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Tag Archives: Wine Wednesdays
Platemaker Dinner And Storrs Winery
I’m so excited about our first Platemaker Dinner in the Watsonville warehouse on May 23 with Outstanding in the Field www.outstandinginthefield.com. Especially about working with my good friends, Pamela and Steve Storrs, who will be serving their amazing wines.
Pamela and Steve Storrs firmly believe that the Santa Cruz Mountains hold a tremendous potential for making great wines. They first made a splash in the wine world with their very first release —an excellent Riesling in 1988, which captured a gold medal at the prestigious San Francisco National Wine Competition.
At UC Davis, Steve studied viticulture, while Pamela studied enology and food microbiology. Together, they have developed their own style of utilizing the best of their education and their own experiences with their vintages, which is more like letting the wine become what it is, more of a Burgundian approach to winemaking. Their first vintage, total case production was 1,200 cases. Now, they have grown to a comfortable 12,000 cases, just right for two winemakers. In 2001, Steve and Pamela realized their long-held dream when they purchased 50 acres in the Pleasant Valley district of Corralitos on the southwestern slopes of Mount Madonna. Since that day, they have slowly been converting the farm to sustainable/org
Dinner starts at 6 with a reception, tours of our studio followed by a 4 course sit down dinner with accompanying wines. Served on a variety of Annieglass with Annie, Steve & Pamela Storrs and chefs from Outstanding in the Field.
Click here for more info. And please come to what promises to be an AMAZING night!
Posted in 30th Anniversary, Watsonville Events
Tagged Platemaker Dinners, Storrs Winery, wine, Wine Wednesdays
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Wine Wednesdays — Alternative Uses for Annieglass Wine Coasters
This week for Wine Wednesdays I’m thinking about my wine accessories rather than 
actual wine. I designed my wine coasters because I think they add a really elegant touch to the table, they make the wine a little more special and they also protect your table and tablecloth from any spills or errant drips.
But there is no reason to not use your coasters for other non-vino reasons as well.
Other uses for my wine coasters include:
- Serve nuts or other small snacks during cocktail hour
- As a vessel for whipped cream or berries during dessert
- To hold toppings for either a dessert or savory dinner item — the silver rimmed bowls look especially nice filled with chopped chives or other herbs.
- As a soap holder in your guest bathroom
- To store rings or earrings on your vanity.
What are some of your favorite alternate uses for Annieglass?
Wine Wednesdays — Pink Spring Sangria
Spring is officially here now and the mild warm weather makes it seem like its time to start transitioning away from heavier and deeper red wines towards lighter, brighter rosé wines. To celebrate the switch, mix up a batch of this Pink Spring Sangria. You can use any mixture of seasonal fruit the recipe calls for ripe peaches, sweet strawberries, or tart raspberries, but those are just guidelines. Have fun with it.
Pink Spring Sangria
1 orange
2 ripe peaches
2 cups strawberries
1 cup raspberries
3/4 cup triple sec
1 bottle Rose wine
1 1/2 cups ginger ale or seltzer
1/4 cup of sugar (optional)
First cut up your fruit — if you are using the combination suggested above, Cut the orange into slices, cut the peaches into chunks, hull and quarter the strawberries. You can leave the raspberries — or blueberries, blackberries or huckleberries — whole.
Place all the fruits in a bowl or pitcher. Sprinkle with the sugar and triple sec, and let rest for a bit to soak up the triple sec. Add the wine and ginger ale and stir. Serve over ice.
Wine Wednesdays: Five Favorite Thanksgiving Wines
Wine is a big part of a holiday meal, which is one reason I love to include wine coasters in my collections. For Thanksgiving I like to serve both a red and a white wine to suit everyone’s preferences. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are both perfect for Thanksgiving because they are food-friendly and can pair pretty well with all the various food and spices that make up the meal. I also like to highlight some really wonderful local vineyards.
- Hunter Hill Pinot Noir. This Santa Cruz, CA winery makes acclaimed Pinot Noirs with lots of deep berry fruit notes
- Alfaro Pinot Noir Also from Santa Cruz, these ruby red wines are always a hit.
- Testarosa Chardonnay These wines hailing from Central Coast California are rich, layered and a little bit exotic.
- Storrs Chardonnay This wine, made from fruit from the Santa Cruz mountains, are amazingly balanced and structured
- Talbott Vineyards Chardonnay This Monterey winemaker makes full-bodied and lushly classic Chardonnays.
Pours and Tours: Hunter Hill Winery
This weekend, our featured wine for our Pours and Tours will be the multiple award winning Hunter Hill Winery.
Located in an appellation known for world-class wines, this lovely property has been home to the Slatter family for over a hundred years, after Grandfather arrived in Soquel from Piemonte to start a new life. High in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the vineyards enjoy sunny days, moderate nights and a long, cool growing season. Grapes ripen gently here and develop a depth of flavor that is distinctive to meticulous dry farming practices. Hunter Hill wines are clean, fruity and finished. Through each step of the process, from hand pruning the grape clusters, through fermentation and graceful aging on American and French Oak, the wines of Hunter Hill are nurtured by winemaker Vann Slatter. A self- taught winemaker, he follows a simple guiding principle: great wines are easy to make with well-loved, beautiful fruit. It is a philosophy that has brought a sophisticated audience and top- tier acclaim to Hunter Hill.
Remember, the tasting fees for Pours and Tours are 3 wines for $5 or 6 wines for $8. If you buy a bottle to take home the tasting fee is waived. Here are the wines we are excited about this weekend:
Sauvignon Blanc 2011- $25
Owners Vann and Christine Slatter nicknamed this Sauvignon Blanc “Silver Smith”, in honor of good friends Linda and Larry Smith, who first encouraged them to make this wine. It is produced from the Sauvignon Musque clone, which is less herbaceous and more melon-y than the Sauvignon Blanc we are used to. This wine exhibits bright aromatics and zesty acidity with strong overtones of peach, pear and nectarine. It is the perfect wine to pair with salads, light appetizers or seafood on a warm summer’s evening. 200 cases made.
Merlot Estate 2008, Santa Cruz Mountains $20
This vintage is by far the finest Merlot since the original planting in 1991. It embodies everything that makes the Santa Cruz Mountains unique. Currant and cloves backed by vanilla and black cherry flavors lend to firm and balanced tannins. The finish is elegant and smooth. This wine will age gracefully for 3-5 years and is a perfect paring with all fare — appetizers through dessert. 150 cases made.
Sangiovese Mendocino Co. 2010 ~ $25
Silver Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2012. The grapes for this lovely and revered Tuscan varietal (it is the same grape of world-renowned Chianti) are grown using organic practices on sunny hillsides of Mendocino county by an old California wine growing family. With a lovely balance of strawberries and violets and smooth tannins, this full-bodied wine is a delightful change of pace from our usual red for outdoor summer meals. Try it as a barbecue wine with grilled pork loin, or rosemary roasted chicken. 150 cases made
Barbera Lodi 2010 ~ $25
This Barbera, a grape that originated in the Piemonte region of Italy, signifies a return to the Slatter’s Italian heritage. It is the first Italian varietal they have produced at Hunter Hill, and they are very proud of it. The wine exudes black cherry, currants and plum flavors with oaky tannins. This is a straight-forward wine with fresh fruit intensity, acidity and depth. It will pair well with grilled poultry and meat as well as pasta and pizza. Enjoy this return to their Italian roots that started over a hundred years ago when their Grandfather arrived here in Soquel from Piemonte to start his life in America. 150 cases made.