Farming for the Future
Your Guide to Understanding Conventional, Sustainable, Organic, & Biodynamic Viticulture “Great wines are grown, not made.” Statements like the above are a common refrain among environmentally-conscious producers, but what do they actually mean? As with other types of farming, grape growing, or viticulture, can take many different forms. In this post, we’ll break down the […]
How to Taste Wine, Part 3: Sip
Part 3 – Sip: Evaluating the Flavors and Structure of Wine Finally, we’re on to the fun part and the final “S”- Sip! As wine lovers, we can all agree that wine is delicious, and I’ll be the first to admit that wine can be quite enjoyable without analyzing its aromas, flavors, and structure. Sometimes […]
How to Taste Wine, Part 2: Swirl & Smell
Now that we’ve learned about the first “S”, Sight, and what a wine’s appearance can tell you, it’s time to move on to the next two steps, Swirl and Smell. This post is all about the aromas in wine – where they come from, how to describe them, and what they indicate about the wine […]
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Paired with Baldacci Carneros Chardonnay or Pinot Noir This recipe is one of my top five “happy childhood memory foods” and it remains one of my favorites to this day. It is simple, healthy, and the perfect comfort food. In my family, we called this the escarole soup and I never knew there were […]
Individual Beef Wellingtons Recipe for Your Christmas Dinner
Paired with Brenda’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Traditionally, Beef Wellington is a whole roast wrapped in puff pastry with a layer of mushroom duxelles and liver pate. As is the case with all things, we like to experiment. For our Christmas dinner, we used individual wellingtons, which take extra care, but we think it’s a beautiful […]
Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe
Roasted Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Root Vegetables Paired with Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon Serves 4 In the world of comfort food, not much can compare with slow-cooked beef with a rich reduction sauce, savory root vegetables, and a full-bodied red wine. For the last portion of our progressive meal, we’ve chosen slow-roasted beef […]
The Perfect Cheese and Charcuterie Board Paired with Sparkling Wine
A cheese and charcuterie board is the perfect start to any get-together, especially for this holiday season. There are very few hard and fast rules with charcuterie, so you can be as creative as you like. That said, there are some guidelines regarding the best approach. Cheese There are a few rules of thumb to […]
Butternut Squash and Mushroom Risotto Pairing with Pinot Noir
Paired with Baldacci Carneros Pinot Noir Serves 4 Ingredients Risotto 1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli Rice 3 to 4 cups chicken stock. If using store-bought stock, check the amount of salt, and adjust your salt addition appropriately. Assorted sliced mushrooms – I favor Chanterelles, Morels, Maitake, and Trumpets ½ medium yellow onion, minced 1/3 cup […]
Pan-Seared Lobster Tail with Tropical Fruit Salsa
TIP FROM THE CHEF | This recipe is part of a five-course progressive dinner. If you are using this as a stand-alone dinner, I recommend doubling the portion size. Substitutions or omissions can be made to create a gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan option. I recommend preparing the tropical fruit salsa and pomegranate gastrique in the […]
