Posted by Anisya Fritz, Proprietor

Lynn always likes to say that good wine is made in the vineyard. All of us at Lynmar share this fervent belief, and our vineyard is cherished and hand worked with the greatest of care. We are surrounded by Quail Hill Vineyard with its rolling hills, and each day, even those of us who do not work the land, find ourselves talking about the vineyard – with pride in our voices. “Some of the oldest vines in Sonoma County”, “look how green it has become”, “bloom is around the corner!”

I was thinking about this the other day - Lynn and I talk about the vineyard almost as much as we talk about our children. It evokes a similar depth of feeling, it brings a smile, it requires faith. You watch it, and nurture it, and give it the best you can, but in the end its destiny is beyond your control. The sun and the fog determine its path and its fruit is a result of the rootstock, the clone, the soil and the care received.

We began living at Quail Hill full-time about three years ago and this has been a time of unprecedented fertility for our vines, for our organization and for our staff. We have had an abundance of blessings – especially in the babies that have been born these vintages. Just this year alone, our winemaker, our chef and our wine-club manager have had, or are having children.

Mitch Albom once said “There’s a story behind everything, but behind all your stories is always your mother’s story…because hers is where yours begins.” Every great wine is a product of the vines that delivered the grapes, the soil that nourished the vines, the hands that tended them, the sun that warmed them, the sum of which is the mysterious terroir used to explain its beauty. But the story begins with the vine. To the mothers and mothers to be, Happy Mother’s Day! Here is to you and all the stories you began or are about to!

Posted by Chef David Frakes

When I think of the word juicing I think of the word “vitality.” I have always been a firm believer that most vegetables in their raw juice form are more vibrant, extremely clean and downright delicious. A fresh-squeezed glass of apple juice would be a good example. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Followers of the raw food cooking movement believe a vegetable or fruit that is heated above 118 degrees it loses its nutrients and vitamins and becomes no longer nourishing to the human body. I had a instructor in culinary school who was extremely passionate about juices and powders (juices from anything with a high water content: carrots, spinach, beets, etc. and powders produced from drying and grinding the skins of apples, pears, strawberries and more, as well as kernels of corn for natural corn starch). He would then use the juices as sauces, vinaigrettes, and soups, adding some of the powders to them for more layers of flavor. I can’t put into words how much his enthusiasm has stayed with me over the years.

Some juices you can reduce to concentrate, but most others should not be. As a rule, I’d say anything green should NOT be cooked or reduced. One reason is that the color will immediately change to gray or black. Also, the flavor does not change desirably.

You need pristine produce to use first. If you don’t start with quality you can’t end with it. The best way to juice, in my opinion, is to invest in a commercial juicer. However, it you don’t have one, I recommend the following, “old school,” ways to juice:

Box Grater: With a very fine side to it. Just peel and grate the vegetable finely (which will produce a pool of liquid, so placing the grater in a large bowl is best) then squeeze the resulting pulp through a fine-meshed sieve positioned over a small bowl with the back of a ladle or wooden spoon to really get every last drop.

Blender: It is possible to chop the vegetable very finely and add just enough water to cover in a blender, then blend on high speed until completely broken down. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. This does dilute the juice a bit, but if you are going to reduce it anyway, this technique can be very useful.

Buy the juice: Fresh is always going to be best, but juicing can get messy and your prep time may be limited. There are many top quality organic juice producers on the market to choose from.

Below is my favorite juice recipe: Raw Carrot-Ginger Soup. I love this recipe because you can substitute the carrot juice for just about any other fresh squeezed juice and come up with a great soup, sauce or vinaigrette. I’ve used beet juice, cucumber, bell pepper, pineapple and even English peas. Each one was vibrant in its own way and good for you. Best of all, it’s a snap to make. I highly encourage heavy experimentation to see what flavor combinations you personally find pleasing.

Raw Carrot-Ginger Soup
Serves 2 - 4

In a large durable blender, puree first nine ingredients until they become smooth. Taste for seasoning (strain).

Divide soup equally between four bowls. Drrizzle oil and a add small handful of salad greens to garnish if desired.

Posted by Nancy Vandegrift, Events Manager

As with all events here at Lynmar, the goal is to create an experience that is memorable for each guest and reflects a communion of wine, food and place. With “Tastes of Winter”, my job was to take our vision and translate it into a visual and tactile experience.

We were lucky enough to have a beautiful, cool, crisp evening, just right for gathering together for an elegant wine and food experience. When our wine club members arrived, I wanted them to feel that cozy and inviting feeling wash over them. The lighting was a key component to providing that overall feel. Adjusting the different lighting zones in the Tasting Room gave us a warm glow along with the various candles on the tables and the bar. A selection of a Dupione Silk linen in Paprika for the tables kept that warm, inviting feeling along with the amber hue of the water goblets. Even a small detail like the birch bark containers for the flowers was important to impart that winter note of bare tree branches.

For the tableware, of course, having appropriate stemware for the wine is a given for any event we do here at Lynmar. We wanted our china and silverware to be understated. The bone white china acted as a frame so the colors of the beets and Swiss Chard straight from the garden could paint a beautiful picture on the plate with the help of Chef Frakes artful eye. Even the weight of the silverware is important. The “hammered” style of the silverware had a good weight in the hand and gave us that bit of bling we needed on the table. If the silverware is too lightweight it can give the impression of a more casual style which was not what we wanted for “Tastes of Winter”.

The flow of the evening is paramount to a successful event. Adjusting the timing of each course coming out of the kitchen is vital to ensuring a seamless flow so guests can savor all the flavors of each course. Serving staff kept wine and water glasses filled and were attentive without being intrusive. These are all details that should be unnoticable to the guest and, if done poorly, can impact the experience negatively.

At the end of the evening, it comes down to the interaction between our staff and each guest. We strive for impeccable, flawless service, always with a welcoming smile and attention to each guest’s needs. When it all comes together, the experience will linger in everyone’s memory as a true reflection of what Lynmar Estate is all about – communion of wine, food and place.

Our Anatomy of an Event series continues with Chef David Frakes’ approach to crafting the menu for the event using seasonal ingredients to channel our theme: The Tastes of Winter.

Ingredients of Winter: Rainbow chard, ollalieberry, D’anjou pear

Pickled Estate Baby Beet Terrine

Laura Chenel Cabecou, focaccia croutons, mâche

paired with
Russian River Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2012

For the Rosé I knew we would need something that was very light on the palate, especially with regards to the amount of acid and salt in the dish (because too much of either can wash away the wine due to its delicate nature). I chose the beet terrine because I knew the flavors would be complimentary and that the Rosé can handle that very light sweetness the beets offer. The wine is crisp and clean and I wanted the same from the dish….which also worked to give spring a wink and let it know that we are happy it’s coming soon (using mâche from the garden in addition to the pea sprouts also made sense because they are not astringent or peppery which could easily overwhelm the wine).

Celery Root & Garden Leek Chowder

Yukon Gold potatoes, red kuri squash, Black Pig smoked bacon

paired with
Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 2010

We had so many root vegetables that a chowder just made sense. I decided this because the weather is still cool and a hearty soup seemed comforting. The leeks, potato and bacon added the other elements I felt the chowder needed, and the Russian Rivery Valley Chardonnay can handle a dish with a little cream in it which can lend to a smoother mouth-feel.

Local Organic Lamb Shank

Braised in Pinot Noir, garlic & rosemary, salsify & rainbow chard gratin,
hen-of-the-woods mushrooms

paired with
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, 2010
Quail Hill Vineyard Block 10 Pinot Noir, 2011

The lamb shanks came from Superior Farms which is not called that unintentionally. The meat is rich in flavor and has no antibiotics or hormones added. Because it is winter after all, the entrée needed to be comforting as well. Meat and potatoes will always provide that feeling of comfort, but what meat, and which potatoes? I wanted to use the salsify somehow so I decided to layer it in the gratin with the potatoes. The cream needed to cook the gratin was a great way of infusing a plethora of herbs from the gardens…including lemon thyme, creeping golden marjoram, rosemary and bay leaf.

INTERMEZZO
Moro Blood Orange Ice

Pistachio praline

The intermezzo was a way to highlight one of my very favorite seasonal flavors: blood orange. I could have used any other citrus to create a palate cleanser, but the mild acidity in the blood orange just offers so much flavor. Using a sprig of chocolate mint was another way of showcasing one of our 10 varieties, and the pistachio praline was added just for that light crunch providing some texture.

DESSERT
Poached D’anjou Pear & Pecan Frangipane Puff Pastry

Olallieberry coulis, feijoa syrup

Poaching the d’anjou pears in the Chardonnay with spices seemed like a great way to highlight both the pear and the wine and it allowed me to color the plate with the fruit sauces because the pear would appear white as opposed to brown if I had caramelized them. I definitely am a visual chef and the fruit sauces are some of the most unique and flavorful I have ever made which had a lot to do with me wanting to share that with our guests. The fact that olallieberries and feijoas grow here is just another amazing thing that I get to witness.

Ultimately, it was a great event which has helped to inspire me even further with our future menus. I look forward to sharing those soon.

Posted by Anisya Fritz, Proprietor

It’s cold outside. The mornings are foggy and vines are austere in their bare beauty. It is winter.

As the team sat down to brainstorm an event to celebrate our first release of wine to our Advocates Club, we articulated our goals. We wanted our community of wine club members to feel warm and welcome. We wanted to showcase the talents of our chef. We wanted to release our delicious 2012 Rosé. As always, we wanted everything to be seasonal!

Swatches of winter at Lynmar Estate

The initial theme the team came up with was “A Winter’s Bounty”. However, as I reflected on it I felt that the words “winter” and “bounty” did not sit comfortably together. To me, living on the property, harvest is the bountiful time - when the flowers are profuse and the vines are heavy with fruit. Nonetheless, Patrick Finney, our graphic designer, began to work on the concept.

Unused title ideas

As the conversation continued, we threw out themes like “Roots and Shoots,” “The Roots of Lynmar,” “A Taste of Winter’s Garden,” A Journey in Winter” and then….

Final title design

“Tastes of Winter!” A concise, expressive title that implied a spectrum of seasonally-inspired flavors. We now had a theme and not long after that, Patrick presented a few visual concepts and we chose the invitation you received, below. It had everything, the austerity of the season, the pop of color from the Rosé and the word “Tastes” showcased both the food and the wine!

Final invitation design