May 9, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
As we get set to celebrate Mother’s Day, the following gift ideas are especially nice for wine lovers— sure to bring a smile and may be enjoyed all year. All of us at Montesquieu Winery wish mothers everywhere a most Happy Mother’s Day!
Unique wine accessories make festive gifts. Some fun ideas include flower wine glass charms, wine bottle stoppers or bottle bags or totes, all which may be used throughout the year. Present with a bottle (or more!) of mom’s favorite wine for a lovely and delicious presentation. Candle holders (like the one pictured below) designed to fit the neck of a wine bottle are a fun way to remember a special bottle—just insert, add a candle and voila! For handmade bottle bags and totes see Etsy, and for more artsy wine charms see 47 Gems. View Full Post
April 21, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Chinese Chicken Salad with Spicy Ginger Dressing by Giao Trac
Spring is in full swing—the perfect time to share some simple and delicious recipes, paired with some of our favorite Montesquieu wines. We hope you enjoy these spring-inspired delights, enjoy!
Chinese Chicken Salad with Spicy Ginger Dressing
Recipe adapted from original by Giao Trac of Kiss My Spatula
Serves 2
You may also substitute the chicken with grilled tofu, shrimp or any protein of your liking.
Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
1 boneless chicken breast, skin removed
1 medium-sized Napa (or Savoy) cabbage, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
1 mango, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
handful of fresh mint, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
handful of roasted peanuts
Spicy Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preparation
To poach chicken, place the breast in a small saucepan and add water, about 1 inch above the chicken. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiled, immediately lower heat to a very slow simmer and partly cover for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken to cook in hot water for another 15 minutes. Once cooled, shred chicken and set aside.
If you prefer grilling or barbecue, use boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead, lightly brushed with vegetable oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the spicy ginger dressing.
Add the cabbage, chicken, carrots, tomato, mint and cilantro to the large bowl and toss gently. Top with mango slices and roasted peanuts. Garnish with scallions and roasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
Pair with our 2009 Symmetria, a California blend of Viognier, Roussane and Marsanne or our 2009 Hammel Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley.
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April 12, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Stéphane Derenoncourt immersed in tasting Cheval Blanc
Many believe that accomplished wine tasters are a rare breed with special abilities. However, wine tasting involves skills that contrary to popular belief are not difficult to master. Follow these five steps and in no time you will be tasting wine like a confident professional.
Before we get started it is important to point out that each experience varies as everyone’s taste buds are different—the array, type and how many you have. Thresholds and tolerances differ regarding sweetness, acidity, tannins and such, as well as our perceptions of what we are sensing based on our previous experiences and preferences.
A successful wine tasting provides the opportunity to focus on the wines at hand, which in other settings are often consumed quickly with many distractions. Pay close attention, as every wine tells a different story. Each experience is a building block, a sensory experience that will add to your collective foundation, giving depth and breadth to your journey. This is the joy of tasting wine! View Full Post
March 28, 2012, by: Stephen George
Our barrel room
Montesquieu Winery has long been committed not only to sourcing and crafting for our clients some of the finest wines in the world, but also to offering our clients a unique experience of the good life. In all that we do, we seek to champion the value of direct relationships and the joy of personal experience. After all, what else is great wine about?
It is with this in mind that we designed The Montesquieu Winemaking Experience. For the first time, we are offering our clients the opportunity to experience what it means to be a winemaker in Napa Valley. A limited number of clients will have an opportunity to purchase an entire barrel of our best 2010 wine (approximately 25 cases) to call their own – to name, brand, label and even blend in person in Napa with their broker under the guidance of our winemaker Hélène Mingot. View Full Post
March 22, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
DOC Vineyards along the Douro River
The Douro Valley in Portugal is rich in history, romance and stunning scenery, and is home to one of the most distinctive wines in the wine world—Port. This fortified wine is revered for its ability to age as well as having an unequaled range of flavor and style profiles, which makes Port a valuable addition to any well-rounded wine cellar. Every wine tells a story, and the story of Port is quite unique!
The History of Douro and Port
Declared a World Heritage Site in 2001, archaeological finds date winemaking in the Douro back to Roman times. However the development of fortified Port wine occurred during the second half of the 17th century. In 1678 Britain declared war on France and blockaded French ports, and in doing so created a wine shortage in England. In 1703 Britain and Portugal signed the Methuen Treaty that established the supply of cloth from England in exchange for Port wine, among other things. View Full Post
February 23, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Stéphane Derenoncourt and Montesquieu CEO Fonda Hopkins, Ink Grade
Today marked the beginning of the 16th Annual Premiere Napa Valley Auction, which is one of the most exciting events of the year in Napa, where the most influential members of the wine industry from all over the country and the globe—including vintners, retailers, brokers, distributors, media and restaurant owners—gather to experience the very best and most innovative wines from our country’s leading appellation. It is a whirlwind weekend of events, starting with seminars and tastings, and culminating in the grand finale—a barrel tasting and live auction on Saturday February 25 at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena.
In previous years, we have been fortunate to be one of the auction’s most active bidders—however this year is special. We are not only attending the seminars, tastings and auction, but unveiling our first-ever lot—A Tale of Two Terroirs by Stéphane Derenoncourt—5 cases of 2010 Derenoncourt California Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. View Full Post
February 15, 2012, by: Stephen George
Pierre Bernault with his windmills
Anyone who knows much about winemaking knows that the romantic stereotype of life in the vines is just that – a stereotype. Winemaking can be romantic, of course; but it can also be risky and fraught with uncertainty. After all, Mother Nature has a long history of being a fickle master.
Consider Pierre Bernault, owner of an ancient chateau and plot of vines in Montagne Saint Emilion where he and Stéphane Derenoncourt craft Montesquieu Winery’s Moulin du Paradis blend: “You can lose an entire year’s income by surprise in the course of three weeks because of weather,” says Pierre. “But I like to take risks.” View Full Post
February 13, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Ahhh romance…here at Montesquieu Winery we love to celebrate, and Valentine’s Day is a favorite. Who can resist the classic pairing of love and wine? Not us!
As we celebrate this year, we’d like to share some delicious pairings for some of our favorite Montesquieu Wines—we raise a glass to love, romance and delectable wines!
In water one sees one’s own face. But in wine, one beholds the heart of another…French proverb
In this spirit we share our winemaker Hélène Mingot‘s idea of the ideal romantic pairing:
“For me the perfect tête-à-tête wine is our Moulin du Paradis paired with a beef stew if it is raining, or paired with duck breast or beef entrecôte grilled outside on a vine-wood fire. We gather the canes from pruning and burn them in our outdoor barbecue, pruning is always in season for Valentine’s Day. Start with our Gabriel Simon Grand Cru Champagne and a duo of fresh and smoked salmon. French wines are the best to celebrate love! But I am French, so I’m not very objective!” View Full Post
February 10, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Valpolicella Classico
It has been said that there is hardly an inch of Italy that isn’t suitable for growing grapes for wine production. As a result, Italy has the most diverse array of individual wine styles, micro-climates and indigenous grape varieties in the wine world!
One of the most distinctive and treasured of all Italian wines—and one that we at Montesquieu Winery believe has a particularly interesting history—is the Amarone della Valpolicella from the Veneto region in the province of Verona. Valpolicella has been producing wines since ancient times, and even its name reflects a longstanding relationship with wine— “Val polis cellae” means “the valley of many cellars”. View Full Post
January 29, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Michel Rolland and Doc Hendley in Napa
It’s always a pleasure to spend time in Napa. But when you’re there to finalize the details of a special project with two people as passionate and impressive as CNN Hero Doc Hendley, founder of Wine to Water, and renowned winemaker Michel Rolland, as we were recently, well it’s all that much more exciting. We are thrilled to announce our joint project—one that pulls together all of our resources and passions to provide permanent sources of clean water for Dale, a community in Ethiopia that is in desperate need (see the press release here).
6 out of every 10 people in Dale lack access to clean water, resulting in death due to waterborne diseases. Lack of clean water is actually the number one killer of children worldwide—more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. It is terribly tragic, but the good news is that there is something we can all do about it! View Full Post
