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Stonestreet Blog

Mama Frischkorn’s Caramel Corn

For many years, our culinary team would compete at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. One of our cooks, Eric Frischkorn, kept begging us to let him enter his mom’s caramel corn. We were skeptical. He’d be up against pastry chefs whose showy confections took days to prepare.

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Spring 2019 Winemaking Update

The team here at Stonestreet wishes you a happy and healthy New Year and we hope your days are filled with many delicious wines, shared by family and friends. As a winemaker, I am often asked when our “slow” time of year is and while I’d like to say the winter months, we still find ourselves quite busy even now.

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How Does Altitude Affect Wine?

What makes grapes grown in vineyards set at higher elevations special compared to valley-grown grapes in the same region? It’s a combination of increase in solar rays, greater temperature fluctuations, scarcity of water resources and the elevation changes themselves.

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Vineyard Update with Winemaker, Lisa Valtenbergs

As many are aware, a devastating fire storm hit Sonoma and Napa Counties late Sunday, October 8th and continued to burn uncontained for more than a week.  These fires have greatly affected our community but in the wake of this disaster, our community is coming together as we recover and rebuild.  

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Understanding Tartrates Crystals in Wine and the Effects of Cold Stabilization

We have all experienced the joy of opening a phenomenal bottle of wine just to be surprised by small crystals on the cork or particles suspended in the wine. Don’t panic – those small crystals are called tartrates and they are simply a sign of how the wine was made and are harmless to you and your wine. Tartrates – or more lovingly, “wine diamonds” – are formed from tartaric acid which is naturally occurring in all wines and provides structure, balance and flavor.

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Crafted Barrels for Artisanal Wines

The sourcing of oak is just as critical as the sourcing of grapes. Oak barrels are used throughout the fermentation and aging process to shape a wine prior to bottling. Similar to grapes, the characteristics of a barrel start in the forest and are further defined by the construction and toasting of the interior. 

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2017 Vineyard Update with Winemaker, Lisa Valtenbergs

As the last of the grapes from the 2016 harvest rolled through the Stonestreet crush pad toward the end of October, the vineyard team was already hard at work readying the Stonestreet Mountain Estate for winter.

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Large-Format Wine Bottles:  For the savvy wine collector

Apart from their impressive appearance and dynamic presence, large format wine bottles offer many benefits, both to the wine inside and to the person enjoying them.  Large format bottles are the perfect complement to any large gathering or special occasion.   They are a wonderful choice when looking for a bottle to commemorate major events — a wedding, birthday or anniversary – as they are able to stand up to the test of time for you to enjoy many years into the future.  Adding a few large format bottles to your collection will demonstrate your wine expertise to your friends and family — these rare trophies make for a great conversation starter or statement piece!

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A Practical Guide to Decanting

Fundamentally, decanting a bottle of wine can serve one of two purposes: to separate a library wine from any sediment that has formed over time or to aerate a wine to allow its aromas and flavors to become more vibrant upon serving.  As you slowly pour your Stonestreet wine from the bottle into a decanter it is able to rapidly take in outside oxygen releasing the desirable aromas and flavors that, when unlocked, allow the wine to express its true characteristics, highlighting the unique qualities derived from our mountain estate vineyards.

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Mama Frischkorn's Swedish Meatballs

Chef Eric's mother has made these meatballs every Christmas since the 1970s and they are fantastic. After preparing the meat mixture, you might think there is something wrong with the consistency, but this is the key to the recipe. The looseness of the mixture will result in one of the moistest meatballs you’ve ever had.

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Granny Smith Apple Vichyssoise with Hazelnuts and Brown Butter

Pairing rich texture with rich texture, this creamy pureed soup offers the luxurious feel and variety of flavors to perfectly complement the 2013 Gravel Bench Vineyard Chardonnay or 2013 Gold Run Chardonnay.

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Cavatelli Pasta, Braised Lamb Shanks, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Orange Gremolata

To celebrate the Fall release of our Stonestreet Christopher’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Chef Eric from our Culinary Team created an exceptional recipe to pair with this exceptional wine.

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Oregano Roasted Leg of Lamb with Oil-Cured Olive Vinaigrette

By Midsummer, boneless leg of lamb takes full advantage of the fresh bounty of the garden.  Served atop a caramelized mixture of fennel, onions and colorful sweet peppers, the roasted meat highlights the subdued tannins, black fruits, spice, and dried plum flavor profiles of the Stonestreet Monolith.  Additionally, the concentrated flavor found in dried oregano and briny oil-cured olives mimics the well-rounded earthy finish of the wine. - Chef Dan Trudeau

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Seared Sea Scallop with Potato Purée, Glazed Spinach and Saffron Cream

Recently, we celebrated the release of our Stonestreet Upper Barn Chardonnay with a Winemaker Dinner at the Stonestreet Winery & Tasting Room hosted by our Winemaker Lisa Valtenbergs. Upper Barn is the oldest and highest-elevation Chardonnay vineyard at Stonestreet Estate Vineyards, and represents the pinnacle of Stonestreet Chardonnay. This vintage exceeded expectations, and the Upper Barn Chardonnay is a perfect example of the elegance of both the vintage and vineyard.

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