Author Archives: WineStyles Tasting Station

Yalumba Shiraz Pairing Recipe

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MEXICAN VEGGIE LASAGNEMexican_Lasagne

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 chopped jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 can Italian diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2-4 tablespoons chilli powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • Corn tortillas
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • shallots, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté onion, green pepper, jalapeño, and chopped garlic until tender. Add the can of tomatoes, corn, black beans, tomato paste (and water if more liquid is needed) and spices. Cook until warm.

Grease a baking dish and place a layer of corn tortillas (cut to fit) on bottom of dish. Put half of your bean mixture on top followed by a layer of cheese. Place another layer of tortillas, remaining bean mix, another layer of tortillas and cheese to cover. Place in a 450°F oven and bake 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated through. Top with any toppings you like.     Recipe compliments of Yalumba.yalumba-galway-shiraz-btl-shot
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YALUMBA GALWAY
VINTAGE SHIRAZ

There are aromas of mulberries, black forest cake and licorice that speak of its varietal and regional origins. The palate is ripe and generous with flavors of mulberries, dark chocolate and hints of beetroot. It finishes with cocoa powder like tannins that give evenness and generosity to the wine.

Winemaker: Andrew La Nauze
Appellation: Barrosa, Australia
Varietal: 100% Shiraz
Analysis: 13.5% alc/vol, 3.56 pH, 6.3 g/L TA

Wirra Wirra Cabernet Sauvignon Pairing Recipe

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CRISPY SKIN DUCK

duck

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 duck breasts
  • 1 large beetroot, steamed for 30 -40 minutes, peeled and diced
  • ½ cup of French lentils cooked until soft (approx 15 minutes on low heat)
  • 1 small carrot finely diced
  • ½ celery stalk finely diced
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 bunch of endive, washed and blanched

DIRECTIONS:

Marinate beetroot in 1/8 cup of red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, leave overnight. In a small saucepan, lightly fry the carrot and celery until soft (approx 1-2 minutes), add the cooked lentils and the sprigs of thyme at the end, season with salt and pepper. Add a dash of the red wine vinegar and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and set aside.

Place duck breasts skin side down in a skillet on the stove, over a low heat and season with salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, skin side down. When the skin has turned golden brown and crispy, turn once and rest for 15 minutes.

Place the steamed endive in the center of the plate with lentils and beetroot placed around the plate. Slice the duck breast skin side down and place on the endive.

Recipe compliments of Fino restaurant, McLaren Vale, Australia

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WIRRA WIRRA
CHURCH BLOCK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MCLAREN VALE, AUSTRALIA

Glass-staining ruby. Cherry, cassis and pipe tobacco on the fragrant, oak-spiced nose. Offers an array of sweet dark berry flavors and notes of vanilla, mocha and candied licorice. The cassis note lingers on a long, smoky and attractively smooth finish. This wine drinks very well after a brief decanting.

Winemaker: Paul Smith
Appellation: McLaren Vale, Australia
Varietal: 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Shiraz, 20% Merlot
Analysis: 14.5% alc/vol, 3.46 pH, 6.6 g/L TA
Critical Acclaim: 88 pts. Wine Advocate; 88 pts. Wine Spectator; 93 pts. James Halliday

Rogue Farms Hop Harvest Starts Monday!

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Hop harvest starts today at #Rogue !

Rogue Farms's avatarRogue Farms

john hop harvestThe day we’ve been working for is here. The 2013 Rogue Farms hop harvest starts today with our Freedom Hops. They were the first of our varieties to grow cones this spring and the first to be ripe enough for picking.

John Maier is coming to personally set aside some of the Freedom Hops for this year’s batch of Wet Hop Ale. We’ll stuff the cones into burlap bags, load them into the truck, and then John will haul them back over the Coast Range to the Brewery in Newport where he’ll put them in the Wet Hop Ale kettle. From bine to brew in 2 hours and 17 minutes. Now that’s fresh.

But before we can pick a single bine, we’ve got to make sure all the picking and processing equipment is in ship shape.

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Delicious Summer Trifle

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Summer_trifle

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 large angel food cake, cut in cubes
  • 1 small package instant vanilla pudding
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 10 oz frozen whipped topping
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries
  • 1 pint fresh blueberries
  • 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
  • 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
  • 1 peach, peeled and sliced
  • 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

DIRECTIONS:
In a large glass bowl, place 1/2 of the cake cubes. Add half of the strawberries, blueberries, bananas, kiwis, peaches and pineapple. Cover with half of the whipped topping mixture.  Add a second layer in the same order.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.   Garnish with fruit from recipe or use mint leaves or edible flowers.  Makes 16 servings, 30 minutes prep time.

AveryLane-Merlot

PAIRING SUGGESTION:

AVERY LANE MERLOT
MELLOW STYLE

Bright aromatics of black raspberry, clove and nutmeg swirl in the glass.  The soft, juicy and plush palate presents interwoven layers of dark fruit.  This easy to drink Merlot leaves you with a hint of star anise on the finish.

Appellation: Columbia Valley, Washington
Vineyards: Canyon Vineyard Ranch, Oasis, Canoe Ridge
Varietal: 100% Merlot
Analysis: 13% alc/vol, 3.61 pH, 0.62 TA

Summer Wine Tips

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DougFrostInterview with Doug Frost, Master of Wine and Master Sommelier

What wines or sparkling wines do you advise people to select to enjoy over the summer?
First off, I always insist that people should drink whatever they like, and stop worrying about the “right” wine, whatever that is. As the temperature rises, most are thinking of cool, refreshing drinks, and that leaves lots of wine options. For reasonably priced bubbly, Prosecco from Italy and Cava from Spain have been the go-to wines for years. I’m a big German wine fan, and I go through lots of German Rieslings during the summer. The tangy, incipient tartness of Riesling is ideal for a touch of fruity sweetness. When you add that to spicy foods and even tangy BBQ sauces, it’s a surprisingly adept grape.

What white wines do you suggest to pair with popular summertime dishes?
If people use lighter vinaigrettes for their salads, crisp and tangy wines are just ideal. Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino and many Italian white wines make a lovely marriage, especially when you toss some grilled shrimp, fish or chicken on top of the salad.
Grill marks have a certain bitterness, even when they appear on grilled vegetables. Try either a fruity wine to offset the grill marks and the smoke (something fruity like Beaujolais, Dolcetto or Barbera) or use a wine that has a bit of bitterness, like more astringent Italian reds (Sagrantino, Sangiovese or Nebbiolo).

What are your tips for storing wine during the summer months?
Make sure never to leave wine bottles in a hot car. Heat can damage a wine in only a few minutes. If it’s too warm to leave your beloved pet in the car, don’t leave your favorite bottle of wine, either.

Rogue Farms – In The Field Of Dream

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Rogue Farms's avatarRogue Farms

Mother Nature sure knows how to keep us on our toes!

We had just started harvesting our barley in Tygh Valley (see story here) when – wouldn’t you know it – the Dream Rye we grow in Independence was ripe and ready.

Two major harvests at the same time? Let’s get to work.

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Cheese – A Near Perfect Food

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Max

Interview with Max McCalman, Dean of Curriculum and Maitre Fromager of Artisanal Cheese

What cheeses are best during the summer months?
We are coming into a pretty good time of year for cheese. It’s unfortunate that people don’t eat as much cheese in the summer, because that is when a broader type of cheeses are really starting to show. The goat’s milk cheeses in particular are at their best in summertime because the animals have more to choose from to eat. They’re also cheeses that aren’t meant to age and keep for many months.

How are goats’ milk cheeses made?
Milk is saved from four milkings—an evening milking from day one, a morning and evening milking from day two and a morning milking from day three. Goats’ milk contains coagulants, which are then sped up with the addition of cultures and rennets. When the milk has coagulated, it turns into a spongy mass—the curds. These are then cut into little pieces, which allow the whey, or liquid part, to drain off easily. The curds are then put into perforated molds, so the whey continues to drain off. The young cheese is then gently removed from the mold and set out on shelves to dry. After a couple of weeks, the cheese is dusted with vegetable ash, which makes it a little less acidic and allows for even more beneficial mold to flourish. It also takes excess moisture out and puts flavor in.

What’s a good wine/cheese pairing for summer?
Pairing principles come down to a couple of things. A salty cheese will probably pair better with a sweeter or fruitier wine. That’s why dessert wines pair so well with cheese. They give them a balancing partner. Texture comes into play, too. The harder cheeses are more successful with a broader range of wine types.

Any tips on packing cheeses for outdoor dining?
Cheese should be kept out of sunlight, but kept cool. If you are having a picnic, put it in the cooler, but don’t put it down in the ice.  Then bring it up to room temperature before eating—it will taste better. Firmer cheeses are easier to transport. A brie-type of cheese in 90-degree weather is not going to be very pretty. That should be enjoyed indoors.

How To Keep 5,140,286 Construction Workers Busy

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Rogue Farms's avatarRogue Farms

Rogue Honeybees Watching our Rogue Farms Honeybees hard at work this summer makes us appreciate even more all the effort that goes into building a hive. It’s the kind of appreciation you can only get when you grow your ingredients.

We start by putting together the hive boxes for the bees. But where we’re done, job of the honeybees is just getting started. They have to build the combs where they’ll raise their brood and store their honey. Without the combs the hive won’t survive.

Good thing our population of bees is climbing above the five million mark and rising. They have a lot of work to do.

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