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Adventures in Wine Exploration
the stories behind the vines

CGC Home
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the philosophies
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Crushed Grape Chronicles

Wine Adventures exploring wine Country.

We explore Wine country, talk with Wine Makers and Wine growers to discover the philosophy behind the wine.

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crushedgrapechron

#samples Utopia. It’s a place of ideal perfecti

#samples
Utopia. It’s a place of ideal perfection. That’s what Dan Warnshuis thought when he first saw the site on Oregon’s Ribbon Ridge in the Willamette Valley.
_____ The site was a horse pasture. It wasn’t even for sale. None-the-less, he walked to the door of the house on
the property and knocked.
_____ The next thing you know, he had the start of his vineyard, of his own Utopia.
_____ He was among maybe 7 vineyards in the Ribbon Ridge when he got started in 2000.
Now there are over 40.
_____
Dan designed the vineyard to incorporate 12 different Pinot Noir clones at a time when this was not yet done.
_____
We tasted 2 Estate wines the 2017 Chardonnay and the 2017 Pinot Noir
_____ The 2017 Utopia Estate Chardonnay hit my nose with lemon pith, followed by lemon and green apple. There was a hint of salinity and fine notes of chalk. It became more tropical as it opened. We paired it with avocado, roasted blood orange, and kumquats with a dressing with citrus, cardamom, and rosewater and pork chops with yellow apples, sage, apple butter, and maple.
_____ The 2017 Utopia Estate Pinot Noir had notes of boysenberry, currant, black cherry, with bits of green peppercorn, rose petals and potting soil. We paired the Pinot with Lavender Earl Grey Tea smoked Yellowfin Tuna with roasted golden beets and rosemary.
_____ Read all about Dan’s search for Utopia and his wines at CrushedGrapeChronicles.com
_____ @utopiavineyard
#youcansipwithus
#ribbonridge
#chardonnay
#pinotnoir
#oregonwine
#wineandfoodpairing

Join me later today for an IG Live discussion on W

Join me later today for an IG Live discussion on Washington wines over at @cookingchatwine (give them a follow, then watch for the LIVE with them at the top of your feed at 2 pm Pacific time)
Join us and share your favorite wines from Washington! @cookingchatwine
#TasteWA
#WAWine
@wa_state_wine
@wineyakimavalley

We had a very discerning dinner guest for our Yaki

We had a very discerning dinner guest for our Yakima Valley Pairing as we prep for the March #winepw! Watch for the recipe and details on these wines and wineries on March 12th! @eightbellswinery
@pearlandstonewine
@wineyakimavalley
#WinePW
#LokiatDinner
#youcansipwithus
#wineandfoodpairing

It's #openthatbottlenight ! We opened a 2010 Pino

It's #openthatbottlenight ! We opened a 2010 Pinot Noir by Richard Sanford from the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. This was a celebration of Richard Sanford's 40th year as a winegrower. He is a humble legend.
_____ We did a fun visit with some other wine lovers! Thanks @anatoli.l
at Talk-a-Vino
_____ This wine has some caramel notes from age, but it is still beautiful and full.
_____ We paired it with steak with gorgonzola sauce, creamed corn and salad.
_____ Yeah, I'm in my happy place. What bottle did you pull out tonight! #openthatbottlenight2021
#youcansipwithus
#staritahills
@almarosawinery
@staritahillswinealliance
@santabarbarawinecountry
#richardsanford40yearsofwinegrowingcelebration

This label makes me wish for spring…it’s right

This label makes me wish for spring…it’s right around the corner, isn’t it? 🌸🌸🌸 We are headed back to Spain with the #WorldWineTravel group this weekend. Specifically we #travelinabottle to Catalonia (Catalunya or Cataluña).
_____ While this region is famous for Cava, 🍾 and I do love bubbles, we chose to spend time in Priorat, the land of steep vineyards and llicorella soils.
_____ Our wine is called “humilitat” and is made by Franck Massard a noted Somm & vigneron. He calls this wine “elegant, fresh, simple, humble…Garnacha at its best” I find it impossible to disagree.
_____ This wine is vibrantly Spanish! Fiesty with elegance. Notes of coffee and mocha, followed by berries and bramble, then garrique heavy on the lavender. This wine is full,
but in no way heavy.
_____ We paired it with a sous-vide salmon in coffee and five spice, with grilled herbs zucchini. This pairing was heaven. Eyes closed whenever you take a bite, kind of heaven.
_____ There is more, but you will have to read the article. The recipe for this bit of heaven is there.
_____ Join the #WorldWineTravel writers as we discuss the wine of Catalonia Saturday, February 27th at 8 am Pacific Time on Twitter! Just follow and use the hashtag #WorldWineTravel and tell us about your favorite wine from this region!
_____ @franckmassard
@d.o.q.priorat
@spainfoodwine
#WorldWineTravel
#youcansipwithus
#youshouldsipwithus
#SpanishWine
#Priorat
#foodandwinepairing
#winestagram

More on our gastronomical journey this week with a

More on our gastronomical journey this week with a Spanish wine from Priorat from @franckmassard. Watch for the post this weekend for sous vide salmon in coffee and 5 spice. It was heaven! #winophiles.

It has been a busy week already and it continues t

It has been a busy week already and it continues tomorrow with even more delicious pairings!
Today, I learned how to smoke! No, not cigarettes (and not weed). We made tea smoked yellowfin tuna and it was the bomb!
Watch for some amazing recipes and pairings coming up soon! #foodandwinepairing
#recipeshoots
#greatfood
#cookingathome

This little guy...he rocks my world, covering my h

This little guy...he rocks my world, covering my house in boxes that we can't throw away and cat toys (there are toy mice everywhere). I wouldn't have it any other way. #loveyourpetday

Think of Provençe and you think beaches, lavender

Think of Provençe and you think beaches, lavender, sunflowers, and rosé. The French #winophiles are digging deeper into the red wines of Provençe. I found a Bandol Rouge. The Bandol AOC is the rare spot in Provençe where they focus on red wine. Our wine is from Chateau Ste. Anne, a Domaine that was actually one of the pioneers in creating this AOC back in 1941. The wine we tasted was the Château Ste. Anne 2016 Bandol Rouge. It is 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Cinsault, and 20% Grenache from vines that are between 33 and 55 years old. Deep in color, the nose grew in intensity over the evening. Dried herbs, smoke, and hay melded with deep tart black fruit, with licorice, leather, grilled meat, and a note of
barnyard.
On the palate, it is dry with medium acid and medium/high tannins that are elegant. Red currant, dried herbs, and blackberries roll about in your mouth.
There is a wildness to this wine, but wildness contained and restrained elegantly. Over the course of the evening, it opened and filled out, still elegant but now reclined and
more expansive. I got spoiled by Valentine’s Day Dinner sent to me by my best friend, steak, scalloped potatoes, lobster tails... We tweaked it just a bit, dousing things with herbs de Provençe, roasting some carrots. Oh and then for dessert I made lavender, honey, blueberry ice
cream. It was a delicious day all around. Join the #Winophiles tomorrow Saturday February 20th on Twitter by following and using the hashtag #winophiles to join the conversation on Red Wines of Provençe at 8 am. Have you had a red wine from Bandol? Share with us in the comments! @vinsdebandol

When #internationaldrinkwineday happens during the

When #internationaldrinkwineday happens during the #oregonwinesymposium you pop a bottle of Oregon Wine! We opened this beautiful Johan 2013 Nils Pinot Noir. Red cherry, eucalyptus, light barnyard, bits of leather, it's still opening... Frome the Van Duzer Corridor before it was an AVA this wine is light in color and body but rich in flavor. Elegant without being stuffy, I feel my face pulling up into a content smile as I sip this. It sits at 12.2 abv, and is truly delicious. @johanvineyards
@wvwines
@orwinesymposium
@oregonwineboard
#vanduzercorridorava
#pinotnoir
#youcansipwithus
#tastywine

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