Bottling over 5000 cases and sixpacks this week has severely eaten into my goofing off and taking pictures time, but I did manage to slip out and snag a couple. I also managed to shoot some video of the bottling line in action which I hope to post in a few days. Until then, enjoy the poppies, lupines, and Nacha!
(photo of Nacha and lupines by A Stai)
Dear Visitor,
Tonight my lovely wife and I were driving back from a delicious dinner at Sarafina's Italian Restaurant in Arnold (the pork chop special with peppers was fantastic!) As we were driving down the last stretch of Highway 4 into Murphys - the windiest stretch known to the locals as the Utica Grade - you decided you were in too much of a damn hurry to wait the two minutes until the next safe passing opportunity. And so, on a blind curve you pulled across the double yellow line to make your pass.
There isn't a lot of shoulder available on the downside of the Utica Grade, but I'm happy to report that by what surely must only be random chance you opted to make your bonehead move in a place where I could go into the dirt to avoid you.
I'm happy that you and your little black luxury SUV were able to make up some time. I'll be even happier if the CHP officer I was able to flag down a minute later nailed your sorry ass!
(Folks, please come to Calaveras County, and please slow down and enjoy our beautiful hills and trees and flowers and fields. And please drive safely. You'll get there.)
Photo by El Jefe, taken yesterday from Twisted Oak Winery, looking up the valley abd Highway 4. That Nacha in the foreground!)
In the wine biz, sometimes you find yourself at sumptuous affairs like Dark & Delicious in San Francisco, and sometimes you find yourself in a gymnasium at a Catholic School in Modesto. While the color and dimness of the fluorescent lights in the gym left a lot to be desired (not to mention the acoustics), the crowd of wine and beer lovers at the Bacchus and Brew fundraiser last night were no less enthusiastic than at a big city event.
For a small winery like Twisted Oak, you need to be there in your local markets, no matter what the venue. We caught up with old friends, made lots of new ones, and found plenty of glam and fun in an old gym!
(Speaking of San Francisco, however, I will be pouring at the following events in the Big City, click for details: Feb 19, Around the World in 80 Sips; Feb 20, Dark & Delicious; Feb 28, SF Chronicle Public Tasting. Hope to see you!)
(AND: Coming up locally in Calaveras is the Presidents Wine Weekend on Feb 14 and the Winegrape & Gourmet on Mar 7 - join us!)
(If all goes well, Take Your Rubber Chicken To Work Week voting starts tomorrow - stay tuned!)
This month, over 30 brave blogging souls put down their coffee, tea, and mimosa and sallied forth into the world of wine for breakfast! Nearly everyone put aside their bubblies and sweets and found some more or less successful pairings with dry white and red wines.
I have to confess that I have never gone back and read every entry in any past WBW, but as host for this WBW that of course was a job requirement. I have to say that, based on the quality of every single entry here, that I am going to have to revise that policy and make a point of reading all future WBW posts. There is some really great writing out there on wine blogs today!
And now a word from our sponsors! There are two things I want to mention before diving into the wrapup. First, starting next week is the 2009 Take Your Rubber Chicken To Work Week! In a nutshell we ask everyone to take their rubber chicken to work (didn't I just say that?) and send us pictures of their day. Please check back here at El Bloggo Torcido tomorrow for all of the details.
Second, as of this writing the next Wine Blogging Wednesday host has not been confirmed. Check winebloggingwednesday.org for the host, theme and date.
Without further ado, here are the Wine For Breakfast blog posts, for your enjoyment and in no particular order, along with a small amount of pithy commentary. Bon App!
(My WBW post can be viewed here, if you didn't already stumble upon it...)
Several of the posts, focused on classic and "proper breakfasts"....
Rob at Wine Post had a Proper American Breakfast of bacon, eggs, French toast and syrup... and a chocolate pop-tart! - which was paired with a 2007 S.A. Prüm Mosel Riesling. I wasn't expecting pop-tarts!
Ben at the 67Wine blog had a classic bacon and eggs breakfast with a Lard' Des Choix rouge. He also suggested that wild boar bacon would even be better with this wine. Ben, when you get a source for that bacon (and the hedgehog, for that matter) please do let me know!
On-time Tim at Winecast picked at white and a red to pair with his bacon and eggs: a White Rocket Wine Company, “French Maid”, Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Pays d’Oc 2007; and a Bodegas Borsao, “Red Wine”, Campo De Borja 2007. While both wines looked delicious, I personally can't pass up a French maid...
Alex at Eating Leeds waxed theoretical (he's still drying out from the holidays) about the combination of Chianti with a Proper English Breakfast of bacon, sausages, black pudding, eggs, and bread - all fried! - and home made baked beans. (To this day I cannot think about baked beans without thinking of Ann Margret.)
Jim at Music & Wine put a 2005 Cabernet Franc from Casa Rondeña up against a proper Cleveland breakfast of biscuits, scrambled eggs, home hash, and Thompson seedless grapes, "all covered in truly outstanding sausage gravy." Grapes covered with gravy is not a regional cuisine I have encountered before, but when in Rome...
Andrew at Spittoon suggested a Domaine Dupré Haute Ronze Régnié , 2007, Beaujolais with a Proper Bacon Sandwich. I have never been clear on whether a "rasher" is one slice or several slices of bacon - in this case I hope the latter!
Christianne at Christianne Uncorked,
as part of a classic Southern breakfast whipped up some really delicious sounding cheese grits (though my
lactose intolerance is acting up just at the thought of it!) and paired
it with 2006 Viridian Pinot Noir. Sounds killer, in more ways than one!
And speaking of cheese grits, Ribbie at Ribbie's Weblog also whipped up a batch, along with bacon and biscuits and gravy (all of our arteries are now hardening at the thought.) Ribbie eschewed Pinot Noir in favor of the 2003 Alvear Crianza, made from 100% Tempranillo grapes. The verdict: Grits? Si! Bacon? Si! Biscuits and gravy? No!
It was good to hear from John at Brim to the Dregs. John chose a "freakin' good" 2007 Torbreck Woodcutter's Semillon to drink with his homemade crab cakes (be sure to check out the recipe) and roasted potatoes with red pepper sauce. Perhaps not a classic breakfast, but it sounded good enough to become one in my book! (I want to hear more about those CLDs though!)
Jill at domaine547 stayed mostly kosher with classic scrambled eggs and Lox, paired up with a possibly kosher 2007 Michel-Schlumberger Pinot Blanc “La Bise.” This sounds especially yummy since, as I type this, I am enjoying smoked salmon with horseradish on sourdough, paired with 2006 River of Skulls and the NFC championship game.
And from Spain, where a glass of wine with breakfast is an everyday thing, Ryan and Gabriella at Catavino presented a grand tour of Iberian breakfast and wine traditions, including a Proper Spanish English Breakfast, and "Fat Water".
Others kept it simple and/or theoretical....
Julian at Bobble Brothers drank what was unfinished from the night before with his toast and jam. From the pictures it looks like a Primitivo and a Mosel (However, I shudder to think what a "Klusserather Bruderschaft" could possibly be!)
Remy at Winecase suggested several twists on potential wine/breakfast pairings, not the least of which includes a Slovenian Chardonnay!
David at McDuff's Food & Wine Trail jumped back into the WBW Pool suggesting Chinon, Domaine des Rouet 2005 with a simple breakfast of crusty bread and goat cheese, even though he might prefer a Moscato d’Asti, which he calls "the perfect breakfast wine" - hey, that's what I say about Petite Sirah!
Professor of Wine Blogging Dr. Debs at Good Wine Under $20 chose the 2006 Sean Minor Wines Four Bears Sauvignon Blanc as the perfect pairing for anything cheesy or eggy in the morning. Note that no bunnies were harmed in the writing of her post.
And for their favorite breakfast wine, Joe and Plumboo (The Purple Monkey) at 1WineDude take us on a tour of Crus Beaulolais. Money quote: "...it's like wearing some kind of tasty satin underoos for your tongue."
A few went for pancakes and their ilk...
The prolific Sonadora at Wannabe Wino found that a young 2005 Twisted Oak Tanner Vineyard Syrah paired great with pancakes and bacon - until she put syrup on the pancakes. Then, not so much. Sonadora thinks next time she'll make a wine syrup like BrixChick Liza did (see below).
Michelle at My Wine Education made baked apple pancakes (with recipe!), and paired them with a 2005 Guntrum Riesling and 2007 Bartenura Moscato. Note that they hedged by having a sweet wine available just in case (I don't see this as cheating, though I may have to call off the WBW Police!)
And Debbie at Wine Goddess lost her WBW virginity with an Adair Vineyards 2008 Nouveau, which matched impressively with Creme Brulee French Toast with Drunken Strawberries. Very honored to be your first!
Many went with various egg assemblies...
Molly at Lass in the Vineyard "...chose a Côtes du Rhône Villages 2006 from Domaine de Maran to pair with eggs and sauteed spinach and mushrooms." She finished the eggs under the broiler, but a broiler can be a tricky thing (I've burned plenty of garlic toast in my day) and the eggs were overdone. I hate it when that happens!
Shana Ray at shana; not out on VHS yet has shamelessly teased us with part one of a two-post WBW entry, pairing 2005 Bella Vineyard Zinfandel with a potato, green onion, and tofu bacon frittata. I dunno about tofu bacon (turkey bacon is definitely a non-starter for me) but we'll see in part two I hope! UPDATE: Part two is posted!
Frank at Drink What You Like had a 2005 Volver Tempranillo with a delicious looking baked chorizo, potato, and egg dish. "Wifey" cooked it so there was no recipe (*%#&@!). Guess I'll have to fake it!
Sharon at Bloviatrix was the only one who used Natalie McLean's Wine & Food Matcher to choose the Cantine San Marco Frascati Superiore Secco “CRIO 10″ 2007 to pair with her omelet. (Or she was the only one to admit it!) Resources like that are a great way to get new ideas about putting wine with food.
Kori at Wine Peeps tried a couple of Gewurztraminers with a breakfast casserole, and sour cream biscuits with butter and jalapeño jelly - an interesting combination of spicy and eggy. I've never thought to have biscuits with spicy jelly before, but now it's on my list!
Tim at CheapWineRatings.com made an Italian Strata with Arugula Walnut Pesto, and paired it with the 2007 Santi Sortesele Pinot Grigio. Looks really delicious (though I had understood there wouldn't be a test...)
Last but not least, we have Lenn at LENNDEVOURS who picked a McGregor Vineyard 2007 Dry Riesling to go with Gruyere-Canadian bacon frittata, with lots of caramelized onion. I've always said you can't get enough caramelized onions! Really! I have!
Then there were the big appetites!
Jules at The Wine Wanker despaired of finding the right combination until he went to breakfast at Duke Carvels in Wellington, and found that a 2007 Pra Soave Classico matched very well with "scrambled eggs with chili and a rich tomato sauce, hash cakes (the non illegal kind), a tomato and chickpea casserole, rosemary roasted musshies and some amazing spicy sausage." A light repast that should just about get you to lunch!
Liza at BrixChicks went all out - how many times have you had an amuse bouche for breakfast? A six course tour de force that I can't even begin to summarize, you'll just have to go read about it (whilst I angle on getting an invite to Liza's next dinner breakfast party!) Thea at LusciousLushes was also there and adds her unique perspective.
And finally, those who perhaps did not get the memo...
From the Netherlands, Mariëlla at Wijnkronieken can perhaps be forgiven for selecting a cava, having discovered it in Barcelona only two weeks ago! So, the WBW Police will not be called out for pairing a semi-seco cava with fresh fruit and raisin bread.
However, Taster B at Smells Like Grape opined that a "buttery Montagny 1er Cru or a nice bright Alsace Pinot Gris" would go great with her delicious-looking frittata, but having neither of those available she defected to a Hefeweizen. Having "Hefe" in the name was a nice touch, but it may not be enough to prevent a visit from the WBW Police...!
And as a bonus and true to her oeurve, Ashley at The Beer Wench featured a post entitled "The Perfect Beer for Pancakes." And no, she doesn't mean in the batter!
I'd like to thank again all of the bloggers and readers who participated! (And thank you for reading this far...;) If I missed anyone please let me know and I will add you to the wrapup. And I hope to see everyone in the next WBW!
Just a quick note to thank everyone for the great response to WBW and "Wine For Breakfast"! You still have time to get your submissions sent in to me. I plan to post a wrap up by this Sunday (think "half time"). So, if you do "Wine Blogging Saturday" I won't be the wiser!
Also, a reminder that Take Your Rubber Chicken To Work Week is coming up! I'll be posting all of the details at the beginning of next week. In the meantime, why not come up for a visit? The skies are blue and sun is warm!
I love breakfast food. When I was 8 years old my tonsils were removed. When I got home all I wanted was bacon (ice cream? meh.) The first things I learned to cook were bacon and eggs and pancakes (Tuna Helper came later.) The first thing I learned to bake was "coffee cake." So breakfast foods have always been near and dear to me.
Last Saturday evening I was pouring wine at a benefit event at the Copperopolis Armory and got home late. Needing a bite to eat I remembered WBW and that coffee cake sprang to mind. I hadn't made it for years, but I knew that 1) it required Bisquick and 2) the recipe was on the box. Pleased was I to find a fresh box of Bisquick in the pantry, but unpleased was I to find no recipe for coffee cake on the box. A quick web search first turned up a healthy version (ewww!) but then I found the correct, original, and properly less healthy recipe (whew!)
I recall that when I made this in the dim past, I doubled the amount of strudel topping. (El Jefe Helpful Hint: To improve any recipe, double the topping, double the seasoning, double the bacon, double the mushrooms, double the nuts, double the chocolate chips - in other words, double the good stuff!) And here is what it looked like fresh out of the oven:
I hadn't really planned for this and I needed to find some wine to go with it. Fortunately I uncovered a bottle of 2005 Twisted Oak Tanner Vineyard Syrah from the depths of my wine storage. I fully expected this pairing to be a little less than inspired, but it turned out quite good! The tannins in the wine meshed nicely with the extra cinnamon in the streusel, and the fruit flavors transformed a simple cinnamon coffee cake into a blackberry vanilla cinnamon coffee cake. Amazing how a good wine can elevate any food! (And how a great glass can elevate any wine...)
Sunday night the Queen was coming home from a trip to Southern California and picked up burritos at our favorite local Mexican joint (CC Taqueria, Jamestown, 209-984-0000). I opted for the large chorizo and egg garbage burrito - pictured below with another stylish bit of glassware:
The natural pairing of course is the 2006 Twisted Oak The Spaniard Tempranillo blend. I find that Tempranillo goes really well with spicy Mexican foods, especially pork and beef. It paired well with the spicy CC salsa and was just damn yummy overall!
Tuesday I made a batch of Aebleskivers, which is a sort of Danish ball-shaped pancake. I first had these as a kid while on vacation in Solvang, CA (Arne's Famous Aebleskivers!) We still have them for breakfast every year during the holidays. Here's the family recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp butter melted
2 eggs, separated
Mix the dry stuff. Mix the egg yolks, buttermilk, and butter - then add to the dry stuff and mix just to combine. Get out your mixer and beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks (you can add a little cream of tartar to help if you want). Fold the whites gently into the batter.
Oh yeah, you're going to need a special pan like the one in the pictures below. (Probably should have said something before you got all that batter mixed up, shouldn't I?) It's a heavy cast iron pan with 7 hemispheric bowls formed in it - don't bother with the cheap lightweight aluminum or non-stick pans, they aren't worth it. Trust me.
So you warm up the aebleskiver pan until it passes the same sputter test you normally use on a pancake griddle. Pour a little bit of veggie oil into each bowl - I aim for a dime-sized pool - and the fill each bowl with batter to a little more than the top of the bowl, like this:
Just like a pancake, when the edges start to dry out, using a thin wooden skewer, flip the ball o'dough so that the cooked side is up - you kind of push down the far edge until it goes around. Cook the other side until you can poke it with the skewer and it comes out clean. (Are these pretty or what?)
Aebleskivers are traditionally served with jam (raspberry or lingonberry) and powdered sugar. I'm quite happy with butter and maple syrup in a pinch. And some bacon. And this time a little 2005 Twisted Oak Calaveras County Petite Sirah. The bright blueberry notes of the wine and the creamy fluffy interior of the aebleskiver made me forget that the local store doesn't carry lingonberry jam.
If you think you'd like to share a wine and breakfast food pairing for WBW there is still plenty of time! Please read the instructions in the previous post for details. I will post a wrap-up of all WBW #53 posts by Sunday (after recovering from our annual Thank Goodness The Holidays Are Over dinner on Saturday - by the way, there still a few seats available! Check here for details!)
Today is Tuesday, and so tomorrow is Wednesday - funny how that works - and so tomorrow is Wine Blogging Wednesday #53! And here is how that works:
After you enjoy your wine and breakfast food write something about the experience. Write anything. Photos are cool too (after all, a word is worth a millipicture.) Then submit your work in one of three ways:
Realistically I will not have time to create a summary post of all submissions until the weekend, so you have until Saturday or Sunday to get your post to me. You have plenty of time, so no excuses - and have fun!
And the theme is "Wine For Breakfast!" Read all about it here (or, you know, just go back one post...) (which was posted a *%#&@! of a long time ago in blog years wasn't it?) (funny how the holidays and all that year-end and year-start bidness stuff can derail your blogging time) (I've gotten into this bad habit of speaking parenthetically again) (dammit!).
Anyway, this week is when you need to select your breakfast food and the wine you plan to pair with it. Remember - dry whites and reds only!
And while we are waiting for the Big (Wednes)Day, how about one more bit of fun? Take your favorite breakfast food item and make an adjective out of it. Examples:
Leave yours in the comments below!
It's that most wonderful time of the year again! Not just the holidays, it's also time for A Menu for Hope! This is the fifth year of this project, in which members of the food
and wine blogging community gather to raise money for food-related charities. The project was started by Chez Pim and again this year, we will be supporting the UN World Food Programme. With a special permission from the WFP, the funds raised by A Menu for
Hope will be earmarked for the school lunch program in Lesotho,
Africa.(Last year, almost $100,000 was raised!)
Pim explains the excellent reasons for supporting the school lunch program on her blog, and we think it's a great idea too! And here is our contribution...
We are pleased to be able to contribute a special vertical of our flagship blend, The Spaniard. If you win our prize, you will receive one bottle each of:
You can bid on this bundle of Twisted Vertical Goodness (valued at $250) using Prize Code WB26 - and you can bid for all sorts of other cool stuff by following these easy instructions:
1. Choose a prize or prizes of your choice from our Menu for Hope at http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2008/12/menu-for-hope-2.html
2. Go to the donation site at http://firstgiving.com/menuforhope5 and make a donation.
3. Please specify which prize(s) you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code. Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for WB01 and 3 tickets for WB26. Please write 2xWB01, 3xWB26.
4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.
5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.
Check back on Chez Pim (http://www.chezpim.com) on January 12th for the results of the raffle.
No, not some sort of Twisted Soylent Green pairing... (maybe we'll do that another time!)
I saw this article from last Friday in the SF Chronicle about trying to pick a wine to give someone based on their gender, personality type, other drinking habits etc. Go ahead, take a look, I'll wait.
tap... tap... tap...
OK, good, thanks for coming back! I think it might be fun to take this week and think about how some our Twisted Best might pair with people. So, what kind of people do you think our 2004 Calaveras Syrah and our 2007 Calaveras Viognier pair best with? Please leave your thoughts in the comments!
(And please do leave a valid email with your comment. You never know who I might decide to drop a free shipping code on!)
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