Christmas Tree Shopping is a Festive Family Experience at the Guardsmen Christmas Tree Lot!

The Guardsmen Christmas Tree Lot has been a Bay Area institution for over fifty years, and benefits charities for at-risk youth throughout San Francisco and its surrounding areas. This completely volunteer-run lot turns Christmas tree shopping into a festive family event, complete with an indoor lounge and Holiday Boutique section, a children’s bookstore, and play area for your kids!

This winter season, Cultivar is proud to host a wine-tasting bar and Holiday Pop-Up Shop at the Guardsmen Tree Lot’s Holiday Boutique. We have lined up some of our best seasonal wines for this event, including our crisp, citrusy 2016 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and our beautiful 2014 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, distinctive for its balance of berry fruit, cedar notes, and dark chocolate flavors. As a visitor to our Holiday Pop-Up Shop, you also enjoy special pricing and free delivery! Take home wines and gift packages same-day, or ask us to deliver your purchases within San Francisco, free of charge.

This past Friday, we had a wonderful time with The Guardsmen for their Kid’s Day and Craft Beer Night events, where in addition to our wines we also offered our craft Cultivar Beers, including our Chinook Pale Ale and our Cascade Centennial IPA. Surrounded by festive lights, cheerful bustle, and the minty smell of dozens of freshly cut Christmas trees, we felt like Christmas had come early!

In the coming weeks, we can’t wait to meet more families, volunteers, and friends who come to the Tree Lot to shop, mingle, benefit a good cause, and catch up with loved ones over Christmas treats and wine. Come sip a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon while doing all (or most) of your holiday shopping at the Boutique, or just sit back and relax in the cozy lounge while your kids browse through books from Little Pickle Stories or exhaust themselves in the jumpy house.

The Christmas season is one of our favorite times of the year, filled with moments around the fireplace or the dinner table, enjoying delicious food and wine while sharing memories and making new ones. Our mission at Cultivar is to enhance these moments, facilitate the spirit of giving, and bring people together both during this holiday season, and year-round. Please join us for a memorable and festive experience at the Guardsmen Christmas Tree Lot, where we will be hosting wine tasting events on the following days:
Saturday, December 2nd from 11 am - 9 pm
Sunday, December 3rd from 11 am - 9 pm 
Friday, December 8th from 2 pm - 9 pm
Saturday, December 9th from 11 am - 9 pm
Sunday, December 10th from 11 am - 9 pm

Guardsmen Holiday Pop Up Wine List:

Pricing above reflects 20% off case purchases at the Guardsmen Tree Lots.

Dec 4, 2017 at 5:44 AM

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A Good Cause

Last weekend will be hard to beat! We're honored to have helped contribute to the Napa Valley Vintners & Bottle Rock Napa Valley Lot no. 38 at Auction Napa Valley. It raised $150,000 for children's heath services and education in Napa Valley. If you would like to tast the wine we donated to the auction, please head over to our allocation list.

Jun 13, 2017 at 2:24 PM

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A Special Dinner Among Friends

Almost 10 years ago to the date, Riva Cucina hosted their first winemaker dinner at Riva Cucina with our dear friends, Julien and Elan Fayard. It was a special night indeed, as the four of us were just starting our new ventures. We now have the wonderful opportunity to bring this amazing team together again for another first winemaker dinner, this time at the newly-opened Marina wine bar, Cultivar San Francisco. Massi will be guest chef, pairing his cuisine with Julien's award-winning wines.

We hope you can join us for a wonderful evening, as we celebrate the opening of Cultivar SF and the wines of Julien Fayard.

Jun 13, 2017 at 1:47 PM

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A Delicious Take On a Brunch Favorite

Brunch is the perfect meal on weekends. Brunch means getting up a little later, enjoying time in the kitchen without rushing, and catching up with friends and family away from the hectic pace of weekday life. Lori over at Fake Food Free has come up with a delicious twist on a brunch favorite. Below are some beautiful shots and notes for Lori's version of Eggs Benedict with Crab Cakes. Visit her site Fake Food Free for the full recipe.

Crab Cakes Benedict with

Buttermilk Herb Sauce

This twist on a favorite brunch meals pairs Crab Cakes Benedict with the crisp 2013 Oak Knoll Chardonnay from Cultivar Wine.

Eggs Benedict is a brunch favorite but in all honesty, I wasn't a huge fan of the original. The Canadian bacon on the English muffin didn’t do much for me, nor did the sauce. But Crab Cakes Benedict is a whole different story.

Crab meat and bread are combined into one tasty crab cake. I decided to go a completely different direction with the sauce. I’ve been making a lot of buttermilk based sauces lately and they are delicious when loaded with fresh herbs. So that is what I did here. 

I received my wine club shipment from Cultivar Wine a few weeks back and with thoughts of spring brunch on my mind, I knew their 2013 Cultivar Oak Knoll Chardonnay would be a perfect match for this meal. There is something about spring and chardonnay that makes me want brunch and seafood so this brings it all together.

This wine is described with the aromas of baked apples, pears, and melon. It’s balanced on the palate with a bit of richness that isn’t over powering due to its fermentation in neutral oak barrels. This creates an excellent match for the richness of the crab and poached egg.

Apr 19, 2017 at 7:22 AM

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Hot peppers for cold winter days.

Feeling extra mellow in your post holiday hibernation? Whip up this recipe by Andrea Ratulowski of Food Embrace for Sweet and Smoky Shishito Peppers for an easy, warming treat. It's sure to get your juices flowing, especially when enjoyed like Andrea did, along side our 2014 Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc. Check out this wine as well as other available bottlings in our ONLINE STORE.

Here is a snippet of Andrea's post - visit Food Embrace for the whole recipe and more!

"With all the holiday functions and parties that happen during this time of year, I wanted to create a quick and simple appetizer that would be great for entertaining, parties, or as a way to kick off an intimate date night at home. While out shopping I came across some awesome looking shishito peppers and knew they would be perfect to use. Most times the peppers are paired with a dipping sauce but I wanted to wrap the peppers is a sweet and sticky sauce making them easier to prepare and eat.

These peppers and the 2014 Cultivar Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc really worked well together.  The crisp citrus notes of the wine balances out the smoky sweet sauce while the oaky herby notes compliments the earthy pepper flavor."

Thanks for being a part of our club, Andrea!

Jan 6, 2017 at 9:55 AM

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New Years Eve wine & cheese for all

Mallory Mitchell is at it again, pairing our Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc with a bountiful charcuterie plate, perfect for helping people settle in to the New Years festivities this holiday weekend. This wine is part of our December Wine Club, but you can also buy this bottle on it's own here in our shop to confirm its versatility and drinkability for yourself!

"Craving the perfect cheese plate has become somewhat of a hobby for me. I really enjoy seeking out new ingredients and techniques to use when creating the spread. In September when James and I got married, we received an incredible new cutting board that I’ve just been waiting to use and last weekend I finally got the chance to test it out!

For this meal we shared a bottle of their Cabernet Franc, and it was probably the best I’ve tried so far. It really complimented everything in this spread and was the perfect blend of richness and spice."

Visit Avec Mallory to see the entire post. Thanks again, Mallory!

We hope you have all had an exciting 2016 and we wish you a healthy, happy, wine and cheese-filled New Year. 

Dec 31, 2016 at 9:09 AM

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Snacks and Starters for this weeks Festivities!

I don't know about you but we are currently scouring the internet and making lists for some exciting new dishes to serve up for our annual New Year's gathering. Having a few new stars among our staple holiday favorites is a crucial, albeit often frustrating part of the ritual. How can we be sure these new dishes will go with the wine? Luckily, we were thrilled to see our friend Lori over at Fake Food Free has tested some pairings for us! Check out her site for the full recipies, but here is a bite-sized bit for you.

Date and Bacon Tarts with Mascarpone and Hazelnuts
+
Savory Fig, Rosemary and Parmesan Cornmeal Cookies

"With notes of black cherry, mocha, and vanilla as well as a little sweet oak, (the Leaky Lake Cabernet Sauvignon) is perfect for a savory snack, and tannins that aren’t too overpowering allow it to pair with a savory appetizer that has just a touch of sweetness.

So I turned to my new two favorite seasonal ingredients to help me come up with something – dates and figs.

I’m kind of crazy about these tarts. The crust bakes up light and flakey and the filling is sweet with just a hint of salty, smoky bacon flavor. Mascarpone makes the best topper because while it has the consistency of a cream cheese, it lacks the tanginess, making it a better match with the other ingredients. The hazelnuts add a pleasant crunch. 

Next up are the savory cookies. Every time I make some, I wonder why I don’t do so more often. The consistency of a good cookie, but the satisfying flavor of a salty snack. And I’m not even a salty snacks person. That’s probably why I add a little bit of dried fig so you get just a touch of sweetness in each cookie."

Dec 23, 2016 at 8:59 AM

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Cultivar Wine Beach Picnic with Avec Mallory

We may not all be so lucky as to spend the chilly winter months beach side. At least we can live vicariously via Miami local Mallory of Avec Mallory, who recently brought us along on a picnic to Key Biscayne. The Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc she brought with to pair with her gorgeous picnic is part of our December Wine Club - if you're not yet a member, you still have time to sign-up and receive the current shipment! 

"To me, the perfect picnic is really simple. A few great types of cheese, meat, fruit, and wine. This week we were lucky enough to sample the  2014 Cultivar Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc from Cultivar Winery. Drinking a glass of this wine chilled on the beach with some snacks was such a nice way to spend the afternoon."

Visit Avec Mallory to see the entire post. Thanks, Mallory!

Dec 12, 2016 at 9:27 AM

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Smoky Chipotle Shrimp Dip with Shrimp Cucumber Salad courtesy of Fake Food Free

Rose is one of those wines that makes it official, summer is here! Lori of Fake Food Free agrees, and recently shared a delicious recipe on her blog for a yummy Smoky Chipotle Shrimp Dip with Shrimp Cucumber Salad. To see the entire post please visit Fake Food Free, however we're sharing a sneak peak below to wet your appetite. Don't forget to check your wine cellar in case you've already finished your Rose. We have a bit more Napa Valley Rose, but hurry and stock up soon as this summer wine always sells out quickly!! 

See a sneak peak from Lori below and remember to visit Fake Food Free for the entire recipe and post. 

"Shrimp is a summer food to me. I rarely have it in the kitchen until hot days begin to bring about thoughts of the beach and ocean.  My shrimp recipes are pretty standard — tossed with pasta, stirred into sweet corn risotto or wrapped into Asian-inspired spring rolls. When I found a bag of sustainably harvested small shrimp (often called salad shrimp) at the market last week, though, I was too excited to use it in one of my regular recipes.  I’d been having trouble finding shrimp from a good source so when that find lined up with my shrimp season, I needed to celebrate a little!"

First came the wine I wanted to pair with it. Cultivar Wine sent me their 2015 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose.

Make this yourself at home just visit Fake Food Free for the entire recipe and more cooking tips from Lori! Thanks Lori for including Cultivar Wine in your delicious summer receipe. 

Jul 12, 2016 at 7:00 AM

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Boozy Peach Sangria Popsicles made with Cultivar Wine Courtesy of A Side of Sweet

It's officially Summer and with Summer comes amazing fresh fruit, hot days, BBQ fun and the perfect time for some home made popsicles! Lucky for us, one of our Cultivar Blogger Wine Club Members, Kelly of A Side Of Sweet made a delicious Peach Sangria Popsicle recipe using our Sauvignon Blanc. Our Napa Sauvignon Blanc was so popular that we've sold out, but don't worry, our Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc is just as tasty and still available to purchase on the website here. 

To see the entire blog post and learn more about the recipe, ingredients and how Kelly made these gorgeous summer popsicles visit her blog at A Side of Sweet.  A huge thank you Kelly for sharing this yummy recipe with us and including Cultivar Wine in your fun!! 

Pretty easy recipe prep. Grab your Cultivar Sauvignon Blanc here if you're trying this at home

How happy does she look? What a delicious pairing, popsicles and a glass of wine

Watch Kelly of A Side of Sweet as she shows how to make these incredible Peach Popsicles on her You Tube Channel

Jun 27, 2016 at 7:00 AM

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