or two you can easily forge out on your own. When you find yourself repeatedly opening the fridge as if its contents will have suddenly changed from small stash of condiments to overflowing with gourmet goods I bet you have soup ingredients in there. Recently, after spending a long weekend away and coming home to a busy schedule (and empty cupboard) I found myself in the predicament of little time and nothing to eat. I hate... [Read more...]
Pot Roast With Gremolata and Halter Ranch Cabernet
The beauty of cooking with wine is drinking what remains in the bottle! As we get our first dose of rain this fall, I settled in for the ultimate comfort food meal of pot roast paired with a smooth, rich Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the first vineyards to be SIP Certified, Halter Ranch. Pot Roast Recipe [caption id="attachment_3889" align="alignright" width="150"] Pot Roast With Halter Ranch Cabernet[/caption] 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 boneless beef check roast (4-5 lbs.) 6 cloves of garlic, chopped 1/3 c. flour 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 1 Tbsp. beef base (Better... [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...]
Chatting with Chris Cocchiaro
What brought you to the wine industry?I grew up around wine, and always found it to be more than just a beverage. Spending a summer in Perugia, studying the Italian language and culture really opened my eyes to the much broader world of wines, and set me on a path to getting into the business. I drank a lot of sweet Vino Bianco Frizzante that summer, but left with a handful of dry wines from local producers Ricasoli and Lungarotti as I recall. Why is CCVT important to you?CCVT is the only sustainability group I... [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...]
What’s Happening in the Vineyard – Riverbench Winery
Shared by Laura Mohseni at Riverbench Winery: Some people like massage. Others like a good bubble bath. Some people sit by the fire with a glass of wine and a good book (actually, that works for me, too). But in my opinion, relaxing is all about having thirty thousand little honey bees buzzing around me at once. Before you try committing me to the looney bin, think on this. I just so happen to have the nicest bees in the world. I first brought them to Riverbench two years ago after being trained as an... [Read more...]
Seafood Savvy
[caption id="attachment_3656" align="alignleft" width="209"] Wave![/caption] One of my all time favorite food and wine events is Cooking for Solutions at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. Chefs from all over the country serve up first class, sustainably sourced seafood and their cuisine, as well as their conservation, pair perfectly with the eco-minded wineries in attendance. If you can take your eyes away from the food, being in the aquarium at night is truly treat. There is nothing like sipping a glass of Hahn SLH Estate Chardonnay paired with a tasty morsel from chef Brian and... [Read more...]