Lamb Sausage & Arugula Pizza

The rich, silkiness of this wine match well with the creamy goat cheese and full-bodied savory lamb sausage. Good acidity and fruit notes play up the sweetness of the balsamic glaze.

PIZZA INGREDIENTS:
• 1 pie crust or home made pie crust from your favorite recipe
• ½ of a medium red onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Herb goat cheese
• 1 can or jar of your favorite tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup lamb sausage, formed into ½ inch patties
• 2 cups shredded cheese (Mozzarella or 4-cheese blend)
• ½ cup arugula

BALSAMIC GLAZE:
• ½ cup of a good balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS: Pour balsamic vinegar into a sauce pot. Add granulated sugar and a couple pinches of salt. Stir to combine. Place the sauce pot over medium heat. Once the balsamic vinegar comes to a boil, stir again, set to simmer and casually watch it while you make the rest of the pizza. Stamp out the lamb sausage mix evenly into ½ inch thick disks. Sauté on medium heat until cooked through and brown on the outside. Cube and set aside. Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Choose a sour dough mix, your favorite pizza dough recipe or a pre-made, store-bought dough for the crust. Flour your cooking surface and stretch or roll the crust out to your desired thickness. Fold over ½ inch of the edges if you like a thick crust. Choose a homemade or store-bought tomato sauce and ladle out onto the crust. Sprinkle the cheese evenly across the surface of the sauce, then the red onion, garlic, and cubed, pre-cooked sausage. Sprinkle your desired amount of herb goat cheese last. Around this time, the balsamic glaze should be finished and set aside. Bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes, or until brown to your liking. Once cooked, turn off the oven and add the arugula and drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Put it back in the warm oven for another few minutes.  Serves 4.  Recipe courtesy of Niman Ranch Recipes.

Tierra y Mar
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley, CA

Tierra y Mar translates to Earth and Sea, a nod to the special relationship between land and water. Tierra y Mar produce wines that are the ultimate expression of nature’s balance and harmony, allowing the wines to speak for themselves as they are the unique creation of the grape, soil, water and climate of where they are grown. Produced from vineyards situated in Alexander Valley, this AVA encompasses the northern Russian River Valley where coastal influences creep up the river from the nearby Pacific Ocean. The soil here is mainly alluvial in composition, allowing for excellent drainage. This vintage is known across California as the third consecutive year of superb quality. The long and modestly warm season in Sonoma County allowed most winemakers the luxury of picking at the optimum time.

“This Cabernet Sauvignon is illustrative of the high-quality wines that the Alexander Valley is famous for. Bursting with flavor, this sensational wine fills the palate with hints of rhubarb and raspberry. A subtle oak flavor and smooth finish with hints of mocha give this wine warmth representative of the climate that graces this premier wine growing region.”

Winemaker: Aaron Bader
Appellation: Alexander Valley, California
Varietal Blend:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Analysis: 13.2% alcohol / volume