The Buzz August Wine Club Dinner

The Buzz presented another in a great series of Wine Club Wine Dinners! A different selection of foods this time. Very adventuresome and good. Cristi and Tom did their usual great job in the kitchen. And Austin and Bailey did super in serving. Thanks too, to Paul Colwell, BRJ Distributors, for working with Cristi in selecting the wines. My score are based on the [20] point scale. Here are the wines and the food parings that w had. Hope to see you there next month. Maybe a surprise menu. At any rate, you can't beat the $15.00 per person price for a five course meal and 6-8 wines. Call the Buzz for reservations. Cheers and enjoy!

Paul Colwell, BRJ Distributors, describes some of the wines.

Egg Roll

2012 Fabre Montmayo Malbec Rose
13.0% alc. light appearance and body. went well with the spiciness of the egg roll. [16] $14.00

Freezer Zucchini Soup
(Made with frozen shredded zucchini. Delicious!)

2010 Turn 4 Cellars Blend
14.5% alc. good dark appearance somewhat heavy taste. [17] $15.00

Green Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

2010 Luna Pino Grigio
14.1% alc. great golden color. wonderful pear on the nose perfect taste and finish [19] $14.00

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells
Quinoa Burritos
Normandy Vegetables

2008 Heredad Ugarte Crianza
13.5% alc. intence aroma. bread yeast. perfect finish [19] $16.00

Cheesecake and Brownies

2010 Montgras Quatro
14.5% alc. good aroma but light on body and taste. went well with the cheesecake but the brownie overpowered the wine. [18] $18.00

What Wine Would You Serve With Sand Dabs?

Friends of ours are in California and they wanted to have some Sand Dabs. They will have to wait until the season is correct. Fall? Here is some information that Robin found about Sand Dabs. They remind me of flounder on the east coast which are usually available in the fall.

"What is the history of the sanddab? Where is it caught and when is the season?

As with all fish, you get a different answer depending on whom you ask. Alan Davidson, author of The Oxford Companion to Food and one of the world's foremost authorities on seafood, refers to the sand dab as a European fish, found in the North Atlantic. It is a flatfish, with a brown back, and can reach 16 inches in length, although is often closer to 10. He says it is "a good fish, with a pleasing flavour, well suited to being fried."

Davidson says that English colonists conferred the name dab on other species that they found in their travels that appeared similar to the original dab. So a dab becomes a lot less specific on this side of the Atlantic. There is a species of sand dab found in the Pacific Ocean from California to Alaska, with a market weight of 4 to 12 ounces. There is another flatfish found in the Atlantic, with a market weight of 2 to 3 pounds, that is known as the sand dab, but is more correctly named American plaice. The plaice has also been called a flounder and a sole, although Davidson says its scientific name (hypoglossoides platessoides) suggests it is a relative of the halibut. So you are likely to find various varieties of flatfish being referred to a dabs or sand dabs.

Dabs caught in the spring and those that lived on a sandy seabed (as opposed to mud) are said to have the best flavor. They are best poached, fried, or grilled."

Good article and information. Want to try this fish? Look at this cooking suggestion I found. Enjoy.

Here is a recipe for Sand Dabs from Giovannio's Fish Market & Galley in Morro Bay, CA. that I found. The recipe and this photo are from there. This looks great!

Panko Fried Sand Dabs
Ingredients:
2 pounds Sand Dab Fillets
1 egg (beaten)
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt & Pepper
Butter (for frying)
Lemon Wedges for garnish

Cooking Directions:
Dip the sand dabs into the beaten egg; season with salt and pepper, roll in panko bread crumbs. Heat a large skillet, add butter and fry until golden brown and crispy. Serve with lemon wedges.

Bitner Vineyards Visit

On Sunday, July 29, we visited the Bitner Vineyards in Sunny Slope. A good party to celebrate the re-start of the College of Idaho, the Coyotes or simply the "Yotes", football team. Ron played for them early in his collegiate career. It was a great party. Do enjoy these photos. We enjoyed this wine, a good Chardonnay. Cheers!

Good wine. Good appetizers. All make for a fine day!

Mary and Ron Bitner with Robin.

Wonderful entertainment on the porch deck.

A good 2002 Rohn-Bitner Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

Beautiful visitor - American Goldfinch.

After the party, we had to go to the Orchard House for an Idaho comfort food dinner. The restaurant is located right on the hiway that goes to Marsing from Nampa in the Sunny Slope area of the Snake River AVA. Enjoy it!

2012 Syrah Released at Indian Creek Winery

Such a great evening at the Indian Creek Winery! Robin describes it far better than I can. "As a "cork dork", I enjoyed the 2010 Syringa riesling, gewurtz and chard white blend and the 2009 Syrah at the Indian Creek Winery release party tonight. Even though the temp was 100 F, there was a good breeze and a rockin' band - "After Abbey" with oldies , goodies and original tunes - look for a CD in Sept. Mike made winetini's - frosty glasses of fruit and there was great local food. Mama Mui got to relax and enjoy the evening and her new favorite garden plant = Indian Feathers. Bill did a great job mowing the 'park' and Tammy was the perfect hostess pouring glasses and selling bottles. It is a paradise for kids, dogs and people of all ages."

She says this about the wines released - pictured here, "The Syringa is always a refreshing summer white. The Syrah is a big red, easily drinkable now and may age well for a 5-6 years." I totally agree with this as did Mike McClure, the winemaker at Indian Creek Winery. Enjoy these photos of the evening. Cheers!!

Oh yes! "Planning to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies tonight with Fish N Chips from Chef Lou's Westside Drive-in. Don't forget the malt vinegar and maybe a Guinness," says Robin.

If you ever have the honor of hearing and seeing this group, by all means do so. They are fantastic! And buy their albums.

Some of the crowd that was there. I would guess about 100 winery guests were there.

TVWS Holds Their Annual Picnic

The Treasure Valley Wine Society held their annual picnic at the Indian Creek Winery in Kuna on Wednesday. We thank the winery for allowing us to use their facilities and for their wonderful wines. The flower pictured here is one of Tammy Stowe McClure's in her garden. 
The pot luck was as good as ever and the diversity and selection of the offerings was great. Here are some photos of the evening and of some of the folks who were there. Cheers!

See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil, aka, Elaine, Robin and Bridgette.

And now the guys ....
Dan, Howard, Larry and Jerry standing.

Some of the crowd that was there.

And at the end of the picnic, this beautiful and vibrant sunset, caused by all the smoke in the air. Wonderful colors! Almost collegiate.

The Buzz July Dinner - Fields of Flowers

Another great monthly wine dinner at the Buzz - Edible Flowers and Wine! I'm glad that Cristi duplicates the menu and wines two nights in a row - Tuesday and Wednesday - so that we can always make one. Tuesdays seem to work best for us. Here Peggy displays the 2010 Sun Garden Riesling that was a good wine. We bought some. Look at what we had for dinner and the wines to accompany the courses and all for $15 per person. Thanks, Cristi and Tommy for an awesome dinner.

Four Season Pizza
artichoke, olive, mushroom, salami

2010 Twin Vines Vinho Verde
10% alc, [13] $10.00

Cream of Dandelion Soup

2010 Bila Haut Cotes du Roussillon Villages
14.0% alc, [17] $15.00

Spring Mix Salad
(Beautiful!)

2010 Sun Garden Riesling
9.5% alc, [18] $13.00

Lavender Crusted Pork
Caprese Salad
Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes

NV Basel Cellars Earth Series Volume 2
14.6% alc, [18] $20.00

White Cake
with
Rose Water Icing
(Beautiful presentation!)

NV Willamete Valley Oregon Blossom
11% alc [17] $11.00

7 Wine Paring Suggestions

From the Food and Wine - Wine Club, we received this very timely post. Do enjoy and think about these suggestions at your next party or dinner or BBQ. Left-Click this graphic for a larger view.