Wine Pairing & Recipes: Argyle Brut – Homemade Chicken & Sausage Pizza

Posted on September 24, 2009

Ingredients:
1 14″ cooked pizza crust (Whole Foods, etc.)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pesto
1 baseball sized sweet red onion (or two red cippolini)
2 cloves garlic
2 fresh organic tomatoes
1/2 lb chicken and/or pork sausage
1 cup pecorino cheese (or parmesan or asiago)
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella
1 handful of fresh basil
1/2 cup marinara/spaghetti/pizza sauce
1 bottle Argyle Brut

Preheat oven to 425F.

Start by sauteing the red onion with a small amount of olive oil. Occasionally add 1/4 cup Argyle Brut to the sauteing onions for super flavor boost. The Brut will steam off, leaving the onions with a unique sweetness. Add a little olive oil if necessary to keep onions moist. Just as the onions begin to caramelize, slice garlic cloves paper thin add half the sliced garlic. When the onion/garlic mix has caramelized (careful not to burn the garlic), set aside.

Sautee chicken and/or pork sausage in any leftover oniony oil. Season with fresh ground pepper and salt if desired. Set aside.

Place the ready pizza crust on a large cookie sheet. Thinly spread olive oil all over top of pizza crust. Follow with thin coating of pesto. Optional: spread marinara sauce over pizza crust. Spread caramelized onions evenly over entire pizza crust. Spread sauteed sausage and the remaining sliced garlic over the pizza. Cover evenly with grated pecorino (don’t be
shy, add as much as you want), then follow with sliced or grated mozzarella.

Slice tomatoes to desired thickness and place evenly across crust. Repeat with fresh basil.

Bake pizza in oven for roughly 20 minutes – until the cheeses begin to melt and possibly brown (if you like that). The longer the pizza remains in the oven, the crispier the crust will be.

Remove pizza from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing & serving.

Pour a flute of Argyle Brut and enjoy!

Oregon Chardonnay Being Pressed for Sparkling Wines

Posted on September 23, 2009

After having been harvested from Knudsen Vineyards and Lone Star Vineyard, these Chardonnay grapes were chilled in Argyle’s cold room at 34°F in preparation for pressing.

Here you can see the wine press literally being stuffed full with several tons of Chardonnay grapes.

Once pressed, the juice will be fermented and eventually used in our sparking wines like the Argyle Brut and blended with Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier for sparkling wines like our Brut Rosé.

Willamette Valley Wineries Association – Press Release

Posted on September 17, 2009

Willamette Valley Wineries Association Uncorks Thanksgiving Cheer for the 27th Year
Willamette Valley’s Borders Extend just South of Portland to as far South as Eugene

Portland, Ore. (September 14, 2009) Thanksgiving elicits thankful thoughts, good cheer, visits from distant relatives, and in Oregon, the acclaimed Wine Country Thanksgiving in the Willamette Valley. The 27th Anniversary of Wine Country Thanksgiving kicks off November 27th, 28th and 29th from 11am to 5pm for most wineries.

This annual event held the weekend after Thanksgiving brings families together to experience Oregon wine country and to taste Oregon’s acclaimed wine; from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris to its lesser known varietals like Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer. Visitors to this event will be able to see first-hand many of the Willamette Valley’s small, family-owned wineries. Some are only open to the public during Thanksgiving and Memorial Day weekends. Larger estate wineries are also popular choices for guests as they offer various amenities and activities for groups. These special weekends allow guests to meet the winemaker, sample new and special releases, and enjoy the festivities of the individual wineries.

“Visiting the wineries of the Willamette Valley during Thanksgiving is a great way for new wine drinkers to explore the area and learn about wine,” said Willamette Valley Wineries Association Executive Director, Sue Horstmann. “Visitors can taste a wide variety of wines and not feel obligated to buy something. It’s an opportunity to learn about one of Oregon’s most prized bounties in an intimate, approachable setting.”

Willamette Valley wineries can be discovered just south of Portland to as far south as Eugene. “Many people overlook the vast borders and opportunities of the Willamette Valley, continued Horstmann. “Visitors can use the Wheatland Ferry located just north of the Yamhill–Polk county border shuttling passengers across the Willamette River into the Eola Hills region. They can follow Highway 26 discovering some of Forest Grove’s treasures or meander down Highway 47 through Carlton and head west to Highway 18 en route to the coast. There are many gateways to wine country.”

For a complete listing of wineries open during Thanksgiving weekend, along with details about special events and individual tasting fees, visit www.willamettewines.com to request a touring map and guide.

About Willamette Valley Wineries Association
The WVWA is a non-profit industry association dedicated to achieving recognition for Oregon’s acclaimed Willamette Valley as a premier Pinot Noir producing region. Currently, the WVWA has 181 members representing wineries and tasting rooms throughout the Willamette Valley region – from Portland to Eugene. Memorial Weekend in Wine Country and Wine Country Thanksgiving are the two oldest wine touring events in Oregon. The WVWA also publishes an annual guide to wineries with a touring map. For more information or to request a wine touring map, please visit www.willamettewines.com or call 503-646-2985.

First Day of Harvest 2009

Posted on September 16, 2009

Here are some photos from our first day of harvest 2009. We picked Chardonnay from Lone Star Vineyard and Pinot Noir from Knudsen Vineyards. These grapes are being picked for our sparkling wines. So far, our load is roughly 24 tons for the day.

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