Vinooo

I know my blog posts have been far and few between lately but I promise to get better...maybe. This post is about wine and not a recipe for once. In the beginning, I intended to review wines that I tried along with recipes. While I continued to get emails about the recipes, I didn't really get any feedback on the wine part. I refuse to believe that the people visiting my site are not wine drinkers :) so I am giving it a try once more. And these are two wines that were fabulous and deserve to be blogged!

Francis Ford Coppola Winery Director's Cut Pinot Noir 2008

I've actually been to the FFC winery. It's a really fun one to visit because they have a lot of memorabilia from his movies. It's also quite beautiful. The wines I tasted were good but not good enough for me to order a case to be shipped here. But this bottle was a gift and I was very pleasantly surprised. It was a really nice pinot...light, fruity, and vibrant. If I can find it in stores, I will purchase on my own.

Hawkes 2009 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

 Love, love, love this one. I also visited this winery and didn't meet a cab that I didn't love. So, I knew this one would be especially good. It's a nice rich cab with chocolate undertones throughout.

Drink up!

Cauliflower Soup and Vino

I'm back at it with the soups even though we still aren't experiencing winter weather here (not complaining). I really enjoyed this soup because it was comforting but not too heavy. Even though it was cauliflower, I liked that it reminded me of a potato soup which I love but don't need the extra starchy carbs. You can make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. The original recipe from Sunday Soup included prosciutto. But I was trying to make the recipe a little healthier and cheaper so I left that out. But that might be a necessary ingredient for some. If it is, you basically want to cut the prosciutto into thin strips and then heat it in a pan with a little olive oil until crisp and browned. After draining it, you would use it to garnish this lovely soup. 

I served it with olive rolls which I didn't bake but the lovely Publix bakery did. And course there was wine and a really good one at that.  My David Coffaro futures arrived and I didn't hesitate to break that package open. I realized that they probably intended to sit for awhile more but I just couldn't wait. The 2010 "Neighbors' Zin" Zinfandel was everything I hoped for. This was one of our favorite wineries when we went barrel tasting in Sonoma per the recommendation of my aunt and uncle. Lovely, lovely wines!

Cauliflower Soup
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 1/2 cups leeks (white and light green parts), chopped
1 large cauliflower head cut into florets
4 cups chicken stock
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan plus more for garnish
1/4 cup creme fraiche
kosher salt
italian parsley (for garnish)


Steps:

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook for 4 minutes. Add florets, stock, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender or in batches using a food processor or blender. Whisk in the creme fraiche and cheese. Add salt to taste.

Serve in bowls with extra parmesan cheese, parsley, and prosciutto (if you wish) as garnish.

Wine and Wine

No recipes today but I might have one to share tomorrow. I'm making peach ketchup to go with some cheddar-stuffed burgers. Mmm...

But I did have two more of my wines. I've been forgetting to post about the wines that I drink lately. (Don't think that just because I didn't post means I took a break from the wine.)

We opened another one of our bottles from the Sonoma trip, Robert Young Merlot. No, I haven't finished all those wines yet. See Mom, I really don't drink THAT much. It was a really nice red and went well with our pasta. I don't buy Merlot too often. I used to drink them fairly often towards the end of my college years. However, a well-known movie, Sideways , came out shortly after and ruined it for me and many other winos. This is the movie that made it uncool to drink Merlot. Sadly, I was too embarrassed to continue my love affair with the drink. But now that I'm too old to care, I can enjoy it every now and again. So if you are still down with Merlot, this is a good one.

Another California wine...Muir Wood Chardonnay. I liked it but it was a tad sweeter than I usually like for my Chardonnays. It'd be a nice wine to drink on the porch but not so much a dinner wine.

Fiesta Fiesta! A Taste of the Caribbean.

When I hear the word "Caribbean" I think of so many wonderful things. The Pirates of the Caribbean was always my favorite ride at the Magic Kingdom as a child. I can still remember each section of the ride and the nice cool caves the line for the ride takes you through so that you get to escape the heat for a short (or long) time. Some of the movies were great and some not so great. But who doesn't love Johnny Depp as a pirate?! But even better than a ride is the actual Caribbean. What I would give to be on an island with clear blue water and a tropical drink right now... I would love to go back to Bonaire, Curacao, St. Kitts, Grenada or St. Maarten. But for now, some Caribbean-inspired cooking will have to do. Speaking of Caribbean food, there is a place you need to check out if you are local. Caribbean Fiesta on Old Milton Pkwy in Alpharetta makes some damn good chicken and sides. It's definitely not a fancy restaurant but they know what they are doing for sure.

I found the recipe below in Cuisine At Home magazine. It was pretty amazing if you ask me! I also opened a bottle of Chestatee White Wine from the Three Sisters Vineyards in North Georgia. It was a nice wine to go with spicy foods but wasn't amazing overall. Their more premium wines are much better.

Caribbean Pork Bowl with Black Beans and Rice
Makes 4 large servings (pic after recipe.) Source: Cuisine At Home 

Ingredients:
For salsa:
4 -6 tomatillos, quartered
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
 
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 lb smoked kielbasa cut into slices
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

Steps:
 

Blanch tomatillos in boiling water for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften.  Remove husk, drain and rinse in cold water.

 Pulse tomatillos with pineapple, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, sugar, and salt in a processor or blender until finely chopped. Cover and chill. 

 Blend spices.

Toss trimmed pork with spice mixture. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute pork for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Stir in kielbasa and garlic. Saute an additional 5 minutes or until kielbasa begins to brown, stirring to keep the garlic from burning.

 Deglaze with lime juice and boil until syrupy, 1-2 minutes. Serve with black beans and rice, and top with tomatillo salsa.

 

Black Beans and Rice

 

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain rice

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

2 cans black beans (15 oz. each), drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chicken broth

 

Steps: 

Saute garlic in oil over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add rice and saute a minute until golden. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.

In another pan, saute onion in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beans and broth, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer until hot. Add broth if necessary. 

Ancho-Rubbed Steaks

For those that check my blog on a regular basis, you may have noticed that my posting has become less frequent. To be honest, I have become disenchanted with the whole blogging thing. But, "C'est la vie." It's hard to come up with fun blog posts on the spot when I feel like posting a new recipe. It's also a lot more lonely than I thought it would be. However, I do still want to share recipes for anyone that is interested and also to have a place where they are organized for my own benefit. So I will continue to post for now.


This was an especially easy recipe. The spices add a slight kick to your steak but aren't spicy enough to scare away those who fear the hotness. I served it with the corn from this blog post. We also opened up our Zinfandel from Harvest Moon. You know from this trip.  It was sooo good. I usually think of Zinfandels as being spicy but this felt really light almost like a Pinot Noir.

Ancho-Rubbed Steaks

Ingredients:

2 NY Strip or Ribeye Steaks
Fresh lime, squeezed
Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp. Ancho chile powder  

Steps:
1) Get your grill started
2)  Spread lime juice evenly over one side of the steaks. Then, season with salt.
3) In a small bowl, combine pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and chile powder. Use mixture to season steaks on the side with lime juice and salt. 
4) Let the steaks sit for about 15 minutes.
5) Grill the steaks starting with the seasoned side down and then flip until it reaches desired doneness.

Peachy Grilling

It's officially summer! Though I'm pretty sure Georgia would be surprised to hear that because she seemed to think it has been for some time now with all the plus 90 degree weather since May...

I found a recipe that I think is perfect for summer since it combines both grilling and peaches. My husband wasn't so sure that he liked it. But try mentioning that you will be adding peaches, pineapples or the like in the meal, and it won't really excite him.  I liked it and thought it would be perfect for summer get togethers. Others, well, they may not agree.

We also tried a new wine that I picked up at Total Wine, Nobilis Vinho Verde. It's a white wine from Portugal. I liked that it was a tad sweet (but not overly so) and had a hint of carbonation to it - perfect for a 95 degree day! It was a random find but I may or may not have picked this one based on the pretty bottle. It was also less than $8!

Peach-Glazed Chops
Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

2 medium peaches, coarsely chopped

1 medium lime, juiced (2 Tbsp.)

1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce

2 cloves garlic

4 center-cut pork chops about 1 inch thick

4 peaches, halved and pitted

1 red sweet pepper, quartered

1 Tbsp. honey

1/2 bunch basil, chopped

 
 Steps:

1. In blender, combine the chopped peaches, lime juice, soy sauce, and Sriracha sauce. Blend until nearly smooth. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Smash garlic with the side of a wide knife or the bottom of a skillet. Add garlic and pork to bag; seal and turn to coat. Let stand up to 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade. For a charcoal grill, grill chops on rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 14 to 18 minutes or until chops are slightly pink in center and juices run clear (160 degrees F), turning once halfway through grilling and adding the peach halves and pepper quarters for the last 7 minutes of grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place meat on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)

3. Meanwhile, pour marinade into a small saucepan. Add honey and bring to a simmer. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly reduced and thickened (discard garlic cloves). Remove pork, peaches, and peppers from grill and brush with reduced marinade. Chop peaches and peppers as desired for serving. Pass remaining marinade. Sprinkle with basil. Makes 4 servings.

 

 

Chicken Piccata and Wine Of Course

Hopefully everyone had a nice weekend and enjoyed the great weather after those terrible storms. I have a couple of wines to report on... Over the weekend, we opened one of the wines we ordered on our Sonoma trip, Robert Young Scion. It was a treat for my taste buds for sure! We enjoyed it on it's own but it would also be great with a meaty dinner.

With the chicken piccata that I made last night, we opened a white wine. I actually bought it mainly for cooking not drinking but since I had a lot left, I figured why not. For the price, it made a nice white table wine. However, I don't think it would stand up to some of the pricier wines. It was $10.99 at Whole Foods.

The dish was both delicious and simple to make! In an effort to save money and suit my own tastes, I left the capers out. However, a traditional piccata would have capers.

Chicken Piccata
(2 Servings for small eaters, 1 for big eaters)

Ingredients:

2 chicken cutlets
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
all-purpose flour
nonstick cooking spray
2 Tbsp of canola or veg. oil
1/4 c white wine
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 c chicken stock
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
Parsley


Steps:

1) Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 
2) Pour flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken through it to coat and then shake off the excess.
3) Spray a pan with cooking spray, add oil and turn on to medium-high heat. 
4) Cook cutlets 4-5 minutes on each side or until slightly golden. Transfer chicken to another pan on low heat.
5) Add wine and garlic to original pan to deglaze. Cook 2-3 minutes. 
6) Add stock and lemon juice. Place chicken back into the pan to cook with sauce (one minute on each side.)  Transfer chicken to plates.
7) Add the butter and parsley to the sauce. Cook until melted before pouring over the chicken and serving.

Spice Is Nice

After complaining about the price (to no one in particular), I finally left Whole Foods with two grass-fed ribeyes. In reality, I *almost* got a steal when you think about how much those two lovely pieces of meat would have cost had I ordered them in one of Atlanta's nice chop houses. I don't usually order ribeyes because I like my meat leaner. However, grass fed meat is going to be leaner naturally so by getting a cut that usually has some marbling, you end up with a damn tasty steak! Though, I can't take credit for that part of our meal, my husband is the grill master around here. I promise they tasted better than the picture!

With the steaks, I served an interesting pilaf which is the recipe that I'm sharing. Also, I opened one of my cheaper bottles of Cabernet. I think it was $6.99 at Total Wine.  This wine was pretty good for the price. But I've had bottles that were just under $20 that were better so whether I'd recommend it would really depend on your price point.

Orange Spiced Pilaf with Berries and Nuts

Ingredients:
 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 and a half medium onions: 1 onion large slices - half onion diced
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, zest finely grated (1 tsp.) and juiced (about 2-3 Tbs.)
3/8 cup dried tart cherries or cranberry mix
1 cups jasmine rice
3/8 cup pistachios, pecans, or slivered almonds toasted and roughly chopped 

Steps:
 

In a large skillet/saucepan, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook, stirring occasionally for 21 minutes. Add the three spices and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook another 5 min., stirring occasionally, to allow the onion to absorb the flavors of the spices and caramelize a bit more. Season with 1/4 tsp. of the salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.

Pour the orange juice over the berries in a small bowl. If the liquid is not enough to cover them, add water and set aside.

In another large saucepan melt the 1 Tbs. butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and remaining salt and stir well to coat each grain with butter. Toast for a full 5 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the grains separated and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of  the pan. Be careful not to burn the rice.

Add 1-1/2 cups of water, stir once, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the pilaf sit, still covered, for 5 minutes.
Once the pilaf has rested, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Strain the berries and discard the orange juice. Using the fork, gently fold in the berries, onions, nuts, and orange zest. Serve warm.

 

Veggie Fried Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is one of the new super foods. It is a type of seed I believe that is high in protein and magnesium and is especially good for people with diabetes, migraines, and atherosclerosis. It's also gluten free! It doesn't hurt that it also tastes good in my opinion. There are lots of different things that you can do with it too. I decided to go the Asian route for dinner.

We also opened up another bottle of wine from Harvest Moon , the Pinot Noir. It was delicious but we managed to save a bit for tonight.

Quinoa Vegetable, Fried ( Source: SparkPeople)

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 package mixed vegetables, any variety you like (asian stir-fry, broccoli medley is good)
1 cup frozen edamame, shelled
1 egg
2 tsp canola oil
3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
1 clove minced garlic

 optional:
1 tsp corn starch dissolved in warm water
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar added to tamari
Chili pepper flakes

Sriracha hot sauce 
salt and pepper

Steps:

Briefly boil/blanch frozen veggies and edamame and heat up wok or stir-fry pan. Add canola oil to hot pan and then add drained veggies. Stir in garlic and cook briefly. Add in quinoa, then tamari/vinegar/corn starch sauce. Stir fry until incorporated and quinoa is hot.

Move mixture up sides of wok to make space in the middle of the pan for the egg. Break into pan and scramble, eventually incorporating into mixture.

Season with optional ingredients. 
 
 

Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Loin Chops

Tonight's dinner felt fancier than normal. Perhaps it is because I used New Zealand lamb and served it with an awesome wine (more on that in a minute.)  But really, this is a meal that is easy to make and will impress. The meal: Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Chops, Tomato Mixture, Tomato-Balsamic Rice and Cannellini beans.

 Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Loin Chops (recipe from Better Homes and Gardens)

 

Ingredients

1  recipe  Tomato-Balsamic Rice, (recipe below)
4    lamb loin chops, cut 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick (1-3/4 to 2 lb. total)
1  tablespoon  snipped fresh rosemary
3  cloves  garlic, minced
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  ground black pepper
1  tablespoon  olive oil
2  cups  cherry tomatoes
1  teaspoon  balsamic vinegar
    Rosemary sprigs 

Directions

1. Prepare Tomato-Balsamic Rice. Meanwhile, arrange oven rack so that the top of the chop surface is 4 to 5 inches from the heat when placed on a broiler pan. Make sure to account for the height of broiler pan and chops. Preheat broiler.
2. Coat the top of broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Rub both sides of the chops with half of each of the the snipped rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Broil chops for 18 to 20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in chops registers 145 degrees F (medium-rare doneness), turning occasionally to brown evenly.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes and remaining half of the snipped rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes just begin to soften. Stir in vinegar.

4. Serve chops with tomatoes, and Tomato-Balsamic Rice. Top with rosemary sprigs. Makes 4 servings.
Tomato-Balsamic Rice: In a medium saucepan combine 2 cups water, 1 cup uncooked jasmine or long grain rice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 18 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained; 1/2 cup frozen peas; and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Cover; let stand 5 minutes to heat through. Makes about 4 cups.

The wine that I served it with was Frank Family Vineyard's 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Their wines are so delicious. I picked it up at Total Wine. I've wanted to buy one of their wines for a couple of years now. Back story on this: When I was in Napa in 2009, someone who wishes to remain anonymous needed to use a restroom while we were driving around on a dirt road with no stops in sight...until we came across this winery. They had nice, clean bathrooms and no objections to us using them. They were used and then we left promptly. The next day we found ourselves in the same predicament and stopped back at FFV. This time they gave us a free tasting. We loved the wines but we're in a hurry to make a reservation and said we'd be back to actually buy something. We never went back. So I've always felt that I "owed it them" to buy some of their wine.  While it is kind of pricey, it is SO worth it. I will definitely be buying more in the future. This bottle was purchased as a Valentine's gift for my hubs.

A Detox Meal and Yay For Wine!

With all the heavy meals that we've had lately, I decided we needed a "clean meal" and I wanted to make use of all the veggies I bought at the grocery store over the weekend.  I actually liked this meal and it was so easy and quick to throw together. However, it's definitely not an exciting meal so I wouldn't plan on making this for guests or anything...

Veggie Saute 
makes at least 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tsp flavored olive oil of your choice (I used one that was infused with arbol peppers and sun-dried tomatoes)
Veggies of your choice, here is what I used:
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 small red onion, diced
2 Zucchini, chopped
1 cup of Shiitake mushrooms
a few red kale leaves


Optional:
Sauce
Rice


Steps:

 Pour oil in large saucepan. Turn heat to medium. Once heated, add garlic, carrots, and onions. Stir until veggies are slightly tender. 
Next, add in the zucchini and cook until tender but not too tender. Toss some salt in for flavor. Add in the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes. Last, add in the kale and cook until the leaves are just wilted. 

I like mine served over rice with a little sauce on top. You can pick up your favorite sauce at the store or make your own. A peanut or soy sauce would work well but I wanted to be a little healthier. I poured a box of Pomi strained tomatoes in a saucepan with a little salt and red pepper flakes. It simmered for 30 minutes while I chopped and cooked the veggies. Then, I served it over wild rice. 

I almost forgot...my wine from both Robert Young and Harvest Moon Wineries arrived! Actually, they tried to deliver the wine a few times when I wasn't home but this time I was practically waiting by the window and even met the UPS truck outside. The UPS man gave me a good laugh when he questioned if I was 18 and if my parents were home to sign for it. Maybe I should skip the makeup and wear a ponytail more often. I opened up a bottle of the Harvest Moon Zinfandel right away because you know I'm not patient. In case you were wondering, it was fabulous! So much for the detoxing...

A Cheap Wine Find!

Total Wine came to the rescue again with a cheap wine find. Jade Mountain's 2008 Cabernet offered a nice break from some of the heavier Cabs I've had recently. It's definitely a good value since it was part of my "bottles under $15" trek...$8.99 to be exact.  It was made from grapes grown in three different wine regions: Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino. You can really detect the berries in this deep red wine...very prominent tannins!

California Dreamin' Part Three

Today, we started off in the Alexander Valley region which turned out to be our favorite. It was absolutely beautiful, quiet, spread out, and also a great place for wines! Robert Young Winery was our first stop. We really enjoyed this tasting. The family poured the wines as they told us a bit about the history of their family and the winery itself. All of their wines were fantastic and we placed an order for their 2008 Chardonnay, 2007 Merlot, and the 2006 Scion which is a red blend (primarily Cab-Sav.) The wine is expensive but worth it (we think.)

Our next stop was Stryker Sonoma. We were starting to get all wined out and our palates were less discerning. But I could tell that their Zinfandel and Petite Verdot were special. I would send a friend here not just for the wine but also for the views. They were gorgeous and there was also a nice patio with fireplace for the warmer weather.

Another favorite that we came across was Hawkes Wine. They had excellent Cabernets! We actually bought futures of each of their Cabs.

After too much wine, we decided to drive to downtown Healdsburg and grab lunch so that we could start fresh later. We went to the Oakville Grocery and picked up some phenomenal meats and cheeses to snack on. (Cypress Grove Homboldt Fog Cheese- creamy, soft, and a bit sharp; Proscuitto; and Spicy Salami) On our Napa trip, we actually went to the same place for lunch at their second location so we knew to look for this. This was a better experience since last time a bird pecked at my head. :-)

Our last two tastings were in downtown Healdsburg. First, we went to the Topel Tasting Room. The wines were "meh" at best. But we were excited to run into some Georgia Tech alumni there. For our very last wine tasting, we went to La Crema. Their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were really good. However, we didn't purchase anything since we see their wine at our local grocery and wine shops all the time.

The place that we went to for dinner was by far our best meal, Zazu. It is on a farm and the theme here is "the pig." There are a lot of bacon inspired entrees among other things. The entire menu sounded so amazing that I couldn't decide what to order. Because of that, we decided to get a variety of things and share.  I would suggest checking out their menu except that it was completely different from what is posted on their website. We really couldn't drink anymore that day so we both ordered root beers which is pretty out of character for us but cute nonetheless :-).  For starters, we shared an order of their bacon-wrapped dates...SO good. Then, we had deviled eggs which were creamy and amazing. I'm not sure what the secret was but they were better than any that I've ever had. Next, we had the brussel sprout salad.  The brussel sprouts tasted like they were pan-roasted in olive oil and were tossed with some asian pears, hazelnuts, and bacon. For the entree, we ordered the "The Black Pig Sugo." It was braised pork in a light tomato-based sauce served over green noodles and arugula. We also ordered a side of bacon. The bacon there is wonderful. You can actually join a bacon club and have packs of it shipped to you. The best part is that the pigs are heritage breed, raised without antibiotics and hormones, and are allowed to roam free range.

To sum it all up, here are my recommendations for anyone traveling to Sonoma:

Restaurants: Zazu, Dry Creek Kitchen, Oakville Grocery (pack a picnic)
For the wine: Harvest Moon, Hawkes, David Coffaro, Robert Young
For the atmosphere: Paradise Ridge, Stryker Sonoma, Bella Caves

We went to additional places (non-wine related) and towns but I didn't want to bore you with more information and pictures. So if you are planning a trip and have questions, feel free to comment with your email address or questions.

California Dreamin' Part Two

After the bad breakfast experience the day before and another one that I won't waste time discussing, we decided we should just do coffee and a pastry for breakfast the next few days. The two that we went to were Peet's Coffee- very similar to a Starbucks and Bad Ass Coffee - a neat little Kona coffee chain.

The first winery of the day was Francis Ford Coppola Winery. It felt kind of disney-esque with all the memorabilia and the grandness of the property.  I thought it was a pretty neat place to visit with the props from his movies (Godfather cars, Apocalypse Now uniforms, Dracula costumes, etc.) I even got up close to a few of his Oscars. His Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon were nice but not exceptional.

Our next stop was another of my aunt's recommendations, David Coffaro.  We really enjoyed the wine here especially their Zinfandels and their red blends. The winery itself was pretty small but appeared to be quite a social scene during this event. They were playing loud music and lots of young people hung around here for awhile. We purchased futures of their 2010 Zinfandel (Neighbor's Zin) which I assume we will receive at the end of this year. 

We then headed over to Bella Vineyards. This place was really fun since you get to taste in their wine caves. While walking through, I couldn't help but feeling like I was in line for Pirates of the Caribbean at Disney World.  The wine was decent but nothing that I wanted to purchase. The only dislike about the winery is that they had some sort of a Texas theme going on for the event. We couldn't figure out that trend. But anyways...

Our last stop of the day was to Michel-Schlumberger. This winery was beautiful with their gorgeous gardens and fountains. It was reminiscent of an Italian villa. Their Cabernet Sauvignon was tasty.

Dinner that evening was the famed Dry Creek Kitchen. This restaurant is definitely on the pricier side and would be suitable for a special occasion or night out.

I had a glass of ISC Cabernet Sauvignon with my dinner. I ordered the Prime New York Steak Au Poivre with wild mushroom fondue, potato darioule, and candied red onion marmalade

 We didn't do the full course menu but we did order dessert to share after our entrees. We did a tasting of ice creams and sorbets. (Chocolate Earl Grey Ice Cream- my fave, Pomegranate Ice Cream, Coconut Sorbet, Citrus Sorbet, Pineapple Sorbet, Cinnamon Gelato) Then, they surprised us with a chef's tasting of mini-desserts which included a Samoa (yes, the girl scout cookie), Blood Orange Gelee, Chocolate Cake, and an Herbal Shortbread.

California Dreamin' Day One

Hello my lovelies! I apologize for the lack of posts the past week. I was actually on vacation visiting the wine country in Sonoma County. Since it was basically a trip of eating and drinking, I thought it would also make an appropriate blog post so this will be a long one. In fact, I will break it up by day as not to drive my readers mad. Keep in mind that some of these wines may not be available for purchase yet since we were barrel tasting. While out there, we also got a chance to visit with my aunt and uncle who are always a good time! If you are looking for a recipe, this probably isn't the post you are looking for but I promise to add more soon. The pictures are a little blurry but what would you expect when taking pictures on a wine tasting journey?!

Our hotel was located in the southern part of the wine country in Santa Rosa. Since it was late when we got in, we decided to go eat nearby in downtown Santa Rosa instead of exploring further. But we found a fun spot, Russian River Brewing Co. It's a brewery that has a restaurant attached to it. It seemed like the local hot-spot for groups of friends looking to grab a beer and a pizza which is exactly what we did. I tried the Russian River IPA with the Mama Mia pizza (Pepperoni, Pineapple, and Jalapeno.) I was shocked to find that pizza on the menu since it's sort of my dream pizza. That is the exact combination that I would probably order if it were up to me. But it's not so popular with my friends and family. The pizza was standard but they had an impressive beer list.

The next morning, we checked out a breakfast spot that was recommended by someone and also rated well on Urbanspoon, Hank's Creekside.  It definitely seemed like a locals spot and not touristy at all so we had high hopes. I ordered an egg scramble with tomatoes, green chilies, and avocado. It came with hashbrowns and a biscuit. My husband had the pancakes which were too heavy and tough. We wanted to like it, we really did. Perhaps we are biased since breakfast is expected to be a certain way in the Southeast but it just wasn't good.

We started in the Russian River Valley. Our first winery of the day was Joseph Swan Vineyards. There were two wines in particular that were good here...I surprisingly enjoyed a sweeter white wine that they served, Marsanne/Roussanne. It looked very much like a Chardonnay in the glass but was much richer. It was a white wine with the intensity of a red. I kept detecting a hint of almond but that's just me. The other was the 2009 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel. Neither of us are usually fans of Zinfandel but this trip made a fan of us starting with this winery.

Next, we hit up Harvest Moon Winery which was one of our favorites. The winemaker himself was out pouring the wine and chatting with the patrons. There was even a dog hanging out with us that lives on the property (picture included.) Their wines were a little lighter and fruity. My favorites were the Russian River Pinot Noir, Russian River Zinfandel, and the Dry Creek Cabernet. (Those are also the ones that are being shipped to me, hopefully soon!)

Upon recommendation of a friend, we went to Hook and Ladder Vineyards which is owned by the De Loach family. This was a fun place with a firehouse theme.  The winery owner happens to be a former firefighter. There was also another dog spotting here, a German Shepard! They had some nice cab-savs and cab-francs. While we didn't purchase the wine, we did buy a box of wonderful truffles from a vendor selling them on the property.

Next, we went to Sunce Winery upon my aunt's recommendation. There were some good wines here but it was a bit too crowded to really get in and enjoy all the wines. We did however, leave with a Cabernet-Franc based dessert wine since we really enjoyed it. We don't generally open dessert wines at our house unless we have dinner guests. So if you are my next guest...

After all the wine, we needed lunch so I dragged my husband to the famed, In-N-Out Burger. My cheeseburger and fries were delicious and worth the calorie overload or maybe that was the wine talking? While it was definitely much better than other fast-food chains, I'm not sure why it's so famous. I've had better, fresher fries and burgers at joints around here that are not famous by any means. But then there is The Varsity here that makes it onto all the "must-do" lists and it's garbage.

For the last winery of the day, (yeah we did a lot but I wanted to squeeze in one more) we went to Paradise Ridge Winery. This one is a bit off the beaten path for most people but was really close to our hotel. The drive up to the winery was gorgeous as was the property. This had the best views of the area by far and a really relaxed atmosphere around it.  I liked one of their cabernets but otherwise the wine was hit-or-miss. But maybe it was the hokey "Hoe-Down" theme that they had going on for the barrel tasting that distracted me. Either way, I'd come here again for the views alone.

For dinner, we went to John Ash & Co next to the Vintners Inn. It was quite enjoyable!

Needing a break from wine (note that I said wine not alcohol), I started with a light Lemon Cocktail (so good).

As an appetizer, we ordered the local Hog Island Sweet Water Oysters w/ Meyer lemon granité, hogwash, and cocktail sauce.

My entree: Pan Seared Sea Bass w/ vanilla scented root vegetables, onion soubise, and radish salad