R&B Cellars Blue Note Newsletter - February/March 2011

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R&B Cellars Blue Note Newsletter

February 2011

R&B Cellars is Alameda's largest family-owned winery. Since 1997, R&B Cellars has grown from 230 to 12,000 cases produced annually across eight varietals.

Tasting Room

It really is coming soon! The opening of our brand new Tasting Room.

Stay tuned. We'll let know as soon as we know.

A cooperative of nine wineries.

First flight is free!

2301 Monarch Street

(Alameda Point Vintners@ Rock Wall Wine Co. on the old Naval Air Base)

CURRENT HOURS:

Thursday - Sunday, 12pm-6pm

Come and enjoy the

Urban Wine Country

Experience

Don't forget the killer view!

Seasoned Duck with Cherries, paired with R&B Cellars 2008 Pizzicato Petite Sirah

Ingredients:

2 5-to 6-ounce duck breast halves or one 12-to 16-ounce duck breast half
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled butter, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 large)
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
8 halved pitted sweet red cherries, fresh or frozen, thawed
2 tablespoons Port (R&B's Cellars Fortissimo "Port" Dessert Wine comes to mind)
1 tablespoon orange blossom honey

Preparation:

Place duck breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound lightly to even thickness (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch). Discard plastic wrap. Using sharp knife, score skin in 3/4-inch diamond pattern (do not cut into flesh). DO

AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle duck with salt and pepper. Add duck, skin side down, to skillet and cook until skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn duck breasts over, reduce heat to medium, and cook until browned and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes longer for small breasts and 8 minutes longer for large breast for medium-rare.

Transfer to work surface, tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add shallot to skillet and stir over medium heat 30 seconds. Add broth, cherries, Port, and honey. Increase heat to high and boil until sauce is reduced to glaze, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon cold butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice duck. Fan slices out on plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

Enjoyment:

Crack open a bottle of R&B's 2008 Pizzicato Petite Sirah, pour, and enjoy!

2011 SF Chronicle Wine Competition

2008 Pizzicato Petite Sirah DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL

2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

GOLD MEDAL

Fortissimo "Port" Dessert Wine

SILVER MEDAL

BTI Logo

2011 BTI World Wine Championships

2008 Pizzicato Petite Sirah

GOLD MEDAL - 92 POINTS

"EXCEPTIONAL"

Links

R&B Cellars

Blog

Store

East Bay Vintner's Alliance

Photos

Barbara and Marti in Taos for the Winter Wine Festival

Wine and Food

A lovely spread indeed

K&B Nice Barbara & Kevin at a Can Do MS Fund Raiser in Reno, NV earlier this month

R&B Cellars

Home of the Wine that Swings!

Table of Contents

(Click on the links below and you will jump the respective sections)

News and Notes
Upcoming Events & Tastings
Specials
From the Winemakers
Recipe
Photos
Social Media

News & Notes

Host an R&B Cellars Home Wine Tasting Party!

As a host, you get a 40% discount on your wine purchases!

Call us for details: (510) 749-8477 / or go online by clicking here.

View R&B's awards here

Donate to Can Do MS & win R&B wine!! ~ Help us empower the lives of those living with MS

Can Do MS is a wonderful charity that is near and dear to our hearts as we both have family members who struggle with this disease. Can Do MS boasts a five-star charity rating, which means that 85% of every dollar donated goes right to the incredible programs that help those living with MS.

R&B Cellars has been the National Wine Sponsor for this organization for the last six years, and a member of the fund-raising "Team R&B", raising close to $200,000.

Donate just $5 and your name is entered in a raffle to win a mixed case of the award-winning R&B wines worth $450! Donate more and up your chances; for every $5 you donate we'll add another ticket with your name on it to the raffle.

Read more about this amazing foundation.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Upcoming Events & Tastings

SFOS Logo

Thursday, March 3rd, 6:30-10pm

The Pacific Orchid Exposition and Wine Tasting

Experience the 59th Orchid Expo while tasting your favorite

R&B wines.

Location:Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, SF

Cost: $35 advance/online and $40 at the door

Click here to buy tickets

Thursday, March 3rd, 6 - 9pm

De La Salle Bacchanalia ~ A Taste of De La Salle

17 wineries and 10 restaurants, live music, boutique shopping, silent auctions. Funds raised support the student activities at Da La Salle High School.

De LA Salle High School, 1130 Winton Drive, Concord, CA

Tickets are $40 ~ Register online at www.dishs.org

Saturday and Sunday, March 5th & 6th

Can Do Vertical Express for MS

Team R&B, and several other fund-raising teams converge on the mountain: Ski races, mountain scavenger hunts, prizes and more. Proceeds from the event go directly to the programs that help those living with MS.

Location: Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe

Click here to find out more

EBVA Logo

Saturday, April 2nd from 12-5pm

Passport to the East Bay Wine Trail

Over 20 wineries will be pouring their wares at multiple locations from Berkeley to Oakland to Alameda. A Passport ticket allows you to each of the six locations in the East Bay, an assortment of appetizers and a souvenir glass with the EBVA logo.

Location: 5 locations throughout the East Bay (TBA)

Cost: $40 Click here for tickets and more info

*For additional information, please email info@rbcellars.com

or call (510) 749-8477.

2007 Swingsville Zinfandel Special

It's going fast so get your zin now!!

$99/case

(12 bottles)

Offer available thru March 15th

Buy at the Tasting Room or at the R&B office.

www.rbcellars.com

From the Winemakers

Petite Sirah turns 50

Winter has struck with a vengeance in many parts of the country but don't despair. There is a wonderful wine that will keep you warm and happy on those dreary cold wet nights. February is the month we celebrate Petite Sirah. The PS I Love You crowd holds their annual "Dark and Delicious" event during February and it was a roaring success with a totally sold out event, great food and of course, copious amounts of Petite Sirah. Over 45 wineries poured their Petites at the event, which was held in Alameda at our facility on the old Naval Air Station that we share with 8 other wineries. Lots of fun and purple stained teeth was had by the 800 attendees.

But Petite Sirah is not just for those cold winter nights. Petite Sirah is for anytime. If you are in the mood for big, powerful and mouth filling (who isn't in the mood for that?), Petite Sirah should be on your short list of wines to enjoy. Lots of dark black berry flavors with hints of blueberry, spice and earth tones. Any cut of beef or game and spicy foods are the perfect match for this wine.

Petite Sirah is actually a hybrid of Syrah and Peloursin. There is not much Peloursin left in the world but most of you know Syrah and the big beautiful wines that it makes. Petite Sirah does its parents one better. Bigger, bolder, more intensely colored with a more complex spice profile; Petite Sirah is not for the faint of heart. Our 2008 is from Bingham Ranch in Napa and just won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition.

So when you are ready to "Grip it and rip it!" open up a bottle of our Pizzicato Petite Sirah. I think you will agree that our Petite has a lot of pluck!

Read more about Petite Sirah

Click here to buy

-Kevin & Barbara Brown

Social Media

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R&B Cellars
Office: 1835 San Jose Avenue / Winery & Tasting Room: 2301 Monarch Street/ Alameda, California 94501 510-749-8477 / RBcellars.com