Pour Your Heart Out, a Mended Little Hearts Wine Tasting Fundraiser on February 18th
The fundraiser includes wine tasting, silent auction, and live music! You must be 21 to order ticket(s) and attend – ID will be checked at the venue.
To purchase tickets, and for more information click here. If you wish to donate to the event, you can contact Lorie Walton at mendedlittleheartsgrants at gmail dot com.
Almond, Rosemary and Date Crackers (Gluten Free!)
Last night was one of my favorite nights of the month, wine tasting night (with a local wine group to which I belong) at the Barton Gallery (next to Michaelangelo’s Restaurant.
Typically, we each bring a bottle of wine (based on a theme we decide ahead of time for the month) and a dish (if we can) to share. This month was sort of a competition to choose the themes for the next three months, so we brought bottles to vote. The very best as decided by the group would win the themes for February, March, and April.
Some of varietals, regions, themes present last night were: Alsace, San Luis Obispo, Barbera, Barbaresco, Tour of Italy, Rare Italians, and the Middle East. We decided that next month’s theme would be Alsatian Wines, and it was an easy decision after we tried an Alsatian Riesling (C and R brought, the Domaine Gresser Riesling, Alsace 2007 to be exact) that had all the great characteristics of a Riesling, such as clean, bright, and crisp, without being sticky and cloying.
I brought these Rosemary Date Crackers to the tasting because I wanted to make sure there was some sort of cracker/snack I could eat once I got there. I do sometimes get weak and miss bread/crackers at wine tastings, but these crackers were way more flavorful than store bought. The original inspiration came from Elena over at Elena’s Pantry, but I have changed it up quite a bit. Enjoy!
Almond, Rosemary and Date Crackers (Gluten Free and Paleo!!)
2 cups blanched almond flour
(Tip: Make your own with raw almonds and a food processor)
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tbs fresh or dried rosemary
(Tip: If you use dried, you can grind up with a mortar and pestle to release the oils.)
4-5 Medjool Dates, chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Tbs unsalted organic butter
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine almond flour, salt, rosemary and dates.
3. Mix in egg, butter and oil until well combined. It’s really best if you dig in and mix with your hands.
4. Roll out the mixture between parchment paper with a rolling pin.
5. Cut dough with pizza cutter, or for fun, you can use little cookie cutters. I left the rolled out pieces right on the paper and placed the paper on a cookie sheet to bake.
6. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
7. Bring to wine tasting and people will love you for them. 🙂
Sacramento’s Dine Downtown Week: Mayahuel and the best steak ever!!
Then it was time for dessert. First, our server Francisco, brought out the Pastel de Queso y Chayote (a Chayote cheese cake and mole in chocolate sauce). Mole is a perfect addition to a dessert because of its components and texture. The chayote works in the dessert because it’s a squash and has an inherent slightly sweet taste and tender texture. That being said, I don’t think you’re gonna find this at the Cheesecake Factory, folks, only at Mayahuel! (Thanks to the BF for tasting the sugary treats).
The other dessert option was the Flan de Chile Ancho. It was a flan made with ancho chiles of all things, and finished with Grand Marnier. It has a beautiful strawberry and blueberry garnish. The BF tells me the combination of the ancho and the Grand Marnier was uniquely flavorful.
The tequila we tried was the Jose Cuervo Platino, and it was served in a champagne flute in order to provide the best tasting experience. It’s truly the stemware that makes all the difference in a tasting. It can really bring out the oaky and fruity notes of a particular wine or beverage. What a nice little digestif, and it was such a treat to get some background information on tequila from Oscar.
Sacramento’s Dine Downtown Week: Make Blue Prynt Part of Your Plans!
Sacramento’s Dine Downtown week kicks off on Monday, January 9th and runs through January 18th, 2012. For 10 days only, local chefs will create special three-course dinner menus for only $30 per person.
“Whether you’re a foodie, experienced restaurateur or someone looking for a little excitement in your diet, Dine Downtown is a great reason to venture out and dine at variety of restaurants that you wouldn’t normally try.” said Megan Emmerling of the Downtown Partnership. “From fine dining restaurants to casual neighborhood spots, we love seeing the participating restaurants flourish during the 10 days of Dine Downtown.”
Last night, I was fortunate enough to preview the menu that Chef Jason Lockard has created for Blue Prynt Restaurant. Before I even show pictures or describe the dishes, I can tell you that the amount of food you get for $30 makes Blue Prynt a steal. Also, it was a lot of fun to go to a place brand new to me, and to see that their menu was widely accessible to people on different diets.
To begin our meal, we chose the St. Supery Élu, and chatted about the wine with our server Gary (bonus points to Blue Prynt for knowledgable waitstaff). The evening was already off to a great start because the BF and I love to talk wine!! The Élu is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, and was an excellent choice to pair with the main course that was to come.
I wanted to mention that if you opt for the $30 prix fixe, you’ll also get big basket of warm garlic bread. My BF and I are gluten-free, so we passed on it in order to leave room for the other courses.
The BF ordered the oysters on the half shell, served with a spicy Thai dressing…
And I ordered the shrimp cocktail, lemon poached jumbo prawns served with a fresh grated horseradish cocktail sauce. I didn’t eat a lot of the sauce, because I love fresh seafood by itself, but I really liked that kicked up horseradish flavor!
The additional appetizer option is a Mushroom Basket and is described on the menu as “a mix of sautéed Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms on a bed of house made rosemary garlic bread topped with creamy goat cheese and wrapped in a cumin dusted phyllo dough”
Now do I have your attention? 🙂
Not only did the prix fixe option include bread and an appetizer, we also had a salad/soup option.
There is a seafood chowder on the menu for a soup choice, but I went with a Caesar Salad, and BF went with a spring mix salad with dill and caper dressing.
For dinner we both ordered the “King of New York”, a 12-ounce choice cut strip loin with a crown royal and royal trumpet mushroom chasseur sauce, and served with blue cheese mashed potatoes and green beans. The mashed potatoes aren’t truly allowed in my diet, but I still had a few bites of them to try. I really loved the incorporation of blue cheese. I boxed the rest up to make room for the thick cut of steak on my plate! Beef and mushrooms is one of my favorite flavor combinations. So classic and never goes out of style, so good move by the Chef to include it on the Dine Downtown menu. Also, I want to explain that we each got a full entrée for our main course (one 12-ounce strip each) and did not have to share this plate. The BF polished his entire meal off Adam Richman style, but I don’t think I made it through 5 ounces before I threw in the towel.
Blue Prynt’s Facebook page is located here and you can follow them on twitter here.
For a full list of the Dine Downtown participating restaurants and their menus, you can click here.
Ending the Year in Oakland: Yoshi’s, Brian Culbertson, and the Waterfront Hotel!
Last Thursday, the BF and I traveled to Oakland to see one of our favorite musicians Brian Culbertson play at the famous Jack London Square establishment, Yoshi’s Jazz Club. During the trip, we stayed at the Waterfront Hotel conveniently located one block away.
The BF ordered this for his main dish. It was the sautéed tilapia, with 6 ounces of butter-poached shrimp, ikura, english peas, spinach puree, meyer lemon soy. Yoshi’s really does everything perfectly, especially the plating. Really beautiful.
Later that afternoon, my BF and I visited a winery located in Alameda, that is housed in a converted 40,000 square-foot airplane hangar. Rockwall Winery is located on what was once a Naval Air Base. Also known as Building 24, the hangar is due north of a defensive rock wall which made up the perimeter of the base.
Of course, the winery takes its name from the wall, and the winery building has been retrofitted with the latest winemaking equipment.
The winery building is also a hub to taste other winemakers’ offerings such as: RB Cellars, Carica Wines, Blacksmith Cellars, and Ehrenberg Cellars.
The tasting room… I loved the branches hanging in the rafters with the Christmas decorations on them!
We walked away with a case of wine… my favorites from what we tasted and of course my recommendations to you if you have a chance to try them: The Improviser from RB Cellars and Rockwall’s 2009 Chardonnay Russian River Reserve Lone Oak (disclaimer: this one is buttery and oaky!!). Rockwall Wines tasting room is open Thursday-Sundays from 12-6pm.
Seattle’s Historic Mayflower Park Hotel
antiques.
view of holiday lights and activities going on below us.
One amenity I always look for in a hotel is the fitness room. And Mayflower Park’s is located on the third floor. It is equipped with 2 treadmills, a stairclimber, and 2 stationary bikes, as well as a set of free weights I found very useful. The BF would run outside and I would retreat to the workout room so that later in the day we were free to enjoy our meals at Andaluca, Place Pigalle, and Fall Line Winery.
Here’s another shot of the lobby. There was a Christmas party
in the room upstairs on one of the evenings of our stay.
Here’s another shot from where I was sitting.
Oliver’s features a special cocktail called The Golden 27, honoring the year the hotel originally opened as the Bergonian. Here’s the recipe:
Half fill a mixing glass with ice, then add 1/4 oz. Lemoncello Lemon Liqueur, 1 1/4 oz. Ketel One Vodka, 1 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin, and a pinch of Gold Luster Dust. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
You can find The Mayflower Park Hotel on twitter here and their Facebook page is here.
Evergreen Escapes Wacky Quacky Holiday Lights and Wine Tour
Are you in Seattle for Christmas/New Years or will you be traveling there? If so, I want to tell you about a fantastic holiday venture that will delight any food and wine lover! The Wacky Quacky Holiday Lights and Wine Tour!
Evergreen Escapes has teamed with Ride the Ducks of Seattle, Fall Line Winery, and Maven Meals for a ride through downtown Seattle to view the prettiest light displays, followed by the ultimate food and wine experience at the Fall Line tasting room.
Lights Tour: This is the ceiling of the vehicle. All decked out for the holidays!! The vehicle is semi-open, so bundle up and cover up with the blankets provided in the vehicle (the DUKW ‘Duck’ — an amphibious landing craft developed by the U.S. Army during World War II) on the tour.
This is Macy’s display, which is right across from the Mayflower Park Hotel where we stayed.
The tasting room was decorated so pretty with lights and little herb baskets (containing rosemary and sage). The lights in the room were turned down and the tables were lit with candles.
Food (provided by Seattle’s Maven Meals) and wine for the evening were set up at three stations. The first station (the Snoqualmic Pass Station) featured this table of appetizers which included locally made Beecher’s Cheeses, cured meats, an olive tapenade, and a roasted vegetable spread. The wines for this course included a 2008 Red Mountain Artz Vineyard Bordeaux-Style Blend and a 2008 Yakima Valley Boushey Vinyeard Bordeaux-Style Blend.
At the Crystal Mountain Station, a Carnival Squash Lasagna layered with a sage bechamel sauce and cheeses was served with a garlicky grilled broccoli. This pairing included two more wines, the 2008 Red Willow Vineyard – Yakima Valley and a 2009 El Otro – Yakima Valley Tempranillo with which the BF absolutely fell in love (before he found out it was rated 92 points in Wine Advocate)!
46% cabernet franc, 34% merlot, 16% cabernet sauvignon, 4% tempranillo). The last wine of the evening was the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon – Yakima Valley.
Dessert was a duo of Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and a Bittersweet Chocolate Cake. They went over very well with the crowd around me as I had another glass of the Exhibition instead. I really want to stress that no one was left hungry and the portions were sizable. If there was something left on the table and you wanted another taste, you were welcome to have it. The same goes for the wines.
A whole case of Tempranillo, and another case of mixed wine.
Do you want to get in on this tour and wine/food tasting fun?? There are still seats remaining for December 23rd and December 30th! You can book your experience here. Also, if you are a participant on the Holiday Lights and Wine tour, you will receive a 15% discount on a purchase of three bottles of wine or more.
You can find Evergreen Escapes on Facebook here and on twitter here.
Ride the Ducks is on Facebook here and on twitter here.
Fall Line Winery’s Facebook page is here.
Maven Meals is on Facebook here and on twitter here.
Andaluca Restaurant in the Mayflower Park Hotel
The beginning-of-meal bread basket comes with a ramekin of house made hummus. Hummus is real treat for me (because I really don’t eat legumes anymore at all), but I didn’t touch the bread. Instead, I used the hummus as a dressing on the salad I ordered.
with mixed organic greens, stilton cheese, hazelnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette.
with mixed organic greens, goat cheese, marcona almonds, roasted carrots, and sherry shallot vinaigrette.
shallots, mushrooms, black currant jus. I had just had an exquisite quail appetizer at Hurley’s in Yountville a few weeks prior, so I saw no reason to quit my quail habit anytime soon. It was cooked perfectly (it’s a tiny creature and easy to overcook).
fried yukon gold potatoes, chorizo, and roasted mushrooms. I had most of the egg–I love dishes with runny egg.
baby tomatoes, sizzling lemon butter, rosemary, lemons, and finished with white wine. I have had my share of gamey, metallic mussels, but these tasted sweet and subtle. I would eat mussels all the time if they were more like these.
1 oz. cow and goat milk cheese blend from the north of Spain, with a pear and almond compote. To my surprise, it was a blue cheese (my favorite!)
This is the Garrotxa plate that the BF ordered. It has 1 oz. goat’s milk cheese from the Catalonia region with red wine tempranillo reduction and grapes and crostini.
The head chef at Andaluca is Wayne Johnson. He has been at the helm since 1999. Some of you might have seen his appearance on Iron Chef America this year when he competed against Michael Symon. The secret ingredient was cucumbers! You can see video of the competition here.
Napa Day Two Continued: Frank Family Vineyards
Frank Family Vineyards (first constructed as Larkmead Winery in 1884) was not really on my planned list of wineries, but they happen to make one of my favorite wines (2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay). During our tasting at Duckhorn, we found out that we were minutes away from Frank Family–and we had some extra time before heading back to dinner at Hurley’s–so we decided to stop in.
Here’s my BF and our host, Rick. He was very knowledgeable and guided us through the tasting. Also on our list was a 2009 Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir, a 2009 Napa Valley Zinfandel, and a 2008 Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
I am a huge fan of social media, and when I arrived at Frank Family I “checked in” on both Facebook and Foursquare. Then I got a message from one of my twitter friends, David Cole (who also happens to make great wine). He told me to ask our host if we could taste the Winston Hill (it was a wine for sale on our list but not for a regular tasting). The Winston Hill is a Cabernet blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvginon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. Rick kindly allowed my request and brought out the bottle. It was a nice treat because a bottle of this wine is $150.00 (yes, per bottle, and you have to be a wine club member to get it).
And I end this post where I began. With a taste of the Frank Family Chardonnay. Cheers!
You can find Frank Family on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here. For more information on the winery, you can call them at (707) 942-0859 or visit their website here.
Napa Trip Day Two: Hurley’s Restaurant in Yountville
Next, I ordered this shrimp salad, and it didn’t even need dressing. The shrimp were plump and fresh delicately tucked into the crisp lettuce. It might have been 100 calories at most and so I splurged a little on my appetizer and main entrée (which you will see below).
One thing I really like about Hurley’s is that they have a regular menu and a menu that is completely gluten-free. These menus are a step that all restaurants should take, because so many people are gluten sensitive, or are like me and choose not to eat gluten or grains at all for vanity reasons. 😉
What are you doing NewYears Eve? Hurley’s is celebrating with a special four course prix fixe celebration dinner.
The menu is located here and it looks pretty amazing… 🙂
The dinner is $85 per person and each guest will receive a complimentary glass of Domaine Chandon, Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine.
Napa Trip Day Two: Napa Valley Marriott: Wowed by the Transformation!
The remodel project was completed in two phases over 15 months. At the end of it all, 275 rooms, the spa, meeting space, fitness center and the hotel lobby were redone.
• a heated outdoor pool and whirlpool
• a fitness center
• 275 guest rooms, featuring Marriott’s Revive bedding
• VINeleven Restaurant and Bar
• 20,000 square feet of event space
• a complimentary daily wine and cheese tasting
What I can’t get over is that it was such a nice place to stay before the remodel (not to mention now), and so what I can honestly say is this: For the ambiance of the hotel and the quality of the room versus the price (rates begin at about $159 per night), it’s the best hotel deal Napa Valley has to offer. Also, here’s a list of their current package deals, combining a stay at the Napa Valley Marriott with such activities as the Napa Valley Wine Train, a golf outing, or a hot air balloon adventure.
For more photos of the property please check out their photo gallery here.
Here’s a picture of the new dining area (VINeleven Restaurant and Bar). We were on our way to dinner at Hurley’s (post to come) when I took this shot of one of the handsome bar tables (there are three or four large ones in the room.)
I was not aware the Napa Valley Marriott had the updated restaurant with such a desirable menu (hello Artisanal Cheese Plate!!), or I would have considered eating dinner right in the hotel that night! Extra tip: My buddy Rick Bakas recommends the chickpea fries. I guess they really are “Crazy Good” as the menu states.
Who goes to Napa to workout? I DO, OK?! 😉 Here’s a photo of the gym (located right next door to the hotel), equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and free weights. There’s also a little towel refrigerator which was a nice added touch.
Below is a picture of the room we stayed in. The patio door opens up to a little seating area outside. We had coffee outside the next day and listened to all the activity on the patio during breakfast. 🙂
There’s a great laid back and positive vibe going on in the lobby both in the morning and at night. I witnessed the staff and how they are happy to be there in their behavior towards other guests (not just me). In turn, the guests all seemed to be enjoying themselves and their surroundings.
During the evening, there is a complimentary daily wine and cheese tasting, featuring various area wineries.
Groovus
Balloon Drop at Midnight
Party favors
Midnight Toast sponsored by Domaine Chandon
Disco attire suggested and awards for Best Dressed Male and Female
Photo booth on-hand with free, unlimited photo prints of you and your friends
2012 Fortune Teller
Raffle and Silent Auction to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Napa Valley featuring hotel stays, spa treatments, trips, wine and more!Tickets to the party are $75.00 per person + taxes/fees. You can click here to order!
Or if you are interested in staying overnight, the NVM has a package that includes all of the above plus:
Overnight accommodations for 2
2 tickets to the Napa Boogie Bash
A New Year’s Day Recovery Breakfast for 2: featuring our “KC Barbecue Bloody Mary’s”, Breakfast Chorizo Burger “Sliders” and big screen football games
Late check out of 1pm on Sunday, January 1st
$299.00 + tax per couple.
You can click here to purchase the package.
You can find the Napa Valley Marriott on Facebook here, and follow them on twitter here.
Napa Day Two: Duckhorn Vineyards. I WILL drink Merlot!
This particular winery was founded in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn and since 2007, Bill Nancarrow has been the executive winemaker.
In the early 1990s, Duckhorn purchased vineyard properties in certain Napa Valley areas so they could consistently obtain at least 70 percent of their grapes from the land they bought. The Napa Valley Estate Vineyard portfolio is now comprised of seven different properties, and the grapes that emerge from them are wonderfully different as a result of variations of viticultural factors such as soil, microclimate, and slight elevation changes.
Marlee’s Vineyard was the first estate planted by Duckhorn in 1976 and is the home vineyard. The others are Patzimaro Vineyard (15 acres), Monitor Ledge Vineyard (43 acres), Rector Creek (39 acres), Candlestick Ridge (28 acres), Stout (36 acres), and Cork Tree (20 acres).
Duckhorn produces other labels which include Paraduxx, Goldeneye, Migration, and Decoy. Each of these have developed their own branding and identity, though they are clearly within the Duckhorn family.
We started our tour of the Duckhorn portfolio in the lobby with a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sémillon). Then we were led to a heated outdoor patio with a view of the backyard and all the colors of fall as you can see below:
Next it was this little show-stealer, the 2008 Three Palms Merlot (93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon 2% Petit Verdot). It’s quite possibly one of the best merlots I have ever tried. If you can get your hands on some of it, do it. Here’s the link to buy it.
We walked away with the 2005 Three Palms Merlot and the 2008 Three Palms Merlot as well as the 2008 Merlot, a 2008 Cabernet and a 2007 Paraduxx.
The BF says the Duckhorn Three Palms is “hands down, the best Merlot I’ve ever tasted”. Hmmm, high praise from someone who has been drinking wine for over four times longer than I have. Well played, Duckhorn, well played. 😉
You can visit Duckhorn Vineyards from Monday–Sunday from 10:00am-5:00pm. They have a Facebook page here and you can follow them on twitter here. For more information, you can also call the winery at (707) 963-7108.
Place Pigalle in Seattle: Romance on the Waterfront
But dear readers, while it is fresh in my mind I want to tell you about a restaurant we visited in Seattle just last Friday night called Place Pigalle. My meal at Place Pigalle was THE most romantic dinner I have ever had (so far, that is)! Place Pigalleis located through a little corridor behind Seattle’s Pike Place Market Fish Throwers and overlooks Seattle’s Puget Sound.Place Pigalle began as a watering hole called the Lotus Inn. The Lotus Inn used to be a hub at which sailors could imbibe before meeting up with a lady friend at the bordello upstairs.
A woman by the name of Nellie Curtis ran the bordello (which she masked as a hotel). Then eventually the owners of the hotel, Rosuke and T.K. Kodama, were sent to an internment camp in 1942, and Curtis purchased the hotel lease. She ran her business for years, evading crackdowns and even an earthquake in 1949.
Sometime in the 50’s, The Lotus (equipped with a sawdust floor and an alleged blind accordion player) became Place Pigalle. The name comes from the red-light district in Paris. Patrons of Place Pigalle used to toss beer and wine bottles out the west windows and watch them sail 50 feet down to the sidewalk and ravine.
By the 60’s the biker crowd that frequented the tavern called it “Pig Alley”, and it became a popular venue for bikers and commoners.
In the 70’s, Place Pigalle became a mecca of sorts for artists, merchant marines, hippies and world travelers. Visitors were attracted by the view and the jukebox, which played everything from Edith Piaf to Jimi Hendrix.
In 1982, Place Pigalle was remodeled when Bill Frank (the bartender) took ownership. He made major improvements to the menu and even the equipment in the kitchen (by tearing out the Sears electric range). It was shortly after that, the restaurant began to attract a more serious following by distinctive diners.
Seth and Lluvia Walker now own Place Pigalle and keep a strong commitment to the restaurant’s tradition and history.
To accompany dinner, we ordered a bottle of a Bordeaux blend, the 2004 Château Greysac, Cru Bourgeois, Médoc. The Médoc part of the name refers to the region (and Médoc is the largest wine making region of Bordeaux, France). A perfect little French wine to go with what was to come next!
My BF’s Cattail Farms Lamb Foreshank with a chestnut purée, squash Napolean, and swimming in a little moat of jus. And I think I actually liked the lamb just a tiny bit better than my dinner! As flavorful as the rabbit was, the lamb was on the very next level. With the food and the wine and the company being so perfect, I could not have asked for more. I only wish I could have taken photos of the view from our table, but they just don’t do it justice.
Near the end of our dinner, Seth, (one of the owners of Place Pigalle) came by our table and introduced himself. We talked a little bit about food, wine and social media. Yes, my favorite topics! 😉
Place Pigalle is open for lunch 11:30-3:00 everyday and for dinner 5:30-9:30 Monday-Thursday and 5:30-10:00 Friday-Saturday. They close at 3:00 on Sunday.
You can follow Place Pigalle on twitter here and you can find them on Facebook here. To make a reservation, you can go here or you can call the restaurant at 206.624.1756. Tell them you NEED table four!
PS: (Extra tip) There is free parking available After 5pm in the Public Market Parking Garage. The Public Market Parking garage offers covered parking and is connected to the Market’s Main Arcade by an elevator and sky bridge.
Casque Wines: Exceptional Rhone and Bordeaux-Style Wines in Loomis
Today I’d like to tell you about a winery that’s pretty much right in our own backyard (that is, if you live near Sacramento), and a talented winemaker named Kevin Stevenson.
The winery is called Casque Wines, and they are located in Loomis off of Taylor road in their new tasting room. If the name sounds familiar, it might be because they used to share a tasting room with Wise Villas, or maybe because in 2010 they took Best of Show at the California State Fair.
Or perhaps this is the first time you have ever heard of them. Well, I am happy to introduce you. Though there some very good wineries in the Placer area, this one is actually my new favorite. I had the chance to go through their entire portfolio a few months ago at The Grape Days of Summer, and since I love interesting white wines, they had me at Roussanne.
Right now in the Casque tasting room, they are doing a three-year vertical tasting of their Roussanne (pictured above). What is remarkable about this, is that you can really taste the difference in vintages, as well as see the color change. When I first tried the wines, it was very comparable to a tequila tasting, as in tequila the flavor gets more caramel, heavier, and the color darker as it ages.
The same goes for the Casque Roussannes. I find it a little better to try the youngest vintage first, so request to do that if you can. The BF and I walked away with the 2010 (his favorite) and the 2008 (my favorite).
Here are the tasting notes on the wines (provided by the winery):
| 2008 Roussanne Our 2008 Roussanne displays a deep, golden straw color in the glass. On the nose, the wine displays classic honeysuckle and apricot notes, with hints of fresh melon and vanilla. In the mouth, the wine is rich and lush, with added notes of peach and crushed nuts. The finish is framed by sweet, but balanced, oak. This rich, full-bodied wine pairs wonderfully with flavorful white meat dishes and stronger cheeses.2009 Roussanne Our 2009 Roussanne displays a rich gold color. Classic varietal aromas of apricot, honey and flowers start slowly but open beautifully in the glass. These meld seemlessly into a rich, round palate with some subtle vanilla notes added to the mix, all of which echo on the long, lingering finish. The fruit for our 2009 Roussanne comes from two different vineyard sources. This year’s bottling was fermented in a combination of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels (approximately 75% stainless, 25% oak).2010 Roussanne Our 2010 Roussanne displays a pale gold color in the glass. On the nose the wine exhibits wonderful aromas of beeswax and melon along with a strong minerality. The mid-palate shows an unexpected lushness, given the wine’s strong minerality, with added notes of peach sherbet and cream. All of the components meld into a long, seamless finish, with subtle hints of vanilla and caramel making an encore appearance. |
You can buy wine from Casque here, but I really suggest you go to the winery itself if possible and meet the winemaker (who also happens to sing and play guitar), taste the wines, and chat for a while.
If you’re not into whites, they are making a Malbec I am really digging, and then there is their proprietary wine, Adrian that we both also loved.
And now a great excuse to visit the Casque tasting room this very weekend!!
Holidays in the Hills: Placer County Wine Trail Event on December 10th and 11th from 12-5pm
Admission is Free with Toy Donation:
Bring a new unwrapped child’s toy to donate for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation Toy Drive and wine tasting is free for the day! All toys collected will be donated to needy children throughout Placer County. (Otherwise, individual winery tasting fees apply).
Home for the Holidays (Decorations and Prizes):
In honor of our troops coming home and families reuniting for the holidays, each winery will decorate with their interpretation of what it means to be “home for the holidays.” See different displays and enter a drawing for a chance to win a mixed case of Placer County Wines and other prizes.
Participating Wineries:
Bonitata • Casque • Cante Ao Vinho • Ciotti • Cristaldi • Dono dal Cielo • Fawnridge • Fortezza • Green Family • Lone Buffalo • Mt. Vernon • PaZa • Popie • Rancho Roble • Secret Ravine • Viña Castellano • Wise Villa
Here’s what Casque will be doing:
FOOD: FireVine Pizza on Saturday and Sunday: Personal Pizzas made to order ($8 – $10) or bring your own picnic.
MUSIC: By the Fire Pits
Saturday, 12-4pm – Matt Cooksey (new age guitarist)
Saturday, 5-8 pm – Terry Sharp (singer/songwriter guitarist)
Sunday – 4 on 6 (jazz group)
DECOR: Come to see our themed Christmas tree: “Badges of Honor”
DISCOUNTS: Enjoy 10% wine and logoed glass discounts to help you get ready for the holidays. (Wine Club Members receive this discount in addition to their standard discount)
GIFT WRAPPING: Complimentary Gift Wrapping and signing of bottles by the winemaker
LATE HOURS: Join us on Saturday evening from 5 until 8pm for our wine bar and wine flights plus additional music by the fireside.
For more information on the event and other wineries participating, you can go to Placer Wine’s website.
You can find Casque Wines on Facebook here.
Napa Valley Destination: The Meritage Resort and Spa and Siena Restaurant
The elegant guestrooms feature oversized terraces, granite counters, plasma TVs, tile floors, Internet access, and refrigerators. I am a huge fan of refrigerators in my room, because I like to have fresh fruit and vegetables on hand at all times. 🙂
BTW, currently if you check in at Siena on Foursquare,
you’ll receive a complimentary glass of Prosecco!
After dinner, we headed to the hot tub for a while, followed by spending some time near the firepit. Here’s the picture I took from there, looking back up to the room.
If you are considering a trip to The Meritage, check out their events for New Years Eve and through the holidays. You can find The Meritage Resort and Spa on Facebook here or follow them on twitter here for exclusive deals and contests.
The Tour at Domaine Carneros
After our stop at Whitehall Lane, we were off to Domaine Carneros. The tasting room and production facility is located in an enormous château modeled after the Château de la Marquetterie in Champagne, France.
In the late 1970’s, Claude Taittinger, the president of Champagne Taittinger, wanted to find a site to produce wines in America in the same style as his winery in Champagne, France. The search for land was on, and in 1987 Champagne Taittinger (led by Claude Taittinger), along with partner Kobrand Corporation, selected a 138 acre land parcel in Carneros to form Domaine Carneros. For a little more (and pretty interesting family background), you can go here and read about the Taittingers.
Since Domaine Carneros was founded, the lead winemaker has been Eileen Crane (selected by Claude Taittinger), and she is still in charge of operations and overseeing the winemaking and exactly when the wines are ready to be bottled.
Domaine Carneros is known for their remarkable sparkling wines, especially their Brut Vintage and ultra-bubbly cuvée Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs.
In the winery’s beginning, they sold their Pinot Noir fruit to other area wine makers for many years. Since the wines being produced from these grapes were top-notch, by 1992, Domaine Carneros decided to begin making their own Pinot Noir.
All of the Domaine Carneros wines are from the Carneros Appellation, and 95% of the grapes are estate grown. All of Domaine Carneros estate vineyards have been has been certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers organization since April 2008.
The last sparkling wine we tasted (not pictured) is my favorite: the The Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour. It has so many favorable qualities: elegant, crisp, festive, and the antique pink color!
It was made to celebrate Madame de Pompadour (the great courtesan and mistress of Louis XV) who first introduced sparkling wine to the court at Versailles, and who is quoted as saying, “Champagne is the only wine a woman can drink and remain beautiful.”
This Rosé is a balance of 58% pinot noir and 42% chardonnay. Domaine Carneros obtains their Rosé’s color and flavor using two methods: first, by allowing part of the pinot juice to spend several days in contact with the grape skins. (This is how many other non-sparkling rosés are made.) Secondly, a small amount of pinot noir is added back to adjust color and flavor.
Although it is pink in color, this Brut Rosé is not sweet. It pairs very nicely with salmon, duck, brunch foods like quiche, brie en croute, and even fresh berries.
If you visit Domaine Carneros, the main château and terrace are open from 10:00am to 6:00pm daily. The last service of the day is at 5:45 p.m. If you do a tour, call ahead of time and make a reservation. I know it is hard to do when you are in Napa and sticking to a schedule is the last thing you’d probably want to do, but this tour is really worth it!
Their facebook page is located here, and you can follow them on twitter here.
And so it was off to The Meritage and dinner at Siena!
Napa Trip Day One, Part One: Whitehall Lane
If it seems like I have a love thing with Napa Valley, you’re right. You’ve seen several posts by now about my visits there and know my specific fondness for downtown Napa. Actually, that’s why I moved to Sacramento instead of any other city in California. Because of the close proximity to Napa Valley and several other wine regions within driving distance.
Last weekend, I returned to Napa, and this time got to share my trip with someone very special. 🙂
Our first stop was Whitehall Lane. Whitehall Lane is a small, family owned winery in the heart of Napa Valley. The Leonardi Family of St. Helena owns the winery and six strategic vineyards that form the foundation for their award winning wines.
Our kind host was a gentleman named Frederik Soegaard. He guided us through a tasting of several wines from their portfolio.
We began our tasting with the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley (Blend of 91% Sauvignon Blanc and 9% Semillon). I am a huge lover of sauvignon blanc and this is my prosciutto and melon wine all the way.
Their 2009 Chardonnay is big and buttery. I would say the word butterscotch is a good descriptor–although it is not sweet. I actually like both styles of chardonnay that are being done right now. The butter and oak bombs, and the cleaner stainless variety. It really all just depends on what I am eating or what kind of mood I am in.
The next highlight of our tasting was the 2007 Merlot, Napa Valley, a blend of 81% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Syrah. The 2007 grapes came from five separate Merlot vineyards, two Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and one Syrah vineyard. The wine was aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels for approximately 17 months. Did you know that Merlot comes from the French word for “young blackbird”? Merlot has been given a pretty bad rap lately, but take a sip of this one, and you’ll forget all about that…. movie...
Whitehall Lane’s facebook page is located here and you can follow them on twitter here. Text napawine to 55411 for tasting discounts.
Next, we were off to Domaine Carneros in the Citroën… 🙂
More Turkey, Love
Are you still looking for ways to de-turkey? Look no further!! Here’s another completely different and interesting dish.
Yesterday, after a great 8 mile run in the morning, and a barrel tasting at Revolution Wines in late afternoon, I made dinner and yet another Paleo dish with turkey.
This time, the BF and I were kind of celebrating, so we opened my sample of Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut by Freixenet. This sparkling wine has notes of blackberry and blends Trepat with the Pinot Noir to create a unique rosé.
The grape percentages are 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Trepat. It scored 87 points and an “acclaim” rating in Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It has a 11.5% alcohol content and is aged 9 months in the cave with second fermentation in the bottle.
What Ever Shall We Do with All This Turkey?
The grape varieties used in the creation of the base wine for this Cava are Trepat and Garnacha. It has a 12% alcohol content and is aged between 12 and 18 months.
The Freixenet Cordon Rosado retails for about $12 per bottle, so if you have a lot of parties to attend or some to host, you can get a case of this without taking out a loan. Want to find this wine? Click here to find Cordon Rosado Brut at a retailer near you. Also, they have a Facebook page here.
Oh right, I was supposed to tell you what you can make with turkey leftovers. Oops. Well, the dish I made was turkey in an onion, pine nut, and three-cheese sauce over spaghetti squash.
First, I threw a spaghetti squash in the oven about 45 mins before I began to prepare the rest of the meal. Then I toasted some pine nuts alongside the squash when it was nearly time to take it out. Be careful with pine nuts, they go from perfectly toasted to burnt very easily. Then I sautéed some onions in coconut oil, added some garlic, and then the turkey, which I had torn into bite-sized pieces. I made the cheese sauce from a blend of mozzarella, parmesan, and asiago cheeses. I melted them in a little chicken broth and some unsweetened coconut milk and then poured it over the turkey/onion sauté. Then I took the squash I baked and portioned it on the plate, and laid the turkey on the top. Then I grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (my favorite cheese EVERRR) to finish it off. OK, so that’s four cheeses, but oh well, four times as good. Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone!
Custom Holiday Meals from Whole Foods
 |
| The Holiday Order Station at Whole Foods Sacramento, at the left entrance of the store. |
To learn more about the holiday menu selections, you can go to http://holidayworthsharing.com You can also follow Whole Foods on Twitter @WFMNorCal Tag #WholeForTheHolidays for a chance to a win a turkey dinner! There will be one winner a week. Good luck!
To order your holiday meals you can go to: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop and to see a complete holiday forum with recipes and tips for a perfect party, you can go here:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/holidays/
Pinotlicious Wines: Part One
Taste of History Dinner at Sutter’s Fort = History Tastes Delicious!
On September 25th, the Annual Taste of History Dinner at Sutter’s Fort was held. I attended with a fellow food blogger and we enjoyed an evening of music, conversation, and eating a multi-course dinner outdoors at a beautiful table settings inside the fort walls.
The evening began with a reception with appetizers by Whole Foods and Selland’s Market. Whole Foods made pear “hand-pies”, cider with sparkling water, and also sampled pistachios and yellow watermelon. Selland’s offered little cups of corn soup, cheese and honey served on cedar planks, and tiny pot pies with vegetable filling. Around the corner, Ten22 was serving fresh fried corn tortilla chips and mole sauce.
While we were waiting to be seated, we ventured off around Sutter’s Fort and looked into some of the exhibit rooms. There are recorded guides to inform you of your surroundings and the purpose of each room.
This was the first course, a Chicken Mole Salad prepared by Chef Jay Veregge of Ten 22 in Old Sacramento. It was paired with a River City Brewing Vienna Lager.
The third course, was quite possibly my favorite and sadly I don’t have a better picture of it. It was a slow cooked Beef Brisket with shell beans, corn, and Del Rio Farms herb salsa prepared by Scott Rose. For those of you in Paleo land, I didn’t eat the corn, but did have a few delicious beans. 😉 This course was paired with a wine from Bogle.
cavegrrl.com 
