Bedarra Vineyards
Bill Cauthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900
Wine Country Humor
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Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900
Great Appetizer for Pairing with White Wine
Burratta cheese photo courtesy of Pepo Fuser.
Recently, in fact as recently as last Saturday, Sami and I were working in the tasting room and we got some club members who were up from San Francisco to pick up their club wines and sample some of the new wines that have just been released. As we were pouring the whites we started discussing what foods to serve with which white wines.
One of the club members mentioned her passion for Burratta cheese with white wines and Sami and I knew about Catelli’s Burratta cheese appetizer plate served with garlic toast points and arugula tossed with salt, pepper and olive oil. Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is also defined by some sources as an outer shell of mozzarella filled with butter or a mixture of butter and sugar. It is usually served fresh, at room temperature. The name “burrata” means “buttered” in Italian.
So, off we dashed to get an order and the eight of us paired the appetizer with the Albarino from Eric Ross and it was a great hit. The Albarino varietals characteristics of lychee, apricot, tree ripened peaches and tangerine with its clean bright acidity was a perfect match for the smooth creamy burratta cheese and the peppery overtones of the arugula. Come and get it. Cheers!
Bill Cauthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900
Covered Deck or Tree Shade Wine Time
Photo courtesy of Pauly
Weather man says it will be in the 80’s and 90’s for the next full week up here in Geyserville. How about where you are? Time for some Rose’ or White Wines to cool things down and add a splash of fun to your time on the deck or in the shade of your favorite trees. Consider one of our two Rose’ wines one filtered and one unfiltered, the Peterson is a blend of Mourvedre, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah and Petite Verdot, and the Pendleton is a 100% Petite Syrah, both yummyon a hot day.
Not sure? Come by and sample them. Also for your consideration on hot days and warm evenings, our Albarino which I think pairs wonderfully with Burratta Cheese, on garlic toast points with Arugula and olive oil. For a nice cool glass full of floral notes from a French varietal try the new release of the 2010 Praxis Viognier as a stand alone or pair with cool slices of melon and or chilled peel and eat prawns.
Catellis Gets Great Review in Press Democrat
In case you missed it. Geyserville was in the news again. This Sunday in the “Sonoma Living” section of the Press Democrat, Catellis was written up as a great restaurant to not miss during your trip to Wine Country. Unpretentious Catelli’s carries on a family tradition in Geyserville.
Catellis, a favorite of many locals is also becoming a hot spot for diners from surrounding cities like Healdsburg, Windsor, Cloverdale and San Francisco. Recently visited by Lady Gaga, Catellis was given four stars for ambiance and three stars for food, so get your road trip together and come visit us at Locals, pick up your wines and do some great dining. Catellis provides free corkage on one bottle of wine for any Sonoma residents, but never fear Catellis also provides free corkage for ANY wines purchased at Locals as well. See you soon.
Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707)857-4900
Roast Your Veggies
2011 Praxis Viognier
Local Farmers Markets and Locals Wines
Spring has sprung, and it is time to gather some friends, hit the local farmers markets, roast some veggies and chill out over a great glass of wine from Locals.
Ingredients:
1 lb assorted spring vegetables (such as carrots, asparagus,
radishes, spring onions, sugar snap peas), trimmed or peeled if needed, cut
Into same size pieces.
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
2Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, wash and pat dry vegetables, combine
veggies, garlic, and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste
toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring halfway
through, until tender, golden brown and charred in spots (about 20 minutes). Serve warm
or at room temperature, with a glass of Praxis Viognier or The Choir both from Locals. Yummy.
2010 Atrea The Choir, Rhone Blend, Mendocino
It’s Spring. Come to Geyserville
Locals
Sonoma County and Syrah – A Love Affair
As reported in the Food and Wine section of the April 8th edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, “one of the great overlooked facts about Syrah: Historically, even in its motherland, this grape has made truly great wine in only a very, very small portion of the World-essentially a 50-mile stretch along the Rhone River.” “To find a spot where it can use the full timbre of its voice is a great achievement.” “After our most recent tasting of Syrah from Sonoma County, mostly from its coastal appellations”, the San Francisco Chronicle argues that the “Sonoma Coast is a gorgeously good match of grape and place,” especially Syrah’s from this area. 
Ehret Family Winery Vineyard
Is it any wonder why we love the wines from Sonoma, with its diverse appellations and weather patterns so great for grapes?
Here at Locals we have four Sonoma Syrah’s. Why not stop by and try a pairing yourself and make your own determination on the Syrah’s from these appellations as well weight in on; is Sonoma County truly the sweet spot in America for this varietal? First in your flight might be Ehret Syrah 2007. This Syrah was all handpicked from Estate Bavarian Lion Vineyards. The slightly higher elevation combined with the rich volcanic soil and warm sunny days create ideal growing conditions for Syrah. Notes of ripe, chewy, black fruits on the nose with hints of spice and green apple temp you to drink the whole thing! This Syrah sells for $32 a bottle retail at Locals or for two bottle and 6 bottle club members it sells for $27.20 and $25.60 respectively.
Second in your flight might be Peterson Bradford Mountain Syrah. This 2007 “Gravity Flow Block”, Syrah is a big, flavorful wine. A portion of this block is planted to Viognier which is picked and co-fermented with the Syrah (a classic method of the Northern Rhone region mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle article), Aromas of blackberry, mineral and oak notes and just a touch of fine-grain leather will lead you to tastes of rich dark berries, creamy mocha and hints of minerality, leather and earth. Peterson Bradford Mountain Syrah sells retail at Locals for $48 a bottle and savings for club members are seen in the $40.80 and $38.40 for two bottle and six bottle club members respectively. Moving on in the Syrah pairing at Locals is Russian Hill-Estate Syrah. This unfiltered Syrah, with Malolactic fermentation taking place in oak barrels is softer to the palate with flavors of white pepper, nutmeg, cocoa, smoke, plum and dark fruited flavors. Russian Hill Estate Syrah sells for $30.00 a bottle retail and always club member save at $$25.50 and $24.00 for two bottle and six bottle members respectively.
Next on your journey down the wine road try Eric Ross Gout De La Vigne, from the famed Alder Springs Vineyard. Elevations reaching 2700 feet above sea level and only 14 clusters per vine carrying less than half the normal crop load help the Syrah ripen with not only power but the elegance of a cold climate Syrah which is co-fermented with Viognier from the same vineyard which adds to the strengths of this Syrah. Aromas of blueberry, pepper and eucalyptus with hits of licorice, integrated French and American oak barrels add a lovely Smokey note to this full bodied wine. Gout De La Vigne sells for $45 for non club members and $38.25 and $36.00 for two bottle and six bottle members respectively.
I hope a couple of things resonate with you in this article, first is the opportunity as always at Locals, to stop by and sample some wines. Not only the ones you like and are familiar with but try something new and expand your palate. Second, at Locals our tastings are free as we want customers to find the wines they love, and to consider joining our Club and Saving on all purchase as well as meeting new friends while sampling at great wines with us. See you soon. 
wineclub
It’s OK to be Crabby
For those seafood lovers that follow the Locals Blog, I thought I would put out the idea that this is the perfect time of year to be Crabby. As you know we are nearing the end of the commercial crab season here in Northern California. It is still not too late to drive to Bodega Bay and buy crabs right off the dock as the fishermen come in from a day of crabbing in the cold waters or stop by your favorite supermarket and local markets to purchase fresh crab anywhere in Northern California.
Here at locals as you know we have a selection of over 53 great wines from ten award winning vintners, which will grow even more as we add Kitfox vineyards to our family in the coming weeks (keep your eyes out for more on that). A few of my favorites to pair with a fresh crab dinner are as follows.
Praxis Viognier
Redemption for Merlot
For those faithful Locals Blog followers that live in Sonoma County and read the Press Democrat Merlot Rising article you were probably as pleased as I was to read it in the Food and Wine section about Merlot. Many people credit the movie “Sideways” with starting a downward trend in Merlots but who knows Food and Wines are cyclical as are most things in life and perhaps as the article mentions Merlots time is about to happen again. As you know Merlot has soft tannins that make it an easy pairing with almost all food groups. Locals good news for Club Member’s and faithful Blog followers is that we have two excellent Merlots available here at the tasting room. First is the Andrew Peacock Merlot that is curently on SALE! That’s right on SALE for only $12.00 a bottle for non-members, and $10.20 a bottle and $9.60 a bottle for two bottle and six bottle club members respectively while stock lasts. Andrew Peacock is a medium weight Merlot with well balanced acid and tannins and will go great with your Easter Lamb or Ham dinners as well as artisan cheese pairings.
The Praxis Merlot is also a great value at $19.00 a bottle for non club members and $16.15 a bottle and $15.20 a bottle for two bottles and six bottle club members respectively. The color is a deep red with purple highlights. The nose offers vanilla, black cheery and plum with warm spices and dry herbs. This merlot is sleek and elegant with good and acidity and full mouthfeel. Flavors of strawberry, blackberry, pomegranate and cassis are complemented by vanilla and spice. Try a bottle of Praxis Merlot with slow cooked lamb shanks, artisan cheeses or roasted chicken and you will not be sorry.
The good news is we can also ship these wines to you or as Easter gifts for friends in all approved states so even members and bloggers can take part in the Merlot revival that is starting. If you’re local stop by and sample some wines and pick up some Merlot. Both of these Merlots make a perfect gift bottle to take to friends for dinner and entertainment as they will pair with practically everything and your hosts will not be disappointed.
Get your Merlot Redemption Going right Now. Call in your order or stop by and celebrate spring at Locals.
Phone: 707-857-4900 /Email: yummy@tastelocalwines.com
Spring Lamb and Sonoma Wine
Photo Credit: Wendell via Compfight
(Recipe serves four)
Ingredients:
Four Lamb Shanks
1 ½ cups dry French green lentil (I got mine at Andy’s market in Sebastopol)
One bottle of Pinot Noir (I used Praxis Pinot Noir)
1 teaspoon dry thyme (or 1/1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste (salt and pepper each shank before placing in the pot)
Two to three medium carrots peeled then chopped medium dice
Two cloves garlic minced
One medium onion chopped
Directions:
Put large casserole dish or cooking pot with lid on top burner (should be oven proof)
Place two teaspoons of olive oil in pot and put over Medium Heat
Add onion, garlic and carrots cooking for about 5 minutes or just until the vegetables just begin to cook
Rinse the Lentils, drain and then add to the Pot and stir all the ingredients
(Note for a variation you can add one can of diced tomatoes but drain them before adding if you choose to use them)
Add one bottle of Pinot Noir or Burgundy wine
Place Lamb Shanks on the lentils and cover with lid and place in preheated oven of 400 degrees for 10 Minutes only
Reduce heat to 350 degrees
Cook in the 350 degree oven for about one hour, remove shanks and stir the Lentils if more moisture is needed add a little more wine but it should be fine
After stirring the lentils nestle the shanks back in the Pot and cover for another hour until shanks are tender and pull away from the bone.
You can place the pot on stove top to rest while you set the table.
Place lentils on the plates, place a lamb shank in the center of each plate and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme
Open a bottle of the Ehret Bella’s Blend and enjoy.
