ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR SOLSTICE PARTY?

We are approaching the Summer Solstice, this coming Sunday, June 21.  At hope & grace Wines, we can’t think of a better way of celebrating the day that gets the longest amount of sunlight with a little elegant outdoor dining.  Regardless of how much space you have in your backyard, there many ways to enjoy some al fresco dining.

• Natural candlelight always glams up your parties, so grab a variety of sizes and colors.
• Place strategically around the space, so as to eliminate any unnecessary big lights.  LED light strands are readily available at many stores (ex: Pier One Imports) and come in great shapes and figures (and don’t require electricity)!  Dress up a tree, an umbrella or piece of patio furniture to add some fun, whimsy to the experience.
• If you are lucky enough to have a flower garden, raid it for the most colorful, beautiful stems, and don’t worry about matching vases.  You can always make a trip to the local Farmer’s Market (www.localharvest.org for a listing in your town) where not only a stunning bouquet is most likely to be found, but you can always discover some local flavors to enhance your party.
• Choose your favorite playlist to keep everyone energetic and upbeat.  Use a current poppy blend or stick with a classic Frank and Dean.  If you don’t have speakers, place your smartphone into an empty, dry wine glass.  You’ll be amazed at the sound!

OK, HERE’S THE PLAN….

Pop a few bottles of 2013 hope & grace Pinot Gris into the fridge a few hours before your party.  You’ll enjoy aromas of apple, honey and fresh melon, with hints of lime zest and pepper.  It’s a great balance of citrus, apple and minerality.  Enjoy glasses of this crisp Pinot Gris with a simple Scallop, Mango & Avocado Salad (recipe below).

And, when the sun finally does set, enjoy the rest of your evening under the stars!

Scallop, Mango and Avocado Salad

Serves 4

(from Williams Sonoma Cookbook)

Chile Lime Vinaigrette

½ jalapeno chile, seeded and minced

Juice of 2 limes

¼ c olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 mango

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into ½” cubes

Juice of ½ lime

2 T unsalted butter, melted

12 sea scallops

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

6 c mixed salad greens

2 green onions, including tender green tops, sliced on the diagonal

1. To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, combine the jalapeno and lime juice.  Whisk in the olive oil.  Season with ½ t salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside until serving.  The vinaigrette can be made up to 2 hours in advance.
2. Stand mango on one of it’s narrow sides on a cutting board.  Using a sharp knife, cut slightly off center, slicing all of the flesh from one side of the pit in a single piece.  Repeat with the other side.  Hold 1 section, flesh side up, in your hand.  With the tip of the knife, score the flesh lengthwise, then crosswise, forming  ½ inch cubes and taking care not to cut the peel.  Press against the center of the peel to force the cubes upward, then run the knife against the base of the cubes to free them, allowing them to drop in a nonreactive bowl.  Repeat with the remaining section.  Add the avocado and lime juice to the mango cubes and toss together.  Set aside.
3. Preheat the broiler (grill).  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Put the melted butter in a shallow bowl.  Add the scallops and turn to coat lightly.  Arrange the scallops on the baking sheet, spacing them evenly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Slip the scallops under the broiler about 6” from the heat source and broil until golden on top, about 1 ½ minutes.  Turn the scallops over and broil until the tops are golden and centers are nearly translucent.  Remove from the broiler.
4. In a bowl, toss the salad greens with ½ of the vinaigrette and divide among chilled individual plates.  Divide the mango and avocado cubes evenly among the plates.  Place 3 scallops on each salad.  Add any juices from the scallops to the remaining vinaigrette, stir to mix, and then drizzle the vinaigrette on and around the scallops.  Garnish the salad plates with green onions and serve at once.

My wife is giving me a sour look over the table as if I’ve offered her something inedible instead of a virtuous and interesting wine with a story to tell. I implore upon her to taste it. It’s Charles Hendricks’ latest effort to expand the palates of us common folk with a varietal of hope & grace not found in your local grocery store.

She tries it, savors it, smiles, and so a relationship with something new emerges. Now mind you, Lagrein is something unusual, something to be savored and appreciated. It’s not a cab, not a merlot, it’s something else entirely. Entrigued? I was, so I started to dig further. Ask a sommelier what a Lagrein is like and you’re likely to get a mouthful of other Germanic wines that most in the United States have never heard of. The Legrein is an unusual breed, rarely making the jump across the pond to take root in an entrepreneurial vintners vineyard, yet here hope & grace is making this wonderfully new adventure.

Lagrein is a Tyrolean Wine. Wife gives me a blank stare as if I’m speaking another language… because I am. Tyrol is a historic region that spans Northern Italy and Austria squarely in the Eastern Alps and Dolomites. The region is now called Alto Aldige (www.altoadigewinesusa.com). The language spoken in the region is primarily German and not Italian and the white wine grown there will sound familiar; riesling, gewürztraminer, pinot grigo. Lagrein doesn’t grow in the Alps of course, but clinging to the hills and walls of the valleys of the southern region of Alto Adige. The grape is related to Pinot Noir, and Syrah.

Eric Asimov of the New York Times describes Lagreins as  “wines that can be deliciously plummy, earthy and chewy, dark and full-bodied but not heavy, with a pronounced minerally edge” The bright flavorful wine carries some acidity making it a perfect pairing with red meats, game, aged cheeses, and speck a regional version of a cured ham slightly smoky with a low salt content.

It’s another hope & grace wine that one happy club member explained, they would bring to a party put on the table among other standard “party wines” and watch people drink, just to see their faces go through the exploration of something new. Then almost always look at the bottle, and ask “what is this?” “where can I get some?”

Wife is on glass number two as I ramble on. What might she ask if she were more interested in historical references than purely enjoying an excellent glass of wine? She might ask “why haven’t I heard of Tyrol?” But, the answer is we probably all have. The Tyrolean Hat (Included image) is something that might look like a common hat from the Alps, paired with lederhosen , and so it is. Most have just never heard it referred to as Tyrolean. The Tyrolean hound, while cute, is also a breed rarely seen state-side.

This mysterious and interesting bottle of wine is now poured completely, my wife and I enjoying the new flavors we find. My wife asks if we will be getting more, will hope & grace wines continue to make this great new wine… to that all I can answer is, the future is uncertain, but we can enjoy the wine now. 

Dr. Rob Morgan

(Interested in trying some? Get hope & grace Lagrein Here)

Pair with our 2009 hope & grace Malbec

Recipe created by Chef Sean O’Toole of Hopper Creek Kitchen the signature restaurant of Hotel Yountville

Ingredients:

Preparation: (Serves 4)

As we swap books and recipes we are always looking for great staples that can be tweaked to our fancy to elevate the delicious elixir in our glass in hopes of reaching “Napa Nirvana”. The ‘Seasons in the Wine Country’ features recipes from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone provides wonderful recipes that ensure perfect results from their easy to follow directions. With a few practice rounds(yes my job is soooo hard… haha) you can start to elaborate and unleash that creativity and make it your own….

This recipe was perfect with our 2009 hope & grace Santa Lucia Highlands Doctor’s Vineyard Pinot Noir… Sweet, savory, salty and succulent! So delicious the dogs won’t have a chance to taste even a morsel!

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with apple bacon compote-Recipe by The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Cate Conniff, Seasons in the Wine Country -

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mince 8 of the sage leaves and reserve until needed.

2. Bring the tenderloins to room temperature and dry completely with paper towels.

3. Place a roasting rack on a baking sheet. Season the pork with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil until a sheen develops and oil begins to separate. Add the pork and brown well and evenly on all sides, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes per side.

4. Remove the pork from the pan (reserve the pan) and place the pork on a roasting rack. Place the pork on the middle rack in the oven and roast until the center of the meat reaches and internal temperature of 145°F for medium-rare( pink in the middle), about 25 minutes, or 150°% for medium, 30 to 35 minutes.

5. While the pork roasts, add the bacon to the reserved pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Stir in the onion, minced sage, and thyme and sauté stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan for browned bits, until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Add the apples and sauté, stirring often, until lightly caramelized and tender, about 5 minutes.

6. Turn the heat to high and add the cider to deglaze the pan. Scrape any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat to medium-high and reduce the liquid to a thick glaze, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and the ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Remove from eh heat and keep warm.

7. Remove the pork from the oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 10 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise by 5 to 10 degrees.

8. While the pork is resting, hear the 1 cup canola oil in a small sauce-pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm enough so that the sage sizzle without smoking, fry the remaining 16 sage leaves until crisp, 10 to 20 seconds. Remove the sage leaves and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

9.Cut the pork into ½-inch-thick medallions. Arrange the medallions and border with about ½ cut apple and bacon compote per serving. Place 2 sage leaves on each plate and serve immediately.

As always, we encourage you to try this recipe than make it your own… we always like to go a little barbeque with everything. Throw together some cayenne, smoked paprika, dry mustard, salt and pepper and add something extra to your pork. It’s great with the apple bacon compote…

You won’t stuff this pork into the couch cushions that’s for sure! Bon Appetit!

• Kansas City (Kansas or Missouri, it doesn’t matter)
• Football (only good things about the Broncos)
• Beer(IPA)
• Smoking
• The letter G
• Ribs
• Trucks, Cars, Camping ( No idea how this progresses but it never ceases to amaze me)
• Sunday (Matt’s BBQ day, comes out about 1pm… FYI neighbors)
• Malbec or Pinot Pairings
• The French Dip(come in and just see what comes up)

*please note this list is not nearly cumulative, just merely a start….

We do all love to talk about food here at hope & grace wines, but Barbeque has a particular place in our hearts. The 2008 hope & grace Malbec has inspired us…. Or Matt at least… with dark berry fruit, ripe black cherries, notes of milk chocolate, cola and peppery spice it wasn’t hard.. a 100% Malbec from the Fore Vineyard in Oak Knoll, this wine has spent 24 months in French Oak and has a luscious, rich and velvety texture…

After several weeks, or months, of hearing how amazing the traditional Sunday barbeque was and seeing mouth-watering pictures… we would like to proudly present BBQ Brisket with Dry Rub a la Matt…

BBQ Brisket with Dry Rub A la Matt– serves 4 non-southerners

Total time: Overnight +12hrs

Ingredients

2 tsp. – Onion Powder

2 tsp. – Granulated Garlic

1 tsp. – Paprika

2 T – Dark Brown Sugar

1.5 – 2 Lbs. Beef Brisket (This particular rub is best with beef… trust us… it is what’s for dinner)

2 tsp. – Sea Salt

2 tsp. – Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Smoking chips (I prefer Apple or Hickory…feel free to use your favorite, though…)

Soaking liquid for smoking chips (Beer, Coffee and Wine to provide amazing flavor…. Please don’t use water, especially tap water)

Directions

The night before – Combine all dry ingredients in medium size bowl and set aside.

Then rub the rub, and I mean massage, dry rub onto and into the brisket. Use dry rub liberally. Place rubbed brisket in a covered dish, place in refrigerator overnight.

The next morning- Take the brisket out of the fridge and set aside. Fill a 2 quart mixing bowl with the smoking chips of your choice. Add enough of your chosen soaking liquid to cover the chips and set aside. Fire up the smoker next, I prefer the “natural” charcoal from whole foods (it lights faster, burns cooler and longer than briquettes and doesn’t impart a chemical taste in the meat). Fill the coal pan half to 2/3 full, ignite, and let the coals heat up Next, add about a cup of soaked chips to the coal to get the smoke going. Put the rubbed brisket, fat cap side up, on the upper most portion of your smoker… put the lid on and let it go. Monitor the smoker periodically, add more chips to the coal as the smoke slows down and don’t allow the cooking temp. get above 225 degrees. Low and slow is the name of the game. Continue the process for about 4 hours, or just long enough for the Broncos to lose to the Pat’s. After 4 hours, set your oven to 215 degrees, remove the meat, place it in a baking dish, loosely cover with foil and put into the oven for approx. 8 hours. Remove the brisket from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the all the fixings’.

*If you want to try this while the brisket is smoking. Pour sea salt on to an oven safe plate and put it next to the brisket on the smoker, to make your own smoked salt. It makes a great “finishing” condiment. Here are some pictures of the process from top to bottom…

Little bit of pork lovin’’ and sea salt smokin’’… please serve “delicious” with…

Baked Beans –serves 4 savages

Total time: Overnight +2 hours prep and cooking

Ingredients

1 Lb. dried beans of choice (I went with red Kidney, with the thicker skin they offer a better texture)

2 bay leaves

1 C – ketchup

½ C – molasses plus extra to taste

2 T – dark brown sugar

1 tsp. – dry mustard

1 tsp. – chili powder

1 tsp. – onion powder

1 tsp. – garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

5 slices thick cut bacon diced

½ C – Dark Beer (I chose Pipeline Porter from Kona Brewing Co.)

2 tsp. – Bourbon (Makers Mark…of course)

Directions

Pick through the beans and remove any pebbles. Place beans in a colander and rinse under cold water. Transfer the beans to a large pot or bowl, add water to cover by 2-inches and let soak overnight. The beans will rehydrate and swell to twice their size. Drain and rinse the beans, then put in a saucepan. Add the beer and bourbon with fresh water to just cover the beans and place over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and three strips of diced bacon. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until the beans are tender but not breaking apart. Transfer the beans and broth to a 2-quart Crock-Pot set to low. Meanwhile, cook remaining bacon in a small fry pan and to beans just before serving.