Monthly Archives: May 2011

5 Ways to Make Your barbecue a Memorable Family Event

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How to Make Your barbecue a Memorable Family Event

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Since Americans in the South began roasting pigs publicly, Barbecue has been a staple of North American living. For many, grilling becomes a routine mealtime activity, while for the most devoted grillers, summer is ruled by massive barbecue parties. But grillers do not have to choose between boring repetition and outrageous get-togethers: every barbecue can and should be an exciting family event.

Here are 5 ways to make your routine evening barbecue a more unique experience:

1) Who said you have to stick to meat? Much can be done with bread and fruits over an open flame. To make this into a fun activity with your kids, use cookie cutters to make the bread and fruit into shapes. You can decide on themes like “animals” and “letters” or ask that each shape be different from the others! Then, let your kids decide which toppings they would like to put on. Add cheese, onion and various spices to bread and cinnamon and honey to fruit. Then throw them on the barbecue and let the kids chomp away at them.

2) Try foil-wrapped barbecue surprise meals. Place different combinations of chicken, fish and vegetables with sauces and spices in foil packets. These cook in less than 20 minutes and lead to no-mess, lip-smacking results. Children will love the surprise element and can easily switch packets. You can even ask your family for combo suggestions before the barbecue, or draw ingredient names out of a hat to create new meal ideas.

3) A little variety with your barbecue goes a long way. If you tend to stick to the same old beef burgers and pork wieners, why not try grilled pizza or salmon steaks? Similarly, try to mix it up with

condiments and seasoning. Sick of ketchup? Try salsa instead. Look online where you’ll find hundreds of easy recipes for barbecue rubs. These give your food that extra pizzazz and prevent the mess and drip that comes with barbecue sauces.

4) Barbecues don’t have to be rushed. In fact, barbecue devotees will tell you that today’s quick broiling is an insult to the term, which should represent a process of slow cooking on low heat. You can find many slow cooker recipes online, and the wait is a great opportunity to pass some quality time with your family and friends. Entertaining backyard activities include creating an outdoor canvas to paint on or playing backyard bowling with household items.

5) Mom said not to play with your food, but there’s always an exception! Barbecue games are great fun and tasty at the same time. In the game Glutton, each player gets a certain amount of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese or any other side dish. Various kitchen utensils are put in a box and the players blindly pick a few. On the go, they begin to eat their dish with the items that they took out. The first to finish his or her food wins the barbecue prize of the day!

Finally, don’t fret! Far too many people get lost in the details of planning the perfect barbecue party and forget to enjoy the social atmosphere and delicious food. So kick back, bask in the relaxing sun and prepare for a summer of unforgettable barbecue!

 

Contribution of the Climate and Terrain to the Popularity of the Stags Leap Wine Region

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Contribution of the Climate and Terrain to the Popularity of the Stags Leap Wine Region

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Just off Silverado Trail you will find the main road that winds its way through Stags Leap. This is where the great majority of the wineries in Stags Leap are located. Although the area is located off Highway 29, the main thoroughfare of Napa Valley, tourists find that the wineries in this area are quite welcoming. The rather interesting name of the region can be attributed to a legend which indicates a stag leapt from the palisades in order to escape from a group of hunters.

Stags Leap Wine Region

Much of the popularity of the Stags Leap wine region can be attributed to the climate as well as the terrain in the area. The volcanic soil of the Stags Leap area is particularly well suited for the growth of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabs produced in the Stags Leap area tend to be more restrained than many of the Cabernets grown in other regions, especially those grown in the warm northern regions.

The moderate climate of Stags Leap is due to the row of hills that run along the western border. The wind from San Pablo Bay is thus drawn up in a sort of funnel. The region is cooled as a result, permitting the acidity in the grapes to develop more fully, resulting in a better wine. Interestingly enough; however, the great majority of the vineyards in Stags Leap are situated on slopes that face the west. Due to this they receive a fair amount of afternoon sun. The fruit in this region is perfectly ripened as a result, featuring clearly developed tannins. This is a characteristic that has become widely associated with the wine makers in Stags Leap.

While Stags Leap, like most of the other regions in Napa Valley, struggled to gain prominence throughout the middle of the 20th century, the 1976 Paris Blind Tasting proved to be a critical turning point for Stags Leap. In fact, it has been argued that this event was the most important event in the establishment of Stags Leap wine makers. Stags Leap Wine Cellars managed to achieve international acclaim when their Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon received first place and beat out numerous premier red wines from the Bordeaux region. The Cabernet Sauvignon wine produced in Stags Leap has developed the nickname of the Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove. It is believed that the volcanic terrain in the region is responsible for the unique characteristics of the wine in the Stags Leap area.

The terrain in the local area can be subdivided into two distinct areas. They are the lowlands and the hills. The soils in the hills tend to be far more volcanic and are ideally suited to the growth of Cabernet Sauvignon as well as other red Bordeaux varietals such as Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Petit Verdot also do quite well here. The fruit in this particular region tend to be grown in somewhat low quantities as a result of the well-drained soil; however, it is quite intense.

Near the Napa River, the soil is well drained as well. In contrast to the hillside soil; however, the soil near the River is mainly made up of clay and silt. The vineyards in this region contain a high degree of alluvial volcanic sediment that has been washed down from the hills over a period of many years. As a result of this, the soils here tend to be very fertile. White varietals tend to do very well in this area including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon and make excellent wine.

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Chiles Valley wine

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Chiles Valley wine

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Bill & Sheila


Although small, Chiles Valley is one of the premier wine regions in the state of California. More than 6,000 acres comprise Chiles Valley; however, only a little more than 1,000 acres are planted vineyards. While Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in other regions, Zinfandel is king in Chiles Valley.

When touring Chiles Valley, you will find a small group of small wineries. The well drained soil and warm climate in this region have made it capable of producing outstanding Zinfandel wines in addition to excellent Cabernet Sauvignon.

During the evenings and at night, the cooling winds blow through this region, creating a situation where the growing season in Chiles Valley is able to begin and end later than most adjacent regions. You will find that the terrain in Chiles Valley is much different from that in the surrounding area. The valley itself is quite narrow and runs from the southwest to the northwest. The ridges that surround the valley are quite steep so it is not possible to grow the grapes in Chiles valley anywhere but on the floor of the valley.

The climate in Chiles Valley is decidedly cooler than St. Helena and Rutherford, both of which are on the floor of Napa Valley. As a result, it is not uncommon for the temperature to drop twenty degrees overnight during the winter. Along the ridges, where the elevation is higher, snowfall is also common. When spring first arrives in Chiles Valley, the temperatures remain quite cool; especially when compared to other regions in Napa Valley. The breaking of buds tends to occur some three weeks later in Chiles Valley than other regions; however, vintners in this region still must be concerned with spring frost due to the lateness of the cool temperatures.

As summer arrives, Chiles Valley experiences warm and sunny days with afternoons that are cooler as the fog begins to roll in from the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay. While other regions are not affected by the fog as a result of their elevation, this is not the case with Chiles Valley. Due to the fact that the fog must travel some thirty miles before it even reaches Chiles Valley, the region only occasionally experiences truly foggy days.

While spring and winter are usually much cooler in Chiles Valley than surrounding areas, surprisingly, temperatures remain moderate well into fall. This is fortunate for the vintners because it provides them with a few extra weeks for the fruit to develop before they must harvest it. This is one of the reasons that Zinfandel does so well in Chiles Valley.
Colonel Joseph Ballinger Chiles received a Mexican land grant in 1844. This would be the last Mexican land grant in the region. What made Chiles’ arrival to the region unique was the manner in which he arrived. He traveled to the region as one of the first wagon trains to cross the Sierra Nevada. Before this time, all of the immigrants to the region had arrived via Mexico or the sea.

Twenty-five years later the first vineyards were planted in Chiles Valley. During the 1870s, Lomita’s Winery was also established. Later it would become part of the modern day Volker Eisele Family Estate.

During these early days, the isolation of Chiles Valley was both an advantage as well as a disadvantage. Even though much of the rest of the region was booming during the late 19th century, Chiles Valley was so isolated it made it difficult to thrive.

Modern wine production

Yet, while other wine regions in California were largely decimated by phylloxera, Chiles Valley was fortunately spared much of the destruction due to its isolation. As a result, a number of the Zinfandel vines in Chiles Valley are actually quite old. Even after Prohibition was repealed; the isolation of Chiles Valley meant that it was unable to compete with the mass produced jug wines that became popular in post-Prohibition years. It was not until the 1970s that any major production was begun on any scale in Chiles Valley. The Meyer family purchased a large plot of acreage in 1972 and began planning a wide variety of different grapes. Three years later, the Eisele Family planted their first Cabernet Sauvignons. Today, barely more than 1,000 acres are planted in vines in Chiles Valley; however, the wineries that are established here are known to be quite noteworthy and produce excellent wine.

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An Introduction to Napa Valley Wine Region

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An Introduction to Napa Valley Wine Region

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If you are a wine lover, there is nothing better than taking a tour of some of the Napa Valley wineries. For many wine lovers, a visit to Napa Valley can be the culmination of a lifetime dream. The breathtaking scenery and very pleasant climate make for a wonderful vacation.

Napa Valley Wine

Napa Valley is situated in Northern California. The soil and climate in Napa Valley have proven to be among the best in the world for growing wine grapes. As a result, this region has become one of the premier wine producing regions in the U.S. A number of different wines are featured through wineries in Napa Valley, including Caymus, Chandon and Frank Family.
Millions of tourists and visitors flock to Napa Valley each year in order to tour the many wineries in production there. In fact, Napa Valley has become one of the premier attractions in the entire state of California. Not only will you be able to enjoy breathtaking vistas during a trip to Napa Valley but your trip will also provide you with a once in a lifetime experience to enjoy numerous culinary pleasures as well. In the event you happen to dabble in your own winemaking at home, a trip to Napa Valley can certainly provide you with plenty of inspiration.

Historically, Napa Valley has always been strong; however, there have been times during history when it seemed as though this fertile and beautiful valley would almost cease to exist in terms of wine production. One of these times occurred during Prohibition, beginning in 1920. A root louse known as phylloxera also contributed to the destruction of numerous fine vines during this time period as well. As a result, a number of wineries in Napa Valley closed. Following World War II; however, they re-opened and Napa Valley once again became quite popular.

After the results of the Paris Wine Tasting were announced in 1976, at which time the Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were deemed to be better than many fine French labels, Napa Valley became quite popular. Today, Napa Valley has continued to grow and expand and is home to literally hundreds of wineries. Some of the best wineries in the world are located right in Napa Valley.

A trip to Napa Valley provides you with the opportunity to enjoy wine tours from morning until evening. Not only will you have the chance to enjoy a wide variety of fine wine but you can also see the process of making wine from the very first step to the very end. In addition, many wineries offer high quality wines at rates that are highly discounted.

When you first travel to Napa Valley you will discover that despite the fact that so many wineries are located in Napa, the valley itself is rather condensed. The entire valley is just 35 miles long. The advantage of this is that you can easily travel from one end of Napa Valley to the other in a very small amount of time. Provided that traffic is not heavy it takes only about half an hour to drive the entire distance of the valley. Highway 29 forms the main route for the wineries; which is where most of the larger wine makers as well as the restaurants, shops and hotels are located. Highway 29 begins at the mouth of the Napa River, quite close to the end of San Francisco Bay. You can easily reach every wine maker in Napa Valley by traveling along Highway 29.

Bill & Sheila