T o O r d e r M o r e F e a t u r e d W i n e s C a l l 1-800-823-5527 T o d a y !

Volume 21 Number 7 The ©Vinesse Club 2013

SKU 21446 GraThe Official Newsleptter forevine Viinesse Wiine Club Members

Australia’s Eden Valley: A Garden of Vinous Delights

Visiting the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail

The Perfect Wine for Gouda & Edam Cheeses

A Hot New Wine Bar (Just Don’t Call It That)

G e t Y o u r D a i l y D o s e o f W i n e N e w s a t http://blog.vinesse.com 2 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

Our Mission: To uncover and bring you wine gems ditor s ournal from around the world, which you’re E ’ J not likely to discover on your own, and which enhance your wine enjoyment. Your Grapevine Team: 6 Tips for Grilling Success Intrepid Wine Enthusiast, Chief Taster and Winehound: By Robert Johnson Martin Stewart rilling season is in full swing. Here are six tips to help Chief Operating Officer (aka “The Buck Stops Here”): Gyou enjoy not only the food, but also the process. Lawrence D. Dutra Editor: 1. Clean the grill while it is still hot. 4. Chicken tip. (Warning: Do not Robert Johnson This may seem like it should be the attempt to say that phrase fast three Wine Steward: last tip, but it’s good to be thinking times, particularly if you have a Katie Montgomery about glass of wine nearby.) The great fear The Grapevine is published by Vinesse, cleaning when grilling poultry is that it will be 822 Hampshire Road, Suite E, Westlake from undercooked. For that reason, many Village, CA 91361; 1-800-823-5527. Copyright by Vinesse, LLC. Printed in USA. the very people will move it to the hottest No responsibility is assumed for loss or beginning of section of the grill — which generally damage to unsolicited materials. the process. results in a well-cooked outside and I’m a big a possibly still-undercooked inside. Be good to the planet believer in Slow and steady is the best approach doing things to grilling chicken, with medium heat recycle the easy way, recommended. and a grill is much easier to clean, particularly if you have a sturdy brush 5. Sear first, ask questions later. Charter Member for removing residue from the grill When you sear meat on Benefits: rack, before the grill has cooled and both sides, The Grapevine Newsletter that residue has decided to “stick you cut way around.” down on the Premium wine selections at members-only prices possibility of it 2. Position the grill at least 10 feet sticking to the Wine tasting as a participant away from the house. This helps grill. Once it has on VINESSE’s Gold Medal prevent fires and also limits fumes a nice char, it Award Panel from entering the dwelling. can be moved to Complimentary subscription a not-quite-so- to VINESSE’s Cyber Circle 3. You’re there to do a job. True, hot area to cook. Community grilling should be fun, and chances Random giveaways of wine are there will be other people 6. Bone up. There are lots of great and accessories — perhaps lots of other people — grilling books on the market, and Wine Finders Reward — around. Resist the urge to “entertain.” two of the newest provide a master’s identify a future wine selection Focus on the task at hand — which course on the subject. For technique and earn a reward areas of the grill are hotter, how long tips, pick up Where There’s Smoke, Perfectly matched recipes for a piece of meat or poultry has been written by Barton Seaver (Sterling featured wine selections cooking, and so on. Undercooked Epicure, $30). And for great recipes, Complimentary wine tasting food can be saved; overcooked food get a copy of The Grilling Book from can’t. Bon Appetit (Andrews McMeel, $45). Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 3

Getting to Know the Styles of Chardonnay word often used by winemakers when lemon flavors are evident in the wine’s youth, morphing Adescribing Chardonnay is “malleable.” into impressions of hazelnuts and truffles with extended Perhaps more than any other variety, aging. Chardonnay enables a vintner to lend his • Chablis, France — This area of northern Burgundy or her own stamp to the finished product. produces Chardonnay that is higher in acid and often more minerally, with less evident oak influence. That’s good on one hand, because it gives a winery an • Sonoma Coast and Santa Lucia Highlands of opportunity to develop a “house style,” or to introduce California — These cooler growing areas can produce various aromas and flavors to the cuvee in years when Chardonnay that mimics Burgundy in style. Malolactic the fruitfulness of the may not be particularly fermentation typically is avoided so that the wine’s fruit pronounced. flavors can shine. But it also can lead to confusion among wine drinkers, • Napa Valley and Other Inland Regions of California because there is no single, clear “vision” of what — These warmer growing areas produce richer, “warmer” Chardonnay is. “Do you like Chardonnay?” is a (i.e., somewhat higher in alcohol) , with fruit question that may require much more than a “yes” flavors complemented by buttery notes from malolactic or “no” answer. fermentation. With that in mind, it can be very helpful to get Barrel fermentation, malolactic fermentation and oak to know the various styles of Chardonnay, and barrel aging are among the “wild cards” that vintners how they differ from one another. Following are the have at their disposal. Each can significantly impact the most common traits of Chardonnay wines from various aromas, mouthfeel, flavors and finish of Chardonnay. winegrowing regions. So, while it’s very helpful to know about the general • Burgundy, France — Rich and minerally, with traits of a given region, ultimately, a wine lover will want vanilla shadings from oak barrel aging. Apple and to get to know the style of a given winemaker.

The one that started it all!

• Hand-crafted gems produced by little known or small estates • Limited-production bottlings • Under-the-radar wines you won’t find in supermarkets Each shipment includes: Wine Color Mix: Reds, Whites, or Both ­— Your Choice! • 6 bottles from all over the wine world Frequency: Monthly • Detailed Tasting Notes for each featured wine Price: Only $12-$15 average per bottle plus shipping

To learn more about this Club, call 800-823-5527 or visit www.Vinesse.com 4 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

The Fontanafredda Estate: A Jewel in Piedmont’s Langhe

ÉLEVANT

society™

It’s not for everyone. Is it for you? Vinesse created the Élevant Society to meet members’ demands for super-premium wines. While virtually all members of the original American Cellars Wine Club were very satisfied with their inemaking is a way monthly selections, some W of life in Italy. On wanted more, and they many occasions, Italian were willing to pay for it. vintners have commented that their homeland is “one massive vineyard.” Each Élevant Society Nowhere is the “wine life” taken shipment includes: more seriously than in the northwest • 2 or 4 bottles — your choice — province of Piedmont, in the foothills of the Italian Alps. There, one of of super-premium wines, mostly Italy’s most celebrated wines is big and bold red varieties or produced, one that enjoys the same blends status as fine art: Barolo. Fontanafredda was founded in 1878 • Detailed Tasting Notes for each For more than a century and a in the heart of Piedmont’s Langhe featured wine quarter, Fontanafredda has provided region. Among its most prized vineyard a benchmark for authentically styled sites are those in the Serralunga d’Alba Barolo and other Barbera-based wines commune, a hub of distinctive and — bottlings that deftly balance intense intriguing Barolo wines. While the Frequency: aromas and deep fruit concentration hillsides are evenly contoured, the with elegance and finesse. texture of the calcareous soils can vary Approximately Monthly

Price: $85.99 average per shipment including shipping

To learn more about this Club, call 800-823-5527 or visit www.Vinesse.com Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 5

Wines that match the season widely within the space of just a few vineyard sites, a key to maintaining dozen yards — some quite loose, some consistently high quality from year to Summer — wines for with a high proportion of silt, and year. barbecues, picnics or just for much of it dominated by clay. In addition to its Barolo and other sipping. Fall — wines for hearty, The climate is considered traditional Piedmont table wines, “continental,” which equates with Fontanafredda has gained a reputation harvest-time dishes. You get the wide variations in air (and ground) as an exceptional producer of sparkling idea. All wines are selected by our temperatures from season to season. wines. But Barolo will always be the Tasting Panel to pair beautifully This is fairly typical for winegrowing estate’s star. with the foods you love. regions. The main factor that Nothing is left to chance by lead differentiates Langhe vintages is the winemaker Danilo Drocco, who amount of rainfall received during the utilizes ultra-modern equipment Each shipment includes: spring and fall months. while embracing traditional cellar • 4 bottles of specially-selected Like many Italian wine estates, techniques. As an example, Fontanafredda’s is steeped in Fontanafredda’s single-vineyard Barolo wines history. In 1858, when Lincoln and completes its fermentation and begins • Detailed Tasting Notes for Douglas debated for the first time its maturation in 4,000-liter French each featured wine and Macy’s opened its first store oak barrels before being transferred in New York, Vittorio Emanuele II to huge, ancient (read: traditional) made an important real estate deal. Slovenian oak vats for extended aging. Wine Color Mix: The first king of Italy purchased the As Drocco likes to say, “Barolo Reds, Whites, or Mixed Fontanafredda estate, and began should reveal itself little by little, transforming the former hunting rather than all at once.” Frequency: preserve into a country home. That is the Italian way, and that is 4-times per year, plus a special Grapevines already dotted the the Fontanafredda way. landscape, and before long, Emanuele holiday shipment was producing fine red wines from Winery 4-1-1 Price: the indigenous Barbera, Dolcetto and

Nebbiolo grapes. Fontanafredda $98.99 average per Today, Fontanafredda is the largest shipment including shipping contiguous wine estate in Piedmont, Via Alba, 15 with more than 305 acres devoted to 12050 Serralunga d’Alba (CN) grapevines, including 210 acres in the Italy To learn more about Serralunga, Barolo and Diano d’Alba 0173-626-111 communes. In addition to its estate- this Club, call 800-823-5527 grown fruit, Fontanafredda has access [email protected] or visit www.Vinesse.com to many of Piedmont’s other great 6 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com Delightful Surprises Abound on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail

galleries), and one at the winery in Gnawbone, Ind. It produces a variety of dry, semi-sweet and dessert wines made from grapes, berries and other fruit. Fans of cold winter nights and warm fireplaces will love the Old Barrel Port. • Butler Winery — This winery is the fourth-oldest in Indiana and has three locations: one in downtown Bloomington, one at the winery northeast of town, and one in Chesterton, Ind. Along with numerous dry, semi-sweet and dessert/fruit wines, proprietors Jim and Susie French Lick Winery Butler produce a bottling called Cassis Noir — black currant wine with he United States got a new American Viticultural Area brandy added. • Carousel Winery — As this early this year. It’s in the south-central part of Indiana, T story was being written, Carousel and it’s known as Indiana Uplands. was building a new location and The AVA runs 110 miles from a little bit off the beaten path for a had not yet re-opened to the public. north to south. The line separating “wine country” adventure. We’re guessing the move could have Morgan and Monroe counties forms Within the Uplands’ 4,800 square something to do with this website the northern border, while the Ohio miles, there are 19 vineyards spanning message that accompanied its original River at the Kentucky border forms about 200 acres. Seventeen wineries address: “Your GPS will not find the southern boundary. All told, it are within the AVA’s boundaries, us!” But Carousel’s wines are worth encompasses 19 counties, and its and nine of them belong to the Wine tracking down, particularly its double- name has been in use geographically Trail, offering visitors everything from gold winning and an since 1920. welcoming tasting rooms to picnic unusual red called Winter Spice. Winemaking in Indiana goes back grounds to full-blown tours. • French Lick Winery — Although much further than that, however. Here are thumbnail sketches of the it makes Pinot Gris and Merlot, the Historical records show that the nine wineries along the trail... Doty family concentrates on hybrid Huber family planted grapevines • Best Vineyards Winery — Hosts in Starlight, Ind., during the 1840s. a summer concert series that kicked Within 40 years, a quarter of all wine off in June with “a little Skynyrd, a being made in Indiana came from little Hank and a whole lot of good Indiana Uplands. ol’ boy music” from the Concrete Of course, Prohibition halted all Canyon Cowboys. The estate offers a (legal) winemaking in the state, and wide range of dry and sweet wines, it wasn’t until the 1960s that planting including a number of fruit wines resumed. Oliver Winery, northwest and a fortified elixir called Strawberry of Bloomington, got the ball rolling, Flame — strawberries, Chambourcin followed by Huber family descendants grapes and brandy. in the late 1980s. In 2003, several • Brown County Winery — winery owners in the region got Founded in 1985, this winery has two together and formed the Indiana tasting rooms, one in the picturesque Uplands Wine Trail — a path worth village of Nashville, Ind. (home to following if you’re seeking something more than 200 unique shops and TTOURINGOURING TIPS TIPS Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 7

varieties that are tailor-made for Creekbend Vineyard. There, cheese Delightful Surprises Abound on the Indiana climate: Vidal, , and other snacks can be purchased vinesse Chambourcin, Leon Millet, Traminette for a picnic, vineyard tours are offered and others. Its Crema Dolce dessert and, on Aug. 24, the first Creekbend the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail wine is a double-gold medal winner, Bluegrass Bash will take place, and the Heaven’s View Port — named featuring music by the Not Too Bad for the estate vineyard — is crafted Bluegrass Band, the Whipstitch Sallies from ultra-ripened Norton grapes. and the Indiana Boys. • Huber Winery — The Huber • Turtle Run Winery — Proprietor family can lay claim to the longest Jim Pfeiffer has conducted more than historic roots in Indiana winemaking, 1,000 tours of his winery, and no two List and today offers a family-friendly have ever been the same because he experience. In addition to its tasting finds out what visitors want to know Hot Pacific Northwest room, the facility is home to the and then gives it to them. There 1 Restaurant. For a dining Starlight Café (featuring appetizers, are as many as 30 different wines experience that is pure Portland, sandwiches, pizza and salads), the available at any given time, and head to Noble Rot. The restaurant Family Farm Park (with mountain those who love turtles will love the is housed in a Leed Platinum- slides, mazes, a train and more), an labels. A free concert series runs most certified building (as green as it ice cream factory and a cheese shop. weekends during the summer months. gets), and many of the ingredients • Winzerwald Winery — Owners come from the 3,000-sq.-ft. garden Oliver Winery Dan and Donna Adams celebrate on the roof. The endive, beet, blue their German heritage, along with cheese and hazelnut salad is a the Swiss and German heritage of the go-to dish, and more than 40 wines area, with their German- and Swiss- by the glass are offered, along with style wines, gift items and festivals. well-selected wine flights. The wines include a Riesling blend www.noblerotpdx.com called Lieblich, a traditional German • Oliver Winery — The winery’s May wine (Mai Wein), and a German downtown Bloomington location is mulled red wine with cinnamon Hot (Not a) Wine Bar. Et al is convenient and offers an imaginative and cloves called Gluhwein. The 2 a wine bar in San Francisco that small plates and dessert menu, but Adamses also operate a tasting room owner Ceri Smith doesn’t want you if you have the time, venture out to in Evansville, Ind. to call a wine bar — kind of like a bowling center owner not wanting For Further Information you to call his place a bowling alley. But whatever you call Et al, Best Vineyards Winery Huber’s Orchard, expect tasty dishes and plenty of Elizabeth, Ind. Winery & Vineyards complementary wines. www.bestvineyardswinery.com Starlight, Ind. https://twitter.com/etal_sf www.huberwinery.com Butler Winery Bloomington, Ind. Oliver Winery Hot Wine Guide. For a wine www.butlerwinery.com Bloomington, Ind. 3 lover, Germany makes a www.oliverwinery.com wonderful destination. It’s home Brown County Winery to 13 growing regions where one Nashville, Ind. Turtle Run Winery can enjoy not only wineries, but www.browncountywinery.com Corydon, Ind. also wine hiking trails, open-air www.turtlerunwinery.com wine-tasting stands, wine pubs Carousel Winery (weinstuben) and, if you time your Mitchell, Ind. Winzerwald Winery trip well, wine festivals. All the www.carouselwinery.com Bristow, Ind. info you need is in the book, A www.winzerwaldwinery.com Traveller’s Wine Guide to Germany French Lick Winery ($24), written by Freddy and Janet West Baden Springs, Ind. Indiana Uplands Wine Trail Price. www.frenchlickwinery.com www.indianauplands.com www.interlinkbooks.com 8 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

wine Vinesse Style AtoZ Hand-Sculpted Champagne acking. Process of separating Bucket Rwine from sediment following fermentation, and moving it to ina Frey Designs is another barrel or tank. T world acclaimed for ommelier. Restaurant employee its hand-sculpted resin Swho helps guests select wines to objects that range from complement their meals. There’s a fruit and candy dishes to new movie out focused on the pursuit plant and hanging vessels, of the Master Sommelier title (see and from variously shaped “Wine Buzz” for more). bowls to serving boards.

astevin. A shallow-sided tasting The pieces in the collection are hand sculpted by Tiny Frey in San Tcup, now rarely seen, that Francisco, beginning with an idea that is cohesive with the rest of the vintners used to taste their still-in- collection. When a clay design is completed, hand-made molds are created barrel wines in dark caves or cellars. for each object. They were favored because they were As the company’s website describes, “the molds are used to cast each less fragile than glass. item individually by hand in small batches by color. Slight color variations between batches contribute to the beauty and uniqueness of each piece. ndertone. Used in describing a “After the pieces are cast and removed from the mold, they are hand Usubtle aroma and/or flavor of a sanded. In this way, we can ensure the quality and integrity of each piece.” wine. New to the line this year is a brown Champagne cooler bucket that’s crafted with an opaque effect. Dishwasher safe, it’s ideal for summertime iertelstuck. An 80-gallon events ranging from picnics to weddings, and its knotted leather handles VGerman wine barrel. make it easy to carry your favorite sparkling wines — well chilled — from arm. Used to describe a wine place to place. with noticeable alcohol, yet In late June, the bucket was priced at $215, and available online from W Barney’s at www.barneys.com. still in balance.

Each shipment Wine Color Mix: includes: Reds, Whites, or Both —­­ • 4 bottles of the best finds It’s Your Choice! Featured wines Made from California Frequency: in California Exclusively! Approximately • Detailed Tasting Notes • Napa • Sacramento Delta for each wine Every Other Month • Sonoma • Amador County Price: • Santa Ynez • Mendocino Only $15-$17 average per bottle plus shipping • Monterey ... and More! To learn more about this Club, call 800-823-5527 or visit www.Vinesse.com Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 9

vinesse® appellation showcase

Join us for an incredible wine journey! Each Shipment Takes You to a Different Corner of the Wine World! Eden Valley, Australia Taste Exquisite Boutique Wines... Savor Each Country’s common with the wine region to its question likely to Winemaking Tradition... and come to mind after south — Adelaide Hills — than with A the Barossa. Collect Some Souvenirs! traversing South Australia’s Two of the more famous wines of Eden Valley is: “Why is this the region are Jim Irvine’s “Grand Each shipment called a valley?” Merlot” and Henschke’s “Hill of At least in the way we generally Grace” Shiraz. Even so, Eden Valley includes: think of a valley, the Eden is far from is known primarily for its Riesling, • 6 bottles of specially selected one. Much more noticeable than rivaling the esteemed bottlings of its occasional flat expanses are the that variety made in the neighboring wines from one country or area’s steep slopes and windswept Clare Valley. region of the wine world hills. Many of the area’s best Rieslings • Detailed Tasting Notes for each Ultimately, it’s those features that are crafted in the district known as featured wine define the Eden as a unique wine the High Eden, where the cooler region, as they provide growers climate provides ideal growing with a variety of “aspects” for their conditions. The High Eden is home vineyards, and winemakers with a to Mountadam Winery, where wide range of aromas and flavors in legendary vintner David Wynn has Wine Color Mix: the grapes. transformed Chardonnay production Reds, Whites, or Mixed Eden Valley shares its western into an art form. boundary with the Barossa Valley Another pioneer of the region is Frequency: so, not surprisingly, there are some Yalumba, which is Australia’s oldest similarities in wine types and wine family-owned winery, founded 6 times per year styles. Both areas produce a range of in 1849. Rather than resting on red and white wines, and are home its historic laurels, Yalumba has Price: to some legendary vintners. continued to innovate, in recent $139.99 per shipment If one were forced to differentiate years bringing rare-to-the-region including shipping between the two, it could be said varietals such as Viognier and that the Eden Valley is slightly better Tempranillo to the public’s attention. suited for the production of white It may be a valley that doesn’t To learn more about wines, while the Barossa has the resemble a valley, but the Eden this Club, call 800-823-5527 edge when it comes to red varieties. Valley ranks among Australia’s most or visit www.Vinesse.com Climatically, Eden Valley has more in important wine regions. 10 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

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Dandelion wine. The words were “summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered.

Is there any difference ” between rosé wines — From Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine Qand blush wines? My friends seem to use the terms interchangeably.

Lots of people do but, yes, OMM” is a documentary, now in limited theater release, there is a difference. The “Sthat focuses on the process of qualifying for the most Aterm “blush” was coined prestigious title in the world of wine: Master Sommelier. It back in the 1970s because many follows four MS seekers during the final weeks leading up to the California producers believed examination, which fewer than 200 people have passed over the the term “rosé” had become course of 40 years. The makers of the film not only sat in on study antiquated. About the same time, sessions, but were granted unprecedented access to the Court of White Zinfandel gained widespread Master Sommeliers, whose members administer the test. Check popularity, and it became the flag out our review of the film online in bearer for blush wines — a term the “Editor’s Journal” archives at now used to describe bottlings www.blog.vinesse.com. that are soft and typically sweet. Meanwhile, the term “rosé” has come back in fashion, and the high- Number of stars awarded to the movie quality renditions are bone dry and “SOMM” by reviewer Bruce Ingram, ideal food pairing partners. For many people, rosé is the wine of writing for the Chicago Sun-Times. summertime. 3

ilmmaker David Lynch, who wo research studies sponsored by Wine Institute indicate that Freceived the “Best Director” Tthe sustainable and eco-friendly attributes of wine are important award for “Mulholland Drive” at considerations when making purchasing decisions among key segments of the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, is wine consumers as well as the wine trade. The research findings indicate a wine lover — that eco-conscious wine consumers are interested in information about with expensive sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in wineries and vineyards taste. Asked — which underscores the by Food and reason for this monthly Wine magazine “green” feature in The to name his Grapevine. As the fourth- favorite wine, largest wine producer Lynch replied, worldwide, California “I mostly like is a global leader in red Bordeaux, like Chateau Lynch- sustainable winegrowing Bages. On special occasions, I’ll practices. Through have Latour, and it’s almost like participation in the chocolate. It’s got such a flavor, California Sustainable Winegrowing Program, the state has one of the most it’s unbelievable.” widely adopted such programs in the world in terms of wine acreage and case production. Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 11

food & wine pairings

&

the fastest-growing club in vinesse history! A club for people who enjoy a touch of sweetness in their wines. Wines that are lighter in style, sometimes sparkle, Gouda & Edam Cheeses occasionally blush, and are simply fun to drink. ouda and Edam cheeses have much in common, Wines selected from top Gincluding the type of wine that pairs best with them. regions around the world. Both originated in the Netherlands, with part-skim. Flavored Goudas and both are named after the cities in have spices or herbs added to their Each shipment which they were first developed. curd prior to pressing. Gouda, or “How-da,” as the locals Very early on, France was includes: pronounce it, today is perhaps the extremely vigilant about protecting • 2 bottles of delicious most popular cheese in the world, the names of its wines, since they accounting for 50 to 60 percent of typically were tied to geography. light-and-sweet wines total cheese consumption. It’s a semi- Today, there are international • Detailed Tasting Notes for each hard cheese that’s noted for its rich, agreements in place that restrict the featured wine unique flavor and smooth texture. use of the designation “Champagne” In the city of Gouda, the original to the Champagne region of cheese market is one of the last France, the use of the designation Wine Color Mix: standing commercial cheese markets “Bordeaux” to the Bordeaux region of Mostly White; Occasionally in the Netherlands. France, and so on. Edam is named after the city of the The Dutch did not follow suit, Blush/Pink or Sparkling same name, located in the province however, and that’s why the Frequency: of North Holland. It’s traditionally Gouda and Edam names have been sold in spheres with a pale yellow “appropriated” and now are generic. Approximately interior and a coat of red paraffin Fortunately, most cheese makers Every Other Month wax. honor and emulate the traditional Price: Both Gouda and Edam are styles, which means that we can considered “sweet-curd” cheeses. recommend serving an off-dry, Only $15–$17 average per bottle Their manufacturing process is high-acid Riesling with virtually any plus shipping similar to that of semi-soft cheeses, Gouda or Edam cheese. but specific starter cultures and only And for a special treat, try the Spicy the highest quality milk are used. Pumpkin Seed Brittle (featured on To learn more about The primary difference between page 12) with slices of Gouda and the two is that Gouda is made with Edam, and a glass of Riesling. this Club, call 800-823-5527 whole milk, while Edam is produced or visit www.Vinesse.com 12 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com The Grapevine

SPICY PUMPKIN 9. Pour mixture onto prepared cookie sheet. Cover with SEED BRITTLE second parchment sheet. 10. Press the mixture with a rolling pin to ¼-inch thick. Assuming your dental work can handle it, try this brittle Remove top layer of parchment. with Gouda or Edam cheese and a glass of off-dry 11. Cool completely. Crack brittle. Store between layers of Riesling for a dessert that’s crunchy, creamy, spicy and parchment in a sealed container for up to two weeks. sweet. This recipe is courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Ingredients • 11/2 tsp. baking soda LEMON-PEPPER HALIBUT • 2 Tbsp. butter, melted Although our minds typically drift to big, thick steaks • 11/2 cups sugar or juicy hamburgers, summertime grilling need not be • ¾ cup water restricted to red meat. This tasty dish is packed with • ¼ tsp. fine-grained sea salt flavor, and pairs beautifully with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot • ¾ cup (4-oz.) hulled spicy roasted pumpkin seeds Grigio, or a lower-alcohol, fruit-forward Zinfandel. This (“pepitas”) recipe yields 4 servings. • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes Ingredients • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper • 6 tablespoons lemon juice Preparation • 1 cup butter, melted 1. Stir together baking soda and melted butter, and set aside. • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and set aside • 4 halibut fillets (about 5-oz. each) a second sheet of the same size. Butter parchment on • 1/2 teaspoon salt one side. • 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning 3. Combine sugar, water and salt in a heavy 2-quart Preparation saucepan. Bring to a low boil. 1. In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the lemon 4. Reduce heat to medium-low, and wash down any sugar juice, butter and Worcestershire sauce. Add the halibut crystals on sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in pieces, seal bag and turn to coat. cold water. 2. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning 5. Simmer syrup 10 to 12 minutes, until it reaches 240 occasionally. degrees F. 3. Drain and discard marinade. Sprinkle halibut pieces with 6. Remove from heat. With a wooden spoon, add pumpkin salt and lemon-pepper. seeds, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. 4. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with 7. While stirring, return pan to medium-low heat. Melt cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. again until mixture turns amber brown and reaches 290 5. Grill the halibut, covered, over medium heat, for 4 to 6 degrees F. minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily with a 8. Remove from heat, and stir in butter-baking soda fork. mixture with wooden spoon.

As a Member, You Can View Your Account Online For full details about your account, including your personal shipment history, charge amounts, and more, please visit www.Vinesse.com and log on via the “Your Account” link at the top right. TO ORDER CALL TOLL-FREE: 800-823-5527 HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8AM TO 5PM PST Vinesse 822 Hampshire Rd., Suite E, Westlake Village, CA 91361 • www.Vinesse.com