Bacon Freak

After doing some wine tasting this past week I was on my way home on the 46 highway in Paso Robles when I saw up on the hill a very pretty adobe style looking building that said, “Wine tasting.” I hadn’t heard of this winery and it wasn’t on any of my maps, but the architecture and color reminded me of some of the buildings that I saw on a recent trip to visit some friends in Santa Fe New Mexico. Curiosity got the best of me so I made the u-turn and drove up the hill. Well I was right, there was definitely a southwestern theme to this building. It even had cacti out front. I walked into the tasting room and was greeted by Joe and Barbara Rosilez who are the parents to the winemaker Joe Rosilez.

The tasting room was very nice. It had two very large beautiful Indian looking tapestries hanging on the wall behind the bar. The tasting bar was very spacious and unlike most tasting rooms who want you in and out, they had leather couches that you could sit on, kick back and relax. The environment was very relaxing.

Not being familiar with any of their wines, temptation got the best of me and I tasted all their wines. Everything from the viognier, chardonnay, sangiovese, zinfandel, petite sirah, pinot noir and dessert wines. Overall I was satisfied with their wines. I went ahead and picked up a case of the zinfandel as a test to see what our wine club members think of it as I think it could be a great addition to the Coastal Vineyards Wine Club. I learned that the profit from the dessert wines goes to their two kids college fund. I enjoyed it and if you are in the area buy a bottle it goes to a great cause.

On a side note I spent about two hours talking with Joe. It’s funny how it’s such a small world. It turns out that he and I have some friends in common that have nothing to do with wine. We talked a little about everything and got to know each other in the process. I can say this, the next time you are in Paso Robles on the 46 east, make sure you stop by J Paul Rosilez Winery, because this family run business had some of the friendliest people I have met in along time. Salud!

To here this audio click the following link: J Paul Rosizlez Story

Cheers,

Rocco Loosbrock
www.cvwine.com

As I mentioned this past week, August 30th was International Bacon Day. For many of our newest bacon freaks this was their first celebration of this food holiday. Several websites hosted parties and events aimed at making this event the best ever! We were contacted by so many of our loyal “Baconeers” who asked us for bacon recommendations and recipe pairings and the like. It was our single largest donation of our Bacon is Meat Candy T-shirts; over 100 in total were given to Bacon Freaks who choose to celebrate this day!

One of the parties closest to my home was planned by The Royal Bacon Society folks. They hosted a party that featured Bacon Freak Bacon and our swag. I spoke with Marianne the founder of this site and she said that, “We prepared several pounds of bacon in various forms and recipes, and I’m here to tell you…there was no bacon left at the end of the day.” Her fellow “Bacon-istas” reviewed Rocco’s Sun-Dried Tomato Bacon and they picked it as the favorite of the day for texture and sheer deliciousness of bacon. She said, “Every time I turned around someone was asking me what it was and where I got it.”

To document this day we were sent several pictures in which I would like to share with you. My favorite picture is of the Dog named Brutus. He definitely showed that he has a love of bacon! Their must have been several injuries in that dog fight as several people had to use the bacon bandages to protect their wounds. If you missed this bacon day, be sure to get prepared for the next as the parties and events will be bigger and better then ever.

Click the following link to listen to this story. intl-bacon-day-follow-up

Signing off and pigging out
Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock
www.baconfreak.com

In a recent episode of the popular TV food show hosted by Rick Bayless called, “Mexico – One plate at a time.” Rick and his daughter Lanie prepare a traditional style Mexican brunch. The meal comes complete with Chorizo and Chile Omelets. Rick refers to the chorizo as the “Bacon of Mexico”. He also makes Chilaquiles in a chicken broth with shredded chicken, sour cream and crispy tortilla chips. The meal is complemented with a traditional Café de Olla, which Rick makes with a French press. Finally for dessert they make a caramelized Mango Tart with Mexican Chocolate and Pepitas which is basically a fruit tart in pastry crust. It looked absolutely wonderful and the recipe is available for you below.

What was most exciting about this episode for all the loyal bacon freaks out there is that Rick Bayless wore our Bacon Is Meat Candy T-shirt! I guess we know that Rick loves bacon and I assume that we will see several episodes in the future with Boss Hog Bacon Freak Bacon as the star.

For your eating pleasure: Caramelized Mango Tart with Mexican Chocolate and Pepitas

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 small ripe—but not over-ripe—mangos, peeled, flesh cut from the pits, cut into 3/4-inch slices.
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 3-ounce round of Mexican chocolate (Ibarra brand is readily available), roughly chopped
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1/3 cup toasted, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup almond butter (look for it in natural foods stores or sections of your grocery store)
1/2 of a 1-pound package puff pastry

Serves 10

Directions:
1. Caramelize the mangos. In a large (12-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When it begins to brown, add the mangos. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes until the fruit releases its juice. Sprinkle the sugar over the mango and continue stirring frequently until all the liquid has evaporated and the mango has begun to caramelize, about 4 minutes. Cool.

2. Make the chocolate-pepita filling. Turn on the oven to 400 degrees and position the rack in the middle. Scoop the 2 chocolates into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, then add the pepitas and continue pulsing until they, too, are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, then scrape in the almond butter. Process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

3. Bake the tart. Unroll the puff pastry. (If you are using the widely available Pepperidge Farms puff pastry, the sheet will be 10×10 inches; if yours isn’t, cut it to that size.) Cut into 2 rectangles 5 x 10 inches each and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spread the chocolate mixture over the puff pastry, leaving a full 1-inch border all around. Top with the cool mango slices in an even layer. Bake until the pastry is richly brown and mango richly caramelized, about 25 minutes.

Click the following link to listen to the audio: The Bacon of Mexico

Signing off and pigging out
Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock
www.baconfreak.com

Hello wine fans, recently I attended a wine event hosted by the Thousand Oaks Rotary Club that was in support of the Ventura County Special Olympics. The rotary has put on this event for the past 6 years and has typically raised in excess of $100,000 for this charity. This year’s event was at the very beautiful Westlake Village Inn and was appropriately called “A Midsummer Eve of Wine and Arts.”

As a special guest I was granted access to the barrel room and was able to meet several former Olympic athletes including Rafer Johnson, Peter Carruthers and Terry Schroder. Rafer won the gold medal in the 1960 decathlon. Peter won the silver medal in the 1984 Olympics in skating and he can be seen on ABC or ESPN on a regular basis. Finally Terry Schroeder won silver medals in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics and was named water polo Player of the world in 1981 and 1985. I was happy to see these Olympians show up as I have some family members who are mentally disabled, one of which competed in the Special Olympics in the early 1980’s.

Over 500 people attended this year’s event to taste wine and see the various art displays. Over 30 area wineries showed up to pour and sample their wines. The standout winery of the event was Cobblestone Wines. Cobblestone is owned by P.J. Ochlan and is wife. I first met P.J. about 5 years ago when he and I were pouring wines at an event together. I recall someone at that event who tasted one of his wines said that it was just o.k – average at best. I was shocked by this comment and had to say this is one of the best wines I have tasted in a long while. P.J. then boasted a big smile and pulled out of his bag that his small production wine just received an impressive Wine Spectator rating. P.J. is a true winemaker, one who focuses on quality, not ratings which he proved that day by holding back his ratings as he wants those who try them to like them for the quality and attributes of the wine itself.

P.J. makes 2 standout wines that are exceptional. The first is the 2006 Arroyo Seco Chardonnay. This wine is made entirely from the fruit grown on the Laden family Vineyard in Monterey County. This wine has a very interesting profile, you can taste toasted coconut, popcorn and pineapple. The palate will also bring out tangerine flavors as well. A range of citrus continues through a long, dry finish alongside spice and oak tannin. The structure and balance make for an elegant and extremely versatile food-pairing wine. If you are a chardonnay fan who has a palate that demands the best, this is a chardonnay you can’t pass up on and deserves a place in your home cellar.

The second wine is the 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine shows a deep red color. It has aromas of cherry cola, berries, black pepper, anise and sandalwood. Your Palate is greeted by cranberry, vanilla bean and almond and the vibrant finish displays dry oak tannins. This wine pairs well with a variety of meats. I personally enjoyed a bottle of this wine with steak and lobster in our backyard over the barbeque this past week. I highly recommend that if you like big, bold cabs, this is one to try!

The Ventura County Special Olympics provides year-round training and competition for more than 700 special needs children and adults with varying degrees of ability. It’s sports in its truest sense; the goal is not to win, but to try - to experience, but not to conquer. All earn an award, a cheer and a sincere “well done.”

Click the following link to here the audio of this blog: special-olympic-wine-tasting

Cheers,

Rocco Loosbrock
www.cvwine.com

Recently a new movie has come on to the scene that will rock the wine industry much like the famous cult classic Sideways did. This new movie is called Bottle Shock. Bottle Shock stars Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chirs Pine, Freddy Rodriguez, Rachel Taylor, Dennis Farina and Eliza Dushku

The movie is based upon a true story that sent the wine industry into a tizzy when an American winery out tasted the exalted French wines of the time and put California wines on the map for good. Bottle Shock charts the events that lead up to the infamous ‘Judgment of Paris’ wine tastings, told through the lives of father and son, Jim and Bo Barrett. A former real estate attorney, Jim sacrificed everything to realize his dream of creating the perfect hand-crafted chardonnay. His business, however, is struggling, and he’s not only trying to overcome differences with his slacker son, but is also fighting off the creditors. Meanwhile in Paris, unwitting British wine shop owner Steven Spurrier hopes to revive his own failing business by sponsoring a competition which will pit the traditional French powerhouse against the California upstarts. Little did Steven and Jim realize that they were both on course to change the history of wine forever.

This movie is a must see for any wine fan!

Oh by the way Bottle Shock is an actual wine term that is a temporary condition of wine characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are shaken in travel. After several months the condition usually disappears.
Specifically, bottle-shock is caused by excessive oxygen introduction during the latter stages of the winemaking process. It may result in a one-dimensional flavor profile.

Click the following link to listen to this story. bottle-shock

Cheers,
Rocco Loosbrock
www.cvwine.com
www.baconfreak.com