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  • About
    • Story
    • Our Team
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    • Community
    • Awards & Press
    • Blog
    • Emailing List
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    • Award Winning Wines
    • Caspar Estate Wines
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    • San Francisco
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January 30, 2022

Create a Romantic Dinner for Valentine’s Day

  • Posted By : Cultivar Wine/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Food, Recipes, Wine

Stay at home and create a very special Valentine’s Day this year. Grab a couple of bottles of Cultivar Wine – like our 2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon or the 2019 North Coast “Gold Label” Cabernet and try making a romantic dinner at home featuring Beef Bourguignon with your partner.

Cheers-ing wine glasses over plates of food

Beef Bourguignon, or Boeuf Bourguignon, was first popularized by Julia Child. It’s a beef stew with braised onions and sautéed mushrooms in a dark red wine sauce. Unlike Julia Child’s traditional recipe, with a couple of ingredient substitutions, you can easily elevate the dish without sacrificing any flavor and even sit down to eat in about an hour. The other plus of this Beef Bourguignon recipe? You only use a 1/2 cup of wine instead of an entire bottle.

Cultivar wine and cooking knives

The key to this Beef Bourguignon meal is the cut of beef you choose. The traditional recipe calls for Chuck Roast, which requires a long braising time before it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. This recipe starts with a tender cut of beef, like beef tenderloin, top sirloin, or strip steak. If you don’t have one of these cuts, this recipe won’t work.

Kitchen Prep for Your Romantic Dinner

A romantic dinner at home calls for a stress-free experience, so you’ll want to do the following before you start cooking:

  1. Open your bottles of Cultivar Wine Cabernet Sauvignon to breathe.
  2. Read through the recipe in its entirety.
  3. Grab any pots, pans, and anything else the recipe calls for.
  4. Assemble all of your ingredients.
  5. Pour yourself a glass of wine and have some.
  6. Prepare and measure out all of your ingredients.
  7. Re-read the recipe in its entirety.
  8. Have some more wine.

Equipment

  • One to two chef’s knives
  • Tongs
  • Wooden spoon
  • Two 1- or 2-cup measuring cups
  • Medium-to-large pot
  • Sheet pan
  • Parchment paper or Silpat baking mat
  • Two timers
  • 3-quart saucepan
  • Colander
  • Potato masher

Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

  • 10-12 ounces beef tenderloin, top sirloin, or strip steak
  • 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon beef base
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon flour
  • 1 Tablespoon cold water
  • 1 pound German butterball potatoes, quartered
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved or a bunch of carrots, halved lengthwise
  • 2 Tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter or bacon grease
  • 2 bacon slices, diced
  • 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup Cultivar Wine Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1/2 cup pearl onions or shallots
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed from the stems, and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon plus freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnish

Searing the tenderloin

Bacon, garlic, thyme, mushrooms

Instructions (total time: 60 minutes)

NOTE: These instructions assume that two people will be cooking together. If you’re making this meal by yourself, don’t start cooking your bacon and red wine sauce, until you’ve pulled your potatoes from the heat.

You’ll spend about 15 minutes preparing to cook and then about 35 minutes making Beef Bourguignon and your side dishes–olive oil mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts or carrots. Don’t get scared off by 24 steps. We wanted to highlight anything that might get missed or forgotten in more generalized steps. For example, if you don’t mix flour with cold water you can end up with lumps in your sauce.

  1. Take your beef out of the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature.
  2. If you haven’t prepared your ingredients, do so now. Quarter your potatoes. Halve your Brussels sprouts (or carrots). Mince your garlic. Slice your mushrooms. Dice your bacon. And chop your thyme. Depending on your knife skills and those of your partner’s, your mise en place could take about 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Mix 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon beef base with 1/2 cup warm water and set aside.
  4. Mix 1 teaspoon flour with 1 Tablespoon cold water.
  5. (Brussels Sprouts or carrots) Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat.
  6. (Brussels Sprouts or carrots) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. (Potatoes) Put your potatoes into a medium-to-large pot and cover with cold water by an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Set a timer for 15 minutes. When the timer sounds, check with a fork to see if tender.
  8. (Brussels sprouts or carrots) Coat your halved Brussels sprouts with 2 Tablespoon olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Put in the oven and set a timer for 8 minutes.
  9. Pat your beef dry with paper towels and cut into 1″ cubes. If you go to sear your beef and it’s wet, you’ll steam your meat, potentially overcooking it. Season with 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and a pinch of pepper.
  10. Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons butter or bacon grease until melted or re-liquefied.
  11. Add your beef and sear 2 minutes, turning with tongs to brown on all sides. Take care not to overcook; your meat will become dry and tough. Transfer seared beef to a plate.
  12. (Brussels sprouts or carrots) After your Brussels sprouts have been in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, stir them so that they brown evenly.
  13. Add your diced bacon to your 3-quart saucepan and cook, stirring frequently.
  14. When you can smell the bacon, about a minute, add your sliced mushrooms, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
  15. (Potatoes) When your potatoes are tender (a fork should slide in easily), remove from heat and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain your potatoes in a colander and then return to the pot, covering with a lid to keep warm.
  16. (Brussels sprouts or carrots) When your Brussels sprouts are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, about 20 to 25 minutes total, remove them from the oven.
  17. Add minced garlic, tomato paste, and thyme to your pan and stir.
  18. Add wine and increase heat. Boil for 1 minute.
  19. Add pearl onions or shallots and broth to the pan and bring back to a boil.
  20. Slowly add flour paste to the pan and cook for a minute.
  21. Return the beef to the pan and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the beef, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
  22. Lower heat to low heat and keep warm until plating.
  23. (Potatoes) Finish your potatoes by adding 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup cooking water. Mash to desired consistency, adding more cooking water for a looser consistency.
  24. Plate mashed potatoes in the center of two plates. Top with beef and place the Brussels sprouts alongside. Serve immediately.

Beef Tenderloin in a dark red sauce

Beef bourguignon with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts

Food-Themed Movie Recommendations

Once you have your meal ready, it’s time to sit back and enjoy a movie. The perfect movie for this meal is of course one featuring wine, food, or both!

Cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon and a movie

Here are some of our favorites–a mix of romances, dramas, and comedies:

  • Bottle Shock (2008), starring the late Alan Rickman and available for streaming on Amazon Prime, showcases how a California Chardonnay maker established Napa as the premier wine county it is now in a 1976 wine competition.
  • Uncorked (2020), available for streaming on Netflix and featuring the tunes of Hit-Boy, focuses on wine-enthusiast Mamoudou Athie who dreams of being a master sommelier and his father Courtney B. Vance who runs a BBQ joint.
  • A Walk in the Clouds (1995), available for streaming on Starz, offers beautiful views of Napa in the mid-1940s with a romance between Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, the winemaker’s daughter.
  • Wine Country (2019), starring Amy Poehler and Maya Randolph and available for streaming on Netflix, follows a group of women as they reunite for a friend’s 50th birthday.
  • Sideways (2004), available for rent on Amazon Prime and famous for giving Merlot a bad rap, takes viewers through another California wine country—Santa Barbara—as Paul Giamatti takes his friend Thomas Hayden Church whose about to get married on a Bachelor’s weekend. While roadtripping they meet Sandra Oh, a pour girl at one of the wineries, and Virginia Madsen, a waitress.
  • Chocolat (2000), available for streaming on Netflix, is the perfect dessert movie. Root for Juliette Binoche as she opens a Chocolaterie and tempts villagers with her handmade chocolates.
  • The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014), available for streaming on Cinemax, is for food lovers who love both mom-and-pop restaurants and Michelin-star dining. Watch Manish Dayal as he pursues dreams of being a Michelin-star chef alongside Helen Mirren.
  • Julie and Julia (2009), available for streaming on Starz, features Amy Adams as a food blogger working her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook (where you’ll find her Boeuf Bourguignon recipe).

A bottle of wine and a movie

Eden Hemsley Silverstein fell in love with cooking in the third grade and has been bringing people together ever since to share meals. You can follow her on Instagram @RoadToGoodLife, Facebook @TheRoadToTheGoodLife, and her blog, The Road to the Good Life. Learn more about her through her bio on LinkedIn.


January 20, 2022

Caspar Estate Wins Double Gold at SF Chronicle Wine Competition

  • Posted By : Cultivar Wine/
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  • Under : Wine

The winners of the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition were announced the week of January 16th, 2022! Cultivar Wine and Caspar Estate were among the honorees, with five award-winning wines among the judges’ top choices.

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, sponsored each year by San Francisco’s leading newspaper, started as a northern California tradition in 1983. Back then, it was known as the “Cloverdale Citrus Fair Wine Competition.” Since that time, it has grown to become the largest competition of North American wines in the world.

In fact, this year’s competition featured approximately 5,800 wines from over 1,000 wineries in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Of all the wine competitions in the United States, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition remains the most popular because of its focus on celebrating wines from exclusively North American wineries.

And The Winners Are…

This year, Cultivar Wine entered three varietals in the competition, while Caspar Estate entered two. The result? Every one of our entries brought home a medal!

2019 Caspar Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Double Gold Medal

2019 Caspar Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

The accolades keep coming for the latest release of our Caspar Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted by winemaker Julien Fayard (Wine Spectrum’s 2021 Winemaker of The Year). A Double Gold is awarded when every judge on the panel independently awards the wine a Gold Medal.

2017 Cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon

Gold Medal

2017 Cultivar Wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Leaky Lake Vineyard, Napa Valley

Another stunning wine made by Julien Fayard, the Leaky Lake Cabernet Sauvignon is Cultivar Wine’s only vineyard-designate Cabernet. Situated in the rocky terrain above Rutherford, the Leaky Lake Vineyard is a beautiful example of the uniqueness of Napa Valley terroir. The 2017 is one of the February selections for our Cultivar Wine Club Members.

2019 Cultivar Pinot Noir

Gold Medal

2019 Cultivar Wine Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

This is classic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, swirling with aromas of cherry, mushroom, earth, cola, mint, and eucalyptus.

2020 Caspar Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Silver Medal

2020 Caspar Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

From our Caspar Estate vineyard on the mountainside of the Mayacamas Mountains, our 2020 Sauvignon Blanc impressed the judges with its steel tank primary fermentation and gentle touch of neutral oak aging – another technique used with exquisite results by winemaker Julien Fayard.

2019 Cultivar "Gold Label" Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Medal

2019 Cultivar Wine “Gold Label” Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast

We’re thrilled to see our most popular wine in restaurants across America become an award-winning favorite as well. Another Wine Club selection for February, our Gold Label wine is a Cabernet you can enjoy any day of the week.

How the Awards Are Judged

Each wine submitted to the competition is categorized by both varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, etc.) and price group. This way, red wines and white wines are judged separately, and Zinfandel doesn’t go head-to-head with Merlot. Similarly, a $100+ wine is not put in the same category as a $10 wine.

The 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition invited over 50 judges to participate this year. Many of these judges represented winemaking, wine education, and wine trade. But there were also judges from hospitality, culinary, media, and other wine & food sectors. This helped to create a greater sense of diversity and background in the judging.

“We’re thrilled with the results,” says Gingy Cable, co-founder of Cultivar Wine and Caspar Estate. “When you consider the number of wineries in the competition, and how the judges come from all facets of our industry, these awards feel like a real pat on the back. We’re proud of our whole team, and so excited to share these wines with our customers.”


Caspar Estate Winemaker Julien Fayard
December 20, 2021

Caspar Estate Winemaker Julien Fayard Named “Winemaker of The Year” by Wine Spectrum

  • Posted By : Cultivar Wine/
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  • Under : Wine

Caspar Estate is proud to announce that our very own Julien Fayard has been named as Wine Spectrum’s Winemaker of the Year for 2021. Known as the “terroir whisperer,” a 100-point winemaker, winery owner, and avid surfer, Fayard is one of Napa Valley’s most respected consulting winemakers. His two decades of winemaking experience have had an enormous impact on Caspar Estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, from where the vines are planted to how the wine is made.

Julien Fayard was awarded this same honor in 2016, making him one of the few two-time winners. The quality, consistency, and breadth of wines Fayard crafts made him a stand-out once again. He’s considered a “master blender” and continues to show his winemaking prowess through his own labels as well.

“We’re excited to honor Julien Fayard as 2021’s Winemaker of the Year. Julien’s wines are highly sought-after and a pleasure to taste.”

—Glenn Siegel, President & Founder Wine Spectrum

French Sensibility in Napa

Originally from France, Fayard began his winemaking career producing quality rosé at his family’s winery in Provence. He worked at some of Bordeaux’s most noble wineries, including Lafitte Rothschild and Smith Haut Lafitte before relocating to Napa Valley. In Napa, he became Philippe Melka’s Director of Winemaking for eight years before launching his own projects and consultations. Fayard established his reputation as a winemaker with a light touch. He has an old-world sensibility, believing the soil, the climate, and the grapes should speak for themselves.

Julien Fayard’s Approach To Cultivar Wine

Julien Fayard is also the winemaker for Cultivar Wine’s only vineyard-designate wine, the Leaky Lake Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. A 100% cabernet grown above the fog line of Rutherford, Leaky Lake wines are a perfect match for Fayard’s winemaking sensibilities.  “The cabernet we grow there is extraordinary,” Fayard says. “I saw it rivals any of the mountain appellations in Napa—Howell Mountain or Diamond Peak—for boldness and character.”

Winemaker Julien Fayard standing at a bin of freshly harvested grapes

Fayard presses whole clusters of fruit for Cultivar’s Leaky Lake Cabernet Sauvignon. He then transfers to 100% French oak for at least 24 months before bottling. “Even then, it’s good to allow the wine to develop in the bottle for another two years, just to bring out the aromatics,” Fayard says.

This is one reason why the 2016 Leaky Lake Cabernet is our newest release. And at a mere 90 cases, it’s one of our most limited releases as well.

Caspar Estate: Winemaking Done in The Vineyard

“As a winemaker, my job is to bring out the best qualities that the vines have provided. I don’t seek to make a style of wine but more so to make wine that sings of its place, its history, and its uniqueness,” says Fayard. “That’s my goal as a winemaker, to make wines that are pure expressions of their environment and not mask it. Wines with an identity.”

The Caspar Estate vineyard rests on a hillside overlooking Napa Valley. Planted above the Rutherford Appellation with an exposure 20 degrees off north. The site sees sun from early morning until late afternoon, ensuring even ripeness of the grapes. Cool nights help to develop firm tannins and fresh acidity creating remarkable structure and balance in the finished wines. Our rocky serpentine soils benefit from a mineral deposit rich in iron and magnesium. This distinctive mineral deposit provides layers of complexity and flavor to wines unique to our site.

Caspar Estate & Cultivar Wine is proud of all of Julien Fayard’s achievements. And with one sip of Caspar Estate wine, you’ll taste exactly why.

Caspar Estate wines are available by allocation only. To become an Allocation Member, click here for more information.


Best wineries in San Francisco, CA
December 2, 2021

Gifts To Share Under $100

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  • Under : Gifts, Wine

With all that has happened the last 2 years, we are feeling very grateful for so many things that we used to take for granted. We are grateful for electricity, for rain, clear skies, sunshine, clear air, for firefighters, for our health, for the healthcare workers, for the grocery store workers, for the restaurant workers and for our team, our family and all of our blessings.

Show your gratitude to all the people who make a difference in your life. We’ve created a wide selection of gifts for under $100, so showing your appreciation has never been easier.

Everyone loves our Caspar Estate Honey and our Caspar Estate extra virgin olive oil. Wrap them up with a bow and spread the cheer! It’s perfect for teachers, postal workers, family doctors, and anyone who has gone the extra mile for you.

Olive Oil and Honey

Available in a gift box together ($50.00) or as individual items.

Need to up the game a bit but still don’t want to give wine? Check out our Caspar Estate Collection of Honey, Olive Oil and a Candle. $69.00

Casper Olive Oil and Honey Candle

Have a Napa Valley wine lover on your list? We have many options. The Napa Pair is the perfect introduction to Cultivar Wine. One bottle each of our 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, and 2016 Field Blend, Napa Valley, in our iconic Farmer’s Plow gift box. $55.00

Napa Pair

One of my favorite gifts this year is the Port Wine Gift Set. It’s perfect for the dessert wine lover! Two bottles of our 2014 Alexander Valley Port in a beautiful embossed gift box. Featured in 750ml bottles, it also makes an exquisite gift for chefs who love to create reductions, salad dressings, desserts, and more. $85.00

Port Gift Set

The one thing all of us are hearing is that we need to ship our gifts and wine for the holidays early. Here are our deadlines. Cheers!


Caspar Estate olive oil with fruit
November 25, 2021

Hanukkah Dinner With Cheese? It’s More Traditional Than You Think

  • Posted By : Cultivar Wine/
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  • Under : Food, Recipes, Wine

For this year’s Hanukkah dinner recipe, we turned to our good friend Eden Hensley Silverstein, whose Passover dinner recipe earlier this year was a huge success. You can follow Eden on Instagram @RoadToGoodLife, Facebook @TheRoadToTheGoodLife, or her blog The Road To The Good Life.

 

When you think of Hanukkah dinner, latkes, sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts), and maybe brisket probably come to mind. But, Hanukkah doesn’t have to mean oil and heavy fried foods. So, if you haven’t yet added cheese to your celebrations, it’s time.

Why cheese for Hanukkah? Because of Judith. Her tale, less known than that of the Maccabees also involves an invading army. The short story is that Judith lived in a town under siege. She went to the enemy camp, met with their general, and offered him cheese and drink. When he passed out, she cut his head off with his sword, inspiring the Israelites to attack and causing the Assyrians to flee.

Pierogis, arugula salad, and Russian River Pinot Noir from Cultivar

We love a good wine and cheese pairing, so we’re embracing the tale of Judith and her amazing cheese for Hanukkah dinner this year. We’re serving a family-style meal of traditional Polish dishes paired with a few favorite Cultivar wines. On this year’s menu is a Golden beet with Fried Apples and Arugula Salad paired with a 2019 Cultivar Muscat, Anderson Valley, and Barszcz (a sour Polish beet soup) and Pierogi (Polish dumplings) both paired with a 2019 Cultivar Pinot Noir, Russian River. If you want a different pairing for your Pierogi, you could pair it with a 2019 Cultivar Bordeaux Blend, Napa Valley. We preferred the Pinot as the earthiness of the mushroom wasn’t overpowered. (We chose to have the 2019 Cultivar Bordeaux Blend, Napa Valley with our slow-cooker brisket.)

Best thing about this Hanukkah dinner meal? It’s completely vegetarian, so everyone will leave your table satiated.

Hanukkah runs for eight nights, which means six weeknights and one weekend. Depending on when you want to celebrate with family and friends, the first night, Shabbat (Friday night after sunset or Saturday before sunset), or a weekend, you won’t have enough time to make all courses of this menu the same day. (The pierogies are very labor-intensive, but so worth it!)

2019 Cultivar Muscato with arugula salad

Golden Beets with Fried Apples and Arugula Salad

Ingredients (Serves 4 people)

  • 1 1/2 pounds of golden beets
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon hazelnuts, chopped
  • 2 apples, any kind, sliced with the skin on
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Caspar Estate Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions (Prep time: 35 minutes; Cooking time: 45 minutes; Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes)

  1. Position your oven rack in the middle of your oven if it’s not already there, and then preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Rub each beet with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil, then put on a sheet pan.
  3. Place your sheet pan in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until tender.
  4. While the beets cook, toast hazelnuts. Be careful not to scorch them, stir constantly. Put aside when done.
  5. Over medium heat in a non-stick skillet, melt butter.
  6. When your butter has melted, add sliced apples, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they’re nicely seared and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  7. When the beets have cooled, peel the skin off and dice.
  8. In a medium bowl, toss arugula with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.
  9. When your arugula is dressed, add roasted beets, fried apples, hazelnuts, and feta.

2019 Cultivar Russian River Valley wine with Barszcz

Barszcz (Polish beet soup)

Ingredients (Serves 4 people)

  • 1 cup dried chanterelles
  • Enough boiling water to cover the chanterelles
  • 4 medium carrots
  • 1 medium parsnip
  • 1 leek
  • 10 cups water
  • 2 Tablespoons salt, divided
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 4 whole allspice
  • 4 large beets
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 apple, any kind, sliced with the skin on
  • 1/4 teaspoon marjoram, dry
  • 2 Tablespoons white vinegar, divided
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • (optional) 2 teaspoons sugar
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions (Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 60 minutes; Total time: 75 minutes)

  1. Place dry chanterelles in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for five minutes.
  2. Rough chop carrots, parsnip, and leek and add to an 8 1/2 quart pot with soaked mushrooms. Cover with 10 cups of water; add a Tablespoon of salt, bay leaves, and  allspice, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
  3. Peel beets and slice into 1/2-inch slices.
  4. Toss beets, garlic, apple, remaining Tablespoon of salt, marjoram, 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar, and lemon juice in broth and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for another half hour uncovered.
  5. Add remaining vinegar.
  6. Taste and adjust seasoning with vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper as needed.
  7. Discard all of the vegetables and use a strainer to serve your Barszcz into bowls.

Pierogis with arugula salad

Pierogi (Polish dumplings)

Ingredients (Serves 12 people)

  • 2 pounds (about 8 small) Yukon gold potatoes
  • 3 Tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 2 1/2  cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 16-ounce container ricotta cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon sour cream
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (we used 3 teaspoons salt and about 1 teaspoon pepper)
  • 8 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
  • 2 cups lukewarm water

Boiling pierogis

Instructions (Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time: 2 hours 50 minutes)

  1. Put your potato in a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
  2. While your potatoes cook, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When the oil shimmers, add your onion. Sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes, and then set aside.
  3. Heat more oil in medium heat in the skillet you just used for the onions. When it shimmers, add your mushrooms in batches. Sauté until the mushrooms no longer release any moisture, about 10 minutes, and then set aside.
  4. Remove your potatoes from the heat. Drain the water and let them cool. When cool, use your fingers to peel the skins.
  5. Using the grater attachment for your food processor, shred your potatoes. Empty and clean your food processor and then process your ricotta. Your ricotta will be light and fluffy after you finish.
  6. Combine mushrooms, onions, potatoes, ricotta, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Set your filling aside until your dough is ready.
  7. Measure flour out onto a clean, smooth work surface.
  8. Make a well in the center of the flour and crack both eggs into the well. Add the butter and mix with your hands. Gradually add warm water, a couple of tablespoons at a time. As the dough becomes more firm, add just a tablespoon at a time.
  9. Knead the dough until it is soft and smooth, approximately 15-20 minutes.
  10. Divide the dough into four equal portions. Cover with the portions you’re not working with a clean, damp dishtowel so that your dough doesn’t dry out.
  11. Roll one portion into a thickness of 1/8 inch. Too thick of a dough will make it harder to press your pierogis closed around the filling, and the ratio of dough to filling will be off.
  12. Cut out circles using a glass or round pastry cutter. Put the excess dough aside in the bowl with the other portions under the clean damp dish towel.
  13. Fill each circle of dough with a teaspoon of filling. Fold dough in half over the filling and pinch the edges together to seal. Place in a baking dish or on a plate and cover with a clean damp wet dish towel. Separate layers of made pierogis with a sheet of wax paper to keep them from sticking to each other.
  14. Continue rolling out the dough, cutting out circles, filling, and pressing into half-moons.
  15. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the pierogi in batches, about 10 at a time, and cook until they float to the surface, approximately 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate in an oven set to warm until ready to serve.

Boiling pierogis

With a little pre-planning, you can make your salad and soup the same day you’re planning on serving it. The Golden Beet with Fried Apples and Arugula Salad served with Barszcz is perfect for a weeknight Hanukkah dinner celebration for two to four people. The pierogi are more hands-on; make the filling and dough a day or two ahead of your weeknight celebration and then roll out, fill, and boil. Making the dough is the most time-consuming aspect of the pierogis; it takes approximately 20 minutes to get the dough kneaded into a ball.

Having more people over mid-week for Hanukkah dinner? You can make both the salad and the Barszcz, with the exception of tossing the arugula with Balsamic Vinegar and olive oil, ahead of time. All you’ll need to do to prep is reheat the Barszcz about 20 minutes before your guests arrive, and toss your arugula with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil before serving. You can also make your pierogi beforehand. To reheat, sprinkle a few drops of water on your pierogi and microwave on medium heat for a minute. Flip over and microwave the other side on medium heat for 30 seconds.

You can follow Eden Hensley Silverstein on Instagram @RoadToGoodLife, Facebook @TheRoadToTheGoodLife, or her blog The Road To The Good Life. She is part of Mom It Forward and Blogloving. Eden’s bio on  linked in profile.

2019 Cultivar Pinot Noir with pierogis and arugula salad


Thanksgiving dinner spread
November 18, 2021

Wine Pairings For Your Traditional Thanksgiving Meal

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As you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebration, whether a small or large gathering we have some tips and pointers to make it memorable and easy. Keep everyone happy during the day by having a platter of healthy nibbles like this board.

Platter of healthy nibblers

Photo by Brooke Lark

You can make several things ahead of time. We use our Caspar Estate organically grown herbs, meyer lemons, and oranges.  We make the herb and lemon zest butter several days ahead of time. We use it to put it under the skin of the turkey and inside the turkey and then coasting all the skin. We also use it for sauting the onion, celery, portobello mushrooms for the stuffing.

Prepare ahead of time: We chop up the meyer lemon, orange, and then cook the cranberries with dried cherries, raisins, with Caspar Estate honey, balsamic vinegar and lots of spices (cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves). We enjoy the additional depth of flavor by using additional items in the cranberry sauce.

Making cranberry sauce

We often end up eating at about 2pm on Thanksgiving.We make a roasted butternut squash soup. We roast the squash with Caspar Estate extra virgin olive oil and garlic. We scoop out the squash, and the roasted garlic and put it in the blender and blend it and add vegetable stock. It is creamy and delicious.

We love having leftovers so we make a large turkey about 18-20 pounds. In order to have the stuffing taste the best we like to stuff the bird. To make the bird as succulent as possible we have mastered cooking it in the oven with Cultivar Sauvignon Blanc the bottom of the roasting pan. We put the bird in upside down so the juices flow into that part of the bird and flip it 2/3 of the way through cooking it. Flipping it over requires preparation for a big bird – we have found that having 2 people makes it much easier.

Placing the turkey into the oven

What the turkey looks like when we first put it in the oven. We often put aluminum foil over the wing tips. Below is what it looks like after we flip it over and it is ready.

Cooked turkey

Pair the turkey with 2019 Cultivar Chardonnay from Oakville, it brings out the best in turkey as well as seared scallops, cheese platters, sourdough stuffing, mashed potatoes and vegetables with hollandaise sauce.

Looking for switching it up? We can recommend the Squash and Burrata that we serve at Cultivar SF with all the flavors of the seasons. Delicata squash & honey nut squash, granny smith apples, pomegranate arlis, pepitas, balsamic reduction, fried sage, lava salt, olive oil. Pair it with the 2019 Cultivar Pinot Noir Russian River.

Squash dish

Another fun first course is the Scallop with Frisse, apples, Pt. Reyes Blue.

Scallops with apples

For the stuffing we roast chestnuts in the oven. Be sure to score them before roasting. It makes peeling them so much easier. We saute the celery, onions, herbs, portobello mushrooms in the herbed butter or herbed olive oil with lemon zest.

Making stuffing

Thanksgiving calls for brussel sprouts! We love ours tossed in Caspar Estate olive oil and then there are several options for how to prepare them.

Brussel sprouts

Pair your roasted brussel sprouts, truffle or portobello mushroom stuffing, seared green beans with scallions with our newly released 2019 Cultivar Bordeaux Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from renown Napa Valley vineyards create a lush, balanced and provocative wine.
Or serve the Brussel Sprouts the way we do at Cultivar SF with Cultivar Bacon, Gremolata, Parmesan

Brussel sprouts with bacon, gremolata, and parmesan

Do you prefer serving roasted duck to the traditional turkey? We recommend our 2019 Cultivar Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc. On the palate, the flavors of cranberry and red fruit are evenly balanced with nutmeg, ginger, white pepper, and a hint of baking chocolate. A very food friendly wine it will pair well with Mashed potatoes, stuffing and dinner rolls.

Turkey with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and dinner rolls

Photo by ProChurchmedia

For years we have been making sweet potatoes with marshmallows. This has been a family tradition for quite some time. Do you put it all out on the table all at once or serve your meal in courses? Either way we have found that our dogs are always right there next to us waiting for scraps to fall from the table. Our dogs lie in front of the oven all day, and are especially watchful when we baste the bird.

Putting together a plate of Thanksgiving food

Photo by Karolina-Grabowska

What do you prefer? Pumpkin pie with whipping cream or pecan pie or chocolate pecan pie? The one thing we can all agree on is pairing your pie with our just released Port! This 2014 Cultivar Anderson Valley Port is a decadent dessert wine that greets the nose with layers of caramel, dulce de leche, and orange peel. Warm waves of spun sugar, maple, and dark chocolate roll across the palate, ending with a creamy, mocha finish that seems to linger forever. What a great way to finish off a wonderful celebration.

Cutting into the pumpkin pie

Photo by Timothy-Wolff

We are grateful to you! We hope that you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Another option is to let the professionals handle it and go to the Silverado Resort. Look at this beautiful meal from Silverado in the Napa Valley.

The full Thanksgiving meal

Photo by Silverado Resort

If you need help selecting wine to pair with your favorite dishes join us online for holiday tips with Deborah. She is lots of fun and has many great ideas! Cheers!


Turkey Wellington
November 11, 2021

Turkey Wellington: A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner With a Twist

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For this year’s Thanksgiving dinner recipe, we’re handing over the blog to our good friend Karista Bennett, whose latest collection of recipes and photographs, The Oregon Farm Table Cookbook, is a bestseller on Amazon. We asked Karista to think of something new and delicious for the Holidays that would pair with a range of wines from our Oakville Chardonnay to our 2015 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir…and the result is an amazing take on a classic Thanksgiving dinner…

I’ve come to realize, there are two turkey camps in my family. Those who love a roast turkey for Thanksgiving dinner and those who will always ask if we can part with tradition and have something different.

Each year around the first of October, my family begins the long and sometimes passionate holiday dinner discussion, about you guessed it, turkey. This discussion typically commences with a subtle question about a possible new entree, or commentary on the merits of traditional and non-traditional holiday meals.

Consequently, preparing a holiday meal that delights every family member’s palate has become somewhat of a challenge. Aren’t they so lucky that I love a good challenge?

Now, I’m not actually in either turkey camp. Sometimes I love a juicy roasted turkey with all the complimentary side dishes. And other times, I crave something a little different but also mixed with a bit of tradition.

Turkey Wellington and a bottle of wine

That’s why this Holiday Turkey Wellington with Gravy checks all the boxes. The turkey breast is butterflied and layered with creamy, tangy Brie and a homemade cranberry-orange relish that’s been spiked with the seductive flavor of Cultivar Pinot Noir. Then it’s wrapped in prosciutto, tied with kitchen twine, and par-cooked.

Once it’s cooled, it’s topped with herb and garlic sauteed mushrooms and breadcrumbs, wrapped in puff pastry, and baked until it’s golden brown. It makes a gorgeous presentation and is sublimely delicious when served with a simple turkey gravy.

Side Dishes and Wine Pairings

This impressive Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner recipe can be paired with a shaved Brussels sprout salad, sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes, or whatever side dishes make your food heart happy. I’ve also created this lovely recipe to pair specifically with Cultivar Oakville Chardonnay and 2015 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. As well, it’s also divine when served with Cultivar Muscat. The slight sweetness of the Muscat compliments the hearty, savory flavors of the recipe.

It’s the perfect time of year to enchant your guests and make your holidays deliciously memorable with Turkey Wellington and Cultivar Wine!

Four bottles of Cultivar wine

Turkey Wellington with Gravy

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾- 2 lb. boneless turkey breast
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3-4 ounces brie cheese, sliced
  • 3-4 tablespoons cranberry-orange relish (recipe follows)
  • 4-5 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (tip: pop it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before you need to use it. This helps keep it from falling apart easily)
  • Kitchen twine
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh shallots
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon cold water
Cranberry-Orange Relish
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 orange zested and juiced
  • ¼ cup Cultivar pinot noir
  • Pinch of salt
Turkey Gravy
  • 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ – 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

To prepare the relish, stir cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, Cultivar Pinot Noir, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and the mixture has slightly thickened. The relish will thicken as it cools. This can be prepared a day in advance. Store in a jar or container with a lid for up to five days.

To prepare the turkey, preheat the oven to 375F.

Place the turkey breast on a large cutting board. To butterfly the breast, with a sharp knife, slice into the thickest portion of the breast and cut down the length (the side) of the breast, but not all the way through, about ¾ of the way through. You should be able to unfold the turkey breast like a book.

At this point, if the breast is thick, using a meat mallet, pound out both sides a bit until they are even in thickness. Brush the inside and outside of the breast with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place brie slices on one half of the inside of the turkey breast and the cover with several tablespoons of cranberry relish. Then fold the top over onto the bottom, closing it like a book.

Then place prosciutto slices over the top of the turkey breast. It will usually hold 4-6 slices of prosciutto. If the prosciutto is thin and tears, that’s ok, just continue to layer the prosciutto over the breast, tucking the prosciutto under the breast as needed.

Prosciutto covered turkey breast

Then with 4 – 5 strands of kitchen twine, tie up the turkey breast and gently place it onto a baking sheet. Don’t tie the breast too tight. Just enough to keep it secure.

Gently transfer the turkey breast to a baking sheet and put it into the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. The turkey will be par-cooked and needs to cool for about 10-15 minutes. Once cool enough, cut the twine off the turkey.

While the turkey is cooling, make the mushroom mixture. In a skillet, add olive oil and cook shallots just until they are soft. Then add the mushrooms and fresh herbs. Let the mushrooms cook until soft and wilted and have released some of their liquid.

Stir in the garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Then stir in the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.

When ready, set the oven temperature to 400F.

Place one sheet of puff pastry on a flat lightly floured surface. Roll it out a bit lengthwise, about 1-inch. Most puff pastry is about 10×15 inches. I roll the pastry out to about 11×16 or 17. Then do the same with the second piece of puff pastry.

Prosciutto wrapped turkey topped with mushroom mixture

Place one sheet of prepared puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then place the par-cooked turkey breast in the center of the puff pastry.

Top the turkey breast with the mushroom mixture, patting it securely into place. Some of the mushroom mixture will tumble off but just put it back on and continue patting it gently until it sticks. This doesn’t need to be perfect!

Then place the second sheet of puff pastry over the top of the mushroom topped turkey breast. It will lay over the turkey breast like a blanket. Press the edges of both sheets of pastry together to seal. Cut off the extra pastry and set aside, and then roll the sides of the pastry, pressing down or pinching a bit to keep it sealed.

Turkey covered with puff pastry

Score the top of the pastry and use the discarded bits of pastry to make any decorations that you like. I used a small 1-inch fall leaf cookie cutter to make leaves for my Wellington. Use the egg wash to attach your pastry decorations.

Then brush the egg wash over the puff pastry and sprinkle with a little coarse salt, kosher salt, or sea salt.

Put the baking pan in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. The turkey is done when the pastry is a deep golden brown or meat thermometer reads 160F. Remove it from the oven and let it rest.

Fully cooked Turkey Wellington

To make the gravy, add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once butter is melted and hot sprinkle in flour and whisk. As you whisk, slowly add the broth, and continue to simmer until the gravy has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve your delicious Thanksgiving Dinner, slice the Turkey Wellington and place it on a platter. Drizzle with a little gravy and then serve. Serve the extra gravy on the side, and of course Cultivar Wine!

NOTE: This recipe has several steps, but it’s worth the effort. If time is of the essence, store-bought cranberry relish or jam can be purchased. The relish and mushrooms can be prepared a day in advance and held in the refrigerator. 


November 6, 2021

Holiday Tips with Deborah

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Deborah Evans, our Hospitality Manager, believes that every scene needs to be set with special touches to make your guests feel very special. She sets the table with all sorts of seasonal items, sparking joy and surprise. Doing the unexpected makes her guests laugh, sets the scene, and puts them at ease.

She loves clipping olive branches, acorns, lavender, or rosemary and setting it with the napkin and place card. She then spray paints her mini pumpkins (not carved) with white or silver spray paint and places them down the center of the table. Candles create the finishing touch.

Napkin place setting with twigs and branches to create a nice decorative feel

Guests are greeted with bubbles. From California sparkling to bubbly water, Deborah loves to add a cranberry or a cherry in the bubbles. Another fun element is adding cherry juice to the drink to make it feel special. As someone who entertains very often, she loves glasses that bring out the best flavors in the wines she serves. She prefers the Riedel glasses. For some other holiday touches, she peruses Home Goods and Restoration Hardware.

Table full of wine and food

Deborah loves wine and serves Caspar Estate Sauvignon Blanc or Cultivar Wine and pairs her dishes with the wines.  If someone wants the wine colder, she gladly adds a frozen grape.

Appetizers this year will be a cheeseboard.  She loves the Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam (has all the lusciousness you expect from a triple cream, and it is known as Brie’s quirky Californian cousin), the Point Reyes Point Blue, and the Cowgirl Creamery Wagonwheel. As a snack, it’s delicate and nutty. When melted, it’s liquid gold: use salted brown butter, heavy cream, roasted leeks, roasted garlic. Another favorite is the Cypress Grover Humbolt Fog.

Additional things on the cheese board: Caspar Estate wildflower honey, Trader Joe’s Orange slices, Marcona Almonds.  For your gluten free and dairy free guests we recommend the following: Miyokos Creamery Cheese Wheel, Semi Soft, Double Cream, Classic Chive, Nuts for Cheese Brie and the Miyokos Black Ash Cheese. To accompany the cheeses we like the Schar Table Crackers and the Schar bread.

Cheese board

Here’s a great tip for the Caviar and sour cream (non-dairy sour cream): serve it on a potato chip! It’s fun, celebratory, and adds a touch of salt and crispy texture.

For Thanksgiving this year, Deborah is going to serve Caspar Estate 2020 Sauvignon Blanc with her salad. Then for the roast turkey main course, she’ll serve the Cultivar Pinot Noir, which also pairs well with her Brussel sprouts with bacon, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, along with yams with sliced apples on top.

Deborah likes to prep her turkey in a brine of salt from a recipe by Ina Garten recipe she has been using for years. She doesn’t put stuffing in the cavity. Instead, she makes a wild rice and roasted chestnut side dish.

As for leftover? Turkey sandwiches with brioche buns, cranberry sauce and lettuce. To make it special, she pairs the sandwiches with the Caspar Estate Sauvignon Blanc.

People sitting together at a table hand in hand

For clean up, Deborah is a pro and has several tricks up her sleeve. For dishes that have sticky stuff, sprinkle baking soda and dish soap or tackle with Bar Keepers Friend.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!


September 20, 2021

Napa Harvest 2021: From Fears To Cheers For Caspar Estate Sauvignon Blanc

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Harvest season is always an exciting time in the valley, and Napa Harvest 2021 is no different. Anxious growers and winemakers alike literally sleep in the vineyards, waiting for the grapes to hit that perfect brix. Then boom! Field hands rush to the vineyard and, like a well-oiled machine, pick the fruit and rush it off to the winery.

This year, the California drought combined with seasonable high temperatures brought an early start to Napa’s harvest season. Some vineyards reported harvesting sauvignon blanc as early as July 3rd. At Caspar Estate, our sauvignon blanc harvest took place on August 23rd, right around the time the bulk of the SB harvest was happening.

Harvesting Caspar Estate Sauvignon Blanc grapes

A Collective Sigh For Napa Harvest 2021

Frankly speaking, growers were a little on edge for this year’s harvest, with California in a severe drought and the specter of wildfires still looming from 2020. The conventional wisdom was that yields would be lower than normal, with smaller berries. In addition, if August was as hot as July, the fruit may not get a chance to fully develop.

But as August came around with milder temperatures—and no wildfires in sight—an air of optimism descended over Napa Valley. Growers began to relax and even allowed themselves to think that 2021 could become another stellar vintage.

At Caspar Estate, our excitement for Napa Harvest 2021 was overwhelming the moment we began picking.

Caspar Estate's Deborah Evans on site for harvest

Caspar Estate’s Deborah Evans is always excited to be on-hand for harvest!

An Abundant Harvest

It was apparent from the moment we began picking sauvignon blanc on that cool August morning that our Caspar Estate fruit was in stellar shape. The berry size was normal, brix levels were perfect, and ripeness was right on target. Kudos go to Luis, our Vineyard Manager, and the whole vineyard team, for their incredible skill in nurturing the Caspar Estate vineyard.

We harvested 5.3 tons of gorgeous sauv blanc fruit from our one-acre vineyard plot that morning. That’s right, just one acre. Our House Block North is where we planted our sauvignon blanc back in 2015, which yields enough grapes to make around 90 cases.

We could have planted more acreage, but the soil, sun exposure, and drainage of this one block were better suited for SB than the other blocks. As a family vineyard, we aim to listen to what the land has to tell us. And we’ve been right this whole time. Both our yield and berry size were higher than average for the Napa Valley.

Caspar Estate Sauvignon Blanc harvested grapes

Coming Soon: The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc Harvest

In two to three weeks, we’ll be getting ready for the next phase of Napa Harvest 2021. This time, we’ll be picking cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Though early September looks like it may have its share of heat spikes, we’re confident that our hillside vineyard will remain cool enough to help create another amazing vintage.

Our 13-acre vineyard is located in the hills above the Rutherford appellation in Napa Valley. Planted 600 feet above the fog line with an exposure 20 degrees off north, the vineyard sees the sun from early morning until late afternoon. This ensures the even ripeness of the grapes.

Furthermore, cool nights help to develop firm tannins and fresh acidity, creating remarkable structure and balance in the finished wines. Our rocky serpentine soils benefit from a mineral deposit rich in iron and magnesium. This distinctive mineral deposit provides layers of complexity and flavor to wines unique to our site.

Want to experience the unique character of Caspar Estate wines yourself? Join the Caspar Estate Allocation! You’ll have exclusive access to these very limited wines in two annual shipments. You’ll also get personalized, guided tours and tastings in our estate vineyard.

Placing harvested grapes into containers for transport

 


August 20, 2021

National Cabernet Day: A Tour Of The Best Napa Appellations

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National Cabernet Day is Thursday, September 2nd! In fact, this extraordinary varietal has been celebrated the Thursday before Labor Day for over a decade now. First created by northern California native and branding guru Rick Bakas, National Cabernet Day celebrates all things associated with this amazing varietal.

Based in the Napa Valley, Cultivar Wine and Caspar Estate are fortunate enough to be located in one of the most popular Cabernet growing regions in the world. Not only do our Estate vines produce exquisite Cabernet, the sub-appellations surrounding us bear some of the finest fruit available. This gives us the opportunity to release world-class Cabernets that best reflect their terroir, and really show off the differences in soil and climate.

So for this year’s National Cabernet Day, we thought it’d be fun to take a tour of the appellations where Cultivar and Caspar’s grapes are grown and sourced. Pour a glass of your favorite Cab, and let’s take a virtual journey through the heart of Napa Valley!

Two women in the vineyards at Caspar Estate

The Vineyards of Caspar Estate

Caspar Estate is our 13-acre vineyard located in the hills above the Rutherford appellation in Napa Valley. Planted 600 feet above the fog line with an exposure 20 degrees off north, the vineyard sees sun from early morning until late afternoon. This ensures even ripeness of the grapes. Furthermore, cool nights help to develop firm tannins and fresh acidity, creating remarkable structure and balance in our Cabernet Sauvignon. Our rocky serpentine soils benefit from a mineral deposit rich in iron and magnesium. This distinctive mineral deposit provides layers of complexity and flavor to wines unique to our site.

Caspar Estate Cabernet has been earning accolades since its first release. From 92 Point scores from James Suckling to national press coverage of our winemaker, Julien Fayard, Caspar Estate Cabernet has been a favorite of fans and critics alike. Recently, we bottled the 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and will be offering it exclusively to our Allocation Members this October. If you love aged Cabernet, the Allocation is your way to obtain Caspar Estate wine dating back to our first release in 2009.

Close up of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Caspar Estate Vineyard from 2019. Photo credit: Bob

Coombsville: A Perfect Cabernet Climate

Coombsville, the last appellation in Napa Valley to get its designation, is one of the most diverse AVAs in all the valley. A combination of both hillside and valley vineyards, the area has the unique combination of gravel soil, moderate temperatures, and a constant breeze off of San Pablo Bay.

We like to think of Coombsville as one of the “Goldilocks” AVAs of Napa Valley: not too hot, not too cold, but just right. The volcanic soil also hearkens to Cabernet’s Bordeaux roots, where dense, rocky soil help create both intensity and complexity of flavor. It’s also a combination of both valley floor and hillside vineyards, which allows for blending from different vineyard plots to create wines with character and balance.

We have sourced Cabernet Sauvignon from this acclaimed AVA twice now. First, back in 2012, which was arguably one of the top 3 vintages of the previous decade. More recently, we released our 2017 Cultivar Wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville Napa Valley. With only 150 cases available, it’s a small-lot release from a premiere vineyard property just off of Coombsville Road in the heart of the appellation. 18 months in barrel and another two years in the bottle have softened this wine up beautifully, making it light enough to sip on its own, yet bold enough to stand up to lamb stew or marinated tri-tip. Another five years in bottle will reveal even deeper complexity.

Grape cluster on the vine

Every Day Is Cabernet Day In Oakville

Oakville is one of the most popular Cabernet growing regions in Napa Valley. Located directly in the center of Napa Valley. It covers a two-square-mile swath of the valley floor and then slopes up another 500 feet into Mayacamas bench and 1,000 feet up the Vaca Mountains to the east. It’s home to iconic vineyards like To-Kalon, and upscale wineries like Screaming Eagle and Opus One.

There are three types of soils that define the Oakville appellation. The breakdown of the various bedrock plates creates residual soils in the hills. Along the margins of the valley, distinct alluvial soils form on the fans, composed of material washed down from the adjoining hills during torrential rain events. Along the axial part of the valley where the Napa River flows are fluvial soils. This soil contains finer-grained loam coming from upstream locations and deposited from floodwaters.

It sounds like a lot of geography, but when it comes to Cabernet grapes, it’s absolute magic. That’s why we sourced fruit from this storied appellation for our 2018 Cultivar Wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley. Our fruit comes from a family-run vineyard located directly on the valley floor. They have a long legacy in Oakville and produce only 1,000 cases on their own. Lucky winemakers like us get the rest of the fruit. That said, we only got our hands on enough to make about 80 cases.

Our delicious Cabernet expresses both the characteristics of the 2018 Oakville vintage and the personality of its valley floor location. The dark purple color is surrounded by a gorgeous garnet ring, reflecting the 100% Cabernet fruit inside. Surprising yet delightful fragrances of earth, moss, mushroom, and bacon delight the nose. The flavor profile is signature Cabernet.

Bottle of 2018 Cultivar Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Day On The Mountain At Leaky Lake Vineyard

Leaky Lake Cabernet Sauvignon is the only vineyard-designate Cabernet that Cultivar Wine produces. To reach the vineyard, it takes a long trip up a winding, mountain road—often with just one lane. Once there, you’re greeted by 3.5 acres of slopes, swales, and hills, all covered with gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon fruit.

Cultivar Wine has been farming this land since 2007. That year, we replanted the vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon from clone 191 and 337. These vines are known for good set along with small berry and cluster size. The clone is grafted to rootstock 101-14, which thrives in rocky conditions where water can be scarce. We have been using purely organic farming methods and techniques from the very beginning. The result is bold, powerful, and concentrated fruit, grown in a way that’s uniquely Cultivar. It’s the perfect fruit for Cabernet lovers who appreciate a sense of terroir and want to experience the development of a wine as it ages.

Cabernet’s Favorite Winemaker, Julien Fayard

To bring out the best in this fruit, we turned to our Caspar Estate and Cultivar Wine winemaker, Julien Fayard. “The cabernet we grow there is extraordinary,” Fayard says. “I say it rivals any of the mountain appellations in Napa—Howell Mountain or Diamond Peak—for boldness and character.” Fayard presses whole clusters of fruit for Cultivar’s Leaky Lake Cabernet Sauvignon. He then transfers to 100% French oak for at least 24 months before bottling. “Even then, it’s good to allow the wine to develop in the bottle for another two years. This brings out the aromatics,” Fayard says.

That’s why the 2016 Leaky Lake Cabernet Sauvignon is our latest vintage. The 2017 and 2018 are now in bottle, and we expect to release the 2017 later this year. If you haven’t purchased the 2016 yet, you may want to get some in your cellar before it’s gone. We only produce about 80 cases!

If you’re like us, you know that every day is a great day to celebrate Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’re looking for the perfect bottle to celebrate, check out our full selection of Cabernets at our online store.

Grapevines


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