Wood-Fired Pizza Dough Recipe

Wood-fired Pizza dough

Make your own Shadow Ranch pizza at home!

Wood-fired pizzas are back at Shadow Ranch! Every Sunday this summer we are offering our delicious wood-fired pizzas on the patio. Our regular offerings include Margherita, Pepperoni and Fig+Walnut+Gorgonzola+Arugula pizzas. We've received requests from several of you for the recipe for the dough, so we are sharing it here!

Pizza Dough Recipe (Yields six 10 inch pizzas)

Equipment:

• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (450 g) All Purpose Flour
• 3 cups (450 g) "OO" Flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Instant Dry Yeast
• 2 cups slightly warm water + 1/4 cup more
• 1 tbps olive oil

Directions:

• Whisk together the flours and salt 
• Put 2 cups of water and the yeast in a bowl and let sit 3 minutes
• Add one cup of the flour mixture to the water/yeast mixture and whisk to make a slurry
• Start mixer slowly with dough hook 
• Slowly add the slurry
• Add 1/4 cup more water or just enough until the dough comes together in a ball
• Let the mixer knead the dough for 5 minutes
• Put dough in oiled container and drizzle olive oil on top. Cover tightly with lid
• Let rise for 3 hours or overnight
• Punch down. Measure out 6 even dough balls, usually ~250 g each
• Let rest for 2 hours before using

May 2023 Food Pairing

May 2023 Food Pairing

Inspired by Cinco de Mayo and the promise of warm weather to come

Having just released our 2022 Sauvignon Blanc and 2022 Grenache Rosé we thought we'd host a little party to showcase these excellent wines for summer. Who would have guessed we'd have a cold rainy day in May? I guess winter wasn't quite ready to loosen it's grip just yet. Nevertheless the food pairing was delicious as always and great inspiration for the summer ahead. Read on to learn more about why these pairings work so well and to get a recipe to make them at home!

2022 Sauvignon Blanc paired with Hearts of Palm Ceviche

Kimari started us off with a ceviche you would never guess was vegan. Using hearts of palm instead of fish she was able to create a delightfully fresh ceviche which paired so well with the crisp freshness of the 2022 Estate Sauvignon Blanc. This is a recipe you'll definitely want to keep in mind as an appetizer when you're hosting friends this summer, or even just for yourself!

Hearts of Palm Ceviche

Ingredients:

• Two 14-ounce cans whole hearts of palm, drained and diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 avocado, diced into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more leaves for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, grated 
• 2 to 3  limes, juiced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 to 2 lemons, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Tortilla chips and hot sauce for serving

Directions:

Combine the hearts of palm, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with tortilla chips and hot sauce.

 

2022 Grenache Rosé paired with Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Tricia prepared some beautifully colorful grilled shrimp tacos to pair with our 2022 Grenache Rosé. This is another refreshing wine, perfect for summer. White wines and rosés do well with more delicate meats, such as fish and shrimp. The sweet pineapple salsa on these tacos helped to highlight the slightly floral notes in our Grenache Rosé.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp Marinade:

• 1 lb shrimp
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp chili powder
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch black pepper

Marinate all ingredients for 30 minutes

Pineapple Salsa:

• 1 cup pineapple
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 ½ cup red onion
• 1 seeded jalapeño
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Dice and mix all ingredients

Avocado Crema:

• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp lime juice (2 small limes)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 large avocados

Blend all ingredients together

Additional ingredients:

• Cotija cheese
• Red cabbage, thinly sliced
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Street-taco sized tortillas (flour or corn)

Preparation Instructions:

1. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. When pan is hot, add marinated shrimp. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 min per side
2. Toast tortillas on separate pan.
3. Assemble tacos. Place sliced cabbage on tortillas, followed by pineapple salsa. Place ~3 shrimp on top. Drizzle with avocado crema, sprinkle with cotija cheese and fresh cilantro.
4. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!

April 2023 Food Pairing

April 2023 Wine Club Release and Food Pairing

Another club release, another opportunity for Tricia and Kimari to wow us with their delicious and creative food pairings. As always, we had so much fun sharing these new wines and foods with our club members! We released two rich and bold wines this week, both of which called for strong flavors in the foods they were paired with. Read on for notes on each of the pairings as well as the much-requested recipes!

2021 Syrah with Wild Mushroom Soup

The 2021 Syrah is a full-bodied wine with aromas of black plum, violet, and dark-roast coffee. This is a wine often paired with red meat. We wanted to offer our guests a vegetarian choice, so we went with a Wild Mushroom Soup for this pairing. Mushrooms make for good meat substitutes simply because they also provide a strong umami flavor which nicely balances any fruit flavors and sweetness in the wine. This soup in particular was made with a rich, high-quality butter, whose creaminess downplayed the moderate tannins in this wine. 

Wild Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs butter
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 Tbs flour
• 1 lb mixed mushrooms of your choice
• 3 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock can be substituted for a vegetarian option)
• 3 cups water
• Salt
• Pepper
• ½  tsp parsley 
• ½ tsp thyme
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Preparation

1. Melt butter in large stockpot and add onions. Cook until soft but not brown.
2. Add flour and cook 3 minutes stirring frequently .
3. Whisk as you add the chicken stock and water.
4. Add mushrooms and herbs and season to your liking. Cook another 10 minutes.
5. Take off heat and cool down for a minute, then blend soup to make smooth. To make extra smooth run through a mesh strainer as well.
6. Return to heat and add the cream.
7. Serve with some herbs sprinkled on top.

 

2021 Petite Sirah with Steak and Blue Cheese Crostini

Our brand new Petite Sirah is a rich wine with flavors of deep blackberries, blueberries and even a hint of espresso. Petite Sirah berries are very small, meaning that there is a high ratio of skin to juice. The skin gives the wine its inky black color as well as some strong tannins. As it ages those tannins will relax and provide some extra depth and character to this already delightful wine. Not interested in waiting to drink your Petite Sirah? Neither were we! That is why we paired it with a Steak and Blue Cheese Crostini with a Blueberry and Caramelized Onion Jam. The fats from the steak and blue cheese help to cut through the astringency coming from those tannins. The blueberries in the jam help to highlight the blueberry notes in the wine while the caramelized onions provide a savory characteristic to keep the jam from being too sweet to pair with steak. All in all this is a delicious crostini and an excellent pairing for our big, bold 2021 Petite Sirah.

Blue Cheese and Steak Crostini with Blueberry Caramelized Onion Jam Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 baguette or long French loaf
• Olive Oil
• Kosher salt 
• Pepper
• 1 lb flank steak
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• Fresh thyme
• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ cup red wine (we recommend you use the wine you are pairing with! We used a little 2021 Petite Sirah)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 oz blue cheese
• Microgreens for garnish

Preparation - Jam

1. Carmelize your diced red onions in a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme
2. Add vinegar, brown sugar, honey, red wine, and the blueberries to your pan. Cook until blueberries are near bursting, about 5-10 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir, smashing the blueberries. Remove sprigs of thyme. 
3. Remove from heat and cool in a clean jar in the refrigerator. 

Preparation - Steak

1. Drizzle your steak with olive oil and salt and pepper.
2. Cook your steak to medium rare. We used a sous vide method on our steak, but you can also broil your steak in the oven if you do not have a sous vide
3. Slice very thinly

Preparation - Crostini

1. Slice your bread on a slight diagonal into ½ inch slices. 
2. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt.
3. Toast your crostini. You can toast them in your oven at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 7-10 minutes. We chose to toast ours on a skillet until they were golden brown. You want your crostini to have a slight crunch on the outside but maintain some chewiness in the center. 
4. Assembly
5. Fold and place your thin slices of steak on top of the crostini
6. Sprinkle some crumbles of blue cheese over the steak
7. Dollop a small amount of jam over the top
8. Sprinkle with microgreens

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Snow Days at Shadow Ranch

Sitting at an elevation of 2300 ft, Shadow Ranch will occasionally get some snow, but this past weekend was something else! Grapevines are dormant this time of year, so we do not expect much of an effect from the snow on our vines. We have well-draining sandy soils, so we can also avoid the worry of drowning out the root zone. However we do hope that all this precipitation will be good for our water table and for California's overall water supply. We can certainly hope that the many feet of snow the Sierras are receiving will continue to melt into our reservoirs through the summer. In meantime, we get to enjoy a rare snow day in the Sierra Foothills!

If you weren't able to make it out to the tasting room during the storm, never fear! Tracey, one of our incredible Tasting Room Hosts, was able to capture some beautiful images before the snow began to melt away. Tracey is not only a great photographer, but an artist of many disciplines! If you would like to see more of her work, check out @traceysirbellopetportraits on Instagram!

We feel so lucky to be able to experience nature's beauty right outside the door of the tasting room. Winter, spring, summer and fall all have their own beauty and we love sharing that with you. Join us during any season to see what beauty we have in store!

February 2023 Food Pairing

February 2023 Food Pairing

This past weekend we got to enjoy yet another incredible food pairing! The club release this weekend was a 'choose your own adventure', meaning that club members could choose any two bottles as their wine club shipment. This gave Kimari and Tricia free reign as far as food pairings were concerned. Our guests were able to enjoy some excellent pairings with the 2020 Estate Tempranillo and 2020 Estate Zinfandel. These are both great wines to pair with food, but the pairings we offered may not be what you might expect! Below I've shared the recipes so that you can try them with your Shadow Ranch wine at home!

2020 Estate Tempranillo paired with Smoked Gouda Pimiento Cheese and Root Vegetable Chips

This crowd pleaser is easy to make and to serve! A great option for a slightly elevated Super Bowl dip or as an appetizer at any dinner party. The combination of smokiness and fattiness of the smoked gouda were the key to the pairing with Tempranillo. Tempranillo is a naturally more tannic wine, so the fats in the cheese help to mellow out that astringency. The smokiness of the cheese helps bring out the rich oak flavors in this wine, which was aged in french oak for 18 months. We chose to use colorful root vegetable chips as the vehicle for this cheese, but you can use any chips you like or even vegetable sticks!

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

8oz block cream cheese room temperature

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ tap cayenne

 7oz jar of pimientos

8oz shredded Cheddar

16oz shredded Gouda

 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate. It’s that easy.

Enjoy with your favorite chips, crackers, or veggies!

 

2020 Estate Zinfandel paired with Mini Chicken and Waffles with a drizzle of Habanero Honey

Now this pairing really surprised me! Our 2020 Estate Zinfandel has an oakier characteristic than many of the foothill zinfandels available in our area. The hint of spice in the habanero honey really brought out the oaky spices in the zinfandel, making for a great pairing. With mini waffles and chicken tenders this normally large and heavy dish is transformed into an adorable and elegant appetizer! 

Ingredients:

20oz frozen popcorn chicken

1 ¾ cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

3 Tbs sugar

½ tsp salt

3 eggs

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 stick of butter melted

Honey

Chives finely chopped

 

Directions

Air fry the chicken according to the directions on the package.

For the waffles:

Wisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Wisk together eggs and buttermilk. Slowly add the melted and cooled butter.

Add dry mixture one scoop at a time until well mixed.

Batter should be thick and a little lumpy.

Using a little more melted butter brush your heated mini waffle maker and start cooking up the waffles.

Assemble and dress with honey and chives.

December 2022 Food Pairing

December 2022 Food Pairing

We always have so much fun hosting our club release events. It's an opportunity for us to catch up with our longtime club members and some of our more recent additions to the Wine Club as well! This past December Club Release was especially fun with everyone already getting into the holiday spirit. As always, Kimari and Tricia amazed us with their culinary skills, creating perfect pairings for our new releases, the 2020 Estate Grenache and 2020 Petit Verdot. We were asked by several guests for the recipes so we happily share them with you below.

2020 Estate Grenache paired with Warm Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Salad

This dish is an excellent one for holiday parties, with the creamy goat cheese and bright pops of color from the pomegranate seeds. We were delighted with how this paired with the 2020 Estate Grenache. We chose a mild goat cheese for this dish, not wanting too much tanginess to distract from the other flavors. The 2020 Estate Grenache is a light to medium bodied red with notes of ripe cherry, strawberry and raspberry, with bright hints of white pepper and a subtle earthiness of hay. The tannins in this wine are moderate and it has a gentle oak finish. 

Warm Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Salad
serves 8
1 Chevre goat cheese log cut into 8 equal discs
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
olive oil
1 package spring salad mix
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
bottled raspberry vinaigrette of your choice
Whisk egg to make an egg wash. Dip each goat cheese disc into the egg then into the panko to be covered.
Fry up each disc in olive oil. Turn and brown on both sides.
Meanwhile, dress the spring mix with the raspberry vinaigrette and add pomegranate seeds. 
Finally Plate the each salad and top with 1 warm goat cheese disc.
 Add a few more pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of the dressing.

2020 Petit Verdot paired with Steak Bites with Plum Sauce

These bites paired so well with our 2020 Petit Verdot. The flavors of the plum sauce married beautifully with the plum and berry aromas present in the Petit Verdot, and the steak allows this dish to hold up to Petit Verdot's higher tannins. We served these with the steak thinly sliced and folded onto skewers, making this a great finger food for passed appetizers.

Plum Sauce Marinade
Serves 8
1/2 cup plum sauce
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T soy sauce
2 T ketchup
2 T minced shallots
1 T minced garlic
1 T ground ginger
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 T Brown Sugar
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat to medium constantly stirring so it does not burn, 3-4 mins. Let cool completely before pouring over choice cut of beef strips. Tri-tip, top round, chuck, or flanks steak. Marinate overnight up to 24 hours. 

2019 Barbera

NEXT TIME YOU VISIT TAKE HOME OUR BARBERA!

Did you know that Barbera is an Italian wine grape variety that as of  the year 2000 was the third most planted red grape variety planted in Italy. California is one of the central regions in the world that has planted more than 7000 acres. Babera is known for its acid structure and smooth tannins, therefore making it a great food wine.

Barbera boasts brighter flavors of tart cherry, raspberry, and spice balckberry and vanilla, great layers of texture and will age nicely. Taste our Barbera, take it home and pair it with; rich dark meats, mushrooms, herbaceous cheeses like blue, braised lamb dishes, Italian sausage and lentils, pastas with tomatoes and meat sauces, meatloaf, rabbit with olives or braised duck....many delicious dishes to choose from when drinking a Barbera. Cheers! 

Shadow Ranch Barbera is a 2022 Gold Medal winnner at the San Francisco Chronical Wine Competition. 

2019 Tempranillo and 2019 Zinfandel Food Pairings

 

Beef Bourguinon

A beef stew braised in red wine, often Burgundy and beef stock, typically flavored with carrots, onions garlic and a bouquet garni and garnished with pearl onions mushrooms and bacon. A perfect pairing with our 2019 Tempranillo boasts dark cherry red in color. Aromas of plum, balckberry and jam with varied spicy notes of vanilla cacao, the excellent balance of fruit alcohol , acidit and tannins. Smooth complex and long finish.

                            We hope you will enjoy this recipe at home with our Shadow Ranch 2019 Tempranillo.

Ingredients :
1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
For serving:
Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.
Copyright Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

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Smoked Pimiento Cheese

We love this recipe for smoked pimiento cheese with our 2019 Zinfandel! The bold flavors of this dish held up well to the peppery oak finish on our Zinfandel and the two complimented each other perfectly.

Yield: approximately 5 cups

Ingredients

4 jalapeño peppers, halved and seeded
2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 (8-ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (8-ounce) block smoked Cheddar cheese, shredded
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1⁄2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1⁄4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place jalapeño and bell peppers on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven.
Place peppers in a large glass bowl; cover with plastic wrap, and let cool for 20 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap. Wearing gloves, remove skin from peppers. Discard skin.
In the work bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients; pulse until smooth.
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Notes:

Serve with crackers, if desired, or on toasted French baguette slices and top with bacon.

 

Why Barrel Wines?

Why Barrel Wines?

The oxygen that comes through the oak barrel helps the wine mature and tannins develop the structure of the wine over time. Barrels are a metaphorical spice rack when making wine. New barrels have intense aromas, and can impart cedar, vanilla and plenty of spice notes when a wine is aged in them.
New barrels will impart the strongest aromas and flavors to a wine. Each time a barrel is used, that influence dissipates a bit. After about three or four uses, the barrels are consisderd "neutral". Neutral barrels are still useful to winemakers, wine can be aged in them before bottling, but neutral barrels won't add a new barrels influence of flavors and aromas.
Barrels are also used for texture and mouthfeel, since they allow small amout of oxygen to interact with the wine. Winemakers using neutral barrels to get richer, creamier textures from wines. A new barrel cost upwards of $1000 so getting extra use is important and desirable.

New Wood Fired Pizza Oven - We are Fired Up!

NEW WOOD FIRED PIZZA OVEN, WE ARE FIRED UP!

Your choice Margherita, Pepperoni, BBQ Chicken, or Fig Walnut Gorgonzola. The vineyards never smelled 

so delicious. Next time you feel like a pizza and a bottle of wine stop by! The

patio is gorgeous and we really enjoy sharing our style with you.