= 
Take a look at my new favorite appetizer! This received rave reviews at my sisters’ surprise birthday party last weekend. Simply magnificent.
Tasty Tip: Stilton is insanely expensive so I substituted Gorgonzola. Serve with a side of the port syrup and sliced baguette.
Filed under: Starters & Soups | Tagged: appetizer, cheese, cook, food, food & wine magazine, Port-Glazed Walnuts with Stilton, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
If you ever travel through Anderson Valley make sure to stop at Goldeneye Winery for a tasting of their world class Pinots. Goldeneye is owned by the Duckhorn family so you know they produce some outstanding wines. While in Mendocino we decided to do a day of Pinot tasting and Goldeneye was our first stop. We had made a reservation to take their Estate tasting session which is a 45 minute semi-private tasting (8 people max) that discusses the winery’s history and production process while tasting wines paired with a selection of cheeses, nuts and dried fruit. This was one of the best tastings I have been to. Our host was knowledgeable and friendly and the setting was breathtaking. At $20 per person this was a steal compared to Napa. You will find that many winery tastings in the Valley are low in cost or completely free.
Tasty Tip: Before you arrive pick up a picnic lunch and sit and enjoy the magnificent views of their vineyard.
Hours: open daily
11:00am – 4:00pm
Website: www.goldeneyewinery.com
Filed under: North Coast | Tagged: anderson valley, cheese, duckhorn, food, goldeneye, pinot, wine, wine tasting, winery | Leave a comment »
Mike & I took a trip to Napa May 8-11. Our weekend started off with a visit to the Oxbow Public Market. It is a new market in downtown Napa (very similar to the Ferry Building in SF). I had first heard about this establishment when reading the January 2008 Food & Wine Magazine 100 best. It was #29 and listed as Napa’s best Market. We were going on a picnic so we stopped by to pick up some eats. What we found was a snazzy building filled with restaurants, wine shops, butchers, bakers and a fantastic cheese merchant. On the outside was about 4 farmers market stands. I was expecting a lot more. Hopefully on the weekends (it was a Thursday) they have a bigger selection of produce. It’s a great start and looks like more will be coming soon.
Website: http://www.oxbowpublicmarket.com/index.htm
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: butcher, cheese, farmers market, fruit, napa, Oxbow public market, picnic, vegetables | 1 Comment »
