November 2008 Archives

Yikes. The holidays are here!  How does this happen every year???  I always swear I'm going to be better prepared, so I don't turn into The Grinch. But as usual, the end of November arrived and I'm still buried in end of year budgeting, sales meetings, marketing planning, production projections, and all the usual mish mash so we can hit the ground running in 2009.  And of course, there's always the last minute push to capture holiday wine sales.

So, my blogging has taken a back seat lately. But I didn't want Thanksgiving to come and go without sharing one of my favorite family recipes. My world famous Apple Parmesan Pie. Well it's not exactly world famous, but in our household, it's an annual tradition and a dish that passes the Food Meister's (my husband) inspection. I've been making this pie for over 25 years and it is one of my favorite dishes to serve during the holidays.

It might seem like no big deal, but this recipe has an emotional connection for me.  Because, in my family, there's a little secret.  Mom can't cook. Well, it's not exactly that Mom can't cook. (Heck, I even went to a fancy French cooking school at the tender age of 18.) It's just that Dad is a better cook. And, cooking for the holidays is always managed by Dad. He assumes this role with great gusto and clearly enjoys giving out orders to all that enter the kitchen.  So, while The Food Meister is sautéing, deglazing, stuffing, and roasting, I'm generally relegated to chopping, peeling, and washing endless amounts of dishes. Of course, a yummy glass of wine is never too far away, which always makes my job more enjoyable.

If you haven't finalized your Thanksgiving menu yet, give this recipe a try. It's fool proof, and absolutely delicious. And, if you happen to have a bottle of our Soleil (Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc) handy, you've got a perfect dessert wine to end your holiday meal.

Many blessings for a joyous Thanksgiving!

P.S. If you have a favorite recipe to share, I'd love to add it to my repertoire. I'll let you know if it passes The Food Meister test!

Not exactly Turkeys, but beautiful just the same! Dry Creek Valley, November 21, 2008.

Believe it or not, there are days when being in the wine industry can be down right depressing. But, today wasn't one of them. Today was one of those special days when food, wine, and conviviality all came together in the name of good fun and good friends. No hidden sales agendas.  No selling your soul to a standoffish wine buyer. No glad-handing to get the wine by the glass pour at some glitzy restaurant.

No, today was a day of pure and simple schmoozing…and schmoozing in a good way, with genuinely nice people, all connected by wine. The Captain and his wife, Audrey Bowers, own Captain's Tavern one of Miami's landmark seafood restaurants. Each year they make an annual pilgrimage to Sonoma County to share boatloads of fresh stone crab with their winemaker friends. It's their way of saying thanks to all of us for making the great wines that they sell at their restaurant in Florida. (How's that for a change?!)

It started years ago at the Canyon Road Winery and is held now at the bucolic McMurray Ranch (Gallo owned) in the Russian River Valley. Our dear friend Chip Cassidy from Crown Wine and Spirits in Florida connected us with The Captain years ago and ever since, we've been very grateful to be among the handful of invitees to this incredible afternoon of eating crab and sipping our friend's latest vintages. There's something very special about tasting the latest Chardonnay from Chateau Montelana with Heidi and Bo Barrett. Or, tasting a new Pinot Noir from William Selyem and realizing that they're still rock stars with this varietal. Of course, eating unlimited amounts of stone crab didn't hurt either! And, not one person mentioned the economy, the election, or Wall Street, which frankly was rather refreshing.