Nancy (CSW), Author at Pull That Cork

Les Vignes de Bila-Haut and Cobb Salad for #winePW

July 10, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) 23 comments

The topic for our July Wine Pairing Weekend, aka #winePW, cleverly takes advantage of both American and French celebrations during the month. Michelle Williams, of Rockin Red Blog, posed the challenge to us of pairing food and wine from either or both America and France in honor of July 4th, our Independence Day, and July 14, Bastille Day. We had a great time with the pairing this month.

Lodi Native Project 2013 Vintage: Letting the Vineyards Shine Through

July 3, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) 2 comments

We recently had the opportunity to taste the second vintage of the Lodi Native Project. This collaborative project is designed to showcase Lodi’s heritage Zinfandel vineyards by producing single-vineyard wines following a standardized protocol involving minimal intervention in the wine cellar. The idea is to show what the vineyard itself has to offer by taking the winemaker’s individual style out of the wine making process. The first vintage, 2012, was released in March 2014 and we tasted that first vintage as well.

Mokelumne Glen Vineyards: What’s New in Winemaking

June 25, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) 1 comment

If you are at all familiar with what is happening in the Lodi wine world, you have probably heard of Mokelumne Glen Vineyards. If you are a fan of German and Austrian wine varieties, then you most certainly know that Mokelumne Glen Vineyards is home to plantings of Kerner, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Bacchus, Dornfelder and Blaufränkisch, to name just a few. In addition, there is the “German Collection”, a block of over 30 German and Austrian varieties.

Arneis Paired with Dungeness Crab and Pea Purée Crostini for #winePW

June 12, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) 16 comments

Our challenge for the June wine pairing weekend (#winePW on Twitter) came to us from Italy, literally. This month’s #winePW host is Valerie Quintanilla, you can read all of the details of the challenge in her blog post. She is an American living in Italy, so her challenge to us of pairing a summer dish with Arneis, a delightful northern Italian white wine, was spot on.

Kudos Wine: An excellent value in the Willamette Valley

June 3, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

The Willamette Valley in Oregon has earned a reputation for producing outstanding pinot noir and we are big fans of the region and the variety. In addition to pinot noir from the Willamette Valley, we have recently tasted some very fine chardonnay and pinot gris from the region. Kudos Wines are among the examples we have tasted lately.

Spicy Chicken Salad with Guacamole and a South African Rosé for #winePW

May 8, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) 19 comments

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, the May wine pairing weekend (#winePW) topic was South of the Border. The choice of topics by Christy Majors, this month’s host of #winePW, couldn’t have been any better. You will find an introductory post about this month’s paring on Cindy’s blog, Confessions of a Culinary Diva.

Montes: Dry Farming in the Colchagua Valley, Chile

May 4, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

Montes Winery was founded with the goal of producing truly premium quality Chilean wine for export. At a time when Chilean producers were producing wines mostly for local consumption, the two original founders Aurelio Montes, Sr. and Douglas Murray, had bigger plans. The year was 1987 and by the following year Montes and Murray were joined by Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand and the winery was founded.

Lodi Wines for Earth Day and Everyday

April 29, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

We celebrated Earth Day this year by participating in a online tasting of wine and cheese— naturally. The Earth Day tasting included four wines produced in accordance with Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing and provided a great opportunity to learn about Lodi Rules .

New White Wines from Markus Wine Co. and Borra Vineyards: Ready for summer sipping

April 15, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) 2 comments

When Markus Niggli talks about his wines, you need to be prepared to pay close attention. He will recite harvest dates, º Brix, pH and TA levels so quickly it will make your head spin. His enthusiasm for and love of winemaking are evident. He loves making wine and taking about wine.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Spring Peas and Westrey Pinot Noir for #winePW 11

April 10, 2015 by Nancy (CSW) 13 comments

Our homework for the April Wine Pairing Weekend (#winePW) was to choose our favorite springtime flavor, then pair a wine with it. What a delicious assignment, courtesy of Wendy Klik. You can find the details on Wendy’s blog, A Day in the Life on the Farm. We had no problem eating a delicious pairing.