The Williamson family has farmed in this valley for 4 generations and have relied on our native pollinators for the health and success of our orchards and vineyards. Help us help Pollinator Partnership in their mission to promote the health of pollinators (not just Honey Bees) through conservation, education and research. 100% of your donation goes to Pollinator Partnership. This promotion lasts until March 31st.
For more information about Pollinator Partnership go to pollinator.org.
It’s that time of year again. Time for your homemade cranberry sauce. We’d love you to try this Williamson family recipe at your next family gathering.
Cranberry Sauce with Doce
12 oz. cranberries
Zest and juice of 2 Oranges
1/2 cup Doce
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Add all ingredients to a medium size and heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil, lower the temperature and simmer until thickened, approximately 10 minutes or until most of the berries have burst. Taste and add Doce and/or sugar to taste. Mixing well after any additions and make sure the sugar has dissolved.
A great article by Travel & Leisure on how the wineries of the Sunnyslope Wine Trail shines!
Wine-Balsamic Glazed Steak
Treat yourself to a quick, bistro-quality entree. Williamson’s 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is fantastic in this glaze because the cherry notes of the wine are intensified by the bright acidity from the balsamic vinegar. By sauteing the mushrooms in honey and soy sauce you are boosting the umami flavors of this dish. This is a simple and elegant meal that will impress your friends and family.
Ingredients:
2 tsp. cooking oil
1 lb. boneless beef top loin or top sirloin, cut 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
3/4 cup red wine (like our Cabernet Sauvignon)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tsp. honey
2 tbsp. butter
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-heavy heat until very hot. Add steak(s). Do not add any liquid and do not cover the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 to 13 minutes, depending on how rare/well you like your steak, turning meat occasionally. (145°F for medium-rare or 160°F for medium-well.) Transfer meat to platter; keep warm.
Heat cooking oil in a medium skillet. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook for 10 seconds. Remove skillet from heat. Carefully add wine to de-glaze the pan. Return to heat. Simmer the wine uncovered, about 5 minutes, or until it’s reduced. Add mushrooms, vinegar, soy sauce, and honey: return to simmer. Cook and stir about 4 minutes or until mushroom are tender. Stir in butter until melted. Spoon over steak. Makes 4 servings. Start to finish: 30 min.
4 bottles of 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon for $80 (plus tax) – that’s a $20 savings!
Fall is finally here! Fall means cooler temperature and heartier foods. The rich fruit flavors and the solid tannin structure of a Cabernet lends itself to slow cooked meats, roasted vegetables, as well some richer fall-time desserts. So, whether you are pouring a celebratory glass of wine at a football game tail-gate or sipping wine with friends by the fireside, Cabernet Sauvignon is a good wine to have on hand! Be sure to pick up a 4-Pack of Williamson’s 2013 Cabernet to sip on this fall!
Calling all Soup Lovers!
Do you have a killer recipe for clam chowder? Is your minestrone mind blowing? Is your goulash great at parties? If so, we want to feature your culinary creation at our annual soup contest! We are looking for a few soup savants who are willing to submit their signature soup to be judged during our Fall Barrel Tasting Weekend, November 24 – 26th. We limit it to three soups per day and wine tasting guests will sample each soup and vote for their favorite. The creator of the top-rated soup for each day goes home with a bottle of Williamson wine! Let us know which day you would like to enter (Nov. 24th, 25th or 26th) and the type of soup you will be bringing. Deadline to enter is November 10th.
Years ago we had hired a food truck to come out and cook for our guests during one of our biggest weekends of the year. Tragedy struck and the food truck had to back out last minute. Gasp! However, our amazing staff said “Never fear!” and offered to cook some soups to sooth and warm the hungry crowd. Naturally, a little friendly competition bubbled up when guests started naming their favorite soups. The following year the staff started taking “official” votes to see whose soup was superior. Over the years family, friends and wine club members have offered to get in on the fun!
Please email us at wine@willorch.com or call the tasting room (208) 459-7333 to sign up your favorite soup!
Any Idaho agricultural story, even a story about wine, has to begin with potatoes. The state turns out 13 billion pounds of spuds a year. Go ahead, read it again if you have to: 13 billion pounds.
Idaho aggies are big on barley, plums, onions, beets and mint too. They don’t call it the Gem State for nothing; the place has good growing soil, and for close to 50 years, a small portion of it has been dedicated to growing commercial wine grapes. Idaho’s climate is well suited for such a crop, and most of it grows at relatively high elevation, somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 feet. The state enjoys long, sunny days (for ripening) and cool high-altitude nights (for retaining acidity). Daily temperature shifts of 40 degrees are not out of the question in some vineyard locations.
Idaho vineyards date to the 1860s, even before grapes were planted next door in Washington and Oregon. (If you don’t have a map in front of you, Idaho’s western edge forms the entire eastern borders of both of those coastal states.) Prohibition put an end to the first phase of the Idaho wine industry, and it was not until the 1970s that it picked up where it left off. So Idaho has a young and small wine industry, with many miles to go before it achieves the success of its neighbors. But the state known for potatoes is also turning out some good wines these days.
There are three overall wine regions in Idaho (North, Southwest and Southeast), and in 2007, the state’s first official appellation, the Snake River Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area), was established. It stretches across 8,000 square miles, even crossing the state line and creeping into Oregon, and is home to 1,125 acres of Idaho vineyards. Idaho’s second appellation, Eagle Foothills AVA, was established in 2015, and the third, Lewis-Clark Valley AVA, came into being in May 2016. About three-fourths of that appellation is in Idaho, and the rest lies across the border in eastern Washington.
Don’t let roadwork keep you from visiting Idaho WineriesWe encourage you to read this great article and filmed interview by the Idaho Statesmen on Williamson’s winery as well as others in the Valley.
It’s a good time to be a fan of Idaho wine.
Gem State winemakers produced two best-of-class awards and 11 gold medals at this spring’s international Cascadia Wine Competition in Hood River, Ore. And with spring in full bloom, Treasure Valley residents and tourists alike are making the tasting rounds.
Alas, the proposed weekend lane reductions on Interstate 84 between Nampa and Caldwell for resurfacing work mean it may take wine lovers from the Boise area more time to reach the Sunnyslope Wine District. Both the eastbound and westbound lanes on the stretch between Franklin Boulevard and Franklin Road will be repaved by the Idaho Transportation Department, and the bulk of the work is expected to take place over four weekends. Those dates haven’t been set yet. There will be some additional overnight work on I-84 as well as roadwork on some other southern Idaho routes this summer.