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robin@42aspens.com
Crushed Grape ChroniclesCrushed Grape Chronicles
Adventures in Wine Exploration
the stories behind the vines
  • CGC Home
  • The Stories
  • the places
    • Australia
      • Hunter Valley
      • Mudgee Wine Region
      • Shoalhaven Coast
      • Southern Highlands
    • California Wine, Wine Makers & Winery’s
      • Los Olivos, California
      • Paso Robles, California
      • Santa Barbara County
      • Napa Valley
      • Sonoma Valley
      • Temecula Wine Country
    • Central Coast Wine Country, a flash trip in 6 days
    • France, the wine regions
      • France, Alsace region
      • Champagne 101, the region
      • Côtes de Bordeaux
      • the wines of Alsace, France
      • the wines of Bordeaux, France
      • the wines of Champagne France
      • the wines of Languedoc Roussillion
    • Oregon Wine Country
      • Willamette
    • Yakima Valley Wine
      • Red Willow Vineyard
  • the Philosophies
    • Biodynamics in Wine Production
    • Champagne & Sparkling Wine
  • Food & Wine Pairing
    • Food & Wine Pairing Recipe Videos
  • from dirt to glass
    • Wine Basics
      • the grape vines
      • the grapes
      • the seasons
      • the Wine harvest
      • the winemakers
      • Wine Faults
    • Crushed Grapes & Open Minds, Event
    • 12 Days of Wine, a holiday Wine list 2019
    • 12 Days of Wine, a holiday Wine list 2020
    • 12 Days of Wine, a holiday Wine list 2021
    • Uncommon Wine Festival at Vista Hills Vineyard 2018
    • Top Places to Taste Wine in California!
    • The Scenic Route 2021
    • The Scenic Route, a Flash Wine tour
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Syncline Winery Stunning Wines in the Tortured Topography of the Columbia Gorge AVA
Syncline Winery Stunning Wines in the Tortured Topography of the Columbia Gorge AVA
Viura There is more to Rioja than Tempranillo #WorldWineTravel
Viura There is more to Rioja than Tempranillo #WorldWineTravel
Generations and stability at Red Willow Vineyard
Generations and stability at Red Willow Vineyard
The story of the iconic Red Willow Vineyard Chapel
The story of the iconic Red Willow Vineyard Chapel
the story of Red Willow Vineyard
the story of Red Willow Vineyard
The beginnings of Nebbiolo and Syrah at Red Willow
The beginnings of Nebbiolo and Syrah at Red Willow
Ancient Soils at Red Willow Vineyard
Ancient Soils at Red Willow Vineyard
Red Willow Vineyard – The Chapel Block
Red Willow Vineyard – The Chapel Block
Lowe Wine - 2015 Nullo Mountain Riesling
Lowe Wine – 2015 Nullo Mountain Riesling
Lowe Wines - a brief history with David Lowe
Lowe Wines – a brief history with David Lowe
A Vineyard walk on Candy Ridge with Seth Kitzke
A Vineyard walk on Candy Ridge with Seth Kitzke
Armstrong Family Vineyard, The Future
Armstrong Family Vineyard, The Future

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Tempting Spoonfuls: Pairing single bites with glorious wines (On Sale Now on Amazon)!

Tempting Spoonfuls: Pairing single bites with glorious wines Paperback – August 29, 2022

Tempting Spoonfuls: Pairing single bites with glorious wines Paperback – August 29, 2022

crushedgrapechron

In route. #wmc22 In route. #wmc22
We celebrated #grenacheday with a 2019 @carharttfa We celebrated #grenacheday with a 2019 @carharttfamilywines grenache, paired with steak pies, creamed cauliflower and peas! Simple British inspired meal with this Grenache, with a nod to the Queen and a welcome to the new King.
Happy Grenache Day Everyone! We are celebrating w Happy Grenache Day Everyone! We are celebrating with a post that gives you a bit of background on this grape as well as some terrific bottles we've found and pairings! Find a bottle and celebrate! #internationalgrenacheday #grenacheday #garnacha #grenache #wineandfoodpairing
Storm 2021Sauvignon Blanc from the Santa Ynez Vall Storm 2021Sauvignon Blanc from the Santa Ynez Valley paired with a zuchinni corn and shrimp flatbread (recipe from Food and Wine)! Really tasty!
We are headed "Back to School" with the writers at We are headed "Back to School" with the writers at #WinePW ! My topic is LODI RULES, a sustainability certification that I was not terribly familiar with. I learned about the certification with the help of Marissa Dineen of @dineen_vineyards in Washington's Yakima Valley. We also enjoyed their 2020 Cab Franc (#Sample) which Marissa suggested pairing with Greek food. I was inspired by a lamb dish that Jeff at @foodwineclick did a few weeks ago and adapted the recipe for chicken thighs. This dish had a side of cucumber which you would not expect to pair with red wine, but it did! Delicious wine and a delicious pairing! Read the whole piece on Crushedgrapechronicles.com
It's Chianti Day! Here's a little about the regio It's Chianti Day! Here's a little about the region. Those straw wrapped bottles are called "Fiasco." They help the round bottle stand and protect them in shipping. The region is in Tuscany in Northwest Italy. The wine is primarily Sangiovese. There are 7 subzones in Chianti, including Colline Pisane near Pisa and Colli Fiorentini around Florence. There is also the Chianti Classico Region which is the historic heart of the region. The label for Chianti Classico boasts a black rooster. Here's the story. Florence and Siena were fighting over land in the 13th century. To settle the dispute, they would each send a knight on horseback from their city. Where the 2 met would define the territory. The Florentines starved their black rooster for two days, so on the fated morning he awoke to crow before dawn (he was hungry!). So the Florentine rider got a headstart, almost reaching Siena before meeting the other rider. Today on #ChiantiDay celebrate with a bottle, with or without fiasco! #CrushedGrapeChronicles #discoverwinecountry #drinkchianti
Sardinia! This island off the western coast of It Sardinia! This island off the western coast of Italy has an amazing history. There position in the Mediterranean meant those floating by in boats were always looking for opportunities to take over. They lived through the Phoenicians, the Roman's and even WWII, before becoming a self-governing region of Italy. They also have some beautiful wines. Ours was a 2020 Vermentino di Gallura Superiore DOCG from @sellaemosca . We paired it with mussels and a fregola, grilled lemon and basil salad. Read the whole story on Crushedgrapechronicles.com! #sardinia #vermentinodigallura #Vermentino #foodandwinepairings #ItalianFWT #CrushedGrapeChronicles #DiscoveringWineCountry
Did we celebrate #cabernetday ? Of course we did! Did we celebrate #cabernetday ? Of course we did! It just took me until almost the next day to get this posted! This bottle from @j.wilkeswines is 2019 bourbon barrel aged cab, but not in the ooky way. This was made by Wes Hagen, so you know those barrels were good. Yes it is High alcohol sitting at a whopping 15.5%. But those rich berries and caramel notes make you forgive it for that. We paired it with a cheese plate with a maple whisky gouda, an aged manchego and stockinghall cheddar. I may have finally found a cheddar I like! We had black cherries, figs, red and yellow peppers, some raw local honey, toasted fresh wheat seeded bread from a local bakery, cashews and almonds. Then we topped it off with a bit of "Rings of Power" (I'm a Tolkien lover and I was enthralled), some SheHulk and the end of Rafa's match at the open. Not a bad Thursday night! Happy #CabernetDay my friends! #didyourglasshavecab? #thirstythursday #CrushedGrapeChronicles #DiscoveringWineCountry
Just out today! My new book "Tempting Spoonfuls." Just out today! My new book "Tempting Spoonfuls." This 60 page book give 18 recipes for appetizer spoons, perfect for party appetizers or for when you just need to spoil yourself. Each recipe has a drool-worthy photo. We also include photos of the wines we paired, the bottles surrounded by the aromas and flavors you will find in the wine. You'll learn a bit about the wineries. Perhaps you will be enticed to search out these wines or visit the winery! If you don't drink wine, well I'm betting you eat, and these bites are delicious on their own. I also get a bit philosophical on spoons in the book. They are such an under-rated utensil. Comforting and sometimes a little sensual, they are perfect for directing flavors to your palate. "Tempting Spoonfuls" is available on Amazon today in the print version ($15.95) with the Kindle available for pre-order (at $7.99 it rolls out on September 8th) Head to to bio for a link to CrushedGrapeChronicles.com scroll to just below the logo for a link. (Or just search for "Tempting Spoonfuls" on Amazon! Wineries featured include: @troonwines @lonemadronewines @selbywinery @bradleyvnyds @trisaetum_winery @riversedgewinery @baileyfamilywine @utopiavineyard @tablascreek @capriocellarswa @carharttfamilywines @trellavineyards @hiruztabodega #wineandfoodpairing #recipebooks #CrushedGrapeChronicles #DiscoveringWineCountry #appetizerspoons #TemptingSpoonfuls
It's Red Wine Day! What did you choose? We went It's Red Wine Day! What did you choose? We went with this Pinot Noir from @carhartt for a couple of reasons. First, I had some salmon and a recipe I really wanted to use tonight. Second, this was an epiphany wine for me. Years ago, on our first visit to Carhartt. We sat in those beautiful Adirondack chairs made of barrel staves on the back patio of the old Carhartt Cabin. I was poured their Pinot Noir, made by Brooke Carhartt and I was entranced. The aromas of violets had me mesmerized. It's a moment I have chased to recapture ever since. Did this wine match up? Well...it does have those notes of violet, but Brooke's son Chase now has a hand in the wines and it has a more savory feel added to it. It's delicious, but different (as is every wine at every new moment). I will likely never re-experience that moment on the Carhartt back patio, but the wine today built off that memory. Perhaps that epiphany was more than the aromas. Perhaps, the day, the weather, the dappled light through the trees...perhaps that all added up to the epiphany. I will continue the chase, having small moments along the way, until some wine again brings me to that peak, a moment in time, that transcends, making a memory that will cause me to chase yet another. Isn't that what loving wine is all about? Happy #redwineday ! #CrushedGrapeChronicles #DiscoveringWineCountry #wineepiphanies
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