Tag Archives: July wine club

Persnickety Pinot Gris

Posted on by
© Photo by Aubrie Pick

Grilled Scallops with Prosciutto and Basil

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 thin slices of Prosciutto di San Daniele
  • 12 large sea scallops
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher Salt
  • 12 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon crush pink peppercorns

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Cut the prosciutto slices in half lengthwise to make 12 long strips. Season the scallops evenly with the salt. Place 1 basil leaf at the end of a strip of prosciutto, folding it in half lengthwise, if necessary. Place a scallop on its side on top of the basil and carefully roll the scallop inside the basil and prosciutto. Secure with a toothpick or skewer. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  2. Drizzle the scallops with the olive oil. Place the scallops on the heated grill or grill pan (preheated to medium-high heat), pressing down gently to make sure the scallops make direct contact with the hot surface. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until nice grill marks form and the scallops are warm in the center (see Cook’s Note below). Remove the scallops to a plate and sprinkle with the pink peppercorns.
  3. COOK’S NOTE: To check if the scallops are done, simply insert a thin metal cake tester into the center and leave it there for 10 seconds. Remove and place the metal against the skin beneath your lower lip. If the tester feels warm, the scallop is done.

© Recipe courtesy of Faith Middleton on Food Schmooze; excerpted from Giada De Laurentiis’ Book Giada’s Italy: My Recipes for La Dolce Vita

JULY WINE CLUB:

Silky stylePersnickety Pinot GrisEola Hills Wine Cellars
Persnickety Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley, Oregon

SILKY WINE STYLE

A collaboration from Eola Hills Wine Cellars’ Head Winemaker, Steve Anderson, and Assistant Winemaker, Steve Richards. The Persnickety Pinot Gris is pale yellow in color with aromas of tangerine zest and tart apple. The body is crisp, lively, and refreshing with flavors of grapefruit and honey.

Varietal: 100% Pinot Gris
Analysis: 12.9% alcohol / volume
Acid: 0.86
PH: 3.05
Residual Sugar: 0.4 g/L
Production: 800 cases
Brix at Harvest: ~22.2
Sourcing: Legacy Estate Vineyard and Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Food Pairing: The crisp natural acidity and bright fruit flavors of this wine pair wonderfully with grilled jumbo tiger prawns, chicken simmered slowly in a white wine sauce, or prosciutto wrapped sea scallops.

Steve Anderson - Photo

Winemaker Steve Anderson

WINEMAKER NOTES:
“Rich and vibrant, the Classic Pinot Gris is harvested by hand from our Legacy Estate Vineyards in the Eola Amity Hills sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley. With crisp natural acidity balancing out lush notes of grapefruit, honeyed lemon and orange peel, this juicy wine is a supreme representation of this beloved varietal.” – Steve Anderson.

Steve Richards

Assistant Winemaker, Steve Richards

ABOUT THE WINEMAKER:
Steve Anderson started his wine making career at the age of thirteen with is neighbor’s grapes and a 5-gallon bucket. His project was greatly encouraged by his parents, who gladly partook in the results of his experiments. Steve continued his career by studying Horticulture at Oregon State University. Two years into his degree, he ran out of funds and joined the U.S. Army to receive the Army College Fund. After three years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, Steve graduated from OSU with plans to become a nurseryman. In 1993, joined the Eola Hills Wine Cellars team as a “harvest season cellar rat”. He was quickly promoted to Assistant Winemaker, and eventually became Eola’s head winemaker, producing beautiful wines for them ever since. Learn more about his story here.

 

 

Wine club logoJoin our WINE CLUB and enjoy these amazing wines and pairing recipes each month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

Learn More >

 

July Premium Wine Club

Posted on by
Old Vine ZinEola Hills Wine Cellars
Reserve Old Vine Zinfandel
Oregon

Bold wine Style logoBOLD WINE STYLE

The Reserve Old Vine Zinfandel is garnet red in color. On the nose, there are flavors of plum, cranberry and strawberry jam. It is medium-bodied with notes of craisins, cedar and spice on the palate.

Analysis: 14.43% alcohol / volume
RS: 4 g/L
TA: 0.52
pH: 3.89
Brix At Harvest: +27.3
Production: 420 cases
Food Pairing: This wine pairs well with roasts, grilled game and turkey. Enjoy alone, or try it with an orange marinated smoked duck, or chanterelles and sage.

WINEMAKER NOTES:
“This Zinfandel was picked from young vines on the Mohr-Fry ranch. Fermented at cool temperatures to extract soft tannins, then barrel-aged in older American Oak for 13 months. A minimum of handling, a maximum of fruit expression. A spiced entry, jammy mid-palate, followed with a balanced smoothness.” – Eola Hills Wine Cellars

Bold wine Style logoCabernet ReserveEola Hills Wine Cellars
Barrel Select Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Oregon

BOLD WINE STYLE

Black Cherry in color, the Barrel Select Reserve Cabernet showcases aromas of cola, oregano, and smoke. It has a medium body with a bright mid-palate, highlighting flavors of cassis and smoke with a velvety finish.

Analysis: 13.9% alcohol / volume
RS: 0.0 g/L
TA: 0.75
pH: 3.45
Brix At Harvest: 22.5-24
Production: 625 cases
Food Pairing: This wine pairs well with anything from chocolate cake, pudding, and chocolate chip cookies, to smoked pork chops with green beans, asparagus, or your favorite BBQ recipe.

WINEMAKER NOTES:
“With this bottle of reserve cabernet, winemaker Steve Anderson aged the grapes for 33 months in 6% new oak and ultimately decided to let the grapes speak for themselves.” – Eola Hills Wine Cellars

Mellow style logoWedding BlockEola Hills Wine Cellars
Wedding Block Pinot Noir
Oregon

MELLOW WINE STYLE

If discovering a great wine feels a bit like falling in love, this Pinot Noir delivers. Exuberant red currants and lush layers of dark bramble fruits surrounds a structured palate rich with cola, baking spices and a resonant finish. The perfect pairing for any special day.

Analysis: 14.2% alcohol / volume
RS: 0 g/L
TA: 0.55 g/L
pH: 3.71
Brix At Harvest: 23.8-24.5
Production: 150 cases
Vineyards: Eola Hills’ Wolf Hill Vineyard – Eola Amity Hills AVA
Elevation: 283 feet
Vine Age: 22.8 years (average)
Acres: 43
Soil Profile: Jory, Nekia, Hazelair, Woodburn, Willamette, Dupee, Concord
Food Pairing: This Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with a seared tuna rolled in peppercorns, or any dish with notes of ginger, thyme and fresh rosemary. Try with a garlic stuffed pork roast marinated in red wine, vinegar and rosemary.

WINEMAKER NOTES:
“If you follow Eola Hills closely, you know Steve Anderson is our longtime winemaker. What you may not know is that he and his lovely wife, Nancy, said their vows under the great oaks at our Wolf Hill Vineyard on July 9th, 2005. In honor of love and saying their “I do’s”, Steve designated the name “Wedding Block” to this special plot of land in the Eola-Amity Hills, which is planted to Pinot Noir Dijon clones 114 and 667, and Pommard. With rich notes of bramble fruits and baking spices, our big, structured 2019 Wedding Block Pinot Noir will age beautifully – much like a good love story.” – Eola Hills Wine Cellars

ABOUT EOLA HILLS WINE CELLARS:
In the early 1980’s, Oregonian Tom Huggins found himself intrigued by the notion of creating great regional wines in the heart of the Willamette Valley. With close friends and family members, they invested in purchasing 35 acres that Tom thought was ideal for growing grapes. Today, Eola Hills Wine Cellars is still locally owned and operated and one of Oregon’s largest wineries, farming over 325 acres of prime vineyard land. They produce over 80,000 cases of fine wines that are enjoyed across the country and internationally, capturing the spirit and flavors of Oregon. Learn more here.

© Photo by Eola Hills
© Photo by Eola Hills
Winemaker Steve Anderson
© Photo by Eola Hills
© Photo by Eola Hills
© Photo by Eola Hills

Boozie Banter PodcastPODCAST WITH EOLA HILLS WINERY:
Our WineStyles team recently hosted special guest Brett Huggins of Eola Hills Winery on our Boozie Banter podcast. We talk about his family winery, Oregon wine, gleaning, moving to the Midwest and taste eight of his wines from their expansive portfolio. Attend our July 21st Winery Spotlight tasting event with winemaker Steve Anderson and experience Eola Hills yourself!  Meanwhile, listen to the full podcast on Spotify here >

Wine club logoJoin our PREMIUM WINE CLUB, enjoy amazing wines every other month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

Learn more about our Premium Club >

 
 
 

 

July Wine Club pairing recipe

Posted on by

Lamb Sausage Arugula PizzaLamb 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.

Bottle of wineTierra 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.

winemaker head shot Aaron Bader“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