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I’m Obsessed! Fall 2020 Edition

GALETTES!

The pastry that requires so little effort and yet delivers the wow factor of a pie! The possibilities, like pie, are infinite. I love going classic with thinly-sliced apples and pears but the real fun begins when I bring in some squash and Moroccan-style spices to the mix. The dough comes together in 15 minutes and after a brief rest in the fridge she is ready to be gussied up and baked! I don’t know about you guys but I am all about Thanksgiving being EASY this year, and this is definitely a great stand-in for a fussy pie! A few photos of my recent galettes and recipe below.

Return of the reds!

I am very predictable when it comes to the seasonality of my wine consumption. Just as the temps drop below 50, I am immediately stocking red wines. Two reds recently landed in the tasting room: Cabernet Franc and the Meritage blend (rhymes with heritage!). I tend to enjoy medium-bodied reds because they play nice with a broader variety of foods. The 2019 Cabernet Franc is a totally perfect Thanksgiving wine. It’s got a really nice cranberry thing going on, and the tannins are smooth enough to keep it from stealing too much attention from everything else you’re eating! If you’re on board the chilled red wine train like I am, the reliable Bridge Lane Red Blend remains a wonderful choice for that. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it – and remember we said chilled not iced.

Embracing the holidays while also completely discarding the rituals and traditions!

I have always been a BIG fan of Thanksgiving on account of my love of cooking (and eating). My feelings about Christmas have wavered through the years because that little anti-consumerism rebel in me tends to creep in and Grinch-up the whole thing for me. This year, I am ALL ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS. Thanksgiving will only be made better by trimming the guestlist down to my immediate family – meaning I don’t have to talk about my job, or my lack of home-ownership/baby-having, politics, and on and on. I can wear my athleisure-wear all day and no one will say boo. I can vanish into a bedroom for a nap and no one will come looking for me or perceive my food coma as rudeness. It’s…perfect. Granted I will miss my extended family, but I think having this one year to really spend quality time with the “day-ones” so to speak is a change I am really here for.

And just when we start to convince ourselves that we are off potatoes and stuffing for good, Christmas will arrive! This year it will be less about mobbed stores, frantic shopping (and consequent traffic), and hearing Mariah Carey until I stop loving her (and I like, REALLY love her), and more about the COZY factor. Twinkly lights, decorations, alcoholic beverages at odd hours of the day, crackling fireplaces if you’re so fortunate, and overeating. We will all lose track of time, and even track of the day of the week. We will lose ourselves in carb binges and sodium-induced ptosis and honestly what more could we want right now? Keep your gizmos and gadgets, I am here for the Baileys and chill.

Smoked Trout???

This item on our tasting room menu has a surprisingly large fandom and even though I had tried it long ago, I kind of forgot how much I loved it until recently. Having overeaten cheese many times this fall season, this is definitely the ticket when you are feeling peckish and you want something that’s actually…goodish for you! Its salty, smoky, and slightly fatty (those good omega fats!) and served with our grainy mustard and crackers. I’d call it one of the better light lunches one can have. Compensate for those missing calories with some Sparkling Pinot Blanc which I feel is the best pairing.

In conclusion, let’s all lean into the holidays, like REALLY lean in this year. I wish you relaxing family time, tasty but easily prepared foods, and as always, many many delicious wines.

Alicia Ekeler

Director of Tasting Rooms