Feels like Spring

First blooms

California native, Yarrow, is drought tolerant and creates beautiful living bouquets.

Back in California, with a bit of moisture behind us and warm sunny days, it is starting to sound like spring. The birds are singing, welcoming the morning, and night falls to the sound of a few lonely, yet ambitious frogs.  I've been waiting for spring. New growth of grapevine shoots,  delicious and tender herbs emerging, and the wines from fall's harvest that are bottled and ready to undergo their journey in the bottle.  I look forward to long productive days in the garden and taking my laptop outside to continue my writing under the stars. I enjoy the longer days to pull some weeds in the garden and have a glass of wine before sunset. Life eases into summer through spring.  I love the time with my family gathering at the outdoor table for dinner amidst football toss on the lawn, enjoying an outdoor shower after a bike ride, weekend evenings at the fire pit, and cooking garden to grill. I'm also excited to share some of my recipes and wine pairings that I've been developing.


What do you love about spring?
I love to hear from you!

Amor de Mexico

This Valentine's day, I want to share my slow cooked Chocolate Chile Pork. I use this recipe for many occasions, but a slow paced meal is perfect for a day full of spontaneous surprises for your the ones you love. This recipe is very rich and delicious and when topped with cilantro, creates a perfect backdrop for a Grenache based blend. I like to pair a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre) that will brighten the dark flavors of the chocolate with the wines floral and bright notes gained from the Grenache. The dark and spicy Syrah component will match the chili spice in the dish and pork is delightful with the earthy and rich flavors and textures of the Mourvedre.

This recipe is best in a slow cooker, but can also be done in the oven. For best results, cook it on low for about 6 hours. The smell in your home will lure your Valentine and set the tone for the wine you will be serving. Que sabroso!

I am writing this from Mexico. I came here to vacation with my family and visit some winemakers in the region.  This recipe reminds me of being here 19 years ago in the mountains of Chiapas. Up in the mountains, little fires are always burning to cook food and keep warm during the cold nights. This smoky wood fire scent, I have created here by using smoked salt. If you don't have smoked salt, use sea salt. Smoked salt is worth seeking out at specialty stores to add this distinct flavor without the effort of smoking the meat.

Mari at wine caves in Mexico

Chocolate Chile Pork

3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T chile powder
1 T garlic powder
1 T cinnamon
2 t smoked salt
5 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast

Olive oil
limes
avocado
Tortillas
Cilantro



1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Press the mixture over the pork on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.
3. Add pork to crock pot with 2 cups of water. Optional: add a can of chipotle peppers to turn up the heat. Set crock pot on low for 4-6 hours adding more water if needed so that the meat doesn't dry out.
4. Shred the meat with 2 forks
5. Serve with tortillas and top with cilantro, avocado, onion, and a squeeze of lime.

Sip the wine, take a bite of the food, and another sip of the wine. Notice how the wine changes while you enjoy the combination of flavors and a romantic evening.

Que Rico!

Beautiful colors of Mexico

Restaurant life

My friends, John and Gina, own a restaurant called Cafe Mahajaic in Lotus, California.  I have always loved how this restaurant comes alive inside an old general store built during the gold rush. The original window coverings made of heavy metal open at 5pm as the space made of old brick and mortar lights up and smells so delicious. Recently,  I had a chance to get some experience in the kitchen and learn a few tricks from the pros. When I arrived at the restaurant, John had a long list of things for me to do which included: preparing fresh ingredients for unique salads and making and preparing desserts.

Mounds of romaine! Tip for large parties, use a bucket of cold water and dunk the whole head into the water multiple times to get it clean, then use a knife to extract the white stem in the middle of each leaf, chop up the leaves into bite size, and toss them into the salad spinner.

 Braiding biscotti dough is not as easy as it sounds, but John believes that braiding it allows more air to reach it and cook more thoroughly. After brushing an egg wash over the braid,  bake it for about 25 minutes and cut it into thin slices. The slices go back into the oven until just perfectly crunchy. These have pistachios in them which are delicious on top of the creme brûlée!  You could make the dough ahead and freeze it, just pop it in the oven when you have guests over for coffee.              

Espresso creme brûlée is so delightful! My favorite part about making this is massaging the vanilla bean into the sugar. I also love using a torch!  Since my husband is a firefighter, we have more torches than you could imagine. I think I need to make creme brûlée for my sweetie this Valentine's. Working with food really is almost as fun as working with wine. I think it's the passion for food and wine that make these jobs so glamorous. I look forward to learning more from my restaurant friends! Thanks to John and Gina for welcoming me into their kitchen on a busy night to enjoy the pace of restaurant life. Cheers!

Rosé and peppercorns, a unique pairing coming together for spring

Blending trials begin this time of year, once the wines have settled down post-fermentation and the flavors are beginning to develop. Spring is on it's way and beautiful crisp whites and rosés will be released. I think of spring lamb, Easter and rosé to celebrate Spring.

Lots of my friends ask me 'how do you know what you taste in wine?' 

I have been tasting some Rosé blending trials this week. What a delight! The bright watermelon and cherry fruit with texture and weight from the red grapes. mmmm... so quenching! One thing I noticed in my trials was that a touch of heat emerged in some of the blends. This warming heat created was different from the heat of the alcohol in the wine, but rather a spiciness from the grape source. It made me think about the warming heat and sensation from some of the herbs that I've been cooking with lately, sage and rosemary. A pepper derivative that warms the wine and food.  I wanted to learn more about pepper to better describe it in my wine and food.  So, I did some research...

• Pepper bushes grow similar to grapevines, on trellis. The berries are harvested at different times with different processes to produce the different color of peppercorns with varied flavor profiles.

• Green peppercorns are harvested mid way through berry maturity and have a slightly mild flavor with less heat.

• Black peppercorns are harvested just before the berry is ripe, drying to a black color. Very aromatic with the most pepper heat.

• White peppercorns are harvested when the berry is ripe, but are soaked in water to shed their husks and dry to be white in color. This is a more complex flavor with a soft, lingering, and penetrating heat.

• Pink peppercorns are harvested when the berry is ripe and come from a different type of tree than the others.  Since the white and pink peppercorns are harvested at full berry maturity, the flavors are milder and more sweet. Birds love eating ripe berries in the vineyard and in pepper growing farms. The sweeter the berry, the more the birds eat. Thus, making the white and pink peppercorns more scarce and expensive. Good to know!

Now, back to the Rosé... The blend that showed this warmth could be described by hints of white and pink peppercorns- the kind which are ripe with a bit of pepper that lingers and adds warmth to the wine. I can't wait to pair some of the wines with a bit of fresh cracked pink and white peppercorns. Another pairing in the making!

Herbed goat cheese medallions

Try these goat cheese medallions for a warm and creamy salad topper. Yummy!
All you need is goat cheese, herb blend, and Panko or bread crumbs.
To make your own herb blend try combining your favorite dried herbs like: Rosemary, Tarragon, Dill, Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes, Basil, Parsley and more...

An inspired pairing with Sage and Cabernet Franc

Sage is a beautiful herb to grow in your wine garden. It's so flavorful and pairs well with pork, lamb, and winter squash.  I also add it to soups and stuffing. It's a component to my herb paste for lamb and pork. Here, we add it to a quick brown butter that flavors pasta or kabocha squash.

Sage contains cineol, camphor and pinene. These components bring a 'warm' sensation to the flavor of the herb and pair beautifully with wines that have a complementary warm profile- usually derived from the pepper family,white and black pepper, or even paprika. For big full flavor dishes I pair Cabernet Sauvignon, with it's bit of paprika heat. While touring wine country, some friends and I discovered a Cabernet Franc from El Dorado that had beautiful hints of warm pepper from Sage. I couldn't wait to pair this wine with sage brown butter over gnocchi. To add interest to the dish and highlight the herbal aromatics of the wine, I will add a touch of culinary lavender to the gnocchi water while cooking.

Sage Brown Butter and Lavender Gnocchi

Ingredients:

6 T salted butter
4 sage leaves, torn to release essential oils
1 package gnocchi prepared by instructions (I usually make my own, but this is simple and delicious)
1 t culinary lavender
5 T Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Begin cooking gnocchi per package instructions. Add culinary lavender to water while cooking.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter on medium heat until browned on the edges.
3. Add sage leaves
4. Remove from heat
5. Toss over gnocchi and add Parmesan cheese

Serve with Cabernet Franc and enjoy with a warm winter fire

Rosemary: A fun pairing for weeknights

Rosemary is another one of my go-to herbs in winter. Rosemary is a member of the mint family and also contains limonene, which has an orange flavor.  It still looks beautiful this time of year and secretly flavors many dishes that even kids love.  I have included one of my favorite kid friendly recipes that was inspired by Giada de Laurentiis. I've put my own twist on this favorite and pairings to match.

Savory and Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

1/2 C balsamic vinegar
1/2 C agave syrup
1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C Braags Amino Acids
10 fresh rosemary sprigs
5 garlic cloves
10-12 Chicken drumsticks
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1/4 C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions

Combine the balsamic vinegar, agave, brown sugar, Braags Amino Acids, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves in a large, plastic zip lock bag.

Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the agave and the brown sugar.

Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the chicken from the bag and place on baking sheet. Bake until carmelized, about 35 minutes.

Place the marinade in a saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Drizzle the marinade over the chicken and place on a platter to serve. Top with sesame seeds and parsley.

This is a fun dish for all ages. I look for a wine with the same personality to accompany the flavors.  Some of my favorites are Italian Sangiovese, Rose of Cinsault, and American Grenache.