Southern California Pinot Days
January 20th, 2010 by Michelle Keller
After a chilly week in Miami, I flew to Los Angeles for the first-ever Southern California Pinot Days! I love Pinot Days because it brings the best Pinot Noir producers and Pinot Noir-lovers together. I always sneak away from my table to taste a few of the Pinots made around the world and it is a true pleasure to sip and swirl these intoxicating wines. The event is wonderfully coordinated by Steve and Lisa Rigisich and even though this was the first time the event had taken place in Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Hangar where the event was held was packed!
We poured our La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir, our El Coro Vineyard Pinot Noir and our Precioso Pinot Noir. One of the neat things about this event is that I have the opportunity to hear consumers’ first impressions about our wines. I work primarily with the wholesale market, so it is great to hear what our final consumers actually think! We had some glowing reviews, so it was music to my ears.
Why is Pinot Noir so adored? Pinot is a fickle fruit to grow and a tough grape to use in winemaking. But the rewards are so alluring. Complex, gorgeous fruit and floral perfumes blend in with earthy, mineral aromas. Pinot is also a lovely wine to pair with food; it is versatile, making it a perfect pairing for vegetarian dishes, fish and meats.
Tonight, I’m heading home to pan-sear a fresh piece of Steelhead trout (a pink-fleshed trout with flavors more akin to salmon than rainbow trout) with crushed rosemary and will pour myself a glass of our La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir. Ahhhh….
Recipes for Valentine’s Day!
January 7th, 2010 by Michelle Keller
Braised and roasted meats emit an incredibly tempting aroma throughout your house. There’s something about the fragrant herbs releasing their perfumes and the crisply roasting meat effusing throughout a space that brings people together — and into the kitchen.
Rather than trying to make it to an overpriced, overcrowded restaurant for Valentine’s Day, I think the perfect plan is to spend a romantic evening at home. Forget the cheesy candles and rose petals, the way to anyone’s heart is a lovely, home-cooked meal and sharing a fabulous bottle of wine.
Here’s our recipe for Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb. I love the way the parsley, thyme and rosemary crisp up on this rich cut of lamb. Perfect, by the way, with Keller Estate’s 2005 La Cruz Vineyard Syrah.
Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
Ingredients:
- 1 frenched rack of Lamb (available by request from your butcher)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup mixed herbs such thyme and rosemary
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
- 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons)
- Unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 425*F. We highly recommend getting an oven thermometer, as many ovens do not have adequate thermometers.
2. Rub the lamb with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer lamb, meat side up, to a roasting pan and roast 15 minutes. Remove lamb from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl stir together herbs and butter. Spread meat side of lamb with mustard and top mustard with herb butter in an even layer.
4. Change oven setting to broil. Broil lamb about 3 inches from the heat until herb crust is crisp and slightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes (an instant-read thermometer will register 130*F for medium- rare). Transfer lamb to cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Cut lamb into chops.
Serves 2 generously.
Viva Vino in Las Vegas!
December 7th, 2009 by Michelle Keller
I flew in from Las Vegas this last week with a huge smile on my face. Why? Keller Estate is now at some of the top restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip and is on the casino house floor at both the Wynn and the MGM!
Where will you find Keller Estate on your next trip to Vegas?
Fiamma - This luxurious Italian food spot will be featuring Keller Estate’s second label, Casa de la Cruz, on their tasting menu.
Emeril’s Fish House at the MGM Casino - Pair classic New Orleans cuisine at this seafood-themed spot and you can sip Keller Estate’s Oro de Plata Chardonnay by the glass.
Nora’s Wine Bar & Restaurant - This amazing off-the-strip wine offers some incredible pizzas (white anchovies or roasted boar, anyone?), incredible pastas (if you don’t try their pappardelle, you are truly missing out on one of the world’s greatest creamy pleasures) and they will be serving Keller Estate’s La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Gris by the glass.
Craft Steak at MGM Casino - Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio’s restaurant will be serving La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir at this hotspot featuring food from small, local farms. Try the fabulous lobster bisque or grilled short ribs.
Chicago Pinot Days Kicks Off!
November 12th, 2009 by Michelle Keller
I’m in Chicago at the moment, gazing out onto a beautiful, calm Lake Michigan and absorbing the energy of this great city. Yesterday marked the official kick-off of the Pinot Days weekend coming up. We had a great Pinot Noir food & wine pairing at Uncommon Ground, a wonderful restaurant focused on sustainable food run by Helen and Mike Cameron.
We paired 2006 Keller Estate Precioso Pinot Noir and paired it with these lovely rice paper rolls stuffed with bibb lettuce, shrimp and an orange vinaigrette.
Uncommon Ground is a truly special spot. Helen and Mike make an effort to source everything from either local farmers or at least sustainable providers from around the United States. Even their spirits and wines are sourced either locally or nationally. I was in a bit of a rush when I arrived, so Mike quickly whipped me up a cocktail with local apple cider, ginger-infused vodka, organic grated ginger, homemade bitters and homemade vermouth. Perfection. This gives you a sense of the level of detail that Mike & Helen give to everything they do.
After the tasting, which was really nice and I was so happy to meet so many Pinot Noir lovers, Helen and Michael treated us to dinner at their restaurant. We feasted on Korean-spiced calamari, creamy mac-and-cheese with luxurious butterkase, an amazingly supple duck (a perfect Pinot Noir pairing!).
Absolutely perfect.
I’m off today and then the big event happens this Saturday, November 14th. Hopefully you can make it!
Chardonnay Precioso Selection
November 3rd, 2009 by Michelle Keller
Last week, Ana, Jacqueline, Brittany and I spent some time together tasting Precioso Chardonnay blends (I know, this is the tough part of the job!). I took some time to ask Jacqueline exactly how she selects the Precioso blend. Check out her answer below:
Harvest 2009: Completed!
October 29th, 2009 by Michelle Keller
Crush has come to an end here at Keller Estate. It was an exciting year, with Jacqueline coming on board as our winemaker and our two interns, Dan & Biddy, joining us for the season. But all good things do come to an end, and our winery is looking more mellow as the days get shorter and shorter. A nice chill has arrived at the ranch, establishing the definite arrival of Fall, and nearly the beginning of winter.
We are thrilled about the wines from the season. A few days, Ana Keller, Brittany Nichols (our enologist), Jacqueline and I tasted all of the pinot noir wines made this harvest and they are fantastic. Deep and brooding, with gorgeous floral notes and lovely tannins, this is going to be an excellent vintage.
I wanted to share some great photos from the vintage, from our great harvest dinner with Chef Amaury of Chicago to a recent walk I took with the dogs around the vineyard to show you the changing colors of the leaves.
Here are some photos from our recent harvest dinner:
Jaqueline and Chef Amaury discuss the beauty of locally sourced food.
Chef Amaury busy in the kitchen, whipping up the amaranth risotto - delicious!
Chef Amaury reveals the night’s menu.
Here are some photos from the pinot noir vintage:
Ana Keller samples some of the fruit coming in.
The pinot noir punchdowns, where we break the cap of skins & seeds and push it to the bottom to expose the juice to color & flavor.
Our intern Dan tastes the fermenting pinot noir juice.
Our second Kiwi intern Biddy takes a bite out of the harvest!
The colors of the leaves begin to change colors throughout the vineyard. This is truly one of the most beautiful times in wine country.
On the backside of the mountain
October 13th, 2009 by Michelle Keller
As our winemaker Jacqueline Yoakum would say, “we are on the backside of the mountain.” This weekend was incredibly busy for us here at Keller Estate. We brought in the last 16 tons or so of Chardonnay over the weekend, and although they were beautiful, ripe and ready to pick, the pressure was on to pick before today’s big, fat, wet storm. We picked a total of 75 tons of Chardonnay this year! Compared with other years, this year was a late harvest. In previous harvests, much of the picking was done in September, even August, but this year’s cool, cool conditions lengthened our growing season.
The Pinot Noir is being drained today, which is to say that we are taking the free-run fermented juice and putting it into the barrels. We also pressed the seeds and skins today to make what is known as pressed wine. I had the chance to sample some of this stuff with Brittany, our enologist/cellar assistant today — there were a few very pretty lots.
The syrah is still hanging on the vine, but fortunately warm, dry weather is forecasted ahead, so the syrah will have plenty of time to lose the excess water. Because the syrah clusters are so loose, we’re not worried about mold, something that can be a problem when the grape clusters are more tightly packed.
The pinot gris is all finished; it will just stay in the stainless steel tanks for a few more month developing in complexity. This year, we are making a wine that is a little plumper and rounder. I am excited to see how it will develop.
Harvest 2009
September 29th, 2009 by Ana Keller
As October rolls in, we are in full swing at the winery. All the Pinot Noir Open Top fermentors are going and Chardonnay just keeps rolling into the winery. Last week we had the pleasure of receiving Chef Amaury Rosado from Aurora, Illinois as our first Guest Chef at Keller Estate. Full video to come in the next entry!The season is slow, with a cool weather throughout it has tested our patience as we continue to walk the vineyard and allow the fruit a few more days to finish ripening. Yields in the Pinot Noir were quite low, and not as much in the Chardonnay, we are very pleased with the flavors will certainly enjoy watching this vintage develop.
New York: So Much Food & Wine, So Little Time
September 24th, 2009 by Michelle Keller
New York is nonstop. Nonstop food, nonstop wine, nonstop work, nonstop play. As my taxi picked me up at 4 a.m. on a Sunday, there were packs of people spilling out of the nearby bars and clubs. This is a city that knows how to live life to the fullest.
My reason for traveling to New York was two-fold. I attended the Domaine Select Grand Portfolio Tasting, where producers (such as myself) gathered from around the world to show New York sommeliers, wine buyers, restauranters, shop owners, etc. The tasting was phenomenal. I appreciate the top quality of the producers chosen by Domaine Select, which was celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Domaine Select also organized a wonderful dinner at the historic Four Seasons restaurant which featured a four-course meal with 16 wine pairings. Like I said, New York is intense.
I also worked the market, both in Manhattan and in Hudson Valley. I had been warned by many people that the New York market was fierce, but I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth and congeniality shown by the buyers. Everyone was incredible friendly and polite. Discard your notions of New Yorkers. Stereotypes simply do not apply.
My favorite part, however, was the restuarant hopping. I tried Keste, in the Village, and had some of the most incredible pizza of my life. The wood-fired oven at Keste produces crispy, chewy, melt-in-your mouth dough. And the toppings, oh, don’t get me started. The cheese was fresh, creamy and topped with truffle oil and basil. Sigh.
I also stopped by the trendy noodle house Ippudo, which is the first American outpost of the Japanese noodle chain. My dining companion and I tried the ramen, which was earthy, spicy, entrancing and fragrant. The noodles (freshly made each day) were chewy and perfectly cooked.
Another meal took me to DBGB, the gastropub concept by Daniel Boulud. We snacked on his pate de campagne, a chorizo sausage, asparagus with a fried egg and fried pork rinds.
At the Domaine Select dinner, I had the opportunity to meet Keith Beavers, the owner of In Vino, a fabulous little restaurant and wine bar down in Alphabet City. I headed down there with a friend and we tried their famous porcini ravioli and rabbit ragout, along with some excellent wines by the glass.
I’m still recovering from my trip to NYC. I think it would be tough for me to live there full-time: so many places to eat & drink! But I miss it already. Until next time, I suppose…
Celebrating one year of inspiration with The Flavor Bible.
September 16th, 2009 by Ana Keller
A little over a year I pre-ordered the book The Flavor Bible and I have loved using this book that inspires you to cook without there being any recipes in the book! In addition as I write each newsletter for our Keller Estate Key Club, I always refer to the book for inspiration. If you, as I have vowed not to buy any more cookbooks, you will find solace in this book as it liberates your creative cooking. What happens with the book? Well you start looking up the basic portion in your meal (say for example scallops) and then a list of favorite ingredients to pair with, or to use as you cook, for example, avocado, basil and cayenne! You just go into your pantry and fridge and find what you have! Trust me you will cook like a true professional!“THE FLAVOR BIBLE teaches readers to cook without recipes, inspired by tried-and-true compatible flavors. Authors Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, a husband-and-wife team who have written a string of books chefs love, think of the book as ‘a thesaurus of flavors that work well together’… It’s a smart, useful book that won a 2009 James Beard Award and has garnered praise from publications ranging from O to the Chicago Tribune to the popular food blog 101 Cookbooks.”Enjoy!
