In these first days of September the weather remains (too) dry, the skies are (sorta) blue, and our 40th harvest is in full swing. Unlike recent years, the wildfires that have plagued our state are for the most part not affecting wine growing areas. Though it appears the harvest will not be huge, grape quality …
Not only are we in the midst of our grape harvest, but tomato season is at its peak as well. Over the past couple of weeks I have put up 42 quarts of tomato sauce, with more to come. Here is a quick way to prepare a pasta meal worthy of the season. Any Taft …
A friend from Oregon just arrived with a big box of cherries. Pies, fruit shakes, cherry daiquiris later; we still had a pile left. Seared duck breast and cherry compote – easy and elegant. It also goes well with any Taft Street Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. INGREDIENTS: 2 5 – 6 ounce duck breast …
After a surprisingly mild July (which followed a torrid June), we are exercising an abundance of cautious optimism about our upcoming 40th harvest. Water is a major problem, as is the threat of another heat spike or two. And then there is the fire season. But this is California…we’ll keep you posted. The vineyards look good …
The pandemic appears to be at least partially under control, and in some ways life is approaching what used to be normal. But not quite, as the worst drought in decades has brought both a severe water shortage and a continuing threat of wild fires to our state. I live in Healdsburg, where mandatory water …
My sister in law is coming for dinner and she’s a vegan. What to do? I look up a recipe for the above and it’s a bit bland, so I add a dollop of tamarind paste. The dish is great with Taft Street Sauvignon Blanc. Pure vegans don’t do semolina pasta, but I draw the …
We are recovering from a very busy Memorial Day weekend in the Russian River Valley, when people took advantage of warm weather, vaccinations, and a need to enjoy and reserved all our spaces for the weekend. With the state of California easing restrictions even further starting June 15th, we expect attendance to maintain at a …
I love chicken tikka masala. It’s creamy, rich and spicy enough to charge up the taste buds. In addition, the sauce can be made ahead of time, so serving it for a crowd does not present a problem. I like to serve it with our 2018 Chalk Hill Merlot Los Amigos Vineyard. INGREDIENTS: For the …
Back in the day when we were making wine in the garage at Taft Street (late 70’s), interest in home cooking was taking off, and one of the most popular dishes around was a chicken recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook. It was a rare potluck where Chicken Marbella wasn’t served. It has held up …
The good news is the pandemic appears to be more under control, resulting in relaxed regulations and a resemblance of normalcy to our lives. Moreover, the skies are sunny and clear and the temperatures are warm and it feels great to be outdoors. The bad news is we have just experienced our second season of …
