The Craig

Oh Canada! Toronto Takes Off

Elton Slone ~ GM/Partner

Travelling to our great northern neighbor used to involve a backpack and/or a canoe for me. In my teens through my twenties I canoed through miles of the spectacular Quedico Wilderness which is adjacent to the much more heavily used Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. Quedico remains a place so pristine that it is unnecessary to bring along a water filtration device while exploring the countless lakes and islands.

These days, the only rough waters I need to navigate while north of the border are the turbulent ones produced by the various provincial agencies in Canada which control the alcohol business there. Whether Alberta, B.C., Quebec, or Ontario, the liquor control board in each case makes me long for a more efficient free marketplace for the Canadian consumer.

How does a bottle of Mount Veeder sound for $240 on a wine list? Ouch.  Because two of Bob’s original business partners in our winery, Derek Ruston and Michael Adams, reside in Toronto and have helped to create a major foothold for our wines there, Ontario is where I most frequently visit when I get north of our border.

Each year more than 30,000 new people claim Toronto as their home, and the evidence is everywhere to be seen. There are cranes at work all over the urban center in this city of 2.7 million, building new housing, new hotels, and new offices and expanding the existing units.

Though filled with many fine restaurants, you will need a reservation for a table at any remotely happening spot, even on a Monday or Tuesday night. The city is on fire, and it is a great place to spend a long weekend. Whether having a perfectly prepped local fish at Pangaea or a great cup of coffee on West Bloor at Bar Mercurio or some salt baked chicken in China town, the city offers an endless array of cuisine.

I recently stayed at the new Thompson Hotel downtown thanks to my friend Stacy Aldrich who is running their food and beverage business, and it was a world class boutique property complete with a rooftop bar and a $20 Tanqueray martini. The view was worth it, inside and out.

Here's a shot taken with my aging mobile phone while out for an early-morning jog to disperse the Cabernet-induced fog from the evening before.  Lovely views abound in and around this city.

If you get to Toronto anytime soon, send me a photo with a bottle of Craig and you will be rewarded.

So buy a plane ticket to a city you have always wanted to visit this week, and if that happens to be Toronto, I can guarantee a great experience.

Best,

Elton

NOTES FROM THE CELLAR ~ 2002 & 2003 Vintage Cabernets

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Robert Craig Cabernet Club, which started in 2002, we thought it fitting to begin reviewing the current status of our earlier vintages. 

Many Club members and other fans of The Craig have some of these vintages in their cellars. This time, we tasted the 2002 and 2003 Affinity, Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder Cabernets at a recent company meeting (who says meetings have to be boring!). 

Please keep in mind that wine is a living thing that is changing constantly, so what we experienced may not be precisely what your taste buds tell you.  Also, storage conditions are crucial in determining the longevity of any wine. 

Here are our comments and suggestions for how long to hold these wines.  We'll be back with more tasting notes soon.

Enjoy! ~ Stephen

2002 Affinity Cabernet

Aromas of cocoa powder, cassis, and black plum, along with dusty cherry, black licorice coffee bean and black olive.

Nice entry with bright red fruit still on display along with elements of coffee bean and black licorice on the mid-palate, with fine grained tannins to carry the long finish.

Drink now or hold 1-2 years.

2003 Affinity Cabernet

Rich and complex aromas of black berry, plum and fig. Secondary aromas of crushed rock, sweet vanilla and truffle.

Full-bodied entry with sweet cassis, plum and espresso notes, the palate carries with brightness and energy and remains balanced on the finish.

Drink now or hold 3-5 years.

 
2002 Mount Veeder Cabernet

Briary blackberry and black currant fruit followed by aromas of crème brulee, dark chocolate and anise.

Silky tannins on the palate along with a touch of black licorice, tobacco and cedar notes finishing with structured yet round tannins.

Drink now or hold up to 3 years.

 
2003 Mount Veeder Cabernet

Intense, complex aromas with cream soda, baking spice and rich loamy soil to accent the concentrated black currant and cassis fruit.

Rich and layered flavors of black and blue fruits along with cocoa, espresso bean, cream and cola resulting in an expansive and highly structured flavor profile.

Drink now but will hold up another 5-10 years

 2002 Howell Mountain Cabernet

Cigar box and exotic wood spice aromas with a bright burst of wild bramble berry and red cherry. Sweet floral elements of violet and rose oil perfume along with cinnamon and baking spices

Complex and rich on the palate with bramble and boysenberry, illustrating flesh yet focused tannins provide definition on the long complex finish.

Drink now or hold up to 3 years.

 
2003 Howell Mountain Cabernet

Wild mountain flowers, lavender and savory herb with bright sweet red cherry, red currant and crushed rock aromas.

Flavors of fresh red currant, along with briary raspberry and red licorice. Clean acid and tannin balance provides structure, backbone and nerve to augment the sweet and savory flavors.

Drink now or hold up to 5 years.

The Perfect Cabernet-Friendly Dessert

~ from Elaine Bell

Finally! "A dessert that is perfect with Cabernet Sauvignon." ~ Robert Craig

A highlight of the Robert Craig Cabernet Club's 2012 Valentine's Candlelight Dinner on Howell Mountain was a savory dessert, created by caterer Elaine Bell to stand up to our 2009 vintage Cabernets.

She won accolades from Bob Craig and our guests for this tasty combo of artisanal cheese and rich, warm black currant bread pudding, topped with Cabernet Balsamic Reduction Sauce & Candied Walnuts.

MT TAM BREAD PUDDING
This recipe makes 16 servings. The ingredients can easily be cut in half for 8 portions.

1.  Black Currant Bread Pudding
For 16 ~ 4oz Ramekins

1 Tbs roasted shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh Thyme, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup balsamic vingear
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
4  large eggs
3 cups brioche bread (available at Whole
Foods, bakeries or gourmet food stores)
cut into 1” cubes
1/2 cup currants (dried, black, seedless
grapes) soaked in warm red wine
Mix all ingredients (except for the brioche and currants) in a large bowl.  Beat well.  Stir in the brioche and currants.  Divide into buttered ramekins and bake in a water bath for 35 – 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until set. 
Serve warm.

2. Cabernet Balsamic Reduction Sauce

1 cup balsamic syrup (can be made
ahead)
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon (lower-
priced selection is fine)
1 cup sugar
¼ cup currants

To make the Balsamic Syrup:
In 2-3 qt heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 3 cups Balsamic Vinegar (lower priced is fine) over a medium-low flame. Simmer until it is reduced to about 1 cup and has taken on a syrupy consistency. Cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator.

To make the Reduction Sauce:
In a saucepan, boil the red wine to reduce by one-half, then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the balsamic syrup and currants.  Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Puree in a blender, then strain to make a glaze.  Cool.

3.  Two 10 oz pkg Cowgirl Creamery
Mt Tam Cheese (or other mild, tangy triple-cream cheese) cut into 16 pieces

4. Candied Walnuts ~ for garnish
Unmold the cakes and top each with a piece of the cheese. Drizzle with Cabernet Balsamic Sauce and top with candied walnuts. 

Enjoy!

 

Good Grief, It's That Time Of Year Again!

~ Robert Craig

Every year in the wine business we reach this critical time juncture in the growing season for the wine grapes.  Winter is drawing to a close and we are on the cusp of the new emergence of the vines from dormancy and the start of the grape development and maturation process for the 2012 vintage.

This year, we are reaching this critical time period from a different perspective than in recent years.  Over the past four winters, we have experienced substantial rainfall and generally colder temperatures.  The winter in 2010-2011 was particularly damp and cold - and it extended for a long time.  That season began just a little ahead of norm, with some rainy periods in September and more extensive rain in October.  From that time on, the rains continued all the way through Spring of 2011.  That April set a record for rainfall for that month and the rain kept falling into mid-June.  These conditions delayed bud-break well past normal expectations, thereby delaying commencement of the growing season.

To this point in the 2012 winter, a wholly different pattern has emerged. This was an unusually warm and dry winter through mid-March. Daytime temperatures were almost always above 50 degrees and many days were into the 60’s – and, occasionally, even in the 70’s.  Fortunately over most of the winter, night-time temperatures remained in the 30 to low 40-degree range, which kept the sap in the vines from rising.  Rainfall through early March was only 56% of normal and 44% of last year.

Now, the rains have finally arrived and big time!  As of March 18, over 7 inches has fallen in Napa Valley in just over one week.  The storm front is hanging around with more precipitation expected.  Of course, having all that rain in such a short span isn’t the greatest scenario and we still need more to reach normal levels, but we will take what we can get!  The good news is that we should have enough field moisture in the ground as the growing season begins. 

Presumably, the higher spring daytime temperatures will continue and the evenings will get progressively warmer.  This will pull bud-break forward and we could well see this happening toward the end of March or in early April.  The effect of warmer temperatures can be seen throughout the Napa Valley, with all of the fruit trees already in full bloom.  Generally speaking, this is a favorable development as it foretells that we should have a long growing season.

One final concern at this time of year is the potential for frost following bud-break.  Based on the temperature patterns so far this year, the probability of extensive frost should be minimal.  However, anyone who practices farming of any kind, knows that what should happen doesn’t always happen.  Nature is always holding the curve ball and can throw it at any time.

Let’s all hope for the best!

A Toast to the Noble Grape ~ Why Wine Matters

The New Year is a good time for reflection - looking back at where we've been and where we hope to be in the coming year.  The wine business is always evolving, presenting a new set of challenges each year.  Some are beyond our control, in the case of what Mother Nature will provide us in the growing and harvest seasons.  Others are always high priorities, such as finding ways to perfect our winemaking and viticultural practices in order to make the best wines possible. 

What remains constant is our love of wine and the joy we have in sharing what we create with friends and family.  The love of, or some would say the passion for, winemaking is both an intensely personal and yet a communal pursuit which connects us to the earth in a very fundamental way.

So the New Year is also a time to simply relax, sit back and appreciate what wine represents in our lives.  One of the best reflections on the subject was written in 2011 by Karen MacNeil, award-winning wine author, educator and consultant.  We think that Karen's blog post entitled "Why Wine Matters" pretty much says it all.  Here is an excerpt (for the full article, go to her website).

We hope you enjoy Karen's tribute. Let's raise a New Year's toast to reaffirming our bond with the noble grape in 2012!

Cheers, Bob & Lynn

____________________________

Why Wine Matters – One Woman's View
Karen MacNeil

"So what is it about wine?

I’ve come to think it is this: wine is one of the last true things. In a world mechanized to madness, a world where you can’t do anything without overhearing somebody’s cell phone conversation, a world where innocuous emails all exude infuriatingly false urgency–in this world, wine remains utterly unrushed. Still (thankfully) mysterious. The silent music of nature. For seven thousand years, vines clutching the earth have thrust themselves upward toward the sun and given us a transformative liquid in return. And so it is that wine ineluctably connects us to that earth. We don’t have to do anything. We drink… and the bond is there.

Wine matters because of this connection. Wine (and food) cradle us in our own humanity. Drinking wine–small as that action may seem–is an affirmation. It reminds us of other things that matter: love, friendship, generosity."

Zesty Zucchini & Sweet Pepper Casserole

For those of you who are tired of green beans with almonds for holiday dining, this rainbow colored zucchini casserole (adapted from a Food & Wine magazine recipe) is a delicious alternative.  It's also a great dish for potluck dinners, as it can be made ahead and served at room temperature or browned under the broiler at the last minute.

Try using a mix of colorful sweet peppers (the ideal option is a package of orange, red & yellow mini-peppers which are found in some produce sections).

All the vegetables should be a uniform thickness -- I like 1/8" slices, but you can go up to 1/4" if preferred.

Give this dish a try at your New Year's celebrations and expect to receive compliments!

~ Lynn Craig

Zesty Zucchini & Sweet Pepper Casserole
Serves 6-8 as side dish

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
2 cups of thinly sliced sweet peppers - mix of yellow, red and/or orange
1 small onion (approx. 2 cups), thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 lb plum tomatoes, with seeds and pith removed, thinly sliced
5 medium zucchini (1-1/4 lb), thinly sliced on the diagonal
6 Tbsp freshly shredded Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or a mixture)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9-inch oval or rectangular baking dish with olive oil.

In a bowl, combine the sweet peppers, onion, garlic and thyme, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Toss the mixture with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

Spread one-half of the zucchini slices in the dish in a layer, season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Spread one-half of the sweet pepper mixture over the zucchini layer. Top with the tomatoes. 

Then cover with the remaining zucchini slices, season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Top with the remaining sweet pepper mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.

Cover casserole with lid or foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (or until just crisp-tender). Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees, uncover the casserole and bake for about 5-15 minutes longer until tender (do not overcook). Let stand for 10 minutes and serve.

NOTE: To make ahead, the casserole can be baked for 40 minutes, then removed and brought to room temperature or refrigerated until ready to serve.  To reheat, uncover the cassole and put under a medium broiler or in a 425 degree oven for 5-15 minutes until tender.  Let stand for 10 minutes and enjoy!

2011 Howell Mountain Harvest & Crush at Robert Craig

Here are this year's scenes from harvest and crush at our Robert Craig Winery estate vineyard, located at 2300 feet on Howell Mountain, with Carlos and his crew finishing up as the leaves turned to gold. Stephen Tebb and his winery team used both optical and hand-sorting to put the best possible fruit in the barrel. Can't wait to try the new vintage!

 

 

Craig Holiday Favorite ~ Italian Sausage/Cornbread Stuffing

~ Lynn Craig

Hard to believe it's already time for Thanksgiving, which Bob, our son Bryan and I usually spend in Tucson, AZ, where we have family and friends.

The Turkey Day menu may be different each year in some respects, but we always serve a barbecued turkey and cornbread stuffing with sweet Italian sausage. Wish I could say that this is an old, old family recipe, but it's really based on one that I clipped out of a Sunset Magazine decades ago and have used ever since, with a few embellishments of my own.

We've shared the recipe many times with Thanksgiving guests, so I can safely say that it's passed the taste test!  Hope you enjoy it as well.

Wine pairing:  Robert Craig 2009 or 2010 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay and any vintage of our Zinfandel ~ Howell Mountain.

Serves 8-12
Makes approx. 9-10 cups of stuffing

1 (6-1/2 - 8 oz) cornbread stuffing mix

1 cup cooked wild rice

½ to ¾ lb sweet Italian sausage

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chopped mushrooms – preferably baby bellas or cremini

½ cup canned sliced water chestnuts, slivered

1 tsp fresh chopped oregano

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 cup home-made turkey stock or canned chicken broth

• Prepare wild rice according to directions for 1 cup of cooked rice.

• Remove casings from Italian sausage and crumble into a frying pan.  Saute over med. heat until lightly browned.

 • Without draining the sausage, add chopped onion and minced garlic to the pan and continue cooking until onion is limp.  Add mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes longer.  (Some sausages do not produce much drippings, so add a little olive oil if needed for browning.)

 • Put stuffing in a large bowl.  Add cooked wild rice, water chestnuts, oregano, and parsley.  Then add the meat mixture and toss.

To bake in a casserole:

When ready to bake, add turkey stock or chicken broth and stir until evenly blended.

Spoon into a greased 3-quart casserole.  Cover with lid or foil and bake in a 325 – 350 degree oven for 25-30 min.

Uncover and drizzle with 1/4 cup turkey drippings or melted butter. Continue baking uncovered for another 5-10 minutes or until as crisp and dry as you like.

To bake inside the bird:

Drizzle 1/2 to 3/4 cup turkey stock or chicken broth over the stuffing, depending upon your preference for dry or moist stuffing (remember that the juices from the turkey will add more moisture).

Loosely fill the breast cavity just before roasting.  Any left-over stuffing can be baked in a small casserole dish, as above.

 

 

Science Behind The Art of Winemaking - Optical Sorting

~ Stephen Tebb, Winemaker

Halloween has gone by, November’s here and guess what – we’re finally getting the burst of harvest action we’ve been waiting for!

We’ve been in “harvest mode” since September, yet the grapes have not. The growing season started off late due to a cold and wet spring, and then the long, cool summer slowed down fruit development. Just when we were ready to get started with harvest, we received rain at the beginning of October, which didn’t do anybody any favors. So by Halloween, we were only 40% done with harvest.

The vines are beginning to shut down with the cool night-time temperatures, but the grapes are finally nice and ripe and we are bringing them in as fast as we can!

In my previous blog, I took a look at the Science Behind the Art of Winemaking. I would like to continue that theme in discussing how we are processing our fruit during this harvest.

Fortunately, advances in science and technology have greatly improved the wine industry’s equipment for processing grapes, resulting in gentler handling of the fruit and better wine quality.

Typically, we achieve clean fruit in the tank by sorting the grapes by hand.  After de-stemming, the berries travel along a vibrating sorting table. We pull out any unwanted leaves, bits of stem, green berries or anything else we don’t want. Our sorting table is in itself a great improvement over previous methods.  However, it is a slow, laborious job, yet necessary to ensure that only the best fruit ends up in the fermentation tank.

This year with the delayed harvest, ripening is happening in all the vineyards at once . Considering how much fruit there is to process and how little time we have – along comes automated “optical” sorting to the rescue!

The use of “optical” sorting is one of the latest technological advances to be applied to the wine industry.  With this system, we can obtain sorted fruit and ensure our high standard of quality, while doubling the speed with which we could do it by hand.

There are two primary brands of optical sorting units. Both units utilize a specialized “optical eye” digital camera that photographs each row of berries as it passes by on a conveyor. A computer, programmed with software to recognize unwanted berries and other debris, scans each photo in milliseconds and sends the information to a series of air jets located at each berry position on the conveyor. The parameters for scanning can be customized as needed for each batch of grapes.

As the fruit travels along the conveyor at 7 feet per second, the good fruit is sent to a receiving bin. At the same time, any bits of material that the computer has identified as “unwanted” receive a strong pulse of air from above. The pulse forces only the debris down onto a secondary conveyor that carries it away to a separate waste bin.

To get a better understanding of how this works, check out each of these optical sorting units in action on the following YouTube links. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfHz-ULzlCE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teeszu-ugmE&feature=related

After using this type of system a couple of times, we can confirm that the quality of the optically sorted fruit is as good as or better than what we can do by hand, and it’s accomplished twice as fast.

There is no doubt that progress in science and technology has been a major factor in the dramatic improvement in the level of quality and consistency that we enjoy in our wines today and that is for the better. We can especially appreciate this fact when considering the challenges of the 2011 vintage.

It’s time to put this harvest to bed, with a little help from our optical friend!

 

 

Harvest Days ~ Mexican Jicama Salad

~ Recipe by Adam Glatt, National Sales Manager

Every Fall before harvest, we have a party for the Craig at "the Shed" in our Affinity Vineyard, the source for Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon. 

This event is a perfect time to relax with friends, enjoy the fruition of all the hard work in the vineyard over the spring and summer, and anticipate the forthcoming harvest season. 

Our Vineyard Manager Carlos Mendez and his crew work their culinary magic with carnitas, various salsas and beans, while the winery folks bring salads and other sides for the buffet table.

This year's offerings included a Mexican Jicama Salad contributed by Adam Glatt that was a big hit.  It's easy to prepare and offers a great blend of textures and lively flavors.  Adam has generously shared his recipe. 

Mexican Jicama Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 avocado
• 1 head red leaf lettuce
• 1 large jicama
• 1 mango
• 4 ears fresh corn, un-shucked
• 1 fresh jalapeno
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Serve with Citrus Vinaigrette, recipe follows.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place un-shucked ears of corn on a baking sheet in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until browned. Remove and let cool. When the corn has cooled, shuck it and stand it on end. Using a sharp knife, run the blade down the cob to cut the kernels off. Rotate the cob and repeat until all the kernels have been cut off.

Peel and thinly slice Jicama into matchstick sized pieces.  Peel mango and slice into ½ inch size chunks. De-seed jalapeno and chop into small pieces. Thinly slice red onion.

Combine the black beans, avocado, lettuce, jicama, mango, red onion, chopped jalapeno and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled corn, and toss with the vinaigrette. Chill until ready to serve.

Citrus Vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt pepper

In a large bowl combine the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, orange zest and sugar. Whisk together and slowly add the olive oil, whisking as you go. Add salt and pepper, to taste and whisk until combined.

Enjoy!