How to make perfect Pinot Noir poached salmon
Commercial salmon season opened today and in my house that is cause for great celebration!
(I invite you to responsibly enjoy salmon by choosing only line-caught wild salmon, and just saying “no” to farmed salmon).
Between now and mid-October I plan to enjoy this amazing delicacy in many ways.
One of my favorite - and the way we enjoyed it at my house tonight - is simply poaching in pinot noir.
Create this easy and delicious recipe:
1) Sprinkle salt and pepper on salmon filet or steaks.
2) Heat a 1:1 mixture water and pinot noir in a broad pan.
3) Add the salmon, cover, and simmer. If the filet or steaks are about 1/2 inch thick, cook for about 5 minutes; 1 inch thick steaks will … Read More »
Enter Two Contests to Win WINE at the Hong Kong Wine Fair November 6th!!
Ancient Oak Cellars is going to be visiting Hong Kong soon. We’ll be pouring samples of our wines at the Hong Kong International Wine Fair. There will be two days of tastings for the “trade” (wine buyers, restaurant sommelliers, etc.) and then on Saturday, November 6th we will be pouring wine for the general public from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. Our booth number is 3G-F22. If you’re in Hong Kong we hope you’ll stop by!
To get you in the mood and have you start to learn about the wines of Ancient Oak Cellars, we’ve designed two special contests.
One is called “The Great Wine Hunt” … Read More »
Winemaker Joe Freeman – early thoughts on Pinots
Ancient Oak Cellars now has two Pinot Noirs in tank! It seemed like a long wait for these grapes to ripen, but the rewards of patience are the ripe flavors and mature tannins we are seeing in the fermenters. As if on cue, Fall weather arrived today, with dark clouds, cold temperatures, and light sprinkles. A welcome change from the heat of last week, but a reminder that the 2010 growing season is nearing an end.
Just under 7 tons of Siebert Ranch Pinot Noir were hand picked on Saturday, October 2, weeks later than this block usually ripens. After removing the grapes from the stems, the “must” was transferred … Read More »
Crush Begins – Warnecke Ranch Pinot
It’s been crazy weather so far - and continues to be. It looks like harvest and crush are going to be very condensed, making for some exciting (and somewhat tense) times. For us it has started out very well. Our first 20 tons of grapes - Pinot Noir from the Warnecke Ranch and Vineyard near Chalk Hill - were crushed on Tuesday, and are now enjoying several days of cold soak to extract colors and flavors; yeast will be added tomorrow to begin fermentation.
I want to share some photos that help explain some of the process so far. These grapes were harvested into large metal … Read More »
Warnecke Ranch Pinot Noir Added to the Ancient Oak Cellars Family
Margo Warnecke Merck, daughter of the famous architect John Carl Warnecke, lead us through the Warnecke property on a warm afternoon this last week. This property includes a mile of beach front, but more importantly for us — vineyards. We were there to see a block of pinot noir we will be using for a new Warnecke Ranch vineyard-designate. The property is in Alexander Valley, though very close to the border of other appellations such as Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill, and the hill referred to in the latter is actually on their property.
It’s hard to concentrate on tasting grapes with with a … Read More »