St. Paddy’s Day (and Weekend) Festivities

1.) St. Patrick’s Day Green Wine & Pizza
Wednesday, March 17th, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
St. Patrick’s Day is normally associated with beer, but we’ve got a great alternative for a wine lover’s St. Paddy’s celebration: green wine with corned beef and cabbage pizza – the ultimate Irish indulgence.
$10 for pizza and wine tasting. We’ll be celebrating our Santa Barbara Green Business Certification as well!
www.riverbench.com

2.) St. Patrick’s Day Movie Feature: Waking Ned Devine at Core Wine Company
Thursday, March 18th; 6:15-8pm
Bring in a sandwich or burger of your choice and enjoy with a glass or bottle of CORE Wine Company wines. Check Facebook or Twitter for last minute changes or updates. www.corewinecompany.com

3.) St. Patrick’s Day Wine Down
Friday, March 10; 6:30-9:00pm
$15/cellar club members; $20/nonmembers
www.mpwevents.com

4.) Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser
Saturday, March 20th 6:30pm
Come support your community and have a good time in the process. There will be appetizers and live music. $20 at the door will include wine tasting. Additional glasses & bottles available for purchase with portion of proceeds going to the B&G Club. www.cdowinery.com

Wine Christmas Passport 2009 Raffle Winners

Our first year hosting a raffle during the Wine Christmas Passport was a big success. We were excited to give something back to you for purchasing wine during your visit.

For every 2 bottles of wine purchased by attendees during the passport weekend, they were entered in a raffle to win any of the following prizes. Congratulations to the winners (listed below)!

FOOD:
-Sunday Brunch for two at the Raddison hotel’s VINTNER’S GRILL
WINNER: Liz Lewis

-Lunch for 4 at Garey Store & Deli
WINNER: Dawn Robbins, dawnrobbins@sbcglobal.net

WINE:
- Complimentary wine tasting at Kynsi for up to four people
- One bottle Kynsi 2007 PINOT BLANC Bien Nacido Vineyard, SMV
- One bottle Kynsi 2006 PINOT NOIR Bien Nacido Vineyard, SMV
WINNER: Jacki Hampton

-Tasting for two at Summerland Winery
-2 bottles of Summerland 2007 Vintners Select Santa Maria Valley
WINNER: Sheila Smith

SERVICES:
-1 month free temperature-controlled storage* at ROEMER WAY SELF-STORAGE
WINNER: Marcel London

-30% off a new rental order* from CLASSIC PARTY RENTALS
WINNER: Genevieve Gardener

Qupé Chardonnay on TODAY

Sommelier Aldo Sohm of Le Bernadin restaurant discusses affordable wines on The Today Show. One of the wines he recommends, and a favorite of the hosts, Kathy Lee and Hoda, is a Qupé Chardonnay from Bien Nacido Vineyards (with a nice mention of the Santa Maria Valley).

Cookie & Wine Pairing Recipe #7: Cambria

These Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies from Martha Stewart Living pair perfectly with Cambria‘s Syrah.

Suggested alterations to recipe: Omit the freshly grated ginger. Semi-sweet chocolate chips can be substituted instead of cuttting up the chocolate into chunks.

Prefer Pinot? Try this Oatmeal Toffee Cookie recipe instead.

Cookie & Wine Pairing #6: Kenneth Volk

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Ingredients:
1 Cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 tsp almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.

In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners sugar, 3/4 tsp almond extract and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Source: All Recipes

Pair with Kenneth Volk Vyd. 2007 Viognier.

Cookie & Wine Pairing #4: Costa de Oro

Potato Chip Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup crushed potato chips
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream shortening, butter, sugar and egg yolk. Add rest of the ingredients. Make into balls, flatten with a fork. Bake 12-14 minutes. Sprinkle sugar on top while hot.

This cookie goes very well with the Costa de Oro ’07 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay.

Submitted by Audra Vasquez (it was her grandmother’s recipe).

Cookie & Wine Pairing #3: Riverbench

No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars
from Martha Stewart Living

Coat a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-3 inch overhang on long sides.

Chop 9 ounces of chocolate wafers until they are fine crumbs. Combine these with 1 ½ cups oats, 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar, and ¼ tsp. salt.

Melt 1 stick and 2 tbsp. unsalted butter on medium heat and then add 1 cup chunky peanut butter and ¾ cup smooth peanut butter. Whisk until combined. Add to wafer mixture and stir until just moist. Flatten into parchment lined dish and chill for half an hour.

Melt 10 ounces chocolate chips and pour over chilled bars until entire surface is covered with a thin layer. Chill for 15 minutes. Melt 3 tbsp. smooth peanut butter and drizzle on top, then drizzle 1.5 ounces of melted milk chocolate on top, too. Chill for another 15 minutes, cut into bars and serve.

Pair with with any red wine, but we like Riverbench‘s 2007 Reserve Pinot the best with this recipe.

Cookie & Wine Pairing #2: Cottonwood Canyon

These two recipes from Cottonwood Canyon pair well with their 2005 Dessert Syrah and are simple to make.

Hershey’s Premier Chocolate and Raspberry Crème Cookies

6 TBSP butter, softened
1/3 C butter flavored shortening
½ C packed light brown sugar
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1-1/3 C (8 oz pkg) Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Baking Pieces Filled with Raspberry Crème

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.
2. Beat butter and shortening in large bowl until well blended. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat thoroughly. Add egg and vanilla, beating until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa; gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in baking pieces. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 3-1/2 dozen cookies.

Recipe from Hershey’s Premier Baking Pieces Dark Chocolate Filled with Raspberry Crème.

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Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Betty Crocker Super Moist Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Dark Chocolate Frosting
Raspberry Fruit Spread
Eggs
Oil
Water

Bake cake according to directions on back of box for two 8-9″ rounds. Allow cakes to cool then cut in half horizontally to create layers, you will now have 4 equal layers of cake. Spread raspberry fruit spread on bottom layer, place a layer of cake on top. Spread raspberry fruit spread on top of second layer and place third layer on top. Spread raspberry fruit spread on top of third layer and finish with fourth layer of cake. Cover cake, top and sides, with dark chocolate frosting.

Luxury Wine Gifts for the Holidays

While I was getting together photos and links for the last post about wine gift baskets I came across the most fascinating gift of all: luxury gifts. I was on Cambria’s website and came across these two luxury gift items:

1.) A Barrel of Wine
You’re invited out to the winery to make your own blend of Pinot Noir from our award winning Julia’s Vineyard. Winemaker Denise Shurtleff will lead you and up to ten friends through your own private blending. It will be your taste buds that determine the final blend. At the end of barrel aging, you will receive your barrel of wine. During the aging process we will send you notes from the winery with details about your wine at each stage of development. The blending seminar includes a luncheon at the winery for 10.

These 23 cases of wine will feature your own personalized label (legally approved) and will be shipped directly to your house.

Offer available to CA residents only.
$6,000 | 2 barrels available

Call 805-938-7335 for more information or to reserve your barrel.

2.) A Helicopter Ride Over Cambria
Enjoy a bird’s eye view of the beautiful Santa Maria Bench with a helicopter ride for up to four people. Experience Cambria’s gorgeous landscape from the coast to the mountains. We will serve as your guide as you soar hundreds of feet above the vines. You will learn about the uniqueness of the mountain ranges and weather patterns that make the Santa Maria Valley one of the best places on the planet to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

After the aerial tour you will touch down on the helicopter pad at the Cambria Estate to enjoy a winemaker’s lunch featuring Cambria wines.

$2,000 per package | 4 packages available
Rules and restrictions apply

Call 805-938-7335 for more information or to order.

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How much would you love either of those gifts? Now I’m curious–what other luxury wine gifts are out there? I would love to hear about what you’ve found. Post your comments about the most divine (or absurd) luxury wine gifts you’ve seen in your search for the perfect gift this season.

Kady Fleckenstein, Executive Director of the Santa Maria Valley Wine Country (smvwines.com) and owner of marketing/events company, kadydid.

A Tisket, A Tasket, A Green and..Red Basket

I bought a basket for my mommy
And on the way I dropped it.

Good idea: buying a gift basket for your mom for the holidays.
Bad idea: dropping it.

Pick up a wine basket filled with wine and goodies for your mother, your father, your boss, or anyone else in your life. Gift baskets are especially useful when you cannot-for-the-life-of-you figure out what to get that special person. Order them already made or customize your own. Better yet, don’t worry about dropping your basket; have the winery ship it direct.

As mentioned in a previous post, there are wine gift packs that come in great reusable containers and there are gift baskets that contain gifts and food in addition to wine. Here are a few:

Cambria’s Canine Extravaganza ($49): Perfect for the dog lover in your life, this package features a bottle each of Katherine’s Chardonnay and Julia’s Pinot Noir, as well as wine grape-shaped biscuits and a cozy black scarf for our four-legged friends. www.cambriawine.com

Cambria’s Santa Maria BBQ Package ($38): Santa Maria is famous for its BBQ. Ideal for the grill lover on your list, this package comes with a Cambria chef’s apron, spicy Suzie Q beans, fresh salsa and, the ultimate BBQ wine, our 2006 Tepusquet Syrah. As a special treat we’re including an official guide of “How to Throw a Santa Maria-Style BBQ.” www.cambriawines.com

Flying Goat Cellars:
The “Holiday Gift Pack” includes a bottle of the 2005 YNOT Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the new second label produced by winemaker Norm Yost of Flying Goat Cellars. Also tucked into the box is a 1/2 lb. box of Dark Chocolate Almond Bark from chocolatier Cindy Ruda of Sweet Creations Chocolate Shoppe. What a perfect match for the holidays – Cabernet Sauvignon and Chocolate. $24.99 plus tax & shipping. This sounds like a great gift for Valetine’s Day, too!www.flyinggoatcellars.com

Lucas & Lewellen: 1.) Send a bottle of Cabernet or Chardonnay, a logo bottle opener, and 2 L&L logo glasses in a lovely gift box and pay only $50 total, including freight. Or create your own 1-3 bottle gift box and we will charge you accordingly. 2.) Ship a bottle of Lucas & Lewellen Silver King Port with a beautiful gold logo box of 12 dark chocolate Port glasses to a continental U.S. resident for $40. 3.) Talk to Andy at the Tasting Room about adding a personalized message or family photo to your gift of wine. Only $5/label with a 6-bottle minimum (non-sale wine only). www.llwine.com

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For those who just want wine, take advantage of the special savings a gift pack can offer and the convenience of shipping. Some examples are below:

Core’s Holiday 6 Packs: For $95 with UPS ground shipping included in California (other states pay the difference) receive 2006 CORE red (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre), 2007 Grenache, 2006 Kuyam 13 Moons (Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc, Malbec), 2007 Turchi Cab, 2006 C3 Tempranillo and 2006 Kuyam Petite Sirah. For $195 with UPS ground shipping included in California (other states pay the difference) receive 2006 Hard Core, 2006 Ground Around (Grenache, Tempranillo, Syrah), 2006 Mister Moreved, 2007 Turchi Cab Reserve, 2006 Crazy 8’s (Tempranillo, Merlot, Cab) and 2006 Kuyam Cuvee Nolan (Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petite Verdot). www.corewine.com

Rancho Sisquoc:
At $52.00 this pack is a great value and includes three bottles of wine at 20% off the regular price. The pack includes three favorites: 1 bottle Chardonnay, 1 bottle Syrah, 1 bottle Merlot. Please visit our Wine Store to order or call the tasting room at 805-934-4332. www.ranchosisquoc.com

Riverbench:
For the holiday season we bottled our 2006 Reserve Chardonnay in 1.5 Liter ($50), 3 Liter ($75) and 5 Liter ($125) bottles. Each bottle’s label is beautifully etched in the glass. www.riverbench.com