Winter Party Menu & Recipes!

We received raves and raves about the menu we served up at our Winter Solstice Cellar Club Party this past December, and several of you have since requested recipes for the lip-smacking dishes. While I don't have all of them, and some might have been slightly altered, here are links many of them! 

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart with Rosemary & Mascarpone

Autumn Salad with Pears & Gorgonzola

Pomegranate & Arugula Salad (with Pomegranate Molasses)

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Manchego with Honey Brown Butter Sauce

Creamy Herb Topping for Baked Potatoes

Baked Sweet Potato with Cream Cheese

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

Jalapeno Cornbread Whoopie Pies with Goat Cheese & Bacon Filling

Pumpkin Hummus:

Puree 1.5 cups drained canned chickpeas, 1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin, 3 Tbsp. each of olive oil and tahini  paste, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp. paprika & 1/4 cup water.  Add salt and lemon juice to taste.  Transfer to bowl.  Optional: Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle red pepper flakes and toasted pepitas on top... Great served with sweet potato chips!

Spiced Pita Chips:

Cut 3 pitas into wedges.  Toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. each cumin and coriander, and salt & pepper to taste.  Back at 425deg. until toasted, about 8 minutes.

Other tasty items from our menu included:

Mediterranean 8 Layer Dip

Baked Brie with Figs & Toasted Almonds

Minestrone Soup with Quinoa

BBQ Black Eyed Peas

Fresh Onion Dip with Veggies

Bacon Jalapeno Cream Cheese Cups

Roasted Red Pepper, Goat Cheese & Mushroom Torte

Stuffed Mini Peppers with Quinoa & Parsley

Assorted Sausages

Artisan Cracker and Cheeses

Grilled Chicken Pasta

Buffalo Wings

Black Magic Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Port Sauce

Lucky Cookies

Magic Cookie Bars

Most of the above can probably be found with an internet search!  A few are secret magic recipes that you'll just have to experience here at the winery ;)

Enjoy!

February Wine Releases, News & Events

Dear Cellar Club Members,

We are starting to get a better feel for the recent 2013 wines.  So far, so great, but it will still be at least a year before we know for sure.  Anyway, great job Scotty and crew!  We will have a lot of fun events at the winery as we continue to celebrate our 20^th Anniversary starting with a Valentines Day party on February 14^th and our annual Spring Cellar Club party in March.  Please continue to check our Facebook page and website for event details and the latest news from the winery and tasting rooms.

We have two exciting new wine releases for you this month:

our 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2011 Mourvedre. 

I fell in love with Mourvedre the first time I tried it many years ago.  Kathy shared this love, and it prompted us to visit the most famous home of Mourvedre in the world: the beautiful seaside town of Bandol in the South of France east of Marseilles.  Bandol sits right on the Mediterranean Sea, with the vineyards being a bit inland (2 to 3 miles) and a few hundred feet above sea level.  You can enjoy a great lunch only yards from the Med, and then spend the afternoon tasting the wonderful wines of Bandol up in the hills above town.

2011 Mourvedre
February CClub Retail Price $23.00
February CClub Discounted Price $18.40

Bandol is a favorite vacation spot for the French, and why not?  It is beautiful, reasonably priced and has many great restaurants and very fine wine.  Their reds must contain at least 50% Mourvedre to sport the Bandol Appelation, but most of them are all or mostly Mourvedre.  They also make some very nice rose wines.  My favorite makers are Chateau de Pibarnon and Domaine de Terrebrune (which also has great food!).

Our 2011 Mourvedre... For the 2011 vintage, we blended 80% Mourvedre from Valle de Guadalupe with 20% Syrah from El Dorado.  Here is what the esteemed wine judge and critic, Rich Cook, has to say about it:

“This wine is focused on the meaty, herbal side of these two varieties, with black cherry and blueberry fruit balancing things out. It's well integrated, with red meat, tobacco leaf, tar, black cherry, blueberry, mushroom and mild spice tones on the nose and on the palate. Serve it with wild game or a rustic mushroom & pasta dish.”  I just want to add that you can enjoy this wine right now or let it age for a few years.  Oh, and by the way, I love it!  One sip and I am sitting on the beach in Bandol.

2011 Mourvedre recommended ageing:  This one should mellow out to be very enjoyable in about 6-8 months.  Should age nicely in the bottle for 2-3 years.

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
February CClub Retail Price $24.00
February CClub Discounted Price $19.20

Our next selection is our 2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles along with 20% Petite Verdot from Clarksburg.  In Bordeaux, most of the wines are made from blends of two or more of the five varietals grown there: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec.  Those of you who have been members for a while may recall that our famous, award winning Kathy’s Cuvée is made from four or five of these varietals, depending on the vintage.

Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most widely consumed wine in the world.  Most wineries in California produce a Cab, so we are hardly unique in that aspect.  However we always strive to make the best one in the world.  They are certainly always good value for your money.  Here is what Rich Cook has to say about our latest vintage:

“Here's a very unusual Cabernet Sauvignon - I wouldn't be able to identify it as Cab if I was served blind, but it's a delicious glass of red wine - it's bursting with raspberry fruit and spice, with a touch of dried herb on the nose. The palate is all about the hard raspberry candy flavor, with bright acid and a long finish.  Try this where you'd normally serve a Zinfandel. This is a drink me now wine.”  I would agree completely, and remember to give it a few hours to breathe before serving.

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon recommended ageing:  Very enjoyable now, but should soften in about 8 months.  We expect this one to age nicely in the bottle for 3-4 years.

We hope to see you at our delicious Wine, Chocolate & Cheese pairing event coming up in just a couple weeks on February 14th.  We are already close to selling out for this event, so call us ASAP at 760-720-7499 to get your tickets!  You don’t want to miss this!  Also, our spring Cellar Club party is coming up in March, and we are doing something fun and different for this one.  Firstly, please note that the spring party will only be held on ONE day, instead of two!  On Saturday, March 22nd, we will be having our first ever Witch Creek Chili Cook-off!  Do you have an amazing chili recipe you think could take the prize?  Put it to the test and compete against other Club members!  We will be taking limited submissions for this competition, so get ready!  More details on prizes and rules to come in a couple weeks...

As always, thank you so much for your patronage and support.  We couldn’t do it without you!  Please enjoy responsibly.  

–Dave Wodehouse

Gift the perfect gift!  Order at:

witchcreekwinery.custometchedwine.com

Top 5 Reasons Personalized Wine Gifts make great Valentine’s presents: 

1. Wine is a gift to be shared. 

2. Etching lasts forever: Flowers wilt in a week. 

3. It takes a little fore thought in planning: Much more romantic than grabbing flowers on the way home. 

4. It makes a Bold statement: No one reads the card with flowers, but everyone knows how you feel with a custom wine bottle.   

5. It’s unexpected: Mix it up a bit! 

Valentine's Day Chocolate, Cheese & Wine Pairing!

Join us on Friday, February 14th at 6:30pm for a decadent chocolate and wine lover's pairing.

We will have a selection of tasty cheeses and gourmet chocolate desserts, paired with Witch Creek wines!  Desserts prepared by local artisans Chef Andrea of Andrea's Truffles, Chef Julie Balotin and our very own Lucinda Lattimer will be featured, along with a tasty array of yummy cheeses.  Also, we are sooo excited about being serenaded by the sexy harmonies of Johnny C. and Annaiah Jones...  Tickets are selling out quickly!  Call 760-720-7499 to reserve yours.

Ask Steve: Storing your Wine

One of the things I enjoy about attending the Cellar Club parties is the opportunity to chat with our interesting club members.  I never fail to get great topics for this column.  

While chatting with N and her husband, I realized that there are a few barriers that make it difficult for our members to age and enjoy older vintages of Witch Creek wines.  First is the expense of providing adequate storage, second is the challenge of finding space for the wine, and lastly is the problem of wine consumption (It’s all gone!).  Let me address these.

When Sally and I first started storing wines to age them, we had nothing in which to store them.  Then we discovered that we could pick any dark place on the north side of the interior of our abode and have ageing benefits.  We started by placing bottles into empty wine boxes that were on their side (a very important step – you don’t want the corks drying out!), under our bed.  You can use both sides of the bed, if necessary.  This provides a capacity of about 72 bottles and is zero cost (except for the wine)!  After some time, we exceeded our 72 bottle limit, but still wanted to store on the cheap.  We moved our wine to the floor of our bedroom closet and put the shoe racks atop the boxes, still a free storage option.  Your capacity here depends on the size of your closet and its depth as well.  When storing wine in these types of places, you cannot store as long as in a real cellar, so cut ageing to half of the recommended time.  So much for the first two problems!

The hardest problem to attack (and the only costly one) is the last one: getting the wine to age.  You can use your cellar club wine, but that strategy precludes your chance to taste it with a nice meal and then decide what to store.  One of the great features about Witch Creek’s club is that the two featured wines of the month are usually offered at a discounted rate for members all month long.  So I suggest that, after tasting. simply get additional bottles to store and adjust the quantity depending on how much you liked the wine(s).

“Is it worth all of this trouble to age wine?” you may ask.  Suffice to say, my motivation is the surprising enjoyment that I discover as a result of these efforts.  Perhaps you will find the same.  

See you at the next party!

~Steve Stredler

January 2014 Wines & News

Dear Cellar Club Members,

Happy 2014!  It has been a great 2013 – super wines, super teamwork from our people, a super re-model of the tasting room, a super crush, and, of course, our super Cellar Club support from you.  And lest I forget, I hope that you made it to our truly super-duper Holiday Cellar Club party.  A big thank you to our crew and volunteers headed up by Lucinda and highlighted by Rudy’s BBQ.

Our first wines for you in 2014 are the 2011 Syrah and a brand new blend: “Catastrophe”.  The grapes for this new Syrah come from the excellent El Dorado appellation from which we have gotten some of our best grapes over the years.  The origin of Syrah has long been debated.  Jancis Robinson says that, for a long time, it was thought to have originated in Persia, but that more recently DNA evidence has pointed to the Rhone region of central France as the source.  Regardless, Syrah has long shown an ability to produce serious red wines, capable of ageing majestically.  I think that you will find our 2014 Syrah to match that description.

Here is what wine critic and judge, Rich Cook, has to say about it:

“This Syrah brings aromas of red meat, tar, white pepper and blackberry with a leafy note in the background.  The palate is soft and supple, with bright acidity and medium weight. It delivers the nose well, with notes of chocolate and nutmeg coming through in a dry, food friendly package with a lingering finish. Try it with a slow roasted brisket.”  Amen!  I will add that this wine is a good example of why it is so much fun to be a part of our unique Cellar Club – you get to experience probably the widest range of fine wine experiences than any other wine club on our planet.

Speaking of unique, our next wine is just that!  Our first edition of CATastrophe is a unique blend of 25% Petite Sirah, 25% Aglianico, 25% Nebbiolo, 13% Petite Verdot and 12% Sagrantino.  Wow, how did we come up that?  As I have said before, it is a real kick to work out a new blend, especially when you have success.  Besides the wine, we hope that you enjoy the new label as well.

Here is what Rich Cook has to offer: “So what do you do with the odd lots of wine that didn't go into the varietal bottlings and annual blends?  Here is when the winemaker gets an opportunity to practice the art of blending, in an effort to come up with a pleasing wine that wastes a minimum of juice.  This wine needs some bottle age to fully integrate, but it shows some promise.  Blackberry, dry earth, bay leaf and fall spice aromas lead you to a palate that delivers the nose well, adding notes of dill in a finish that is oak dominated now, but should mellow nicely.” 

I would just add that you can drink this now with a couple of hours of breathing time, but it will definitely improve over the next few years.

I would also like to let you know about a new white wine that we have in addition to our Chenin Blanc and Moscato: a very smooth Sauvignon Blanc.  Rich Cook was kind enough to give us his impressions on this wine as well: “Here's a crisp, mineral driven Sauvignon Blanc that's very dry and refreshing.  The nose shows wet stone, lanolin, melon and lemon.  The palate delivers the nose, with and emphasis on the stony mineral and lemon.  The finish is medium long with a slightly bittering lime zest note adding interest. Try it with mixed greens or with lightly spiced fish preparations.” 

Ditto on “very smooth.”  While we do not send out any whites as one of our monthly selections, please consider adding some to your shipment if you like great white wines.

Once again, Happy Holidays to all of you, and thank you for a great 2013.  And a very Happy New Years from all of us at Witch Creek!!

~ Dave Wodehouse

Holiday Wine Special!

Check out this EXCLUSIVE wine special,

only available to our Cellar Club Members!!

December Wines & News

Dear Cellar Club Members,

Scotty and his fabulous crew have finally finished with the 2013 Crush – well done!  It is still too early to tell for sure, but it looks like a great vintage so far.  In the tasting room, Lucinda and her amazing crew have also done a great job, which was highlighted by our first ever Witches’ Ball to celebrate Halloween.  Lots of great costumes, music, food, wine and fun!  Every one of these special parties has sold out early, so stay tuned to our newsletters, website and Facebook page often to get a ticket for the next one.

Coming up in December, we have our annual Cellar Club Holiday Party on December 7^th and 8^th at the winery in Carlsbad.  If you have never attended one of our awesome Cellar Club parties, make sure that you attend this one if you can.  It is just for our Cellar Club Members and their guests and features great food, wine and lots of fun-loving people.  This is guaranteed to get you into the Holiday mood.

This month’s wines are the 2011 Tempranillo and Dave’s Pretty Good Red.  Jancis Robinson says in The Oxford Companion to Wine that Tempranillo is Spain’s answer to Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine variety that puts the spine into a high proportion of Spain’s most respected red wines.  It is also used in Portugal where it is known as Tinto Roriz, but there it is primarily used in the making of Port.  It is being grown more and more in California and Australia.

Our 2011 Tempranillo is grown for us by Heringer Vineyards in Clarksburg, in the Sacramento River Delta, a bit south of UC Davis.  It has turned out to be a great microclimate for Tempranillo, and the wines that we have made from this area have been big favorites with our Cellar Club members.  The fruit has also worked out very well in blends such as “Dos Amigos” and in our Port.  This latest 2011 vintage of Tempranillo is a worthy successor to its predecessors.

Esteemed wine judge and critic, Rich Cook, has these thoughts to share on this wine:

“Here's a lighter bodied Tempranillo that hits my markers - The nose shows cherry, vanilla, dill and mild cedar spice.  The palate is all about the bright cherry and tobacco, with food friendly acidity and a supple mouth-feel that keeps you sipping.  As the oak integrates with age, this will improve, although I find it very enjoyable right now.  It'll elevate simpler meat dishes or a red-sauce lasagna nicely.” 

I am in complete agreement – loving it now, but looking forward to trying it in a few years.

Our next offering is our latest “Dave’s Pretty Good Red”.  This bold blend in the style of a Super Tuscan has been our most consistent medal winner over the years, including several golds!  Super Tuscan style wines are inspired by some of the greatest wines of the Tuscany region of Italy.  They usually feature Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, but many other varietals are also used.  The 2011 Dave’s Pretty Good Red is made from 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 25% Sangiovese.

Rich Cook shares these tasting notes with us on this wine:

“If you stop into one of Witch Creek's tasting rooms, ask for the bottle with the benevolent warlock on the label.  They'll likely pour you up a sample of this Super-Tuscan styled red blend that bears the founder's portrait.  This wine has a long run of nicely made vintages, and this is no exception.  Aromas of blackberry, cherry, leafy dried herbs and tobacco are joined by touches of damp earth, leather, black tea and fall spice. The palate shows mild tannic grip and a full, balanced delivery of the nose elements, with some sweet oak coming forward in the medium long finish.  This might be the best "Dave's" yet - and it'll improve with some bottle age.” 

Right on!

If you try either of these wines in the short term, they will benefit greatly by decanting, followed by aeration for a few hours.  I recommend that you consider investing in a few extra bottles of either of these great wines, so that you can enjoy it now and even more in the future.  I hope to see you at the Holiday Party, so that I can say this in person: “Happy Holidays!!”  Please celebrate responsibly.

- Dave.