Spring Arrives at Keller Estate
April 7th, 2009 by Michelle Keller
I’m at the winery this week and all of Sonoma is positively gorgeous. The recent precipitation brought swathes of green grasses and wild flowers, making the air fragrant and crisp. We’re starting to see what we call “bud break,” or when the little leaves pop up on the vines. The syrah still has some time to go, but the pinot noir and chardonnay vines are lively and ready for spring.
Back at the winery, things are busy. We’re currently bottling the 2007 vintage, so we’re putting all of the barrels into tank to blend together the wine and then from the tank, everything goes to the bottling line. It’s quite the process. Bottles are regularly checked to make sure they don’t have too much dissolved oxygen (which would oxidize the wine too fast) and to ensure that our quality standards are maintained.
We’re also currently cold-stabilizing the chardonnay and pinot gris to ensure that when you place your bottle into the fridge to get it nice and crisp, you won’t be seeing any tartrates. These are natural occurring compounds that don’t change the flavor of the wine at all, but can make the wine appear slightly cloudy, so we’re taking ‘em away before we bottle. We actually keep the white wines very cold - around 30-35 degrees Fahrenheit. The alcohol in the wine prevents everything from freezing.
I had a chance to sample the Pinot Gris and the Chardonnay yesterday and you’ll be delighted with these wines. The 2008 Keller Estate Pinot Gris has a delightful crisp texture, and while it displays a rich feel, it is clean and elegant. This Alsatian-style Pinot Gris is my mom’s favorite wine and I’m excited to show her the newest vintage. The 2007 Chardonnay is also gorgeous. I love the floral aromas from the Wente clone we use and the more substantial, rich body from Clone 4.
Finally, I also sampled the 2008 Rose. We’re switching back to Pinot Noir rose this year, so the flavors are of strawberries, with a beautiful minerality on the palate. This is a lighter wine than last year and still maintains its delightful dryness. To make our rose, we use the same press that we use on our white wines and allow the skins to have contact with the juice for only 2-3 hours. This gives the wine its gorgeous salmon-pink color and also gives it a more substantial body and its characteristic rose taste.
Whew! So those are all of the updates I have thus far. Will post some pictures later!
Saturday April 4th. 11:00AM to 3:00PM
April 3rd, 2009 by Ana Keller
I would just like to remind all of our friends that tomorrow is our Pick up Party for our April Club Shipment! Our 2005 La Cruz Syrah will be featured, alongside some of our other wonderful wines. We look forward to seeing our friends and welcome any visitors to the area to come and taste some wine! We will be open for the general public too.
Mind the Gap!
March 31st, 2009 by Ana Keller
Keller Estate is located in The Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast. Growers and wineries have formed an alliance. We are now organizing a “trade” tasting, and I am not sure how best to proceed. The press is something I still don’t understand. All that we want is to get a chance to show the wines that come from the area and to show our colors. What makes a public tasting great?
Sonoma International Film Festival and Keller´s love for the movies!
March 23rd, 2009 by Ana Keller
I am always looking for things to do and recommend to our family and friends while in the Petaluma area. This time, it´s a nice one! The Sonoma International Film Festival will be happening April 1 thru 5, 2009. I am still getting my fingers around the films so why don´t you visit their website and tell me what we should see! www.sonomafilmfest.org
Great feedback from Washington DC and comfort wine
March 20th, 2009 by Ana Keller
Sometimes all the stars are lined up: great weather, a magnificent venue, great sales staff and so I have to say that we must stop complaining about the economy and focus on what we love: WINE! I had the honor of pouring our wines to a crowd that enjoyed their business, appreciated all our efforts to be at the tasting and loved wine.
I did coin a new names for our La Cruz Chardonnay: Confort Wine. Today is Friday, you are most likely thinking about the weekend (I know I am) and what you are going to do (I am going to a Polish Restaurant for dinner), however: What if you are tired, you have no babysitter and have to stay home with the kids, but you want to feel comforted with out all the calories? Have some La Cruz Chardonnay (5 ounces, 122 calories) … The tropical aromas, the light toasty notes and the great mouthfeel will be a pleasure to enjoy once the kids are watching a movie and you are ready for some time for yourself! Sip, enjoy and relax: me I´m having vodka.
Keller Estate tasting in Washington D.C.
March 18th, 2009 by Ana Keller
Our wonderful distributor in Washington, Winebow, will be having their Spring Portfolio Tasting today at the Kennedy Center from 2:00PM to 6:00PM. Keller Estate and I are looking forward to meeting new fans of our wines and also saying hello and thank you to people who have supported us for many years. My only concern are my shoes…. I am going to be wearing high heels! I keep thinking, why do you do this to yourself? We all know high heels make you look more poised but frankly after 4 hours, I just want to be able to be gracious! My good friend Dawn introduced me to the great shoes of Taryn Ross, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will all be OK!
I salute all Sales Reps!
March 6th, 2009 by Ana Keller
Since last September I have been spending more and more time visiting our distributors and working with their sales staff. For all of us wine drinkers out there: for each bottle of wine you see on a menu or in a retail shop, there was a sales rep behind placing the wine. It may sound simple. But let me tell you how it goes….
First, we all agree on the sales rep that I will be working with, he then knows on what day, I will be ready to show our wines and tell the Keller Estate story. Then, the sales rep thinks about Keller….mmmm Chardonnay, Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast….. and he starts calling his accounts (restaurants and retail shops) and tries to get an appointment for us on that day. Typically a day can have anywhere from 6 to 10 appointments (depending on stamina!). Of course the sales rep, must make sure that the appointments are solid and that the wines will potentially be a good match.
You are probably already tired, and we have not even begun the day! On the set date, they pick me up (Michelle and Ross are also part of the team out there) and we get to account number 1…. and well, if we are lucky, he or she are there(hopefully in a good mood) and we show the wines for the first time. The sales rep has to hear my story (which he will then hear again 6 more times during the day!) and learn about the uniqueness of Keller Estate. He has also told me any preferences (particular dislikes) they may have, as well as to any other details that could be useful (such as a big fan of Burgundian wines!)
The Sales Rep is making sure he takes notes as to what wines the clinet seems to like and swiftly after I finish he tries to close the sale… This is just part 1
Getting serious about wine? Write it down
February 25th, 2009 by Michelle Keller
I keep a little journal with me everywhere I go where I write down a few notes about every wine I taste. It’s wonderful to help you remember what wine you had (and when, with whom, and paired with what), and it’s particularly helpful in comparing different vintages. You can use a plain black notebook (I like the moleskin notebooks sold at Borders) or if you want to go a little fancier, Amazon sells a great little notebook called, appropriately, The Little Black Journal of Wine.
The best wine connossieurs keep wine journals and they’ve even published their notes. Check out Robert Parker’s wine notes or Michael Broadbrent’s (noted wine auctioneer at Christie’s) book for some expert inspiration.
Valentine’s Day Recipes
February 9th, 2009 by Michelle Keller
Restaurants abound with special Valentine’s Day menus, but the night tends to be rushed, expensive and cliche when you head out. This year, I’m staying in with my sweetie and we’re cooking our way through Valentine’s Day. I chose salmon because, as most Pinot-philes know, it is a match made in heaven with our Pinot Noir. I love this menu because it’s easy to make and the flavors are warm, rustic and earthy. From the mushroom fricassee to the chocolate-hazelnut fondue, you’ll be licking your fingers through the entire meal.
Mushroom Camembert Fricassee
INGREDIENTS
1. 1/2 cup Walnut pieces
2. One 8-ounce wheel of ripe Camembert in its wooden box, at room temperature
3. 1 tablespoon Walnut oil
4. 3/4 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed, caps thinly sliced
5. Salt and freshly ground Pepper
6. 1 shallot, minced
7. 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
8. 2 large sage leaves, minced
9. Sourdough toasts, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for
about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
2. Remove the Camembert from the box and unwrap it. Put the cheese back in the bottom half
of the box and set it on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until soft.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt
and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5
minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 minutes longer. Add the shallot
and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and sage; season with salt and pepper.
4. Invert the Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon over the
cheese. Serve with the toasts.
(Adapted from Food and Wine)
****************
Salmon en Papillote with Orange and Fennel
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small fennel bulb, stalks discarded
- 3 medium carrots (1/2 lb)
- 1/2 lb small red potatoes
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (1 1/2-lb) piece center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and fish cut into 4 square pieces
*************
DIRECTIONS
1. Place a large baking sheet on bottom rack of oven and remove any other
racks. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Halve fennel bulb lengthwise. Remove most of core, leaving enough intact
to keep layers together when sliced.
3. Using manual slicer, cut fennel bulb (lengthwise), carrots (diagonally),
and potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick slices, keeping vegetables separate.
4. Blanch vegetables, separately, in salted boiling water: fennel 2 minutes,
carrots 1 minute, potatoes 2 minutes. Transfer fennel and carrots with a
slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water, then drain well. Drain potatoes.
5. Toss fennel and carrots with zest, thyme, half of garlic, 2 tablespoons
olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Toss potatoes with remaining oil and garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Divide potato mixture among centers of parchment squares. Season salmon
with salt and pepper and place on top of potatoes, then top salmon with
fennel mixture.
8. Gather sides of parchment up over fennel mixture to form a pouch, leavin g no openings, and tie tightly with string. 3Place packages directly on hot
baking sheet in oven and cook 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Cooks’ notes: If your parchment paper is less than 15 inches wide,
crisscross 8 (15-inch-long) sheets to approximate 4 (15-inch) squares. Foil
can be substituted for parchment. Crimp edges tightly to close; do not tie.
*****************
Chocolate-Hazelnut Fondue
INGREDIENTS
- 16 ounces dark, sweet or semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups cream
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts
DIRECTIONS
1. Break chocolate squares into smaller pieces and drop them into the fondue pot.
2. Stir in the cream, gently but constantly, until the chocolate is melted
and smooth.
3. Add vanilla extract and the hazelnuts and stir to combine.
4. Use a fondue fork to spear the fruit, then dip it in the chocolate. Enjoy!
Nice review from the San Francisco Chronicle.
February 2nd, 2009 by Ana Keller
We wanted to shre with you the review that was just out yesterday !
The Sonoma Coast appellation has an especially cool climate that’s suited for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Cool days and relatively long hang time allow the grapes to ripen while retaining high acidity. Sonoma Coast wines are generally a leaner style than more fruit-forward wines produced in warmer climes, making them perfect for a wide variety of foods, including grilled seafood, vegetable stir-fry and pasta with light, creamy sauces. These are our favorites of the ones we tasted. Many Sonoma Coast wineries are smaller boutique producers that have limited production and may sell their wines only online or through tasting rooms.
2005 Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($29) Founders Arturo and Deborah Keller established Petaluma Valley’s first winery, now directed by daughter Ana Keller. This wine benefits from cooling maritime influences: the San Pablo Bay to the south and fog from the northwest. Winemaker Michael McNeill has made a rich California-style wine, which has very ripe apple, sweet pear and caramel with a bit of stoniness. Integrated and nicely balanced.
