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2018 Grateful Blend – 85% Zinfandel, 15% Counoise
- Perfect blend for your final days of summer and early warm fall days. Soft fruit notes of ripe red plum and pomegranate compote blends beautifully with the savory BBQ spice flavors of sage, mesquite and worchesterschire sauce. Mellow tannins with bright acidity lead to a spicy medium finish. Perfect pairing for grilled mesquite steaks or blackened chicken.
Kaia Lee Zinfandels
- The 2020 vintage of Kaia Lee is drinking quite nicely with bright, ripe blue and black fruit mixed with a sweet blend of baking spices of clove and anise on the nose. On the palate, the bright acidity is rounded out through the mellow tannins and a lingering earthy spice finish. Another perfect wine for the early warm fall days.
- The 2019 vintage of Kaia Lee has matured to more black fig and ripe plum notes on the nose. Earthy spices of raw cinnamon, clove, natural eucalyptus are shining through and bringing a complexity to the nose and palate. Pair this with an earthier BBQ rub on grilled skirt steak or grilled portobello mushroom.
- The 2018 vintage of Kaia Lee further matures to a port-like nose and palate of blackberry pie, sweet baking spices and dark chocolate notes. This wine is well balanced on the palate with a finish of minty chocolate. Perfect for a night cap on a cozy early fall evening.
- The 2017 vintage of Kaia Lee is fully matured to notes of dried fig and prune and leans to earthy, dried herbal notes of tomato leaf and sage. The port like palate of this wine leads to bittersweet chocolate finish.
2017 and 2018 Jaksaa
- 2017 Jaksaa: 80% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Verdot – Greets you with earthy and dried herbal notes and ripe blue and purple fruits on the nose. Like the 2017 Kaia, the palate leans towards a hint of port with dark chocolate on the finish. The touch of Petite Verdot offers a backbone of intensity and structure throughout.
- 2018 Jaksaa: 50% Mourvedré, 35% Counoise, 15% Zinfandel – Black olives and a hint of leather on the nose with a bit earthiness and toasted nuts. On the palate, red fruits of raspberries and cranberries add brightness. Zinfandel offers a hint of black pepper spiciness as the wine finishes with a touch of smokiness.
2017 The Arthur
- 2017 Arthur: This 100% Primitivo is fruit forward with dark cherries, plums, black fruit and thyme on the nose. The palate features clove, cinnamon, and a hint of pepper while the finish lingers with blackberry and black currant and a hint of graphite.
We’ve found what we think are a couple of great food pairings for each of these wines both for meat lovers and vegetarians…Give them a try!
Seared Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce
Cherry Sauce:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 medium shallot (finely chopped)
1 cup fresh or frozen tart cherries (pitted and halved)
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Kosher Salt
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
Pork Chops:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 bone-in pork loin chops (1 inch thick)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400°F.
Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Place the salt, coriander, mustard, and pepper in a small bowl and mix until evenly combined. Spread 1/2 teaspoon mustard evenly on each pork chop. Rub all of the spice mixture all over the pork chops, set aside.
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.
Stir in the cherries, red wine, and vinegar. Cook until the cherries soften and the wine has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 to tablespoons of honey.
While the sauce reduces, begin cooking the pork chops. Heat oil in a large, cast-iron or oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chops and cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms are golden brown, about 4 minutes.
Flip over and place the frying pan in the oven. Bake until the chops are golden brown on the second side and the juices run clear, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Spoon the cherry sauce over the chops and serve with green salad and balsamic vinaigrette.
The Vegetarian Option:
Pasta with Peas and Cherry Tomato Butter Sauce
1 pound fusilli or bow tie pasta
3 pints cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion diced
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley minced
1/4 cup basil hand torn
2 cups reserved pasta water will most likely not need it all
Instructions
In a large pan melt the butter and sauté the onion over medium-low heat until soft (about 5 minutes) then add the tomatoes. Season the tomatoes initially with a teaspoon of kosher salt.
Cook the sauce over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes (stir frequently pressing down on tomatoes with a spatula and lower heat if scorching) or until the cherry tomatoes have burst and softened and the butter has completely blended in with the tomatoes. Add peas.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil. When the sauce is almost to your liking begin boiling the fettuccine to 1 minute less than al dente.
A few minutes before the pasta finishes cooking add 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce and stir to combine. Continue to cook the sauce over medium heat.
Drain pasta and add to the sauce and toss to coat. Cook until the pasta is just al dente then turn off the heat and season to taste with more salt and pepper as required. Add the herbs, toss once more, then plate. If the sauce is at all dry, add more of the reserved pasta water a few ounces at a time to loosen it up. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and a glass of Grateful Zinfandel. Enjoy!