March Food Pairing with 2022 Tempranillo Release

March Tempranillo Release and Food Pairing

The 2022 Tempranillo has been released and boy do we love it! This vintage has notes of raspberry and bit of lavender on the aroma. Beautifully smooth, this wine is ready to pour for your next dinner party or just a night cooking for yourself at home. Looking for something easy to put together and delicious to pair? Look no further than this Manchego and Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese recipe! Given that Tempranillo is a Spanish varietal, Kimari created this recipe with Spain in mind, pairing rich manchego cheese and spicy chorizo sausage. We loved this recipe and we hope you will too!

Manchego and Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 lb macaroni
• 8 Tbs butter
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¾ lb Manchego cheese shredded
• ½ cream cheese
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• ½ Tbs salt
• ¼ Tbs pepper
• ½ Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Splash of pasta water

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to the directions.

While the pasta is cooking make the sauce. Start by melting the butter. Add the onions cook 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic cook 1 minute. Add the flour and cook a few minutes until the flour is slightly browned. Add the milk and cheese and whisk until smooth. Add the seasonings, mustard and some pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Cook the chorizo and drain the fat off. Add the chorizo to the sauce then add the macaroni. Put all in baking dish and bake for 20 minutes and serve.

February 2024 Food Pairing

February 2024 Wine Club Release and Food Pairing

February’s Wine Club release was a Choose Your Own, meaning Club Members could choose whichever two wines they wanted! This also gave our team in the kitchen free reign when it came to the food pairing. We ended up choosing two of our most popular varietals, the Barbera and the Côtes du Ombré. Barbera being a classic Italian varietal, we picked a classic Italian appetizer, bruschetta, with the addition of pearls of mozzarella to balance Barbera’s natural acidity. The Côtes du Ombré is our blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, more commonly referred to as a GSM blend or Côtes du Rhone. For this delicious rhone blend we chose a hearty French dish, the coq au vin. Made with a healthy splash of the Côtes du Ombré, this dish was rich, flavorful, and perfect for a chilly February day.

Below you’ll find the recipes for both dishes so that you can try your own pairings at home! Enjoy!

Caprese Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 12 large tomatoes
• 12 oz pearl mozzarella
• 20 basil leaves
• 5 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 5 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 baguettes sliced and toasted

Instructions:

Chop up the tomatoes, garlic and basil finely. Mix with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. Add in the cheese and mix. Serve with sliced and toasted baguette. 

 

Coq Au Vin

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs. carrots diced
• 2.5 lbs. cremini mushrooms sliced
• 2 Tbs butter
• 5 yellow onions diced
• 1.5 lbs. pearl onions (frozen)
• 5 cloves garlic finely minced
• 12 lbs. chicken wings
• 4 Tbs baking powder
• ¼ Tbs salt
• 20 oz bacon diced
• 1.25 cups cognac
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 12 sprigs thyme
• 2.5 bottles Côtes du Ombré
• 5 Tbs parsley

 

Instructions:

1. Cook the bacon in batches. Drain off the fat and put bacon aside.

2. Cook the onions and carrots until soft. Add the garlic and cook one minute.

3. Add the Cognac, chicken stock, wine, and thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes. Take out the sprigs of thyme.

4. Meanwhile cook the chicken. Wash and dry the chicken then lightly dredge in 2 Tbs baking powder and ¼ tbs salt. Bake wings at 400 F for 60 minutes, Turning over every 20 minutes.

5. Cook the mushrooms in 1 Tbs butter in a separate pan.

6. Finally put all the ingredients together in your big stock pot, simmer 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

 

December Food Pairing

December 2023 Wine Club Release and Food Pairing

After many months of anticipation, we were finally able to release our 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon for the December wine club this year! We usually like to have one meat and one vegetarian option for our food pairing, so Kimari and Tricia came up with a delicious vegan pâté for this pairing. To be quite honest, I didn’t know what to expect from a mushroom pâté, but this recipe was so full of flavor and delicious umami richness. It paired very well with the Cab, bringing out some richer flavors and oak spices that weren’t as noticeable without the food.

The other wine featured in this shipment was our very popular 2021 Petite Sirah. This wine is very rich and heavy in tannins, creating a grippy mouthfeel on the tongue. This is a wine that needs a match for bold flavors and intensity. We chose to make brie-stuffed venison and pork meatballs along with a cranberry glaze to pair with this wine. The fattiness of the brie cheese helps to cut the intensity of the tannins, the venison provides that strong flavor, and the pork helps to make the meatballs juicy and flavorful.

We had a lot of fun with this pairing, and we’ve provided the recipes below for your inspiration at home!

2021 Cabernet with Mushroom Walnut Pâté

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2.5 cup chopped cremini mushrooms 
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and unsalted
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 
• 2 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• salt (to taste)

Instructions

1. Sauté the onions and mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until onions begin to caramelize.
2. Add balsamic vinegar, chopped rosemary, garlic and thyme and Sauté another few minutes.
3. Allow to cool, then add to food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste
4. Serve at room temperature on crackers or toasted baguettes.

2021 Petite Sirah with Brie Stuff Lamb and Pork Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground venison
• 1lb ground pork
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1tsp fresh ground pepper
• 8 oz brie at room temperature
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine venison and pork with salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well. Use a small scoop to portion out even size meatballs.
2. Flatten each meatball into a disc. Use a smaller scoop to portion out the brie. Put a ball of brie on each disc of meat and enclose into a meatball.
3. Roll meatballs in breadcrumbs and repeat until all your meatballs are done. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Fry meatballs in batches in the olive oil. Turn constantly until browned on all sides. Serve with fresh cranberry sauce.

Mourvèdre Release and Food Pairing!

November 2023 Food pairing

2021 Mourvèdre paired with Cranberry Walnut Goat Cheese Balls

The release of the 2021 Mourvèdre came just in time for the holiday season and all the delicious meals that go along with it! This new vintage is herbaceous, with notes of sage and clove, and a little bit earthy. It has a medium body and very mild tannins, making it an excellent wine to pair with meats like turkey and ham, or herbed side dishes, like mashed potatoes and stuffing. It even has light notes of pomegranate and raspberry, which can be complimented nicely by cranberry sauce or honey glazes. We are not exaggerating when we say this is the perfect Thanksgiving wine. 

As such, we thought we would come up with a fun Thanksgiving appetizer to help inspire you for your holiday tables! These cranberry walnut goat cheese balls look festive and taste delicious. The parsley, cinnamon, and cranberries all did so well with the Mourvèdre. With all the walnut trees surrounding the tasting room it was only natural that we should use them for this recipe, but pecans or pistachios would also do nicely. 

The cream cheese in this recipe really mellowed out any tanginess to the goat cheese, so even those who don't normally enjoy goat cheese loved the recipe! However, if you are more of goat cheese lover, we would recommend lessening the ratio of cream cheese to match your taste. 

However you choose to prepare these, they are sure to be a hit at your upcoming holiday gatherings! Don't forget your bottle of Mourvèdre to share alongside it!

Cranberry Walnut Goat Cheese balls

Ingredients:

• 10 oz goat cheese
• 6 oz cream cheese
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries chopped
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the goat cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon and honey until light and creamy. Fold in ¼ cup walnut pieces.
2. Using a mini ice cream scoop or cookie baller, scoop and roll out small balls of filling. Allow to chill in fridge for about 20 minutes.
3. For the coating, mix the remaining walnut pieces, dried cranberries, and parsley.
4. Coat the balls of filling in the walnut/cranberry mixture. Drizzle with honey and serve with crackers or toasted slices of baguette. These can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.

Our popular new small bite! The Dirty Martini Dip

Dirty Martini Dip

When you come in for a tasting experience at Shadow Ranch you are expecting fabulous wines, stunning views, and excellent service from our friendly hosts. What you may not be expecting is a delicious complimentary small bite with your tasting, or to be asking for the recipe before your experience is even complete! 

Lately at Shadow Ranch we've been offering a Dirty Martini Dip to pair with our wines and as an effective palate cleanser between sips. We serve this tangy, creamy dip with crackers or homemade flatbread, when available! It's a perfect appetizer to bring to dinner parties or to serve with your charcuterie board. And for those of you who have been asking, I've shared the recipe below:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups olives + their juice
• 12 oz cream cheese
• 5 oz blue cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 green onions
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, blend together the cream cheese, blue cheese, sour cream, green onions, black pepper, and olive juice.
2. Roughly chop the olives and add them to the food processor last. You still want some recognizable olive chunks in the dip.
3. Serve with crackers, vegetables, or flatbread! We like to serve it with a couple of olives on a skewer, as a nod to it's martini inspirations.

October 2023 Food Pairing

October 2023 Wine Club Release and Food pairing

Our October Club Release included a bottle of the newly released 2021 Zinfandel! Aged in 60% new French oak, this wine has wonderful aromas of vanilla and carmel, but retains the delicious fruit forward quality of a great California zinfandel. For this pairing Kimari came up with BBQ Ribs over mashed potatoes, and it was a hit! The sweet smokiness of the ribs worked so well with the toasted oak and blackberry of the Zinfandel. The best part? This recipe came from owner and winemaker Sam Patterson's own grandmother! She shared it with Kimari, who says it is one of the easiest ways to cook ribs, and it always turns out great! Check out the recipe below and make this at home with your own bottle of 2021 Zinfandel!

 

Ingredients:

RUB:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup garlic salt
• 1/3 cup onion salt
• ½ cup paprika
• 2 TBS chili powder
• 1 Tbs cayenne
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp pepper

Baby Back Ribs

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Generously rub ribs and let them come to room temperature.
3. Fill pan with ½ inch of water, place in ribs and cover tightly with foil.
4. Cook for 2 hours. Make sure to check that there is still liquid in the pan. Add more accordingly.
5. Brush on favorite BBQ sauce as they come out of the oven and serve! 

September 2023 Food Pairing

September 2023 Food Pairing

2020 Tannat paired with Lamb meatballs with Tzatziki sauce and naan!

We had so much fun with our September Food Pairing event this past Saturday! For this pairing we wanted to feature our 2020 Tannat. Tannat is a lesser-known varietal and one that we typically have very little of! Owner, winemaker, and vineyard manager Sam Patterson takes care of just a half acre of Tannat grapes at a property down in Loomis, CA. In 2020 we were only able to produce 42 cases of Tannat, making this a very exclusive vintage. Tannat is a very rich, full-bodied wine. It is one that pairs well with red meats, like steak, and gamier meats, such as lamb or veal. Tannat grapes originated in the Basque region, which is also known for a long history of sheep herding. For these reasons we decided that lamb would be a perfect pairing for this excellent wine. The unseasonably rainy weather added great ambiance for this pairing as well! If you would like to recreate this pairing at home you will find the recipe below! Topa!

Meatball Ingredients:

• ½ lb ground lamb
• ½ lb ground pork
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 large garlic clove minced
• 1 yellow onion grated
• 2 tsp dried mint
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¾ tsp salt

Tzatziki Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 English cucumbers
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• 16 oz whole Greek yogurt

Mint or Dill for garnish

Mint chutney for serving

 

Instructions:

Tzatziki: Finely grate cucumber and garlic. Blend all ingredients together.

Meatballs: Combine all the meatball ingredients and mix together until well combined. With wet hands, form into 1 inch meatballs. Heat oil to medium in a pan and brown on all sides, in batches if necessary. Serve on mini Naan bread with tzatziki and mint chutney.

 

August 2023 Food Pairing

August 2023 Wine Club Release and Food Pairing

This August we celebrated the release of our 2021 Côtes du Ombrè and 2020 Tempranillo for our Wine Club Members. Our Côtes du Ombrè is the Shadow Ranch take on the classic GSM Blend, the Côtes du Rhone. All three varietals (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre) are grown in the same Loomis vineyard by our owner and winemaker Sam Patterson. With extroverted aromas of ripe fruit, dried sage and herbs, and a pepper-and-herb finish, this is a very well-loved blend among our members. Our Tempranillo is 100% Estate grown and one of our most popular varietals. This wine is dark cherry red in color, with aromas of plum, blackberry and jam, with varied spicy notes of vanilla and cacao. 

For this pairing we thought we would embrace regionality, so the French Côtes du Ombrè was paired with a croque monsieur, while the Spanish Tempranillo was paired with a refreshing gazpacho. Both turned out absolutely delicious thanks to the hard work of Tricia and Kimari. Below you will find the recipes so that you can recreate these pairings at home!

Croque Monsieur

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette, thinly sliced and lightly toasted on each side
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cub whole milk
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 ¾ cups shredded Gruyère cheese
• 6 oz thinly sliced ham, cut into 1 inch strips
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and turn on broiler.
2. Make the bechamel sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook until light golden, then slowly whisk in milk. Cook about 5 minutes, whisking frequently, until sauce thickens. Remove from heat, then stir in salt, pepper, mustard and nutmeg. Add 1 cup of cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
3. Assemble sandwiches: Place toasted slices of baguette on a baking sheet. Layer with cheese and ham and top with another slice of toasted baguette. Pour bechamel sauce over the sandwich.
4. Place under broiler until sauce bubbles and cheese is golden, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Gazpacho

Ingredients:

Soup:

• 5 lbs roma tomatoes, peeled and de-seeded with white parts removed
• 1 cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
• 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and with white parts removed
• 1 green bell pepper, de-seeded and with white parts removed
• 2 green onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 qt tomato juice
• 1 qt sparkling water
• 1 slice of day-old white bread
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Red hot sauce, 1 tbsp or to your liking
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Avocado Crema:

• 2 avocadoes
• ½ cup sour cream
• Lime juice

Garnish:

• Bacon bits
• Croutons
• Chives, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Combine all soup ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
2. For the crema, smash ingredients together until smooth.
3. Garnish soup with a dollop of crema, croutons, and a sprinkle of bacon bits and chives. Serve immediately.

 

July 2023 Food Pairing

Independence Day food pairing

 a gourmet take on some 4th of July classics

Happy Independence Day from Shadow Ranch! What's a 4th of July celebration without hot dogs and watermelon? We chose to dress it up a bit for our July wine and food pairing, and the results were delicious! We started with a "Red, White and Blue" salad and paired it with the perfect rosé for summer, our 2022 Grenache Rosé. For our second course, Kimari created a "French Onion" hot dog which we paired with the fan-favorite, the Sheriff Red Blend. Want to create these pairings at home? Keep reading for the recipes!

Red, White & Blue Fruit Salad

This fresh fruit salad is as delicious as it is easy to prepare! Pair it with our 2022 Grenache Rosé for a perfectly refreshing appetizer on a hot summer day. The patriotic colors in this fruit salad are an added bonus for patriotic celebrations!

Ingredients:

• 1 seedless watermelon
• 1 cup of blueberries
• ¼ cup crumbled feta
• Fresh basil

Dressing:

• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 Tbs honey
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

Cut the watermelon into small cubes. Add to bowl with blueberries. Wisk together dressing and pour over fruit. Gently toss. Top with feta and basil cut into ribbons. Serve.

French Onion Hot Dogs

Ditch the ketchup and try caramelized onions on your hot dog! Baked with a blend of three cheeses sprinkled on top, these hot dogs certainly hit the spot. This is a great recipe to serve at parties and backyard BBQs, so we paired this awesome party meal with our awesome party wine, the Sheriff Red Blend.

Ingredients:

• 12 quality hot dogs of your choice
• 5 cups beef stock
• 12 brioche buns
• 8 Vidalia onions
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 4 yellow onions
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere
• 1 cup shredded Emmentaler
• 1cup shredded Mozzarella

Directions:

1. Caramelize onions by putting 2 Tbs of olive oil and 2 Tbs of butter into a large pan and warm up the pan. Cut onions into thin slices and add to pan cooking down and stirring. You may have to do this in batches depending on how big your pan is. Keep cooking onions on low, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes, up to an hour. You will know they are done when they have turned a light brown color.

2. Add beef stock to pot or crockpot and warm up with ½ cup caramelized onions. Add hotdogs to this French onion broth and reserve until needed.

3. Shred and mix three cheeses. Assemble all 12 hotdogs. Bun, hotdog, onions and top with cheese and place on oven sheet.

4. Toast in the oven on 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Serve.

June 2023 Food Pairing

June 2023 Food Pairing

Another food pairing for the books! For this June Wine Club release we wanted to highlight a couple of our favorite reds for summer.

We love the 2020 Grenache for summer because it is one of our lighter bodied reds and it can even be served chilled! With notes of cherry and strawberry and a lovely white pepper finish this is a delightful wine for drinking on the patio or by the pool this summer. We paired the Grenache with strawberries, basil and burrata, smeared across toasted baguettes. Burrata is such a mild and creamy cheese and it was just delicious with ripe strawberries on the buttery baguette.

Our 2021 Barbera is a brand new release for the Wine Club this weekend! Another great one for summer because this wine reminds you of all the best summer fruits at their peak in the season. Ripe cherry, plum and raspberry float on the palate. This is our one and only Italian varietal at Shadow Ranch, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to pair it with a classic Italian food: lasagna! We thought we ought to source lasagna from the place that knows it best, so we reached out to Papa Gianni's in Cameron Park. They did a great job and we were so happy to share this awesome pairing with our club members. 

 

We've just got the one simple recipe to share with you this month, but it's sure to be a popular appetizer all summer long. There ain't nothing wrong with simple, right?

Strawberry, basil and Burrata appetizer

Ingredients:

• ripe strawberries, sliced
• fresh burrata
• fresh basil, sliced
• olive oil
• balsamic glaze
• fresh baguette
• coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. Slice baguette on a bias. Brush lightly with olive oil and toast both sides
2. Arrange strawberries in a circle around the center of plate
3. Place a ball of burrata in the center of the strawberries
4. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze and sprinkle with sea salt
5. Serve! Burrata spreads out quickly once it is sliced into, so guests should spread it on their baguettes themselves to avoid a mess!