Saturday June 25th, 2016

Oyster Heaven Foodie Seminar

Definitely one of our favorite foods to prepare, eat and pair. So many different ways to cook these wonderful morsels and we did many.

400 oysters, 15 people, 2 shuckers and a lot of wine: makes for a very fun night of pairing.

We had 3 different mignonette's: Hogwash, Raspberry and Pink Peppercorn that was finished with our Brut Rose'.

Not surprising, the Brut Rose' wine was chosen best pairing and the Hogwash was the favorite with the pink peppercorn second.

 

 

On the grill BBQ oysters are amazing with wine, which wine was the winner?

Valdiguie, yes it was #1 pairing.

I recommend you try it. Next visit to Hog Island Farm take one with you!

 

We did grilled in the shell oysters with a garlic, butter, parsley and chardonnay sauce. The nightingale bread was so great to soak up the sauce! And the #1 pairing was Chardonnay. Our 2013 Chardonnay is elegant and bright with a delicate oak influence and a perfect food pairing due to the apparent acidity level and lower alcohol.

Chowdered, rich and creamy with plump poached oysters was next, I thought the Chardonnay would be the best pairing but preferred Brut Rose'. The group consensus was the Chardonnay, although it was a really mixed response. The RRV Pinot and Valdiguie were favored by many.

The next oyster prep was ' The Real Oysters Rockefeller ' from the Hog Island Oyster Lovers Cookbook. Scrumpcious and rich with no photo and favored by all with our 2012 Ruxton Pinot. It was a extra special treat that we had a Ruxton Family member at the table too!

Fried oyster is dessert for oyster lovers! Fullfilling does not describe these but after a meal of many oysters and a full belly, it is easy to finish with a few of these. We had 2 sauces, siracha mayo and a Meyer Lemon aioli, oh so good. No wine needed really but the Brut Rose' was pretty darn good to clean the palate!

At the end of this beautiful West Sonoma County warm Summer evening, the backyard and the fountain were a perfect closer. A little bit more Pinot Noir, stretch the legs and a great day done.

The chef needs a break, off to MI he goes until the next time.

May / June 2016

France, The Farmhouse and our 10th Anniversary

Mat and I were married in 2006 and had planned to go to Burgundy for our honeymoon.
A combination of an expired passport, the craziness of organizing a wedding and the fact that all of our family was visiting from out of state, the honeymoon to Burgundy was postponed. Ten years later we made it.

Out of the 12 days away, eight were spent visiting Vineyards, Tasting out of barrel and new releases, visiting a Barrel production Facility and eating and drinking our way from Lyons to Dijon and back.

The markets were amazing of which we had a few meals from. Boulangerie's on almost every corner, a refreshing change from Starbucks. Paul Bocuse and Daniel Boloud's birth place of Lyons, it is the culinary capitol of France.

 The Vineyards are endless, not like Napa and Sonoma's huge single vineyards. These are all tiny plots, side by side with vines that are 40 - 80 years old.

Our favorite meals were a combination of cheese and charcuterie plates or Michelin rated Paul Bocuse. There were many simple peasant food meals and very little Foie Gras which was expected to be eaten daily.

A lot of amazing wine of course...

And returning home to one of our favorite Restaurants for our actual Anniversary dinner at the Farmhouse.

All beautifully paired by the Sommelier. An Anniversary to remember. Time for a diet.