Memorial Day weekend looms ahead and May for many areas of the country (including Napa Valley) has been fraught with cooler temperatures and lingering rain.   Yet this week most of the country has suddenly been gripped with steamy hot summerlike temperatures and even Napa is hurrying to join such weather festivities and anticipating quickly reaching into the upper 70’s this weekend.   This type of weather is fitting for Memorial Day weekend.  Summer does not officially arrive for another three weeks and yet for many folks, Memorial Day weekend represents the anticipation of longer days, warmer temperatures, backyard barbeques and overall relaxation.  In other words, this weekend symbolizes the concept of “almost summer”.

Nearly all of these above described images hang in the recesses of everyone’s mind and for some the imagery of glimmering sunlight on tree leaves or the memory of the gentle brush of a warm summer breeze seems almost real.   Nearly everyone will catch himself or herself following one of these summer memories momentarily searching for any sign of summer in his or her immediate surroundings.   And when one does find that breathless hint of all summer goodness ready to unfold, a summerlike wine should be within ready grasp to share. 

Casa Nuestra Winery (“Casa Nuestra”), located along the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley outside of St. Helena, is a small, historic family-owned winery that is a favorite among locals and known for small productions of diverse, quality, hand-crafted wines.   Wine at Casa Nuestra is crafted in a highly personalized way which is reminiscent of how wine historically was made in Napa Valley.  To visit is a treat and with luck you will encounter Gene Kirkham himself in the tasting room genuinely regaling guests with the history of his vines, grapes and wine.  

Among the bevy of wines to taste and explore this year is a beautiful dry Rosado made from organic estate-grown Cabernet Franc grapes, the “2009 Rosado”.    In years past, the Rosado has been released to wine club members only, but this year it has been available for purchase in the tasting room to visiting guests.   With one sip of the 2009 Rosado, one’s favorite summer images flood forward.   The nose is enchanting with aromas of fresh strawberries and melon.   Chilled, the 2009 Rosado reminds one of a strawberry ice in that it is delightfully sweet but due to its dry nature is refreshingly cool.  Allowing the wine to warm while sitting on a sunny back patio, it opens to reveal sweet strawberry but gives way to honeydew melon sprinkled with ginger spice.   With its light clean summer fruit and dash of spice, the wine has a simple depth with an appropriate dash of crispness to refresh the palate on an otherwise depleting hot summer day.   Even with summer yet to formally arrive, opening a bottle of Casa Nuestra’s 2009 Rosado now is an enthusiastic companion for “almost summer” celebrations.

As discussed last summer, rosés in general are not created equal.   The grape used to make the rosé, the method of making rosé, and whether it is dry or semi-sweet will greatly influence the pairing suggestions for a rosé (please reference earlier posted article, “Time for Wine? Roll Out the Rosés!” for a more technical discussion).   Nevertheless, rosés should not be anticipated as intimidating.  Instead, rosés are frequently fun wines which give the palate great latitude to identify which fruit flavors it experiences.   Given the dry nature of Casa Nuestra’s 2009 Rosado and its penchant for strawberry and honeydew melon, these characteristics determined this week’s recommended pairing:

1)      Seafood Salad Mini Croissant Sandwiches;

2)     Pea Salad Mini Croissant Sandwiches; and

3)     Mini Phyllo-Cheesecakes.

Since this week includes a long holiday weekend which represents the start of “summer” for so many, I also found it fitting that this week’s menu should host food that can be served in a “small plates” fashion which can be used to entertain in an easy utensil-free picnic or backyard gathering.

Given that the garden has started to produce, it is also time to once again demonstrate sustainability by using home-grown seasonal produce whenever possible.  Collecting the first ripe pickling cucumber, fresh dill and chives from the garden, a refreshing seafood salad would complement the 2009 Rosado.   Adding some minced water chestnuts and creating a near guilt-free creamy dressing, all of the other ingredients along with some imitation crab were gently folded in.

Collecting fresh spring peas and a garden-grown sweet onion, I decided to reproduce my mother’s Pea Salad which included chopped Virginia ham, cheddar cheese, hard-boiled egg and a homemade dressing.

To serve, I decided to make these utensil-free by serving them in mini-croissants from a local bakery but only after picking a variety of sweet and semi-sweet lettuces from my garden.   Growing lettuce is easy to do and once you have, you cannot fathom returning to store-bought lettuce.  The flavors are so vibrant and clean that even the pickiest “non-lettuce” guest will convert.

Finally to put together a simple but decadently divine dessert, Mini Phyllo-Cheesecakes were created and topped with blueberries from the patio and slices of fresh strawberries from the garden.

To serve for entertaining, platters can easily be prepared with sandwiches and dessert to serve guests and create a simple relaxed affair where summer daydreaming can effortlessly abound.

The 2009 Rosado has not been forgotten as it pairs breathlessly with each menu item.   The Seafood Salad sandwiches are light and refreshing as the seafood is the perfect accompaniment to the chilled strawberry notes and the cucumber deliciously accentuates the wine’s notes of honeydew melon.    Taking the wine with the Pea Salad, the smokiness of the ham gives hints that this rosé will pair easily at barbeques also.   The sweetness of the peas is an ideal companion to the naturally sweet notes of the fruit in the wine, yet the sweet onion and cheddar cheese flirt with the wine’s hint of ginger spice.   The Pea Salad actually flushes out the extravert in the 2009 Rosado and accentuates its depth. 

The wine, decidedly light and crisp, also presents well with dessert.  When one pops a Mini Phyllo-Cheesecake into the mouth, fresh fruit bursts forward as it mingles with sweet cheesecake filling.  Followed by a sip of the 2009 Rosado, strawberry notes dance and the wine sets forth a crisp, clean lingering finish which refreshes.   My guests unanimously agreed that the only problem with these is that they beg for one more.   However, for those who are looking for the quintessential one-bite guiltless dessert, barring erosion of self-discipline, this is the dessert for you.

Light, fanciful and carefree is Casa Nuestra’s 2009 Rosado.   Sipping in the sun with guests on a late May afternoon, smiles broaden, shoulders relax, and flip-flop attired feet raise onto tables and cross; all in symbolism of summer yet to come.