Do You Know What This Sunday Is?

Category: Soirees and Shindigs  |  Permalink

Published: Friday, February 03, 2012

It's one of the best food days of the year. It's an excuse to throw all caution to the wind and eat as much as you want. It's a day when eating in front of the TV is not only ok, it's expected.

It's Super Bowl Sunday. Cue NFL music: Da-da-da-da...da-da-da-da-daahhh......

I love the Super Bowl. It doesn't matter who is playing, I think the energy the game brings is contagious. From the National Anthem to the half time show and the million-dollar commercials, it's just fun. And the food! Tables full of crunchy, greasy, ooey, gooey food!

This year, the New York Giants and New England Patriots go head to head at the biggest sports event of the year. As if the age old rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox weren't enough, now it comes down to their football counterparts (even though they play in New Jersey and Foxborough, respectively). I'm not particularly favoring one team over the other and so my Super Bowl cuisine ideas pay homage to each. I'm deliberately excluding things like chips, dip, salsa, pretzels and wings, or "fillers" as I call them, because they show up on 98% of Super Bowl tables anyway.

Go New York! Ideas

Pizza: Who can deny the presence of pizza at any Super Bowl party? Especially when New York is involved. This isn't the time for fancy goat cheese and balsamic reduction toppings (who's going to stop and savor the flavors when they're glued to the TV?). Go for classic cheese or load it up with pepperoni, sausage and peppers. Wash it down with Beverino, Ponte's best-selling, very easy to drink red that is just as delicious chilled as it is at room temperature.

Pastrami Sandwiches: Honor the celebrated delis of New York with pastrami piled high on rye with lots of mustard and pickles. This delicious, salty cured meat needs a complex wine that stands up to the briny goodness. My wine choice is Syrah, with its herb and smoke undertones.

Sesame Noodles: Inspired by New York's famed Chinatown, I think sesame noodles would make a great side at any Super Bowl party. They're spicy, nutty and savory all at once and taste delicious with a cool, fruity wine like Graciela.

Go New England! Ideas

Clam Chowder, er, Chowda: Who wouldn't love a hot bowl of creamy, hearty New England clam chowder in February, anyway? You can't go wrong with anything that combines clams, heavy cream and potatoes. To tame its richness and compliment the flavors, I'd suggest either Chardonnay or Viognier. Hosting a house full of Patriots fans? Don't dare make the Manhattan version.

Lobster Rolls: This is simplicity at its best. A lobster roll is little more than lobster meat mixed with mayonnaise (just enough to hold it together), served on a toasted, buttered bun. It might be a bit of a splurge to make these babies, but you and your guests will be swooning. Very New England. Pair with cool glasses of Chardonnay.

Boston Baked Beans: No, not the candy-coated peanut kind, but the homemade dish that consists of beans, bacon, maple syrup, vinegar and a slew of other kinds of yumminess. No matter what else you serve, Boston Baked Beans will be a popular addition. With its fruity, spicy aromas and flavors, Zinfandel is great with a dish like this.

Great game, great rivalry and great food. Throw in some great friends and great wine and you'll find yourself with one great time.

Cheers everyone, and have a safe Super Bowl Sunday!

--What will you be making this Sunday for the big game?

--Erica Martinez

--Wine Pairings by Mark Schabel

Ponte Pick Up Par-tay!

Category: Soirees and Shindigs  |  Permalink

Published: Wednesday, February 01, 2012

If you haven't figured it out yet, we like to throw parties and in a couple of days, we are hosting another! At Friday's Wine Club Member Pick Up Party, members can pick up their February wine club packages and will have the opportunity to taste aging port from our barrels, nibble chocolate truffles, and save 25% in the Marketplace. By the way, the current shipment wines, Doppietta and Rose Spumante, will be 30% off. Score! Did we mention wine tasting, live music and general hobnobbing with fellow friends and Members?

Any good party has to have food, right? At the Restaurant, Chef Vincent Logan is preparing a 3-course prix fixe menu with wine pairings. Got kids? Bring 'em along! There will be a special make-your-own-pizza dish just for them.

We don't know about you, but our party shoes are halfway on. While we'd love to invite the world but, alas, this party is for Ponte Wine Club Members only. Not a member? Get in on the fun! Check out the details here. We hope to see you there and remember, 'aint no party like a Ponte party!

The fun starts Friday, February 3rd at 5:30 pm and ends at 7:30.

Make your Restaurant reservations and view the 3-course prix fixe menu.

We know our favorite way to spend a Friday night, what is yours?

--Erica Martinez

Valentine’s Day, Covered

Category: Soirees and Shindigs  |  Permalink

Published: Monday, January 30, 2012

Just because Valentine's Day falls on a Tuesday this year doesn't mean it shouldn't be spectacular. Double her pleasure by bringing your sweetie to Ponte's Valentine's Day Dinner, and have a wonderful gift waiting for her at your table. It's easy:

1. Purchase your tickets to the Dinner.
   You two lovebirds will be greeted with sparkling Moscato and butler-passed hors d'oeuvres. Next, a Chef-created, four-course dinner awaits you with Ponte wine pairings. Top off the evening with music and dancing.
   Tell us that's not an amazing gift in itself. But don't stop there...
2. Order a gift in our Online Store and, in the "order comments" section, write "Valentine's Day Dinner Gift." We'll be sure it's waiting under your reservation that night.
   Whether it's a bottle of her favorite Ponte wine or a bow-adorned gift basket, watch her eyes glow when she discovers it's for her. "What an effort he made to surprise me!" she'll think. (We won't tell her it was a cinch to pull off).

Need a gift suggestion? No problem.

1. The "I love you" option - A gorgeous gift basket. While we have many options, we think either of these will put a smile on her face: Fondue For 2 and Cupcakes For My Cupcake.
2. The "I worship you" option - The Ponte Experience. This golden ticket is good for a day of wine tasting at Ponte, a winery tour for two, and a $50 gift card for you both to spend at The Restaurant for lunch, or for her to go wild with in our Marketplace.
3. The "I can't live without you!" option - A romantic, 2-night stay at our soon-to-be-open wine country hotel, the Ponte Vineyard Inn.
   When you book a Romantic Get Away package, you'll stay in in our 1,360 square foot Grand Suite in the heart of Temecula wine country, and have a bottle of Rose Spumante and artisan cheese tray upon your arrival. Included in this package is a four-course wine-paired tasting menu. Make your reservation here (P.S. The Inn opens in April).

You can't lose! Think about it: in a few minutes, you can make Valentine's Day plans and get her a gift. No last-minute shopping stress!

If our predictions are correct, this will be a Valentine's Day she'll never forget.

What is the best present you've given her so far or what is the best Valentine's Day gift you've received?

--Erica Martinez

New Winter Menu at The Restaurant

Category: Food and Drink  |  Permalink

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012

New is good. New house, new car, new clothes, it's all good. Our favorite "new?"

New menu.

The Restaurant at Ponte has introduced its winter menu and Executive Chef Vincent Logan has outdone himself once again.

If you are new to Ponte and the Restaurant, here is the 411: the menus change with the seasons. Because they believe in sustainability, each menu features ingredients that are fresh, local and in season. The result? Mouth-watering dining options all year round. And always something to look forward to!

Among the many new dishes on this season's menu is Lamb Osso Buco. Local lamb is braised in red wine and herbs and served on soft polenta. This dish would be fantastic with a glass of 2009 Ponte Reserve Zinfandel.

From the grapewood-fired oven is the new Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza. Homemade artisan mozzarella is topped with red onions, roasted bell peppers and savory sausage and pepperoni. A glass of 2008 Barbera to drink would make this a perfect Italian lunch. For those with lighter appetites, the Chef has created his Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad. Tender, spicy arugula leaves are topped with tangy almond-crusted goat cheese, red onions, olives, vine ripened tomatoes and sun dried tomato vinaigrette. A glass of 2010 Graciela would round out this dish perfectly. And, for something sweet, there is "Lemon Pie" which combines tart fresh lemon custard with cloudy, ethereal whipped merengue. Our choice of wine with this phenomenal treat is 2010 Moscato.

This is just a handful of the brand new options on the new winter menu. There are also freshly inspired appetizers, seafood, meats, sandwiches, pastas and daily soups, all with a perfect Ponte wine to make your dining experience outstanding.

The Restaurant at Ponte is a top-50 restaurant for outdoor dining in the US; by seating guests outdoors, everyone is treated to impressive garden, vineyard and mountain views. And with the incredible weather we're having in Temecula right now, trust us, you want to be outdoors!

Check out the new menu here, and, tell us, what are you looking forward to trying?

--Erica Martinez

Wine Gadgets

Category: All Things Wine  |  Permalink

Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

There are two types of people in this world: gadget people and non-gadget people. Take kitchen gadgets, for example. Often, a non-gadget person says they need only two tools in the kitchen: their hands and a good Chef's knife (obviously pots and pans would be nice, too, but for arguments sake, we're just talking non-essentials here). A gadget person's kitchen, on the other hand, is stocked with any and all single function tools that can make cooking a little faster and easier: garlic peelers, strawberry hullers, olive pitters, lemon juicers, etc. We're not saying one person is right or wrong. After all, could a person pit olives with a Chef's knife? Sure. But if this person makes, say, batches of olive tapenade, we're pretty sure that olive pitter would be an essential tool for them. When all is said and done, a gadget should do one thing: enhance an experience. Kitchen gadgets should enhance food prepping or cooking. Smartphone gadgets should enhance the user experience. And wine gadgets should enhance the sipping experience.

Yes, purists, you can easily open and enjoy a bottle of wine with a good corkscrew and not much else, but some of the wine accessories on the market today are helpful, fun and just plain neat! We've narrowed our favorites down to five and, truth be told, we even use some of these behind the wine tasting counter in our Tasting Room.

1. Wine aerator - This device mixes oxygen into your wine as you pour it into a glass, thus, letting your wine "breathe" instantly. When air mixes with wine, the flavors and aromas are released; it's sort of like decanting wine without the decanter. We were amazed when we did a side by side experiment and you will be, too! Check out the Vin-Aire Instant Wine Aerator here.
2. Corkscrew - A must have. A good corkscrew is durable, comfortable and easy to use. For some, that would be a classic handheld corkscrew that you twist, anchor and pull to release the cork. For others it's a countertop behemoth that doesn't require much effort at all. The good news is, there is something for everyone out there. In the Tasting Room, we use the classic style corkscrew.
3. Wine pourer - Say goodbye to red wine drips on your white tablecloth! Wine pourers are inserted into a wine bottle to give it a little extra lip, so those pesky little drops don't run down the length of the bottle and onto the aforementioned linens, clothes or countertops. There are countless types on the market, from pourers that double as aerators (or triple as pourers, aerators and stoppers) to tiny foil circles that are slipped into the neck of a bottle. Our favorites (and the ones we use ourselves) are Drop Stops.
4. Foil cutter - You know the shiny paper that covers the cork of a wine bottle? That's the foil. You know how every time you try to cut one off with a knife you end up wounded along with an ugly, jagged piece of foil? A foil cutter flawlessly cuts the tip of that foil off each and every time. We love these so much we put our name on them.
5. Wine saver - These nifty devices remove the air from an open bottle of wine, stopping the oxidation process and sealing in aromas and flavors. A properly sealed open bottle of wine will last days longer than one sealed with a standard cork.

There you have our favorite five. I suppose we fall into the "gadget people" category; what about you? Do you have a favorite wine gadget or accessory?

--Erica Martinez

How Does Wine Get Its Flavor

Category: All Things Wine

Published: Monday, January 23, 2012

An Age-Old Pairing

Category: Food and Drink

Published: Friday, January 20, 2012

New Year's Surprise

Category: Recipes

Published: Monday, January 16, 2012

Doppietta Shopping Night

Category: Soirees and Shindigs

Published: Friday, January 13, 2012

No, it's not a parking lot

Category: Claudio Ponte's Blog

Published: Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Re-Purpose Your Wine Bottles and Corks!

Category: All Things Wine

Published: Monday, January 09, 2012

Recipes From the Wine Club - Barbeque Pizza & Moscato

Category: Recipes

Published: Friday, January 06, 2012

Sparkling Tips From our Winemaker

Category: Food and Drink

Published: Thursday, January 05, 2012

New Year, New Trends

Category: Food and Drink

Published: Monday, January 02, 2012

Top 11 of 2011

Category: All Things Wine

Published: Saturday, December 31, 2011