Petrale sole over lemon dill risotto paired with Mastro Scheidt The Hunter

Petrale sole over lemon dill risotto paired with 2019 Mastro Scheidt The Hunter

To start the Risotto
1 half yellow or white onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon of butter
½ cup of Arborio rice
2 cups of chicken broth, warm

Melt your butter in a hot sauté pan and add your onions and then turn the heat down to medium. You don’t want the onions to burn, scorch or turn brown; you just want to sweat them out. Once the onions have gone a little translucent, add your rice and stir the pan regularly for a couple minutes so that the rice cooks and also turns milky white/translucent

Add three ladles of warm chicken broth to the sauté pan and stir through. Now the technique. If your timing is right and you don’t allow your saute pan of rice get too dry, after the initial stirring, you shouldn’t have to stir the rice again until the very end of the process. There should be enough bubbling broth in the pan at all times so the rice never sticks or gets dry

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Fast forward about 30 minutes

As you come near the cooking process for the rice you’re going to need the following

¼ cup of heavy cream
¼ cup of grated Parmigiano Cheese
A squeeze of lemon juice
A pinch of chopped fresh dill
A bit more freshly cracked black pepper

Taste your rice and see that it is almost, I repeat almost cooked through but not quite there yet. Don’t worry, you’re going to add a bit more liquid. There shouldn’t be much broth left, about a ¼ cup of broth add it to the pan along with the heavy cream and begin stirring again. Within 5-10 minutes the risotto is taking shape. This is not an exact science. Taste it again and again and again. The rice should be basically done but have a bit more chicken broth handy if it’s not. When the rice is done, add your Parmigiano cheese, lemon juice, dill, adjust for salt and pepper and plate the risotto

At the 5-minute mark for your risotto above, you’ve got to prep your fish. In a sauté pan heat some butter and olive oil. Pat your fish dry and season with salt, pepper and some Panko on the side that goes into the pan first. Place your breaded sole in the sauté pan and cook until golden brown plus on the breaded side. Flip over your fish and cook 1 minute

The Hunter, 2016 White Wine

Mastro Scheidt releases The Hunter, 2016 White Wine

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While technically not a drought year, 2016 offered abundant sunshine and warmth through the growing season. Yields were up over 2015 and about on par with 2014. Setting pick dates, we saw no complications. Several vineyards were used in the creation of this wine throughoutSonoma County.

The 2016 Hunter is a classic Bordeaux inspired white blend. The backbone is all Sauvignon Blanc adding acidity and notes of lemon cream and melon to the blend, without any unripe flavors. I'm personally not a fan of grassy Sav Blanc. The addition of Semillon and barrel fermentation in neutral French oak adds complexity and roundness to the finished wine.

I hope you enjoy this wine all Summer long. I will.

For those that want the technical specs, find them HERE.

The Grapes of Harvest

Sample. Taste. Repeat.

It's all about the grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Sirah, Syrah, Merlot, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscat Blanc was harvested by Mastro Scheidt in 2016.

No two seasons are the same and no two varietals are the same. My wines change with the seasons. Winemaking is not an exact science, it's subject to undiversifiable risk, known as Mother Nature.  I'm showing the beautiful pics, the highlight reel. There's a lot, behind the scenes, the day in, day out unromantic reality of what I do with these grapes. There are a lot of steps to get raw grapes from the field to the bottle.

Enjoy the beauty of harvest.

New Release Focus - Proprietary White Wine 2015

As we jump into Spring 2016, the first thing I get asked by customers is, "When is the white wine being released?"

Your wait is over, the 2015 white wine is here!

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Full of beautiful fruit, freshness and follow through, the 2015 Hunter is a blend of white varietals, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscat de Frontignan from Alexander and Russian River Valley. You won't find any green, grassy flavors in this wine. So if you like Kiwi Sav Blanc, look elsewhere.

The nose has hints of honey and lemon curd, with a palate of ripe pears and full-palate finish. The wine is neutral barrel fermented for 2 months in French barriques.

Football, Food and Wine

Sitting around on the final Sunday of football season has become a tradition with some close friends.

Winemaker, David Scheidt slicing up BBQ pork ribs

Winemaker, David Scheidt slicing up BBQ pork ribs

Always a pot-luck event, there is no real theme to the day, other than perhaps excess and quality. Guests are welcome to bring anything they'd like. There have been a few coordinated efforts over the years to not cook "one too many tri-tips", which seems to occur at many events in Fresno.

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However, 'one too many ribs', 'too much sashimi' and plenty of wine is not a problem. Below are a few pics from the evening.

Arrived in Mammoth Lakes

Dispatch....Mammoth Lakes, California....July 3, 2013

The 2013 Mammoth Food and Wine Experience kicks off tomorrow and everyone at Mastro Scheidt is looking forward to it.

Our winemaker, David Scheidt, is already on the ground doing exactly what you'd expect him to be doing...eating and talking with chefs.

Last night, David dined with Carrie and Jason Hoeltzel of CJ Grill. In fact, we started dinner, appropriately, with a Fritz Rose'. Jason and David are speaking together at the Mammoth Experience on Friday for the seminar: Everything You Wanted to Know About Trout But Were Afraid to Ask.  I'm sure David will be snapping some photos of Chef Jason in action this weekend.

Jason will be leading the cooking demo, while David will be pairing some of his favorite wines from Dry Creek and Russian River Valley with Chef Jason's trout creations....such as:

Jim Rickards Aglianico/Syrah Rose 2012

Philip Staley Duet 2012

Forth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Roadhouse Pinot Noir Yellow Label 2011