Monday, March 29, 2010
A License to Cork
Friday, March 26, 2010
Innkeeper’s Journal: It's Springtime in Palisade and the Wine Country Inn
Over the past few weeks we have been enjoying sunny weather with highs of around 60 degrees. All around Palisade, Colorado, and the Wine Country Inn, it is just a matter of time before our peach trees are in full blossom and our vines start to bud.
On Sunday, March 28, Palisade is celebrating the arrival of Spring with its annual Spring Fest. Activities include a street brunch; Bloody Mary, beer & wine bar; vendors; entertainment; cruiser bike rally & ride; historical walking tour of downtown Palisade; and tours of a winery/vineyard, alpaca farm, and orchard.
Cycling is certainly a popular activity during spring and whether it is street bikes or mountain bikes you prefer, there are plenty of great ways to enjoy your favorite hobby. Palisade Rim or Horse Mountain’s Palisade Classic Single Track are perfect for the avid mountain biker and if street biking is more your liking, imagine biking from winery to winery.
Let’s not forget Barrel Tasting Weekend. Slated for April 24 & 25 and May 14 & 15, six local wineries are opening their doors and barrels to let visitors have a pre-taste of their new releases. We have created a special package for this event which includes a room for 2 nights and a gourmet basket to take with you while visiting the wineries.
In the meantime, let me finish by saying:
“Happy Spring”
Jerome Strack
General Manager
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Artist Gayle Gerson Builds Beauty One Piece At A Time
“Pay attention.” This is the motto by which artist Gayle Gerson lives and creates.
Gerson works in mixed-media and teaches Experimental Collage at the Western Colorado Center for the Arts using primarily photomontage and decoupage methods. She is an award winning artist and art appreciator. Her subjects vary from portrait and landscape to abstract. In 2010, the Colorado Council on the Arts jury commissioned Gerson to create the prizes for the Governor’s Arts Award given by Governor Ritter to the towns of Telluride and Creede.
Gayle and her family have lived in Colorado for over thirty years. While her subject matter and style are not distinctly regional, Gerson says, the golden light reflected on the sandstone edged horizon and the linearity of the Grand Valley are always influencing her compositions and value choices.
Recently, she created a collage series of Mt. Garfield, one of the Western Slope’s most recognizable landmarks. One collage from this series was selected for the Creative Capitol exhibition now on display in the Lt. Governor’s office in Denver, Colorado.
Gerson developed her skills and talents in large part through teaching. She presents a slide show in her classes to demonstrate the history of the medium. Collage techniques have been found as early as the first paintings on paper in China more than 2000 years ago – artists glued pieces of paper onto a painting to expand the story.
Artist Georges Braque began by pasting pieces of wood-grain decorated wall paper on some drawings to create a multi-dimensional texture. Artists like Picasso and Juan Gris used any found object in the vicinity – newspapers, cloth, cigarette packets, etc. – to create a three-dimensional element in a painting or to make social commentary. Eventually the handicraft techniques of decoupage were adopted by fine artists working in mixed media with different intent.
Gerson’s “experiments” have great depth. The layers of divergent images and color rest artfully and offer many secret treasures for viewers who linger on them. In one of her rain forest collages you will find tiny images of tribal dwellers amidst the lush greenery of countless trees. Gerson’s collages are also sophisticated and focused. While her portraits, for example, contain hundreds of pieces of paper and fiber, the visage is wonderfully recognizable and the work overall never appears chaotic. She designs such portraiture with details from the subject’s life. In a recent portrait of a local writer Gerson included pages from his book to shape his trademark beard. These clever, thoughtful touches are integrated so effectively that they do not distract, but enhance the subject’s features.
Gerson attributes her enviable confidence to her previous profession. “I’ve been teaching in one way or another since I graduated college. Now I teach art. I was a public school teacher and school counselor for many years. In that case, you’re talking about the impact you’re making on kids. In my studio, it’s just paper. I tell my students: ‘This is not brain surgery. You’re not flying an airplane. It’s just art. If it doesn’t work you can throw it away. Or better yet, use it in a new way!’”
Gayle Gerson shows her work at the Blue Pig Gallery where she also offers collage demonstrations and workshops. Gerson’s encaustics will be on display during the Art and Wax exhibition at the Blue Pig Gallery during the Palisade International Honeybee Festival.
Copywrite Gayle Gerson. This image may not be copied or reproduced.
About the Author: Wood is owner of the Blue Pig Gallery in Palisade, Colorado. She is being remunerated by the Wine Country Inn for her contributions to this blog.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Wine Review: Spring Signals Time to Crack Open Colorado Whites
By JACOB HARKINS
ColoradoWino.com
It’s officially spring, and since temperatures never dip this time of year (as you read this a snowstorm is probably rolling in) it’s time to start drinking those whites without any reservations. Big reds do well on cold nights by the fireplace and crisp, fruit-forward whites pair well with a late spring or summer sunset in the Grand Valley.
If you haven’t noticed, Colorado does whites pretty well. Three varieties, in particular, are helping put us on the map— Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Viognier. So during your next stop to the wine store, try one of these three selections, all grown from Palisade-area grapes:
Riesling
Riesling is becoming Colorado’s “It” white. The grape most often associated with Germany is perfect for the Western Slope’s hot days and cool nights. Boulder-based Bookcliff Vineyards has a 33-acre plot in the Grand Valley AVA, and Riesling is one of its top grapes. Its 2008 Riesling ($15) is an off-dry version that is light on alcohol and strong on aromas and flavors. It starts with a pleasant burst of fruit, notably apples. Its bouquet is intense with smells lingering. This Riesling is about apples, fruit and sweet. Its sugars are not overpowering, though.
Gewürztraminer
We all know Parker Carlson of Carlson Vineyards as one of the grandfathers of the local industry. He’s also pretty adept at making whites. His Riesling has won the best in the world before, and his Gewürztraminer is no slouch, either. Gewürztraminer is also a classic German variety that seems to have found its place in Colorado. Carlson’s 2008 Laughing Cat Gewürztraminer ($11.50) is classified as an off dry, but it borders on full-blown sweet. With strong hints of peach cobbler and perfume on the nose, and apricots, peaches and sugar in the mouth, this is a wine that loves warm weather.
Viognier
Garfield Estates has been making some of the best wines on the Western Slope for the last decade. Now the Front Range is getting a heavy dose of Garfield as it recently opened a tasting room in Denver as part of Colorado Winery Row. With Rainer Thoma dong the wine making, Garfield’s vino ($22) takes on a lot of his German, Old World style. They are dry but complex. The 2009 Viognier, which was just released in March, is a prime example. Aged in neutral barrels, a technique that owner Jeff Carr fell for during trips to Oregon wine country, this wine takes on more complex flavors without being oaked. It has a tropical nose, which starts with pineapples. It finishes dry and smooth with nice a nice acid balance. (For my review of their 2007 Fumé Blanc, Click here).
INFORMATION:
Bookcliff Vineyards
1501 Lee Hill Road #17
Boulder, Colo.
303-449-WINE (9463)
http://www.bookcliffvineyards.com
Carlson Vineyards
461 35 Road
Palisade, Colo.
970-464-5554
http://www.carlsonvineyards.com
Garfield Estates
3572 G Road
Palisade, Colo.
970-464-0941
http://www.garfieldestates.com
About the Author: Jacob Harkins is the founder and editor of ColoradoWino.com. He is being remunerated by the Wine Country Inn for his contributions to this blog.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
DeBeque Canyon Winery Puts History Into Big, Bold Wines
Bennett Price takes his time when creating something good, whether it's the wine he sells or the Colorado wine industry he helped launch.
Right: Bennett Price checks wine from a barrel at DeBeque Canyon Winery.
Bennett, who with his wife, Davy, owns DeBeque Canyon Winery in Palisade, says he barrel-ages wine longer than most other wineries in order to create a unique concentration of flavors. He also was an early player in the modern Colorado wine industry, joining an effort in the late 1970s to start a Palisade-area winery and helping to nurture the industry as it grew into the 21st century.
As a geologist working in the oil industry, Bennett landed in Denver in 1971. He started making wine at home and became acquainted with several other home winemakers. In the late 1970s, Bennett and Davy joined a group of investors who formed Colorado Mountain Vineyards, an East Orchard Mesa winery that set the stage for today's industry.
"Our first vintage was 1978," Bennett said. "We struggled, being the only one going. A few liquor stores supported us, and a few restaurants supported us."
Colorado-grown grapes were hard to find, so winemakers worked with growers to find the best places where vineyards would thrive. Bennett said such "microclimates" -- locations that have the ideal mix of climate, temperature, and soil -- were found in the Grand Valley, in the North Fork Valley of Delta County, and in regions around Cortez and Penrose.
Bennett made a specialty of constructing and planting vineyards for growers throughout the state. He shaped the fields, built trellises, planted different grape varieties, and developed ways of improving grape quality and yield.
"At one time, I probably had planted 75 percent of the grapes in Colorado," he says.
Bennett and Davy bought their own vineyard in the Grand Valley in the early 1980s and moved to the area soon after. After building, planting, and maintaining vineyards for years, they started DeBeque Canyon Winery in 1997. Today, with Bennett as winemaker and Davy managing the tasting room, the winery produces about 3,000 cases per year of several varieties, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, and several port-style wines.
"Our flagship wine is the Claret," Bennett says. "We've won a number of awards with the Claret. Itís been good for us."
DeBeque Canyon's Claret is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Merlot. Bennett said he enjoys the challenge of growing an excellent grape and producing a fine wine from it. Each year and each variety seem to bring new possibilities.
"Wine making is not an exact art, but it is an art," he says.
"Our style is to barrel-age longer than anyone else," Bennett says.
For example, a 2003 Syrah that has spent seven years in the barrel is ready to release this year. Bennett explains that as wine ages in oak barrels, it loses a certain amount of water from evaporation through the wood. The result is an increased concentration of alcohol and flavors.
"That makes a bigger, bolder wine," he says.
"Our customers are more likely to enjoy a fully integrated wine," Davy says.
DeBeque Canyon Winery's tasting room is located at 3943 Highway 6, a few miles east of Palisade at the base of Grand Mesa. Although the Prices distribute their wine to stores and restaurants throughout Colorado, they depend on tasting room sales for a significant part of their revenue. The variety of attractions and activities available in the Grand Valley help attract wine lovers to the area, and that's good for sales.
"People are realizing the entertainment we have (in Palisade)," Bennett said, noting that the annual Palisade Peach Festival in August and Winefest in September draw a significant number of customers to the area from other communities. Palisade also plays host to a summer bluegrass festival that promises to boost the number of visitors, as well.
"I think people are wanting to come over here because they realize how fun it is," he says. "Not only does the Grand Valley offer many special events, but it has other attractions such as Colorado National Monument, mountain biking, and off-roading."
The Prices say they hope the number of attractions in the area continues to increase, because visitors who make day trips or overnight visits to the area might decide to add an extra day to their stay. And that extra day could mean that they stop by and pick up a few more bottles of Colorado wine before heading home.
INFORMATION:
DeBeque Canyon Winery
3943 Highway 6
Palisade, CO
970-464-0550
http://www.debequecanyonwinery.com
About the Author: Bob Kretschman is a freelance journalist in Grand Junction and is owner of Kretschman Communications, a custom writing and editing service. He is being remunerated by the Wine Country Inn for his contributions to this blog.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Recipe: Roasted Colorado Fingerling Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 lbs Colorado fingerling potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Two cloves garlic
Sea salt
Coarse ground black pepper
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Peel and mince the garlic and allow to sit in a bowl of olive oil (ideally overnight, covered and at room temperature. The longer the garlic sits in the oil, the more the oil will absorb the garlic flavor). Wash the potatoes in cold water, then pat down and dry with a towel. Remove any eyes or brown spots with a paring knife. Do not remove the skins. Slice the potatoes thinly lengthwise and place in a mixing bowl.
Into the bowl, pour the olive oil through a sieve, catching any of the minced garlic. Mix the potatoes and olive oil thoroughly, and place into a baking pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown on top and split easily with a fork. Garnish with rosemary. Serves 6-8.
Colorado wine pairing: 2004 Plum Creek Chardonnay.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Recipe: Shallot and Ginger Pork Dumplings
There are few dishes as popular and ubiquitous as the dumpling. While most cultures across the globe have some variation on a meat-or-vegetable filling wrapped in unleavened dough, then steamed or fried, the dumpling really hits its stride in Eastern Europe and Asia. Thousands of classic “pot sticker” recipes grace tables from the Balkans all the way through the Indian subcontinent into East Asia.
The Polish eat pierogi, filled with mushrooms, ground meat and cabbage, while the Nepalese enjoy a potato or yak-meat momos. The Chinese ring in the New Year with platters of jiaozi, while Siberians top their pelmini with sour cream or horseradish. Dumplings are filling, relatively easy to prepare, and can act as a side dish or as a standalone meal. Dumplings are also an inherently social dish, best done with friends while chatting and drinking wine and assembling the pot stickers for cooking.
Fellow blogger and friend Stillthinking was kind enough to share this pork, shallot and ginger dumpling recipe with the Wine Country Inn:
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup finely minced parsley
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 ounce of finely minced shallots (approximately 2 large cloves)
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons of tamari organic soy sauce
1 large egg
1/8 cup of steel cut oatmeal
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
Dash of Salt
Dash of White pepper
1 package of square wonton skins (Nasoya is commonly available frozen)
1 egg (beaten for egg wash)
Sesame Soy Dipping sauce:
4 tablespoons tamari organic soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced chives
1 small clove minced garlic
Optional: dash of chili powder
*For dipping sauce, whisk together all listed ingredients and set aside.
Note about tamari organic soy sauce:
Tamari soy sauce is wheat based, organic, naturally fermented sauce from Japan. Tamari tastes smoother and has a cleaner flavor than other kinds of soy sauce. Tamari is commonly available in most grocery stores. If using soy sauce at home, make sure to taste it before adding it to the recipe. If it smells chemical and tastes sour, toss it out. It's rancid and will ruin the sauce.
Prepare filling by combining pork, parsley, ginger, shallots, garlic, tamari sauce, egg, thyme, oatmeal, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly, by hands if necessary. Make sure that all flavorings and spices are evenly distributed throughout the meat. Set aside and let filling mixture rest for 10 minutes.
While filling mixture is resting, organize the workspace/ assembly line:
1. Thawed wonton skins.
2. Egg wash with pastry brush.
3. Filling (using chopsticks or fingers)
4. Clean space for forming dumplings
5. Parchment lined cookie sheet for finished dumplings
For round dumplings (the classic take-out Rangoon shape), pinch opposite edges of wonton skin together to form triangle and seal all edges. Brush left corner of triangle with more egg wash. Pull opposite triangle corners together and pinch.
For square dumplings, pull all four corners of wonton square together to create a four sided pyramid. Pinch down all seams to hold filling in securely.
Place each completed dumpling on lined cookie sheet. Try not to overlap or touch dumplings. They'll stick together as they dry. Repeat until all the dumplings are assembled.
To prepare the dumplings "pot sticker style", preheat a large skillet over high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add a couple spoonfuls of canola oil. Make sure to spread canola oil around entire pan. Hot pan and cold oil will prevent sticking. With tongs, place 8-10 dumplings in pan to sear. Don't fuss with them. Allow the dumplings to cook for a good 3-4 minutes, depending on the stove.
When the dumplings are deep golden brown on the bottom, add 1/4 cup of room temperature water to the pan. Make sure to pour the water over the tops of the dumplings. The water will immediately begin to simmer and the steam will cook the pork inside. Be careful of splatter and stand back from the pan. Use a splatter guard or place the lid on the pan. Allow the water to cook off, about 3 minutes. With tongs, rotate the dumplings to evenly brown, about 2 minutes each side.
When all sides of dumplings are golden brown, remove from pan and place dumplings on paper towel lined plate to rest. Using an instant read meat thermometer, the inside of the dumpling should read at least 160 degrees. Break open a dumpling, and the filling should appear opaque and white, with no pink. Let rest for a few minutes and allow the oil to drain off.
One pound of meat and one package of wonton skins should yield about 40 dumplings. If not preparing the entire batch, the remaining raw dumplings will go directly into the freezer. Place the entire lined cookie sheet of dumplings directly in the freezer and allow dumplings to freeze individually. Later, transfer and store the dumplings together in a single storage bag. When ready to use, the dumplings should cook perfectly without being thawed. Frozen dumplings are perfect deep fried or simmered with chicken egg drop soup.
Colorado wine pairings: Pork and ginger should be balanced nicely by the spiciness of a semi-sweet, 2008 Carlson Vineyards Laughing Cat Gewurztraminer.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Wine Country Inn Helps Sponsor Charity Event to Combat MS
To help fight Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Colorado, a Front Range eatery has teamed up with the Wine Country Inn and other sponsors to hold a charity event in the Denver suburbs.
Granny Ma’s Restaurant and Catering will be serving up EAT FOR A CURE on Saturday, March 20 from 6-9 pm at Schomp BMW. In conjunction with Granny Ma’s, additional sponsors will include; Schomp BMW, Wine Country Inn, All Well Rents, Romancing the Bean, Invisible Bond, PROformance Apparel, Senior Helpers, Arapahoe Cyclery and Cartridge World of Englewood.
This fund raising event will include Catering by Granny Ma’s, Live Music performed by Invisible Bond, Cocktails and a silent auction. Mark McIntosh, local media personality and motivational speaker will be the Master of Ceremony. All proceeds will be donated to the Colorado Chapter of the National MS Society.
The Bike MS-150 is a 2-day cycling event raising money for MS. In addition, Granny Ma’s Restaurant and Catering will also sponsor a cycling team at the event held in June 2010. Bike MS-150 events are held nationally.
MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system by disrupting the flow of information from the brain to the body. There is no known cause. Colorado has one of the highest incidences of MS in the nation. One in every 520 Coloradoans has MS.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Recipe: Country Vegetable Pie
This hearty rustic dish from the Wine Country Inn is perfect for those cold, dreary days at the tail end of winter, when spring seems like it will never arrive. This dish is a variation of an English Cottage Pie, typically made with minced beef and topped with a mashed potato crust. But that is where the resemblance ends. With its incusion of cheese, this entrée also pays homage to the American version of Shepherd’s Pie, while its savory use of vegetables should win over all but the most hardened of carnivores. Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 cup milk
4 cups water
1 tbsp vegetable bullion
4 tbsp flour
3 tbsp olive oil
1 can unseasoned pinto beans
Corn
Peas
Carrots, diced
1-2 Portabello mushroom, chopped
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
6-8 medium sized potatoes
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
Onion powder
Sea salt
Black pepper
Thyme
Sage
Marjoram
Rosemary
Nutmeg
Rinse, peel and slice the potatoes, bringing them to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat and cook on a slow boil for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes easily slice in half with a spoon.
Drain the water and mash the potatoes, adding eight tbsp of sliced butter (one stick), milk, sea salt and pepper to taste.
In a sauce pan, add vegetable bullion to four cups of water. Bring to a boil to make vegetable broth and set aside, allowing it to cool until it is only slightly warm. (Vegetable bullion can be found at most health food and gourmet grocery stores).
In a cast iron skillet, melt five tbsp of butter, slowly adding the flour a tablespoon at a time, until the roux bubbles softly. Pour the vegetable broth over the top of the roux, stirring vigorously with a spatula to eliminate lumps. Bring to a slow boil, and continue stirring the whole time. While this simmers, add black pepper, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary and nutmeg to taste. (Or to cut corners, use one tbsp of poultry seasoning, instead). The gravy should be light brown in color. Remove from burner and set aside.
Heat the olive oil to a sizzle in a clean skillet and add the onions. Reduce heat and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the peas, carrots, corn and mushrooms, sautéing them for an additional five to ten minutes. Season to taste with black pepper and onion powder. Remove from burner and mix the pinto beans into the vegetable sauté. This forms the base of the pie, replacing the meat mince used in Cottage and Shepherd’s pies.
Place the vegetable sauté in the bottom of a baking dish, then ladle the gravy over the top. Sprinkle a layer of cheddar and top off with the mashed potatoes. Use a fork to make a cross weave basket pattern into the top of the mashed potatoes.
Bake pie at 350 for 20 minutes. Broil for an additional 10 minutes or until the peaks of the potatoes turn brown. Serves 8-10 people.
Colorado wine pairings: This filling dish demands a full bodied red, so maybe try a 2002 Plum Creek Cabernet Sauvignon or a 2002 Grande River Meritage Red.
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