The Punch Down

Last Minute Superbowl Party. Woooo!

Mikey: "Hi Honey, Remember the Superbowl party we were going to go to? Well the guy having it had to cancel, so I said we could do it at our place! That's cool right? I was thinking Nacho Bar..."

Me: "Hmmmm. Nachos are cool. Yea - but I'm thinking I want a little something to go with the Chard in the fridge too. You know the bottle I was going to bring..."

Off to the computer I go.

Hot artichoke dip? Spinach dip? Obviously I like dip. Okay what else is there?

And then I found:

Crispy, Creamy Rock Shrimp with Sweet Chile Aioli and Apple Slaw

Yumnumnumnumnum!!!! Num yum num!

And much, much more thanks to the Epicurious.com feature: Chefs' Super Bowl Recipes

Check out http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/superbowl ASAP if you are planning to have a few friends over for the big game.

Not that you need too much of an excuse to make this delish party perfect snacks... I know we'll be busting out the rock shrimp on a regular basis.

Enjoy the food! (And the wine...and the beer...)

 

Wine Quote Wednesday:

"Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul, gives being to our hopes, bids the coward flight, drives dull care away, and teaches new means for the accomplishment of our wishes."

- Horace

Weekend Snapshot

A line up of our latest and greatest releases for the folks at Wine Country Inn...

A delicious set of Gaps' Crown, Annahala and Roserock Vineyards.

A little something for everyone from 38º to 44º!

Thanks for your hospitality Wine County Inn!

Enjoying Expression at Avia...

Last thursday we had the pleasure to be the featured winery at Avia Hotel in downtown Napa for their evening wine hour. We had a lovely time sharing our Gap's Crown Chardonnay and talking latitude at the cozy bar.  Good times! Thanks for having us, Avia. We hope to see you soon!

   

Cheers!

Wine Quote Wednesday:

“Here’s to the man
Who owns the land
That bears the grapes
That makes the wine
That tastes as good
As this does.”
– Omar Khayyam

Weekend Snapshot!

Jack & Anne, guests at The Beazley House celebrating their engagement weekend with a glass of Expression 44º Pinot Noir and Expression 38º Chardonnay....

Cheers to the happy couple!

Pinot Fact Friday...Teenage Mutant Ninja Pinot

Well not quite...

However, Pinot noir can be particularly prone to mutation (suggesting it has active transposable elements), and thanks to its long history in cultivation there are nowadays hundreds of different clones in vineyards and vine collections worldwide. More than 50 are officially recognized in France compared to only 25 of the much more widely planted cabernet sauvignon.^[1]

--Wikipedia

An easy-peasy week-night indulgence inspired by one unopened bottle of Chardonnay...

What goes with Chardonnay?

Mmmmmmm Lobster.

Whooooaaaa lobster? Who whips up lobster on a Thursday night?

I do my friend. Thats who. And when you discover how easy broiling lobster tails is - you'll be busting this out to impress your friends/hubby/wifey what-ever every time you see lobster tail on sale.

And don't forget the Expression 38º Gap's Crown Chardonnay. Lobster makes Gap's Crown Chard sing.

Ingredients:

2 whole lobster tails

4 Tablespoons Of Butter, Softened
2 Tablespoons Of Grated Lemon Zest
1 Tablespoon Of Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Of Fresh Chopped Parsley
1/2 Teaspoon Of Cayenne Pepper

2 Tablespoon Oil

Directions:

Preheat the broiler

Beat the butter, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and cayenne pepper until blended.

Place lobster tails on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, carefully cut top side of lobster shells lengthwise. Pull apart shells slightly. Brush shells and meat with oil.

Broil lobster tails until lightly browned and lobster meat is opaque, about 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.

Oh and a little drawn butter on the side... mmmmm!

Bon Appetit!

Wine Quote Wednesday:

"Fill ev'ry glass, for wine inspires us,
And fires us
With courage, love and joy.
Women and wine should life employ.
Is there ought else on earth desirous?"

John Gay 1685 - 1732
The Beggar's Opera [1728], act II, sc. i, air 19

Pinot Fact Friday - Wait, white?

A white berried sport of Pinot noir was propagated in 1936 by Henri Gouges of Burgundy, and there is now 2.5ha planted of this grape which Clive Coates^[9] calls Pinot Gouges. Others call it Pinot Musigny. There is, however, no published evidence, nor any obvious reason, to believe that this is anything other than a (possibly quite fine) form of Pinot blanc, having simply arisen as a selected natural mutation of the original Pinot noir in the Gouges' vineyard. -- Wikipedia

 
  Vineyard worker, France circa. 1950