Creatively speaking

A natural lover of living subjects and apprentice of many trades- my occupation is winemaker and my inspiration comes from an array of disciplines. I am currently working on some label art which has led me to explore textures and textiles, food and photography, and illustrations. Here at my workshop, I have multiple mediums available to create and experiment...and I might have a glass of wine too.

The rain is abundant today and I love to sit next to the window with the drips dripping to an irregular, but constant beat. Perfect rhythm for humming along on a project.

My herb gardens are getting some spring rains and many of my seeds have emerged.

Fueling the creative fire, it's time to get cozy. Tonight I'm cooking something fresh with the seasons ingredients. I'm experimenting with the flavors of thyme growing in my edible flower pots. I need a delicious structured and dry Zinfandel to match the flavors of the herbs. My family is going to LOVE this meal after a busy week back at school, work, and play.

Thyme has aromas of lemon, licorice, and flowers. Sounds delicious with a wine full of berries, licorice, pepper and violets.

Friday night dinner

fresh lemony asparagus with sea salt 

potato stacks with thyme

turkey and grain burgers with herbs

saffron yogurt dip

spring greens and tellicherry pepper dressing 

Zinfandel

My grandparents descended from Yugoslavia, where Zinfandel was grown most prolifically in the Mediterranean.  Here in the Sierra Foothills, Zinfandel is one of the regions most historic and acclaimed grapes. A sun loving berry that develops beautiful complex flavors during the growing season and delicious with herbs like Thyme and Oregano.

Easter Menu

Of course, I start with my favorite springtime wines to set the stage for our Easter holiday meal. I like to base the menu around what's in season and delicious springtime wines. Let's see... there's sparkling wine for sipping during the egg hunt, Rose for transition from lawn bowling into the main course, and Mourvedre-Grenache blends for the leg of lamb. My favorite! Springtime is so fresh and full of delicious flavors. I love using the fresh herbs of the season to bring out the most in the wines.

Easter at The Winemaker's Table

Fruit kabobs

Deviled eggs with smoked paprika

Prosciutto wrapped lemon asparagus

Roasted red potatoes with crushed pink peppercorns

Arugula salad with a farewell to citrus blood orange, avocado, and sunflower seeds

Boneless leg of lamb stuffed with herb paste served with mint pesto

Carrot cupcakes

Kid deco sugar cookies

and a touch of chocolate for the Easter Bunny!

Mint Pesto Recipe

Inspired by my love for mint with GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) and the desperate need to replace the kiwi tradition of mint jelly with something more savory, I set out to create this pesto that I had in a local restaurant. While mint never ceases to be plentiful, it's also a fresh take on summer's endless basil pesto.

Use a processor or muddle this mix yourself using a mortar and pestle. You can create a chunky pesto that's perfect on the lamb.

1 clove garlic, minced

3 C loose mint leaves

1/2 C pine nuts

1/2 C parmesan cheese

EVOO to desired consistency

1 T Dijon mustard

Sea salt to taste

pinch of fresh cracked pepper

Muddle the pine nuts, mint leaves, and garlic. Then add remaining ingredients. Make fresh or refrigerate for 2 hours or all day and serve a dollop on top of the lamb.

Having Ham? I love a full bodied white like Roussanne or Viognier. The saltiness of the ham is also delicious with Mourvedre. I guess I just love Rhone wines with holiday meals. They really unfold over a long meal and are so rewarding after a long day of preparations.

Upcycling eggshells

Upcycling eggshells for seedlings

With just under 5 weeks to Mother's Day (my garden green light indicator) I am starting herbs from seed. We have lots of eggs from our chickens and I saw this cute idea for planting seedlings on pinterest. Save your egg shells and poke a tiny hole in the bottom for drainage. Use a teaspoon to fill the eggshells with soil and plant the seeds. These can grow in your window until the threat of frost has passed. My husband often does the planting in the garden as a preface to strategically installing the irrigation system. I love him for it! He likes these tiny eggshell seedlings because you just drop in the garden. The delicate seedlings can be difficult to transplant to the garden while wearing big garden gloves. Instead, the eggshells will compost in your garden and make planting easy!

Keep an empty egg carton in your kitchen with your seeds and a ceramic container of soil. As you use your eggs, you can continue more seeds to keep your herb garden abundant all spring. I like to use a spray bottle to keep the seedlings moist and induce germination.

I have lots of cilantro, basil, and chives that are beginning to sprout. I had to plant some nasturtiums too! They are so beautiful and aromatic in salads.

Once my seeds are planted, I'm going to grab a glass of cold Grenache Blanc. Feels like Spring!

Planting

The sun starts shining in spring and I can't wait to get planting. It takes everything inside me NOT to go get a car full of plants and start my garden. Here, in the Sierra Foothills, we say 'plant after Mother's Day,' when the frost potential is gone and your are good to go for your veggies. That was the first rule of thumb I learned when I first moved to this region and attended a couple free gardening classes.  Local Master Gardeners offer classes that provide understanding of the regional challenges in the garden and you get the wisdom from the Master Gardeners who have planted here FOREVER, or so it seems.

lemon thyme planted to pair with Sauvignon Blanc and Sangiovese

I love pairing herbs and wine and I can't wait to add new flavors for seasonal recipes. I started to plant my herbs in pots that can be protected in case of frost. Takes a bit of babysitting, but it's worth it. I stick the pots under the big eves to protect them from a light frost. Then, I pull them out to enjoy the spring rains.

The key to having an everlasting herb garden is to continually plant your perennials every few weeks in spring and harvest them before flowering. I am going to start planting some seedlings (basil, cilantro, and dill)  this week in the window. Happy gardening!

newly planted parsley gets some spring rain

Minty fresh

Hand harvested mint from the garden

Happy Spring!

Fresh herbs are a sign of spring and mint is easy to come by in many gardens. It grows like a weed, so it needs to be planted in a container- perfect for small and large herb gardens alike. There are many types of mint, each with a unique flavor. I like to use peppermint, bergamot, and lemon balm. I find spearmint to be a bit overpowering with wine. 

3 ways to use more mint #inspired by wine

I've been adding mint to classic spring mix, topped with my herbed goat cheese medallions and a simple balsamic dressing.  For this, I love a beautiful clean Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir from very cool climates often has a menthol characteristic and is complemented by the touch of mint in the salad.

I also enjoy using mint in place of basil for pesto.  I add a touch of dijon mustard to the mint pesto for a perfect accompaniment to lamb. For mint and lamb pairings, I like a Grenache based Rhone blend. Grenache comes alive with the bright mint flavors.

When I use lemon balm on fresh fish steamed on the grill, I enjoy a Roussanne or Roussanne blend. The lemon balm character in the wine is accentuated in this pairing. Add a squeeze of lemon and season with salt and pepper.

Plant some mint in your wine garden and experiment. You'll love it in water or tea for spring days.

Cheers!

My style

On an airplane flying from a consulting project, my thoughts turned toward style. The airline magazine was curbing my impatience for the one hour bumpy flight.  Inside was an article about a new niche pattern producer for hand made clothes. It drew me in as I thought back to summer break as a teenager working with my Aunt, a seamstress and designer. I helped her with basic alterations while sipping tea in the front of her old Victorian home in Portland, Oregon. All day busy clients would drop their beautiful clothes to be fitted just right. My aunt, nearly 6 feet tall, wore a measuring tape around her neck and a pair of scissors like a necklace. Her long thin hair in a messy bun on top of her head.  She could make a pattern from scratch in an instant, later developing a clothing line.  She helped me design a few custom pieces that I got to take back home, some of which I still have-including the dress shown below. I really enjoyed making my own clothes, I could choose every aspect from fabric to fit.

I can still hear my mom insisting that I was "always looking for something that didn't exist," with regards to style. I thought about that for a minute on the airplane and began to chuckle. Of course! I am always looking for something that doesn't exist. In front of me is an adventure connecting food and wine in a way never done before.

My artistic approach to winemaking is unique in the same way that I'm always looking for something that hasn't been done, or to do it in a different way.  Whether it's an expression from an extreme vineyard site or a blend of sites to create a wine with personality; my winemaking philosophy allows the source of the fruit to inspire style that's unique. When I love a vineyard site, my passion is infused in the bottle and my style is created. Similar to my experiences making clothes, I enjoy every aspect from the vineyard to the table.  I believe that the best wines are beautifully expressed with a variety of flavors.

My best wines are yet to come and I look forward to sharing them with you at the table. Thanks for joining me!

Weeknight delight

An evergreen, Rosemary
is an herb for all seasons.

Rosemary and coffee salt crusted filet mignon

Petit filet mignon
2 T ground coffee
3 t  chopped rosemary
1 t salt
1 t pepper
 pinch of paprika

For the filet mignon, rub with a touch of paprika, then layer the coffee, rosemary, pepper and salt.

Broil in 400 degree oven for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until medium rare. Serve immediately while hot.

Winemaker's notes:

I chose filet cut for this because it's so tender and succulent. The flavor is beautiful and doesn't command much tannin in the wine being paired to cut the fat. A filet mignon complements elegant wine styles and wines with a bit of age. I paired this with my library reserve Confluence Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon made in 2003. The wine is a unique expression of Sierra Foothill fruit at 3,300 feet elevation. The layers in this wine with the bright aromatics are very unusual and exiting! This dish was inspired by the paprika notes in the wine, indicating perfect ripeness of the grapes at harvest.

I love blending flavors in the kitchen, just like wines. When I'm blending wines, I look for each of the components to bring an authentic expression to the blend. I want the wine to be enjoyed at the table for hours as aromatics change and evolve.



 More on layering aromas:

A fragrance manufacturer, Jo Malone, has a line of  natural fragrances inspired to layer and create your own unique signature scent. I layer wild fig and cassis with pomegranate to get a perfect balance of spice, earthiness, and fruit. I think of this fragrance blend as 'Mourvedre' because it reminds me of Mourvedre vines at harvest time. I feel great when I wear it, like being in the vineyard-my favorite place.