Macrostie Estate House: Setting a New Standard in the Russian River Valley

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 23 Number 4 The ©Vinesse Wine Club 2015 The

SKU 24530 GrThe Officiala Newsleptter forevine Viinesse Wiine Club Members Macrostie Estate House: Setting a New Standard in the Russian River Valley

IT CAN BE DONE: PAIRING WINE WITH VEGETABLES

TODAY’S WINES: TOO MUCH FROSTING ON THE CAKE?

WHY VINTNERS CHOOSE TO FILTER THEIR WINES

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 from around the world, which you’re Editor’s Journal not likely to discover on your own, and which enhance your wine enjoyment. Your Grapevine Team: Big Globs of ‘Icing’ Can Intrepid Wine Enthusiast, Chief Taster and Winehound: Martin Stewart Make for Clunky Wines Chief Operating Officer By Robert Johnson (aka “The Buck Stops Here”): Lawrence D. Dutra was talking with one of California’s top winemakers the Editor: I other day. I’m not going to tell you who it was because Robert Johnson he would not want to offend any of his fellow vintners Wine Steward: with his observation that I’m about to share with you. Katie Montgomery The Grapevine is published by Vinesse, What I will tell you, because there frying and glazing or frosting donuts, 822 Hampshire Road, Suite E, Westlake are quite of a few of them around, making turnovers (apple and cherry), Village, CA 91361; 1-800-823-5527. Copyright by Vinesse, LLC. Printed in USA. is that he is a disciple of Andre and icing the cupcakes that had been No responsibility is assumed for loss or Tchelistcheff, a legendary vintner who, baked earlier in the morning. damage to unsolicited materials. during the harvest season, depended We had four types of cupcakes in all: more on his gut and experience than 1) chocolate cake with chocolate icing; Be good to the planet on sunny day counts and fractometer 2) chocolate cake with white icing; 3) readings. To Tchelistcheff, making white cake with chocolate icing (my recycle wine was as much about art as it was favorite); and 4) white cake with white about science. icing. At one point of our wide-ranging To the top of each cupcake, with Charter Member conversation, the topic turned to a spatula, I spread a layer of either Benefits: big wines — Cabernet Sauvignon, chocolate or white (buttercream) icing The Grapevine Newsletter Cab-based blends, Zinfandel, et al. — a very thin layer. The icing, as my That’s when he made the observation Dad explained it, was intended to Premium wine selections at members-only prices that has stayed with me ever since complement the cake, not be the main because I was able to relate to it ingredient. Wine tasting as a participant immediately. Today, however, cupcakes with thick on VINESSE’s Gold Medal “A lot of big wines today are gobs of icing are all the rage. And to Award Panel clunky,” he said. “Too much frosting my palate, the flavors are totally out of Complimentary subscription on the cake.” balance. to VINESSE’s Cyber Circle As soon as he’d said it, I was Just like those “clunky” wines my Community transported to the 1970s and the vintner friend was describing. In his Random giveaways of wine bakery that my parents owned and opinion… and I agree… too many and accessories operated on the Balboa peninsula winemakers now choose bombast Wine Finders Reward — in Newport Beach, Calif. It was over balance, and in-your-face over identify a future wine selection not a franchise or part of a large finesse. and earn a reward conglomerate; it was a family In winemaking, as with cupcake Perfectly matched recipes for business, and as such, every member frosting, too much of a good thing can featured wine selections of the family pitched in. be… too much. Complimentary wine tasting The year I was in the sixth grade, my before-school duties included Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 3

2 Schools of Thought on Filtering Wine ne of the most common practices in winemaking comes very near the end of the process. OIt’s called filtering, and it has both supporters and detractors in the vintner community. Filtering is one of the tools in a know that what they are about to taste is winemaker’s tool box that can be used to what the winemaker intended them to taste. bring a beautifully hued wine of great clarity Those who support the filtering process to the marketplace. That’s important because explain that, over time, it’s possible for an even though a wine that appears slightly off-flavor to develop in a wine bottle — a cloudy normally has no flaws, it may appear flavor that could have been avoided had “not right” to the consumer. filtration been undertaken. When it comes to how a bottle of wine is Often, commerce plays a role in presented on a retail shelf, and how the wine determining whether a wine undergoes in the bottle looks, that old saying definitely filtration. As one veteran winemaker applies: Appearance is everything. noted, “You’re much more likely to see Let’s take a closer look at the two schools an ‘Unfiltered’ wine that’s made in limited of thought in regard to wine filtration. quantities — a few hundred cases or less. Those who do not support use of the process say that it That way, if something does go wrong in the bottle, the may remove certain natural compounds that contribute to loss is sustainable. the wine’s aging potential, its strength and its flavor — in “At the other end of the spectrum.” he added, “you’ll a word, its personality. never see an ‘Unfiltered’ wine that has production of a few Vintners who believe strongly that filtration can be hundred thousand cases. It’s just too much of a risk for a harmful often will have the word “Unfiltered” printed on winery to take; if the winery is under-financed, one bad the front label of the wine bottle. They want the world to vintage could put it out of business.”

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 4 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

Forchini Winery: A True MacRostie Estate House: American Success Story Setting a New Standard

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 ver the past three decades, MacRostie Winery and members of the original Vineyards has established itself as one of the Sonoma Coast American Cellars Wine Club O of California’s defining wineries, and a leader in a bright, were very satisfied with their balanced and age-worthy style of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. monthly selections, some wanted more, and they Today, MacRostie is guided jointly by To achieve their vision, MacRostie were willing to pay for it. winery founder Steve MacRostie and and his team sought out three of the talented up-and-coming winemaker, the most creative and acclaimed Heidi Bridenhagen, who together are firms in the business: Gould Evans making the finest Chardonnay and for architecture, Roche+Roche for Each Élevant Society Pinot Noir bottlings in the winery’s landscape architecture, and Grant K. shipment includes: storied history. Gibson for interior design. Because Using grapes farmed by legendary they were able to create the Estate • 2 or 4 bottles — your choice — winegrowing families — including House from the ground up, every of super-premium wines, mostly the Duttons, Sangiacomos, Martinellis detail was thoughtfully considered. big and bold red varieties or and Bacigalupis — as well as from Both aesthetically and experientially, blends MacRostie’s own Wildcat Mountain the MacRostie Estate House is warm, • Detailed Tasting Notes for each Vineyard, the Sonoma Coast wines welcoming and beautifully open in its featured wine from MacRostie have established design. themselves as benchmarks, offering Located just five minutes from the a rare intersection between labor- intensive small-lot winemaking and the Frequency: complexity that can be achieved only by working with the finest vineyards. Approximately Monthly And now, there is a new place where wine drinkers can learn about

Price: and savor these special wines: the $85.99 average per MacRostie Estate House in Sonoma shipment including shipping County’s Russian River Valley. The unveiling of the Estate House is the culmination of a lifelong dream for To learn more about MacRostie, who founded his winery in 1987. Many are saying that it sets this Club, call 800-823-5527 a new standard, bringing something or visit www.Vinesse.com elevated, new and gorgeous to Russian River Valley wine country. Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 5

Healdsburg Square, on a picturesque hillside, the Estate House is surrounded by beautiful vineyards and meadows. This setting was a key inspiration for Gould Evans, providing a backdrop for the gracefully modern architecture. The Estate House features multiple indoor venues for seated wine tastings, throughout the Sonoma Coast. and three expansive patio terraces And now, with its numerous indoor with beautiful valley and vineyard and outdoor venues, and multiple Wines that match views. The 20-acre property also seated tasting flight options, the the season includes a 13-acre estate Pinot Noir MacRostie Estate House offers an array vineyard (named Thale’s Vineyard, of experiences and environments for Summer — wines for after MacRostie’s wife) and a winery enjoying those wines. barbecues, picnics or just for While each area sipping. Fall — wines for hearty, has its own aesthetic, harvest-time dishes. You get the the overall design combines modern idea. All wines are selected by our elegance with the Tasting Panel to pair beautifully inviting character of with the foods you love. beautifully grained woods, richly hued leathers, abundant Each shipment includes: glass and gorgeous • 4 bottles of specially-selected landscaping that wines incorporates MacRostie’s Scottish • Detailed Tasting Notes for thistle motif. The each featured wine Estate House will designed exclusively for fermenting also offer numerous special visitor Pinot Noir in very small one-ton lots. experiences throughout the year, Wine Color Mix: In a given vintage, it is not including barrel samplings, rotational Reds, Whites, or Mixed uncommon for MacRostie to do as tastings and interactive “roll up your many as 130 individual fermentations sleeves” educational programs, all of Frequency: of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with which will begin in the months ahead. 4-times per year, plus a special a focus on Pinot. This keeps different holiday shipment vineyards, blocks and clones separate. Winery 4-1-1 While this is an incredible amount Price: of work, when it comes time for MacRostie Estate House blending, it gives Bridenhagen and $98.99 average per MacRostie an amazing palette of 4605 Westside Road shipment including shipping flavors with which to work. Healdsburg, CA 95448 This diversity has also allowed Guests are welcome daily from MacRostie Winery to enhance its 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., and all tasting To learn more about portfolio, adding a Russian River experiences are seated, with reservations this Club, call 800-823-5527 Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, recommended. Call 707-996-4480 for as well as a handful of sought- reservations and directions. or visit www.Vinesse.com after vineyard-designate wines from 6 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com The Sights, Sounds and Flavors of Yolo County

The Department of Viticulture and Enology, U.C. Davis

nown for its incredibly rich soil, warm days and mild Delta breezes, California’s Yolo KCounty yields unforgettable wines of great character and diversity. There, you’ll find outstanding n Route 3 Wines — Produced from n Bogle Vineyards and Winery — renditions of Syrah, Chardonnay, 100% Dunnigan Hills AVA wine Located on the Sacramento River Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Malbec and grapes, the handcrafted wines reflect Delta, Bogle’s tasting room is open Cabernet Souvignon, but also lesser- the unique soils and terroir of the daily, and guests are invited to bring grown varietals such as Viognier, historic Hucke Ranch. The wines can a picnic to enjoy on its grounds while Primitivo, and Albarino… not to be tasted at RootStock Tasting Room unwinding and soaking in gorgeous mention sparkling wines and Port- and Gift Shop in Winters. vineyard views. style wines. n Putah Creek Winery — Crafting n Capay Valley Vineyards — Virtually all of the wineries are award-winning wines since 2006, Located in the beautiful Capay Valley, family owned and operated — Putah Creek has a newly-opened this winery produces award-winning some for multiple generations tasting room in downtown Davis. wines, including a unique Sparkling — guaranteeing visitors an intimate Founded by a grape farmer, it uses Viognier, dubbed “the Champagne of experience with highly knowledgeable locally grown grapes to produce Yolo County.” artisans. balanced, approachable wines. In addition to wine-tasting, the Yolo County also is home to vibrant cities of Davis, Winters and the University of California Davis Woodland, as well as the outlying Viticulture and Enology Department, communities in the gorgeous as well as the Robert Mondavi countryside, all have something to Institute for Food and Wine Science. offer year-round. Clearly, local expertise helps put Yolo Start with outstanding places to stay, County on the leading edge of the from picturesque B&Bs to full-service industry. hotels. Then explore the natural From Clarksburg to Davis, and from beauty by touring verdant farmlands Winters to verdant Capay Valley and or walking quiet creek-side trails. You Dunnigan Hills, you’ll enjoy gorgeous also can enjoy great entertainment, scenery, great dining opportunities, from intimate theaters to the world- and comfortable, welcoming places to class stage of the Mondavi Center for stay. the Performing Arts. Among the wineries that are worth Sample just about any cuisine under a visit: TTOURINGOURING TIPS TIPS the sun at one of the region’s many Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 7 vinesse

List U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame Hot Wine Country Chocolate 1Experience. Wineries have fine restaurants, and take time to Woodland. It was rebuilt on the the tasting room model down to shop for art, antiques, personal goods, same site, using some of the a science, offering a wide array and so much more. Yolo County remaining foundation and bricks for of tours, product sampling and also is known for its vibrant farmers’ the walls. It reopened in 1896, and other experiences. In downtown markets. still hosts plays and musical acts Napa, Anette’s brings the tasting Among our favorite attractions each season. room experience to fine chocolates, n (when we’re not visiting tasting Reiff’s Antique Gas Station with offerings ranging from “Taste rooms) are: Automotive Museum — See a and Talk” ($5 for 10 minutes) to n U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame collection of antique gas pumps, the “Premier Tasting” ($30 for 45 — Housed in Davis, this world- gas station signs and car culture minutes). In addition to an array class attraction features priceless memorabilia from the 1950s and of chocolates and truffles, Anette’s bicycles, trophies, medals and before. It just may be Yolo County’s crafts chocolate wine sauces which, memorabilia from the cycling world’s coolest tourist attraction. by themselves, make the stop n best. Changing displays highlight U.C. Davis Arboretum Tours — worthwhile. contemporary pros. Also on display is A living museum of 22,000 types of www.anettes.com the prestigious Pierce Miller antique trees, plants and shrubs. Located on Hot Napa Valley Golf bicycle collection. the campus in Davis. Experience. At the Chardonnay n Woodland Opera House — Built Yolo County may not be California’s 2 Golf Club, don’t be surprised to in 1885, the original Opera House most famous wine region, but it’s encounter grapevines where you’d burned down in the 1892 fire that certainly among the most diverse… simply be out of bounds on other destroyed much of downtown and fun. courses. The club consists of three For Further Information 9-hole layouts (called Meadows, Lakes and Vineyards), configured so RootStock U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame golfers have a choice of three 18-hole Tasting Room and Gift Shop 303 3rd Street courses. There’s also a driving range 22 Main Street Davis and practice facility, as well as a bar Winters 530-341-2363 530-794-6008 and grill called The View. Woodland Opera House www.chardonnaygolfclub.com Putah Creek Winery 340 2nd Street Hot Program for Art Lovers. 110 F Street, Suite D Woodland Davis 530-666-9617 3Napa Valley Arts in April is a 530-601-9828 month-long celebration of wine Reiff’s Antique Gas Station and the arts featuring winery art Bogle Vineyards and Winery Automotive Museum installations, interactive programs, 37783 County Rd. 144 52 Jefferson St. pop-up exhibitions and exclusive Clarksburg Woodland tastings. Throughout the month, each 916-744-1139 530-666-1758 Napa Valley town is highlighted, Capay Valley Vineyards U.C. Davis Arboretum Tours showcasing their unique artistic 13757 Highway 16 530-752-4880 contributions to the cultural Brooks landscape of the valley. 530-796-4110 www.napavalleycollection.com 8 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

wine Vinesse Style AtoZ Basement Wine Storage

aceration. The process of Mallowing grape skins and crushed juice to ferment together, intended to enhance tannins, color and aroma in the wine. ose. The totality of a wine’s Naromas; basically synonymous omes with basements are common in the Midwest, in with “bouquet.” Hpart out of necessity: Families need someplace safe to rganic. Describes grapes grown ride out the tornadoes that hit the region. Owithout the use of chemical- But in Las Vegas, they are rare fortunately, my family and I currently based fertilizers, pesticides or because the dirt is hard. Venture just enjoy it and couldn’t be happier.” herbicides in the vineyard. below that the desert sand, and you Adds Welsh: “The basement will encounter something called caliche, hover right around 68 to 70 degrees lonk. A derogatory term for a which acts as a binder for other without any assistance.” Ppoor-tasting, usually cheap wine, materials such as gravel, clay and silt. And that makes it close to ideal often bottled in a large jug. As a result, most builders stay for storing wine, particularly bottles uixote. Winery in the Napa away from constructing basements that are not earmarked for long-term Valley designed by the free- in their homes. But American West aging. A little bit cooler would be Q Development actually specializes better for the long haul, but bottles spirited Austrian artist, Friedensreich in basement homes, with the price stored at 68-70 degrees for a year Hundertwasser. It is the only starting at $114 per square foot. or two, especially when kept out of Hundertwasser building in the U.S. “There are many benefits to direct sunlight, should sustain no iesling. One of the world’s most subterranean living, especially here in damage. Rrevered types of white wine Las Vegas,” Daniel Welsh, American Even in a desert setting surrounded (along with Chardonnay). Particularly West’s Vice President, told the Las by sand, it’s possible to store popular in Germany, Alsace and Vegas Review-Journal. “It was a wine safely… and stylishly… in a Austria. dream of mine to own one and, basement.

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 Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 9

vinesse® appellation showcase Negev, Israel

Join us for an incredible wine journey! Each Shipment Takes You to a Different Corner mid the harsh desert scenery that dominates the of the Wine World! landscape of southern Israel, a series of vineyards A Taste Exquisite Boutique have been planted over the last decade by a number of Wines... Savor Each Country’s pioneering and dedicated people. Winemaking Tradition... and These are idealistic people who produce in the Negev to creating a Collect Some Souvenirs! love their land and, together with high-value product from it. state-of-the-art drip irrigation Slowly, the Sde Boker Winery technology, have grown vines and expanded, and today is still modestly Each shipment crafted wines where, just a few years housed in the old communal laundry includes: before, the idea would have been facility of the kibbutz. unimaginable. The Boker Valley Vineyard not • 6 bottles of specially selected The Negev Wine Route was only grows its own vines, but wines from one country or established with the support of the also offers visitors the opportunity region of the wine world Ramat Hanegev Regional Council to taste many of the other wines and the government, which provided produced in the region. It is run by a • Detailed Tasting Notes for each the land on the condition that it couple with diverse origins: Moshe is featured wine would be accessible for tourists and from Eilat, while Hilda hails from the used for tourism-related purposes. Netherlands. The wineries are part of a bigger In addition to wines, they sell series of such farms that stretch local olive oil and olives, and offer Wine Color Mix: across the Ramat Hanegev region beautiful accommodations in the and each offer something for tourists heart of the desert. Reds, Whites, or Mixed — be it lodging, restaurants, cheese- Not all of the farms along the making, olive-oil making or, of Negev Desert Wine route make Frequency: course, winemaking. wine, but all produce some type 6 times per year The first winery to open in the of high-quality produce originating Negev was the Boker Winery, from the Negev. Price: which began 15 years ago as an Just north of Mitzpe Ramon and experiment led by Zvi Remek, a the famous makhtesh, Carmey Har $139.99 per shipment member of the Sde Boker kibbutz Hanegev is a farm that produces including shipping who studied agronomy in California a wide range of natural desert before returning to his home. resources, including olive oils, fruits Having previously worked with and liqueurs using the produce of To learn more about the grapevines of the kibbutz, the farm. The farm has camping and this Club, call 800-823-5527 opening the winery was the start cabin facilities for overnight stays, or visit www.Vinesse.com of a transition from simply growing and also sells artwork. 10 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com

On the one hand, many of us are now “filling our plates with more greenery and less wine-friendly meat dishes. On the other, as the health benefits of wine become better known, more vegetarians are pouring a When is the best time of the glass with the meatless meals. We’re all year to visit the wineries in QSanta Barbara County? more health conscious, but don’t want There’s really no bad time, to give up good taste. although the tasting rooms Acan be packed during the — Wine writer Natalie MacLean,” on the challenge of summer months and into the pairing wine with vegetables harvest season. If your goal is to taste what the region is all about, consider attending the Santa Barbara Vintners’ Spring Weekend, offee king Starbucks, which has been which this year will be held April experimenting with wine, beer and upscale 23-26. Fun events are planned all C snacks during evening hours at a number of four days, but if you have time locations for several years, plans to expand the to attend only one, make it the program widely. According to a Reuters report, the Grand Tasting on April 25, which company believes it can increase evening sales by will run from 1 to 4 p.m. at River $1 billion via its plans for after sunset, and will add View Park in Buellton, Calif. More wine, et al at nearly 3,000 of its 11,900 cafes. As one Starbucks district than 100 Santa Barbara County manager told The Grapevine, “The roll-out will be gradual. The speed has a wineries will be pouring their wares, lot to do with [liquor] licensing, which is largely out of our control.” dozens of restaurants and other food purveyors will be serving bites of their specialties, and live music icily, which is at the heart of all wines produced by Stemmari Estates, will provide a melodic backdrop. Shas a reputation for its rich, fertile soil. Home to gently sloping hills and For full festival as well as Grand recipient of an abundance of vine-nourishing Tasting-only ticket pricing, to go: sun, that Italian island is paradise to the sbvintnersweekend.com. people who inhabit it. Stemmari, situated along the south coast of Sicily, practices some of the most sustainable wine production methods in the world in order to support the island, its flora and fauna, the future of its people, and the quality of its 25 wines. Percentage that wine sales o the ever-growing list of things that you can eat with Champagne increase during Passover Tor other sparkling wine, add raclette. As Robert Reid described it in at Yatir Winery in Israel. National Geographic Traveler, raclette is “basically gourmet nachos: cow’s Yatir’s vineyards are sited milk heated open-air and served with potatoes, onions, cornichons and dried ham.” He added close to 3,000 feet above that Sierre’s Chateau de Villa, a Swiss castle built sea level, and the winery in the 1500s, was one place to taste the melted produces approximately morsels. Because of the complexity of the flavors 50,000 bottles per year. complementing the saltiness of the ham, sparkling wine would be an ideal libation to pour. Visit vinesse.com • The Grapevine • 11

food & wine pairings

Vegetables &

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, resh vegetables are among the best gifts of spring, occasionally blush, and are F but those gifts can wreak havoc when it comes to simply fun to drink. wine pairing. Wines selected from top Here are a few ideas to help you navigate those challenges. (And, yes, regions around the world. we know that not all of the gifts of spring listed below, technically, are vegetables. But you will find them in the produce department.) Each shipment • Asparagus — This is probably the most vegetal of all vegetables, so let’s deal with it first. And yet, it can be paired successfully with wine, as long as includes: that wine is not red. Opt for a white that offers citrus impressions among its • 2 bottles of delicious flavors, or try a Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Another enemy of asparagus is oak, so stay from most California renditions of Chardonnay and opt for light-and-sweet wines bottlings with the word “Unoaked” on the label. • Detailed Tasting Notes for each • Squash and Pumpkin — These demonstrate that oaked Chardonnays can featured wine be paired with veggies. It’s their starchiness that makes the pairing work. And here’s a pairing that really works well: an oaky, buttery Chardonnay with a baked potato topped with butter, sour cream with chives. Wine Color Mix: • Spinach — This is another choice with a toasty Chardonnay, but only Mostly White; Occasionally when prepared with bits of bacon. Yes, that may sound like cheating, but if it takes a little bit of bacon to make one eat their spinach, where’s the harm? Blush/Pink or Sparkling (It’s the smokiness of the bacon that makes the pairing work.) Frequency: • Eggplant Parmesan — Yes, we’re “cheating” again here by adding some assertively flavored cheese to the dish, but it’s the Parmesan that makes the Approximately pairing with medium-bodied red wines possible. Sangiovese (a.k.a. Chianti in Every Other Month Italy) is an ideal partner. • Green Peppers — The “white Pinots” are the wine picks when the flavor of Price: a dish is defined by green (or red or yellow or orange) peppers: Pinot Grigio, Only $15–$17 average per bottle Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc. Important: Seek out versions that have no residual plus shipping sugar; these wines need to be fully dry in order for the pairing to sing. • Black Olives — A little “cheating” is required to make wine pairing work with olives because of their natural saltiness. As an example, if you include To learn more about lots of sliced olives in a salad with herbs and mushrooms, you can pour an earthy red wine such as Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache and or “old vine” this Club, call 800-823-5527 versions of Zinfandel. or visit www.Vinesse.com 12 • The Grapevine • Visit vinesse.com The Grapevine

BRAISED SHORT RIBS 4. Cook until short ribs are tender (2 to 2.5 hours). Transfer ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a This dish pairs beautifully with Cabernet Sauvignon or measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and Cabernet-based blends. This recipe yields about 5 servings. discard. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Ingredients Serve in shallow bowls with sauce spooned over. • 5-lb. bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces ASPARAGUS WITH • Salt and black pepper CHEESE SAUCE • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil This dish pairs nicely with Sauvignon Blanc, and this • 3 medium onions, chopped recipe yields 4 servings. Serving suggestion: Because • 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped of the assertive flavors of the dish, chill the wine a bit • 2 celery stalks, chopped longer/colder than you normally would. • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour • 1 tablespoon tomato paste Ingredients • 1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon • 400 grams asparagus • 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley • 25 grams butter • 8 sprigs thyme • 25 grams flour • 4 sprigs oregano • 300-ml. milk • 2 sprigs rosemary • 50 grams cheddar cheese, grated • 2 fresh or dried bay leaves • Pinch of salt and pepper to taste • 1 head garlic, halved crosswise Preparation • 4 cups beef stock 1. Snap the ends off the asparagus and discard. Preparation 2. Grill or steam the asparagus by your favorite method 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season short ribs with salt while you prepare the cheese sauce. and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium- 3. Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over a high heat. Working in two batches, brown short ribs on low heat. all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to 4. Remove from heat and stir in the flour with a wooden a plate. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot. spoon to form a paste. 2. Add onions, carrots and celery to pot and cook over 5. Slowly and carefully add one-fourth of the milk, slowly medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are incorporating it into the paste without allowing lumps browned (about 5 minutes). Add flour and tomato paste, to form. and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and 6. Return to a low heat and continue to add the remainder deep red (2-3 minutes). of the milk, again ensuring that it is fully mixed in 3. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with accumulated without lumps forming. juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer 7. Add the grated cheese and keep stirring until the sauce until wine is reduced by half (about 25 minutes). Add thickens and the cheese has melted. all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a 8. Place the asparagus on plates and pour a small quantity boil, cover, and transfer to oven. of cheese over each serving.

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