2025 Grenache Rose, Livermore Valley

Our 2023 Estate Rose exhibits vibrant aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and rose petal. It is a light-bodied, refreshing wine with flavors of watermelon, strawberry, and spice. Enjoy with smoked turkey, salmon, ham, or pork loin. Great for picnics!

The Rose is paired with a Watermelon Glazed Salmon over a light salad.

2022 Mourvèdre, Estate, Livermore Valley

Our 2022 Estate Mourvèdre exhibits spicy aromas of plum, cherry, black currant, and pepper. This wine is medium to full bodied, with flavors of plum, blackberry, white pepper, and cherry. Excellent with lamb, mushrooms, chicken marsala, and Cornish game hen.

The Mourvèdre is paired with French Lentil and Mushroom Stew accompanied with a Garlic Herb Sausage.

2020 Malbec, Livermore Valley

Our 2020 Livermore Valley Malbec is an elegant wine, with an inviting bouquet of plum, black cherry, marionberry, and rose petal. This complex, medium bodied wine has rich, vibrant flavors of blackberry, blueberry, clove, and allspice. Pairs well with roasted duck breast, lamb, venison, or enjoy by itself.

This Malbec is paired with a Blue Cheese Slider with Shoestring Potatoes.

2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley

Our 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon has inviting aromas of cranberry, black cherry, tea, and rose petal. The palate is full and lush, with flavors of black currant, cola, mocha, and spice. Pairs well with prime rib, duck, grilled portabella mushrooms, and eggplant parmesan.

This Cabernet is paired with a Bacon Wrapped Date with Goat Cheese.

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 dessert wine has aromas of caramel, créme brûlée, grilled peaches, lemon marmalade honeycomb, vanilla, and baking spices. 

The Dolce is paired with Mixed Berry Tart with Mascarpone Filling.

Recipes

Watermelon Glazed Salmon

Ingredients:

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tbs grated fresh ginger

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

4 (4 oz salmon fillets, skin removed

Watermelon Glaze Ingredients

2 cups watermelon chunks, pureed

1 cu orange marmalade

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and salmon. Seal tightly and marinade in refrigerator at least 1 hour.

2. Puree the watermelon in a food processor. Add the rest of the glaze ingredients and process until smooth.

2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine watermelon puree, orange marmalade, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Keep warm.

3. Coat a grill pan or large skillet with cooking spray and cook salmon over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately with watermelon glaze.

To puree the watermelon, place chunks in blender or food processor and blend until puree forms. I found the nutra bullet word great for this.

Source: https://www.mrfood.com/Fish/Watermelon-Glazed-Salmon

 WATERMELON BALSAMIC VINEGRETTE

(For the salad you are going to serve with the Salmon)

Combine the following, shake and enjoy1:

6 TBS Organic Virgin Olive Oil

2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar

1 TSP minced shallots

3 TBS Watermelon glaze

Salt & Pepper to taste

* I add Watermelon glaze till it reaches the flavor profile I am looking for. Add until your heart feels happiness

Adapted from:

Creamy French Lentils with Mushrooms & Kale

Ingredients

·       ¾ cup French green lentils, rinsed (preferably Du Puy French Green Lentils)

·       1 tablespoon olive oil

·       1 shallot, fine dice (roughly ⅓ cup diced shallot)

·       1 lb (454 grams) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (slice kind of thick so can be chewy and meaty)

·       sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

·       2 cloves of garlic, minced

·       2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced

·       2 tablespoons red wine (e.g., Fenestra Mourvèdre)

·       2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari soy sauce

·       2 cups vegetable stock (homemade if possible)

·       ⅓ cup unsweetened plant-based creamer or rich milk (such as soy or cashew)

·       3-4 kale stalks, stems removed and leaves sliced (1 ½ packed cups of sliced kale)

·       fresh bread or toasts, for serving

Instructions

1.              Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lentils to the water along with a fat pinch of salt. Simmer the lentils until they’re just-tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2.              In a braiser or medium soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots to the pot and stir. Cook the shallots until slightly softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot and let them sit for a full minute. Stir the mushrooms up and season with pepper. Let the mushrooms sit in the pot for another full minute.

3.              Stir the mushrooms until they start glistening slightly. Season the mushrooms liberally with salt. Add the garlic and thyme to the pot and stir. Once the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the red wine and tamari to the pot. Stir the mushrooms. Add the drained lentils, vegetable stock and plant milk to the pot. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.

Ladle half of the mushroom mixture into your blender pitcher, ensuring that you include enough of the liquid. Blend on high until completely smooth. Scrape the creamy blended mushroom mixture back into the pot. Add the sliced kale and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and check it for seasoning. The texture should be like a thick and creamy stew and the kale should be slightly wilted.

Serve with a side sausage or enjoy by itself!

Adapted from: https://thefirstmess.com/2016/01/13/creamy-french-lentils-with-mushrooms-and-kale-recipe/#recipe

Blue Cheese Sliders Recipe

Ingredients

·       1 pound ground beef (80/20 blend recommended)

·       4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

·       1 teaspoon garlic powder

·       3/4 teaspoon salt

·       ½ teaspoon black pepper

·       12 slider buns

·       1 cup arugula or baby spinach

·       14oz organic ketchup (slightly sweetened type)

·       2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce

·       1 tsp adobo sauce

·       Optional: sliced tomatoes, pickles, or caramelized onions for topping (Caramelized onions highly recommended)

1.    Prepare the Beef Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, crumbled blue cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until the ingredients are just combined. Avoid over-mixing to keep the sliders tender.

2.    Form the Patties
Divide the beef mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a small patty about 2 inches in diameter. Make a slight indentation in the center of each patty to prevent puffing during cooking.

3.    Preheat the Grill or Skillet
Heat a grill or large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the grill grates or skillet with oil to prevent the sliders from sticking. Bake in the oven alternative: preheat the oven to 375F. Place the sliders on a rimmed cookie sheet. 

4.    Cook the Sliders
Place the patties on the grill or skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F for medium doneness. If you prefer your burgers well done, cook an additional minute per side. If using the oven, bake 12-15 min until reach desired doneness.

5.    Toast the Buns
While the sliders are cooking, slice the slider buns in half. Place them cut side down on the grill or in the skillet for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. Toast until golden brown.

6.    Prepare the Sauce (Chipotle Ketchup)
In a mini-prep, add the ketchup, chipotles, and adobo sauce. Process until smooth.

7.    Assemble the Sliders
Once the sliders and buns are ready, add a slider patty on each bun and add a dollop of the chipotle ketchup. Sprinkle some of the extra blue cheese and add some carmelized onions. Optionally, add other condiments.

8.    Serve
Place the top bun on each slider and serve immediately. Enjoy the rich and tangy flavor of blue cheese along with the juicy beef that creates a memorable treat at our next gathering.

Adapted from: https://doughnutlounge.com/blue-cheese-sliders-recipe/

Bacon Wrapped Date with Goat Cheese

Bacon-wrapped Date with Goat Cheese with a Blackberry Coulis.

We paired this with our 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. We were looking towards the richness of the date, the savory nature of the bacon and goat cheese and the fruitiness of the blackberry coulis to work seamlessly with the wine. We think this worked great and is fairly easy to make!

BACON-WRAPPED DATES WITH GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of bacon- my preference is applewood smoked bacon

• 16 Dates— my preference is Terrasoul Pitted Medjool Dates.

• 4 oz. Goat cheese-my preference is Laura Chanel goat cheese

• Toothpicks

Instructions:

1. You can use an oven. Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. We used an air fryer and it worked really well.  Either way, use a rack over a cookie sheet so your dates do not sit in the bacon grease.

2. Slice the date lengthwise on one side to create an opening. Remove the pit if there is one.

3. Stuff the date with goat cheese. Do not over stuff. We found that there is such thing as too much goat cheese!

4. Cut the bacon slices in half. Wrap the date with the bacon. Try to avoid too much overlap (for even cooking). Secure with a toothpick.

5. Arrange the figs on a rack over a baking sheet. In the oven, bake for 10 minutes. Turn the dates over and bake for another 5-8 minutes, until browned to your liking.

6. If using an air fryer, the time decreases significantly. We found that the bacon would be crispy within 8 minutes.

7. For our vegetarian friends, we simply did not wrap in bacon. That being said, we felt the saltiness the bacon provides was missing, so we would suggest a very light dusting of flaky salt.

We serve this with a Blackberry Coulis that made this pairing next level.

BLACKBERRY COULIS

Equipment:

• Sauce Pan

• Blender, Immersion Blender or a Nutra Bullet!

Ingredients:

*10 oz Fresh Blackberries

• 1/3 cup granulates sugar

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• Hot sauce (we used a pear-ginger hot sauce). We think any fruit forward hot sauce would work.

Instructions:

Over medium-low heat, add the blackberries, lemon juice, and sugar to the saucepan. Stir to mix well. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Use the blender to blend the mixture. Use a sieve and strain.  Add hot sauce to taste.

Presentation:

When you serve the figs, you may want to place a healthy dollop of the blackberry coulis on the plate then place the figs on top. Maybe even drizzle a bit more over the figs.

Pro tip: : This Blackberry Coulis (minus the hot sauce) is AMAZING with vanilla ice cream!

Adapted from: https://pinchofyum.com/bacon-wrapped-dates-with-goat-cheese

Mixed Berry Tart with Mascarpone Filling

For the Almond Tart Dough

• 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour plus more for rolling out dough

• 2/3 cup (60 grams) almond flour

• 1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt optional

• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter sliced and very cold

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) whole milk or water

• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) almond extract

For the Mascarpone-Vanilla Filling

• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream cold

• 8 ounces (452 grams) mascarpone cheese cold

• 1/2 cup (65 grams) powdered sugar sifted

• 1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla bean paste or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 medium lemon juiced and zested (juice divided)

• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt optional

For the Mixed Berry Topping

• 1/2 pint blackberries rinsed, dried, and large berries cut in half across the width of the berries

• 1/2 pint blueberries rinsed, dried and stems removed

• 1/2 pint raspberries rinsed and dried

• 1 pint strawberries rinse, dried, hulled, and thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS 

Make the Almond Tart Dough

• Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, granulated sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic or metal blade.

  Pulse the dry ingredients together 5 to 6 times to combine them and break up any lumps. 

• Next, add the unsalted butter, milk, and almond extract to the bowl.

  Pulse the tart dough ingredients together 9 or 10 times or until the dough forms a ball in the food processor. 

• To mix the dough by hand: stir together the dry ingredients using your hand.

  Add the butter to the bowl and use your fingers to pinch it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

  Add the milk and almond extract to the bowl and knead until the dough comes together.

CHILL THE ALMOND TART DOUGH

• Remove the ball of tart dough from the food processor and place it onto a sheet of plastic wrap.

  Press it down to form it into a 5 to 6-inch disc and wrap it completely in plastic wrap.

  Chill tart dough for at least 30 minutes before using it to give the gluten in the all-purpose flour ample time to relax.

ROLL OUT THE TART DOUGH

• Before you blind-bake a tart dough, cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle that overlaps your tart pan by 2 to 3 inches. 

  Knead the tart dough 2 or 3 times after chilling it and unwrapping it.

  Roll it out into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and carefully transfer it to the tart pan. Try not to let the tart dough drape over the edges of the tart pan because it's sharp and will cut into the dough. Instead, lift the dough up and let it fall into the pan from the center out. 

• Press the dough into the bottom of the tart pan. Fold any excess tart dough towards the center of the pan to create a thick edge.

  Press this excess dough against the fluted edge of the tart pan to seal it and create the edge.

• Use a toothpick or a skewer to prick holes in the bottom of the dough. The holes allow steam, caused by moisture in the dough, to vent without puffing up the shell. 

  Chill your dough for 15 to 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). 

BAKE THE TART DOUGH

• Carefully place the circle of parchment paper into the tart shell and fill it with dried beans.

  Bake the tart shell for 15 minutes with the weights.

• Remove the pan from the oven after 15 minutes and carefully lift the paper with the weights up and out of the shell.

  Return the pan to the oven and continue baking it for 10 more minutes or until it's light brown and crisp.

  Remove the pan from the oven and allow the tart shell to cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, carefully remove the collar of the pan by lifting up the center plate. Allow the tart shell to cool completely.

MAKE THE MASCARPONE-VANILLA FILLING

• Set a medium bowl filled with the heavy cream inside a large bowl filled with ice water.

  Whip the cream with the electric hand mixer on medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes or until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream will be firm and stick out from the whip when it's lifted from the bowl.

• To a large bowl, add the cold mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, the vanilla bean paste, and the salt.

  Blend the ingredients together on low speed with the electric mixer fitted with the beaters.

  Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters once the mixture comes together.

• Return the mixer to the bowl and increase the mixing speed to medium-low. Blend the mascarpone-vanilla base until thick, creamy, and well combined. 

  Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone filling.

FILL THE TART SHELL AND DECORATE

• Scrape the mascarpone filling into the cooled tart shell.

  Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the filling into the tart shell.

  Next, arrange the fresh berries in a decorative design on top of the smooth filling.

Source: https://senseandedibility.com/mixed-berry-tart/#wprm-recipe-container-1512