Steel Plow Estate Vineyard

Here at the estate winery, we have planted our 11 acres to  Rhone varietals – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Viognier.  This decision was richly researched.  Winemaker Greg Stach knew our vineyard needed to be replanted.   He was considering replant ingto Rhone varietals since our climate and geography is very similar to that region in France. Then in spring 2006, he took a research trip to the Rhone region in France.  This trip sealed the deal.  He loved the Grenche, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Viognier and knew it was a great fit with our terroir.  We started the replanting of our estate chardonnay shortly thereafter.

Greg chose to partner with the Nursery at Tablas Creek Vineyard.  They import cuttings of Rhone varietals from the well-known Chateau Beaucastel.  Landmark purchased both the rootstock and budwood from Tablas Creek.  At the estate, we planted the rootstock in the spring of 2007.  Once the rootstock began growing vigorously in the fall, we grafted the varietals to the rootstock.  Our first vintage from the estate vineyard was 2009.  We created an ultra-premium blend for some of our biggest fans, our Friends of the Vineyard members.

The name of the estate vineyard, Steel Plow Estate Vineyard, embraces Landmark’s John Deere heritage.  Founder Damaris Deere Ford was the great-great granddaughter of John Deere, the inventor of the steel plow which revolutionized farming.   With such a deep connection to excellence in agriculture, we choose to organically farm the vineyard.

I am committed to organic farming because it is best for the grapes.  For me, it’s all about creating the highest quality fruit to create the phenomenal wines.  -Greg Stach, Winemaker

One organic farming practice we implement is the use of sheep in the vineyard.  After pruning in the winter, we bring in a flock of sheep to help “mow” down the cover crop between the vine rows.  They also aerate and fertilize the soil.  It’s win-win!  The commitment to organic farming is a rigorous course, but also a testament to winemaker Greg Stach’s unstinting determination to creating the ultimate Rhone style blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah from the vineyard.

Where do your grapes come from?

At Landmark, we have always been committed to sourcing from the most iconic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards throughout California North and South Coasts.  We are dedicated to site specific winemaking that expresses the unique terroir of each vineyard.  With that said, it’s invaluable to know about our vineyards.  Over the next few blog posts, we are going to highlight some our vineyards and growers to share their stories.

“Your wine is only as good as your vineyards,” Greg Stach.

Celebrate the Holidays!

Friday, November 25 from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 26 from noon to 4:00 p.m.
at Landmark Vineyards

Get into the holiday spirit!  Enjoy our holiday tree, lights, and music.  We will be pouring a complimentary holiday flight of 2009 Overlook Chardonnay, 2009 Grand Detour Pinot Noir, and 2009 Steel Plow Syrah.  All of these wines would be perfect for your holiday table!  Available exclusively at the winery during this event will be our 2007 Library Gift Set featuring the following wines in a beautiful wooden box:  2007 Overlook Chardonnay (92pt Wine Spectator; 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr.); 2007 Damaris Reserve Chardonnay (92pt Wine Spectator; 91 pts Robert M. Parker, Jr.); and 2007 Bien Nacido Chardonnay (small production, only available at the winery).  Guests are also welcome to create their own holiday gift set complete with one, two, or three bottle wooden boxes.

Cooking with Carol #7

 

GRILLED POMEGRANATE RABBIT 

2 3-pound rabbits cut into 1/4s

Olive oil spray

Salt and pepper

Marinade:

1 cup Pom pomegranate juice

½ olive oil

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc style plastic bag.  Add the rabbit pieces, close opening and swish them around to make sure everything is well coated.  Refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.
2. Prepare the grill and bring to a medium hot flame (about 450 degrees).  Remove rabbit from marinade and pat dry.  Add the marinade to a saucepan and reserve.  Spray rabbit with olive oil and dust with salt and pepper.  Place on grill, cover, and allow to brown.  Turn rabbit over and brown on the other side.  Reduce heat and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil and reduce over high heat until slightly thickened.  Strain.  Remove rabbit and place on a platter and drizzle the sauce over it.

If rabbit is not available, chicken thighs or quail are good substitutions.  Cooking times will vary.

FETTUCINE WITH MELON  

12 ounces fettuccine, cooked with about ½ cup cooking liquid reserved

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons tomato paste

4 cups Tucson style melon, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch cubes

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (approximately)

Salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne

Grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup loosely packed snipped Prosciutto

1. Melt butter and olive oil in a sauté pan.  Add shallots and cook over low heat until just softened.  Add cream.  Increase heat until cream comes to a simmer.  Reduce sauce in volume by ¾.  Stir in the tomato paste and then the melon.  Return to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes more.  Taste and correct seasoning with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
2. Reheat pasta in the reserved cooking liquid and then add to the melon sauce.  Taste and again, correct seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Top “Learn and Do” Vacations

Landmark Vineyards was mentioned in ABC New’s Travel Now in their Top ‘Learn and Do’ Vacation show.  They mentioned cattle ranches in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas as well as cooking class on the East Coast.   They also recommending heading out to wine country and experiencing harvest with Landmark Vineyards!   Click here to see the video.

Book your spot at our Harvest Experience on October 1 to get YOUR hands dirty with us.  Visit our website for more details.  Contact Nick Benz to make reservations (nick@landmarkwine.com).

Summer BBQ’s and Wine Pairings

Summer is in full force, the time of year we look forward to for many different reasons!  Outdoor BBQ’s are a staple to my summer, it’s a great time to enjoy the warm weather and relax with friends and family.  In honor of my favorite past time, I thought I would share some tips for pairing wines with summer weather and BBQ’s. 

If you are looking for something quick and easy, the Steel Plow Syrah is a great pair with everything that goes on the BBQ.  If you prefer Pinot Noir on a summer day, some great grilling foods to look for are a porterhouse or T-bone steak, pork tenderloin, duck, and lamb.  “Cooking with Carol” has an amazing recipe for grilled pork tenderloin that pairs with our 2009 Kanzler Pinot Noir, this is my personal favorite summer pairing! 

When the hot weather calls for a lighter dish, grill up some fish.  Depending on your preference, I would choose a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir to pair with fish.  With Sea Bass, Crab, Lobster, Snapper, and Swordfish on the menu, go for a Chardonnay with some buttery flavors.  Our 2008 Damaris Chardonnay is a great example with some nice subtle buttery characteristics. When you are serving shrimp or salmon, a crisp Chardonnay with more fruit flavors would work better, our 2008 Lorenzo Chardonnay is a good choice.  Our fruit forward 2008 Grand Detour Pinot Noir and 2009 Spring Hill Pinot Noir pair wonderfully with grilled salmon!    

For a quick pairing, our 2008 Bien Nacido Chardonnay would work with a variety of seafood dishes as well as a roast chicken or pork dishes.  If you would like full recipes and pairings, be sure to check out our “Cooking with Carol” blogs, they have video as well as written recipes to pair with certain wines! 

Below are some other quick food and wine pairings that will help with your next summer BBQ:

-Turkey Burgers paired with 2008 Grand Detour Pinot Noir

-Chicken with a Garlic or Onion seasoning paired with 2009 Overlook Chardonnay or 2008 Bien Nacido Chardonnay

-Veal Chops with 2008 Grand Detour Pinot Noir

-Grilled Duck with 2009 Spring Hill Pinot Noir (recipe by “Cooking with Carol”)

-Lamb Chops paired with the 2008 Kanzler Pinot Noir (recipe by “Cooking with Carol”)

Celebrating the Tour de France!

It’s July and Le Tour is in full gear.  To celebrate, we decided to merge two loves, cycling and wine (not at the same time).  Throughout the 21 stage tour we are inviting fans to tweet, post or email their predicted stage winner the midnight (PST) before the race.  If you guess the right winner you will qualify to win complementary tastings/tours, shipping deals, special wine pricing or Landmark cash.  Once you have correctly picked the stage winner, you will be entered into a daily drawing.  You can also send us your prediction for Tour winner by July 17th, and earn a chance to win the Grand Prize, a weekend stay in our lovely guest suite!

If you are lucky enough to correctly pick the stage winner more than three times your name will be added to the grand prize drawing.  If the midas touch continues, your chances to win the grand prize increases.  For more details or questions, please contact nick@landmarkwine or (707) 833-0226.

Go Levi!

Mike in the Vineyard

      After a another cool, wet spring we worried that 2011 might be another tough vintage.  Then about 3 weeks ago the temperature began to rise and the vines right along with it.  We have seen significant growth this June, roughly 2 feet every 2 weeks.  The estate vineyard looks healthy and primed for a banner year.  Today I spent some time walking the rows, and wanted to share the experience with you.  Hope you enjoy, and have a great Forth of July Weekend!

 

 Cheers,

Mike Colhoun, Proprietor        

 

Mike talking about Esprit du Sonoma

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Flowering at the Estate Vineyard

Thanks to the magnificent heat we are getting here in Sonoma Valley, the vines are flowering and growing at a rapid pace.

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LA Splash Magazine

Landmark Vineyards Review – Glorious Guesthouse amidst the Grapes

by Marilyn Anderson & Dennis L. Lanning

“Imagine having your own beautiful cottage in the middle of a vast winery. Then imagine yourself standing in your own private patio, overlooking gently sloping mountains dotted with rows and rows of bright green grapevines. The vista includes a lush pergola providing a shady place to relax and a picnic area, should you choose to eat outdoors. Nearby, there is a small fish pond, and even your own personal bocce court.”

Click here to read the full article.

Want to stay with us?  Call Jane Rodgers at Landmark (707) 833-0224 to make a reservations.  Rates range from $225-325 per night – includes bottle of Overlook Chardonnay in your room!