Ah…it’s been a little while blog, but I haven’t forgotten you. I’ve just been busy running around CA selling wine for the past month or so. I was in Los Angeles for a couple days and the thing that I noticed most (other than the traffic) was that there was this incredible frenetic energy about the city. Everyone was doing, going, planning, creating. I could see how it would be a little unnerving to some but I loved it. I liked the fast pace, meeting a ton of people and sharing our wine with them. We have a couple of new accounts down there that really seem to get it. They’re supportive of organic farming, tasty wine, and fantastic food.
There was a lot of talk this past month about the difficulties of selling syrah. Everyone (trade, chefs, winemakers) loves it except for consumers. And even they love it after they’ve tried a few. Unfortunately the “sad state of syrah” is an easy story to sell (and boringly has been sold for years) but it’s also the same refrain that any other varietal has had at one point (I’m talking about you zinfandel). Syrah is coming into its own here in CA and that doesn’t happen without some growing pains and tons of quibbling between wineries and trade and media. I believe that the next 30 years will shape the varietal and Mike and I both are happy to make it, sell it and promote it. And we’re not crying about it either or saying our way of doing it is the best and only way to do. We make it because we love it and we believe in it.
So the second I crested that big hill on 101N near Petaluma, I breathed a sigh of “Sonoma County is Home.” You know that hill, where the rolling vineyards open up and all you can see is vines and farmland. It’s fun to be in a big city with all the hustle and bustle, but it’s also quite nice to come back to the country, back to the garden, back to the chirping of birds in the morning. It’s nice not to race but to be still and enjoy some vino and the easy tunes of Old and in the Way. I for one am glad that Mr. Rowan lives so close. I actually saw him at the Mystic sit in on a couple tunes with David Rawlings and his Machine. He stood with a big cowboy hat about three feet from me before he jumped on stage.
A couple of weeks ago when some of the funniest people we know were in town from Boston on a comedy tour, we all decided to meet up in San Francisco at one of my favorite restaurants. Now for me, a great restaurant usually means that the chef is also an owner and is also there on a nightly basis. That’s certainly the case with Piperade and Bocadillos, both owned and operated by Gerald Hirigoyen. I have an admission to make. Long ago, when I first began my foray into obscene amounts of money spent on cookbooks, I purchased Chef Hirigoyen’s book “The Basque Kitchen” because I wanted to learn more about this cuisine. I’ve cooked quite a few recipes from the book and discovered the briney joy of sardines and simple pleasure of salted cod. To be honest, I didn’t even know the restaurant was in the city until I was driving along Battery one day. So of course I called in to make an appointment for him and his sommelier to taste the Syrah. The French hostess said the best thing to do was to just come in because because Chef likes to know/meet who he’s dealing with. Nice. I went in the next day, had a quick lunch of the best chicken sandwich I’d had in years and left him a bottle to taste. I mean, I felt like I owed him at least a bottle of wine for all the goodness I reaped from his cookbook. And I really respect it when chefs taste the wine, over the course of a meal, hopefully relaxing at home. You get a better sense of the wine over the time it takes to drink a bottle as opposed to just a quick taste and then yea/nea. We then met at an event later in the month and he said he’d take the wine on the list. AWESOME! I have to admit, I still swell up with pride knowing that he likes the wine.
So back to the funny people. We ended up going to his other restaurant Bocadillos,which was right around the corner from the venue. This is your classic tapas joint. And not the, “I think it would be cool to open a small plates restaurant and I’ve been to Spain a couple times for research tapas joints”. But the real deal. On a Saturday night at 8 it was lively and full of energy. The space was able to accommodate a largish party of 12 as well as more two and four tops. It wasn’t too loud and the food was stunning. We all shared amongst other things prawns with garlic flakes and lemon confit, spiced kurobuta baby back ribs and the table favorite, pig trotters with fresh herbs and chopped egg salad. So good.
Go to both of these places if you want authentic Basque cuisine made by real people who do it right.
December-April is Steelhead fishing season. After spending the past 25 years (three years more than my winemaking career) steelhead fishing, it’s as much a part of me as harvest is. It’s a time to get up early when it’s cold and wet, and go down to the river in the dark in search of the elusive fish. Sometimes you go solo, sometimes with a couple of friends. Sometimes you fish your favorite spot from shore, but most times we take a drift boat down the river. Did I mention it’s usually cold and wet? Give praise to the Thermos! A couple of weeks back I scheduled a trip to the Eel River with two of my great lifelong friends, Darren Moffet and Brad Bou. We’ve been fishin’ together for years and it’s always a good time. Lots of bullshitting and joking around, but don’t get me wrong, these guys are serious fishermen. We spent two days fishing the Wild and Scenic Eel River, fishing the areas between Garberville and the confluence of the South Fork to the Main Fork. Not to sound too much like a fishing report, but…we ended up hooking two and they were so wild that we lost both of them. In the moment it’s easy to get kind of upset that you didn’t get to see the fish up close, but then you look around and just shrug your shoulders and debate what you could’ve done differently. It’s good fun and just like harvest, I get a little sad when the season comes to an end. Check out this documentary about Steelhead fishing on the North Coast. Some of these guys take this very seriously…
I think it must be the late winter reaching out to me, saying it’s not quite time to get to tomato planting. Hibernate. Build a fire. Stay warm. Emily and I have been subsisting on the plethora of kale, broccoli and cauliflower in the garden. Winter treats for sure. We are also just about to be overtaken by asparagus. More to come on that front. Tony, I know, will want to trade. Last year, we scored preserved Meyer lemons from him. Pure goodness. The point of today’s post though is bread. Maybe it’s the rain, the winter chill, but I’ve put my baker hat back on. It could also have to do with the seriously badass mixer I got for Christmas (Thanks Collins Familia!). And so, I’ve tried and tested a few basic recipes to much fanfare from Emily. Much. But here’s a recipe that will be a reach, a project for the weekend (that instead of painting the bathroom) and one that will take me back to the days of Graz and Dreiundfunfzig Hafnerriegel. Cold mornings on the way to class, cutting through the stadtpark but stopping off for some brot. I’m already excited.
**this recipe is from the Bread Bible by Rose Levy Barenbaum and although it seems complicated and requires advanced prep I’m going to give it a go. Ms Barenbaum references her recipe as originating from Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino, which is cool**
Tyrolean Ten Grain Torpedo
Dough Starter (the sponge) Ingredients:
Bread Flour - 2/3 cup
Instant Yeast - 1/4 teaspoon
Malt Powder (or barley malt syrup or honey or sugar) - 1/2 tablespoon
Water, at room temp - 3/4 cup
1. Nine hours (or night before) make the sponge. In the mixer bow, place the flour, yeast, malt and water. Whisk until very smooth to incorporate air. The sponge will be the consistency of a thick batter. Scrape down the sides. Set it aside, covered with plastic wrap.
2. Combine the ingredients for the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and yeast. Spoon this mixture lightly on top of the sponge and cover completely. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to ferment 1 hour at room temperature and then for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour mixture).
Grains
Ingredients:
Ten Grain Mix - see note below for the mix - 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons
Hot Water - 1/2 liquid cup minus 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1 & 1/4 teaspoon
3. Meanwhile 8 hours ahead or the night before place the grain mixture in a medium bowl, add hot water and stir until thoroughly combined. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 8 or up to 24 hours.
4. Mix the dough with the dough hook on low (#2) for about 1 minute and then raise it up to medium (#4) for 7 minutes. Allow it to rest for 2o minutes. Add the salt and seed mixture (and any excess liquid in the bowl) and knead for another 3-5 minutes or until evenly incorporated. The dough should be slighly sticky.
5. Let the dough rise. Lightly grease a 2 quart bowl. Push down the dough and lightly oil the top. Cover with plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the bowl where the double height will be. Allow to rise. 1.5 to 2 hours. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough out onto a floured surface and form it gently into a rectangle. Give it 1-2 business letter turns to redistribute the grains. Round the edges and set it back into the container. Oil the surface again, cover and mark your doubled height. Allow to rise. 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Shape the dough and let it rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press or roll into a rectangle. Shape it into an 11 inch by 2 inch long torpedo-shaped loaf. Set it on the prepared baking sheet and cover it loosely with oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 40-50 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees one hour prior to baking. Oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or sheet on it. Below that on the bottom of your oven, place an iron skillet or sheet pan.
8. Slash and bake the bread. Slide the dough onto the sheet/stone. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the door. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
My Timing - So yeah…lots o steps
Thursday - Head to Andy’s Market and track down all those grains. Make the Sponge.
Friday - Ferment my Sponge + Flour Mixture. Toast and then Soak grains
Saturday - Bread baking time in H-Burg.
As mentioned earlier, we’re pouring at the VIP portion of this year’s inaugural Cochon 555 this Sunday over at the Silverado Country Club in Napa. It’s rough, I know but I thought I would share some more details. I gotta say that I’m totally pulling for Duskie and John from ZaZu! Here’s the official word:
Cochon 555 U.S. Tour to Kick-Off in Napa Valley
“5 Pigs, 5 Chefs, 5 Winemakers”
February 28th, 2010
4:30 PM (VIP 3:00PM)
A group of top Bay Area chefs will each prepare a heritage breed pig from head to toe for the 2nd annual competition on the eve of National Pig Day. Cochon 555 is the only national chef competition promoting heritage pigs and breed diversity. In addition, five family-owned wineries will showcase their wines. Guests and professional judges will determine a winner based on utilization, presentation and overall best flavor. The winner will have the opportunity to compete with other national winning chefs at Grand Cochon during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, June 18-20. The purpose of the event is to promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the City of Napa Fire Explorers program, a vocational firefighter-training program for Napa County youth. The cost is $110 per person and is open to the public. VIP tickets are limited and cost $160 per person. For tickets or more information visit http://www.cochon555.com. Advance ticket purchase is required for this event.
CHEFS
Christopher Kostow, Meadowood of Napa Valley
Devin Knell, French Laundry
Peter Pahk, Silverado Resort
Dennis Lee, Namu Restaurant SF
John Stewart & Duskie Estes, Zazu Restaurant
Whole pig breakdown demonstration by Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats. Jeremy Fox of Ubuntu will prepare local produce. Brews provided by Magnolia Brewing. The VIP reception will include Hog Island Oysters and artisan cheeses from Oxbow Cheese Merchants and Cheese Plus SF.
Family Owned Wineries
Gamble Family Vineyards, Zacherle Wines, Hill Family Estate, Wind Gap Wines, Hirsch Vineyards
VIP Wines
Chase Cellars, Erna Schein Family Winery, Wind Gap Wines, Verge Wine Cellars, Miner Family Vineyards, Larkin Wines, Hope & Grace, Krupp Brothers, Pey Marin Vineyards, Hestan Vineyards
WHERE Silverado Resort 1600 Atlas Peak Road, Napa, CA 94558
Room rates start at $99, please call (800) 532-0500.
Back in the day while working in the cellars of Michel Schlumberger, where Mike is still the head winemaker and vineyard manager (oh yeah…he was my boss), I used to do a lot of topping this time of year. MS makes quite a bit more wine than our 600-700 cases. Topping is when you replace the small amount of wine that has evaporated or been sampled for analysis or (quite often) for tasting. This definitely qualifies as a non-glamorous part of wine work. It’s pretty cold in the cellar this time of year, when it’s damp and chilly outside. You can get a little banged up too, climbing racks and bumping up next to the barrels so often. But it’s also one of those moments in winemaking that is really zen-like, following a defined process for each lot. Washing, rinsing, washing, rinsing, topping, washing, breaking down, washing, rinsing. You get into a groove, where you mind goes blank and you just concentrate on the moment and the next steps just flow. You can easily spend an entire day lost in the cellar like this. I like getting to touch and smell every barrel, shepherding each one along its way.
To top, you start out by siphoning wine from a 59 gallon barrel, usually older, and putting it into a pressurized 5 gallon keg, like the kind you see used for soda. Then you methodically wash around the bungs on each barrel you are going to top with hot water and a brush. Then you rinse down the barrels. Then you remove each bung and give it a good wash/rinse too and place them back on the barrels, being careful not to put the business end of the bung on the wood. Now you’re ready to top. At MS, where we make VERGE, we have about 40 barrels from 2008 & 2009 vintage that need topping so Mike or I (usually Mike) move slowly along our row and top each barrel until they are just full. Careful not to spill any wine. After we’ve topped, we replace the bung and make sure it’s good and tight. Then we wash the barrels down again. Now it’s time to account for how much wine we used and breakdown the barrel into smaller containers like half barrels, 15 gallon kegs and 5 gallon carboys to use for next time. Then you have to wash your empty barrel and clean up any spills that happened while breaking down. Lots of cleaning always! Don’t forget to tag your breakdown, so you know what in there.
While not the most exciting part of the winemaking process, topping does allow us to keep a close eye (and nose) on our wines while they age, protect them against exposure to oxygen and minimize any chances of microbial spoilage. And to top, you definitely need a good soundtrack. Here’s how I roll -
February is prime orange picking time here in Healdsburg. You can sometimes find a tree here and there, mingled amongst the vines. There is one spot off Westside Road where a small orange grove just thrives. I pass it whenever I’m going into town. I was kind of sad to see a fence go up a couple of years ago. Don’t worry you can still get one if you happen to be biking by. Just watch out! Someone really likes their oranges. We’re fortunate enough to have a tree on our property. Each morning we’ll brave the cold, damp air and fill up a small wire basket. The fruit is seedless and the ripe oranges are spiked with a sharp acidity that makes eating them outright immensely pleasurable. Once we have a large batch, Emily will take down the juicer and get to work peeling and juicing. The entire house fills with orange essence. We’ll have deliciously tart orangensaft for days. Because of the acidity, we cut it with water and often add it to our morning smoothies. This year I’m thinking candied peels and some orange bitters. That may make a nice addition to Em’s Manhattan.
We here at VERGE Wine Cellars have been known for quite a while to be (dare I say) connoisseurs of pork. Mike has raised a couple of pigs and will do so again. Needless to say, we’ve all enjoyed the bounty of bacon, ribs, hams and the multitude of chops, shanks, and roasts. Mr Pig - Thank you for all you do!
We learned today that we were selected as one of the wineries to pour in the VIP section at Cochon 555 in Napa later in February. Now this is a pork lovers dream event. 5 Chefs are each challenged to prepare a heritage pig from head to tail. For the competition, each 125 pound heritage pig can be braised, grilled, pressed, pickled, rubbed, smoked, seared, sauced, spiced, injected, marinated, cured or otherwise prepared. Oh My!
The purpose of COCHON 555 is to promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities. Here are the details for the event in Napa. If you can’t make it there, check out all the other great cities they are traveling to.
COCHON 555
SILVERADO RESORT
NAPA, CALIFORNIA
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28th, 4:30 - 8 p.m.
($99 room rates available)
VIP Experience Starts at 3:00 pm
According to the National Climatic Data Center, January is the wettest month of the year here in Healdsburg. On average, we receive between 8 -9 inches of rain at the start of each year. And even when the forecast calls for clear skies, which it has all this week, there is still a morning layer of fog. It makes getting out of bed most difficult but the coffee does taste better when there’s a chill in the air. Both Mike and I have wood stoves that heat our houses. When it’s pouring down and still dark outside in the early morning, I love to go out to the wood shed and gather up a load of kindling. To me, there’s something peaceful and right about starting a fire first thing using embers from the night before. It also impresses the wife when I show initiative in this regard. After it’s been raining for days and there’s no way we can stay cooped up a second more, we gear up and get out there for a hike. This I highly recommend.
In addition to giving 10% of our gross sales this December to Feeding America, Mike and I have decided to participate again in the 6th Annual Menu for Hope. This wonderful charitable drive is hosted by Chez Pim and a revolving group of food bloggers from around the world and supports one of our other favorite charities, the World Food Program. Please check out the links below to read all about how this campaign works and how you can help, either by purchasing a few (or a couple dozen!) raffle tickets or donate directly.
If the response we received last year is any indication, you better get bidding! We’ve upped the ante a bit by throwing in a magnum and full case of wine. The tour is really cool and informative and the wines from the Rhone & Australia are top producers from our mine and Mike’s personal cellars!
