Vine and Barrel 4th White Wines of the World Tasting and Food Pairing.
July 15th, 2010 by Ana Keller
Keller Estate will be pouring in Petaluma at Vine and Barrels new location on 113 Petaluma Blvd. from 3:00PM on. Join Ana Keller as she shows you why the Petaluma Gap Region is the palce to grow white wines!
Sweet strawberries from your local farmers market.
July 15th, 2010 by Ana Keller
Last week we bought some strawberries from our local farmers market and they probably lasted less that 3 hours at home. So, this week we will be back out at Walnut Park in Petaluma (from 2-5PM) to get some more! Check out your local market and enjoy some fresh produce. http://www.cafarmersmarkets.comIf you go out of your way to find great wine, why don´t you do the same for great food?Keller Estate welcomes visitors thursdays-sunday 11:00 to 4:30PM
We all love Keller Estate Rosé!
June 29th, 2010 by Ana Keller
We all enjoy making Rosé and drinking good Rosé. Today Alder Yarrow was saying that many Rosés suck! And I have to agree with him: many times this wine is not made purposely. At Keller, we make our Rosé using 2 tons of Pinot Noir, gently allow the fruit to sit in the white press, and then when the color, aromas and flavors are just right, we press. Enjoy our rosé with grilled salmon, hamburgers, or even a strawberry tart!
Thank you for all the great resumes we have received!
May 20th, 2010 by Ana Keller
We just wanted to thank all the enthusiastic people who have sent us their resumes for the position of Regional Sales Manager. We are overwhelmed with your interest and will work as fast as we can to make sure we get back to all of you.Sincerely, Ana Keller
Keller Estate´s 2009 Harvest Compost.
March 9th, 2010 by Ana Keller
You eliminate biodiversity in agrculture by planting one type of plant, and one of the consequences is the depletion of minerals and nutrients used by that plant. Many farmers overcome this problem by rotating their crops and occasionally allowing the land to go fallow and rejuvenate. Since vineyards are perennial plants, crop rotation is not possible. We annually harvest nitrogen, potassium, and other minerals in the fruit. As farmers, we have choices of how to replenish these nutrients. We can purchase inorganic fertilizers; we can purchase organic amendments; we can compost the stems and pomace from our own vineyard and return them to the soil.
At Keller Estate, our viticultural approach is to replenish our soils with high quality amendments starting with our own compost. Using the waste stream of grape material from the winery, including grape skins, stems, seeds, and red wine pomace, we create an outdoor fermentation with the grape material and additional carbohydrates from straw. Microorganisms break down the grape and straw material and make rich humus over the winter and into the spring. When the pile is properly ‘cooked,’ we distribute the composted soil back into the vineyard to begin replenishing the nutrients we have taken from the soil. This cycle is part of a sustainable agriculture plan where we recycle our waste stream and use local materials to amend our soils. This is an essential part of our viticultural philosophy.
New Love-New Pinot
February 17th, 2010 by Ana Keller
We have officially opened our tasting room on a regular schedule (thursday-sunday 11Am to 4:30PM). This past Valentine´s weekend was a wonderful first experience as we welcomed guests to taste barrel samples of our 2009 Pinot Noir. Kit our new tasting room manager convinced me that she would decorate tastefully but slightly “cheesy”; and well Valentine´s needs a touch of romance, red, hearts and fun. On a personal side, a group of long time friends (7 adults, 7 kids under 10) travelled to Tahoe and hit the slopes. I sneaked to the winery lab and brought with me some samples from our grape buyers from different vintages. It has been so interesting tasting what Landmark has done to our fruit (really lovely extraction in the 2007 Pinot Noir) and some from Mayo Family (waiting for tonight´s Roastbeef tonight). I wish I could enjoy more the wine, I am just too sore.
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!
