I love to travel, explore, , meet new people, see new places and try new things. I am guilty of being “that tourist” who buys all the tacky souvenirs at every stop, yes it’s true. No apologies!! I also love to eat and more often than not, I order dessert! Something else I enjoy is a great, glass of wine. I have been able to visit different regions of the country that produce incredible wines. The art of winemaking is just that, an art. The big misconception about visiting the “wine country,” is that people who have not yet visited, seem to think one would just go out to the vineyards and drink wine all day long. Don’t give me wrong, there is a lot of wine consumption, however the appreciation for each glass of wine and all that went into producing it, runs deep.
Lots of wineries do food and wine pairings. While on my recent trip to Sonoma, California with some of my Besties, we had an opportunity to taste some really amazing food. One treat we received was a wonderful, light, spring salad at a champagne pairing we attended. A huge thank you to Korbel Champagne Cellars (13250 River Rd, Guerneville, CA 95446) for the amazing salad and roasted turkey sandwiches we enjoyed. Excellent!! If you’re ever near Korbel in Sonoma, please stop in and visit their deli where they have wonderful food and awesome items you can take home with you to re-create the wonderful dishes you enjoy!
What a great trip!! Despite the pouring down rain, coupled with sporadic moments of crazy hail and/or scattered sunshine, this girls weekend trip to the wine country with Melissa, Felice and Summer was PERFECT! Thankfully my sister-in-law, snapped a picture of the salad recipe Korbel provided! Now, go pour yourself a glass of crisp champagne or a light Sauvignon Blanc and Enjoy Ya’ll!
Korbels’ Harvest Salad
(yields 4 servings)
6 C spring greens
1 C walnuts (chopped and toasted)
½ C dried cranberries
½ C crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese or Blue Cheese
2 Sauvignon Blanc Poached Pears ( sliced- see recipe below)
Sauvignon Blanc Poached Pears
4 pears (peeled, seeded, quartered)
½ bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (or other fruit forward wine)
½ C sugar
2 C water
Bring wine, sugar and water to a boil, then bring it down to a simmer. Add the pears, cover and cook to just tender, about 20-30 minutes. Remove the pears from the liquid, reduce volume by about half. Then, pour reduced liquid over pears and stre until ready to serve.
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 C white Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp chopped fresh garlic
1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
1 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups olive oil
whisk together all ingredients, except the olive oil. Then, slowly whisk in the oil until incorporated. Store refrigerated in an air tight container until using. Yields 3 cups.
DELICIOUS! Click here to visit Korbel now! http://www.sonomacounty.com/wineries/korbel-champagne-cellars