November 2024 Food Pairing

November Wine and Food Pairing

2021 Mourvèdre paired with Harvest Chili

As we enter the colder months, this fall Harvest Chili recipe certainly hits the spot! This hearty chili is full of beef, beans and stewed tomatoes but can you guess the secret ingredients that really give it that fall pizzaz? Sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie spices! We paired it with our 2021 Mourvèdre for the November food pairing. Having only produced about 50 cases, this Mourvèdre is one of our more limited varietals at Shadow Ranch. Its cranberry and sage notes make it a great accompaniment to your Thanksgiving meal, and it balanced well with all the flavors popping out of this chili. Leave out the beef and you have an equally hearty vegan dish to share! Read below for the full recipe.

Harvest Chili

Ingredients

• 1 tbps vegetable oil
• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (16 oz) chili beans
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook 5 minutes or until browned, breaking up meat with back of wooden spoon.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add pepper, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Stir in potato, chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, oregano, cumin, salt and sugar; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, beans and tomato sauce.
3. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve with cheese and sour cream, if desired.

August 2024 Food Pairing

August 2024 Wine club release and food pairing

2022 Zinfandel paired with shrimp and grits

Our newly released 2022 Zinfandel is quickly becoming a new favorite here at Shadow Ranch. It is made with 100% estate-grown grapes and has the perfect balance of tannins and acids, creating a smooth and delightful sip. This Zinfandel is dark cherry red in color and has a hint of vanilla and jasmine on the aroma. Red and black fruit notes dominate, such as raspberry, black cherry, and lingonberry, while a subtle profile of dates layers the background notes.

The spiciness of this iconic shrimp and grits recipe helps bring out the warm black pepper notes in the Zinfandel.

Ingredients for the grits:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup grits
• 1 bunch chives, chopped fine
• 1/2 jalapeño, diced fine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Bring water and milk to a boil in a sauce pot.
2. Whisk in the grits and stir constantly over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until it begins to thicken.
3. Turn heat to very low and cover with lid. Cook 30-40 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes until grits are thick and creamy.
4. Stir in chives, jalapeno, butter and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve warm.

Ingredients for the shrimp:

• 3 slices bacon, medium diced
• ½ pound shrimp (31-40 count), peeled, deveined and tails removed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, shaved thin
• ½ red bell pepper, medium diced
• ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
• Kosher salt and cracked bell pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Render bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat until just beginning to brown.
2. Remove bacon and set aside, keeping rendered fat in the pan.
3. In a work bowl, toss shrimp with chili powder, garlic powder and cayenne, then set aside.
4. Add olive oil and butter to the pan with the bacon fat and heat to medium-high.
5. Add the garlic and sauté for 15-20 seconds.
6. Add the bell peppers and sauté for 30 seconds.
7. Add the shrimp and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked through.
8. Add the parsley and toss to coat, then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To serve:

Place grits on a serving plate and top with sauteed shrimp and cooking juices for extra flavor.

 

Syrah with leek & blue cheese tartlets

Our 2022 Syrah has been released, and true Syrah lovers and those newer to the varietal are raving about it! This Syrah brings delight to the eyes and senses. It is very dark maroon in color and almost entirely opaque. Full bodied, very dry and with an excellent structure thanks to its well-rounded tannins, winemaker Sam calls this Syrah “a serious expression of the varietal”. There is a refreshing acidity to this vintage that can best be characterized by the aroma of citrus zest you’ll note on the nose. Fruit notes on this vintage include cranberry and elderberry, underlaid by earthy notes of bergamot, cocoa, and clove. This Syrah can stand up to bold flavors and rich fats and we recommend it as a great dinner wine when you’re serving red meat or bold cheeses.

The rich and luscious combination of this leek and blue cheese tartlet mingle tastefully, teasing out the contrasts between the bright and earthy notes of this vibrant and rich Syrah.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 large leeks, rinsed and finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 ¼ cups / 170 g Roquefort cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup / 120 ml crème fraiche
• One 17.3 – oz / 495 – g package puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed if frozen
• Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer the leeks to a large bowl, add the cheese and crème fraiche, and stir gently to mix.
2. Roll out each pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface into a 10-in / 25-cm square. Cut each sheet into four squares. Using a small knife, score a ½-in / 12-mm border around the inside edges of each square, being careful not to cut through the pastry. Arrange the squares on two rimmed baking sheets/trays.
3. Position one rack in the top third of the oven and another rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/gas 6. Spoon the filling over the pastry squares, leaving a ½ - in/12-mm border. Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and continue to bake until the crusts are puffed and golden and the filling is cooked through, about 10 minutes more.

To serve:

Garnish the tarts with the thyme sprigs and serve.

June 2024 Food Pairing

June 2024 Wine club release and food pairing

Cotes du Ombre paired with Green Goddess Gnocchi and Tempranillo paired with bacon cheddar beef sliders

Côtes du Ombré paired with Green Goddess Gnocchi

Our Côtes du Ombré is definitely a fan favorite here at Shadow Ranch. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, you might typically see this wine called a Côtes du Rhône, meaning “sides of the Rhône”, a major wine region in France. It is also often referred to simply as a “GSM” referring to its three component wines. We call ours Côtes du Ombré because ombré is French for shade or shadow, so it is our own little play on words for the Shadow Ranch version of a Côtes du Rhône.

The Côtes du Ombré has delicious fresh fruit characteristics such as plum, strawberry and cherry. It is a very bright wine with relatively low acidity and tannins. We chose the Green Goddess Gnocchi for our pairing in part thanks to the freshness of the herbs in the green goddess sauce. We found that the herbaceous nature of the dressing balanced will with the fruit of the wine. The key to this recipe is definitely the use of fresh herbs! Dried herbs will not do this recipe justice. We pulled this recipe from delish.com. Normally Tricia will doctor a recipe up a bit, but she said in this case she loved it as is! Overall it is a very easy recipe to prepare and a perfect as a summer side dish or as a main!

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 8 oz. crème fraiche
• ½ cup fresh dill
• ½ cup fresh basil
• ¼ cup fresh tarragon
• ¼ cup sliced fresh chives
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 cups chopped asparagus
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 16 oz. fresh gnocchi
• Finely grated parmesan for serving

Instructions:

1. Boil salted water. In a separate bowl prepare an ice bath.
2. In a food processor, blend together the crème fraiche, dill, basil, tarragon, chives, lemon juice and a dash of salt.
3. Blanch the asparagus and snap peas by dunking them for two minutes in boiling water, then transfer to ice bath, keeping the boiling water.
4. Cook the gnocchi in your boiling water until they float. Reserve a half cup of pasta water.
5. Add pasta water to your green goddess dressing 1 tablespoon at a time and blend until silky.
6. Combine gnocchi, asparagus and snap peas and green goddess sauce and serve with asprinkle of parmesan.

Tempranillo Paired with Bacon Cheddar Beef Sliders

Tempranillo wine tends to have more tannic structure to it with a heavier body and great fruit notes. This 2022 Tempranillo is deliciously smooth with notes of raspberry and a hint of lavender on the nose. This vintage is especially smooth, but its medium-to-heavy body lends it to pair will with richer cheeses and meats. For our June event we thought we’d give you a great recipe for grilling throughout the summer months! We landed on the bacon cheddar beef sliders for this pairing and it was incredibly popular. Tricia mixed the cooked bacon and cheddar cheese into the beef before grilling so that all the flavors could meld together. Check out the recipe below!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground beef, 88% lean
• ½ lb bacon, diced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Mayonnaise
• Smoked paprika
• Mild BBQ sauce
• Slider buns

Instructions:

1. Fry bacon until just less than crispy.
2. Gently mix together shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, ground beef, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Form into small patties, roughly 2.5 inches across.
3. Make spread by mixing together mayonnaise and smoked paprika
4. Grill patties to your liking (we like medium rare).
5. Spread mayonnaise mixture on one bun and BBQ sauce on the other. Assemble and serve!

 

March Food Pairing with 2022 Tempranillo Release

March Tempranillo Release and Food Pairing

The 2022 Tempranillo has been released and boy do we love it! This vintage has notes of raspberry and bit of lavender on the aroma. Beautifully smooth, this wine is ready to pour for your next dinner party or just a night cooking for yourself at home. Looking for something easy to put together and delicious to pair? Look no further than this Manchego and Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese recipe! Given that Tempranillo is a Spanish varietal, Kimari created this recipe with Spain in mind, pairing rich manchego cheese and spicy chorizo sausage. We loved this recipe and we hope you will too!

Manchego and Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 lb macaroni
• 8 Tbs butter
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¾ lb Manchego cheese shredded
• ½ cream cheese
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• ½ Tbs salt
• ¼ Tbs pepper
• ½ Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Splash of pasta water

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to the directions.

While the pasta is cooking make the sauce. Start by melting the butter. Add the onions cook 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic cook 1 minute. Add the flour and cook a few minutes until the flour is slightly browned. Add the milk and cheese and whisk until smooth. Add the seasonings, mustard and some pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Cook the chorizo and drain the fat off. Add the chorizo to the sauce then add the macaroni. Put all in baking dish and bake for 20 minutes and serve.

February 2024 Food Pairing

February 2024 Wine Club Release and Food Pairing

February’s Wine Club release was a Choose Your Own, meaning Club Members could choose whichever two wines they wanted! This also gave our team in the kitchen free reign when it came to the food pairing. We ended up choosing two of our most popular varietals, the Barbera and the Côtes du Ombré. Barbera being a classic Italian varietal, we picked a classic Italian appetizer, bruschetta, with the addition of pearls of mozzarella to balance Barbera’s natural acidity. The Côtes du Ombré is our blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, more commonly referred to as a GSM blend or Côtes du Rhone. For this delicious rhone blend we chose a hearty French dish, the coq au vin. Made with a healthy splash of the Côtes du Ombré, this dish was rich, flavorful, and perfect for a chilly February day.

Below you’ll find the recipes for both dishes so that you can try your own pairings at home! Enjoy!

Caprese Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 12 large tomatoes
• 12 oz pearl mozzarella
• 20 basil leaves
• 5 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 5 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 baguettes sliced and toasted

Instructions:

Chop up the tomatoes, garlic and basil finely. Mix with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. Add in the cheese and mix. Serve with sliced and toasted baguette. 

 

Coq Au Vin

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs. carrots diced
• 2.5 lbs. cremini mushrooms sliced
• 2 Tbs butter
• 5 yellow onions diced
• 1.5 lbs. pearl onions (frozen)
• 5 cloves garlic finely minced
• 12 lbs. chicken wings
• 4 Tbs baking powder
• ¼ Tbs salt
• 20 oz bacon diced
• 1.25 cups cognac
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 12 sprigs thyme
• 2.5 bottles Côtes du Ombré
• 5 Tbs parsley

 

Instructions:

1. Cook the bacon in batches. Drain off the fat and put bacon aside.

2. Cook the onions and carrots until soft. Add the garlic and cook one minute.

3. Add the Cognac, chicken stock, wine, and thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes. Take out the sprigs of thyme.

4. Meanwhile cook the chicken. Wash and dry the chicken then lightly dredge in 2 Tbs baking powder and ¼ tbs salt. Bake wings at 400 F for 60 minutes, Turning over every 20 minutes.

5. Cook the mushrooms in 1 Tbs butter in a separate pan.

6. Finally put all the ingredients together in your big stock pot, simmer 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

 

December Food Pairing

December 2023 Wine Club Release and Food Pairing

After many months of anticipation, we were finally able to release our 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon for the December wine club this year! We usually like to have one meat and one vegetarian option for our food pairing, so Kimari and Tricia came up with a delicious vegan pâté for this pairing. To be quite honest, I didn’t know what to expect from a mushroom pâté, but this recipe was so full of flavor and delicious umami richness. It paired very well with the Cab, bringing out some richer flavors and oak spices that weren’t as noticeable without the food.

The other wine featured in this shipment was our very popular 2021 Petite Sirah. This wine is very rich and heavy in tannins, creating a grippy mouthfeel on the tongue. This is a wine that needs a match for bold flavors and intensity. We chose to make brie-stuffed venison and pork meatballs along with a cranberry glaze to pair with this wine. The fattiness of the brie cheese helps to cut the intensity of the tannins, the venison provides that strong flavor, and the pork helps to make the meatballs juicy and flavorful.

We had a lot of fun with this pairing, and we’ve provided the recipes below for your inspiration at home!

2021 Cabernet with Mushroom Walnut Pâté

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2.5 cup chopped cremini mushrooms 
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and unsalted
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 
• 2 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• salt (to taste)

Instructions

1. Sauté the onions and mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until onions begin to caramelize.
2. Add balsamic vinegar, chopped rosemary, garlic and thyme and Sauté another few minutes.
3. Allow to cool, then add to food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste
4. Serve at room temperature on crackers or toasted baguettes.

2021 Petite Sirah with Brie Stuff Lamb and Pork Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground venison
• 1lb ground pork
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1tsp fresh ground pepper
• 8 oz brie at room temperature
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine venison and pork with salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well. Use a small scoop to portion out even size meatballs.
2. Flatten each meatball into a disc. Use a smaller scoop to portion out the brie. Put a ball of brie on each disc of meat and enclose into a meatball.
3. Roll meatballs in breadcrumbs and repeat until all your meatballs are done. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Fry meatballs in batches in the olive oil. Turn constantly until browned on all sides. Serve with fresh cranberry sauce.

Mourvèdre Release and Food Pairing!

November 2023 Food pairing

2021 Mourvèdre paired with Cranberry Walnut Goat Cheese Balls

The release of the 2021 Mourvèdre came just in time for the holiday season and all the delicious meals that go along with it! This new vintage is herbaceous, with notes of sage and clove, and a little bit earthy. It has a medium body and very mild tannins, making it an excellent wine to pair with meats like turkey and ham, or herbed side dishes, like mashed potatoes and stuffing. It even has light notes of pomegranate and raspberry, which can be complimented nicely by cranberry sauce or honey glazes. We are not exaggerating when we say this is the perfect Thanksgiving wine. 

As such, we thought we would come up with a fun Thanksgiving appetizer to help inspire you for your holiday tables! These cranberry walnut goat cheese balls look festive and taste delicious. The parsley, cinnamon, and cranberries all did so well with the Mourvèdre. With all the walnut trees surrounding the tasting room it was only natural that we should use them for this recipe, but pecans or pistachios would also do nicely. 

The cream cheese in this recipe really mellowed out any tanginess to the goat cheese, so even those who don't normally enjoy goat cheese loved the recipe! However, if you are more of goat cheese lover, we would recommend lessening the ratio of cream cheese to match your taste. 

However you choose to prepare these, they are sure to be a hit at your upcoming holiday gatherings! Don't forget your bottle of Mourvèdre to share alongside it!

Cranberry Walnut Goat Cheese balls

Ingredients:

• 10 oz goat cheese
• 6 oz cream cheese
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries chopped
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the goat cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon and honey until light and creamy. Fold in ¼ cup walnut pieces.
2. Using a mini ice cream scoop or cookie baller, scoop and roll out small balls of filling. Allow to chill in fridge for about 20 minutes.
3. For the coating, mix the remaining walnut pieces, dried cranberries, and parsley.
4. Coat the balls of filling in the walnut/cranberry mixture. Drizzle with honey and serve with crackers or toasted slices of baguette. These can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.

Our popular new small bite! The Dirty Martini Dip

Dirty Martini Dip

When you come in for a tasting experience at Shadow Ranch you are expecting fabulous wines, stunning views, and excellent service from our friendly hosts. What you may not be expecting is a delicious complimentary small bite with your tasting, or to be asking for the recipe before your experience is even complete! 

Lately at Shadow Ranch we've been offering a Dirty Martini Dip to pair with our wines and as an effective palate cleanser between sips. We serve this tangy, creamy dip with crackers or homemade flatbread, when available! It's a perfect appetizer to bring to dinner parties or to serve with your charcuterie board. And for those of you who have been asking, I've shared the recipe below:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups olives + their juice
• 12 oz cream cheese
• 5 oz blue cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 green onions
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, blend together the cream cheese, blue cheese, sour cream, green onions, black pepper, and olive juice.
2. Roughly chop the olives and add them to the food processor last. You still want some recognizable olive chunks in the dip.
3. Serve with crackers, vegetables, or flatbread! We like to serve it with a couple of olives on a skewer, as a nod to it's martini inspirations.

October 2023 Food Pairing

October 2023 Wine Club Release and Food pairing

Our October Club Release included a bottle of the newly released 2021 Zinfandel! Aged in 60% new French oak, this wine has wonderful aromas of vanilla and carmel, but retains the delicious fruit forward quality of a great California zinfandel. For this pairing Kimari came up with BBQ Ribs over mashed potatoes, and it was a hit! The sweet smokiness of the ribs worked so well with the toasted oak and blackberry of the Zinfandel. The best part? This recipe came from owner and winemaker Sam Patterson's own grandmother! She shared it with Kimari, who says it is one of the easiest ways to cook ribs, and it always turns out great! Check out the recipe below and make this at home with your own bottle of 2021 Zinfandel!

 

Ingredients:

RUB:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup garlic salt
• 1/3 cup onion salt
• ½ cup paprika
• 2 TBS chili powder
• 1 Tbs cayenne
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp pepper

Baby Back Ribs

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Generously rub ribs and let them come to room temperature.
3. Fill pan with ½ inch of water, place in ribs and cover tightly with foil.
4. Cook for 2 hours. Make sure to check that there is still liquid in the pan. Add more accordingly.
5. Brush on favorite BBQ sauce as they come out of the oven and serve! 

September 2023 Food Pairing

September 2023 Food Pairing

2020 Tannat paired with Lamb meatballs with Tzatziki sauce and naan!

We had so much fun with our September Food Pairing event this past Saturday! For this pairing we wanted to feature our 2020 Tannat. Tannat is a lesser-known varietal and one that we typically have very little of! Owner, winemaker, and vineyard manager Sam Patterson takes care of just a half acre of Tannat grapes at a property down in Loomis, CA. In 2020 we were only able to produce 42 cases of Tannat, making this a very exclusive vintage. Tannat is a very rich, full-bodied wine. It is one that pairs well with red meats, like steak, and gamier meats, such as lamb or veal. Tannat grapes originated in the Basque region, which is also known for a long history of sheep herding. For these reasons we decided that lamb would be a perfect pairing for this excellent wine. The unseasonably rainy weather added great ambiance for this pairing as well! If you would like to recreate this pairing at home you will find the recipe below! Topa!

Meatball Ingredients:

• ½ lb ground lamb
• ½ lb ground pork
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 large garlic clove minced
• 1 yellow onion grated
• 2 tsp dried mint
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¾ tsp salt

Tzatziki Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 English cucumbers
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• 16 oz whole Greek yogurt

Mint or Dill for garnish

Mint chutney for serving

 

Instructions:

Tzatziki: Finely grate cucumber and garlic. Blend all ingredients together.

Meatballs: Combine all the meatball ingredients and mix together until well combined. With wet hands, form into 1 inch meatballs. Heat oil to medium in a pan and brown on all sides, in batches if necessary. Serve on mini Naan bread with tzatziki and mint chutney.