We offer our Club Casa Members a “You’ve got a friend in the Valley” Concierge service. Did you know? Give us a call or drop an email and let us know what you need help with. info@casanuestra.com or 866-844-9463

In addition, one of our biggest fans, wine country blogger & VIP Hostess, Alana Gentry, has published a book of VIP PASSES that includes Casa Nuestra & other places that are friendly, fun & great wines. From her guidebook, Alana’s Insider Picks & Tips, Get the Inside Scoop & Save $700 ~ “I spent 2 1/2-years looking for places that satisfied me. I visited each place at least 6 times, staying for hours, watching, learning & listening. This guide is a result of my labor of love.”

The book includes 15 passes (worth at least $40 each) & 38 tips on where to taste, eat, stay & shop in Healdsburg/Dry Creek, Kenwood/Sonoma and Carneros/Napa. It fits into your purse or glove box. Many passes are good for 4 people.

What’s in the Guide?
* Private Tour, Wine Education & Tasting for 4 at Gustafson
* Private Tour & Barrel Room Tasting for 4 at Quivira
* 50% of Any Estate Tour & Tasting at Michel Schlumberger
* Flight tasting for 2 and 10% off Purchases at the Wine Shop in Healdsburg
* Welcome Champagne & Chocolate Strawberries for Guests at Honor Mansion
* Wine & Food Experience for 2 at Vintners Collective in Napa
* Tasting Experience for 4 at Ceja in Napa
* Behind the Scenes Tour & Tasting for 4 at Casa Nuestra
* In-room Amenity & 10% off Spa Treatment for Guests at Napa’s White
House Inn & Spa
* Walkabout with the Winemaker & Tasting for 4 at Loxton Winery
* Wine & Cheese Tasting for 2 at Kunde
* Free Alana’s Seasonal Tapas for Your Entire Party at Vineyards Inn Bar & Grill
* Girl with a Glass Etched Bottle of Rose Ranch Merlot for guests at the
Private Casa Verde Guest House
* Insulated Case Box & 10% off with Vine Rover Tours
* 25% off of etched wine gifts (Celebration Line) from Etched Images in Napa
The Criteria:
Always welcoming & treat everyone like a guest, not a tourist;
Make a variety of wines, at a variety of prices;
Offer a VIP experience, such as wine & cheese tasting or a special tour.

38 Insider Tips are also in the guide. Use them to learn more about wine, know what to wear on a tour, where to eat, where to shop, when you should join the club, how to get your wine home safely…and much more!

Tasting Pass Books are available on our Order page. $49 per book, *Club Casa Member price $40.

* Membership will be authenticated and price adjusted upon ordering.

 
February’s Quarterly Club Casa Shipments  
Share the love, share the wine this month! Why not send this awesome three pack to a friend or loved one? (and you deserve one too!)

February’s shipment includes:
Three pack total just: $76.80, reflects 20% discount (add applicable taxes and shipping)
One bottle 2007 Petite Sirah, Old Vines, $34
One bottle 2009 Chenin Blanc, St. Helena Estate, Old Vines, Napa Valley $24
One bottle 2007 Merlot, St. Helena Estate,  Napa Valley $38.

Club Casa Members: Why not upgrade to Grande for just this one shipment?
Club Casa Grande members will receive TWO EACH of the above three bottles and save a bit on shipping.
Casa Grande members are entitled to double allocations on wines with very limited productions

Bi-Annual Club Shipments scheduled for March:

 “All Mixed Up” Case Club members will receive:

1 bottle 2007 Tinto St. Helena $32
1 bottle 2007 Two Goats Red, A Napa Valley Red Wine!  $22
1 bottle 2007 Merlot Napa Valley Estate $38
1 bottle 2007 Meritage, Napa Valley Estate $45
1 bottle 2003 Meritage, (from the library!) $52
1 bottle 2004 Tinto St. Helena, Napa Valley (from the library!) $40
3 bottles 2009 Chenin Blanc, Old Vines, Napa Valley Estate $24 each
2 bottles 2009 Rosado, Napa Valley Estate, $23 each
1 bottle 2009 Riesling, Old Vines, Napa Valley Estate $24

 12 Pack Total: $296.01, reflects 20% discount (add applicable taxes and shipping)

Red Wine Only Club Members will receive one bottle each:

2007 Tinto St. Helena, Napa Valley Estate,$32
2007 Two Goats Red, A Napa Valley Red Wine!  $22
2007 Merlot Napa Valley Estate, $38
2007 Meritage, Napa Valley Estate, $45
2003 Meritage, (from the library!) $52
2004 Tinto St. Helena, Napa Valley, (from the library!) $40

Six Pack Total: $183.20, reflects 20% discount (add applicable taxes and shipping)
 

White Only and Yes! One Rose Club Members will receive:

3 bottles 2009 Chenin Blanc, Old Vines, Napa Valley Estate $24
2 bottles 2009 Rosado, A dry Rose of Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley Estate $23
1 bottle 2009 Riesling, Old Vines, Napa Valley Estate $24
 
Six Pack Total: $113.60, reflects 20% discount (add applicable taxes and shipping)

We are currently accepting new members in all four clubs: Quarterly Club Casa, Red Wine Only, White Wine Only or the All Mixed Bi-Annual Case Clubs!  Join today, as memberships are usually limited.
Our wine clubs are free to join & worth every penny!  They are also non-committal as you may cancel at any time.

Napa Valley Crab Cakes with
Casa Nuestra’s 2009 Chenin Blanc, Old Vines, St. Helena Estate

By Chef Jon Wynarchuk

Makes four servings:

2 large eggs
½ cup real mayonnaise
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (Japanese seasoned bread crumbs)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
½ the juice of a fresh squeezed lemon (to taste)
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 shallot minced
1 stalk of celery fined chopped
1/4 red bell pepper finely chopped
Dash of Tabasco (to taste)
4 ounces of sweet butter for frying
1 pound of fresh lump crabmeat (pressed and drained)
Kosher Salt and White Pepper (to taste).

You can add whole wheat bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes as a binder (remove crust from bread) for a more dense cake.

• Combine all wet ingredients including eggs, whisk together to combine.
• Add lightly sautéed chopped and minced vegetables, with Old Bay seasoning.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Combine Panko Bread Crumbs and Whole Wheat Bread (optional). The mixture should loose.
• Carefully fold in the fresh lump crabmeat.
• Form four equally sized cakes. Cakes should be loose but not falling apart. If necessary, adjust firmest with additional Panko bread crumbs. Do not overwork the cake.
• Preheat a sauté pan on medium heat. Add butter and fry the cakes until golden brown on both sides, approximately three minutes a side, making sure cake is cooked through.

Serve over a small portion of fresh baby field greens with a light citrus viragerette, using rice wine vinegar. Garnish with a, spicy remoulade or your favorite tartar sauce topped with a large caperberry. Enjoy with a big glass of Casa Nuestra’s 2009 Dry Chenin Blanc!

Braised Lamb in Casa Nuestra Cabernet Franc with Currents and Dried Plums
(six dinner portions)

Chef Jon Wynarchuk

Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs of Lamb Leg or Shoulder cut into four large pieces
Kosher Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
2 tbsp – Olive Oil
2 tsp – fresh garlic, chopped
1 ½ cup – white onion, chopped
1 cup – carrots, chopped
1/3 cup – all-purpose flour
2 springs of fresh Thyme, leaves removed from stems
1 bottle of Casa Nuestra Winery – Cabernet Franc
¾ cup – tomato puree
2 quarts – brown chicken stock (or water)
10 each dried Plums, pits removed
½ cup dried currents
1 tbsp butter, cold and cubed
1 tsp lemon zest, finely chopped
2 tsp parsley, chopped (reverse one tsp for garnish)

Procedure:

• Season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides.
• Heat a large braiser or sauté pan over high heat. Add the olive oil until hot.
Add the pieces of lamb and sauté until browned very well on all sides, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd. Repeat until all lamb is browned. Remove lamb and set aside.
• Add all of the vegetables to the same pan and lightly sauté until softened.
• Sprinkle flour on the vegetables. Stir until flour is absorbed.
• Return all the lamb to the pan, add the Thyme, Casa Nuestra Cabernet Franc, tomato puree, chicken stock, plums and currents. Bring to a boil.
• Simmer covered on the stovetop over low heat for about 1-½ hours or until lamb is fork tender.
• Transfer the lamb, vegetables, plums and currents to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Over high heat reduce the braising liquid by half.
• Add the cold butter, lemon zest and parsley to the pan and gently swirl the pan to melt the butter and combine the ingredients.
• Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the sauce over the warmed lamb mixture and serve over egg noodles, lemon zest smashed potatoes or Gorgonzola polenta.

Osso Buco a la Romagna, by Jon Wynarchuk
pair with 2007 Tinto St. Helena

Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
4 (1 ½ in thick) veal shanks, about 12 ounces each.
3 teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped pancetta or prociutto
1 ½ cups chopped onions
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ chopped carrots
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 ¼ cup red wine (Casa Nuestra Tinto St. Helena, of course!)
1 cup peeled and seeded chopped tomatoes
3 cups beef stock or canned low-sodium beef broth
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Polenta or risotto, for serving
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, for serving

Place oil in a Dutch oven and heat over high heat. While the oil is heating, season the shanks with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and ¾ teaspoons of the pepper and dredge in flour to coat. Shake to remove any excess flour. When the oil is almost smoking, add the shanks and cook until well browned on both sides, about four minutes per side. Transfer the shanks to a plate and set aside. Add the pancetta, onions, celery, and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned around the edges, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, remaining salt, and remaining pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the Tinto St. Helena Wine to the pan and stir to continue. Add tomatoes and beef stock and return the shanks to the pan. Bring the cooking liquid to a broil, cover the Dutch oven, reduce the heat to medium low and cook, covered, for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until the shanks are very tender and beginning to fall away from the bones.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer to a latter and cover with foil to keep warm. Skim as much of any accumulated fat from the surface of the cooking of the cooking liquid as possible. Stir in the parsley into the Dutch oven and continue to cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes longer. Serve the shanks with polenta or risotto, drizzling the sauce over the shanks. Garnish with the grated Parmesan.  Salud!

Grilled Pork Chops with Pancetta & Forest Mushrooms in Tinto St. Helena Sauce
by a very special Club Member, Chef Ryan Hicks – Serves 2

2 pork rib chops, 8-10oz each
Marinade
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup Tinto St. Helena, or other dry red wine
2 tbsp olive oil, roasted garlic oil is nice too!!
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp fresh chopped oregano, 1tsp dried
2 tsp fresh chopped tarragon, 1tsp dried
1 garlic clove, smashed
Salt
Pepper
 
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Put chops in a glass dish or Ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so.
 
Sauce (prepare during marinade)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 oz pancetta (bacon is a substitute)
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
1 leek, white only, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped, seeded tomatoes
1-cup Tinto St. Helena, or other dry red wine
2 cups beef, veal or chicken stock
2 tbsp cold butter
Salt
Pepper
 
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add pancetta and sauté for a few minutes until crispy. Add the onion, leek and tomatoes and sauté until the onions are soft. Add 3/4 cup of the wine. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half. Add the stock and cook till you get a sauce like consistency. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine and stir well. Remove from heat and stir in cold butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
 
Mushrooms
1 cup mushrooms, whatever you can get your hands on; variety makes for better tasting and interesting dish.
3-4 tbsp olive oil (if you have grape seed oil, I recommend using it as it has a higher smoke point)
 
In pan heat oil until it’s almost smoking. Put mushrooms in pan and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
**Remove the chops from the marinade and pat dry. Grill, flipping once till internal temperature reaches 130-135 degrees. Let meat rest for 5 minutes before serving.  To plate up, pool sauce on plate and place chop on top. Top with mushrooms. And of course, pair up with a glass of Tinto St. Helena. Cheers!!

Chef Ryan Hicks

*  It is harvest-time for Casa Nuestra’s organic vineyards! 

Check out these photos of what we’ve done so far:

Grapes just in:

2009 Merlot and 2009 Cabernet Franc – both grown organically on our St. Helena Estate. 

Picked earlier this month:

2009 Riesling, Old Vines- this is the vineyard planted in 1966 on the east side of the Silverado Trail
2009 Chenin Blanc, Old Vines – this vineyard is located on the southside of our dirveway and was planted in 1961
2009 Rosado, our dry rose’ being made from our Cabernet Franc grapes located on the north side of the driveway and next to the Trail

We expect to pick the field-blend vineyards (Tinto Classico and Tinto St. Helena) next week.  We’ll let you know!

Woo Hoo!

Here are just few of the comments we’ve received – unsolicited – from Club Casa Members:

“I think I hugged the delivery guy!!” Karen M.

“One of the colleagues at my new company just joined the Club. Back in December she and her husband spent a week up your way and were treated to your usual brand of hospitality . They had a wonderful time at the Casa. My heart warmed.” Ron D.

You are all wonderful.” John S.

“Thanks again for your shipments. They have been great gifts and fun for sharing with our friends.” Sandi J.

” Everyone has enjoyed being introduced to the new varietals-Kudos!”
Nichol R .

“I told him that my mom and I enjoyed Casa Nuestra more than any of the other wineries because the people are always so friendly and the atmosphere is nice and laid back and ….WE EMBRACE PEACE!!” Linda M.

If you like our wines, please consider joining one of our wine clubs!

Along with a Double Gold and Best of Class from Jerry D. Mead, our 2006 Cabernet Franc (100%) is being reviewed online, too!  See what Gabe’s View is here.

WineSkinny.com has come up with a wonderful pairing for Spring: Green’s Raw Milk Cheddar, some maple-glazed pecan halves and our 2006 Cabernet Franc! Check it out for yourself!

2006 Tinto Classico – 91 points in Wine Enthusiast! It’s in the March 2009 Issue, pp 42

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon – 90 points in the Appellation Saint Helena Tasting!
Jim Gallagher said it’s “Medium red, light purple; bouquet of raspberry, earth & toast; medium body, superb fruit, good acid-tannin balance; excellent finish: rich, long, lush aftertaste, finesse style, 2-5 years”.  Check it out!

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon in the ASH (Appellation St. Helena) Media Tasting – Nikitas Magel recommends it as having “refreshingly bright cherry and vanilla qualities”, one of the four wines he tasted that he can recommend “in good conscience”!
Check it out!

Casa Nuestra 2007 Riesling Napa Valley
“I absolutely loved this wine, for the value and for its appealing mix of zesty citrus, crisp apple, aromatic spices and touch of wildflower honey — all folding together on a mouthwateringly bright finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years.” – WineSkinny.com

2007 Dry Chenin Blanc – New World Wine said our Chenin is “simply put, a world class product on par with the best Chenin’s of Vouvray”… “Round and dry on the palate with a delightfully bright finish”!  Check it out!

Our Old Vine Tinto Classico was ranked 9.0-9.5 in a recent Oakville tasting!  Check it out!

2006 French Colombard Late Harvest Old Vines, Oakville – InsideWine.com (Luciano Comici) gave us “Outstanding Value” and said “As fresh and delightful a dessert/aperitif wine as you’re likely to find this season is this 2006 Late Harvest Colombard from tiny, but highly-respected Casa Nuestra Winery.  Made from high-grade, old-vine botrytized grapes with low residual sugar, it enchants from first drop to last, coming beautifully alive with fruit aromas and flavors that run the gamut from peaches, apricots and lemons, to pineapples, grapefruit and bananas.  This is not a clingy, syrupy-on-the-palate dessert wine, but an incredibly clean approach that works well alone, or in combination with a variety of cheeses and party snacks.  Easily a crowd favorite anywhere you bring it.  Believe me when I tell you that it is good enough to drink all day and night long if you’re lucky to get enough of it.  This is certainly one to remember for the magic it performs on the palate.  Bottled by hand with only 160 cases produced.”

Planning a Trip?  Check out www.71miles.com!  John Vlahides says that “Blends and unusual varietals are the specialty here…best of all you can picnic outside…” and we’d have to agree!

For some hidden gems in Wine Country, check out www.winetravel.com.  One gem we found while perusing the site was “An unapologetically groovy farmhouse along the Silverado Trail”.  Sound Familiar?

Did we miss somebody?  Let us know!  Delina@casanuestra.com