Sokol Blosser Wine Blog

We had and amazing time on our first Summer Vineyard Hike this past Saturday. Though the weather started off questionably, it quickly proved to be the perfect day for a hike. The late night/early morning rain gave us just enough moisture to keep the dust down in the vineyard,which made for ideal conditions. The hikes have proven to be quite popular. We quickly sold out of both of them and have a waiting list for our final one.

We all met at 10am and set out for a 2.5 mile hike from the bottom to the top of our Certified Organic Vineyards. Along the way we stopped for wine amongst the vines, information on farming, winemaking and geology. Cellar Club members brought friends, family and their four legged friends.

The first stop we tasted our 2007 Sokol Blosser Pinot Gris. (Which was heavenly.) We then headed up to Red Ridge Farms where we tasted their delicious olive oil and toured their almost completed, olive oil press and event space. (If you have not been up to Red Ridge Farms, you must make a stop the next time you are out in the Dundee Hills. They have a beautiful nursery with sweeping views of the Red Hills.)

Next, we headed back down for a glass of our 2005 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, followed shortly by a picnic buffet amongst the vines where we tasted our Evolution, Meditrina and 2007 Rose of Pinot Noir.

By the end of the day, we had made some great new friends, caught up with some old ones and left with large smiles on all of our faces. Thanks to all of you who made our first hike so special. For those who did not make it in to these hikes, don’t fret, we will most certainly be doing this again soon.

-Hiker Knapp

Posted by Michael Brown, Direct Sales Manager at 08:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Boy, His Big Green Eggs & Sokol Blosser Wines

When you stroll up to the butcher counter and you are trying to decide on which steak to buy, the choices at times can be difficult. You know your wife loves the tenderness of filet and you love the texture and flavor of the NY strip. Well, there are two cuts of steak that can make both people happy, the T-bone and the porterhouse. These bone-in meats have the NY strip on one side of the bone and the filet on the other side. What’s the difference between the T-bone and the porterhouse you ask? Well, simply put, the porterhouse tends to have a larger portion filet than the T-bone. A great, grilled steak and a happy wife, the makings of a very enjoyable evening!

Preparation:
Season your T-bone with fresh cracked pepper, rosemary and olive oil. Cover and refrigerator over night. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling and season with sea or kosher salt.

Salad:
Caramelize some onions with herbs de Provence, add pitted olives and hold warm until the steak is resting off the grill. Just before serving the steak add baby arugula to the onion and olive mixture. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mix together until arugula starts to wilt. This takes less than a minute. Divide the arugula salad on the dinner plates and top with blue cheese (we used Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese from Southern Oregon). While my first choice is fresh and local, Maytag Blue from Ohio or Colston Basset Stilton from England would do very nicely. Blue cheese not your thing? Try it with your local goat cheese, or Coach Farms in Hudson Valley, or Humboldt Fog from the Bay area.

Grilling:
Our Big Green Egg, Medford, grilled this well seasoned T-bone for about 3 minutes a side a 650˚F+. I grilled the steak without the rosemary on the meat for the first side. After I turned and flipped the meat and added the rosemary sprigs on top of the meat while the second side cooked.. We removed the T-Bone when the meat was medium-rare. We let the meat rest for a couple of minutes, then removed the meat from the bone. We sliced the filet into strips and fanned it out on the dinner plates. We then did the same with the NY Strip.

Wine:
Tonight it was my wife’s choice. Did she choose the Shafer Hillside Select, the Pio Cesare Barolo or our beloved Meditrina? No, tonight her choice was the Sokol Blosser 12 Row Pinot Noir 2003. For those of you who have had the rare pleasure of enjoying Pinot Noir from this 1 acre site, 12 rows, 60 vines per row, a little gem in the middle of our vineyard; it is a treat to say the least. During harvest 2003, Mother Nature gave us one of the warmest growing seasons of recent history. It took this usually expressive part of our vineyard and as Emeril would say, kicked it up a notch. Our winemaking team took the power and ripeness of this vintage and blended its strengths with the finesse and elegance that is Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir. I think of Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir as elegant, age-worthy and food friendly. The 2003 Sokol Blosser Pinot Noirs, especially the 12 Row, I think of a blend of power, restraint and finesse. This pumped up Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir from 2003 is a great steak Pinot Noir! Get some while the last bottles still exist. Call Rodolphe in the Tasting Room at 503.864.2282 x 10, he may have a few bottles stashed away.

Posted by Scott Nagle, Brand Ambassador at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't you just love presents? I know I do. Birthdays, holidays, giving, receiving... I like it all. And we've been blessed at Sokol Blosser by so many little presents lately, all from a very unlikely source...

Yep, those are our Vineyard Rodent Patrol feral cats (Baby Girl, Filbert [aka Tweedledum], Sniffles, Big Tig, TJ [aka Pickles]), and the gifts we've been getting have been of a unique sort. Every morning, as I walk from my car to the offices at Sokol Blosser, I take a deep breath of the fresh farm air, watch the vines on the hillside swaying gently in the breeze, and try not to step in a present. Voles have been the most common offering, followed my moles and then birds. Often not whole. Often not recognizable. But hey, presents are presents, and who am I to turn my nose up at a gift? Our vineyards are certified organic by Oregon Tilth, and our Rodent Patrol does a very efficient all-natural job of "managing" the rodent population in the vineyard.

I like to think that my shrieks are like saying thank you to our feline friends, in a very loud and horrified way.

Posted by Kitri Culbertson, Marketing Communications Manager at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

... and what a celebration it was! Thanks to everyone who joined us at Sokol Blosser for IPNC events. Check out these great pictures from lunch in our Winery on Saturday, featuring dishes from Chef Adam Stevenson of Seattle's Earth & Ocean. Cheers!

Posted by Kitri Culbertson, Marketing Communications Manager at 02:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Boy, His Big Green Eggs & Sokol Blosser Wine

This quick dinner choice always reminds me of walking the Boardwalk in Atlantic City on family vacations with my parents. It brings back memories of looking at the ocean, people watching and eating hot sausage sandwiches. I can feel the sun and smell the salt air as I write this. Fun times in AC.

Preparation:
Cut up onions and peppers and place in a pan with holes in the bottom, so your chopped veggies do not fall between your grill grates. Add some salt & pepper, rosemary and a couple of chopped garlic cloves. Sauté on the grill until soft. We cooked our peppers and onion at the same time we cooked our Italian sausage. Depending on your set up and fire your peppers and onions my cook faster than your sausage. This time ours were done at the same time.

Salad:
Susan and I mixed up a baby arugula salad with a balsamic vinigrette, rosemary and garlic. We found some left over caramelized Walla Walla onions in the fridge, which we also added.

Grilling:
Our Big Green Egg, Medford, cooked up this Boardwalk Stroller of a Sandwich. Set up your grill with the fire at one end of the grill. Place your sausage of choice directly over the hot coals. Place your perforated sauté pan on the grill, but not directly over the flame, more indirect heat. Stir your onions and peppers and turns your sausages till done. We cooked everything at about 400˚F for about 10 minutes. This is truly a quick and easy meal. I think we were even able to lightly toast the rolls for the sandwich as well. Alright, maybe 15 minutes all in.

Wine:
Now, I know we have been drinking Evolution and Meditrina a lot as we grill this Summer. I do know that Evolution and Meditrina are wines that most of the my friends across the country can get. I know I said I would try not to pair our Summer grilling food with Sokol Blosser wines most people can not get, but tonight cried for a Sokol Blosser Rosé of Pinot Noir. I know you can’t get it on the East Coast, but that doesn’t make this “Pink Nectar” any less tasty and refreshing. Think of it this way, you have the AC Boardwalk and we have all the limited Sokol Blosser wines you can’t get. Come out and visit, the first bottle of Rosé is on me! Wa, see you August 1st. Ribs, Rosé and Pinot Noir are already planned for that evening. See you soon my friend!

Posted by Scott Nagle, Brand Ambassador at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I tried something new from Sokol Blosser the other day and I found it very blog-worthy. This year, Russ Rosner, our Winemaker, tasted one of the components originally slated to go into our beloved Evolution and thought that it was something special. So, not only did this surprising juice help make Evolution what we all know and love, but Russ decided show some of this special stuff off by itself.

So for the first time that I know of, Sokol Blosser bottled an Early Muscat. Early Muscat is a type of grape that for me has wonderful aromatics of tropical fruit, true grape flavors in the mouth with some nice weight to it. Sokol Blosser’s Early Muscat 2007 (available in our Tasting Room; if you're interested in getting a bottle, call us!) is a nice refreshing glass of white wine that wakes up your taste buds and gets your nose and brain thinking. Cheryl and Rick Proulx, my wife Susan and I tried out a bottle while playing a spirited game of bocce. Sokol Blosser Early Muscat and bocce a nice combination.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the guys beat the girls in bocce with a come from behind victory! Sokol Blosser Early Muscat inspired no doubt.

Posted by Scott Nagle, Brand Ambassador at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chef Drew Lockett from Aquariva created a delicious feast at Sokol Blosser Winery for an IPNC dinner. Check out this HUGE Umbrian truffle he used in the meal! Cheers!

Posted by Kitri Culbertson, Marketing Communications Manager at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past Sunday, my wife Liz and my two dogs, Mya (the orange dog) and Jacques (the black lab), headed to the beach. We hit New Seasons Market, picked up some fresh fruit, cheese, and baguettes, grabbed a bottle of the newly released 2007 Rosé of Pinot Noir. We picked up some Riverside Edge Chevre from the Three Ring Farm.

We sliced white peaches and spread Toasted Hazlenut and Frangelico Torte on them. We brought along our trusty camping wine glasses and sat sipping Sokol Blosser Rosé. This was a flavor match made in heaven. We sat in the sun, watched the surfers brave the chilly Pacific Ocean and ran our dogs. After a long day of relaxing, we finished in Cannon Beach by grabbing some fresh chowder at Doogers. Perfect day.

Do yourself a favor and pick up some of the 2007 Rosé of Pinot Noir. It is honestly one of the best Rosés that I have ever tasted. If you want to step it up a notch further, race to New Seasons, get some of that goat cheese and a fresh white peach. Then get ready to head to the store to pick up some new socks, because the ones that you are wearing are going to get knocked off.

Posted by Jeff Knapp, Cellar Club Manager at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past Saturday we hosted our Inaugural Grape and Grill BBQ. This event was an opportunity to highlight Meditrina {5} and Evolution, 12th Edition - both food-friendly wines that are the perfect fit for Summer BBQs! We were excited to have the crew from Phresh Organic Catering out preparing delectable bites accompanied with the 2008 Sokol Blosser Cellar Club BBQ Sauce winner Joe Valente's secret recipe.

A couple of months ago we asked Cellar Club members to submit a BBQ sauce recipe to be featured at the big event. We then narrowed down the entries to two. We used this as an excuse to have a killer staff lunch. I prepared both the recipes and then accepted votes from everyone. The winner was Joe Valente of Ft. Collins, Colorado. GREAT JOB, JOE!

The weather started off quite chilly for a July summer day, but soon turned in to one of the nicest days of the year. Clear blue skies and sun provided us with ideal weather. Bluegrass music from Josh and Rachael Cole of the Josh Cole Band added to the atmosphere. Thanks Josh and Rachael!

We had the opportunity to meet and catch up with new guests and long time Cellar Club Members. Thanks to all who joined us in the festivities. We are all looking forward to next year!

PS - We are now accepting reservation for our Summer Vineyard Hikes & Lunch on August 9th and 23rd. Give me a call to reserve your spot!

Jeff Knapp
503-565-2308

Posted by Jeff Knapp, Cellar Club Manager at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On a couple of recent trips to Seattle I have enjoyed eating this earthy combination at two different locations: one called Voltera & the other called Spring Hill Restaurant up in West Seattle (new restaurant). The owner and Chef of Spring Hill is Mark Fuller who was the original Chef at Lucy’s Table in NW Portland.

Back to the fava beans and morels, I thought this was such an interesting combination I thought I would try to put my spin on this wonderful summer pasta dish. So the adventure began on Saturday morning with my wife Debbie as we were on our way to the Portland farmer’s market. We found everything we needed and of course more at the farmers market….

I took a stab at what I remembered this dish tasting like and did my best to recreate it.. Well I came really close to hitting a home run out of the ball park! We both loved it…. It was really close to Chef Mark's dish but by no means the same…. I dug out a bottle of 1999 Sokol Blosser Twelve Row Pinot Noir to have with this dish and they complimented each other very well!

Here is what I did to make this dish…
Ingredients: fava beans, morels, garlic, cherry tomatoes, pasta of your choice.
1. Start off your pot of water to cook your pasta in.
2. Blanch off the fava beans and peel both shells off.
3. Sauté up your morels with olive oil & butter and small amount of garlic. When they are close to being done add your Fava beans and cook for 5 minutes and add cherry tomatoes, salt & pepper to taste and then toss in your cooked pasta and add a twirl of olive oil.
4. Cook and toss for 3 – 5 minutes till it’s done. Serve up and garnish with a sprinkle of shredded parmesan and fresh basil or any other fresh herbs. I served this with a caprese salad.

Cheers!
Lee

Posted by Lee Medina, Regional Brand Ambassador at 01:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Boy, His Big Green Eggs, Evolution & Meditrina

Eddie Murphy, in his stand up routine, referred to his Mom’s homemade burger as a “House Burger”. His friends were all having McDonald’s and he had the “House Burger”. Nothing against McDonald’s, Wendy’s or Burgerville here in the Pacific Northwest, but a good “House Burger” is hard to beat! That is what was for dinner last night.

Preparation
Burger: Add ground beef to a glass mixing bowl with some finely chopped shallot or onion, fresh chopped rosemary, couple of shakes of Worcestershire Sauce, spoon full of Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Mix together and form into patties. Do not over work the meat when mixing and forming the patties, it makes the burger meat tough and it cooks unevenly.

Burger Topping: In a pan caramelize a sweet onion. Walla Walla onions are in season now, the Pacific Northwest’s Vidalia. When brown add some finely chopped garlic, rosemary and drizzle with Meditrina. Let cook a couple of minutes, then add sliced cremini mushrooms and this time we added some oven roasted tomatoes. These were on the olive bar at our supermarket. I’m sure fresh tomatoes would work nicely as would sun dried. You can oven roast your own tomatoes if you like, it just takes about 12 hours at a very low temperature.

Grilling: Our Big Green Egg, Mac, cooked up these big and juicy delights. Set up the grill to direct cook at 550˚F. Oil the grates with olive oil and grill on each side for about 3 minute or until done to your liking. Top with a slice of provolone cheese. Place the open-faced roll on the grill to toast, if you like. Then simply assemble your burger with the topping and enjoy.

Wine: Meditrina IV; Egg, Grilled “House Burger” topped with caramelized onions, mushroom, roasted tomatoes and provolone cheese; absolutely made my mouth very happy! Meditrina and your favorite burger, a winning combination. Try it tonight!

Posted by Scott Nagle, Brand Ambassador at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Kitri Culbertson, Marketing Communications Manager at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Boy, His Big Green Eggs, Evolution & Meditrina

It was 103˚F in the Valley last week, too hot for Oregon! People start to fall over when it gets that hot in this Valley. Good for the grapes, bad for the grapes? Normally not our choice, as we had not completed bloom yet. We are almost 2 ½ weeks behind. This weekend of 90+ weather definitely helped bloom finish. What does that mean to you and me? It looks like we are going to have a good amount of great Pinot Noir to drink in 2008! Crop looks good at this point. Still a long way to go, keep thinking good thoughts.

So, what do you eat in this heat? How about a cool refreshing fruit salad, gazpacho? Not if you’re my wife. Her choice, Evolution Spiced Hot Wings! Well, I always said she was hot! Here is how she did it:

Preparation: Season your chicken wings with Evolution Spice on both sides. Call Rodolphe in the Tasting Room, he will get you a bottle of Evolution Spice. Let the Evolution Spice sit on the wings as long as you can. Refrigerator if it is going to be longer than 20 minutes.

Grilling: These Evo Wings were cooked on our Big Green Egg, Mac. Susan heated the grill up to 320˚ F and placed the wings around the outside edge of the fire ring. Wings were cooked about 10 to 12 minutes a side or until done. The last couples of minutes the wings were coated with Stubb’s BBQ sauce and were allowed to bake on. Total cook time was about 30 minutes.

Wine: Evolution 12th Edition. There is nothing better than Evolution with bold flavors and spicy dishes. Hot wings, hot weather and Evolution…A Natural Trilogy!

Posted by Scott Nagle, Brand Ambassador at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Boy, His Big Green Eggs, Evolution & Meditrina

Do you have neighbors that you can invite over at the last minute? Cook whatever is in the house and have a great time? Well, my neighborhood has it in spades! Right behind us is the Thomas family: Todd, Shelley, Carley and Kendelyn and they came over for an Italian-inspired alfresco feast. It also gave Susan and me a chance to try out our new patio cushions. Thanks Mom & Dad Foster & Nagle for the anniversary present! The new cushions sit quite nicely.

Our Italian Inspired Alfresco Feast

Salad: The Thomas garden grown salad: lettuce, spinach, snap peas, baby carrots and edible pansies. The salad was dressed with Todd’s homemade Thousand Island dressing and fresh raspberries. Garden fresh salad is unbeatable, yum! Below is Shelley, Kendelyn & Todd showing off this amazing beginning.
Wine: Evolution, 12th Edition. Tropical fruit, outdoor refreshing, worked well with the salad.

Pizza: Fire roasted red pepper, caramelized Walla Walla onions with mozzarella and basil. That’s me, the pizza and the 3 lovely ladies: Carley, Susan and that Goddess, Meditrina.

Grilling: Red pepper and pizza cooked on our Big Green Egg, Medford. Pepper cooked at 650 degrees plus until blistered. Pizza cooked indirectly on a stone at 550 degrees till cheese melted and the bottom of the pizza was nicely browned, about 16 – 20 minutes.
Wine: Evolution and Meditrina IV. Meditrina is my pizza wine and it did not disappoint tonight. However, Evolution rocked as well!

Pasta: Angel Hair Pasta with Olives, Cremini Mushrooms, Fresh Chopped Tomatoes and Italian Sausage.
Grilling: Our Big Green Egg, Medford, also grilled the sausage, which we added to the pasta.
Wine: Meditrina. Oregon Pinot Noir, Washington Syrah & California Zinfandel goes together like pasta, tomatoes and cheese. Try it yourself!

Posted by Scott Nagle, Brand Ambassador at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love a good burger so I thought I would challenge myself to create a burger that would pair well with Evolution. Crazy I know…. I have been reading a lot of burger recipes that had some interesting twists to them so I thought, "What the heck, let’s give it a go." Being a huge fan of Pan-Asian cuisine, considering that I worked in an Asian restaurant for seven years pairing wine with their dishes, I thought this was the place to start.

I took the idea of a Shu Mai and worked that direction for my burger. Shu Mai is a steamed pork dumpling which you will find in many Dim Sum menus. So I took ground pork and ground turkey and mixed them together with Chinese Five Spice, dice onion, chopped cilantro, Hoison sauce and good old salt & pepper. I mixed everything together and formed my patties and fired up my charcoal Weber grill. My whole theme was an Asian based menu, so I also grilled fresh baby bok choy on the grill and served up an easy Asian salad mix I bought at the store. I know you're thinking, "Why did he buy the salad mix?" Well, sometimes you need a little bit of easy on your side. :)

Everything came out great - a nice American classic with an Asian twist, served up with a nice chilled bottle of Evolution! Yes I know if you look at the picture it is and was a bottle of Evolution, 10th Edition and it was holding up very well. My next challenge will be another twist on the American classic burger again paired with Meditrina! Stay tuned...

Posted by Lee Medina, Regional Brand Ambassador at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After joining the Sokol Blosser family a year ago their commitment towards the environment and sustainability helped fuel my own interest in such issues. In addition to the Natural Step training that all managers are sent to I took it upon myself to explore other areas to help further my own knowledge as well as inspire those around me. I began a monthly lunch meeting called the “Green Bag Lunch” as a forum for all staff members to have a voice in our ongoing challenges to be more sustainable. Through group interaction we discovered better recycling policies, composting programs and ways of saving energy and I found myself becoming more passionate about the issues. Wanting to do more and help continue the Sokol Blosser tradition as an industry leader in environmental policies I began exploring the world of carbon neutrality. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

In 2007 Sokol Blosser along with over 30 other wineries from Oregon joined the Governor’s Carbon Neutral Pledge, committing ourselves to working towards carbon neutrality by 2009. A great goal but, what does it mean? As I began to peel away the layers of the issue I only discovered more and more layers underneath. It became increasingly challenging to find concrete information for a term that is relatively well known but not widely applied. While the organizers of the Carbon Neutral Pledge have done an incredible job of gathering local wineries to commit and creating a program that is tailored to the wine industry, I continued to thirst for more information which led me to discover some of the leaders and pioneers in an exciting and new field.

Ecos Consulting Group are the architects for the Governor’s Pledge and have helped implement the policies on how wineries will measure and report the data on their carbon footprint. This is the beginning of becoming carbon neutral, discovering how much carbon you produce. Ecos developed a carbon calculator that helps convert things like mileage and fermentation figures into greenhouse gas emissions. David Vanthof from the Governor’s Office along with the Oregon Wine Board have been spearheading the project and helping disseminate the information to all the wineries that joined the pledge. It has been an ongoing process establishing the protocols and methods for achieving the goal of 30+ wineries being carbon neutral but thanks to the help of many passionate individuals and organizations we are off to a good start. In my desire to learn as much as possible about the term “carbon neutral” I was lead to another organization called the Climate Registry.

A North American non-profit organization founded in March 2007, the Climate Registry acts as an organization that records voluntary and mandatory submissions of GHG emissions. There are currently participants from 39 US states, 7 Canadian provinces, and 6 Mexican states reporting their emissions. This organization, I found, was taking the issue further than any other and establishing internationally accepted protocols. Participants may include businesses, organizations, governments, or tribes. Any GHG submissions reported are done so voluntarily. However, reporting to the Registry requires strict, uniform protocols. Reporters must calculate all their GHG emissions, report the findings to the Registry, and have those calculations verified by an independent, certified third-party. The Climate Registry’s existence is to “provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent and verified set of greenhouse gas emissions data supported by a robust reporting and verification infrastructure. Through this effort, the Registry encourages early action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and supports future greenhouse gas reduction efforts across North America.”

After thorough research of the organization and I felt that this was the avenue to pursue that would keep us ahead of the pack and continue a long tradition as industry leaders. The fundamental difference between the Climate Registry and the Governor’s Pledge is the high level of accountability and certification that the Registry requires. We felt it necessary for ourselves to adhere to the highest possible level of reporting that we could find and make our “carbon footprint” as transparent as possible. In May 2008 we joined the Climate Registry as founding members and the first winery reporter. Check it out here.

Thank you to Tymon Lodder of the Climate Registry and Amy Dvorak of Maul Foster in helping me with the research.

Posted by Michael Brown, Direct Sales Manager at 08:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Summer Grilling: A Boy, His Big Green Eggs, Evolution & Meditrina

Grilling and dinner out on the patio are now becoming a nightly occurrence. Last night the Proulxs had the Byers and me over to an impromptu BBQ. It is one of the things I love about our neighborhood. Great neighbors that like to get together whether or not the event is planned or spur of the moment. Rick grilled some deliciously wonderful pork chops and Cheryl topped them with a blackberry balsamic sauce. A great unplanned gathering! Thanks Proulxs and Byers!

Country Pork Ribs, what are they? I am not sure, but here is what I know. They are not quit a loin or a chop, but they are not quit a rib either. What they are to me is a piece of pork with some bone in it, good fat to keep the meat moist and tender, all the flavors I love about ribs - but cooks in 1 hour rather than 4 or 5 hours. Oh yeah - you're going to love the price, too.

Here is how we cook our Country Ribs:

Preparation:
• Cut the long pieces of country ribs into nice size, meaty rib portions.
• Seasoned the ribs with Evolution Spice (see Rodolphe or Eric in the Tasting Room or online here at Sokol Blosser) and ground cumin. Then refrigerate covered for several hours. Over night is time permits.

Grilling:
Our Big Green Egg, Medford, was called to duty again. Ribs were grilled/smoked at 275-300 degrees for about an hour using water soaked cherrywood chips. “Where there’s smoke there’s flavor.” The last 15 minutes we brushed on some Stubb’s BBQ Sauce. Like it says on the bottle, “Ladies and Gentleman, I’m a Cook…and…my life is in these bottles.” When I can not make my own, Stubb’s is my guy!

Served With:
A new recipe from the current issue of Bon Appétit for Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Chiles, Cilantro and Toasted Cumin (the BBQ issue, June 2008). This was done on Medford, our grill, as well. It’s a “Make Again!”

Wine:
Ribs and Meditrina go together like peas and carrots at this house. However, tonight was an Evolution, 12th Edition night. The spice on the ribs, the perfect Evolution weather, it was an Evolution night. Also, since Evolution is the best with bold flavors and spicy dishes, I was able to bring out one of my favorite hot sauces, Glady’s Hot Sauce from St Thomas in the USVI (340-774-6604). You like it hot? I do too, and this is hot, but flavorful. Get a bottle on your next trip to the Caribbean. I bring back a bottle or two every year. Hot flavorful stuff, see the SB blog in December about Gladys and the USVI.

It was another great evening of cooking on the Big Green Egg in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Evolution was without a question the absolute “Bomb” last night! Is it me or is the 12th Edition just drinking stellar right now? Bring home a case, it won’t make it till the end of the Summer! Great job SB Winemaking Team: Russ, Doug and Mario. In the words of my good friend in NJ, Bob Trahan, “You boys are the Mack Daddy, Cool Diesel when it comes to Evolution!” Thanks Bob for that enlightened phase that has stuck with me for all those years.

Posted by Scott Nagle, Brand Ambassador at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Having a baby is truly an incredible experience. Those who have gone through the process know what I’m talking about, and those who haven’t will hopefully have the opportunity to go through it one day. Dario is doing terrifically and, like his mama, has quite the appetite. I’m doing my best to satisfy his every desire. But, this is a blog about wine and wine-related matters, not about babies. Enough about Dario, let’s talk about wine.

After going nearly dry for nine months (yes, I did have a taste here and there – quality control measures, you know), I was suddenly able to have my first full glass of wine. Truthfully, I had not even thought about what that first glass would be. I already knew what my first dinner out would be (Masu sushi, since I couldn’t have raw seafood while pregnant), my first movie in a theatre (Sex and the City), and my first mixed drink (a gin and tonic at Masu, though I ended up sending it back because it was too strong; I think the bartender must have thought I was crazy since most people as for their drinks to be stronger, not weaker).

If I had put more thought into it, I probably would have selected 1999 Twelve Row Block Pinot Noir. Or maybe 2002 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. Or even a 2003 Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir. But, I ended up grabbing the best looking bottle within easy reach: 2005 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. It was quite tasty and just as good as I remembered it being. Soon thereafter, on a picnic in 90-degree weather with my mom and Russ, Russ treated us to a 2006 Estate Muller-Thurgau. Perfection in liquid form. Too bad we cannot make that anymore.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has savored their first glass of wine post-pregnancy. If this has happened to you, write and let us know! What wine did you most look forward to having? I’ll hold out hope that for some of you, it was a glass of something made by Sokol Blosser.

Cheers!
Alison

P.S. Dario is now 8 weeks old. Big brother Twix (white poodle) is getting used to his new diaper duty. Although he really misses his daily trips out the winery. Hang in there, Twix, we’ll be back at work soon though!

Posted by Alison Sokol Blosser at 09:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Grilling Saga Continues: A Boy, His Big Green Eggs, Evolution & Meditrina

What is it about a nice cut of New York Strip grilled over an open flame that just makes my mouth water? What is it about simple things that when done right, they taste so good? Take making a martini. Very few ingredients, but when you get a good one, you know it. When you get a bad one, you know it as well. Next time you're in Portland go see Sam at Olive or Twist. He has been making my 209 gin gimlet perfectly for the last year - thanks Sam! This steak is a long those same lines, very few ingredients, but when done right, really good! Here it is, the perfect steak cooked in the Big Green Egg.

Preparation

• Season steak with fresh cracked pepper, olive oil, and sprig of rosemary cut from your garden for both sides of the steak.
• Rub the steak with your hands to gently work in the olive oil and pepper on the meat.
• Place a rosemary sprig on the plate with the steak placed on top of the rosemary. Top the steak with another sprig of rosemary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or over night.
• Remove steak from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you are ready to grill and season both sides with sea or kosher salt (leave the salt with the little girl and the umbrella on the shelf).

Grilling: Our Big Green Egg, Mac, got the call to grill this perfect steak.

• Heat up your grill to 650+ degrees. Put just the steak (not rosemary) on the grill just on the outside edge of the glowing coals.
• Cook 2 ½ to 3 minutes per side, putting nice grill marks on the steak. The thickness of your steak will determine the time that you need to get your desired doneness. At the Nagle household, we like our NY strips prepared medium rare.
• I usually check the steak by touching the meat to see how firm it is. For me, our medium rare steaks have firmness with a little sponginess to the touch. If your steak doesn’t have the feel you like, leave it on your grill with the heat turned off. Your steak will get to the desired temperature you like with the remaining heat left in the grill.
• Let the steak rest off the grill for at least a minute before serving. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary if so desired.

Wine

I have a lot of favorite steak wines, but from Sokol Blosser Meditrina is my go to Goddess! She loves anything cooked on a grill! Chicken, ribs, steak, pork, duck, bison, you name it. I cannot think of something that does not go. Our Goddess of Wine & Health is not only tasty, but versatile as well. Who wouldn’t want a Goddess at their table?

Meditrina and the perfect steak - make sure you have more than one bottle available and volunteer to do the dishes that night…there will not be much to clean up!

Posted by Scott Nagle, Brand Ambassador at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the last week or so, we have been watching the bloom of our tiny Pinot Noir clusters in the vineyard!

For our Pinot Noir vines, this is the most important time for good weather (other than Harvest, of course). The tiny clusters flower only for a short time, 2 weeks at most, and bad weather (hail, heavy rains, or anything that could knock the blooms off of the clusters) could be catastrophic. However, we've had some of the best weather all year lately - and since bloom is approximately 3 weeks later than normal due to our wet, cool Spring, we feel very fortunate.

As of right now, everything looks great for a Harvest starting the first week of October. Full steam ahead!

Posted by Kitri Culbertson, Marketing Communications Manager at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)