Olson Ogden Wines

great pork rib recipe to pair with the 2006 olson ogden unti syrah

A good friend from my days in technology is an amateur chef.  Amateur in that he does not cook for a living but nothing amateur about his abilities in the kitchen.  I have enjoyed his preparations over the years several times, each time marveling at his creations and secretly wishing I had the imagination to come up with something similar.  Several years ago I was fortunate enough to try pork spare ribs with his BBQ rub.  I asked for and got the recipe so I could make them at home which I have done many times.  I made them again this past week and really hit the mark this time.  It is hard to say what made them so good this time but here are my thoughts....starting with high quality tender, meaty ribs; cooking it long enough at a low enough temperature (sometimes I am in a rush I am told); and pairing it with the right wine. Turns out the "right wine" was the 2006 Olson Ogden Unti Vineyard Syrah.  It was the perfect match.  It's bright acidity, firm tannins and full mouthfeel were a good counterbalance to the sweet and spicy rub of the ribs.  The combination really sung!  Below is the recipe (reprinted with Chef Randy Dean's permission, I might add!) if you would like to give it a try.  Let me know how it works for you.  Do you have a favorite recipe you like to pair with an Olson Ogden wine?  Please share it. - by John

Randy’s BBQ Rub

Makes enough rub for two racks of babyback ribs.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Quantity	Measure	Ingredient	Preparation
6	TBL	Light brown sugar	Firmly packed
1	TBL	Crushed red pepper flakes	(add more for spicy)
1	TBL	Paprika
1	TBL	Garlic powder
1	TBL	Fennel seeds
1	TBL	Powdered ginger
2	TSP	Onion powder
2	TSP	Coarse salt (e.g. kosher)
2	TSP	Ground cumin
1	TSP	Ground cinnamon
1	TSP	Black pepper	Freshly cracked
1	TSP	Dry mustard

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  

Rub mixture lightly over bone side of both racks. Place racks bone side down on a baking sheet.  Rub remaining mixture heavily over meat side of ribs. Press rub into meat trying to get as much of the rub to stay on top of the meat as possible.  Bake at 275 degrees for approximately 3 – 3.5 hours (don’t rush them).  Remove from oven.  Cover ribs with foil and rest for 10 minutes.  Cut and serve.

Notes:  

• •    Buy the best quality ribs you can find.  

• •    This rub is also really good for beef ribs, steaks, rack of lamb, leg of lamb, and even lightly used on fish such as halibut or salmon.

new recipe to pair with 2007 olson ogden russian river valley pinot noir

Yesterday our good friend Richard Haake sent us a new recipe to pair with the 2007 Olson Ogden Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.  The recipe is a Sonoma Liberty Duck Leg with Red Wine, Bay Leaf and Orange Zest.  Yum!!  We posted the recipe to the Food &  Wine section of our website. Here is a direct link to it.  I am looking forward to trying this recipe out soon!  I hope you will too and let us know how it goes.  Do you have a favorite recipe you pair with your Olson Ogden?  Tell us about it. -- by John

recipe development for olson ogden wines

Chef Richard Haake provides an inside look into recipe development for Olson Ogden Wines on his blog this week. Richard is the founder of Winery Chefs and works with wineries to develop recipes that complement their wines. Richard and Tim will be getting together next week to taste through the 2007 vintage so Richard can start working on recipies for these wines which will be released to the general public soon. Read Richard's blog post here.

what to serve: provencal rosemary almonds

We have friends over for an impromptu glass of wine often. For these occasions I keep a stash of raw California almonds on hand so I can prepare a quick hors d'oeuvres plate of Provencal rosemary almonds. They are very easy to prepare and after a few minutes in the oven my entire kitchen will take on the welcoming, warm scent of rosemary. The hint of cayenne and rosemary pair nicely with Syrah.

Provencal Rosemary Almonds

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups raw almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in microwave, mix in seasonings and then toss in almonds. Spread coated almonds over a baking sheet, bake for about 12 minutes, stirring once, until toasted and fragrant. Serve!

a trip to the unified symposium

Last week I attended the annual wine industry trade show, The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, in Sacramento.  It’s always great to connect with old friends and meet a few new ones.  The parties aren’t too bad either.  The highlight of the Symposium for me was a seminar on growing and making Grenache.  It had a panel that included a viticulture professor, a wine buyer for Sam’s in Chicago and some winemakers that included one from Australia, one from France, two from California and one from Washington.  It was very educational and I look forward to applying what I learned to our experimental Grenache program.  Other good news is that the U.S. is on track to become the largest wine drinking country in the world by 2012.  Food and wine have become an integral part of the American culture in the last 40 years and Americans are enjoying good wine and food more than ever before.  Speaking of which, I got an email recently from my friend Richard Haake, the winery chef.  He is excited about some of the recipes he is creating for Olson Ogden.  As we rebuild our website, we look forward to our new section on Food and Wine.  Until then, a sneak peak at what Chef Richard is working on (picture above).   It’s a pork shank recipe that works with both our 2006 Russian River Pinot Noir as well as our 2006 Unti Vineyard Syrah. -- by Tim

crimini mushroom tart paired with olson ogden 2006 unti vineyard syrah

The last thing anyone is probably thinking about the day after Thanksgiving is food but I could not resist sharing this wonderful new recipe.  Richard Haake has created a crimini mushroom tart paired with the Olson Ogden 2006 Unti Vineyard Syrah (see photo below).  -- by John

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces or 1 stick butter, unsalted, diced and kept cold
¼ cup water, very cold

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cups crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoons minced shallots
salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon slivered garlic
1 bunch of swiss chard, cleaned and chopped
 ½ cup crumbled fresh goat cheese, we recommend Redwood Hills from Sonoma County

1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon coarse salt

To make the dough, place the flour and salt in a mixer with the paddle attachment.  Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the diced butter until it’s a sand consistency. Add the water and mix just until the dough comes together.  Remove the dough onto a lightly flour surface and work the dough into a ball, be sure not to over mix. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour.

In a large sauté pan over add a tablespoons of olive oil . when the oil is hot add the  mushrooms  and cook until they start to brown.  Add the shallots and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a minute longer and remove the mushrooms to a plate lined with a paper towel. In the same pan add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and when its starts to brown add the swiss chard.  Cook until it completely wilts and the pan is dry of any excess water. Season with salt and remove to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Preheat oven to 425ºF. To assemble the galette, roll out the dough on a well-floured work surface into a round disk about a 1/8 inch thick. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and chill for twenty minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and spread a layer of mushrooms and swiss chard in the center of the pastry. Crumble the goat cheese over the top. Fold the edges of the dough over to partially cover the filling. Brush the outside of the pastry with the beaten egg and top with salt.  Place in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to resting rack to cool. Cut into wedges and serve.

recipe to enjoy with a 2006 Olson Ogden RRV Pinot Noir

Richard Haake, a well-known winery chef who spent the last three years as the Executive Chef of the Robert Mondavi Winery and previously spent 5 years as the Executive Chef of Cakebread Cellars has begun to develop food recipes specifically paired with our wines.  The first one he came up with is a Slow Roasted Salmon with Braised Swiss Chard, Apple Smoked Bacon and Roasted Beets.  We hope you try this recipe at home and enjoy it as there will be more recipes to come. -- by John

 

5 red beets, large

2 garlic cloves

1 fresh thyme sprig

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and black pepper

                       

4 ounces apple wood smoked bacon, diced

½ cup red onion, julienne

2 cup Swiss chard, large julienne

1 tablespoons  red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

4 - 6 ounce portions of King Salmon*

2 teaspoons thyme leaves, fresh picked

           

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

 2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar

 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  On a large sheet of foil, place the beets, garlic, thyme, olive oil, and  season with salt and pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil, place the foil pack on a sheet tray and in the oven to bake for 40 minutes or until the beets are cooked through.  The beets are cooked when you pierce them with a pairing knife and there is no resistance. Remove the beets from the oven, open the foil and allow them to cool to room temperature.  Peel the beets using a paper towel, the skin should slide right off. Slice the beets into ¼” round and set aside.

 

In a large sauté pan over medium heat add the bacon and cook until all the fats rendered.  Add the onions and turn the heat to low.  Sweat the onions until translucent and turn the heat up to medium.  Add the chard and cook until soft, then season with red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Cover and set aside until service.

 

Turn the oven to 200ºF.  Rub the fish with olive oil. Season the fish with salt, pepper, thyme, and place on a sheet tray.  Place the fish oven and cook for 25 minutes. While the fish is cooking combine the olive oil and vinegar.

 

To serve, warm the beets, sauce and chard.  On a large plate place three rounds of beets and season with salt and pepper.  Place the chard on the beets and a piece of fish on the chard. Dress the dish with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.