Tag Archives: Seafood

May Bubbly Club: Iowa

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Bubbly Wine Club2016ArgyleVintageBrutBottleWebArgyle Winery
Vintage Brut
Willamette Valley, Oregon

BUBBLY WINE STYLE

The 2016 sparkling wine vintage in the Willamette Valley was generous yet refined, highlighting the alluring precision the region has to offer. Knudsen Vineyard, in the protected Dundee Hills, brings supple depth and elegance.  While Spirit Hill Vineyard, in the windy confines of the Eola-Amity Hills, brings tension and mineral backbone. Fresh seashore, white peach, and toasted brioche are framed around a creamy center and long, graceful finish.

Analysis: 12.5% alcohol / volume
Varietals: 55% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier
AVA: Willamette Valley AVA
Harvested: Aug. 23 – Sept. 2, 2016
Brix at Harvest: 18.6
Barrel Aging: 70% Stainless Steel, 30% Neutral Oak
Dosage: 3 g/L
Malolactic: 0% Malolactic Fermentation
Critical Acclaim: 91 Points Wine Spectator; 90 Points Wine Enthusiast

FOOD PAIRING: Serve with creamy, salty, or lean and lemony cheeses, such as a Brie, Triple Cream or Bleu Cheese. 

ABOUT THE WINERY:
In 1987, Argyle was founded by Rollin Soles to produce sparkling wines in cool-climate of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Today, Argyle Winery produces sparkling wines, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Rieslings. All Argyle Sparkling wines are 100% Argyle grown, vintage dated, made from hand-picked, cold press grapes, bottle fermented, aged on yeast for a minimum of 3 years and ‘disgorged on demand.’ They have earned acclaim for their elegance, character, and uncommon ageability. Learn more about their history here.

© Photo by Argyle Winery

MSC_SparklingBrutRose2020_Bottleshot_3000px_300ppiMcBride Sisters 
Sparkling Brut Rosé 
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

BUBBLY WINE STYLE

Grown sustainably in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Hawke’s Bay is one of the most prestigious fine wine regions in New Zealand and the source for McBride Sisters’ delicious non-vintage Sparkling Brut Rosé.

This Sparkling Brut Rosé has gentle floral notes of rose petals, strawberries and cream, and loads of freshly crushed red berries. The red fruits carry through the palate, where cranberry, peach, strawberry, and raspberry take center stage. There is a hint of toasty complexity and some creamy richness from time on lees that lead into a dry finish with lingering hints of spice.

Analysis: 12.6% alcohol / volume
Varietals: 64% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 6% Merlot
RS: 9.4 g/L
pH: 3.4
TA: 6.2 g/L
Critical Acclaim: 92 Points, Gold Medal, San Diego International Wine & Spirits Competition

FOOD PAIRING: Pairs beautifully with everything from seafood to fried chicken.  

ABOUT THE WINERY:
The McBride Sisters were raised separately among the vines of Monterey, California and Marlborough, New Zealand. Destiny led them to each other, and they quickly bonded over their shared passion for good wine and a desire to shake up the industry. In 2005 they started a wine company together. Today, the award-winning McBride Sisters Collection wines directly reflect the terroirs of the sisters’ youth, with wine styles and flavors designed for all palates. Learn more about the sisters’ story here.

© Photo by McBride Sisters

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Skylark Pinot Blanc

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Creamy Lemon Pappardelle with Scallops

Creamy Lemon Scallop Pasta

© Spices in my DNA

INGREDIENTS:

For the scallops

  • 1 pound jumbo scallops, side muscle removed
  • small drizzle of olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • squeeze of lemon

For the pasta

  • 9 ounces pappardelle pasta
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
  • 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
  • zest of 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus extra for serving

DIRECTIONS:

For the scallops

  1. Make sure scallops are super dry, pat down thoroughly with paper towels until they’re dry. Season with pepper (no salt yet). Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small drizzle of olive oil and the butter. Once melted, wipe out the pan so that only a thin layer of oil and butter remain. Sear the scallops on one side for about 2 minutes, or until a golden brown crust forms. Flip and sear on the other side for 1 minute or until just cooked through. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon.

For the pasta

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water generously. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Be sure to scoop out the pasta water during the last few minutes of cooking, or right before you drain it.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil. Once melted and hot, add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly. If it seems too hot, reduce the heat to medium (you don’t want the garlic to brown). Add the reserved pasta water (start with 1/4 cup), mascarpone, ricotta, parmesan, and lemon zest, and stir until melted and creamy. Add the pasta and toss until coated. If the sauce seems too dry, add another splash of pasta water and toss until desired consistency is reached. Add the chopped basil and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the scallops over the pasta, and garnish with extra fresh basil and parmesan. Enjoy!

© Recipe from Spices in my DNA

DECEMBER WINE CLUB:

Silky styleSkylark Wine Company
Pinot Blanc
Mendocino County, California

SILKY WINE STYLE

Light straw yellow in color. High-toned aromatics of lime peel, roasted lemon, Granny Smith apple and a complicating note of pebbled soil. Intense and penetrating on the palate, the flavors follow through with the roasted lemon and green apple enlivened by natural acidity. Deftly light and concentrated at the same time, with the crunchy fruit streaming into a palate-staining finish.

One of Skylark’s oldest vineyard sources is Bernie Orsi’s Pinot Blanc outside of Hopland in Mendocino, California. Originally planted by John Fetzer in the 1970s, John and Robert walked through the oldest block of this site in 2005. Impressed by the thick, stubby trunks and gnarled old vines, they signed on to purchase that section for harvest 2005.  They have now grown production to almost the entire vineyard for Skylark’s Pinot Blanc bottling. After picking, the fruit is whole cluster pressed into a tank, then racked to Mueller stainless steel barrels for fermentation. Stirred the lees once, blocked malolactic fermentation and bottled with a light filtration. No doubt, this vintage of Pinot Blanc will brighten your day.

John L and Robert P

Photo by Skylark Wine: John L. and Robert P.

Analysis: 13.2% alcohol / volume
pH: 3.28 g/L
TA: 7.1
Aging: Whole cluster pressed and vinification in multiple stainless steel 75gl barrels
Harvested: Hand-picked
Vineyard: Orsi Vineyard
Cases Produced: 800

“To reflect our palates, the portfolio at Skylark includes crisp, flavorful, aromatic white wines and full-bodied, rich, spicy red wines. As we have long admired the beautiful white wines produced in Alsace and Austria, our Pinot Blanc is a California rendition of a classic European varietal.”

 

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