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Archive for the ‘Temecula Vineyards’ Category

What A Sweet Summer!

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

Talk about crowd pleaser!  Our new Pink Crowded is already a favorite for some of us here at Wiens Family Cellars.  What could be better than a bottle of this blend while enjoying some restoration and relaxation poolside!  All you need now is some food pairings!  Well here are some of our suggestions:

Vineyard Gourmet’s Chef Volker’s Grilled Romaine Hearts with Goat Cheese Crumbles, California Strawberries, Pepitas, and local herb and Champagne Vinaigrette.  We couldn’t give you his recipe, but here is one that’s very close!

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http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/04/grilled-salad-with-strawberry-balsamic-reduction/

Food 52′s Bacon and Eggs Risotto:  

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http://food52.com/recipes/17688-bacon-eggs-risotto

Martha Stewart’s Almond Cornmeal Strawberry Shortcakes:

strawberry shortcake

http://www.marthastewart.com/318372/almond-cornmeal-strawberry-shortcakes

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To purchase the 2012 Pink Crowded, visit http://www.wienscellars.com/temecula-wines/details.php?product_id=288

Love the wine you’re with,

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In Celebration of the Grilled Cheese

Friday, April 19th, 2013

We love creamy, gooey, love filled grilled cheeses almost as much as we love wine. Just kidding, nothing compares to our love for wine! In celebration of National Grilled Cheese Month, we have found the best grilled cheese recipes and paired them with some of our wines. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese – Seriously! This sandwich is a spicy swift kick to your palette followed up with a perfect blend of salty bacon and creaminess of the cream cheese. Cool your mouth off with our slightly sweet and crisp 2012 White Crowded.  Get the recipe here: http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/04/jalapeno-popper-grilled-cheese-sandwich.html

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich 500 6860

Poutine Grilled Cheese – Fries, Cheese, and Gravy – enough said! Pair this with our 2010 Zinfandel whose acidic structure will cut through the fattiness and add a nice spritz of cranberry flavor. Get the recipe here: http://bsinthekitchen.com/poutine-grilled-cheese/

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Hearty Mushroom and Thyme Grilled Cheese with Truffle Oil – This one is for all of you shroom lovers! Hearty mushrooms are nicely balanced with the nutty Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses. The kick in the bucket is the truffle oil drizzle and deglazed wine mushrooms. Use our 2011 Sangiovese as the deglazed wine and pairing. It has a typical Sangiovese mix of fruit, spice, and earth which is well known to be paired with anything mushroom. Get the recipe here: http://luscious-food-recipes.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushroom-grilled-cheese-sandwich-recipe.html

mushroom grilled cheese sandwich recipe

BBQ Pork Pulled and Macaroni Grilled Cheese: Umm…do we need to say anything except Hell Yeah? Pair this master of all grilled cheeses with our 2011 Pinot Noir. Get the recipe here: http://passthesushi.com/go-big-or-go-home-manwich-grilled-mac-cheese-with-pulled-pork/

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Steak and Horseradish Grilled Cheese:  What goes best with steak, horseradish, Dijon mustard and vintage cheddar? Our smooth and velvety 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon! Get the recipe here: http://www.fabulousfoods.com/articles/955871/steak-horseradish-cream-grilled-cheese

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Pear and Havarti Grilled Cheese with Rosemary Honey: And for those who need a little sweetness, this pear and havarti grilled cheese should hit the spot! Pair this with our Dulce Maria in honor of Grandma Mary and her own sweetness! http://www.atfirstblushandco.com/blog/food/pear-havarti-grilled-cheese/

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Wiens Summer Concert Series!!

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Our Summer Concert Series is right around the corner!  So far we have two out of the four bands booked – Big Country with Mike Peters and The Fixx!  Don’t miss out and purchase tickets now!  You can purchase either a VIP table of 10 or a VIP table of 4 - which include a gourmet dinner.  General Admission tickets will also be available.

Big Country with Mike Peters
Friday, June 28th doors at 5:30pm 

Big Country was originally formed in 1981 by guitar playing founder members Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson both native of the band’s hometown Dunfermline in Scotland.  Initially driven by a shared vision of widescreen guitar melody, harmony and lyric, the classic Big Country sound was further enhanced later that summer by the arrival of drummer Mark Brzezicki and bass player Tony Butler.  This is the Big Country that (with producer Steve Lillywhite), recorded the classic debut album ‘The Crossing’ in 1983.  The band broke massively worldwide with the release of the album’s classic singles ‘Fields Of Fire’, ‘Chance’ and signature song ‘In A Big Country’, which went on to become massive worldwide hits, selling over 2 million copies and driving ‘The Crossing’ to 3 prestigious Grammy nominations in the USA.  Largely sidelined by the 2001 suicide of frontman Stuart Adamson, Big Country drafted Mike Peters of The Alarm to take over as lead singer. Original members Tony Butler (bass, vocals), Mark Brzezicki (drums, vocals) and Bruce Watson (guitar, vocals) will be joined by Peters and additional guitarist Jamie Watson.

concert series

The Fixx
Saturday, July 20th doors at 5:30pm

The Fixx are an English New Wave band formed in London in 1979.  Their biggest hits include “One Thing Leads to Another,” “Saved by Zero,” and “Deeper and Deeper,” which was featured on the soundtrack of Streets of Fire.  The early to mid 80’s was marked by several Top Ten Billboard hits for The Fixx.  Curnin recalls the band’s “MTV Days” with great fondness – how he felt he could have been singing “Ham and Eggs” instead of “One Thing Leads to Another” because the groove was so strong, how girls would throw underwear onstage while they played “Red Skies,” a song about the aftermath of a nuclear fall out and how “Saved by Zero,” a song about accepting emptiness, still resonates today.  Curnin calls the way the band’s music has been internationally embraced the greatest gift. Referring to this as “the Mary Poppins Effect” where a ‘spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,’ Curnin feels the music’s accessibility allows for his lyrical expression on some heady topics.  “The melodies that Jamie comes up with are incredible. He is always creating bits and pieces, then I come in and get a feeling for a word, or an emotion, and it starts to take shape.  We get something we can play as a group.  Then, it just takes off like it has wings. Rupert is almost like a mad scientist, wherein I can describe where I am going visually with my words and he paints the sound.  Dan has amazing chord knowledge and is able to play around my voice in ways that makes it sound rife with emotion.  And Adam just isn’t a convoluted drummer. He’s very careful and laid back, which is big part of our sound.”  With Beautiful Friction, their new release, all eleven tracks connect across a theme.  “Unlike my solo albums, which focus on my own peccadilloes, the songs written for The Fixx take on the problems of the world.  If you look back at our work, there’s a universal application to it.  In writing Beautiful Friction, we speak to people who have woken up to the fact that while there was a period of easy money and easy credit, it’s now come and bitten us on the backside.  I think, as you get wiser, you begin to realize less is more, and how happiness itself is your real currency.”

Learn more at www.thefixx.com
To purchase tickets visit:

http://goldencrownproductions.com/tickets/

For more information about Wiens Events: http://www.wienscellars.com/temecula-events/

Love the wine you’re with,

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Reflections of the Decades

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

2011 Reflection (8)

We are a month away!! On Sunday, April 21st from 6pm to 9pm we are holding our first Reflections of the Decades Tasting Party!

Join us for a fun tasting event of six vintages of Reflection and food pairings.  Each guest will be given a passport through the decades where we will be pouring six vintages from our library cellar to showcase our Reflection blends from 2006 through 2011.  So where do the decades come in?  Each passport holder will have access to six decades with a fun food and wine pairing twist.  The vintages of each Reflection will be associated with a decade; the 2006 will host the 1960s, the 2007 the 1970s and so on.

For those of you that enjoyed our 10 Year Library Release Party last year, this event will be held in a similar format.  Each station will have its own unique wine and food pairing where you can enjoy each pairing at your own leisure.  Come enjoy a night of tasting and “reflection” where you can mingle around with the Wiens Family, wine club members, and fellow guests.

Check out this epic food pairing menu!

  • 2006 Reflection (1960′s) – Groovy Classic Steak Diane served over Mom’s Mashed Potatoes
  • 2007 Reflection (1970′s) – Psychedelic Pasta Primavera
  • 2008 Reflection (1980′s) – Radical Louisiana style Blackened Red Fish served atop a Black Bean Rice Pilaf
  • 2009 Reflection (1990′s) – Boo Ya! Grilled Shrimp Pad Thai with Toasted Peanuts
  • 2010 Reflection (2000′s) – Get Jiggy Chicken and Sage Meatloaf serve with a Portobello Risotto Cake
  • 2011 Reflection (Current) – Epic Sicilian Meat Lasagna with a Spinach Salad tossed in 2011 Reflection Vinaigrette

These library vintages will be on sale for this one night only and most have very limited supplies.  This event will sell out quickly so please order your tickets today!

Price: $50.00 ($40.00 Wine Club)

For tickets: http://www.wienscellars.com/temecula-events/index.php

*All tickets will be held at will-call.  Tickets cannot be refunded 7 days prior to the event date.

2011 Reflection (9)

Love the wine you’re with,

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The Perfect Pairing

Sunday, March 17th, 2013

In honor of today’s holiday and St. Patrick himself, we suggest the perfect pairing of two different Wiens wine with the traditional Irish-American meal …Corned Beef and Cabbage!

Known as a “boiled supper,”  this is a stereotypical Irish-American meal characterized time and again in recipes and descriptions, but hey it sounds smashing!  The salty beef married to the tender cabbage has pleased generations of Irish Americans.  Although cabbage is among Ireland’s most enduring staples, it is normally prepared with pork or what Americans usually consider Canadian bacon in Ireland.  At the turn of the century, Irish immigrants in New York City began to substitute bacon with corned beef due to the unavailability of pork on the lower east side of Manhattan, where most of the butchers were Jewish neighbors.

Allrecipes.com suggests this step-by-step recipe for the perfect Corned Beef and Cabbage:

  • Prep for ten minutes
  • Cook for two hours and twenty-five minutes
  • Ready in two hours and thirty-five minutes

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
  • 1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges
  • 10 small red potatoes
  • 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

 

Directions:

  1. Place the corned beef in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water.  Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender.
  2. Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender.  Add cabbage and cook for fifteen more minutes.  Remove the meat and let it rest fifteen minutes.
  3. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover.  Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want.  Slice the meat across the grain.

So what Wiens wine goes best with your Irish dish?  …(Drum-roll please)…  We recommend either our 2010 Domestique or our new release – the 2010 Perspective!

St. Pattys Day 2013 (2)

Sláinte! (Cheers to your good health!)

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2010 Domestique: http://www.wienscellars.com/temecula-wines/details.php?product_id=224

2010 Perspective: http://http://www.wienscellars.com/temecula-wines/details.php?product_id=279

Recipe from All Recipes : http://http://allrecipes.com/video/2656/corned-beef-and-cabbage-i/detail.aspx?prop24=RD_RecipeVideo

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Pattys Day 2013 (1)

(from left to right: Seth, Alex, Laura, Donna, Jakki, & Tasting Room Manager, Bob)

What’s Your Perspective?

Sunday, March 10th, 2013

Our Infinite Perspective is back!

This 2010 Perspective is about vision, relationships, and relevance… an artistic or intellectual depiction of volume, space, or thoughts from a particular point of view.  In our Perspective blends, all varieties perform as one in relevant fashion… relating, prevailing, reaching out in harmonious complexity.  Leading with red plum flavors and light floral aromas, this wine carries through to an extended finish of spice and baked apple.

The image on this bottle is a representation of one in a series of four 1/12 scale model cars imagined and built by patriarch Gary Wiens (1932-1995) for entry into an automobile design competition during his teens.  Though never involved in the wine business, Gary’s creative nurturing, and hardworking personality inspired all his children and grandchildren to succeed – first individually, then collectively at Wiens Family Cellars.

infinite perspective

Alcohol: 13.6%
Appellation: California

$44.00 ($35.20 Wine Club)

To purchase online: http://www.wienscellars.com/temecula-wines/details.php?product_id=279

http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/169188/e69d507297/TEST/TEST/

Love the wine you’re with,

signature

World of Wine is Here!

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

Bonjour!

This Saturday March 2nd, and Sunday March 3rd, marks one of Temecula Wine Country’s biggest annual events… The World of Wine Winter Barrel Tasting, here in Temecula Valley Wine Country!

Thirty-five of Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association’s wineries will host this event.  The self-guided tour means guests are free to roam the countryside with a map and tickets, visiting each winery at their own pace, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The best part about your travels?  Well drinking “around the world” of course!  There will be food and wine pairings at each winery so that tourists may receive the full experience as they travel from country to country.

Wiens is proud to represent FRANCE!  We will be serving our 2011 Solace paired with Baguettes avec d’ Avocat, Crevettes sauce Marie Louise, Crostini with avocado and shrimp salad, topped with Marie Louise sauce and our 2011 Obscura (From the Barrel) paired with Tranche Grasse de Boeuf Braisee a la mode, Beef sirloin tip braised in red wine, served with braised carrots and onions over buttered noodles.

Here are a couple of photos from last year’s World of Wine when Wiens represented Italy!

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A basic breakdown on the 2013 TVWA World of Wine:

When: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Where: 35 wineries in Temecula

Tickets: $99 for Saturday & Sunday, $79 for Sunday only, $69 for designated drivers

Phone: (800) 801-9463

Online: http://www.temeculawines.org/

Bon Voyage!

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It’s getting Crowded in here!

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

Two of our “Crowd Pleasers” are back together again!

All Wine (2)

Introducing our 2010 Red Crowded …on it’s last drops!!

Screen shot 2013-02-20 at 4.07.32 PM

Red fruits open the concert showcasing cherry, strawberry, and plum, then crescendo into a symphony of flavors with a bright cheery off-dry finish.  Pair this vintage with pork, vegetarian pasta main dishes, pasta salad with sweet peppers, or chocolate desserts.  This Crowded blend is high in Zinfandel, with expressive jammy and raisin muffin notes. The Barbera and Sangiovese add a spicy Italian-style flair, the Pinot throws in a little strawberry, and the Syrah & Petite round out structure and extend the finish.

Alcohol: 13.6%
Residual Sugar: .8%
Cases Produced: 1321
Appellation: California
Release Date: 2/15/2012
Varietal Composition: 38% Zinfandel, 26% Barbera, 18% Pinot Noir, 9% syrah, 6% Sangiovese, 3% Petite Sirah
Enjoy by: 2014

$39.00 ($31.20 Wine Club)

For more information visit:  http://www.wienscellars.com/temecula-wines/details.php?product_id=228

Introducing our 2012 White Crowded

White Crowded 2012 (2)

Like and overflowing basket of pineapples, pears, grapefruits, coconuts, and nectarines, our White Crowded tickles the nose with ample, enticingly complex aromas, then unhurriedly languishes across the palate with a crisp, lingering finish and just the slightest sweetness.  Pair this unique blend with salads, seafood, poultry, or ham.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Appellation: Riverside County

$28.00 ($22.40 Wine Club)  For more information visit:  http://www.wienscellars.com/temecula-wines/details.php?product_id=274

Love the wine you’re with,

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Wines For Canines!

Monday, February 18th, 2013

We’re less than 2 weeks away! The Animal Friends of the Valley is celebrating their Twenty Five years in the community and gearing up for their 10th Annual Wines for Canines!

When?  Saturday March 2nd from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, here at Wiens Family Cellars!  There will be a FIDO Fashion Show with adoptable animals (yes live animals!), and guest speakers Willa Bagwell, the AFV Executive Director, and Kristine Anderson, the AFV Board President.  There will also be a Winter Buffet created by Chef Volker from Vineyard Gourmet Catering.

$50 per guest, $350 table for 8, and No Host Bar.

For tickets visit www.animalfriendsofthevalleys.com or call (951) 674 – 0618 ext. 217

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Ruff Ruff,

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Did you know…?

Friday, February 15th, 2013

Here is a little bit of Wine Math Trivia for ya!

75 Grapes = 1 Cluster

1 Vine = 25 Clusters

1 Vine = 1,875 Grapes

2,420 Vines = 1 Acre

1 Acre = 4,537,500 Grapes

1 Acre yields 2 Tons of Clusters Per Harevst

1 Ton fills 2.5 Barrels

1 Barrel = 907,500 Grapes

1 Barrel = 24 Cases

1 Case = 37,813 Grapes

1 Case = 12 Bottles

1 Bottle = 3,151 Grapes

1 Bottle pours 5 Wine Glasses

Therefore … 1 Glass of Wine = 8.4 or 630 Grapes!

Cheers to Jan Davidson and her Wine Math!! (Available for purchase in the Wiens Cellars Tasting Room!)

wine math (2)

Love the wine you’re with,

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