Harvest Celebrations
There’s a sense of relief in the air when harvest is complete. No matter whether it was easy or hard, it always brings a feeling of accomplishment. Hopefully most of you survived a day filled with family and turkey, now it’s time to celebrate and be grateful for this small respite before the holidays truly kick off. Before you enter the busiest season of the year, choose one of these delicious ways to celebrate the bounty of fall and the anticipation of a quiet and peaceful winter.
Stillman Brown, Red Zeppelin Winery
When you meet Stillman Brown you immediately realize that he is not your typical vintner. It may be his hot-pink painted toenails or just his general air of defiance, but he beats to a different drum. When he’s done with harvest he likes to fry some pork chops in a skillet and serve them with “Death to the Infidel” Petite Sirah/Syrah/Zinfandel. These spicy varieties are great with pork and also with anything accented in bacon! Of course there will be music playing alongside such a feast and general mayhem will ensue.
To learn more about Red Zeppelin Winery, click here. Greg Harrington, Gramercy Cellars
Greg Harrington holds one of the wine industry’s most coveted titles, Master Sommelier, but you would not know it by seeing how down to earth he is. During harvest up in Washington, he and his team sustain themselves with pork and “Third Man” 2009 a hearty blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from Walla Walla. Harvesting grapes, and working with multiple fermentations is an all day affair, so Greg takes the opportunity to make dishes that take awhile, “I am ALL about smoked pork shoulder. We have a smoker at the winery and I get up early in the morning and put the shoulder on. I serve it with mustard-based coleslaw and Carolina sauce.” As the harvest draws to a close Gramercy Cellars and Waters Winery join forces and celebrate with a last pick party. “We make an amazing lunch at the winery, then get all redneck and go clay pigeon shooting in one of our vineyards. And drink Coors Light.”
To learn more about Gramercy Cellars, click here.
Josh Jensen, Calera
Sometimes harvest takes its time, at Calera in California’s Mt. Harlan appellation harvest the past 5 years has been lingering until the end of November. When it finally arrives there’s of course the requisite “Harvest Party” the first or second week of December. Hosted at local restaurants in Hollister that support Calera wines the entire Calera family gathers, about 40 to 50 people including spouses, partners, harvest interns, grape growers… They bring along older Calera wines in large format bottles and other fun wines that owner Josh Jensen has in his stash. Last year they even took a bus to Passion Fish Restaurant in Pacific Grove. Interestingly monarch butterflies also flock to Pacific Grove in the autumn in large numbers to overwinter. Calera Vineyard Manager Jim Ryan is often seen serving pork carnitas for the vineyard crew party.
To learn more about Calera, click here.