Barrel Room Buzz

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Awards

Zinfandel Reserve

We are always happy to share great news, and its always good news when one of your CRW wines receives recognition from the “largest competition of American wines in the world!” This year, two of your newer releases earned honorable mention.

1.) Silver Medal: Reserve Zinfandel

2.) Bronze Medal: Bordheauxd Red

Sixty-three judges gathered in Sonoma County, January 5-8 to taste a very long list of wines. Over 4,913 wines from over 1,500 wineries were considered. The wines were classified into different groups based on varietals, prices, and blends.

The 2007 Reserve Zinfandel earned the Silver Medal among a group of other Zinfandels over $35. This Zin has earned some considerable attention since its release at the end of 2009. A fuller, richer body immediately peaked curiosity among the members of the CRW team. Our devoted Wine Club members offered great feedback, many expressing appreciation for finally adding a Zin to the Reserve list. If you like a bold, spicy, full body Zin, this one is up your alley.

Tasting notes: 24 moths of oak barrel aging allows this wine to reach a full mouth feel with a bright bouquet of spiciness, hibiscus and rose hips. The dark, rich flavors of tart blackberry and passion fruit will delight your senses.A wonderful wine for pairing with rich foods such as sage and pepper rubbed pork loin or simple foods like grilled bratwursts with spicy mustard.

The 2007 Bordheauxd Red claimed a Bronze Medal in a group of Bordeaux Blends over $20. The 2007 is a recent

Bronze Medal

release and succeeds the very popular 2006 vintage. It is a blend packed with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a dab of Merlot. The name Bordheauxd <board head> is a tribute to all of the zany and active boarders in our region; and this blend is a great, smooth ride.

Tasting Notes: Hints of blackberry, chocolate & tobacco tantalize your nose and your palate is rewarded with the taste of bittersweet chocolate swirled with blackberry followed by a smoky finish. Strong tannins will help this wine age nicely. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels and patiently blended, this wine features complexities of each grape, our unique Columbia Gorge climate, and the multi-faceted nature of our community.

Both wines are among the many newer releases. All are available online!

Cheers!

CRW

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Happy Hour Bistro Night

Enjoying a glass in the Barrel Room

 We are really excited about our newest event at Cathedral Ridge. Well, it is not exactly an event, but more like a regular occurence. We have officially established the Friday Night Happy Hour Bistro Night. Yep, we finally have a Happy Hour. In fact, we had our first ever Happy Hour Bistro Night last Friday and it was. . . well it was a grand ol’ time for the 5 or 6 visitors plus the 3-4 staff members.

All attendees loved the occasion to receive a nice selection of wine glasses for 50% off their usual price. But, the occassion is still in the beginning stages and we realized we really need to start spreading the word. Our goal is to establish a group of delightful wine drinkers, such as yourself, who just need a little time to unwind after the long week. So from 5-7, its your time to really relax when you know you can enjoy some great wine without suffering the steep costs. Here is what you can expect:

A nice, soothing atmosphere. (We just bought great new bar chairs!)

A carefully compiled mix of smooth, cool tunes to set the tone

Cheese plates for your snacking enjoyment

And, plenty of wine! Here are the glass prices: White: $2.50, Red:$3.50, Reserve: $5.00

Of course, you can also purchase as many bottles to leave with as your heart desires. We also hope to add more live music to the mix as the winter rolls on. Or, feel free to truck over your favorite instrument and start a jam session. We hope to see you there one of these Friday evenings. Why not start with this Friday, January 15th from 5-7pm?

Cheers!

CRW Team

Location:

4200 Post Canyon Drive

Hood River, OR 97031

(541)-386-2882

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Help us plan the next wine event!

We need your help! We are in the midst of planning our upcoming Winter Events. There are a few ideas on the table, but we really wanted to make sure we first asked you all your opinions. After all, these special occasions are for you! What kind of events would you like to see at Cathedral Ridge Winery?

Here were a few ideas:
1. Friday night Happy Hour
2. Sunday Brunch
3. Music Appreciation Night
4. Wine Talk Night
and more. . .

We put together this short 8 question survey. If you have the time, we would really appreciate the feedback. Also, feel free to post away here!

Follow this link for the survey:

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2nww5ehg3f2362a/start

Many thanks and Cheers!
CRW Team

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New Beginnings with New Wine

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Scallops Wrapped in Bacon with Red Wine

Add scallops to the next Thanksgiving dinner to really wow the crowd at the dinner table. The third recipe in our Thanksgiving Pack series is The Wower: Scallops Wrapped in Bacon. These pair nicely with Necessity Red or Zinfandel.

Ingredients

2 lbs bacon (regular sliced, not thick)
2 lbs sea scallops (if very large, cut in half)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 cup Zinfandel or Necessity Red

Directions
Cut bacon strips in half.
Wrap a piece of bacon around each scallop; secure with toothpick.
Arrange the wrapped scallops on a baking sheet.
Broil 5 inches from heat for 3 minutes per side, or until bacon is crisp.
In small skillet, melt butter; add garlic and sauté 1 minute,.
Add wine and bring to a boil.
Cook 2 minutes.
Place scallops in large bowl; pour wine over. Gently toss to coat.

Enjoy and keep checking in for more recipes!

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Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Bordeaux Wine

Here is the third recipe to our Thanksgiving Dinner Pack.

All great Thanksgiving meals should include mashed potatoes! This is another popular recipe for some beautiful, smooth, nice textured mashed potatoes to compliment that juicy turkey.  When you finish the first glass of wine, pour a second to try with these potatoes. They pair nicely with a Merlot or our Bordheauxd (pronounced Board Head) Red. The best part: they are very easy to make!

The Compliment: Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes paired with Merlot or Bordheauxd

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup Bacon Bits
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
• 3/8 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3/4 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS

• Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until very tender. Drain.
• Mash with 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
• Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion salt, garlic powder, bacon bits and pepper; mix well.
• Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
• Melt remaining butter; drizzle over the top
• Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

Serve and Enjoy!

Cheers!

Sarah Cullington

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Juicy Turkey Recipe with Red Wine

Here is the second in a series of five recipes from the Thanksgiving Dinner Special. This is a personal favorite. I have always been terrified of cooking the turkey. I was convinced I would only present either a dry, washed out bird, or a barely cooked nightmare. But, really, this recipe helped. By baking the turkey with wine and butter, and by stuffing it with my absolute favorite veggies, what resulted was a mouthwatering and beautiful feast. However, I take no credit for the result. This recipe was offered to me from others who have tested it and modified it to their tastes. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

The Turkey Recipe: Pair with Syrah, Huber Pinot Noir, or the Cabernet Merlot

INGREDIENTS

1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed

1 bottle or half bottle of Huber Pinot Noir, Syrah, or Cab/Merlot

Enough margarine or olive oil to cover the turkey

1 can chicken broth

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 tablespoons ground dried rosemary

2 tablespoons rubbed dried sage

2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves

1 tablespoon lemon pepper

1 tablespoon salt

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 orange, cut into wedges

1 onion, chopped

1 can chicken broth

Oven Bag or Aluminum Foil

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that will be long enough to wrap over the turkey if using the aluminum foil. If using an oven bag, then set it aside to put the turkey in later.

• Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt in a small bowl.

• Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey

• Stuff the turkey with the celery, orange, and onion. You may also add other vegetables you prefer.

• Truss if desired, and place the turkey into the roasting pan.

• Pour the chicken broth and wine over the turkey, making sure to get some wine in the cavity.

• Coat the turkey with the margarine or olive oil

• Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear.

• Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

• Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

And, pour a glass of wine and enjoy!

Cheers!

Sarah Cullington

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Adding Wine to Thanksgiving Dinner: Eggplant Croquettes and White Wine

CRW Thanksgiving Wine Special

Thanksgiving is the wine lover’s holiday. Yes, Christmas is just as great, but we aren’t cutting down the Christmas tree just yet. Why? Thanksgiving is the one holiday of the year that places the most focus on food. And what pairs well with food? Wine, of course. Thanksgiving invites the country to relax and to gather with friends, family, and even strangers to sit around the table, converse, and truly enjoy a great meal. As for the recipes, the options are endless. And that makes it even better for the wine lover. When turkey, potatoes, jam, pie, fish, ham, salad, sweet potato, green bean, casseroles, and much more all share the same menu, the wine list also grows.

This Thanksgiving, really enjoy your meal. Indulge in each bite and follow it with the pleasures of exquisite wine. Sure, save time to watch the football game later, but don’t neglect those taste buds.

For this Thanksgiving, at the winery we all chipped in our favorite Thanksgiving recipes and tested them with the wines. We came up the Thanksgiving Dinner Pack in which we offer a wonderful recipe to pair with the selected wines. Over the next week, I’ll post one of those recipes for you try out at home. I hope that you’ll enjoy them just as much we did.

The Opener:

Eggplant Croquettes: Pair with Pinot Gris or Chardonnay:

Serves 5

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed

• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, Add Mozzarella if desired

• 1 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 2 tablespoons dried parsley

• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• A few red peppers, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Place eggplant in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium-high 3 minutes. Turn eggplant over and microwave another 2 minutes. Or, for better results, steam the eggplant. The eggplant should be tender, cook another 2 minutes if the eggplants are not tender.

2. Drain any liquid from the eggplants and mash.

3. Combine red peppers, cheeses, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, onion, garlic and salt with the mashed eggplant. Mix well.

4. Shape the eggplant mixture into patties. Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop eggplant patties one at a time into skillet.

5. If you choose to fry, then fry each side of the patties until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes on each side. Patties can be frozen before frying and cooked later.

6. If you choose to bake the patties, bake for 10 minutes on one side. Flip and bake for 10 more minutes.

Cheers!

Sarah Cullington

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Hood River Winery Costume Contest

Costume Contest=Complimentary Bottle of your favorite Cathedral Ridge Winery Wine.

Costume Contest at the Winery!

We love Halloween. Not only does it bring us silly costumes, candy galore, and scary movies; it also concludes our exciting harvest season. After working tirelessly to collect the grapes, crush, and barrel, we get to don outrageous costumes and win praise at the same time. Costume contests are great for enabling every day folk to sneak behind a mask and unleash their bottled up creativity. There is no shame in a great Halloween costume.

That is why we have decided to celebrate the holiday with a Cathedral Ridge Winery costume contest. It is nothing too extravagant and there is no need to go out of your way. Just put on the costume you know you have been planning all week, some all year , and strut your stuff to the winery for a chance to win. Visit the Cathedral Ridge Tasting Room anytime between now and the end of the day on Halloween and you’re in!

Here is all it takes:

1. Show up to the winery in costume

2. We will snap a photo of you looking your best

3. Fill out the very short sign up form with your costume description

4. Wait for the results. Oh, and enjoy some wine!

The winner, or maybe winners, will be selected by the end of the day Saturday, October 31st. If you win, just select your favorite Cathedral Ridge Reserve wine and its yours.

The best part: Cathedral Ridge Winery employees are eligible to participate! Someone from the CRW team and someone from the general public will be selected.

So just come pay us a visit. And even if you don’t dress up, you will probably get the chance to see some interesting outfits while still enjoying great wine. And, of course, we have candy!

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Demeter the Greek Goddess of Harvest and Wine

Tomorrow we get the unique pleasure of dressing up in costumes and getting paid for it. No we are not putting on a Shakespearean play at the winery, instead we are readying ourselves for a wine themed Halloween gathering. On Saturday, October 24th from 6-8 pm we will be doling out sweet treats, pouring delicious wines, groovin’ to local «One Hum» musical ensemble and strutting our stuff in creative wine inspired garb. As an added incentive for dressed up guests we will be holding a costume contest with the winner receiving a reserve wine of their choice for only $1!

Now I typically tend to be the person scraping odds and ends out of my closet the day before Halloween attempting to piece together some semblance of a costume, but this year I put a little time in and came up with what I think is a decent attempt. Since I was guided by the necessity of association with wine I began running through the gamut in my mind; bunch of grapes, wine bottle, vine, cork . . . none seemed to fit the bill of thinking outside the box. Suddenly it dawned on me. From my classes in college I knew of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. What about the feminine beauty of wine; where is she expressed? As with so many of the answers to questions in my life the information I yearned for was uncovered on wikipedia.

Demeter is the Greek Goddess of Harvest. However, when specifically referring to the goddess of wine, she is also known by her surname Amphictyonis. What better costume than to get to be a goddess for one evening? Her name arises from the Greek word De (meaning Earth) and Meter (meaning Mother). Therefore, she is the goddess representing the purity of the cycle of life and death. As we wind down the 2009 harvest season I can reflect on the gifts reaped from our “Earth-Mother” and understand why ancient Greeks placed such great respect and honor in those they deemed responsible for their fortunes. I am definitely looking forward to an early Halloween celebration and hope that you will join us.

Salud,
Courtney Black

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