Men of Style 2015 Event

On March 5th, Cultivar Wine proudly partnered with San Francisco Magazine and Saks Fifth Avenue for the Saks Fifth Avenue Men of Style event. VIP guests enjoyed our 2013 Cultivar Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc that we donated

while enjoying passed appetizers and waiting in suspense as to who would be the 2015 Man of Style and which charity would receive a $5,000 donation. 

San Francisco Magazine readers and fans of Saks Fifth Avenue and Cultivar Wine had a tough job, choosing between the 2015 Men of Style nominees:

• Scott E. Miller, principal and founder at Scott Miller Executive Search;
• Geoffrey De Sousa, principal of Geoffrey De Sousa Interior Design;
• Joseph Becker, assistant curator of architecture and design at SFMOMA; and
• Yves Behar, founder and principal designer at Fuseproject.

All nominees were well deserving, but there could be just one 2015 Men of Style winner.

Congratulations Geoffrey De Sousa and Ronald McDonald House at Stanford! Not only did Ronald McDonald House receive the $5,000 award, but Geoffrey generously matched the award with a $5,000 donation of his own.

Photography Credits: The third and fifth photos were taken by Rachel Bussières for Drew Altizer Photography and used with permission. The other photos were taken by Cultivar.

Choosing a Wine for a Surf and Turf Dinner

Seafood and steak is a classic match. But when it comes to a wine that works for both you might find yourself scratching your head. Here’s the secret for ensuring wine connoisseurs as well as both beef and seafood lovers are satisfied:

Choose a wine that pairs with one of the proteins and a sauce for the other protein.

In February, Chef Jeffrey Jake of Silverado Resort and Spa paired two entrees with three of our Cabernet Sauvignons: 2011 Cultivar Leaky Lake Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon,  and 2010 Caspar Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. 

• For those wanting beef, he offered a braised shortrib with porcini mushroom polenta and red wine reduction.
• For those wanting fish, he served a seared tuna, au povre with piperade stew.

Why the Pairings Work

With these entrees you’re not matching the wine to both of the proteins. The Braised Shortribs are a strong, classic pairing for Cabernet Sauvignon. So, the secret to the pairing for the seared tuna must lie with the sauce. Cabernet Sauvignon does pair with Tuna seasoned with black pepper, but not as strongly as the sauce: a Piperade stew.

 

Remember when pairing at home to focus on your main aromas and flavors. With the Tuna, the piperade stew, which is made with bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, is a stronger flavor than the Tuna.

 

Want to serve Piperade in your house? Try Martha Stewart’s Piperade recipe. If using a different Piperade recipe, take care not to let the heat of the chilis dominate, as the spice accentuates the tannins. The recipe from Martha Stewart is made without chili peppers.

New Release: 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose

Nothing says Spring more than a Rose inspired by the Rivera. And we’re excited to announce our latest 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose release, perfect to enjoy by itself, as a start to your springtime gatherings, or as the star of light meals.

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Tasting Notes

For our 2014 release, we blended Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc. Its pale pink, copper color catches your eye. Strawberry and cranberry aromas with hints of floral notes entice your nose. Then once you sip, tantalize your palate with cranberry and tart cherry fruit with spice and floral notes. Enjoy this bright and refreshing wine chilled.

Bottles are $17 / $14.45 Wine Club and Cases are $173 / $163 Wine Club. With only 229 cases produced, we expect to once again sell out of this popular wine. So stock up now!

Order before March 28th to have for Passover or Easter

If you’re planning on serving Cultivar Wine for your Passover or Easter gatherings, be sure to get your orders in before Sunday, March 28th, weather permitting.

Pairing the 2014 Napa Valley Rose

The secret to pairing a Rose is knowing how sweet it is. Unlike our 2013, which had a sweet finish, our 2014 release has a tart, dry, mineral finish. Here are three tips that will have your tastebuds singing.

1. Look for dishes with ingredients complimentary to the aromas you’re smelling and the notes you’re tasting in the wine. For our 2014, think of dishes with cranberry, strawberry, and cherry. Turkey with cranberry relish on ciabatta. A spinach and strawberry salad.
2. Bring out the fruit with mild goat cheeses. To extend the cranberry and strawberry aromas you inhale with our 2014 Rose, choose a creamy goat cheese that softens the dry, mineral finish and amplifies the fruit.
3. Turn up the heat. When enjoying spicy Indian or Thai dishes a wine lower in alcohol is the beverage to reach for.

Here’s how two Bay Area chefs paired our 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose.

 

From Chef Jeffrey Jake of Silverado Resort and Spa

Chef Jake of Silverado Resort and Spa showcased the flexibility of our 2014 Rose, pairing it with a cornucopia of fresh local vegetables, prosciutto, and a variety of spreads: Black Garlic, Olive Tapenade, Salmon Rillettes, Aioli, and Roasted Pepper.

Impress your family and guests with your own Salmon Rillettes with this recipe from Anna Zepaltas inspired by a dish at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon bistro.

From Chef Adam Rosenblum of Causwells

Chef Rosenblum of Causwells took toast, topped it with an herbed goat cheese spread and slice of radish.

If you want to enjoy this pairing yourself, try this radish, green onion, and herbed goat cheese spread recipe from Whole Foods Coop.

Cultivar Napa Valley Rose Wins Gold Medal

Last year we released our first Cultivar Rose--a Rose inspired by those from Southern France and so popular it sold out within months of its release. With its balance and smoothness, perfect alone or paired with a variety of foods, it's easy to see why it's so loved. 

We're excited to announce that The Fifty Best awarded our 2013 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose with a Gold Medal in a blind-tasting of recent Roses from France, Spain, Portugal, and the United States.

The Fifty Best, an award-winning online guide to fine living featuring rated lists and tasting awards based on a panel of wine/spirit professionals and connoisseurs, assembled a panel of 18 pre-qualified judges. The order in which the wines were sampled was determined beforehand by lottery. Each wine was served well chilled and poured into fresh glasses from sealed bottles. Judges award scores between 1 and 5, with 5 as the best and noted their impressions of each wine on score sheets. Scores were tallied and medals awarded.

First some bad news. While we would love for you try our award-winning wine for yourself, we sold out of it in 2014. Now the good news. We just released our 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose, a blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and Sauvignon Blanc. Unlike our 2013 which had a sweet finish, the 2014 release has a tart, dry, mineral finish. Grab your bottles today at $17 or stock up with a cases at $173.40 ($163.20 for Cultivar Wine Club members). You wouldn't want to miss out again!