Good Times in Santa Barbara

It was a blast to be back down in Santa Barbara. It's holiday party time everywhere it seems and Mastro Scheidt is driving all over the state to spread some cheer! (and some Cabernet!)

Life-Long friends Joe and Dave prepare dinner (with surgical gloves on)

I had to put my apron back on for my SB trip and hooked up with my life-time friend Joe for a big spread at Hope Ranch. Lots of healthy, gluten-free and vegan salads were created, along with beef and pulled pork sliders for those with carnivorous inclinations. As for wines, the big hit was the 1-T-L Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (get it while it lasts). 

Salmon Poke

Red Rice and Fuyu Salad with Seaweed

Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad

Red Lentil, Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad

LOTS of Avocado and Quinoa Salad

Homemade Bridge Mix (circa 1972)

Joe and Dave handling food with surgical gloves

BBQ Pork and Peppers

Coffee and the Winemaker Part 2

We've covered the fact that I like and drink a lot of coffee. Not all the coffee I drink has been high quality in 2015, because my coffee choices are often limited and based on expediency rather than quality. The idea of a "perfect pour-over" does not exist outside major metropolitan cities, ski resorts or wine country. 

A good example of the expediency choice is driving at night on Highway 99. I like stopping at well traveled, well lit rest stops with a wide variety of services, Jack Tone Road in Ripon and Winton Parkway in Livingston are the only two places I stop along Highway 99. They are easy on-and-off locations with plenty of choices for gas and food. Both stops have Starbucks and McDonalds, but not street tacos (downside).

Good examples of quality coffee options are Bean Affair and Flying Goat in Healdsburg. True, there is a Starbucks in Healdsburg, but I'm less likely to go there for coffee when I have higher quality choices in the area. The Peet's Coffee in Windsor is gone, of which I was a frequent visitor in 2014, so I've substituted Peet's on Nave Drive in Novato as an all-inclusive food, gas, and coffee stop on my travels up and down highway 101.

Because I'm a statistic driven guy, it's only fair that I highlight where I've been drinking coffee over the last year in a graph. Graphs are cool.

Frequent Coffee Stops in California

Coffee and the Winemaker

Coffee is an important part of my daily regimen. Coffee and wine making are hand in glove.

There were some major issues on the crushpad this season with regards to the type and method of coffee served. One such matter, K-Cups vs. Drip. Stashes of emergency K-Cups of Starbucks were hidden in the lab, behind barrels, in the cave, even the glove compartment of a car, just in-case someone needed a late-afternoon fix. There's nothing worse than getting ready for a fresh cup of coffee and having to settle for a K-Cup of Lemon Zinger non-caffeinated nonsense. A second matter on the crushpad, Yuban vs. Starbucks vs. Peet's. I can assure you, I consumed Yuban coffee exactly one time this summer. Yuban is an abomination.

As I travel around California, I've been known to carry a backpackers stove and Moka pot or percolator with me, along with fresh beans, coffee grinder and car inverter just so I can have fresh ground coffee in the morning. Most mornings in Healdsburg, I'd brew up a fresh Moka pot to start my day.

Coffee, or more to the point, caffeine is serious business.

Number of Coffees or Espresso Consumed in 2015

Don't judge me for all the K-Cups and Pods. They're convenient, fast, and no one feels left out because you didn't make "a fresh pot" or get the "stink eye" (like I have an addiction) for brewing up a batch of drip at 3pm. Most of the K-Cups were consumed on the crushpad or in the office. Imagine the stink eye I'd get for grinding beans for my Moka Pot? Ohhh, the arrogance...he can't drink Yuban drip like the rest of us. Guilty as charged.

The pure math says I drink about 1.72 coffees per day, which seems about right, as I can easily have 3 espresso per day, which gets my numbers up. There are some days that I have no coffee, so I think my numbers are fairly accurate for the year.

Cold coffee (different than Cold Brew) has an additional benefit to the winemaker...acid. Nothing cleans the palate better than a cold coffee and a Pellegrino.

Varietals Harvested in 2015

I love charts and graphs. I also like statistics. As I comb through my reporting for the 2015 harvest, I wanted to share some information on the types (varietals) of grapes harvested this season from Sonoma County. We produce roughly 9 different bottled wines per season from all of the grapes we havest. The 2015 Proprietary White Wine will be released in February of 2016, while our Signature Dry Creek wine won't be released until mid-2017.

Varietal Harvest 2015 by Percentage

Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese dominated the harvest.

Varietals Harvested by Percentage within Sonoma County

Specifically, the hillsides of Dry Creek Valley. No valley floor fruit was harvested.

Cargo Shorts of the Winemaker

There has been some real outrage regarding the cargo short; referred to as "a deadly plague" by some in the fashion community. Others treat the cargo short more fairly. 

I come to the defense of the cargo short, specifically in the work environment. As a working winemaker, I've stuffed all manner of items in various pockets throughout the harvest. On the crush pad, we win wine awards for wine making, not fashion.

The picture and list below is by no means exclusive or exhaustive. It was a picture taken one day with the things I was using that day. Refractometer, lighters, and a fine mesh strainer have been in my pockets too. And yes, women and men both wear cargo shorts on the crush pad.

1. Surgical tubing - Helpful for siphoning wine from one barrel to another barrel or keg
2. Spray bottle - Filled with grain alcohol, it's good for cleaning things (not drinking, well maybe)
3. Whisk - Wanna mix some yeast?
4. Infrared thermometer - point and shoot in C or F
5. Tape measure - tanks needs a tape measure to figure out the volume of wine in them
6. Cork screw - Duh!
7. Box cutter - Breaking down cardboard, cutting plastic, shrink wrap, yeah, you need a box cutter
8. Sample containers - juice and wine are always being sampled and these are the smallest the lab will take
9. Mini-flashlight - wanna look inside the bung hole? Of course you do.
10. Bungs - when you're finished with your flashlight, use these. One is for fermentation.
11. Wine Thief - When you wanna do a barrel sample, this is the tool for the job.
12. Tri-clover and gasket - ubiquitous around the winery
13. Leaky Barrel Fix it Kit includes wooden skewers, diagonal cutting pliers and a ball peen hammer
14. Bin/Barrel/Tank Label and Marking Equipment. One can never have enough Sharpies
15. Box Tape Roller - useful for boxes (not pictured, Duct Tape, because we used it all)
16. Finished Barrel Tagging - index cards, staple gun and Sharpie. Some winemakers use envelope labels.
17. Hand Held Density Meter - for daily brix and temperature testing
18. Fuel - There is a lot of wine made on Energy Bars and Cheap Beer (sorry craft beer enthusiasts)

Mastro Scheidt Family Cellars Harvest 2015

"He who labors diligently need never despair;
for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor." Menander

First off, I’d like to thank each of my friends and relatives who came to Healdsburg to visit me during the harvest; to view what happens behind the scenes and participate in this unique moment, Harvest 2015. A special thanks to my brother John and father T.L. for their early morning efforts.

Harvesting wine grapes, in the moment, is romantic, primal, and laborious. Harvest is unique to the season and begins a series of actions and reactions until the wine is finally uncorked and consumed.

Beyond the romantic and primal urges of harvest, the job of wine making is having an adaptable understanding of process, labor, environment, science, and art; these are the components of wine making. Understanding how to make wine is not enough. Having the ability to be adaptable to the changing nature of each and every harvest combined with the constant evolution of the wine in barrel and bottle is the diligence and labor.

I only have one chance each harvest to get the whole process right.

In these pictures, I’ve captured some of the labor, diligence, process, art, science, character and a smile or two, during the most primal and romantic time of year, harvest.

David Scheidt
Picker, Sorter, Tester, Hauler, Long-Haul Driver, Crusher, Taster, Barrel Washer, Bin Cleaner
Owner and Winemaker

Dry Creek in Spring

Early in Spring, it's time to start visiting the vineyards, checking rainfall amounts and noting the time on when the vines "wake-up" from their winter sleep.

Rainfall and Drought

The 2015 season marked another year of drought in California. While Dry Creek Valley received over 20 inches of rain in the 2015 season, it wasn't enough for many of the vines continued shortage of water.

Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

Just beginning the growth cycle in Dry Creek Valley.

Starting Small

Ready...Set...GROW!

Clusters and Crop Load

There is no substitute for vineyard walks, you can't just "phone it in" with your vineyard manager. Walking the rows is healthy for you and the results in the bottle.

Sangiovese Grosso - Up Close

I successfully fermented the Sangiovese on 100% native yeast this year and I'd like to thank them for their cooperation.

My Ford and Dry Creek Soil

My Ford Focus not only sees about 40,000 miles per year on the highway, but a few miles of dirt roads in Alexander and Dry Creek Valley each season. My rig got pressure washed about an hour later.

Junk food, drinks and Thor

I'm usually given a travel companion by one of my younger family members; this time it was Thor. I'm the purchaser of various hydration and caffeinated products. The addition of potato chips is a rare site in my vehicle.

Sonic Screwdriver and Ziploc Bags

I walk all of my vineyards personally for field testing sugar. It is also a chance to taste throughout the vineyards, part science part art.

Cabernet Sauvignon dimples

Those tiny berries are showing me something, dimples. The the faintest dimple, giving me a visual clue in this water depleted vineyard, that the grapes are ready to pick. 

Blueberries or Cabernet?

It's Cabernet Sauvignon days away from being picked. The tiny berries pack a lot of flavor.

The view from Dry Creek Valley

Dry Creek Valley is wine country! The views from the hillside vineyards I choose for my wines are the best in the region.

Seeds and Pulp

You've got to get out and taste the grapes, not just test the grapes. Seeds and the pulp around them are another indication of ripeness, so taste often.

Some Semillon

For our white wine blend.

1-T-L securing the bin

For some vineyards, we pick and haul our own fruit. TL readies the truck for the harvest.

Here's looking at you

John positioning the truck for the harvest

Pickin' ain't easy

There is no substitute for labor.

TL picking Cabernet

Early in the morning is the best time to pick

Picker, Winemaker and Owner, David Scheidt

Yes, I pick, haul, sort, crush, and taste Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Are we done yet?

David and John taking a look at the continuing task of picking grapes

A full bin of Cabernet Sauvignon

Roughly 1000lbs of grapes in that single bin

A moment of fun

The owner and winemaker, David Scheidt decided to pose for the camera, briefly, during our pick of Cabernet Sauvignon.

TL and John over Cabernet

The last few hauls of Cabernet going into the bins

TL and David sorting leaves

Trying to get whatever leaves we can out of the bins before the crushpad

David, John, TL and One Ton of Cabernet

The results of our pick in Dry Creek Valley

Dumping 1000 pounds of grapes

Each half-ton of grapes is dumped onto a belt and shaker table system to throw out everything from leaves to bad grapes.

Wine Code for Cabernet

This is the simple system for labeling the bins, grapes, vineyard, and winery for all the fruit that comes onto the crushpad.

Juice and skins

A few pictures of color from recently fermented Sangiovese

Skins up close and personal

Skins from Sangiovese just before they go into the press

From bin to press

Into the press

Free Run Juice

Juice off the press

Sangiovese fresh off the press

Mastro or Maestro?

A little crush pad fun and my nickname

Until Next Year...

Wine, safe and secure in the underground cellar

A look back at McGee Creek this Summer

Without any break in the schedule, I went from cooking in McGee Creek at Crowley Lake to Healdsburg over the course of a weekend to begin harvest. So, it's time to catch up on one incredible summer on the East Side.

First, I want to thank Elizabeth, Scott and the kids, without Elizabeth's invite to be in McGee (and the leap of faith in me that I can pull it all off), none of this unique experience happens. Elizabeth allowed me to have tremendous freedom in her kitchen, that level of trust is a rare thing indeed, and for that I am grateful. Thank you Elizabeth for the opportunity and your trust in me. To the kids, Owen and Esha (June won't be far behind), who call me "David Scheidt", not Dave or David, but "Dave Scheidt" thanks for making me laugh each time I hear it (cause it is funny). Scott, thanks for being there when I really wanted to use a Star Wars or superhero reference and Elizabeth would have no idea what I was talking about. Joking aside Scott, I appreciate the help at the wine dinners and crunch times during the season; we needed all hands on deck and those extra hands made each night run that much more smoothly.

To the locals at McGee: Walkers, Slaters, and Meadway (plus Floyd and Dre), I appreciate each of you opening your homes, sharing meals, and bonfires; those are some of my best memories of summer. I got to know many people from the communities of Mammoth, Crowley, McGee, Paradise, Mono, June, and Bishop throughout the summer. Many came in week after week for fresh pasta Friday, some slow-cooked goodness on Saturday or the Sunday Sandwich. I, in turn, got to visit those communities and the people in them. To each of you, THANK YOU. 

I wanted to share a note attached to a beer given to me by one of the guys I worked with, Kyle. He uses the formal title on the note "Chef" rather than David which is a big deal. It speaks to the thoughtfulness and genuine nature of many of the people that I have come to know on the East Side. "A little taste of home" as he put it to me when he gave me the beer and the note. Thanks Kyle.

Lastly the food. I've put a small collection of photos together of some of the food I cooked this summer. Gluten-free...been there, done that. I crafted a different gluten-free (and vegan in many cases) bowl every single weekend this summer, without a repeat and every one from scratch. 

To balance out the number of gluten-free bowls I cooked, I cooked pounds and pounds of pasta. Pasta with red sauce, primavera, tomato cream and alfredo were all featured. But the runaway favorite was arugula pesto. I put arugula pesto on everything from sandwiches to vegetables. The runaway pasta shape, cannelloni, without question.

For every gluten-free bowl I made, I made two bowls of bread pudding. Vanilla, Chocolate, Mixed Berry, and Vanilla-Cinnamon were my regular offerings. People love bread pudding...don't fight it.

Again, thank you to everyone that came to McGee Creek this summer. I had a remarkable experience with wonderful people. 

David's Tribute to Lucio Fanni, Il Maestro

Lucio Fanni from Milan, who came to Santa Cruz over 20 years ago, passed away during the summer. The true Maestro of pasta, his combinations always hit the mark. His energy in the kitchen was unmatched.

Elizabeth and David

Wine dinner nights are "all hands on deck". Two days of prep for what is a 3 hour event. From our last wine dinner of the season, we used a lot of fresh tomatoes and figs, all of which had to be cleaned and sliced. The menu is on the wall in Blue.

Mastro Scheidt wine dinner line-up

Wines served this season, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, our Proprietary white, and of course Cabernet, Cabernet, Cabernet.

Scones and Gravy with a runny egg

We only featured this dish one Sunday, but the results were wonderful. Not really a scone, not really a biscuit, Elizabeth came up with a great savory scone that worked well with my house cured bacon and country gravy

Wine dinner Meadway Farms salad

All raw ingredients from the garden with a mix of lettuce, so that no two plates had exactly the same combination. A light lemony dressing and shavings of parmigiano.

Gluten-free bowl with a whole mess of stuff!

Sun dried tomatoes made this dish pop in my opinions. I also liked putting various toasted and seasoned seeds and nuts for texture and added flavor on my GF bowls

Biscotti, figs, ricotta and vin cotto

Vin Cotto or saba as some call it, offers a sweet and sour touch.

Fresh figs from Wilkerson

Fusilli the way my brother likes it

This is my brother John's signature dish.

Hulk roll, not smash

Fresh pasta, rolled every Friday

Fresh Pasta Friday

Ravioli are always a big hit. Fresh pasta Friday was a winner

Apricot Crepes

I've always loved crepes, so we did some one Sunday morning for brunch

Gluten Free Bowl #237

I remember this being a big hit because I pickled some red onions and placed them as garnish

Chicken Piccata with fusilli pesto

Probably my number one chicken dish over the summer. People like Piccata and Parmigiano.

Pho'

A huge seller on July 4th weekend, I made a super duper broth that sold out each weekend we featured it.

El Super Burrito

One of our most popular items all summer, the super burrito, wet. House made enchilada sauce poured over a big as your head burrito, filled with either vegetarian goodness, chile verde, or ground beef. AKA, the Backpacker's Special.

Slow roasted chicken with black beans

The sleeper dish of the summer. I grilled the chicken on mesquite, just enough to seal it. The sauce was a combination of chiles, guajillo, pasilla being the dominant. I took the chicken and oven braised it in the sauce for about an hour. Huge depth of flavor. The black beans were mixed with roasted potatoes and topped with a cilantro pesto

Meadway Farms Lettuce Garden

Jeff Meadway came through again with a fantastic garden for me to work with.

Kraut dog and potato salad

Sort of a sleeper hit this summer, who doesn't want a hot dog?

Pasta Primavera

An end of season pasta, the Pasta Primavera was a big hit when the tomatoes finally came into season

Meadway Farms Purple Basil

I was using this purple basil for garnish in everything from Pho to gluten free to pasta

Pork loin and polenta

Finalizing the plating of my wine dinner dish of pork loin and polenta with a hint of proscuitto and my pan reduction sauce. 

I love chocolate

I made a lot of bread pudding over the summer. Chocolate, berry and vanilla tended to be the big three, but chocolate is has always been my favorite.

Berry bread pudding

My berry version of the bread pudding

Chocolate Bread Pudding

It doesn't get more filling and delicious than chocolate, cream and bread

Eating the scraps

I rarely eat anything during service, especially at a wine dinner. However, I will eat the scraps of just about anything. This is from our first wine dinner and eggplant parmigiano with some extra sauce I was grubbing on.

The last word on summer

End of Vintage Sale

We've nearly come to the end of the road on several wines, the 2011 Vintner's Cuvee, 2012 Superstrada and 2013 Pinot Noir, which means SALE! These wines will NOT be available at our Harvest Party, so don't wait.

Each of the wines listed is at 5 cases, as of the time of this writing. So this is last call for these wines. After this, they're gone. I cannot guarantee any allocation for these wines, please call me personally at 707-385-1460. These wines are first come, first served. I'm in Healdsburg for the harvest and can't really leave while I'm picking grapes, fermenting, crushing, etc.

I'll add extra incentive for my Central Valley and Bay Area customers...FREE SHIPPING (but only if you call me).

So contact me personally, message me on Facebook, or buy it directly off the website by clicking the link (I've already discounted the price). 

Thank you for supporting each of these wines since their release and supporting Mastro Scheidt.

Brunch, Lunch and a Wine Dinner

It's been just over two weeks since I've settled into McGee Creek and the East Side (a.k.a. Mammoth Lakes) and my summertime cooking gig.

I've visited an organic farm, Apple Hill Ranch near Bishop, got invited to a BBQ in Paradise, made an apricot dressing for the first time, co-hosted a wine dinner and cooked several meals at McGee Creek (and poured a lot of wine).

Savory scone, with country gravy and a runny egg

Bowl of Chicken Pho

Winemaker David Scheidt snacking on eggplant parmigiano scraps

Chicken and eggplant parmigiano over polenta

83 Dishes means...someone has to do dishes before we serve dessert

Cooking in Mammoth Lakes this Summer

It's going to be a great summer in the Eastern Sierra!

I'm cooking all summer long, starting Friday, June 12 in Crowley Lake as the guest chef at the McGee Creek Lodge, just south of Mammoth Lakes. As many of you know, I love being on the East Side of California and I also love to cook, so why not combine them, right?

David Scheidt, Winemaker and Cook

I've been no stranger to The Lodge and East Siders' the last two years, cooking on and off; everything from the El Super Burrito to fresh pastas and slow cooked pork barbecue. I've even widened my own culinary horizons creating vegan and gluten-free dishes. Lots of these favorites will return during the summer, especially the El Super Burrito.

So what's new? I'm committing to Fresh Pasta Friday, which means I'm making and rolling fresh pasta dough every single week, no exceptions! So expect to see ravioli, pappardelle, tagliatelle, agliotti and gnocchi a lot.

Pappardelle Bolognese

Garden fresh is another goal. I was able to use the resources right outside my kitchen door last year, lettuce, tomato, squash, herbs, whatever else I can get and I'm going to do it again for guests all summer.

Thirdly,  brunch!!! Think savory scones, fresh frittata, chicken fried steak and my personal favorite Uova al purgatorio or Eggs in Red Sauce. Hearty food, fresh food, great food. And yes...there will be more house cured bacon.

Don't forget, live music every Saturday night at the McGee Creek Lodge (which is why I've included the music schedule through 4th of July weekend). I hope to see you this summer on the East Side.

Summer Dinner and Sunday Brunch Hours
Starting June 12 in Crowley Lake at The McGee Creek Lodge
Friday 5:00 - 9:00pm
Saturday 5:00 - 9:00pm
Sunday Brunch 10:00am - 3:00pm

Live Music Schedule
Music Starts at 6:30pm
Greg and Gilly            June 6
Double Coyote            June 13
Cruiseship Volunteers        June 20
Driftwood Creek            June 27
Good Medicine    (Friday)    July 3
Bodie 601    (Saturday)    July 4

Mammoth Lakes Wine Dinner

It was such a treat to be on the East Side again for a multi-course wine dinner in Mammoth Lakes. We combined dinner with a early wine tasting reception for guests who haven't tasted the wines before. 

We lead off with our 2014 Proprietary White Wine and moved next to our most popular red wine summer drinker, the 2013 Sangiovese.

Naturally, we finished up with a couple big Cabernet Sauvignon based wines for the tasting and the dinner (and of course grilled steak!)

Thanks to everyone for attending and special thanks to Carrie and Jason for all of their efforts.

See you on the East Side!

A Taste of Italy Dinner

I was honored and happy to cook dinner for a group of friends recently in Fresno, CA.

The theme of the evening was Taste of Italy, which was the perfect excuse for me to make sausage and pasta from scratch, two of my favorite things.

However, the mashed potatoes I served with skirt steak along with a risotto with fresh mushrooms seemed to stand out in several guests minds. The risotto and pomme puree have two things in common, butter and cream (lots of butter and cream).

I try not to freak people out when I make mashed potatoes but I subscribe to the Joel Robuchon ideal of pomme puree. I love those potatoes and have had them a number of times. 

2 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 cup plus of Straus Dairy Cream
225 Grams or 1/2 block of McClelland's Butter (butter comes in 1 pound blocks)

I'm not being all fancy by giving you the brand names of the butter and cream, but I've been using both for my recipe for several years and really like the results.

Put peeled and cut potatoes in a saucepan until covered with water and one tablespoon coarse salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until a knife slips in and out of the potatoes easily and cleanly, about 15 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and leave them in a colander over the saucepan and allow the potatoes to steam and drain any residual liquid. 

Turn the heat under the potatoes to low and either put the potatoes through a ricer or get some electric beaters and put potatoes in the saucepan and incorporate the butter bit by bit, stirring it in on high speed for a smooth, creamy finish. Pour in the cream slowly until all the milk has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and taste for salt.

Enjoy!

Cellar Takeover, Wine Dinners, Spring Fling and East Side

It has been a busy month of April for wine events. Our Cellar Takeover shows our Fresno customers just how many wines we make (roughly 10 different wines each season). Wine dinners show off how my wines pair with food (Thanks Chefs!) Spring Fling in Bakersfield focuses on only a few producers of high quality. Going to the East Side and Mammoth Lakes allows me to get in the kitchen and have some fun!

It also means that another 5000 miles were driven by yours truly in the month of April and several pictures of food were taken. Here are a few highlights:

Learning about American Oak

American Oak is not the boogeyman!

I've been fortunate enough to hear Ridge winemaker Eric Baugher speak at Fresno State a couple times. Yes, we get to try his wines from the estate property in the Santa Cruz mountains and the Lytton Springs wines as well, but just hearing the stories and his insights are invaluable moments not just for the students, but for me as well.

One thing that I've focused on during his presentations is the use of American oak on Ridge wines. It's a methodical examination of American oak on Ridge wines over decades. Not anecdotes of American oak usage, but example after example of the how and why of American oak.

Too many American winemakers simply dismiss American oak as an inferior product, or are bemused by American oak as they speak of some deep forest in France they've never visited. Sadly, consumers buy into the simple notion that there is nothing beyond aging American wine in French oak.

Currently, I use a mix of American, French and Hungarian oak for aging my red wines. A majority of the oak I use is American. The American oak comes from various forests in Minnesota, Kentucky, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. The oak from these forests can be cured/aged between two and four years before final toasting and assembly into wine barrels. Toasting is another factor in the flavor profile of wine, as the toasting length, depth and methodology is different at each cooperage and can be specified by the client (me).

John Scheidt barrel tasting

I'm always learning more about the barrels I use and the coopers I choose for my wines. Even the ritual steam cleaning technique that I use on my barrels effects longevity, malolactic fermentation, and flavor profile.

Various combinations of forest, grain, machine or hand-cut wood, cooperage, toasting level, age of oak, head and stave combinations, type of varietal and length of time in barrel all effect a winemaker's decision process. Nothing is static. The days of a lower-quality homogeneous coconut-vanilla pronounced American oak are behind many American winemakers who have chosen to demand better and by working with American cooperages to develop world-class American barrels for our best wines.

Spring in the Vineyard

While the entire state of California has not experienced significant rainfall this season, much of Sonoma County has received an average precipitation amount. Rainfall amounts in the vineyards have shown 30 or more inches of rain in vineyards throughout Dry Creek and Alexander Valley. 

Walking through one vineyard recently, after roughly a quarter inch of rain, shows the beginnings of Spring. It's too early to tell what Mother Nature will bring this season, but I'm thankful she brought rain to Healdsburg.

Rack, Return, Jug!

Blending the Mastro Scheidt Mastrogiacomo Craft Red Wine Growler has been a top priority in early 2015.  For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm blending The Jug for 2015.

This is a good opportunity to explain a little bit more about The Mastrogiacomo Jug. Let's address the name on The Jug. Mastrogiacomo, shortened to Mastro at Ellis Island, is my mother’s maiden name. My Italian ancestors immigrated to Fresno, California from Southern Italy in the early 1900s.

Nearly every one of my Italian relatives made wine in their basement and nearly every one of them bottled their wine (if they bottled it at all) in a jug. Fast forward about 100 years to what I'm doing at Mastro Scheidt Cellars; where I've taken the jug very seriously and crafted a high-quality red wine blend from Sonoma County and turned it into a cult favorite with both first-time buyers and regular enthusiasts of my more traditional offerings.

Since its infancy, my red wine Jug was blended with 100% Sonoma County fruit. I've always used fruit that I've purchased and fermented to create my master blend, no corner cutting. My Jug is NOT 'the leftovers' from each year. Far from it.

Winemaker and Owner, David Scheidt steam cleaning barrels

Every barrel is selected by me, with the same attention to detail as our single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. I use high quality French, American, and Hungarian oak to age my jug wine.  The Jug is by design a non-vintage blend. I could declare a vintage, but this gives me the freedom as the winemaker to blend more well-rounded (read: more barrel time) wine from my cellar. 

And then I blend. And blend again. And again. Then test and test again. Until the final product is easy to enjoy and readily drinkable. The Jug is not meant for aging or time in bottle, it's meant to drink. I rack off gross lees, allowing the wine to settle, as our method of fining and filtering the wine, rather than use a filtration system. We then bottle without adding additional sulphites.

The goal is for a great glass of wine that I personally produced from Sonoma County that is affordable and appeals to the casual drinker and connoisseur; hopefully around a table of friends and food. It has always been my ideal to tell you exactly what's in my blends and what my process is. The 'mystery' of what I do is the daily, weekly, and monthly planning (what barrels to bottle when), tasting (and spitting a lot) and testing (the less glamorous stuff) of each vintage and non-vintage bottling.

Fresno State Enology Society Presentation

I last presented to the Fresno State Enology Society a couple years ago; so it was great to be invited back to share some new wines. The Spring Semester is usually filled with wine makers showing a broad line-up of offerings, from whites to reds. I designed the tasting to focus on exclusively 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Dry Creek Valley. Here was the lineup (sort of a mini vertical):

2011 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (unreleased)
2011 1TL, D. Rafanelli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 1TL, D. Rafanelli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (limited release)
2011 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon (unreleased)

Six Cabernet Sauvignon's presented at Fresno State Enology Society

The purpose was to show the crowd the differences a year and Mother Nature can make in a wine. Lean and mean 2011s versus plush and fruity 2012s.

Photo Courtesy of Vince Kennedy - Winemaker David Scheidt at Fresno State Enology Presentation

As I've stated before, I appreciate the 2011 vintage because it's unique for Dry Creek Valley, with low alcohol and structured tannins and a style that will develop over a very long period. It would be impossible to craft the wines of 2011 in the drought conditions we've experienced the last two seasons. I'm equally enthusiastic about my 2012 wines for the amount of full-bodied fruit, full-palate structure and elegance the wines have have so early in their life.

The crowd favorite was the 2012 1TL, D. Rafanelli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. The enology student favorite was the 2011 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon; remarkable contrasts between these two wines, which as the winemaker, is music to my ears. I've made something for everyone in the crowd to enjoy.

Thanks to the Enology Society for inviting me back and Go Dogs!

Sunday Funday in June Lake

The combined Valentine's Day and President's Day weekend on the East Side was a great couple days away.

After the all-day prep session and cooking marathon for a full house of guests on Saturday night, Sunday started slowly but not without a plan. I did have an objective: Find the Ohanas395 food truck and drink some beer. Fortunately, both could be accomplished in June Lake.

I'd eaten from Ohanas395 before, during Burger Battle 2014 at the Mammoth Food and Wine Experience. The Ohanas395 burger incorporated exactly what they set themselves out as, Hawaiian inspired cuisine, not a standard ketchup, lettuce, mayo, mustard profile. Personally, I loved the burger. It reminded me of Burger Battle 2013, when Chef Bruce Kalman used pork belly and Kim-Chee on his burger.  

Ohanas395 burger at the Mammoth Food and Wine Experience 2014

However, since Burger Battle, I haven't been at the right place, right time to catch Ohanas395, until now.

I drove over to the June Lake Brewery where Ohanas395 is parked for the winter season. The Ohanas trailer is easily spotted, painted orange and all alone in the parking lot. Some would argue that ordering one of the specials, the ahi poke salad with rice, would have been a risk so far away from the ocean. Not so. The ahi had great color, looking to be center cut and of high quality. June Lake Brewery allows Ohanas395 patrons to bring their food inside and order up some beer; the Alpers Trout Pale Ale seemed the natural pairing with my ahi poke.

For dessert, there was only one thing to get. Doughnut holes. Fantastic. An absolutely great piece of fried bread (and some great beer).

Fried goodness from Ohanas395

Relaxed after the weekend festivities, I headed out the following morning for Healdsburg. See you again soon, East Side.

Valentine's Dinner and Sunday Funday

It's been at least a month, so I must be traveling to Mammoth Lakes and the East Side (and then back up to Healdsburg...deja vu all over again)

Valentine's Dinner is usually one of the busiest nights in the restaurant trade and the East Side is no exception. The wrinkle is that the crowd at Crowley Lake is not just couples coming for dinner, rather, whole families are coming in for dinner and listening to bluegrass. 

The dinner menu at the McGee Creek Lodge Valentine's Day:

Starter
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Wedge Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing with bacon and croutons
Main
Roasted Chicken with Quinoa salad of yams, dried apricots and dates in a Meyers lemon vinaigrette
Pot Roast, Potato and Root Vegetables with pan gravy
Dessert
Chocolate Mousse
Bread Pudding

Prep for dinner started on Friday night when I arrived, trimming and seasoning my chicken and pot roast. The pot roast needed to be perfectly fork tender, so an early morning start in the oven was essential. Seasoning was basic, salt, pepper, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaf, water and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Pot Roast is the perfect pairing for Cabernet Sauvignon

As much as I'm a fan of meaty proteins and plenty of gluten, not everyone else shares my enthusiasm. Therefore, I often create at least one dish that is vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten free. Taking a page out of a recent trip to Santa Barbara, I reinvented my quinoa and butternut squash dish and used it as both a side to my roasted chicken entree and as a stand-alone meal for any vegans that walked in.

Quinoa with yams, dried apricots, dates and chives in a Meyers lemon vinagrette

Finishing the evening were a couple desserts, Chocolate Mousse and Bread Pudding. I used sourdough bread as my base for the bread pudding. Just good old fashioned sourdough bread. Then I soaked it in cream, eggs, vanilla, sugar and maple syrup before I baked it in the oven.

Bread Pudding and Chocolate Mousse for dessert

Part two of the blog post title, Sunday Funday is up next. I check out Ohanas Food Truck in June Lake at the June Lake Brewery.

Pinot Noir and Food

I love Cabernet Sauvignon; which makes sense, I make a lot of it. But Cabernet doesn't pair well with everything. Call me traditional, but I'm NOT a huge fan of the philosophy of "drink what you like with whatever you like." Ian Fleming's James Bond taught us that you can often catch the villain at the table by just monitoring his wine choices.

While Cabernet doesn't pair with everything, Pinot Noir pairs with lots of different foods and lots of people are in LOVE with Pinot Noir.

I recently released a single-barrel of 2013 Pinot Noir and paired it with a wide variety of foods for an event I attended and served for in Visalia. I'll admit, my Pinot Noir paired well with mixed green salad and CAB sliders. Even the deep fried calamari paired up with Pinot, the salty, deep-fried breading and the acid of the Pinot balance themselves out. 

I managed to snap a few pictures of what I considered solid pairings of my Pinot Noir with some of the foods offered that night. However, Pinot Noir does NOT pair with bread pudding! Bread Pudding stands on its own! If someone is drinking Cabernet or Pinot with bread pudding, don't trust them, they may work for an evil global organization.

Pinot Noir pairs well with fried calamari

Pinot Noir pairs well with Mixed Green Salad

Pinot Noir pairs with CAB sliders and caramelized onions

Pinot Noir does NOT pair with Bread Pudding