Weekly Menu: Baked Brie, Brushetta Pizza, Rosemary Fried Chicken, and Almond Rhubarb Tart

This week's wine suggestion is the Sauvignon Blanc by Buena Vista Winery. This crisp wine is great for the summer. It has notes of herbs, lemon, and pepper. This affordable white wine can be used for a variety meals. Enjoy!

Monday: Brushetta Pizza with Balsamic Vinegar on Just A Taste
Tuesday: Grilled Grouper with Watermelon Salsa on MyRecipes.com
Wednesday: Rosemary Fried Chicken on Martha Stewart
Thursday: Spinach and Coconut Curry on Chocolate and Zucchini
Friday: Baked Brie on SimplyRecipes.com
Saturday: Bacon and Cheese Quiche on Pillsbury.com
Sunday: Asparagus Leek Risotto on Gluten-Free Goddess

Dessert: 
Soft Apricots with Riesling and Vanilla Bean on Orangette
Almond Rhubarb Tart on Vegalicious Recipes

The Art of Film and Wine With Coppola Winery

“Winemaking and filmmaking are two great art forms...in both cases you have to start with top notch raw materials—whether it’s the land or a script.”

- Francis Ford Coppola

I've been trying to decide what to drink during the Academy Awards on Sunday, well Coppola Winery came to my rescue.Today I received some wine from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery Director's Cut Collection: the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinema Red Blend and Chardonnay. The collection has a wraparound film strip label to celebrate the art of filmmaking which makes it the perfect pairing for Oscar Night.

I'll be sipping and tweeting on Sunday at @Shoshi. Sip this wine along with me during the Chris Rock #blackout and Leo Dicaprio winning his first Oscar (he better or else).

You can also enjoy a magickal night with your friends by watching one of this year’s nominated films paired with a bottle from Coppola Winery’s Director's Cut collection! It will be a night to remember. 

There are four wines in the collection:

Director's Cut Cabernet Sauvignon 2013:

• Decadent and complex, our Director's Cut Cabernet is fragrant with exotic notes of clove and toasted oak.
• Aged primarily in French oak barrels, this wine will develop further for several more years.

Director's Cut Cinema Red Blend 2012:

• Spicy, full-bodied red wine layered with dark berry fruit impressions and an edge of earthiness.
• Limited-production proprietary blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc and Petite Sirah from specific Sonoma County appellations.

Director's Cut Pinot Noir 2013:

• An abundantly flavorful Pinot displaying vibrant tones of red cherry and pomegranate.

Director's Cut Chardonnay 2013:

• A full-bodied Chardonnay bursting with ripe fruit flavor and prominent oak and spice.
• Sourced from Russian River Valley, one of California's premier Chardonnay-growing regions.

Kimmel Wines: Great Wine, Family, Friends, and The Land

I am a big fan of family owned vineyards, especially one that has a passion for great wine, family, friends, and the land. That is what Kimmel Vineyards is all about!

The sustainable vineyard is located in Mendocino, CA on 35 acres of Kimwood Ranch. The Kimmels have been going strong on their ranch for over fifty years and four generations. They started selling their first cases of wine in 2010. While their winery is still young, I’m sure that the Kimmels have many more great wines on the way.

The award winning wines that I got up close and personal with were from their 4 Blocks Collection. These are wines that are great for everyday. They are great to add to a boost to dinner. Also perfect to take the edge off from a hard day at work.

Next time you are craving a California wine, I recommend checking this winery and the following wines:

Chardonnay

Winemaker notes:

Classic unoaked style – crisp, fresh, full-flavored

a delicious imprint of Mendocino fruit.

The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and then cold-fermented to dryness in stainless tanks. The fermented juice was left on the lees until just prior to bottling to create a wonderfully fresh, crisp, and fruit-forward wine.

Merlot

Winemaker Notes:

Kimmel 2013 Four Blocks Collection Merlot was produced from premium grapes grown in our Hillside Vineyard on our ranch in Potter Valley, California. The fruit was pressed before going into the stainless fermenter then blended with our Bordeaux varietals which were aged 9 months in used French oak barrels.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker notes:

Kimmel 2012 Four Blocks Collection Cabernet Sauvignon was produced from premium grapes grown in our Hillside Vineyard on our ranch in Potter Valley, California. The fruit was pressed before going into the stainless fermenter then blended with our Bordeaux varietals which were aged 9 months in used French oak barrels.

Little Black Dress Pinot Grigio with Pizza

I paired Littlle Black Dress Wines Pinot Grigio with my homemade pizza that has spinach, pesto, feta cheese, garlic, black olives, and mozzarella. It is perfect together The pizza is super easy to make just throw those ingredients on a pizza crust and bake. Just like that you have a delicious pairing. I have been making this pizza for years after being inspired by eating something similiar in San Francisco.

It it wonderful with wine!