Frey Organic Wine Blog
POSTED WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2011
A big thanks to all of you who took the time to petition the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The board voted and they agree with you: sulfites have no place in organic wine!
With a 9-5 vote a few weeks ago, the NOSB rejected the petition that would have allowed sulfites, a synthetic preservative, into USDA certified organic wine for the first time. The petition would have allowed the addition of up to 100ppm added sulfite to organic wine despite the fact that organic processing laws expressly prohibit the use of synthetic preservatives. You helped to educate the policy makers about the quality and popularity of truly organic wines!
Non-sulfited winemakers banded together to advocate truth in labeling and to reject the watering down of organic standards. Representatives from several certified organic wineries gave public comment.
Thanks again to all who voiced their opinions. The large volume of public comments were crucial in keeping synthetics out of wine and other organic products.
Following is a press report issued after the vote:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 2, 2011
Savannah, Georgia
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted to uphold organic wine standards. They rejected the petition requesting the use of the synthetic preservative sulfite in organic wine.
A coalition of organic winemakers and distributors including Frey Vineyards, La Rocca Vineyards, Stellar Organics, The Organic Wine Works, Ten Spoon Winery, Honey Run Winery, and Organic Vintages gathered to defend the integrity of the USDA seal, the gold standard for food purity.
“Organic wine has always been defined as preservative-free with no added sulfites,” says Phil La Rocca, founder of La Rocca Vineyards in Forest Ranch, CA.
Paul Frey, President of Frey Vineyards in Redwood Valley, CA states, “The preservative sulfite has never been allowed in any organic food that carries the USDA organic seal.”
John Schumacher of Organic Wine Works in Felton, CA remarks on the overwhelming consumer support expressed at the meeting and that "the decisive 9-5 NOSB vote was very gratifying."
During the months leading up to the NOSB meeting there was a huge outpouring of consumer support declaring the importance of truth in labeling and denouncing the addition of sulfites, a synthetic preservative, to organic wine. The Organic Consumers Association gathered over 10,000 signatures, and of the 484 comments posted on the USDA NOSB site, over 80% opposed the petition.
Schumacher sums up the victory by bringing it back to the health of the consumer: "Consumers can continue to choose award-winning USDA organic wines with no sulfites added.”
Steve Frenkel, owner of the New York distribution company Organic Vintages declares, "I am elated that we have prevented the proposed rule change which would have caused much confusion resulting in consumers being easily mislead and misinformed. Instead, I am very happy to report, this victory has insured the continuation of clear, honest, and forthright labeling of organic wine."
POSTED MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 201
Barrie Lynn at the Cheese Impresario has some great tips to share with you on pairing your favorite Frey wine with fine specialty cheeses. She pairs Frey Organic Chardonnay with mouthwatering Gruyère, Frey Organic Sauvignon Blanc with some creamy goat cheese, and Frey Organic Cab with aged cheddar. Try one of the combinations at your next holiday party! The videos can be found here on YouTube.
POSTED MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011 – By Eliza Frey
Harvest 2011 was an exciting one for North Coast grape growers here in Mendocino County, California. Two large rainstorms in early October got growers scrambling to harvest the fruit as quickly as possible. Our picking crew worked under gray skies during the day and at night under a Harvest Moon, successfully bringing in our entire crop in record time. The cellar crew worked overtime to process such large volumes. But then it cleared up and the vineyards dried out, allowing us to harvest less frantically during the final stretch. The pressing is finished now and the wines are put to bed for the winter as they complete malolactic fermentation. Mendocino County weathered the storms and we anticipate some great wines despite the challenging harvest. Look for the first of our 2011 white wines in early 2012!
Harvesting organic grapes, Mendocino County, California.
POSTED MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011 – By Eliza Frey
We are thrilled to have completed the 2011 pressing of our Frey Ranch sunflower and grape seed oils, a part of our ongoing experimentation in local food production. After the red wine fermentation the grape seed was separated from the pomace, sun dried, then pressed. The grape seed oil is deep and complex with a distinct grapey flavor. The sunflowers grew quickly over the summer months and were easy to harvest with our mini-combine, which also harvests the grain crops from the vineyards. The fresh-pressed sunflower oil is new for us and a delicacy, with a rich, nutty aroma. Both are delicious oils for salads or drizzled over roasted veggies. Our seed-oil press is made in Germany and can accommodate a wide range of seeds, from grape to sesame. So far we have only experimented with grape seed and sunflower seed but we look forward to testing more oils in the future, as well as offering some of these oils, and the grains, to our customers. Stay tuned!
Grape seeds ready for pressing!
POSTED MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2011
A good time was had by all at our recent Wine Club dinner, with around 50 guests who enjoyed sumptuous organic cuisine by Chef Tamara Frey and other collaborators of the culinary arts. Below are some photos of the event we'd like to share with you. We hope you can make it to our next dinner and celebration of organic food and wine (to be announced).
Dinner organizers extraordinaires, Nicole & Katrina.
Guests relaxing in front of the winery, under the oaks.
Guests take a tour of the wine sensory garden, a place to match wines with freshly picked herbs.
Tables set, menus laid out, salivating commences.
Young maidens serve the guests.
Live music.
Freshly baked organic bread from the outdoor oven made by Matthew Frey.
A good time had by all.
POSTED THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
American icon Willie Nelson recently received the 2011 Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance Visionary Award in San Francisco. Sponsored by environmental nonprofits Amazon Watch and Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, the event focused on how living local can have a positive effect on people around the world.
Frey Biodynamic Wines were proudly donated to this event.
Read more on the Huffington Post.
POSTED THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2011
Demand for organic food is ever growing, as confirmed by another poll. This is always good news as organic food production is better for everyone's health, and for the planet, in so many ways.
As summarized from ThePacker.com: "...A majority of Americans pick organically produced foods over conventionally produced when given the choice, according to a new poll... Among the reasons for choosing organic, survey participants cited supporting local growers and health concerns..."
Winemaker and vegetarian Paul Frey and his sons planting organic watermelons in vineyard.
POSTED TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2011 – By Derek Dahlen, Frey Wine Vineyard Manager
We just completed our second wheat harvest, all of it grown between rows of our organic vineyards. This cereal harvest is a part of our ongoing experimentation with growing local organic food with the wine grapes.
Ripe organic wheat ready for harvest between the vines.
This year brought some changes to the wheat program, as Frey Vineyards bought out the other members of the group that originally purchased the mini-combine, while they upgraded their own machine for wheat harvesting in Mendocino County. Check out their website at Mendocino Grain Project. Having our own combine now gives us more flexibility for timing the harvest and experimenting with different crops.
Matthew Frey running the combine in the Frey Potter Valley vineyard.
A repair on the combine allowed us to harvest the wheat more efficiently. It now reaps a much larger percentage of the crop and the grains are coming out cleaner. The grinding stone also got a facelift, as Matthew Frey installed a new motor with variable speed, allowing us to fine-tune the grinding process.
Derek and Matthew harvesting organic wheat from between rows of organic winegrapes.
The crop in our Redwood Valley vineyards weighed in at over one thousand pounds. At our Potter Valley vineyard, which has very fertile soils, we pulled in over 3,000 pounds! Time to get baking! We hope to offer samples of the flour to our wine club members. You can join here! We will also be serving bread from our homegrown wheat at our upcoming midsummer party, Saturday, August 6th. Come and taste the wonder of fresh ground grains!
POSTED SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011
Young organic sunflowers at Frey Vineyards.
At Frey Vineyards this year we are experimenting with growing sunflowers to press for high quality organic oils. Sunflower oil is great for cooking and as a body oil. The plants also provide excellent food for our ranch bees as the flowers mature. Sunflower oil is the most important source of food oil in the world, and we are excited to start producing it here.
We chose the Russian cultivar Peredovik sunflower (Helianthus annus). While most sunflowers have an oil content of 25-35%, the peredovic can yield up to 50% oil from its small black seeds. The Peredovic sunflower also has a very short growing season of about 12 weeks which allows plenty of time to maturity despite our wet and soggy spring this year. We will harvest in the fall and press the seeds in our cold-press seed press. This year we expect about 25 gallons and hope to expand in the future.
The sunflower project fits nicely into our ever-expanding quest for more local sources of basic food products. We can harvest them with our small combine, which is also used for harvesting wheat that is interplanted in our vineyards. The spent press cake of the sunflower is a high quality feed for livestock and the stalks will make a great addition to our compost piles.
We will keep you posted about our progress!
POSTED WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2011 – By Eliza Frey
While at Millésime Bio in Montpellier this year, Eliza Frey and Derek Dahlen met Jason Cole, an American wine educator living in France. He teaches at SupAgro as part of their European Vine and Wine Masters Program: Vinifera Euromaster. SupAgro is an international center for higher education in agricultural sciences that teaches students from around the world. Jason took a bottle of our 2009 Organic Zinfandel to share with his class. Zinfandel is a fascinating wine for Europeans, as it is a New World grape that isn't grown outside the US. The students from all over the world were thankful and intrigued by an organic wine from California in their selection, as they expressed personally bellow. Thanks Jason for exposing your class to Frey Organic Zinfandel!
Below are thank-you notes from the class:
POSTED THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011 – By Eliza Frey
Frey Organic Pinot Noir vineyard with clover cover crop.
Happy Spring from all of us at Frey Vineyards! It has been another wet and cold spring here in Mendocino County, Northern California. Bud break on the grapes was about 2 weeks late and we have already received well over our annual rainfall. In the vineyards, pruning is almost finished and our inter-planted grain crop is coming along nicely. In the cellar, we are racking and filtering our 2010 wines and just releasing the first whites (Organic Sauvignon Blanc) with Pinot Noir right around the corner. Please find below some news from the Vineyards and as always, a safe and healthy season to all!
POSTED THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011 – By Eliza Frey
In January 2011, Eliza Frey, Derek Dahlen and Alex Frei represented Frey Vineyards at Millésime Bio, Europe’s premier organic wine conference, held each year in Montpellier, France. Frey was awarded a bronze medal for our 2009 Pinot Noir – quite an honor for a no-sulfites-added organic wine at a French wine competition!
The conference featured over 500 producers of wines made from organically grown grapes and an ever-increasing number of producers making wines with no added sulfites. It is great to know that the additive-free wine culture in Europe is alive and well. Along with our friends Phil and Judy LaRocca of LaRocca Vineyards in Forest Ranch, California, we represented organic, non-sulfited winemaking in the USA and stressed the need for purity and the exclusion of additives as the European Union struggles to develop their organic wine standards.
Attendees at the Millésime Bio 2011, Montpellier, France.
POSTED WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2011
Katrina Frey was invited to address the Washington Spa Alliance’s 2011 Symposium, which took place in Washington DC on March 24. She joined a series of leaders in the fields of integrative medicine, cuisine and healthy lifestyles. Her talk covered organic wine and food issues, GMO’s and Biodynamic farming. Questions from the attendees focused on purity and the need to have additive-free products for truly holistic spas. The mission of the Washington Spa alliance is to act as a knowledge center and to connect spa professionals. Katrina encouraged them to integrate certified organic wine and food products into their dining rooms.
POSTED TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2011
If you're in the Bay Area on Saturday, June 4th, don't miss the benefit for and preview of Kiss the Cook & the Farmer Too, a 13-part public television series about great food and sustainable agriculture, taking place at Hillside Gardens, Mill Valley, California. Frey Vineyards is a proud supporter of Kiss The Cook and The Farmer Too, and our wine will be served at the event. We hope you'll be there! For complete details and tickets, please visit their invite page here.
POSTED THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011
San Francisco-based Organic Conversation Radio show with Helge Hellberg and Mark Mulcahy recently interviewed Katrina Frey and others as part of their "Celebrating Women Leadership" Earth Day special.
Katrina was interviewed first, where she talks about the fight to keep added sulfites out of organic wine. Listen to the beginning of the show and her interview here:
Katrina Frey interview on Organic Conversation Radio Show
You can hear the complete show and all the interviews at Organic Conversation's website.
POSTED THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011
Katrina Frey with Kirstie Alley and Karen Black!
Katrina Frey with actor Ed Begley Jr.
Jon and Katrina Frey danced with the stars at Kirstie Alley’s Celebrity Block Party in Los Angeles on March 9th, 2011. The party was attended by Hollywood bigwigs who loved tasting Frey wines, the nation’s premium award-winning organic wine. Kirstie has developed Organic Liaison Rescue Me, the first USDA certified organic weight loss product. Thanks, Kirstie, for choosing organic products and promoting the green lifestyle!
POSTED THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011
Frey Vineyards recently attended this year's Millésime Bio at Montpellier, France, the largest organic wine gathering in the world. One of the Frey grandsons, Alex, was briefly mentioned on the popular news website HuffingtonPost.com, along with his mugshot! Below is a screen shot from the HuffingtonPost.
POSTED TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2010 – By Katrina Frey
It’s a rare harvest day that our winemaker Paul Frey is not found in the wine cellar from dawn to the wee hours. But on Oct 26-28th, Paul traveled to Madison, WI to defend the USDA organic wine standard. He joined fellow organic winemaker Phil La Rocca of La Rocca Vineyards, along with Steve Frenkel of Organic Vintages, who distributes organic wines in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. They each addressed the National Organic Standards Board to argue against a proposed amendment that would allow the addition of sulfites to organic wine for the first time. Paul Frey said, “The other attendees we spoke to expressed broad support in continuing the ban of sulfites in USDA organic wines. People who believe in the foundation of organics recognize that sulfites do not belong in organic foods and wines.”
Philip La Rocca said he went to Madison, “Because I thought it was important to not just fight against sulfur dioxide in organic wine, but also because we need to be careful that we don’t open the door to allowing other synthetics in organic production. Let’s keep organics pure.”
Steve Frenkel said, "I flew to Madison because I think it's very important to maintain truth in labeling. The consumer has a right to transparency in making choices about what they are drinking."
Signed petitions are being collected by the OCA, to be submitted to the AMS Administrator who oversees the USDA's National Organic Program. Please help safegard organic food standards by signing one today using this easy-to-use online form.
Also, check out this article on the subject written on the Huffington Post.
POSTED MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010 – By Eliza Frey
After a decade of correspondence between Frey Vineyards and yeast producer Llalemand, we are happy to announce the use of our first certified organic yeast for the 2010 Frey vintage. Llalemand, our longtime yeast provider, has always been committed to GMO free production but has now raised the bar with their first certified organic product, made especially for Frey Organic Wines.
Organic yeast is manufactured by feeding the yeast cultures organic foods rich in sugar and nitrogen, such as organic molasses and organic sunflower oil. This high quality traditional organic yeast is now used in all of our 2010 organic wines. (Frey Biodynamic wines are still made with no added yeast, fermented with their own natural yeasts in accordance with Biodynamic winemaking standards.)
POSTED TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010 – by Eliza Frey
For the 2010 harvest we invested in new equipment to implement whole-cluster pressing for our white wines. Whole-cluster pressing is a gentler form of pressing white juice. Instead of being macerated in a crusher before entering the press, the grapes travel on a conveyor directly into the press. This technique limits the extraction of phenolics into white wines. It gives white wines smoother flavors, more fruit quality and better aging capacity. The result is a smoother, high quality white with more staying power, especially important for non-sulfited white wines. Look for the release of our delicious new 2010 whites next spring!
Frey Organic White Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
POSTED TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010
In August, our assistant winemaker Eliza Frey was interviewed on Good Dirt Radio. She talks about biodynamic grapegrowing and the benefits of eating organic. She appears about halfway through the show.
Listen by clicking this link: good-dirt-radio-eliza-frey-interview.mp3
POSTED FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1st, 2010
A proposed amendment would allow the addition of sulfites to organic wine for the first time. Please help to preserve organic wine and food standards.
Allowing synthetic allergens such as sulfites into organics is an assault upon the foundation and principles of organic foods. Any
new changes made to the USDA organic standards should strengthen rather than weaken existing standards. If not, consumers will view US standards as increasingly watered down. More...
POSTED THURSDAY, SEPT 2, 2010
We are happy to announce the return of our Gewurztraminer, from Guntly Vineyards!
Gewurztraminer is most famously grown in Germany and the Alsace region of France, but its origin can be traced back to the varietal Traminer, from the village of Tramin in the German-speaking region of northern Italy. The relatively weak genetics of Traminer have led to several related varietals, including Frankisch, Gringet, Heida, Grumin and Formentin. Viognier, from the Rhone region of France, is also believed to be a distant relative of Gewurztraminer and shares the spicy, aromatic character.
The name Gewurztraminer (guh-voorts-tra-meaner) is derived from the German “Gewurz” which means spice or perfume, and the grape itself “Traminer” meaning “spiced Traminer.” Our organically-grown and made version continues the tradition of spice and we think you’ll enjoy the wine’s heady, aromatic character with notes of lychee, rose, passion fruit and floral aromas. The wine is dry, crisp and delicious, not syrupy and sweet. It’s perfect when chilled for a refreshing summer afternoon.
Guntly organic Gewurztraminer vineyard, source of the Frey organic varietal.
Organic Guntly Gewurztraminer vines, near Potter Valley, Mendocino County, California.
POSTED TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2010 – By Eliza Frey
After 30 years of organic grape growing we are continually interested in diversifying our farm or bringing back lost traditions. A century ago, Mendocino County grew all of its grain, and we’re experimenting with bringing local grain production back! Much of the prime grain lands of the county have been converted to vineyards, but we are now demonstrating that grapes and grains can be grown together.
Organic wheat growing in Frey organic vineyard.
Frey Vineyards is collaborating with the Mendocino Grain Project and a handful of local vineyards and small farms to bring the tradition of grain growing back to Mendocino County. Together with the Grain Project we have purchased a small combine that can fit between vineyard rows to harvest grains and dry beans. In the fall of 2009 we inter-planted a variety of wheat, oats, barley and rye in every third row of selected organic vineyards. The combine ran through our vineyards in late July and we reaped several bushels of fresh grains. This year didn’t bring huge yields, but we identified the most productive sections of our vineyards and will fine-tune planting and cultivation practices to increase productivity in the years to come. This is an exciting project that is moving us closer to our goal of increasing local food production and rethinking what vineyards are capable of.
Doug Mosel of Mendocino Grain Project driving the mini-combine.
Wheat between the vines.
POSTED MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010
Stephen Cooper and Shaun Phillips from the San Diego Chargers were shooting The Learning Channel’s upcoming cooking show, "Kick Off Cook Off." And look what’s on their cooking station counter: Frey Organic Cabernet Sauvignon. Though we're loyal 49er fans here in Northern California, in this case we yell wholeheartedly, Go Chargers!
POSTED THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2010 – By Eliza Frey
We are pleased to announce the release of our 2009 wines! 2009 was a fine year for grape growing and winemaking; good spring weather resulted in a nice fruit set and we had excellent ripening conditions throughout the summer and early fall. We collaborated with over 20 local organic family farmers to crush around 1400 tons of grapes, including those grown on our own farm.
Just released are the 2009 Organic Syrah, Organic Pinot Noir, Organic Chardonnay, and Organic Sauvignon Blanc.
We are also pleased to announce the return of Gewurztraminer, grown by local rancher Buck Guntly at Cold Creek Vineyards. The 2009 Gewurztraminer will be available in September.
The 2009 wines are smooth and fruity and ready to drink. We hope you will enjoy them as much as we do!
In contrast to the excellent 2009 grape growing season, 2008 was a challenging year for Mendocino County vintners. Late season frosts caused up to a 50% loss of fruit in several vineyards and the legendary Mendocino summer wildfires of '08 introduced winemakers to the challenge of smoke taint in some wines. We are happy to move forward with 2009, a balanced and delicious vintage!
POSTED THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2010
Harvest 2010 will be our 30th harvest here at Frey Vineyards. In celebration we invite you, our valued customers and fans, to our recipe contest!
We've received very few submissions so far, so the deadline is extended to June 30th. Please consider submitting a recipe that uses any Frey Wine.
The winner will receive this gift basket (though ironically, not the basket itself!):
Gift basket items include an organic cotton Frey Vineyards apron, hat, corkscrew and wine cup, a bottle of Tehama Gold Organic Olive Oil, the Solar Living Source Book, and some organic chocolates (it is against the law to offer wine as a prize).
The winning recipe will be selected and prepared by Chef Tamara Frey, then photographed and featured in the recipes section of our website! Good luck, and we hope all of you will share your culinary masterpiece!
Contest Guidelines:
- Recipe must contain Frey Organic or Biodynamic Wine.
- Email recipe to info@freywine.com. In subject line, please write: Recipe Submission. Or send by mail to:
Frey Vineyards
Recipe Contest
14000 Tomki Road
Redwood Valley, CA 95470 - Contest closes June 30, 2010.
- Prizes cannot be delivered outside the USA.
POSTED Wednesday, April 28, 2010 – By Eliza Frey
One of the herb gardens at Frey Vineyars.
As the weather warms with spring, we find ourselves wanting to reconnect with the sun, plants and the soil. What better way than to get outside and garden? For those of you who love wine and gardening, consider planting a wine sensory garden with fruits, veggies and herbs that compliment your favorite wines.
Tasting wine is a full-body experience. Wherever you taste wine the colors and smells of the tasting area, as well as your mood and state of mind, influence how a wine tastes. Wine sensory gardens deepen the sensory experience by incorporating sight and touch. When tasting wine in a garden, the aroma is enjoyed by the nose, the taste and texture by the mouth. But you also engage your eyes and experience the sight and colors of surrounding plants, as well as other senses to enjoy the smell, taste, and touch of the garden.
Wine sensory gardens are usually segregated into white and red sections, with sitting areas in each for tasting and dining. The gardens are arranged into blocks, each corresponding to a given varietal, such as Chardonnay or Zinfandel. Upon entering the space, you are surrounded by the color and scent of the garden, as well as the plants whose flavors are used to describe the particular varietal. This enhances your tasting experience and compliments the flavor and aroma of the wine. For instance, the Chardonnay garden would have white, yellow, and light green foliage, maybe a pear and apple tree; perhaps a beehive, and also herbs that pair well with Chardonnay, such as tarragon and lemon thyme. A Zinfandel garden could have raspberries and blackberries, as well as red-leafed plants, perhaps some sweet peppers and coriander. Cabernet gardens can have bell pepper, rosemary and chocolate mint.
Below is a list of common wine varietals, and some of the plants whose flavors are commonly used to describe their flavors.
White Wine Garden Plants
Melon, corn, sweet pepper, fennel, artichoke, lemon, grapefruit, peach, pear, apple
Chardonnay – Apple, pear, lemon, lavender, honey (beehive), gardenia.
Sauvignon Blanc – Citrus, dill, lovage, mint, cilantro, ginger, honeysuckle
Red Wine Garden Plants
Squash, tomatoes, parsley, beets, eggplant, potato, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, mushrooms, oak
Pinot Noir – Plum, sweet basil, oregano, mint, violets, strawberries
Sangiovese – Garlic, sage, basil, currant,
Syrah – Prune plum, sage, basil
Petite Sirah – Chives, rosemary, oregano, red pepper
Cabernet Sauvignon – Bell pepper, rosemary, chives, mustard, oak, cedar
Merlot- Bell pepper, nasturtium, patchouli
Zinfandel – Raspberry, blackberry, oregano
Once you have created a beautiful sipping space, it is time to start enjoying it! A sitting area allows you and your guests to relax and take a break from today’s busy world and enjoy the sights and scents of your garden. Perhaps share a meal cooked with fresh produce and herbs from your garden. (See previous blog below!)
POSTED Tuesday, April 27, 2010 – By Caroline Frey
When pairing food and wine the goal is to create a complement of flavors that enhances the taste of each. Today, many chefs are taking it further by pairing wine to the specific herbs they use in dishes. French chefs have used herb-infused wine sauces for centuries, creating flavorful classic bistro dishes like mussels steamed in wine and herbs.
Spring is one of the best times of year to harvest and eat fresh herbs, when they are putting out their tender, potent new shoots that burst with flavor. A foolproof sauce for any combination of wine and herbs is to melt butter (for vegans use a butter substitute like Earth Balance spread or olive oil) in a saucepan and add herbs and wine and salt to taste, cooking it down until it thickens slightly. Serve over meat or vegetables.
We recommend the following herb and wine combinations and encourage you to experiment with new ones!
Chardonnay – tarragon, lemon, lemon thyme, basil, lavender
Frey Natural White – tarragon, marjoram, thyme, chervil
Sauvignon Blanc – dill, lovage, mint, cilantro, ginger, lemongrass
Pinot Noir – sweet basil, oregano, mint
Frey Natural Red – basil, thyme and sage
Sangiovese – garlic, sage, basil, rosemary, oregano
Syrah – sage, basil, rosemary, chocolate mint
Petite Sirah – chives, rosemary, oregano, black pepper
Cabernet Sauvignon – rosemary, chives, black pepper, mustard, chocolate mint
Merlot – basil, oregano, white pepper
Zinfandel – chipotle peppers, cumin, coriander
POSTED MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2010
We're proud to report that healthy-living advocate Diana Stobo recommends Frey Organic Wines in her new book, Get Naked Fast. Check out her website at: http://www.dianastobo.com/
POSTED WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2010
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a good article on the exploding interest in certified organic wines as well as the history of the organic grape-growing tradition in Mendocino County, California, where Frey Organic Winery is located.
One of the great benefits of being a Frey Wine Club member: our "30 for 30" sales! 30% discount on an additional order of selections from your Wine Club shipment within 30 days.
Join today!
