Vine Hill Winery has announced that five of its Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir wines have recently been honored by wine media and by national and international wine competitions, including high ratings in Wine Enthusiast and Wine & Spirits magazines, as well as being awarded platinum, gold and silver medals at prestigious national wine competitions.

After achieving organic certification from the California Certified Organic Farmers, (CCOF) last fall, and the replanting of the vineyard to predominantly Pinot Noir grapes a few years ago, these latest accolades further demonstrate Vine Hill’s commitment to producing outstanding Pinot Noir as well as its success in capturing the distinctive attributes of the Santa Cruz Mountains wine growing region’s terroir and climate in its wines.

Read the full press release

SANTA CRUZ, CA — December, 2010 — Vine Hill Winery, one of the Santa Cruz Mountains wine appellation’s premier, award-winning wineries, announced that it has received organic certification from the esteemed agency, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).  CCOF is one of the oldest, largest and most-respected organic certification agencies in North America.  This viticultural milestone represents another step forward in the winery’s and vineyard manager Rachel Ormes’s commitment to environmental consciousness, with the 2010 vintages of estate-grown Pinot Noir and Syrah being the first of Vine Hill’s wines to bear the labeling of “organically grown” fruit under this recent accreditation.

Read the entire news release: VHW_CCOF_News_Final_120410

Braised Lamb Chops

4 Domestic Lamb Chops ( Large )        2 cups of medium size Mire poix

5 Large garlic cloves                                10 sprigs of thyme

1 sprig of Rosemary                                 1 orange zested and juiced

1 ½ Tablespoon of Tomato Paste         Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup of flour                                           ½ cup of vegetable oil

½ quart of Red Wine                              1 quart of Veal Stock

Dust the Lamb Chops with the flour. Place a heavy bottomed braising pan over medium  to medium high heat.  Add the vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed Braising pan. Add the Lamb Chops to the pan and brown all sides of the chops. Once nicely browned remove the Lamb Chops from the pan and set aside on a plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of oil to sauté and brown the Mire Poix. Once the Mire Poix is done add the tomato paste, garlic herbs and stir for about 2 minutes. Place the Lamb Chops on top of the Mire Poix and at this point add the red wine and allow it to reduce by half. Add the veal stock and bring it to a light boil, then add the orange zest and juice, salt and pepper then cover with aluminum foil.

Place in a 275 degree Fahrenheit oven for @ 3 hours. Check periodically to make sure that it is very tender but not falling apart. Take out of oven when finished. Place the chops on a plate and strain the braising juices through a chinois cap. Skim fat after sauce has settled and serve sauce with chops.

Braised Fennel

4 Fennel bulbs                                       6 Sprigs of Thyme

2 cups of good Chicken Stock            3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut the fennel bulbs in half length wise. Rub a tablespoon of olive oil on the fennel and pan sear the fennel until golden brown. Place the fennel, thyme and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and hot chicken stock into heavy bottomed pan and cover with aluminum foil and cook for approximately 30 -45 minutes ( depending on the size of the fennel ). When done you should be able to slice the fennel with out having it fall apart.

Caramelized Onion

3 Medium Yellow Onion           2 Tablespoon of olive oil

6 sprigs of thyme                           Salt and pepper

Slice the yellow onions thinly. In a Saute pan over medium high heat add the olive oil then onions and cook until golden brown. Add the chopped thyme, salt, pepper. After the onions are caramelized to a golden brown take off of heat and  strain the onions from most of the oil as possible. Set aside until needed.

Assembly:

Braised Fennel, Onion and Goat Cheese

In an 8 ounce ceramic dish rub the inside with olive oil. Start to stack the inside of the dish with sliced fennel, then the caramelized onion then 2 ounces of goat cheese, (place 2 layers per dish). Bake for about15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Take out of dish and serve hot.

Serve the Lamb Chop with Fennel, Onion, Goat cheese on a large plate and place strained lamb sauce over Lamb Chop.

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion halved and thinly sliced

1 large orange, unpeeled and sliced

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, cold-pressed virgin is best

6 3 Oz skinless salmon filets

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, low pulp

1 ½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Salmon Preparations

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place orange slices in single layer in 13×9x2 inch baking dish. Top with onion slices and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until onions are brown and tender, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven.

Increase temperature to 425˚F.

Push orange and onion slices to one side of baking dish. Arrange salmon in center of dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 ½ tablespoons of dill. Spoon orange and onion slices on top of salmon. Return to oven and roast uncovered until salmon is opaque in center, about 8-10 minutes.

Orange Sauce

Mix orange juice, lemon juice, green onions and remaining dill in a small bowl.

Plating

Transfer salmon to serving platter. Spoon onion along side, discarding orange slices. Drizzle orange sauce over salmon and garnish with fresh orange slice and a sprinkle of dill.

Try serving with Golden Couscous w/ Currants & Scallions

Serves 6

IDEAL WINE TASTING LOCATION IN SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Located just off of Highway 17 along the Magic of Our Mountains Wine Trail at an elevation of 1000 feet above Santa Cruz, the Vine Hill tasting experience couples its award-winning Gatos Locos, Vine Hill and Cumbre wines with expansive and breathtaking views of Monterey Bay and the surrounding vineyards and mountains. Visitors can enjoy a selection of wines for tasting in the inviting tasting room that is located in the winery, and during the warmer days throughout the seasons, can picnic at the look-out garden area above. And not coincidentally, the new third weekend tasting room schedule at Vine Hill also coincides four times a year with the Santa Cruz Mountains Passport Saturday tasting days in January, April, July and November. Can’t visit Vine Hill this month? The entire collection of Vine Hill wines currently in release are available online for purchase 24/7 at the secure Vine Hill Winery Online Store (www.vinehillwinery.com).

$10 TASTING FEE  — CLUB MEMBERS FREE + RECEIVE 20% OFF
The tasting fee for the visiting public is $10 per person, waived with any two-bottle wine purchase, and is complimentary for current and new Vine Hill Wine Club members.

Both current and new Vine Hill Winery Wine Club members who sign-up at the winery or in advance online are entitled to a 20% discount on all wines available at the winery — a terrific savings in addition to all the great benefits of membership that also include: a 15% discount on facility rentals for private events at the winery; first access to new and limited releases; complimentary wine tasting for the member and up to three guests; invitations to all winery events and exclusive wine club events; and a winery newsletter e-mailed quarterly. To become a member of the Vine Hill Wine Club, visit the membership page.

Vine Hill Winery is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 2300 Jarvis Road, Santa Cruz, California 95065, and accessed from the City of Santa Cruz via Branciforte Road, and from Los Gatos via Highway 17 and Vine Hill Road. The tasting room is open to the public on the third Weekend of each month from noon to 5pm and for special events and selected holidays. Tastings, winery and vineyard tours by appointment for groups of 10 or more are also available. For more information and directions, or to purchase wine directly from the winery, please visit our main site; email us; or call: 831-427-0436.