November 29, 2009
Brooks Wine poured at White House

Brooks 'Ara' Riesling was served and paired with the first course at the White House State Dinner November 24, in honor of India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. 

A sustainable, regional, mostly vegetable menu—with Arugula and herbs from the Kitchen Garden, honey from the beehive, American wine pairings…"Honoring the culinary excellence of India…"

First
Potato and Eggplant Salad
White House Arugula with Onion Seed Vinaigrette
2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Modus Operandi, Napa, California

Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cheese
2006 Riesling, Brooks "Ara," Willamette Valley, Oregon

Entree
Roasted Potato Dumplings
with Tomato Chutney
Chickpeas and Okra

or

Green Curry Prawns
Caramelized Salsify
with smoked Collard Greens
and Coconut Aged Basmati
2007 Grenache, Beckmen Vineyards, Santa Ynez, CA

Dessert
Pumpkin Pie Tart
Pear Tatin
Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce
Sparkling Chardonnay, Thibaut-Janisson Brut, Monticello, Virginia

Petis Fours and Coffee
Cashew Brittle
Pecan Pralines
Passion Fruit and Vanilla Glacee
Chocolate-Dipped Fruit

A link to CNN - Oregon Wine in the White House (featuring winemaker Chris Williams and Manager Janie Heuck)

November 10, 2009
Nebbiolo November

Thanksgiving celebration goes back to 1621 when the Pilgrims gave thanks for a good year of crops; it is the original American holiday in which families feast together with love and happiness. NEBBIOLO is a grape perfect for such an occasion, pairing wonderfully with traditional Thanksgiving dishes—green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted turkey, etc…  

Nebbiolo is a great, geographically sensitive vine responsible for some of the finest and longest-lived wines in the world. The wine, deep-colored and high in tannins, can evolve after years in the bottle into some of the most seductively scented wines in the world. The grape is native to the Piedmont region in Northwest Italy. It has been a celebrated wine of the region since the 14^th century. The name Nebbiolo most likely comes from nebbia, or fog, a frequent phenomenon in Piedmont in October when the grape is harvested. Nebbiolo always ripens late with harvests that regularly last well past the middle of October.

Wines crafted from the Nebbiolo grape are named after the region in which produced them: Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara and NOW Santa Barbara County! 

Palmina 2005 Nebbiolo, Santa Barbara-A whirl in the glass coaxes spicy and dark red fruit aromas of cranberry, wild herbs and rose petal. Beautifully balanced, the bright acids in the wine beg for a meal. The fine tannins bring structure and substance and the finish is graceful and persistent. 

G. Camerano & Figli 2004 Barolo 'Cannubi San Lorenzo'-The Cannubi "San Lorenzo" Barolo presents exquisite aromas and flavors of ripe, dark cherries, minerals, rose petals, anise and exotic spices. Multi-dimensional and seamless in the mouth, this magnificent wine has superb concentration, aristocratic finesse and a regal, purity of flavor.

 G. Camerano & Figli 2004 Barolo 'Terlo Gold Label'-Quintessential, classic Barolo with aromas and flavors of dark berries, licorice, forest floor characters, truffles, violets and exotic spices. It is expansive on the palate with great complexity, depth of flavor and fine, noble tannins.