Recipes for Two Great Cabernets

Generally, I love to gather a group of friends together when I am working on the recipes for our new releases. However, after a wild spring, I realized that what Ben and I really needed was a quiet night in with just the two of us. The recipes for these new releases are fairly simple and quick, yet were special enough for our much deserved dinner at home.

For the Ciel du Cheval, I really wanted to capture the classic notes of this Red Mountain Vineyard. Coffee and spice seemed to be the perfect match. I've also heard of this rub being used for "cowboy steaks" but for the fun of it, we'll call them "Red Mountain Medallions". On the side, we served some braised baby bok choy that had come in my CSA box and heavenly smashed potatoes, sans the parmesan cheese.

Coffee and Chile Rubbed Tenderloin Medallions
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp instant espresso
1 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp dry oregano
¼ tsp coriander
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 lb tenderloin medallions
Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Spray a cast iron skillet with non-stick spray and heat over medium-high heat. Press the coffee rub into both sides of the medallions, coating well. Add the steaks to the skillet and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, to preferred doneness. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Getting ready to go in the pan with plenty of rub.

A little on the done side, but so tasty.

As many of you know, I am one of those people who do not think that red wine and chocolate is a good idea (gasp!). The theory is that if your dish is sweeter than your wine, it will make the wine appear thin and tart. However, to satisfy everyone who loves red wine and chocolate together, I decided to give it a shot. This vintage of Champoux Cabernet offers such bold fruit with a touch of vanilla, that I felt like it could stand up to this not so sweet chocolate torte.

Chocolate Port Torte with Blueberry Cabernet Sauce
serves 4
for the torte
¼ c unsalted butter (plus a bit more to butter the pan)
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbs tawny port
4 large eggs, separated
½ c sugar
small pinch of salt
1 tbs orange zest
Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly butter the inside of a 9” springform pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper. In a small saucepan, melt the butter but do not let it foam. Add in the chopped chocolate and whisk until fully melted. Stir in the port, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the sugar. Stir the chocolate mixture and set aside.
In a large bowl or electric stand mixer, beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment. Mix in the salt, orange zest and remaining sugar and beat until the whites hold stiff peaks. Carefully mix in a small amount of the whites into the chocolate and yolk mixture, blending thoroughly before folding in the remainder of the whites.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform. Bake for 35 minutes. The top will appear cracked when it is done.
for the blueberry cabernet sauce
1 ½ tbs unsalted butter
2 c frozen blueberries
½ c cabernet
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter then add the blueberries. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until the berries are soft and beginning to pop. Add the cabernet, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
To assemble, cut the cake into small wedges, top with a generous amount of blueberry sauce and garnish with mint.

I'll admit it - the results were good!

The Fidelitas Gnome

A few of you may remember Dane from a few posts back (see the original post here). Dane is one of my favorite club members because he travels to wineries wearing his Fidelitas gear with pride. This is now turning into a "where in the world will Fidelitas go next?" type situation. Charlie recently gave Dane a new Fidelitas shirt for all of his promo work, and I just found out it made its winery debut all the way out in North Carolina.

Where next, Dane?

On an entirely different note, I PROMISE to have recipes out in the next day or two. I am so excited about what I came up with for the new releases: Ciel du Cheval and Champoux Cabernets. Yum!

Happy Wine Country Travels

If you are anything like me, you are probably not only a fan of wine, but also of visiting wineries. In the past year, I have been able to visit tasting rooms in Santa Barbara, Napa and Willamette, in addition to all the great areas in Washington. Below are a few of my favorite hints to maximize your wine country experience, while avoiding hiccups along the way:
· Plan before you go. Several wineries have limited hours, tasting fees or special requests in regards to groups, especially on busy weekends. Check websites or call for the most up to date information. I make appointments if I’m travelling with a group of any size, which often leads to a more personalized experience while I’m there. Also think ahead about dinner reservations, as most restaurants will fill up quickly during event weekends.
· Travel at a leisurely pace. Plan to visit just a few wineries each day, taking the time for rest and food in between. My palate is best for three or four wineries at most.
· Be aware of tasting versus drinking. To make the most of your trip, keep a clean palate and clear head by spitting when necessary and drinking plenty of water.
· Use a designated driver. Take advantage of a limousine service, hire a friend or switch tasting days with your travelling buddies.
· Watch out for hot weather! Purchasing as you go is great, but warm temps in your car can ruin your new wines. Pack a cooler for the day and bring your wines inside with you in the evening.
· Pack cash. Many tasting rooms have minimal tasting fees (and many are refundable with a wine purchase). It can be helpful to bring plenty of cash for these occasions.
· Talk to the tasting room staff! We at Fidelitas love to talk about wine and our winery, and we are certain that others do too. You can learn a lot!

A trip across the border (to Oregon, that is)

I joke around that being a part of a winery means that you tend to just visit that one tasting room. Rarely do I travel up Sunset Road and turn into any driveway but our own. So, I was really excited when I found out that I got to go to Portland and Willamette Valley for my bachelorette party. (Don’t get any wrong ideas here. We had multiple people claim that we were the calmest bachelorette group they had ever seen…at least in the tasting rooms.) To avoid rambling on too long, I am going to just highlight the places that we visited.
In Portland, a few favorite places include Oregon Wines on Broadway (of course, great Oregon selection, but also with some Washington slipped in and GREAT champagnes), Noble Rot (awesome view of the city even in the rainy weather, fun selection of international and domestic wines) and Serratto (incredible halibut with harrissa and gigantes beans).

Dizzy? The staircase at Domaine Serene

Our trip out to Willamette was awesome. We were lucky enough to have Leland at the wheel, giving us an amazing amount of information about the area. Our first stop was at Domaine Serene, one of the fanciest places in the area and home of one of my favorite white wines – the Cote Sud Chardonnay. We had a wonderful tour of the entire facility and tasted some awesome wines. Next was Penner Ash, recommended to us for the view. While cloudy, it was quite impressive. We had a Riesling that was (mistakenly) labeled at $218, but found that it was quite tasty for the real price of $18, and an interesting, smoky Pinot Noir/Syrah blend. Our last stop of the day was at Arbor Brook, which my parents insisted we try since they enjoyed their visit last fall. The facility definitely was not as upscale as the first two (it is in an adorable, but chilly, old barn) but in some ways we felt more at home. The Pinots were tasty (especially the 07…yum!) and they also had a Red Mountain Wine – a late harvest Semillon from Klipsun Vineyard.
We stayed at the swanky Nines Hotel, right in the middle of downtown and loved looking into the sim city-esque Urban Farmer restaurant below our room. All in all, a great trip that I would recommend to anyone looking for a weekend away. Thanks, girls!

Leland and the ladies outside the Nines.

#WAMerlot Recap and Recipes

I have to admit that I had a ton of fun with the #WAMerlot event last night. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but ended up really enjoying myself. Beyond seeing all of the awesome Washington Merlots that people ended up tasting, I loved how many people from out of the state ended up joining in. There were people from all over the country that searched out Washington Merlots to taste and tweet about. I even saw someone from New Zealand that was bummed because she couldn't find anything down there, but still wanted to join in. A big thank you to everyone who helped to coordinate this event. I would consider it a big success!
After my poor Huskies were defeated last night, I set in to my fun task of the evening. I had some friends over and we made a dinner designed just for Washington Merlot. The Fidelitas 2007 Champoux Vineyard Merlot I was tasting is a great example of a complex, rich Merlot. Tons of earthiness, herbal tones and bright fruit make it an excellent pairing for a dish with the same qualities. I decided to make a Red Wine, Mushroom Risotto to highlight that earthiness and added a ton of fresh herbs to compliment those notes in the wine as well. The match was phenomenal! We were all floored. On the side were Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts, a rich vegetable dish, powerful enough to stand up to the wine, and a simple green salad with pears and toasted hazelnuts to cleanse our palates.
All of these recipes were fairly simple, and worth the stirring time over the stove. Enjoy!


Red Wine, Mushroom Risotto
adapted from AllRecipes

serves 4 as a vegetarian main course

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
4 tbs butter
1 ½ lbs cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and quartered
¾ c chopped onion
1 tbs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh sage, finely chopped
1 ½ c Arborio rice
1 c dry red wine
4 cups vegetable broth, brought to a simmer
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for serving.
1 c grated parmesan, plus more for serving

Place dried porcinis in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain porcinis, reserving the soaking liquid, and roughly chop.
Heat butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add cremini mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and herbs, cooking until herbs are fragrant and onion is softened. Stir in rice and cook for about 1 minute. Add red wine and cook, stirring constantly, until completely absorbed. Add porcinis and soaking liquid and stir until absorbed.
Begin to add simmering broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly. Be sure that each cup of liquid is absorbed completely before adding the next. Continue until the rice is tender and creamy, about 20 minutes.
Stir in parsley and parmesan cheese. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with additional parmesan and parsley.



Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

serves 4 as a side

½ c fresh bread crumbs
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus ½ tbs
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 lb small brussels sprouts, trimmed but left whole
2 tbs minced shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c balsamic vinegar
1 ½ vegetable broth
2 tbs chopped parsley

Heat ½ tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and thyme. Toast bread crumbs until lightly golden and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Allow butter to foam slightly, then add whole brussels sprouts. Sauté, tossing frequently, until browned and slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 2 minutes.
Increase heat to high, then add the broth and balsamic vinegar. If you have an overhead fan, now is a nice time to use it. Cook the brussels sprouts, tossing frequently, until they are glazed and tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and stir in parsley. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with toasted bread crumbs.

Slightly large pieces of shaved parmesan but oh so good.

Preparing for the #WAMerlot Tasting

What is #WAMerlot? Good question!
This evening, hundreds of wine lovers (everyone from winemakers to bloggers to winery staff to just plain ol' winos) are coming together on Twitter to all taste Washington Merlot at the same time. Why? First of all, it's just fun. This is promising to be a neat way to learn about a lot of different wineries all at one time. The Twitter tasting also serves as a great way to reach beyond Washington's borders to teach people about the great wines that we have to offer here. The organizers of this event are also hoping that by giving Washington some extra attention, we may see a few extra visitors in wine country this year. I also think that this event will highlight one of Washington's greatest varietals. Merlot, which has fallen out of favor in recent years, is one of the best grapes grown in Washington. Our warm days and cool nights produce Merlots that are earthier and a bit more austere than those coming from a few states south of us. Charlie also claims that this is his favorite varietal to work with.
I am going to be tasting two Washington Merlots this evening: the Fidelitas 2007 Champoux Vineyard Merlot (to be released in May) and Stevens Winery 2007 Yakima Valley Merlot (which I've never tried before). I have a feeling that these are going to be two very different, but very good wines. A few buddies are coming over and we are going to prepare some very Merlot friendly dishes - a Red Wine Mushroom Risotto and Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts. You know this makes me happy! I'll post soon about how it all turns out.

A Wonderful West Seattle Day

Like everyone else in the city, this gorgeous Seattle weather has been putting me in the best mood recently. Earlier this week, I was lucky enough to break out of my office a little early and head to West Seattle for a meeting with our designer, Joe (exciting things coming soon!). After my meeting, I decided to explore California Avenue a bit and visited a few great shops.

If you haven't been to West Seattle Wine Cellars, and are ever in the neighborhood, definitely take the time to stop by. Go slow as you drive down California, or you might drive right past it. Inside the tiny store front are some of the most fun wines I've seen in while. Beside a great selection of Fidelitas wines, they feature several other small Washington wineries, some great selections from Spain and Portugal, really great French finds (including lots of yummy bubbles) and much more. They also offer some very interesting looking classes that will take you beyond just the basics of wine. As you all know, I am a big fan of small independently owned shops like West Seattle Wine Cellars, and would highly encourage you to check them out.

A little later on, I met a good friend at Fresh Bistro, the restaurant attached to local catering company Herban Feast. Their focus is on local, sustainable foods, but they also feature a fun, global wine list. We just sampled a few of their appetizers, but loved everything that we tried. If you are looking for an uncrowded happy hour spot in West Seattle, this is it. Bites are $5 and all glass pours are half off - a good time to try something new and fun! The deep fried gnocchi with chanterelles, cippolinis, lemon and sage was amazing. Something about being deep fried, I guess.

After all this fun, I got to cruise along the Alaskan Way Viaduct to enjoy the bright, beautiful sunshine at 6:30(?!?). A perfect spring afternoon.