A busy week at St. Francis Winery, at least for me that is.  We are winding down our winter wine and food pairing program and shifting into the summer charcuterie program which starts the last week of May.  I am also working on three recipes paired with St. Francis wines for Outdoor Life magazine which will be coming out this fall; and we are taking food shots this Friday. That being said I need to stop writing and start cooking! 

Cheers,
Chef David

I just received a comment from Judith in Tahoe wondering how the duck prosciutto that we recently made turned out. First off,thank you Judith for reading my blog and to answer your question the prosciutto turned out great. I am planning on making  more soon and hopefully, if the weather cooperates, pairing it with some fresh apricots and one of St. Francis' Chardonnays. The recipe is very easy. I will add it at the bottom of the blog. Thanks again for the comment and keep checking back for more recipes and wine and food pairings.

Cheers,
Chef David

Duck Prosciutto:

Ingredients:
1.1/2 to 2  cups kosher salt
1 whole boneless Pekin duck breast, skin on, split in half
½ tablespoon of freshly ground black or white pepper
Cheesecloth
Butchers twine or string

Process:
Place about half of the salt in the bottom of a stainless steel (or other nonreactive) container.
Place the duck breasts skin side up on the salt, and cover with the remaining salt being sure to cover the breasts completely, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerate for 24 hours.
Remove breasts from the fridge and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
Sprinkle the breasts on both sides with the fresh cracked pepper.
Wrap the breasts in a double layer of cheesecloth and tie off the ends with the butchers twine.
Hang the breasts in the refrigerator for about 7 days.
When finished the breasts should be firm but not hard, and will have a deep red color.
Remove from the cheesecloth, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Slice thinly on a bias and serve with fruit, nuts, or cheese, and of course some St. Francis wine.

Just returned from a fishing tournament in nearby Clear Lake. It was the first FLW Stren series tournament of the season and I fished it as a non-boater; meaning since I did not own a boat I fished from the back of someone else's. This was my second highest finish, 10th out of 148 fishermen, which landed me a pretty good size check. So good in fact that I have since bought my own bass boat so no more back of the boat for me. The next stop on the tournament trail is April 18th which unfortunately for me is the date of our Winery Tax Relief dinner. Needless to say, with a 52 gallon gas tank to fill, I'll be keeping my day job

Tight Lines,
Chef David

Vicki was at the winery last weekend and sent along a comment about a salmon dish on our wine and food pairing menu that she especially enjoyed.  Thank you so much for your comment Vicki which, along with others who have requested this same recipe, motivated me to sit down and format it for everyone to access through our website. We serve the 2006 Behler Chardonnay with this salmon at the wine and food pairing as this wine complements the buttery texture of the fish and the leeks.  It would also pair nicely with the St. Francis 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, which will cut through the richness of the dish providing a refreshing contrast. It might be fun to serve your guests both wines with the salmon to show how wine can be a complementary flavor or provide a contrast with the food. Just one more note; at the winery we serve a bite size portion so I have adjusted the recipe so that it is a more substantial portion for the home cook.

Cheers,
Chef David

Winter has finally returned to Sonoma wine country and the cold, rainy weather outside has me yearning for a warm bowl of clams and spicy chorizo.  This dish pairs really well with both white and red wines.  I prefer the red so I like it with St. Francis Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon but the Sonoma County Chardonnay also works nicely with this dish. Both wines are available in stores across the country.  You can find the recipe here  and you'll see it is both easy to prepare and satisfying.  If you can't find Spanish chorizo you can substitute with linguica or andouille sausage.

Cheers,
Chef David

One good thing about the slow season in the wine country is that it gives me a chance to play with new food and wine pairings. I just finished curing and wrapping some Sonoma County duck breasts.  I should have some great duck prosciutto in about seven days.   I am thinking that I will serve the duck with a tart cherry compote, shaved Vella Dry Jack, cherry syrup and some upland cress.  I will pair it with one of our Zinfandels, possibly the Pagani or Old Vines Zinfandel.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cheers,

Chef David

The weather is beautiful in Sonoma Wine Country today and is supposed to hold throughout the weekend.  This unseasonably warm weather has me yearning for spring and all the great produce to come.  But for now I need to stay focused on what is available; citrus, root vegetables, winter greens, and hearty braised dishes.  Saturday looks to be a busy day for me and my Sous Chef Stacey with many reservations already on the books.  Those who do come out will be treated to a great wine and food pairing experience along with some excellent mid winter weather.  I am going to change the wine and food pairing menu soon so if you haven't tried the current menu, which includes a baby quiche, and braised chicken mole to name just two of the four items, time is running out.  Hopefully I'll see you at the Winery where I am always free to answer any questions or just talk about wine and food.

Cheers,

Chef David

I’m back! Okay, I didn’t really go any where; I’ve just been busy with all of the hustle and bustle with the holidays over here in the Wine Country. I wanted to take this opportunity to share the lovely sights I saw when driving into work. What a breathtaking view, snow topped Hood Mountain located directly behind St. Francis Winery. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, we’ve just experienced our first freeze.

We know that times are difficult for everyone, but it’s mornings like this that make me step back and appreciate the important things in world, health, happiness and family!

Cheers!

I recently read an article on Washingtonpost.com written by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenberg.  They hit on a couple of points that echo recent wine and food pairings I have prepared at St. Francis Winery.  The first is pairing food prepared with dried chilies.  Our new Wine and Food Pairing Menu couples the 2004 Wild Oak Cabernet Sauvignon with chicken braised in a dark mole sauce.  The mole is made with three different dried chilies, Cascabels, Anchos, and New Mexican, as well as Mexican chocolate. The authors mention in the article the "smoky earthiness" of the chilies pairs well with red wines; I couldn't agree more! Our 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon pairs beautifully with the deep and complex flavors in the mole; the dried chilies and Mexican Chocolate enhance the subtle smokiness and chocolate nuance hiding within this complex wine.

The article also mentions pairing wine with horseradish, one of my favorite ingredients, but one that needs to be handled carefully when pairing with wines.  I love serving horseradish crème fraiche with a medium rare roasted Prime Rib.  The St. Francis 2005 Sonoma County Merlot is a “fruity, low-tannin merlot,” quoting the article, making it a perfect accompaniment for Prime Rib slathered in horseradish crème fraiche.

The article contains other good suggestions concerning hard to pair with foods, but you shouldn’t be afraid to paint outside the lines and find pairings that suit your palate best.  

Happy Pairing,
David Bush
Executive Chef

One of the things I like most about being a Wine Club Manager at St. Francis Winery is that I have the freedom to put together new events that have not been done here before. I love entertaining at home so this job is perfect for me! Putting together a wine club event is just an extension of what I do best, invite a group of friends to share my environment, show them around and above all, have great conversation over a warm meal paired with a perfect glass of wine. That’s just what it was like when I hosted our “Vine to the Wine” event this past weekend! And why wouldn’t it be, our Winemaker, Tom Mackey and Vineyard Manager, Dino Amantite took time out of their busy Harvest schedule to teach us a thing or two about making wine.

Tom taught us the technique his team uses to pump wine into barrels without spilling a drop. Then Dino took us into the Merlot Estate Vineyard, located behind the winery and showed us how the fruit is picked from the vines, most efficiently without compromising the clusters. This gave us a true appreciation for the labor involved in picking fruit! After a hard working morning, we enjoyed a hearty lunch prepared by our Chef David Bush with the 2006 Wild Oak Chardonnay and 2004 Wild Oak Merlot. My favorite part of the event was getting to know our guests over lunch. This is what builds my relationship with them and hopefully their experience was a memorable one!

Cheers!

It’s a magical time here in Sonoma. The weather is cooling, leaves are turning and the lavender has been trimmed.

Here at St. Francis Winery, we are bringing Harvest to our wine club members with a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with our wine making team. As host of this exciting new event, I will be leading a small group of wine club members who aren’t afraid to get down and dirty! Join us in the fun, as we sort grapes side by side with the St. Francis Team.

Our Director of Winemaking, Tom Mackey, will be present, offering us the unique opportunity to have answered all the questions we have about our favorite St. Francis wines. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a hearty lunch created by our Executive Chef, David Bush, all the while surrounded by breathtaking views of St. Francis’ Estate Syrah Vineyard.

If you have not yet signed up and would like to, don’t delay, there are only a few spots available! 

Cheers!