Spring Fanatic Release
2023 Chardonnay, Livermore Valley
This 2023 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.
The Chardonnay is paired with Gambas al Ajillo.
2021 Merlot, Livermore Valley
Our 2021 Merlot has an inviting bouquet of cranberry, cherry, black currant, cola and rose petal. This complex, full bodied wine has a lingering finish with flavors of cherry, blackberry, mocha, and spice. Pairs nicely with grilled pork tenderloin, filet mignon, and roasted duck.
This Merlot is paired with Red-Wine Marinated Skirt Steak with Romesco Sauce over Roasted Potatoes
2021 Tempranillo, Livermore Valley
The 2021 Livermore Tempranillo 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 hearty Albondigas (Spanish Lamb Meatballs in a Slightly SpicyTomato Sauce).
2019 Mourvèdre, Livermore Valley, Estate
Our 2021 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.
This Mourvèdre is paired with New Orleans-style Red Beans & Rice with homemade Smoked Andouille.
Dolce Francesca
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.
This 2019 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc was picked on November 19th with a Brix of 33.6 and a pH of 3.74. It was fermented for 60 days in French oak using 58w3 yeast. Bottled 98 cases in 375ml bottles at 14.1% abv.
This Dolce Francesca is paired with Spanish Drunken Cake with Lemon Basil cookies. Yum, yum!
Recipes
Gambas al Ajillo
Ingredients
1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
Kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (start with less if you don't want it too spicy)
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons Fenestra Chardonnay
Juice of ½ lemon
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Pat the shrimp dry and season with kosher salt. Set aside for now.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat up to 60 seconds or until the garlic gains some color (be careful not to burn it).
Add the shrimp and paprika. Cook briefly, tossing regularly, and watching that the flesh turns opaque with a pearly pink color (about 3 minutes or so; this will depend on the size of the shrimp). Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in wine, lemon juice and parsley.
Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a serving bowl. Serve with your favorite crusty bread.
Adapted from: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/gambas-al-ajillo-spanish-shrimp/#wprm-recipe-container-37184
Red wine Marinated Skirt Steak with Romesco Sauce
Marinated Skirt Steak
Ingredients:
2 pounds skirt steak
1 cup red wine (we used the Merlot)
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sprigs rosemary
Preparation:
Marinate: Combine all marinade ingredients together in a large 1-gallon plastic bag and mix together (or use any other airtight container). Add the meat, seal the bag, and place in a large baking dish or bowl (this is in case your bag isn’t properly sealed). Place in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
Prep: Preheat grill for direct grilling targeting 500 degrees in the cooking chamber. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the meat with dry rub.
Grill: Place skirt steak on the grill grates over direct heat for roughly three minutes. Then flip and place over direct heat for two minutes. If your instant read thermometer is showing the steak still in the rare range and you want to cook more, place on indirect side and close the lid for no more than three more minutes. It cooks quickly. We like ours served rare, or roughly 120 degrees (F) internal temperature.
Rest: Let rest for 10 minutes to let juices settle and then slice against the grain. Serve.
Adapted from: https://www.vindulge.com/red-wine-marinated-grilled-skirt-steak/#wprm-recipe-container-5074
Romesco Sauce
Ingredients:
12 oz jarred roasted red peppers, drained
14 oz canned fire-roasted tomatoes, well drained
3/4 cup raw blanched almonds, toasted
1/4 cup raw blanched hazelnuts, toasted, optional, you can use 1 cup almonds instead (we used only almonds)
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (we used 1/2 teaspoon)
1-2 garlic cloves chopped
juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar (we used red wine vinegar)
Directions:
Add all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Blend or pulse to your desired consistency.
Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
Adapted from: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/wprm_print/5-minute-romesco-sauce-recipe
Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients:
1.5lb pounds baby potatoes
1 T olive oil
1/2 t Kosher salt
1 T chopped rosemary
Directions:
Heat oven to 350F
Rinse and prep potatoes
Cut potatoes into bite size
Pat dry
Mix olive oil, salt, rosemary with potatoes
Roasted potatoes on a sheet for 30min or until soft and crispy on the outside
Albondigas (Spanish Lamb Meatballs in a Slightly SpicyTomato Sauce)
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
350 g (6 oz) minced (ground) lamb (can also use mix of other ground meats: beef, pork, etc)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
35 g (1 ¼ oz// cup) dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of ground cinnamon
1 egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions:
COMBINE the ground meat (lamb. beef, pork, veal), garlic, breadcrumbs,
spices, egg and season with salt and pepper in a
bowl. Mix by hand until the mixture is smooth and
leaves the side of the bowl. Refrigerate, covered,
for 30 minutes.
ROLL tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Heat
1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and toss
half the meatballs over medium-high heat for
2-3 minutes, or until browned. Drain on paper
towel. Add the remaining oil, if necessary,
and brown the rest of the meatballs. Drain on
paper towel.
Tomato Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
125 ml (4 fl oz/ ½ /2 cup) dry red wine (we used Tempranillo)
400 g (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
125 ml (4 fl oz// cup) chicken (vegetable - that’s what we used)
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
80 g (2% oz//2 cup) frozen peas
Instructions:
TO MAKE the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and boil for 1 minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the
cayenne pepper, peas and meatballs and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick.
Serve hot.
Adapted from the book, “The Food of Spain”
New Orleans-style Rice and Beans with Smoked Andouille Sausage
Ingredients
1 pound (450 g) red kidney beans
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
1 pound (about 450 g) cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch disks
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 12 ounces; 340 g)
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about 8 ounces; 225 g)
4 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 8 ounces; 225 g)
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (3 to 15 g) ground cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it - we used 1/2 tsp)
1 tablespoon (about 4 g) fresh sage
Freshly ground black pepper
1 smoked ham hock (optional)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1/2 C red wine (we used 2021 Mourvèdre)
Hot sauce, such as Crystal or Frank's, to taste
Cider vinegar, 2 tsp
Cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions
Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 6 cups (1.5L) cold water. Add 2 tablespoons (30g) kosher salt and stir until dissolved. Set aside at room temperature for 8 to 16 hours. Drain and rinse.
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil or lard over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add andouille and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Season with salt and cook, stirring, until vegetables have softened and are just starting to brown around the edges, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add cayenne pepper, sage, and a generous 10 to 12 grinds of fresh black pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans, along with enough water to cover by about 2 inches (roughly 6 to 8 cups - we used 7C), ham hock (if using), pickled pork (if using), thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a bare simmer. Cover and cook until beans are completely tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Older beans can take longer.)
Add red wine.
Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened and turned creamy, about 20 minutes. If the pot starts to look dry before the stew turns creamy, add a cup of water and continue simmering. Repeat as necessary until desired level of creaminess is achieved. Discard bay leaves and thyme stems. Season to taste with hot sauce, a few teaspoons of cider vinegar (if using), and more salt and pepper. For best texture, let cool and refrigerate overnight. Reheat the next day, adding a little water to loosen to desired consistency. Serve red beans over steamed white rice.
Adapted from https://www.seriouseats.com/new-orleans-style-red-beans-rice-recipe
Spanish Drunken Cake with Dolce-Orange Syrup
Lemon Sponge Cake
Ingredients
6 eggs, a t room temperature
380 g (13 oz/1⅔ Cups) caster (superfine) sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
185 g (6 ½ oz/1 ½ 2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
Instructions
PREHEAT the oven to 160°C (315°F/Gas 2-3).
Lightly grease and line a 24 cm (9½ in) spring-form tin. Using electric beaters, beat the eggs and sugar for 15 minutes, or until light and creamy.
Beat in the lemon zest. Using a large metal spoon or spatula, gently fold the flour into the egg mixture.
POUR the batter in to the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the oven door open for 5 minutes, then remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.
Dolce Francesca Syrup
Ingredients:
1 bizcocho (see page 270), baked in a square or rectangular tin - the lemon sponge cake above
115 g (4 oz/½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
125 ml (4 fl oz/ ½ /2 cup) Dolce Francesca
Zest of 1 orange
ground cinnamon, for dusting
whipped cream, to serve
Ingredients:
CUT the cooled bizcocho into squares.
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 orange zest and boil for 3 minutes, or until syrupy.
DRIZZLE the syrup evenly over the cake squares.
Dust the tops with cinnamon, if using, and serve with whipped cream.
Adapted from the book, “The Food of Spain”
Lemon Basil Cookies
Aren’t these good?
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar + extra for rolling dough
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped basil leaves
3/4 cup butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
1 large egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Add butter, sugar, lemon zest, and basil to a food processor. Pulse until light and fluffy.
Add egg and lemon juice to the processor. Pulse until smooth.
Add half of the dry mixture to the processor. Pulse until just combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and pulse until it forms a smooth dough.
Shape the cookie dough into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Pour about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into a small bowl or onto a small plate. Roll the log in the sugar to coat (optional: save the leftover sugar for step 7). Wrap the log tightly in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour, until firm.
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Prepare a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
Remove the cookie dough log from the fridge. Unwrap and slice evenly into 1 inch discs. Optional: coat the top and bottom of the discs in sugar for extra yums.
Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, until the edges just start to turn golden brown.*
Remove the entire sheet from the oven. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 2 more minutes. Then remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days.
https://www.aberdeenskitchen.com/2024/01/lemon-basil-butter-cookies/#tasty-recipes-27821-jump-target