The Craig

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!

The Science Behind the Art of Wine

~ Stephen Tebb, Winemaker

I recently gave a talk at the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center titled “The Science of Wine”. It was a great evening with a very enthusiastic and engaged audience.

In putting the talk together, I realized how important scientific research and our subsequent understanding of viticulture and fermentation science has allowed us to dramatically improve the “craft” or “art” of winemaking. Science impacts how we think about everything we do in the vineyard and the cellar.

As vintners, we gather scientific data constantly to help inform the many decisions we make. Consider just the vineyard for a moment, where we use a number of scientific advances and tools. 

Right now during bloom time or flowering, we are measuring the nutrient status of the vines. We take samples of leaf stem (petioles) and run plant tissue analysis, which lets us know if the vines are deficient or in excess of important nutrients or minerals such as nitrogen, potassium, calcium, boron and zinc to name a few. As result, we are able to act in a specific and targeted way to bring the vines into balance for the duration of the growing season.

Also at this time of the year we pay attention to the vines’ water needs. We want just enough water to maintain the health of the vines, yet not too much to encourage excessive vegetative growth.

We monitor the vineyard with infrared aerial imaging, or more accurately an NDVI image (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), which is basically an aerial photograph with the vineyard displayed in various colors that clearly maps out the differences in vegetation vigor or stress due to variations in chlorophyll content.

Not only does this scientific tool help in our irrigation strategy, but it also allows us to “see” potential problem areas that we might otherwise overlook on the ground, providing information we can use to target where additional water or nutrients might be applied.

We employ another scientific tool in irrigation management to measure the leaf water potential. Using a small portable pressure chamber, we can measure how much pressure it takes for sap to flow through a leaf stem. The amount of pressure indicates the stress level of the vine and lets us know if we need to irrigate more or less. As this procedure is quick and easy, we can use the scientific data in real time for accurate water application decisions on the spot.

In my UC Davis presentation, I also talked about how scientific observation and documentation assist in the development of American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s). Many factors such as elevation, topography, climate, and soil type are all carefully analyzed, researched and recorded in order to define the characteristics of an appellation such as Howell Mountain, for example.

It is through the systematic analysis of this scientific documentation that we are able to prove what we believe to be true. The same grape varietal produces different and distinctive wine when grown in different locations. I was able to underscore that point with samples of our Robert Craig 2007 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon. Each wine exhibited a unique reflection of where it was grown.

Next installment:  The science behind the production process…stay tuned!

 

 

Terroir: Why the Napa Valley is what it is.

~ Robert Craig

Wine grapes can be grown in a wide variety of soils and climates.  In fact, every state in the USA, from Alaska to Arizona, has some production of wine.  However, moving up the ladder in terms of potential wine quality, the range of suitable conditions narrows dramatically.  At the top of this scale, the combination of soils and micro-climates needed  for maximum quality wine is quite specific.

This brings us to a concept known as “terroir”. There is no universal agreement as to what this elegant term encompasses as it relates to wine quality.  Some argue that “terroir” involves the full range of natural conditions and the human input of decision-making in grape growing and winemaking.

Personally, I prefer the more restrictive definition of terroir, which is the inherent natural attributes of a location that provide a contextually limiting framework for what can be achieved in grape quality.  A good application of this definition is found right here in California. 

The Central and Sacramento Valleys are where most of the grapes in the state are grown.  Generally deep and fertile soils and very warm temperatures characterize these two locations. These are ideal conditions for producing grapes in great quantity, but not suited for grapes of great quality. Vineyards here can produce 10 to 15 tons per acre of modest quality fruit.

In the Napa Valley and other Coastal areas, the terroir is greatly different, which is reflected in both the quality and quantity of grapes produced.  The combination of less fertile soils and more moderate summer temperatures yields grape crops of lower production but significantly better quality. 

Fog regularly rolls into Napa Valley during the summer from
nearby San Francisco Bay, contributing to cooler temperatures
and varied micro-climates.

One of the signature attributes of Napa Valley is its Mediterranean climate, with moderately warm, dry and sunny days and cooler evenings during the summer months.  This weather pattern allows the grapes to fully mature over a long growing season, without the metabolization (loss) of the acids that occurs in hotter climates. Also, soils in Napa Valley are less fertile and more well-drained than further inland.  This results in smaller grapes with more intense flavors.  Crop yields in Napa Valley generally range from 2.5 to 5 tons per acre.

The interplay of soils and microclimates is another hallmark of Napa Valley.  In this regard, Napa is an extraordinarily diverse location.  The Valley is only about 30 miles long and ranges between 10 and 15 miles wide. Within this relatively small land area, there are 46 different soil types (which is more than in all of France).  In addition, as the natural topography influences the movement of cooler air from the San Francisco Bay northward up the Valley, numerous pockets of this cooler air, or micro-climates, are formed.

This natural combining of geology, topography, soils and climate also influences the character of the wines.  The specific combination of these factors imprints recognizable aromatic and fruit characteristics on grapes grown in specific locations. 

This has been acknowledged in the designation of American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) within the Napa Valley.  The AVA system gives recognition to the overall high quality and unique sensory profiles of wines produced from grapes grown within defined boundaries.

That said, the role of man cannot be overlooked in the ultimate realization of maximum wine quality from a specific location.  Myriad decisions of vine spacing, rootstock, varietal (clone), trellis design, pruning method, ripeness determination, picking date, fermentation regime, choice of yeast, barrel selection, aging and blending decisions and numerous other factors are key determinants of wine quality. 

These decisions will greatly influence how well the winemaker achieves ultimate wine quality and the style that he or she seeks within the constraints of the vineyard's terroir. 

In subsequent writings I will explore how the concept of terroir fits into our own wine program at Robert Craig Winery and the wines we produce from various AVA’s in the Napa Valley.

Two Great (Easy) Appetizers from Elaine Bell

~ Lynn Craig

 For the past 8 years, Chef Elaine Bell been the creative force behind the delicious and Cabernet-friendly cuisine that we serve at the Valentine’s Candlelight Dinner, held for our Cabernet Club at the Robert Craig Winery on Howell Mountain.

Cabernet Club guests at this year’s event were wowed by two appetizers featured during the reception.  Elaine has graciously agreed to share the recipes with us.  Enjoy!

 Rosemary Grape Salad
About 10 - 40 servings as part of a cheese board

Our Cab Clubbers loved this simple but show-stopping presentation of red flame grapes served with a selection of cheeses, fresh breads and crackers. 

I made this dish for our recent Spring Release Open House at the Tasting Salon and received lots of compliments and questions about the ingredients.  I've adjusted the amount of olive oil just a bit, as all that's needed is a light coating on the bunches.  After tossing the grapes in the oil mixture, remove to a serving bowl and leave behind any left-over oil.

1 - 4 pounds Red Flame Grapes (or other seasonal, seedless red varieties)
1 - 3 Tbs Olive Oil (a fruity-style, cold-pressed, extra virgin oil is best)
1 - 3 Sprigs of Rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix together the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the grape bunches in the oil and place in serving bowl.

Chickpea Fries
Makes about 5 dozen

This clever take on French fries was a big hit at the reception. Crunchy, full of flavor, and great with Cabernet!

1 onion, finely chopped
2 Tbs garlic, finely chopped
3 cups milk      
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups chickpea flour
1 cup Asiago Cheese, shredded

Heat onion, garlic, milk and butter slightly. Add chickpea flour all at once and stir vigorously with a whisk.

Stir continuously with a wooden spoon over low heat until mixture thickens, then cook 5 minutes more.  Stir in the cheese.

Spread onto a greased pan, smooth out and chill. Cut fries into sticks. Toss lightly in flour and deep fry until golden at 325 degrees.

Serve with Rosemary Aioli
 
1 1/2 cups Mayonnaise
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Rosemary, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine well and chill.

2008 Affinity ~ Cabernet Sauvignon Elevated

Affinity, Robert Craig's Bordeaux-style blend from the Mt. George foothills just south of Stag's Leap in Napa Valley, is a long-time favorite of Cabernet Sauvignon fans, with its luscious fruit and smooth elegance. For the newly released 2008 vintage, we've put together this video celebration of Affinity from its beginnings in our vineyards to your table. Tasting notes can be found in the "Wines" tab on our Facebook page or on our website. Enjoy!