Food & Wine Tips For A Festive New Years Day Brunch

We are full of enthusiasm and excitement for 2021! Our plan is to kick off New Years Day with the first epic brunch of the year. To start the day, we'll take a brisk walk in the morning to get motivated and think about what the perfect kickoff brunch of 2021 will look like!

At Cultivar SF, our San Francisco restaurant, we're big fans of brunch, so we'd love to share with you some of our favorite dishes to help get your creative juices flowing. As the name suggests, brunch is like a combination of breakfast and lunch, using a mixture of ingredients we traditionally associate with one or the other. We look at brunch as a combination of light & heavy and sweet & savory. It doesn't have to be super fancy: a Farmers Market Omelette and Applewood-Smoked Bacon with Challuah French Toast is the perfect example of something simple you can make at home. 

But wait - every good brunch starts with Bellinis or mimosas! We love a delicious, seasonal Pomegranate Mimosa like the one pictured above, but we think our new Sparkling Wine makes an amazing Pear Mimosa. Just add 3/4-cup pear nectar to 1 bottle Cultivar Wine's Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine and you have a slightly-sweet, delicious spin on the mimosa. And who can say no to the classic Peach Bellini? We like to make a peach puree by scratch simply peel & pit your peaches, toss them in a blender and blend until smooth (at this time of year you can use frozen peach slices) and add the chilled puree to our Sparkling Wine.

Here's another example of how simple can blend with imaginative. A classic plate of Fried Eggs, Bacon and Rustic Bread paired with Polenta, Poached Egg and Shrimp. And if you're looking for a brunch entree that warm you up and fill you up at the same time, try a Croque Madame or Huevos Rancheros. Pair that with a bottle of 2019 Cultivar Wine Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and you're on your way to one happy 2021!

Pasta is also a perfect dish for brunch. It's filling, it's easy and above all, it's versatile. Try a simple angel hair tossed with roma tomatoes, Caspar Estate Olive Oil, basil, capers and top it with shaved Parmesean cheese. If you're feeling more daring, try something like this Wild Mushroom Raviloi we created at Cultivar SF. Pasta is also a perfect dish to serve for your friends who love a lighter red wine, like our Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir or even our Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc.

And don't forget the salad! Salads can even be the main course in a brunch. We think a great salad should be inspired by the seasonal fruits and vegetables available in your area. One of our favorites is this Pomegranate and Persimmon Salad with Avocado and Bleu Cheese. Mix greens, goat cheese, candied walnuts and champagne vinagrette. Candied walnuts give it an added touch of sweetness, and our 2018 Cultivar Oak Knoll Chardonnay compliments all the flavors at once.

We'd like to wish everyone a safe and happy 2021, and we hope that the New Year brings you fun, travel and more days spent with the ones you love!

Dec 26, 2020 at 8:00 AM Permalink

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Winners!

We are thrilled to announce that we won many gold medals at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition! The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is currently the largest wine competition in North America. Professional wine judges are sourced throughout the major wine regions in North America to offer diversity of expertise to each judging panel. There were nearly 6,700 entries.

2017 Cultivar Wine Cabernet Franc Oak Knoll District Double Gold
2016 Caspar Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley  Gold - in our February Wine Club shipment
2017 Cultivar Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Barrel Aged  Gold - in our February Wine Club shipment
2018 Cultivar Wine Chardonnay Oak Knoll District Barrel Aged Gold
2018 Caspar Estate Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley  Gold - in our February Wine Club shipment

These wines are available for purchase on our website and at Cultivar San Francisco - 2379 Chestnut Street in San Francisco's marina district, just a few blocks from the Presidio and the Palace of Fine Arts, minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. At Cultivar SF you can book a wine tasting, have weekend brunch, lunch on Thursdays and Fridays, weekday happy hours and dinner. We offer a Cultivar Wine Club and a mix of Caspar Estate and Cultivar Club as well. Join the club now for these wonderful wines delivered to your door!

Feb 8, 2020 at 10:41 AM Permalink

Cultivar Wins Gold At 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Cultivar Wine is honored to announce that out of 7,162 entries in the  2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, four Cultivar wines have received awards. The 2013 Cultivar Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc won Gold, the 2012 Cultivar Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Cultivar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc all won Silver. For those of you wanting to try these award winning wines, Cultivar Wine Club members will be receiving two of the winning wines in the upcoming February Wine Club shipment, the 2013 Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc and the 2014 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Celebrate this accomplishment with us and enjoy our wines! 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Silver Award $20.00 $204 Case / $192 Club Case Buy Now 2013 Cultivar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Silver Award $29.00 $296 Case / $278 Club Case Buy Now 2013 Cultivar Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc Gold Award $52.00 a bottle $530 Case / $499 Club Case Buy Now 2012 Cultivar Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Silver Award $72.00 $734 Case / $691 Club Case Buy Now Join Cultivar Wine Club

Jan 15, 2016 at 12:05 PM Permalink

Making the Perfect Cheese Platter paired with Cultivar Wine Courtesy of Kelly of "A Side of Sweet"

We are thrilled to share with you a post by one of our Cultivar Wine Bloggers, Kelly of A Side of Sweet. This is a sneak peak of the post. Please visit A Side of Sweet for the entire recipe (Cheese, crackers, greenery and other yummyness featured below). Kudos Kelly on such a fabulous casual cheese & wine spread.  We love it and are thrilled to share it with our readers. 

"Putting Together a Fancy Wine & Cheese Spread"

Cheese :: "I figured this was my chance to go crazy and get a whole bunch of cheese! I definitely went overboard, which was fine by me because it meant I got to eat my favorite meal of cheese and crackers for dinner the next few nights."

"My first stop was Trader Joe’s where you can get some delicious options that are great for a budget. The I hit up Whole Foods. Although it’s a bit more expensive, the nice thing about Whole Foods is that the staff is super knowledgable and will go out of their way to help you pick the perfect cheese for your occasion. They also had a better selection of local cheeses. Here are the cheeses I got."

Trader Joe’s

Creamy Toscano soaked in Syrah
Parmesan Reggiano
Italian Truffle Cheese
Le Delice de Bourgogne Triple Cream Soft Ripened Cheese
Assortment of Chèvre

Whole Food’s

Cave-Aged Gruyere
Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam cheese
Point Reyes Original Blue cheese

Costco

Spanish Tapa’s Assortment
Goat’s Milk Feta

Wine :: "I wanted to go with local wine, so I served Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc from Cultivar Wines. Cultivar is a family-run winery in Napa Valley, California. They make their wines from some of the best grapes in Napa and it shows – when we opened our first bottle I almost fell over! This wine is some of the best I’ve had in California, even with all the trips to wine country that we’ve made since we moved here! I think it was one of the highlights of the night – our guests kept commenting on how good it was!"

To read more about the Charcuterie, Crackers and other tips for this amazing dish visit A Side Of Sweet. 

Nov 30, 2015 at 12:00 PM Permalink

Excitement at Cultivar – Two New Releases – Order Now

Become a Member of Cultivar Wine Club Today and Let the Good Times Flow Join Cultivar Wine Club to become a part of the Caspar Estate and Cultivar family and gain access to the best Napa Valley wines delivered to your door. Inspired by the ideals and lifestyle of a modern day Gentleman Farmer, you will be delighted with the most distinct wines of Napa Valley and given all the stories and behind-the-scenes details of a truly sustainable organic farm. We are thrilled to share two brand new September Releases available for the next 30 days exclusively for our beloved Wine Club Members: 2013 Coombsville Syrah - a newcomer to Cultivar 2013 Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc - the new vintage of a classic favorite Can't to wait to get them? Join our Cultivar Wine Club today! You can sign up here and choose from the 4-bottle or 12-bottle Wine Clubs, or if you want to select your own wines, join our Cultivar Custom Club. We look forward to sharing and savoring with you the best small production wines from across the Napa Valley. Join Now 2013 Cultivar Oak Knoll Chardonnay  Want to catch up with your best friend over a perfect bottle of wine? Perfect for reminiscing, our 2013 Oak Knoll Chardonnay is a pure expression of Chardonnay. Comforting, friendly, natural, and just a bit sentimental, this Chardonnay delivers fruit on the nose and on the palate taking one back to an age where fresh pies were set on windowsills to cool. On the nose this perfect-for-Fall Chardonnay has baked apples, pear and melon notes with nuances of spice and flower aromas. On the palate the wine has beautiful weight and balance, being fermented in neutral oak barrels to add just a touch of richness. The palate delivers more baked apples and a touch of creme brûlée for a beautiful delicate finish. As we roll into Dungeness Crab season here in San Francisco, the Cultivar Chardonnay is a perfect match. Drink now and over the next two years.   $28/bottle $296/case $278/club case 2013 Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc Better than your favorite television drama, our Cabernet Franc is mysterious, deep, romantic and just a little bit dangerous. Our Cabernet Franc comes from the cooler growing region of Oak Knoll. We believe our Cabernet Franc has both characteristics of The Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions in France. The 2013 is deep dark red with a distinct brightness. On the nose, black cherry fruits are intertwined with notes of roses and violets, along with hints of tobacco and pepper. On the palate it is rich, medium to full bodied with great balance. The black cherry fruit follows from the nose to the palate with hints of plums and blueberries. The sweetness of the fruit is balanced with the perfect blend of vanilla and warm Asian spices. This wine has a long mouth finish that draws you back to the glass. This is perfect with roasted game and rich Asian inspired dishes. Drink now or over the next 5 years.  $52/bottle $530/case $499/club case Available now only to Wine Club Members. 2013 Cultivar Coombsville Syrah The ultimate expression of a classic with a twist! Fresh and eclectic with a unique and distinct sense of purpose, this is the second Syrah offering from Cultivar and our first Syrah from the Coombsville appellation. The 2013 Coombsville Syrah shows a bold spectrum of deep red fruit varietals. Dark red raspberries and dark cherries seem to jump from the glass, along with notes of pretty roses and violets and aromas of allspice with a touch of vanilla.  On the palate it is rich and mouth filling. The tannins are perfectly balanced giving the red fruit its structure. This is the perfect wine to share around the BBQ or paired with classic Fall dishes. Savor now or over the next 5 years, if you can keep it that long without opening it. $42/bottle $428/case $403/club case Available now to only Wine Club Members.   2012 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Look out world! Cabernet from Howell Mountain has become known for its boldness, tannic structure, and intense fruit. Deep, powerful, rich, intense, intelligent and decadent, our 2012 Cultivar Howell Mountain is all that and more: dark in color almost bordering on black, with a nose of dark cassis, currant, and blackberries. Intertwined with these powerful fruits are notes of cedar and wood smoke and hints of truffle-coated blackberries, licorice, and espresso. The distinct long finish on the palate and note of tannins on the top of your mouth will have you dreaming of mountain cabins and the great outdoors. This Cabernet screams for a beautiful rib eye steak or to be decanted for this Christmas Holiday and paired with a perfectly standing rib roast. While tempting to drink now, this wine will age for another 10 years, if you can keep your hands off of it in the cellar.  $72/bottle $734/case $691/club case With the opening of your very first bottle of Cultivar Wine, we encourage you to explore your own dreams, share your own desires, and cultivate your own passions, with each and every sip in each and every shipment.   More Juicy Details

Sep 15, 2015 at 10:00 AM Permalink

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Wine Pairings

This year has flown by! We’re excited that harvest is over, and we're looking forward to gathering with our family and friends to give thanks.

As you get ready to join your family and friends around the table, we wanted to share some of our favorite red wine pairings for smoked turkey. (Come back next Wednesday for tips on how much wine to have on hand!)

Cultivar Oak Knoll District Cabernet Franc

2012 Cultivar Oak Knoll District Cabernet Franc, with its sweet black cherry, plum, and blueberries with hints of vanilla and Asian spices, will leave your guests talking when you serve it up with either a curried pumpkin or sweet potato soup as your first course. 

Or be a little daring and pair it with dessert. May we recommend a pecan pie or a rich pumpkin pie? 

2012 Cultivar Oak Knoll District Cabernet Franc: Case $530 / $500 Wine Club

Cultivar Phoenix Ranch Syrah

2011 Cultivar Phoenix Ranch Syrah, with its blueberry, black currant, and plum fruit, offers the perfect counterpoint to a smoked jalapeño turkey.

We especially love it with mushroom and sausage stuffing. 

2011 Cultivar Phoenix Ranch Syrah: Case $571 / $537 Wine Club

Cultivar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2012 Cultivar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, with its ripe black currant, plum, and dark cherry with a hint of vanilla, violets, and warm spices, softens the tartness in some cranberry sauces.

Tired of canned cranberry sauce? Try your hand at a Cabernet-cranberry sauce with figs. Your guests will thank you. 

2012 Cultivar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Case $286 / $269 Wine Club

Nov 14, 2014 at 6:00 PM Permalink