My dear friend Phoebe Lapine has a great blog on cooking / creating dining experiences / food and wine pairing. She recently visited and we had the opportunity to taste through various stages of white wine fermentation down at Santa Barbara Winery (she visited during Harvest 2009). I sent her home with a bottle of 07 Santa Barbara Winery Chardonnay, and in a Phoebe-like fashion, she created a fantastic recipe to pair with the wine.
Here is the link to her website (Big Girls, Small Kitchen: A Guide to Quarter Life Cooking) with the posting. I recommend checking out her site as it is a truly voyeuristic glimpse into the her life experiences through cooking. She is working on a book, and I can’t wait to read it when it comes out. I love her use of the phrase ‘quarter life cooking.’
Her post also really hits home for me because I truly believe that wine better experienced when there is a real story behind it. That story can include and interesting history, personal experiences with the wine, or having friends who have their hands in the production process.
2007 Santa Barbara Winery Chardonnay
We washed this meal down with a bottle of Chardonnay I brought back from my day trip to Santa Barbara. My friend Joanie works for the winery and took me through the whole process of how this particular chardonnay was made. Things always taste a little better once you understand where they came from, but regardless, this is a delicious mid-level wine, and one I will be buying again in the near future.
Joanie Hudson, Director of National and International Marketing, Santa Barbara Winery / Lafond Winery & Vineyards
Thanks for the link back, lady! so so excited for June. Counting down the days!
xx