Russian River Valley Winegrower’s Cioppino Dinner, March 5th, 5:30 to 10 p.m.

The Crab is Back – a Russian River Valley Winegrower’s Cioppino Dinner. The wine growers and wine makers of the Russian River Valley will host a Russian River themed evening at Grace Pavilion at Sonoma County Fairgrounds on March 5th. A full array of the regions wines will be poured at 4 tasting bars, a seafood cioppino dinner with appetizers, salad and bread are on the menu. Fly casting and fly tying demonstrations, informational displays, DJ Music and a special “Tube Lounge” complete with inner-tube bar stools!

March 5th, 5:30 to 10 p.m.

$55 general admission, $520/$65 per person for table of 8

For tickets: http://www.rrvw.org/crabisback/ or 707-521-2534

J 2002 Vintage Brut Paired with Dungeness Crab with Blood Orange and Tarragon on Endive!

Crab Season Starts Today!

Act now to take advantage of complimentary shipping on our newly released 2002 Vintage Brut!

 One of the greatest culinary pleasures for those of us lucky enough to live on the Pacific Coast is the start of the Dungeness Crab season. The commercial crabbing season traditionally begins November in northern California and by all accounts, this should be a bountiful year for the tasty crustaceans.

Whether you head down to the docks yourself or buy from your local store, we should soon have a plentiful supply of this delicacy. And regardless whether you prefer it plain on a salad, with clarified butter and lemon or in any number of delicious recipes (see below), there is one wine that always works with crab: J Sparkling Brut!

2002 J Vintage Brut, Russian River Valley

The 2002 J Brut has a bright, exotic nose with hints of pear and citrus followed by coconut, spice and yeasty aromas. The slight nutty and toasty notes lend a nice balance to the fruit. Delicate bubbles lift the complex flavors across your palate and lead into a long, lush finish.

We are also glad to note that Charles Olken of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, the oldest review of California wine, recently awarded our 2002 Vintage Brut 95 points and three "puffs".

To celebrate the start of crab season, we are offering complimentary shipping on any purchase of four bottles or more of our 2002 Vintage Brut. Simply call us at 707-431-5479 or go to our web site and enter the coupon code 02VB4 at checkout to take advantage of this offer. For those of you who live nearby, we have added a "pick up at winery" shipping option to our web site. If you prefer to stop by and pick up your wine, we would love to share a glass with you at the winery.

Featured Recipe:

Dungeness Crab with Blood Orange and Tarragon on Endive

This is a fairly minimalist recipe that balances the sweetness of the crab meat with the zippy citrus notes of the blood orange and the earthiness of the endive.

Ingredients:

1 cup Crab Meat

¼ cup Watermelon Radish, grated

2 teaspoons Blood Orange zest, blanched

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Blood Orange juice

2 teaspoons Tarragon, finely chopped

Pinch of salt

20 Endive spears

2 tablespoons Parsley, finely chopped for garnish

Method:

Combine all ingredients and serve on endive spears.

Sprinkle with chopped parley for garnish.

Serve with 2002 J Vintage Brut

Recipe Courtesy of J Executive Chef, Mark E. Caldwell