A Weekend in Wine Country

August,6th,2010

You knew this one was coming didn’t you? It was only a matter of time before I could no longer resist the temptation to talk about the beautiful valley where I was born and raised as well as the liquid that we are so well known for. I’m of course speaking of Sonoma Valley and the amazing wine produced in this region. In my early twenties, my apprecaition for wine and wine country consisted of being really pumped that most of my friends were from wine families and were constantly giving wine away. The varietal wasn’t as important to me as the price…free!

Now I’m much older and wiser, ok maybe I’m just older, but wine tasting on weekends has become one of my favorite things to do because I love to learn more about the different local wines and wineries. Whether it be with the usual suspects, visiting friends from out of town or even just my boyfriend and I, it’s always enjoyable. Many of the local Sonoma and Napa area wineries have more to offer than just wine tasting. There’s art, entertainment and let’s not forget delicious food! I recently spent a weekend with friends wine tasting around Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Kenwood.

Our first stop was Imagery Estate Winery. If you are interested in art at all, this winery should be your first stop. They have a fabulous art gallery and all their labels are created and sent in by artists. Every label also includes the image of the parthenon…visit their website to find out why.

Next we moved on to Benziger Family Winery (it just so happens that Imagery and Benziger are owned by brothers). Benziger has an amazing operation because not only are they producing phenomenal wines, they’re doing so with biodynamic (it’s okay, I wasn’t sure what this was either until our tour guide explained it), organic and sustainable farming methods. They had live music and they run a tram tour of their grounds every 30 minutes where you can learn all about what the heck biodynamic is, and much more about wine and vineyards.

Our third and final stop for the day was at Bartholomew Park Winery. A beautiful location on the east side of Sonoma, this winery is the perfect stop if you’re interested in doing some hiking or having a picnic. They have picnic tables under a huge tree with lovely views!

I also recommend checking out some of the local events in Sonoma and Napa County (check out winecounty.com). Some events such as Sonoma Wine Country Weekend on September 4-6, allows you to purchase tickets good for a variety of meals and tastings. Chateau St Jean is hosting an open house on labor day weekend with tastings, tours, art and the promise of “delectable food” to enjoy. On Spetmeber 11, Kendall Jackson is having an heirloom tomato festival (yummy!!) and do not miss my personal favorite, the Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival September 24-26 in Sonoma’s famous plaza. When else will you be able to enjoy the best local wine in the heart of the City of Sonoma, its downtown plaza and park?

I don’t know about you but all this talk about wine is making me hungry. It’s poor form to head out for a day of wine tasting without at least some snacks in your car, a cooler maybe, or a planned stop to grab some grub. Because nothing puts a damper on the day like feeling ill and not being able to enjoy your vino! So now that we’ve got the wine and the fun planned, let’s talk about easy, delicious options to bring with you on your wine country weekend.

I’m drinking, let’s get eating!

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Blueberry Pancakes from Maine

July,27th,2010

I woke up this morning with a serious hankering for some blueberry pancakes. Usually I’m not a big pancake eater but throw in some blueberries and it’s a different story. I wanted to share to recipes my mom used to love to make. The first comes from a trip my family took to the east coast for my sister’s wedding. While traveling through Vermont, we developed a slight obsession (ok a huge obsession) with maple everything! Every little stand on the side of the road was a pit stop to restock our maple sugar candy collection. It’s so creamy and delicious and the flavor of maple is one you either love or hate. I love it. I’m pretty sure most of my cavities developed that week and I still can never resist a little nibble of a maple bar.

My sister was married at a small bed and breakfast in Vermont where we picked up a cookbook created by local east coast bed and breakfasts. For the life of me, I can’t find the cookbook now or remember what it was called but luckily my mom typed out our absolute favorite recipe. Blueberry Pancakes from Migi’s Lodge in Maine.

We came home from our trip with bottles and bottles of maple syrup (along with our boxes of maple candy) and proceeded to use all the syrup on these panckes. And since blueberries are so plump and delicious right now, this seemed like the perfect breakfast choice. Now if only someone were here to make it and bring it to me in bed!

Wake up hungry?

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A Study of Bruschetta

July,16th,2010

Pronounce it (broo-SKEH-tah) to sound like a true Italiano! I like to think of bruschetta as a work of art. The bread is like an artist’s blank canvas and depending on what you add to it, you can make a true masterpiece. Let’s just put it out there, aside from a truly painful stint with watercolor one semester in college, I have no skills in the art world. That’s why I’m so very pleased with my metaphor here!

A little history on my current bruschetta obsession: when I was studying for a few months in Rome, my program leaders took all of us stranieri studenti out to dinner at a local place called Dar Poeta www.darpoeta.com. It was in an area of Rome known as Trastevere (named as such for being located across the Tiber River). They led us through narrow cobblestone alleys, winding in the darkness until we arrived at our destination, which we were incidentally never able to find again.

We waited in line with mostly native Romans until we finally all squeezed into the tiny interior of the restaurant. Our program leaders took the liberty of ordering for us as we watched the typical thin crust pizzas and even some calzones come out from the kitchen. Soon we were all feasting on their mixed platter of bruschette. My taste buds were in heaven! At the time, I had no idea what I was eating and I didn’t care. I wish I would have asked. But there was well over 10 different types of bruschette and they were all amazing. Some had creamy toppings, some had chunky, some were savory, some sweet, all were outstanding. If I ever make it back to Rome, you can find me at Dar Poeta every night. And don’t event get me started on their nutella and ricotta filled dessert calzone. Trust me, that will be appearing in another post soon!

With my experience in Rome as my inspiration, I have tracked down some traditional and some very unique recipes for bruschette. So pour yourself an Italian wine (I myself am currently enjoying a 2007 Beringer Leaning Oak Sangiovese and nibbling on the traditional tomato, basil and mozzarella bruschetta) and enjoy the art!
Bruschetta me!

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Beautiful Basil

July,7th,2010

Very few things in life can top delicious fresh herbs from the garden. While I may love cooking and using produce from our garden, I have to admit I’m not the one with the green thumb. But sweet basil is forgiving and has always been the one plants that I can almost never kill no matter how hard I try. I’m also having a love affair with basil’s aroma. I’ve toyed with the idea of basil perfume, I know I would love smelling it all day long but others may find it a little strange. Most of all, I love adding basil to recipes or creating recipes that revolve around basil! So please enjoy my small homage to this versatile herb!
Continue on to Recipes

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