Catch The Spirit – Cooking With California Wine made its debut Saturday on Cox 4 San Diego. The second episode from Orfila Vineyard will air this Saturday the 12th at 8:30am. You can catch a sneak preview here. Catch The Spirit at Orfila!
“Catch the Spirit, Cooking with California Wine.”

Grilled Shrimp Kabobs with tossed baby greens dressed with a Lemon Vinaigrette made with Orfila 200 Ambassador’s Reserve Chardonnay

Homemade Crêpes

Espresso Biscotti served with 2006 Estate Ambassador’s Reserve Merlot

Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
Serves 2
2 skewers per person
Two 16-20 size raw shrimp per skewer
8 shrimp cleaned and deveined, leave tail on
Fruit and vegetables to skewer: 1 inch Lemons wedge,
½ inch pieces zucchini, red onion, and red pepper
On skewer: 1st on skewer: red onion, shrimp, red pepper, zucchini, shrimp and lemon wedge on the top
Pour marinade over skewers; allow to sit for one hour,
Remove skewers from marinade; wipe off excess liquid with a paper towel,
Preheat grill to 500 degrees,
Place skewers on grill and grill till shrimp are pink.
Remove from grill, hold for service

Marinade is equal parts of Orfila 2007 Ambassador’s Reserve Chardonnay
and olive oil, adding dried basil, fresh chives, fresh dill, and
fresh ground sea salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon Vinaigrette with Orfila 2007 Ambassador’s Reserve Chardonnay
Serves 12

Juice of ½ lemon
Zest of ½ lemon
3 oz. salad oil
1 oz balsamic vinegar
Handful of chopped chives, chopped dill
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 oz Orfila 2007 Ambassador’s Reserve Chardonnay
Fresh ground sea salt and pepper

In a small bowl, bring all ingredients together except oil and vinegar, then slowly drizzle in oil and vinegar while continually whisking till emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste
Serve over salad
Plate as seen on TV

Crêpes
Makes 12
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp unsalted butter, melted and cooked slightly
1 pinch of salt
Blend milk, eggs, flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt in a bowl and whisk till smooth; about 1 minute.
Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to skillet and brush to coat bottom. Heat over moderate heat until hot, about 30 seconds, then pour ¼ cup batter into skillet, tilting to coat bottom evenly. Cook until underside is pale gold in color, approximately 1 ½ to 2 minutes, then flip crêpe as demonstrated or flip crêpe with a spatula. Cook this side till pale gold in color, approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer crêpe with spatula to a work surface, turning over so that side cooked first is facedown.

Cherries Jubilee with 2006 Estate Ambassador’s Reserve Merlot

Serves 2

3 oz dark canned cherries
3 oz of fresh pitted Bing cherries
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scrape as demonstrated
Save juice from canned cherries
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 good shake ground cinnamon
Zest of ¼ orange
2 tbsp butter
1 oz brandy
2 tbsp Orfila 2006 Estate Ambassador’s Reserve Merlot
Directions
In a large sautée pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp butter and brown sugar, allow butter to melt while brown sugar continues to cook, next incorporate cherries, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and orange zest, sautée till all ingredients are hot. Add brandy, flame till brandy is completely cooked out, add orange juice and Orfila Merlot and cook this till mixture comes to low boil, then add last tbsp butter and stir till dissolved. Remove vanilla bean and serve hot over crepes or ice cream.

When John Thornton launched his Champagne Jazz concert series, little did he realize what a runaway success it would become. On the other hand, having spent some time with John, he probably had no doubt. This past Sunday Laura and I were guests of the Thorntons for the David Sanborn concert. We arrived at the winery at the same time as the Thorntons, and Steve took care to make sure we were seated and taken care of. We had a table for two, a bottle of champagne and a delicious dinner prepared by Executive Chef Steve Pickell.

Guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr. (leader of the American Idol band) and his band opened the show and he is a remarkable guitarist. He acknowledged Earl Klugh and you could hear the influence in his playing. David Sanborn came out and played a tremendous set, featuring several tunes from his most recent CD, Here & Gone. Steve Thornton was gracious enough to personally escort me backstage after the show to meet David Sanborn. The Champagne Jazz concert series continues through October 11th, with notables like Candy Dulfer, Spyro Gyra and Peter White still to come.

Paul Jackson, Jr.

Steve Pickell

John Thornton

Steve Thornton

David Sanborn

Ricky Peterson

Alex Prestifillipo is the owner of Gourmet Italia, Gourmet Italia North and Spuntino Pizzeria. This past Sunday, Alex and his wife Charity welcomed a group of diners to his home for his 2nd annual cooking show. Alex and Charity’s home sits on a hill in De Luz, on Temecula’s west side. There’s a spectacular panoramic view and the lawn was set with tables, chairs and umbrellas to fend off the sweltering sun.

Guests were greeted with Mojitos and Martini Bianco on the rocks. John Tiso brought three cases of his La Serenissima wine; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and his Cab-Merlot blend. If you have not yet tried his wines, seek them out. They are exceptional. Live music was provided by Randy & The Associates. Alex prepared Salmone Avocado e Pompelmo Rucola (Smoked Salmon, Avocado, & Pink Grapefruit with Arugula in an emulsion of Lime & Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Carpaccio di Bresaola con Cuori di Palma (Thin Sliced Cured Beef Topped with Arugula and Hearts of Palm in a Citrus Mustard Dressing), Rigatoni al Sugo di Cervo con Pecorino Toscano (Rigatoni mixed with Shredded Venison Ragu, Eggs and Bechamel Sauce topped with Pecorino Toscano), Ripiena con Pancetta Aparagi (Fresh Halibut wrapped with Pancetta and Aparagus in a bed of Arugula Pesto), Cannoli Siciliana (Sicilian Canolis with three different fillings) and Gelatini al Rosa con Fragole e Mousse di Marscapone (Red Gelatin with Strawberries and a Marscapone Mousse). I’m stuffed just writing about it!

We dealt with the heat as best we could (Charity and Alex came by to occasionally mist us with spray bottles), the food was incredible and I look forward to next year’s gathering. Ciao!

Cooking With Alex (click to play video)

John Tiso

Alex and son Luca

Charity and Alex

Gourmet Italia Crew

Tomatoes

The mercury hovered in the low 100s, but that didn’t stop the 450 people in attendance from having a wonderful time this past Sunday at Orfila Vineyards Grape Stomp in Escondido. For Executive Winemaker Don Reha, it was his first time to preside over this fun event.

Many took to the spirit of the day, plunging feet first into tubs filled with grapes. Several of the Orfila employees were dressed to resemble Lucille Ball in the classic I Love Lucy grape stomping episode. Wine tasting, live music and dinner made this a full afternoon. Click here to view Orfila Grape Stomp 2009 video

I’ve had to good fortune to be part of the audience for three tapings of an upcoming TV show called “Catch The Spirit – Cooking With California Wine”. Chef Cody James and wife Linda have visited several Temecula Valley wineries, including Oak Mountain, Keyways and Cougar. The show is set to premier this Saturday, September 5th on Cox 4. Chef Cody is a wizard and I recommend you watch the show if you get the chance. For more information, visit Chef Cody’s Manhattan Catering website.

If you’d like a sneak preview of the first episode at Oak Mountain Winery, click here – Catch The Spirit – Cooking With Calfornia Wine

It’s what every winemaker dreams of – first crush. It means harvest has begun and another season of making wine begins. I was at Thornton Winery this morning for their first crush of the season. Winemaker Don Reha raised a champagne toast as the first Pinot Noir grapes tumbled into the press to begin their journey towards becoming Blanc de Noir sparkling wine. The weather was absolutely perfect. There was a gentle breeze and temperatures were in the mid 60s. You can see this is what Don lives for. He probably won’t get a lot of sleep during the next month, but this is what it’s all about.

Don says this year’s harvest looks to be one of the best in recent memory. The extraordinarily cool weather in June led to a beautiful acid balance in the grapes. I tasted somes of the grapes and they were like nectar. Cafe Champagne Executive Chef Steve Pickell was on hand as was winery President Steve Thornton (sporting the hat he got at Ralphs for ten bucks). It looks like the 2009 harvest is off to a fantastic start. Don and Cellar Manager Arsenio Reyes have begun the crush.

Steve Thornton

Robert Renzoni

Laura and I spent Saturday afternoon doing what we love best – visiting wineries and tasting wine. Our friend Trasier Schuyler from Taste of Temecula was pouring at Gershon Bachus Vintners, so we decided to pay him a visit. We had met owners Ken and Christina on our first visit last year and we remembered enjoying their wines very much. GBV is one of three Temecula Valley wineries with a sit down tasting room, the other two being Briar Rose and Thornton.

We tasted two whites and three reds. First up was the Villa Vino White Duet, a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp and clean, it was a great way to start. Following that was the Four Four Two, a 40% Pinot Grigio, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Viognier blend. This wine was a bit more complex and was one we wound up taking home. Moving on to the reds we started with the Villa Vino Rosso, a Super Tuscan 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. The Zephyrus Zinfandel was next, with a wonderful nose and solid finish. He saved the best for last. The Aquilo 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Napa Valley grapes. This is a solid, classic Cab and well worth the $65 price tag. I’m going to visit with Ken and Christina when we return from vacation and do a more extensive story about their winery.

The second stop I’m sorry to say was a flop. We first visited Leonesse Cellars last year. We went on a weekday afternoon and had a great time. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable and took time to tell us about their different wines. When we left we had become members of their wine club. On a few subsequent visits I found I was either unable to park or if I did find a spot I wound up in a sea of people trying to reach the tasting bar. Recently they opened their barrel room for members only, which is where we went. Again, we were in a big crowd of people. The iron chairs make a hideous noise when they are dragged across the concrete floor. I don’t think our server could have acted less interested if she tried. The Cinsault was tasty as were a few other wines, but that’s one wine club membership I won’t hesitate to cancel.

Fortunately for us there were better things waiting down the road. Masia de Yabar is one of the most recent additions to the Temecula Valley. The setting is spectacular near the end of De Portolo Road. Live Flamenco music filled the air as we relaxed in the outdoor patio and tasted their excellent wines. The 2007 Malbec comes from Argentina and is a great example of the varietal. We also enjoyed the Viognier, Tempranillo, Zinfandel and Monastrell. Look for a more in depth story on this newcomer as well.

We finished our tasting at Robert Renzoni Vineyards. Robert was not around when we stopped by the tasting room, but we were greeted warmly and enjoyed our tasting thoroughly. The Barile Chardonnay has a nice oakiness to it, but is very soft. The La Rosa Sangiovese Rose is perfect for a Summer day. One of my favorites if the Super Tuscan Fiore di Fano. Also noteworthy was the Concerto, a Zinfandel, Syrah and Merlot blend. I’ll be visiting with Robert when we return home and look forward to sharing his story with you. We leave Thursday for Cancun. I doubt we’ll hit any wineries, but I hope to share some photos and stories with you.