Tag Archives: North Coast AVA

Skylark Wine Company Alondra Syrah

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JUNE WINE CLUB:

Mellow style logoskylark-alondra-syrah-bottleSkylark Wine Company
Alondra
Syrah
Mendocino County, California

MELLOW WINE STYLE

Alondra is the Spanish word for Skylark. Ruby red in the glass, Alondra Syrah is a medium-bodied interpretation of this classic Northern Rhône varietal. The aromatics feature red raspberry, grilled meat and leather with a touch of Provencal spice box. The fruit emerges generously on the palate with red to black fruits complimented by a caramel inflected barrel spice and cracked black pepper. This nuanced and medium-bodied palate impression leads into a finish of integrated tannins with the fruit and spice components in total concert.

WINE DETAILS:

  • Appellation: North Coast AVA, Mendocino County, California
  • Varietals: Syrah
  • Alcohol: 14.6% alcohol / volume
  • pH: 3.62 g/l
  • Total Acidity: 6.3 g/l

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:
Acclaimed viticulturist and grape grower Kurt Ashurst’s Syrah vineyard surrounds his home just outside Hopland in Mendocino County, framed by the eastern banks of the Russian River and McNab Ridge. This two-acre plot is a labor of love for the Ashurst family, farmed sustainably. While this Syrah is often a component of Skylark’s Red Belly blend, this Syrah was bottled separately as an homage to this heritage site. Ashurst Syrah passed down the sorting table before being crushed into the fermenter. Grapes were destemmed and macerated on the skins for 18 days, gaining its dark inky color and expression. Then racked into seasoned French cooperage. After extended barrel élevage, racked once into bottling tank and then bottled without fining or filtration.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
Skylark Wine Company is collaboration between Boulevard Restaurant wine directors John Lancaster and Robert Perkins. John and Robert have run the wine program at the acclaimed Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco for the past fifteen years. During their tenure at Boulevard, they have built a close friendship, an inventory of wines from around the globe and a palate of tasting wines of the world from vintage to vintage. This partnership has created long-term relationships with the entire scope of the wine industry, from winemakers to vineyard managers to owners. With these relationships, their next logical progression was the realization of a dream: making fine wine from select vineyards in Northern California. While the original plan was simply a barrel, they jumped in with 14 barrels of Syrah from the 2002 harvest. Skylark Wine Company was formed. Learn more about Skylark Wine Company here.

lamb-kofta-dishGrilled Lamb Kofta (Ground Lamb Kebabs)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs ground American lamb
  • 2 tsp Diamond Kosher salt (or 1 1/2 tsp Morton Kosher salt)
  • ¾ cup pine nuts
  • ¾ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ cup onion (grated or finely chopped)
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint, minced
  • 1/3 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a food processor, add the salt, pine nuts, cumin, black pepper, red pepper flakes, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika. Process the ingredients until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl with the ground lamb, grated onion, garlic, mint, parsley, and thyme. Dampen your hands with water and gently knead using your hands until incorporated and the mixture starts to turn slightly tacky to the touch and to the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes.
  3. Divide into 10 to 12 ball-shaped portions (about 3 oz each). Then shape them into long cylinders using a rolling motion between your dampened hands.
  4. Slide the cylinders onto 12″ skewers, then place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle each with a little olive oil. Cover and refrigerate to chill completely for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
  5. Grill the koftas over medium-high heat, placing them on the grill at a 45-degree angle to grill grates directly over the heat. Turn every 4 to 6 minutes, for about 8 to 12 minutes total depending on the size of your kofta, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Information & Photos © Skylark Wine Company – All Rights Reserved.
© Recipe courtesy of Salt Pepper Skillet – All Rights Reserved.

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Skylark Wine Company Pinot Blanc

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JUNE WINE CLUB:

Silky styleskylark-pinot-blanc-bottleSkylark Wine Company
Orsi Vineyard
Pinot Blanc
Mendocino County, California

SILKY WINE STYLE

Pale yellow in the glass. High-toned citrus notes with roasted lemon, tangerine and green apple emerging with aeration. Very aromatic and perfumed, with a stoned fruit accent adding a layer of fragrant complexity. The palate is sleek and supple, with the lemon and apple fruits leaning into a tangy and dry finish. This refreshingly dry finish belies the fruit density of the mid-palate, where the interplay of textured fruit and natural acidity are in beautiful harmony.

WINE DETAILS:

  • Appellation: North Coast AVA, Mendocino County, California
  • Varietals: Pinot Blanc
  • Alcohol: 13.2% alcohol / volume
  • pH: 3.17 g/l
  • Total Acidity: 6.9 g/l

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:
Skylark Pinot Blanc is sourced from Bernie Orsi’s old vine plot in Mendocino County. Planted and farmed sustainably in Russian River alluvial soils, this vineyard dates back to its original inception in the 1970s, created by Mendocino legend John Fetzer. This pristine fruit was fermented in Mueller stainless steel barrels to capture the essence of this unique site. Omitting any wood profile, keeping the Pinot Blanc expression pure and clean . While the July 4th holiday weekend provided scorching temperatures across the entire North Coast, the summer that followed was warm and moderate. After a cooling trend in mid-August gave the crop a welcomed respite from the heat, ripening was nearly perfect for the remainder of the harvest. Pinot Blanc was picked in the early morning hours on September 3rd under ideal conditions.

Robert Perkins

© Photo by Skylark Wine Company: Robert Perkins

ABOUT THE WINERY:
Skylark Wine Company is collaboration between Boulevard Restaurant wine directors John Lancaster and Robert Perkins. John and Robert have run the wine program at the acclaimed Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco for the past fifteen years. During their tenure at Boulevard, they have built a close friendship, an inventory of wines from around the globe and a palate of tasting wines of the world from vintage to vintage. This partnership has created long-term relationships with the entire scope of the wine industry, from winemakers to vineyard managers to owners. With these relationships, their next logical progression was the realization of a dream: making fine wine from select vineyards in Northern California. While the original plan was simply a barrel, they jumped in with 14 barrels of Syrah from the 2002 harvest. Skylark Wine Company was formed. Learn more about Skylark Wine Company here.

halibut-mango-dishMango Halibut Ceviche

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound halibut, diced into 1-inch pieces (highest classification for eating raw for ceviche, ask your fishmonger)
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice, from about 5-6 limes
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
  • 1 large mango, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded, and diced
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a glass (non-reactive) bowl, stir together the halibut, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 4 hours. You’ll notice the halibut go opaque as the lime juice “cooks” the fish. The longer you marinate the fish, the more it will cook (a process called denaturation). Note, this process does not remove potential bacteria and parasites. See recipe link below for details and how to select the proper halibut.
  2. Remove the halibut from the fridge (no need to drain it) and add the mango, avocado, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, and salt. Gently stir it to combine.
  3. Serve it up in individual glasses, on a plate, or with tortilla chips.

Information & Photos © Skylark Wine Company – All Rights Reserved.
© Recipe courtesy of Downshiftology – All Rights Reserved.

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 about our Memberships >