Grilled Monterey Bay Squid with Coast Grade Pinot Noir

Grilled Monterey Bay Squid

Recipe by Empire Grade Purveyors

In August we hosted our Outstanding in the Vines dinner in Coast Grade Vineyard. Chef extraordinaire Daniel Gallegos of Empire Grade Purveyors prepared the menu with South America influences and local ingredients at their peak. The wine of the hour was our 2012 Pinot Noir Coast Grade Vineyard which we paired with grilled Monterey Bay squid. Coast Grade sits on the edge of the marine layer and there is always a hint of the ocean in the wine. The flavor combination of the open fire, the clean taste of the sea from the squid, and the earthy minerality of the wine all came together in a delightful unison. 

Recipe Notes by Daniel Gallegos

Buy fresh Monterey Bay Squid preferably when the squid boats are out catching them along the coast for the best flavor and delicate texture. 

Clean the squid (You can also buy them already cleaned).

Skewer the bodies from the tail side. On a separate skewer, string the legs and tentacles. 

Add some salt, pepper and red pepper, and drench with olive oil. Let that sit for about a half an hour. 

Have a fire started over a grill and let that cook until there are just coals at a medium heat. Make sure the grill is cleaned. Any previous cooking on this grill could influence the delicate flavors of the squid.

Place the squid on the grill for about 3 minutes. With a kitchen metal tong turn the squid over and let that cook for another 2-3 minutes until done. Try not to overcook the squid. Fresh squid is quite delicate-- a slightly under-cooked squid is better than rubbery squid.

To finish, combine olive oil, paprika, lemon juice and hot pepper into a bowl. Take the squid off of their skewers, mix them in the sauce in the bowl well, and serve. 

 

Quistorf Ranch

We have recently discovered a document dating our original Beauregard Ranch Vineyard to the late 19th Century. While predominately an orchard for apples, peaches, pears, & plums there was always a vineyard planted as well. In 1906 Quistorf planted "Carbonat, Zinifadell, and Shavenoe". Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and an old grape known as Charbono. Definitely worth a read for those of you who want to know some of the origins of Bonny Doon and its grape growing history. 

Take a look at it here - Quistorf Ranch

 

Beauregard  Vineyards, No Place Like Home

 

Duffy Jennings wrote a great article about us in the Los Gatos Magazine. If you were curious to learn a little bit more about the history of Beaureagrd Vineyards in Bonny Doon be sure to check it out! 

Beauregard Vineyards, No Place Like Home - Los Gatos Magazine

 

July 2014 Pick Up Party

Enjoying July with the first our 2013 Vintages

We had the perfect summer weather here in Bonny Doon last weekend for our July Pick Up Party. Our July release included bright, aromatic, whites and our first Pinot Noir produced from the Mount Roberta Vineyard. We drank up the 2013 Chardonnay from the Bald Mountain Vineyard in the stainless steel, Métallique, tradition and our 3rd vintage of 2013 Pinot Gris from the Regan Vineyard. 2013 is quickly showing itself as a killer vintage. 

 

Our chef extraordinaire Tabitha Stroup put together a seasonal picnic style lunch that paired with the bright young whites. Santa Maria Tri Tip crusted in a spicy chili brown sugar with creamy gorgonzola topped with a spicy tomato jelly, heirloom potato salad & a summer melon salad with baby kale and feta cheese. 

The picnic style lunch let us relax by the creek with the wines and listen to the groovy sounds of the Jewl Sandoval Band. Our wine club members are some of our closest friends and it brings us joy to be able to see our picnic tables full and families enjoying the lawn. Summer is wrapping up and harvest is quickly approaching and when we see you at our next Pick Up Party the crush pad will be busy producing another fantastic vintage from the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

A Summer Menu

A Summer menu at Beauregard Vineyards

Summer gardens are planted. Grape vines are in full vigor. Here at Beauregard Vineyards we enjoy the long daylight hours by feasting and drinking. Bonny Doon is gifted with an unparalleled microclimate within the Santa Cruz Mountains. It sits above the fog, warmed by abundant sun and cooled by the coast at night. It is a special spot along the California Coast that knows what the Good LIfe is. This became pretty clear to me last weekend during a celebration when Ryan manned the grill. I wanted to share our menu to give a little inspiration for your next BBQ.  

This all started a few weeks back when a deer was caught taking advantage of the fresh green foliage of Zayante Vineyard. Unfortunately this is not an uncommon occurrence in vineyards here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. At the Beauregard Ranch we first tried herding them out, but, when all else fails… venison makes a delectable pairing with Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

 

l'apéritif

We started with a sangria by opening 2 bottles of our 2012 dry-style Riesling and 2 bottles of our 2011 late harvest Riesling. We then added choice brandy, fresh picked red fruit (raspberry and strawberry) and mint from the garden. 

Drink this sangria while the sun is still high and you need a light refreshing beverage. The mint is the key ingredient here, lifting it into the perfect summer drink.

 

le plat du jour

  We had two legs of venison, a birthday, and Father’s Day that all came together to kickoff the summer season. The venison soaked in salt brine for 10 days and marinated in Coast Grade Pinot Noir with a saffron rub. Smoked for 12 hours with oak and madrone. The meat was juicy, smoky, and full of flavor.

Living off the land like this is a privilege not enough people enjoy.  

 

plat principal 

  The main attraction was the pork rib in the homemade raspberry barbecue sauce. Our raspberries were delicious and bountiful this year. We started to harvest the bush early in the morning and ended up with nearly 5 pounds of fruit. While in the garden we also pulled organic garlic and onion. Once in the kitchen we put everything in a food processor and added brown sugar, paprika, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Liquefied. This was transferred to the stove stop to reduce for four hours as Ryan carefully crafted the perfect sauce.

 

 

vins de terroir

The meats were done. The sun was setting. It was time to open the reds. The 2005’s were the all-stars. Personally, I have been dying to try the Beauregard Vineyards 2005 Syrah Zayante Vineyard, with silky tannins and intense deep red fruits. This wine has a leathery complexity that tied perfectly into the raspberry sauce and the ribs.

Next was the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Beauregard Ranch which finished with beautiful floral lavender. I never experienced a floral wine like this that balanced with the earthiness of the venison. 

 

Our little corner of the world is known as the Lost Weekend, and when Ryan started opening up the Pinots, Zinfandel and the magnums I​ knew that getting lost could happen all too easily. But that is what summer is. Evenings that stumble into stars with laughter as Bacchus watches over us from the fire. 

July 4th is just around the corner. Before you fire up the grill check what you have in the garden and make sure the cellar is full. Be inspired by the abundance we have around us. Bon Appétit!