Summer Fanatic Release
2024 Chardonnay, Livermore Valley
This 2024 Chardonnay has a lush bouquet of apple, lemon, vanilla, and pineapple upside-down cake. It was aged sur lie, for a round mouthfeel and lengthy finish. This wine exhibits classic flavors of apple, pear, pineapple, warm spice, and a hint of minerality.
This Chardonnay is paired with a Goat Cheese Mac & Cheese topped with Crab and Shrimp.
2021 Zinfandel, Livermore Valley
Our 2021 Livermore Valley Zinfandel has a spicy bouquet of black cherry, plum, and rose petal, with flavors of currant, dried cherries, and toasty oak. This is a full-bodied, complex wine with a lingering finish. Enjoy with hamburgers, barbecue, paella, or sausage.
This Zinfandel is paired with a Chicken Brochette Trio of Satay Sauce, Blueberry Sauce, and Bell Peppers with Paprika.
2022 Sangiovese, Livermore Valley
Our 2022 Sangiovese is an elegant wine, with inviting characters of tart cherry, red plum, strawberry, fig, oregano, thyme, dried roses and potpourri.
This Sangiovese is paired with Italian Sausage in a Summer Squash Pasta.
2023 Tempranillo, Livermore Valley
The 2023 Reserve Tempranillo was blended from Beck Family grapes in hand selected barrels. It has enticing aromas of cherry, strawberry, white pepper, and allspice. The palate is medium-bodied with flavors of pomegranate, toasty oak, cranberry, and dried cherry. Enjoy this delectable wine with roasted meat, bbq chicken, carnitas, and roasted winter veggies.
This Tempranillo is paired with a Pecorino Lamb Cheeseburger with Herbed Aioli.
2019 Dolce Francesca, Livermore Valley
In memory of Fran Replogle, one of our Co-Founders, Dolce Francesca is named after her. Just like Fran, this wine is gently sweet, with a sunny brightness, and is a great addition to social gatherings.
This Dolce Francesca is paired with a Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake with Dolce Syrup.
Recipes
Goat Cheese Mac & Cheese topped with Crab and Shrimp
Ingredients
1 pound dried shell pasta
3 cups Mac Sauce
10 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
¾ cup grated Jack cheese
1 green onion (green and light green parts), sliced
¾ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
½ pound shrimp- cooked and minced
¼ pound crab meat- cooked and minced.
Optional: Hot sauce of your choice and a slices of lemon.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.0
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until a little less than al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain the pasta again.
Add the sauce, goat cheese, Jack cheese, and green onions to a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and cook over low heat until the goat cheese is barely melted, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the cooked pasta and heat just until the pasta is warm while stirring continuously.
Spoon the mac into a 14 inch ovenproof casserole dish, and sprinkle with panko. Bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Mix the crab and shrimp together.
Serve the Mac n cheese. Top with the thinly sliced green onions then top with a helping of the crab and shrimp mix.
Eric and Robin love topping the Mac n Cheese with hot sauce.
Mac Sauce
(Béchamel 101)
Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt or 1 tsp table salt
Instructions
Heat the milk in a pot over medium heat until it starts to bubble, but is not boiling, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Heat the butter over medium heat in a separate, heavy-bottomed pot. When the butter has just melted, add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture turns light brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Slowly pour the warm milk, about 1 cup at a time, int the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly. It will get very thick when you first add the milk, and thinner as you slowly pour the entire 3 cups. This is normal.
Once all the milk has been added, set the pot back over medium-high heat, and continue to whisk constantly. In the next 2 to 3 minutes the sauce should come together and become silky and thick. Use the spoon test to make sure it’s ready. To do this, dip a metal spoon into the sauce—if the sauce coats the spoon and doesn’t slide off like milk, you’ll know it’s ready. You should be able to run your finger along the spoon and have the impression remain. Add the salt.
The Mac Sauce is ready to use immediately and does not need to cool. Store it in the fridge for a day or two if you want to make it ahead of time—it will get a lot thicker when put in the fridge, so it may need a little milk to thin it out a bit when it comes to melt the cheese. Try melting the cheese int the sauce first, and if it sits too thick then add milk as needed.
This Mac n Cheese is absolutely stunning with our 2024 Chardonnay. Recipe adapted from the fantastic Homeroom cookbook.
Chicken Brochette Trio of Satay Sauce, Blueberry Sauce, and Bell Peppers with Paprika
Basic Chicken Recipe:
Ingredients:
· 1lb chicken breast, cut up into 1” chunks
· Juice of 1 lemon
· Zest of ½ lemon
· 1/3 cup of olive oil
· 1 clove garlic minced (or crushed)
· 1/4 tsp of salt
· ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
· Make marinade of lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, salt, & pepper
· Marinade the chicken breast chunks for 30 min or more
· Once marinaded, can grill or pan fry until 155F
Chicken with Satay Sauce
Satay Sauce:
Ingredients:
· 2 tablespoons coconut cream (or coconut milk)
· ¼ cup natural peanut butter(unsweetened)
· 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
· 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
· 2 teaspoons honey (or maple syrup)
· 2 teaspoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
· 2-3 tablespoons water or enough to thin it out the consistency you like
Instructions:
1. Mix the peanut butter and the red Thai curry until they are combined.
2. Add in the honey, fish sauce (or soy sauce), and rice vinegar (or lime juice) and mix well.
3. Add the coconut cream (or coconut milk) and mix well until everything is smooth.
4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix well. If it's too thick, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you like.
5. Do a taste test. If you like it more sour, sweet, or salty, adjust it with rice vinegar, honey, or fish sauce.
6. Add in any optional garnishes
Satay Sauce: https://pupswithchopsticks.com/easy-thai-peanut-sauce/#recipe
Serve Chicken with Satay Sauce
Blueberry with Chicken
1. Skewer 2-3 blueberries + a chicken chunk,
Blueberry Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or use dried
1 teaspoon constarch
1/2 tsp dry mustard
In a small saucepan, heat half of the oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add blueberries, vinegar, maple syrup, rosemary, cornstarch and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until blueberries burst and sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
https://www.susannej.com/blog-and-recipes/lemon-chicken-with-blueberry-sauce
Chicken with Bell Peppers & Paprika
Ingredients:
· Chopped up red and yellow (or orange) bell peppers
· Sweet paprika (preferably Hungarian)
· Cooked Chicken chunks
Instructions:
1. Chop up bell peppers into smallish pieces
2. Lightly dust chicken with paprika
3. Place a dusted chicken chunk on a small skewer
4. Decorate with chopped up bell peppers
Italian Sausage & Summer Squash Pasta
Ingredients:
· 1lb good quality Italian sausage (can be sweet or spicy, we used an Italian that is in-between), sliced
· 1lb summer squash, medium dice
· 1/2 cup of green onions, chopped
· 1lb dried pasta
· Shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions:
1. Prepare pasta in salted water, drain pasta when al dente down
2. While preparing the pasta, brown Italian sausage in a skillet, remove sausage using a slotted spoon, leaving sausage drippings in the skillet
3. In the skillet with the sausage drippings, sauté summer squash for a few minutes over medium heat
4. Add in the green onions
5. Cook until the squash is almost done
6. Add in the sausage, warm the sausage with the squash and green onions
7. Adjust salt and pepper as needed
8. In a pasta serving dish, place the cooked pasta and add the sausage, squash, & green onions to the pasta.
9. Sprinkle pasta with shredded parmesan cheese.
Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
· 1 loaf French or Italian bread
· ½ C softened salted butter
· 2-3 cloves garlic
· ¼ C parsley
· ½ C shredded mozzarella (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Slice the bread lengthwise to get two halves
3. In a food processor using the blade, mince garlic cloves and parsley
4. Add butter to food processor, process until combined
5. Spread garlic butter mixture on the face of each side of the sliced bread
6. Bake on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, until starts to get brown on the edges
7. If adding the cheese, remove bread, and turn on broiler
8. Sprinkle cheese on the bread
9. Place in broil and broil until bubbly (it won’t take too long, so keep an eye on it).
Pecorino Lamb Cheeseburger with Herbed Aioli
Ingredients
1 pound minced lamb shoulder
1 red onions, 1 grated
5 garlic cloves, finely crushed, divided
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pinch paprika
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cooking oil
4 burger buns
1/4 cup salad leaves
Thinly sliced Romano/Pecorino cheese
Directions
In a bowl, mix together the minced lamb with the grated onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, ground coriander, and Dijon mustard.
Form the mixture into 4 burger patties and then chill them in the fridge until they are ready to cook.
In a clean bowl, mix together the mayonnaise with the lemon juice, the two remaining minced garlic cloves, a pinch of paprika, parsley, and dill. Refrigerate this sauce until ready to use.
Preheat the grill on high, lightly oil the lamb patties, and then cook for about 4 minutes each side.
Place the halved burger buns under the grill for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until they are lightly toasted.
Spread a little of the mayonnaise sauce on the burger bun, top with a burger patty, some more of the mayonnaise sauce, and some salad leaves.
For this pairing, we added a very think slice of pecorino Romano cheese. The saltiness of the cheese really elevates the flavor of the lamb/wine combination.
Serve and enjoy.
Adapted from https://www.tastingtable.com/743937/best-lamb-burger-recipe/
We are serving this lamb burger on Hawaiian Rolls and with a side of Kettle cooked olive oil potato chips.
This pairing goes with our 2023 Reserve Tempranillo and is just gorgeous.
Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake with Dolce Syrup
EQUIPMENT· 1 Bundt Cake Pan & a grain mill
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients For The Bundt Cake Portion·
3 cups fresh milled flour 360g I used spelt, but Einkorn or soft white would work well too.·
2 cups fresh blueberries Plus about 1 TBSP FMF spelt flour to toss them in.·
1 tsp baking powder·
1/2 tsp baking soda·
3/4 tsp salt·
1 cup salted butter 226g softened (2 sticks)·
2 cups cane sugar 400g·
4 eggs at room temperature·
2 tsp vanilla extract·
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 80g·
2 TBSP lemon zest 12g·
1 cup greek yogurt or sour cream at room temperature 230g
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Firstly, mill the flour. I like to use spelt flour, but soft white or einkorn would also work well here (we used soft white wheat berries). Mill about 1 TBSP extra to toss the fresh blueberries in before adding them to the batter.
2. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the freshly milled flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mix to combine.
3. With the extra flour, but in a separate bowl toss the blueberries in the flour to evenly coat them.
4. In a stand mixer (or hand mixer) with the paddle, beat the softened butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. This can take 3-5 minutes.
5. Mix the eggs one at a time into the butter and sugar mixture.
6.Then, add the vanilla extract, and mix to combine.
7. To this wet mixture, slowly add in the lemon juice and mix until combined.
8. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then 1/3 of the greek yogurt/sour cream. Alternate adding the rest of the dry ingredients and the greek yogurt/sour cream two more times. Mix on low speed between each addition just until combined.
9. Making sure the batter is fully mixed even on the bottom of the bowl. Once everything is combined, add the floured blueberries. Gently fold them into the batter.
10. Let the batter rest in the mixing bowl for about 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats.
11. Preheat the oven to 350*F.
12. Spray or heavily butter the bundt pan, and then pour the batter into the pan. Try to spread it evenly in the pan.
13. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean when tested.
14. If the cake starts to get too dark while baking, you can place some foil over the pan at the end of baking.
15. Let the bundt cake cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for about 30 - 40 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the wire rack to continue cooling.
Adapted from https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/wprm_print/lemon-blueberry-bundt-cake-with-fresh-milled-flour
Dulce Francesca Syrup:
Ingredients:
115 g (4 oz/½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
125 ml (4 fl oz/ ½ /2 cup) Dolce Francesca
Zest of 1 lemon
Whipped cream, to serve
PUT the sugar and 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) of water in a small saucepan over low heat and stir with a metal spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for 4 minutes. Add the wine and lemon zest and boil for 3 minutes, or until syrupy.
Pour a spoonful (or two!) of the syrup on a slice of the bundt cake and serve. Yay!
This dessert goes amazing with a chilled glass of Dulce Francesca White Dessert Wine.