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    • Week 10 – Zinfandel Minestrone (courtesy cheers2wine)
    • Week 11 – Roasted Tomato, Artichoke and Prosciutto Tartine (courtesy Chef Steve Pickell, Thornton Winery)
    • Week 12 – Yukon Gold Potato Soup (courtesy Chef Steve Pickell, Thornton Winery
    • Week 13 – Lamb Chislic Skewers
    • Week 14 – Boudro’s Famous Guacamole
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    • Week 16 – Chef Steve Pickell’s Turkey Salad
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    • Week 17 – It’s that Time of Year Again – Time for the Boss’s Potluck Christmas Party…
    • Week 20 – Easy Ginger Snap Cookies courtesy of Zenaida Cellars
    • Week 21 – Caribbean BBQ by Crispin Courtenay, Temecula Valley Chef
    • Week 22 – Conch Chowder (Courtesy Jorika (Eureka) Mhende, Bohio Dive Resort, Grand Turk Island)
    • Week 23 – Black Eyed Peas
    • Week 24 -Tomato Bisque – Courtesy Temet Grill Executive Chef Salvatore Giuliano
    • Week 4 – Cindy Palumbo’s (Classic) Roast Chicken & Rosemary (From Palumbo Family Vineyards in Temecula)
    • Week 5 – Roast Lamb with Pistou
    • Week 6 – Roasted Pork Loin with a Bordeaux Blend Demi Glace & Green Beans Al’Olio
    • Week 7 – Spaghetti With Hearty Meat Sauce (Courtesy August Ridge Vineyards)
    • Week 8 – Zinfandel & Black Pepper Marinated Tri Tip
    • Week 9 – Cioppino (courtesy Star Pooley and allrecipes.com)
    • Week 1 – Lamb Chops Braised in Sauvignon Blanc
    • Week 2 – Joanne Perata’s Stuffed Chicken Breast
    • Week 3 – Grilled Shrimp with a Mixed Green Salad with Herb Apple Cider Vinaigrette
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Posts tagged ‘Orfila’
Wine At Sea – Meet Cellar Master Fernando Bacsa
Tom Plant | January 25, 2010 | 11:08 am | Miscellany, The Love of Wine, Travel, Wine & Food | 2 Comments

Cellar Master Fernando aboard ms EurodamThe IFWTWA “Conference At Sea” was an opportunity for a group of writers to not only enjoy a cruise on the Caribbean, but also to see the inner workings of a cruise ship. As a wine writer, I was curious to see the challenges faced by a Cellar Master whose job includes making sure that more than a thousand different wine drinkers each week are happy with what they are offered. Fernando Bacsa has a passion for what he does and he clearly loves his work. He has been with Holland America for thirteen years now and says “it’s not just a company, this is my family.” He does have a family at home in the Philippines, though; a wife and three children. His two sons want to follow in his footsteps and are already in training to work for Holland America.

Fernando got a degree in hotel operations in the Philippines and then began work as a catering supervisor in Libya, working for Moammar Kadafi in the Presidential Palace for five years. He was also employed by Nelson Mandela, so you can safely call him Read more »

Wine At Sea – A Week Aboard Holland America’s ms Eurodam (1-26 update)
Tom Plant | January 13, 2010 | 3:24 am | The Love of Wine, Wine & Food, Wine Country trips | 15 Comments

To say this has been an interesting week would be a gross understatement. My wife Laura and I learned we would be joining a group from the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) on their Eastern Caribbean Cruise about two weeks prior to departure. Late Friday evening we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to board our ship the following morning. When we awoke it was 43°, pouring rain and windy. We both remarked the beginning of our Alaskan cruise had been far warmer. The Eurodam is a lovely ship, about two years old now (a baby by nautical standards) and carries approximately 2200 passengers. We set sail under stormy skies about 6:00 pm with the ports of Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay Bahamas lying ahead of us. We quickly began meeting members of our group – Leigh Cort who specializes in historic inns of the south, Chef Jean Read more »

A New Year, A New Decade For Temecula Wine Country
Tom Plant | January 4, 2010 | 10:39 am | The Love of Wine, Wine & Food, Wineries | 15 Comments

Steve & John Thornton

In my last post I reflected on the incredible events that have happened in the few months since we launched WINEormous. I had intended that to be an all-encompassing story, but what has happened to us in the Temecula Valley alone deserves its own focus. WINEormous began as a concept. It would be a blog with stories focusing on wineries and the people who make them run – owners, winemakers, pourers, folks on the bottling line, all of them. We are blessed that there is so much material in our own backyard. At last count there were more than thirty wineries in the valley with more on the way. I’ve written about seventeen of them, so I have my work cut out for me.

When you’re new, you start with a blank canvas. Getting your foot in the door can be a daunting proposition. Linda Kissam was instrumental in opening many, many doors for us. She now serves as executive director of the Fallbrook Area Visitor’s Bureau and is the former executive director of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association. When I first approached her about lining up interviews with some of her clients, she delivered in a big way. I thank Linda for setting up stories about Thornton, Orfila, Keyways, Oak Mountain, Temecula Hills, Villa di Calabro, Briar Rose, Ponte, Tesoro and Fallbrook Wineries for me. I have her to thank for putting me in touch with Vine Times magazine, a publication for which I now contribute. She arranged for me to attend a luncheon with members of the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association of which I am now a member. I’ll be joining Linda this coming Saturday for Read more »

Orfila Grape Stomp 2009 – Hot Fun In The Summertime
Tom Plant | September 2, 2009 | 1:29 pm | The Love of Wine, Wineries | No comments

stomppThe 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

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