Harley Davidsons! Rumble On In To Oak Creek Vineyards & Winery This Sunday!

 There is NO COST to you, so what are you waiting for? VIP Specials on wine tastings and all other purchases!

Here’s A Little History On The Harley…

Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression. Harley-Davidson also survived a period of poor quality control and competition from Japanese manufacturers.

The company sells heavyweight (over 750 cc) motorcycles designed for cruising on the highway. Harley-Davidson motorcycles (popularly known as “Harleys”) have a distinctive design and exhaust note. They are especially noted for the tradition of heavy customization that gave rise to the chopper-style of motorcycle. Except for the modern VRSC model family, current Harley-Davidson motorcycles reflect the styles of classic Harley designs. Harley-Davidson’s attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market have met with limited success and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary.

Harley-Davidson sustains a loyal brand community, which keeps active through clubs, events, and a museum.

In 1901, William S. Harley, age 21, drew up plans for a small engine with a displacement of 7.07 cubic inches (116 cc) and four-inch (102 mm) flywheels. The engine was designed for use in a regular pedal-bicycle frame. Over the next two years, Harley and his childhood friend Arthur Davidson labored on their motor-bicycle using the northside Milwaukee machine shop at the home of their friend, Henry Melk. It was finished in 1903 with the help of Arthur’s brother, Walter Davidson. Upon completion, the boys found their power-cycle unable to conquer Milwaukee’s modest hills without pedal assistance. Will Harley and the Davidsons quickly wrote off their first motor-bicycle as a valuable learning experiment.

If you would like to learn more about Harley Davidsons, please go to the following link on Wikapedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidson

Make sure you stop by!

Steak With A Flair!

Peppercorns, Steak, and Wine!

Here is a steak recipe that is tasty, no matter what time of the year it is. We hope you enjoy it. Come in or call in anytime, to find out the best wine for this recipe or for an accompaniment.

Peppercorn-Seasoned Steaks with Mustard-Wine Sauce

 4 beef tenderloin steaks, 1 inch thick

2 teaspoons crushed seasoned pepper or ground black pepper

vegetable cooking spray

3 tablespoons chopped shallots

1 cup Swanson(R) Beef Broth (regular, Lower Sodium or Certified Organic)

1/2 cup Burgundy wine or other dry red wine

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon Chopped fresh parsley

 Season steaks with pepper. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat 1 minute. Add steaks and cook until desired doneness, turning once. Remove and keep warm.

 Add shallots and cook and stir until tender. Stir in broth, wine and mustard. Heat to a boil. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup. Stir in butter. Serve sauce with steaks. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

IT’S WINE TIME!

Whether you have a few grapevines in your backyard or you have acres and acres of grape-producing vines, knowing when and how to harvest the grapes is important. If the grapes are not ready or the harvest is not done correctly, the crop can be a failure.

Grapes must be mature before they can be harvested. This is important because grapes will not mature any further after being removed from the vine. Grapes generally mature from late August to late October, depending on the variety of the grapes.

Wine makers must look for these grape fruit facts to check for maturity:

1. Watch for color changes such as green to blue or red to white.
2. Seed color changes from green to brown.
3. Grapes will reach full size.
4. Grapes will become sweet. The only way to test this is to taste them. 

After determining that the grapes are mature and ready, then it is time to harvest them (if the weather is cooperating).  There are two types of harvesting, by hand or with machinery. Hand harvesting is generally the method used when harvesting a small amount of vines, but is also done when harvesting larger crops.

At OAK CREEK VINEYARDS & WINERY, great care is taken to produce the very best grapes for your enjoyment pleasure. After all, wine is the nectar of the Gods! Stop in anytime and taste the variety of wines we offer. See you soon!

Where else can you go to have a glass of wine and a massage in a vineyard? Just at Oak Creek Vineyards! So the next time you are in the area, give us a call at (928) 649-0290… let us know what your time frame is and we will set something up for you.

Our Massage Therapist is wonderful and will make you purr like a kitten. Massage therapy is a wonderful way to get rid of stresses and help to detox your body. Once you have one, you will be hooked.

Massage as a healing tool has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage – benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind – there are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur, even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you.

JUST A FEW KNOWN BENEFITS

In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body’s natural ability to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments?

- Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.

- Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body’s natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.

- Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body’s largest organ – the skin.

- Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles

- Reduces spasms and cramping

- Increases joint flexibility.

- Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.

- Releases endorphins – the body’s natural painkiller – and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain.

- Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred.

- Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain.

- Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication.

- Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.

- Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays.

SEE YOU SOON!

Come and enjoy an afternoon of music and wine at Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery with the band Amitabha on May 1st from 3-7pm.

Sip fine handcrafted wines in our country setting, while listening to a unique ensamble peforming tribal rhythm and reggae. For tickets go to www.verdevalleymusicseries.com

EVER WONDER….

Question:

1. How many acres are planted to grapes worldwide?
2. Among the world’s fruit crops, where do wine grapes rank in number of acres planted?
3. How many gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?
4. How long does it take to harvest a commercial crop from newly replanted grape vines?
5. How many varieties of wine grapes exist worldwide?
6. How much does it cost per bottle to age wine in a French oak barrel?
7. How much does it cost per bottle to age wine in only new French oak barrels?
8. How much white zinfandel is consumed in this country?

Answer:
1) 20 million
2) #1
3) 30 million
4) 4-5 years
5) 10,000
6) 90 cents
7) $2.50
Too much!

___________________________________

QUESTION:
1. When was the first known reference to a specific wine vintage?
2. How old was the wine being “reviewed”?
3. A bottle of opened wine stored in the refrigerator lasts how much longer than it would if stored at room temp?
4. How many oak species are there?
5. How many are used in making oak barrels?
6. What percent of an oak tree is suitable for making high grade wine barrels?
7. What are the top three U.S. states in terms of wine consumption?
8. What percentage of legal-aged Americans contacted in a Nielson phone survey drink wine?
9. What percentage of restaurant wine sales do red wines represent?
10. What is the average cost of the grapes used to produce a $20 bottle of wine?

Answer:
1. Roman Historian Pliny the Elder rated 121 B.C. as a vintage “of the highest excellence.”
2. 200 years old! Pliny the Elder wrote the history of the Roman Empire around 70 A.D.
3. 6-16 times longer
4. 400
5. 20
6. 5%
7. CA, NY, FL
8. 58%
9. 55%
10. $2.64

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 Cork was developed as a bottle closure in the late 17th century. It was only after this that bottles were lain down for aging, and the bottle shapes slowly changed from short and bulbous to tall and slender.

Grapevines cannot reproduce reliably from seed. To cultivate a particular grape variety, grafting (a plant version of cloning) is used.

Wine has so many organic chemical compounds it is considered more complex than blood serum.

Wine grapes are subject to mold when there’s too much moisture. Tight clustered Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir are most susceptible to mold. The looser clusters of Cabernet Sauvignon allow for faster drying of moist grapes and thus make it less susceptible.

Before harvest, the canopy of leaves at the top of the vine is often cut away to increase exposure to the sun and speed ripening.

The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years!

The lip of a red wine glass is sloped inward to capture the aromas of the wine and deliver them to your nose.

“Cold maceration” means putting the grapes in a refrigerated environment for several days before starting fermentation to encourage color extraction. This is being done more and more frequently with Pinot Noir since the skins of this varietal don’t have as much pigmentation as other red varietals.

Red Wine ABC’s

Why is red wine red? Its color can be derived from a vast assortment of grape varieties ranging from grapes that are reddish, deep purple, and even a beautiful blue on the color scale. These grapes give rise to a wine that is color classified with such descriptors as garnet, almost black, dark red, light red, ruby red, opaque purple, deep violet, maroon and the list goes on. It is the grapeskins that are responsible for the red wine’s distinct color spectrum. The skins are in contact with the grape’s juice during the fermentation process, allowing the dispersion of both color and tannins. The individual wine’s particular red hue depends on the grape type used in the process and the length of time the skin’s pigmentation is in contact with juice. There are right around 50 key red wine varietals that consistently manifest themselves in today’s worldwide wine market.

How To Pair Red Wine With Foods

Use Cabernet Sauvignon for big, filling entrees like casseroles, red meats, beef and lamb.

Pour a Merlot with roast beef, barbeque chicken, tuna, or soups and stews. The more fruity taste of this red wine also goes well with red meats.

Drink Pinot Noir with pasta. Pinot is a light red wine, which makes it incredibly versatile. Many dishes go with Pinot Noir, such as ham, turkey, fontina cheese, grilled vegetables and salmon.

Order Chinese takeout or prepare duck if you have a bottle of Cabernet Franc to serve.

Spice up your game meat or rack of lamb with a Shiraz. Shiraz is a more peppery red wine. It’s lighter than a Cabernet but has a strong enough structure to be paired with meat.

Determine the dominant flavor of your meal. This is the flavor you will pair with a red wine. For example, if pepper is the overarching theme, use a Shiraz. The descriptions of the red wines in section 1 can act as a guide for your pairings.

Serve reds based on the time of day. A robust Cabernet can be served at dinner, while a lighter Pinot Noir should be served at lunch. People prefer heavier wines later in the evening.

Match region with region. For example, serve a classic Italian pasta dish with a light Italian red wine, like a Bardolino. Chianti is also a typical pairing with tomato sauce.

Avoid competition. Red wines like to be in the limelight; they are heavy, robust and bold. Don’t let your red wine compete with your meal. Instead, go for pairings that compliment one another. A good example of this is a pairing of a Merlot with roast beef. The fruity taste of the red will accent the salty taste of the beef.
If you have any further questions, our staff would be happy to help you. Call 928.649.0290 for assistance.

White Wine ABC’s

First things first… why is “white” wine, not white at all, but yellow, golden or straw-like in color? Its color can be derived from an assortment of grape varieties. White wines are made from the grape juice and grape skin of green, gold or yellowish colored grapes or from just the juice (not the skin) of select red grapes (as in some Champagnes.

WHEN TO DRINK IT

White wines are typically consumed with lighter meals like lunch, smaller dinners, or as an appetizers. They are more refreshing, lighter in both style and taste than the majority of their red wine counterparts, making them ideal for spring and summer occasions… picnics, lawn parties, and so forth. The old guideline of “white wine with white meat” still holds true in many instances, but there are plenty of exceptions and palate preferences that dictate which wines to pair with what food.

CHOOSING A WHITE WINE FOR FOOD SPECIFICS

Choosing a white wine for your meal can be a matter of taste, but there are several things to keep in mind when choosing wine.

Ignore the old rules about how white wine MUST be paired with white meat and red wine MUST be paired with red meat. While this does tend to work most of the time, pay attention to your own tastes when choosing your wine.Determine whether the sauce or the meat has the stronger flavor. Typically, you pick the wine based on what meat you’re eating, but if the sauce has more flavor than the meat, you’ll want to take that into consideration. Pick a wine that will not completely overpower the food. The wine should compliment the food, but not ruin the flavor and vice versa.

Enjoy chicken or seafood such as shrimp, lobster or trout with either a Chardonnay or a Riesling. Chardonnays also go well with veal and with white, creamy sauces like Alfredo. Stay away from pairing Chardonnays with spicy food and Riesling doesn’t go well with sweet foods.

Eat Asian cuisine, curry or any food with a lot of ginger in it with a white wine like Gewurztraminer. Gewurztraminer will also complement pork, Swiss cheese or foie gras but avoid pairing this wine with lighter foods.

Pick a Pinot Grigio for turkey, shrimp or veal. Pinot Grigio also pairs well with creamy sauces, but not with spicy or tomato based foods.

If you have any further questions about white wine, please give us a call at 928.649.0830. It would be our pleasure to assist you.

 Roussanne

This grape should be extinct for all practical purposes, as far as vineyardists are concerned, who would rather manage more cooperative vines. Roussanne gives irregular yields and tends to uneven and late ripening, has little resistance to powdery mildew and rot and is easily damaged by wind and drought.

By selecting and propogating only the least problematic clones, it is the vintners who have preserved Roussanne for two primary reasons: unique aroma and bracing acidity.

Roussanne wine probably gets its name from the light-brownish russet cast of its ripe berries. It is the only other white wine variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in France’s mostly-red-wine-producing northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and St. Joseph. It is also grown in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the south. There are limited plantings in a few other French regions and in Italy’s Liguria and Tuscany and also in Australia. As of the 2002 California Grape Acreage Report, there are 177 acres in the state.

Roussanne wine can be thin and tart and is not often bottled on its own in Europe, being blended with Marsanne in the Rhône and in other areas with Chardonnay. Roussanne will perform well using barrel fermentation and oak aging and some California winemakers release varietal bottlings.

The aroma of Roussanne wine, not as overtly fruity as some types, can suggest wild flowers or herbal tea.

Roussanne wines and blends seem to hold up well with cellaring and may be enjoyable a decade or more past the vintage.

 Chardonnay

Chardonnay, America’s number one selling white wine varietal, continues to climb the production ladders to emerge as the most beloved of dry white wines in the U.S. The Chardonnay grape itself also contributes to the wine’s popularity. It is a relatively “low-maintenance” vine that adapts well to a variety of climates, resulting in fairly high yields worldwide. These high yields translate into millions of bottles of Chardonnay wines.

By all means, drop by and taste this spectacular new wine! See you soon!

Spring is in the air! Start planning those take-along snacks… think ALMOND!

 “ALMOND FRUIT BALLS”

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup whole Oak Creek Vineyards Roast Almonds 
1 package (6 ounces) mixed dried fruit bits 
1 1/2 teaspoons honey 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
1 1/2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (Grand Marnier)

PREPARATION:

Place almonds in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade; process until finely chopped. Add fruit, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pulse on and off a few times, then process to make a rough paste. Add liqueur and process to make a firm, sticky paste. (Add more liqueur, a few drops at a time, if needed to make a slightly moist dough.) Shape into 1-inch balls, rolling between palms of hands. Pack loosely in airtight container with waxed paper between layers. (Can be served as confections or as dessert with coffee or tea, as well.) Think of your friends! Gift them with some packaged in an attractive tin or box. Make sure you double the recipe, though, to make sure you have enough for yourself. 

HELPFUL HINTS:________________________________________________

GOOBLE UP SOME GOOD STUFF… AN ALMOND!

 ENHANCE YOUR ENERGY LEVEL: Eating foods that blend complex carbohydrates and lean protein can also provide energy. Complex carbohydrates provide readily available fuel for your body, while protein increases the brain’s dopamine levels, thereby boosting alertness. Healthful choices include a small handful of dried fruit and nuts, whole-grain crackers with a slice of cheese or a hard-boiled egg, or yogurt topped with a tablespoon of granola.

STOP THE SURGE OF HUNGER:  Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do… EAT SOMETHING QUICK to stop the tidal wave of cravings to tide you over for dinner! For a snack with staying power, eat something that mixes fiber and protein. (This is also a good strategy to tide you over until morning if you become hungry before bedtime.) In a study at Wayne State University in Detroit, researchers found that when nighttime snackers developed the habit of eating cereal with milk 90 minutes after dinner, they reduced their total daily calorie intake and increased their chances of losing weight, compared to those who ate whatever they wanted. The cereal’s fiber and protein combination kept them full–and prevented less mindful eating that can accompany evening routines. Other good hunger-curbing pairings include carrot sticks with hummus, or black bean dip, or a slice of multigrain bread spread with a tablespoon of reduced-fat peanut butter.

 

 BEFORE & AFTER WORKOUT BLUES BEATER: Before a workout, consuming complex carbohydrates, such as fruit or whole-grain cereal, which will provide your body with energy for exercise. Afterward, eat high-quality protein, such as low-fat yogurt or whole-grain cereal; particularly if you performed resistance exercises. A weight workout will stimulate the growth of muscle cells, which depend on protein. And, as always, consume plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercising.

SMASH THE “STRESS” MUNCHIES: Our desire for food is hard-wired beyond belief. Research from the University of California, San Francisco, found that consuming food (particularly items that contain sugar and fat) appears to calm the body’s hormonal response to stress. BUT before you head to the vending machine, take a series of deep breaths; delay reaching for food for 15 minutes; drink a hot beverage such as tea, which can be soothing; and distract yourself by calling a friend or taking a walk. If you still feel like eating, then you’re probably hungry. Eat a smart snack that fits your craving… keep it light!