Author Archives: Bill Caruthers

It’s Still Crab Season Around Here

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Photo by Maggie Hoffman

Photo by Maggie Hoffman

As most of you local to our area know it is still Crab season around these parts, and if you like crab you will love this simple recipe.

 

Take half a bottle of Praxis Viognier, a double gold medal winning favorite around the tasting room, and put it in a large cooking pot with a cube of butter,  a couple of chopped cloves of garlic and a sprig or two of thyme.  Place your crab in the pot and simmer just a minute or two until the butter is melted and the crab is cooked through.  Then serve with lots of melted butter and a cold glass of the Praxis Viognier.  This is a very simple and quick meal to prepare and always sure to please.  Make sure you have a loaf of good bread, preferably sourdough, to dip in the broth from the cooking pot and you will be amazed at how great this simple meal can be. Viognier is the perfect white wine to enjoy with crab. Get your self a bottle of the Praxis and enjoy.

 

Bill Cauthers

Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

Great Fall Appetizer – Pair with Saracina Sauvignon Blanc

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Image by epSos.de

Here is a nice simple appetizer for you to try:

Take a dozen plump Italian Plum tomatoes or similar type smaller tomato and a clove of garlic unpeeled for each tomato and place on a cookie sheet.

Place a few stems of fresh Thyme on the sheet amongst the tomatoes and garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil (salt and pepper to taste) and place in an oven pre-heated to 425 degrees. Cook for 10-14 minutes until the tomatoes have burst the skins and cooked down and the garlic cloves are soft to the touch. Remove the tomatoes and garlic, place on a dish and garnish with fresh thyme. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush bread with the oil off the pan and toast in the oven on both sides. Place the toast points next to the plate with the tomatoes and garlic. Have your guests squeeze the garlic on the bread it will be soft like butter and place a tomato on top and pop in their mouth. Stand back as they will be reaching for another before they finish the one they have. Cheers.

Bill Cauthers

Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

Ehret and Gunfighter awarded gold medals at the Sonoma Harvest Fair

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HarvestFair
For all you faithful Locals followers just a reminder that several of our wineries (Ehret and Gunfighter) recently  won gold medals at the Sonoma Harvest Fair and those wines as well as many new wines are ready for your tasting pleasure in the wine room.  October 27th Geyserville will be the starting point for the Healdsburg Half Marathon.  Come on up and join the festivities, have lunch at Diavola or Catelli’s Restaurant and stop in to pick up some great wines for fall.  Keep in mind if you’re having wine with your lunch, Catelli’s honors free corkage for any wines you purchase at Locals.  Cheers! Bill

Bill Cauthers

Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

Winding down summer on the Russian River

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Russian River image by Ingrid Taylar.

Yesterday I was winding down summer on the Russian River.  Sitting there sipping a chilled glass of Praxis Viognier. Friends of mine just moved to Missouri and were talking about how hot it was and they were having trouble finding good wines.  I decided to ship them a couple of bottles to take the edge off.  Just a reminder for all you Locals Club Members to take advantage of your Dollar shipping windows and send some of your favorite Locals wines to family and friends.

Bill Cauthers

Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

 

Loving Lodi

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If you read the SF Weekend Chronicle you probably noticed the write up about Lodi and some of the great grapes and wines coming from there. Locals ever on top of the trends, where’s, what’s and why’s of wine country has several Lodi wines to offer for your consideration.

Both the Eric Ross Tempranillo and the Struttin Red have Lodi grapes and believe me they are tasting great right now. Eric Ross also has an Albarino that is fabulous and the grapes come from Lodi. Try pairing this great white wine with Burrata cheese on toast points with Arugula in olive oil with salt and pepper.

 

 

For those meat eaters amongst you try adding some prosciutto. Just a reminder for those of you not on top of the Facebook updates check out the September sale on Gunfighter Zin. Normally a $28.00 bottle of wine it is going for $16.80. That is a whopping 40% off! This offer is only while stock lasts as the 2009 Gunfighter Zin is almost gone and the new release is waiting in the wings so hurry and stop by or call and we can process an order over the phone. Cheers

Bill Cauthers

Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

September is California Wine Month

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I know it is hard to believe that the Dog Days of August are behind us. So what’s exciting to look forward to at the end of summer and the beginning of fall?

September is California Wine Month.

It is time for that road trip. Come see us at Locals and try some of our newly released wines like the 2010 Old Vine Zin and 2010 Port from Eric Ross, the new Cuvee Rose and Buzzard Red from Pendleton Winery, not to mention the whole line up of Kit Fox Winery that Locals recently added to our lineup.

We also have some recent award winners with Praxis Viognier and Lagrein as well. Harvest and Crush are just beginning, the smell of autumn is in the air and leaves are slowly beginning to move to the wonderful colors of fall. Take time to taste the wines. See you soon.

Bill Cauthers

Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

 

Locals fans are on the move

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Bill Caurthers

It always amazes me, working behind the bar at Locals to hear the adventures that the customers are having and the wines they purchase to enjoy.  Lately we had a young couple from Oakland in to buy wines, they were headed to Lake County to lie outside on a blanket and watch the meteors with their four year old. They bought (accordingly) a bottle of One Time Space Man “Moon Duck” and a bottle of Pendleton Petite Syrah to enjoy while watching the falling stars.

Sunday a club member picked up her wines and then bought a mix of whites, Albarino, The Choir and Foggy Valley Chardonnay for their up coming trip to Burning Man.  I’m sure their camp site will be a hit with all the great wines they are taking along.

Three weeks ago a couple from San Francisco came out and sampled wines, they returned this weekend and bought 5 cases of wines for their wedding, it was great fun discussing the wines and the foods and coming up with the wines that they will remember forever for their wedding event.

What are your plans?

Got the wines you need?

Stop by for a tasting and share the good times.

Locals Tasting Room

(707) 857-4900

Dog Days of Summer

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Hey you Locals fans the Dog Days of summer are here.  Time to be sure to get the barbecue out and pair your meats with some heart healthy red wines from Locals.  Try The Gunfighter 2009 Zin it’s on sale and will pair great with your Burgers, Steaks and Chops.  Gunfighter Zin is 10% off on every bottle, 15% off on ½ case and 20% off on a case or more, get it while it lasts.  Another great Zin for your BBQ is Pendleton 2008 Ponzo Vineyard Zin on sale for $20 a bottle.  Ponzo Zin is a perfect pairing for those red meats and hearty chops and sausages.  Once these are gone they are gone for good, first come first to enjoy the best of Sonoma in their back yards.  Cheers.

Bill Cauthers

Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

 

Get your Rhone On

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2009 Pendleton Mourvedre
For those of you bemoaning the fact that Paso Robles “Hospice Du Rhone” has been cancelled never fear, Locals ever on top of changing winds in the wine industry has Six Rhone style red blends for you to get your Rhone On.  Locals also has a variety of wines that are made from grapes commonly known as Rhone style, such as Sirah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignane, so drop by and try these or any of the over 50 different wines from eleven great winemakers. 

 

Russian Hill 2008 Syrah Estate, RRV

Bill Cauthers

Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

 

 

 

KitFox Winery joins the Locals Family of Great Wines

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Hey there all you faithful Locals and Club Members, Good News. The much anticipated KitFox Wines are now in the Locals tasting room for your tasting pleasure. KitFox winery currently is presenting five wines from the local area.

Treasure Hunter/Captain Trey is darker than a pirate’s flag and shows a bombastic core of concentrated blueberry and blackberry with ribbons of cinnamon, brown sugar and lurid baking spices.

1 X Spaceman/Moon Duck is a complex fruit forward GSM Rhone blend aged in both new and neutral French oak. The color is reminiscent of a Red Giant Star in its last phase. The wine has an explosive nose of Astro Berry, Plasma Spice and Cosmic Flower, with bright fruit on the palate.

Hoedown will knock you off your chair if you do not watch yourself. A sweet red wine that will keep you coming back again and again try Hoedown a Cab, Zin and Merlot blend. 1 X Spaceman/MCA Rose is just in time for summers hot weather wines. MCA Rose is a Rhone style Rose.

Join the interstellar best Rhone wines on the planet come to Locals and give your self a lift off. Round out your tasting with Pretense a Paso Robles Zinfandel from KitFox that is rich and smooth with a touch of spice and pepper.

Bill Cauthers
Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900