Our Wine Club Members will get a sneak peek of the event at our Pick Up Party the Friday night before the weekend, along with the first tastes of our new 2011 Sangiovese Rosé.

We’ll be pouring the first tastes of the latest vintage 2011 Sangiovese Rosé (just bottled!) and the talented family of cooks at Guantonio’s will be here serving up small bites to pair.

Again this year, the night will be a sneak peek of the weekend’s photography exhibit.  Our good friends Fatima Donaldson, Serena Lissy and Brenda Lindstrom will be showcasing a wide selection of their most recent photography in our cellar.  All graduates of the Rocky Mountain School of Photograpy, look forward to some amazing shots.

We hope you can join us – pick up some Rosé for you and your Valentine to sip while you admire your new photography piece hanging on your wall!

If any Wine Club Members need discounted Wine & Chocolate tickets, see here for all the info.

RSVP Required
Spring Wine Club Pick Up Party
LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards (map)
February 10th, 2012
5 – 8pm

Exclusive to our members are discounted $35 tickets to Lodi’s Wine & Chocolate Weekend, February 11th and 12th.  Regular price is $45 in advance and $55 that weekend.

To order, email me before February 5th how many you would like and whether you prefer to pick them up at our winery or have me mail them.  We’ll charge your credit card on file and email a receipt.

We have another year of exciting things planned for Wine & Chocolate – stay tuned for all the details!

Thanks to Jeff Namba, Bruce Kaiser and Jim Quaschnick Jr for their great shots included in the slideshow.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyeyRTx9GGM

Take a look at the week’s schedule and get your seat saved for one of these events!

Monday, December 5th

Wine Dinner – Dragonfly Hotel Zaza, Dallas
Featuring the Redneck Sommelier and chef Dan Landsberg with Twin Brad Lange
See the Menu
$95pp
Call for Reservations: (214) 550-9500

Tuesday, December 6th

Twins Lunch - Ellerbe’s, Fort Worth
BOTH Twins, Brad and Randy, will be featured with owner Richard King

Wine Dinner - Boo Ray’s, Hudson Oaks
BOTH Twins, Brad and Randy, will be signing bottles and hosting alongside Schrick’s Liquor owners Dana & Keith Schrick
See the Menu
$45pp
Call for Reservations: (817) 599-6266

Wednesday, December 7th

Wine Tasting - Grapes to Wine, Bartonville
Twin Randy will be hosting with shop owners Dan and Hazel Adams.  Chef Steven Allen pairing six of our wines with food bites
$40pp or &75 per couple
Call for Reservations: (214) 252-9801

Thursday, December 8th

Wine Tasting Meet and Greet - Chocolate Secrets and Wine Garden, Dallas
Twin Randy will be on hand presenting our wines
$27pp
Call for Reservations: (214) 252-9801

Wine Dinner - YO Steakhouse, Dallas
Twin Randy will be featuring our wines at this four course wine dinner
See the Menu
$75pp
Call for Reservations: (214) 744-3287

The Sacramento Cyclocross/Bicycling Events crew were out last week with help from Bruce and Cody Kaiser of Kinetic Cycles brainstorming ideas for the course.  This year, we had to get even more creative, since we have a large restoration project in the works on much of the winery property.

For the project, we are returning much of the open ground to native California plants, trees and shrubs but the timing this year is less than ideal (since it is absorbing lots of our prime CX racing turf!) .  By next year, the grasses should be well established and it’ll be game on.

Carpool Deal:  Save 15% at both LangeTwins and Kinetic Cycles until 12/15 when you pile in one car – we’re trying to save some parking space and also, it’s the sustainable thing to do.  Find another racer and be sure to grab a carpool coupon from one of the parking attendants when your crew arrives.

Click to enlarge

Of course there was great food and wine -- our 2008 Single Barrel Tannat released to a very energetic crowd -- but new this year were Tango dancers!

Check out all the pics in the slideshow below and be sure to join us next year.  Cheers!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1_pqkEAJDM

Releasing at our 5th Annual Wine Club Dinner on Saturday, November 12th is our newest Club Exclusive wine, the unique 2008 Single Barrel Tannat.  It is our most obscure varietal to date (very little planted in California) and of course we saved it for our Members’ Holiday Club shipment.

That same weekend we will be open for Lodi’s First Sip – a two day wine festival featuring Lodi wineries that always brings in a great group of eager tasters.  Check out the event website for all the details and ticket information.

We’ll have some cool attractions here at the winery for First Sip:

• Showcasing our big sprint to cycling – sponsoring a masters race squad, printing custom LangeTwins cycling jerseys and hosting Sacramento Cyclocross here Dec. 3rd.
• Tasting and taking pre-orders on the new vintage of our flagship wine, the 2008 Midnight Reserve.
• Serving warm paninis made with cheese from our friends at Fiscalini Farmstead.

Hope you can join us during this busy weekend.

If you’re not yet part of our Wine Club, sign up soon to save 20% on all orders as well as attend our many events throughout the year.

Cheers!

Joe Lange

If you’re a racer, be ready for a Euro-style CX course designed by the SacCX team.  They take full advantage of our varying terrain (fast concrete, tricky asphalt, sticky peanut butter mud) and run you up and down our large winegrape receiving bridge -- which you’ll be cursing at minute 40.

For the spectators and cycling fans, (and as the riders end their suffering) we’ll take good care of you. Of course, we’ll be pouring tastes of our LangeTwins wines and have them available for purchase if you find any favorites.

We’ll also have Lodi’s own Guantonio’s Wood Fired Cuisine here making some of their famous thin crust pizzas for breakfast (add an egg!) and lunch.

Hope we have a big crowd at this family-friendly event.  Join us!

Here is the slideshow from last year’s race.  It was a gooey one…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJg4WMXoILY

Exclusive to our Wine Club Members, this night marks the release of our 2008 Single Barrel Tannat.  Our Single Barrel wines have sold out very quickly in the past and are crafted and available solely for our members.  Not yet a Club Member?

Please RSVP soon by emailing tammie@langetwins.com or calling her at 209.334.9780.

Click to enlarge

5th Annual Wine Club Dinner
Saturday, November 12th, 2011
6:30pm at the Winery
$80 per person
Dress for the cellar…and tango! 

Our 5th Annual Wine Club Dinner is slated for Saturday, November 12th this year.  We moved the date back to post-harvest (versus the July Luau last year) for a few reasons, most importantly to give our winemakers some more time to craft 2011′s Wine Club Only wine, the 2008 Single Barrel Tannat.

See below for all the details – you’ll also receive this in printed form in your Fall Wine Club Selection.

Have you registered your RSVP for the August 6th Pick Up Party at Thai Spices yet?)

Click for larger version

]]> http://www.langetwins.com/blog/wine-club/2011/07/27/save-the-date-5th-annual-wine-club-dinner-nov-12th/feed/ 0 http://www.langetwins.com/blog/at-the-winery/2011/07/26/wine-harvest-digital-photography-workshop-sept-15-18/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wine-harvest-digital-photography-workshop-sept-15-18 http://www.langetwins.com/blog/at-the-winery/2011/07/26/wine-harvest-digital-photography-workshop-sept-15-18/#comments Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:08:34 +0000 Joe Lange http://www.langetwins.com/blog/?p=6517 Read More →]]> Coming up soon is a really unique opportunity to brush up on your photography skills with the pros.

In the midst of harvest, we’ll be playing host to two professional (and well-traveled!) photographers, Fatima Donaldson and Serena Lissy.  They have made trips to Lodi a few times before and you have no doubt seen their work featured here on the blog, on Facebook or hanging in our winery offices.

Or you may have met them at our Photo Exhibition during 2011′s Wine and Chocolate Weekend?

Check out all the info below and then register here for the workshop.

Click for a larger version

Register here!

(We love their photos so much that we even swapped out the Pinot Noir bridge photo with one of Fatima’s!)

We’ll be pouring tastes of a few new wines including our 2010 Pinot Noir, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Sauvignon Blanc and our 2010 Moscato.  The heat of some of the Thai dishes Bun (owner and gracious host) is planning on cooking will pair especially well with the slightly sweet and frizzante Moscato.

At 5pm, after a few bites and wine tastes, we’ll have to give Bun’s restaurant back to her – so please make reservations for dinner if you plan on staying!  (209.369.8424)

This event is exclusive to Wine Club Members.  Invite your friends to join our Wine Club and attend this and all of our Club events throughout the year.

RSVP by registering here.
Thai Spices, Lodi  (map)
Saturday, August 6th
2 – 5pm
Light appetizers and wine tasting

*For those out of town/state/country or unable to make the party, your Club Selections will ship/have ready for pick up at the winery starting August 8th.

Find us this weekend in both parts of the state – we are splitting duties between the mountains and beach!  Rough, right?

Kendra’s heading to the Sierras this weekend for the 10th Annual Art, Wine & Classical Guitar Music Festival both Saturday and Sunday at Squaw Valley.  Tasting comes with a commemorative wine glass for a $25 dollar donation to the Disabled Sports USA: Far West Division. 

Saturday and Sunday, July 16 – 17

Concerts start at 11am
Tasting from 2 – 5pm
Squaw Valley Village

I’d heading down to the Central Coast for the California Wine Festival in Santa Barbara.  Check out the schedule below for our three-day tour – I’ll be pouring different wines at each event.

Thursday, July 14

Old Spanish Nights! (Tapas, Flamenco/Spanish dance and music)
6:30 – 9pm
Historic De La Guerra Adobe Courtyard, Downtown Santa Barbara

Friday, July 15

Sunset Rare & Reserve Wine Tasting
6:30 – 9pm
Chase Palm Park Pavilion

Saturday, July 16

Beachside Wine Festival
11:30 – 4pm
Chase Palm Park

We’re helping them celebrate the completion of their big construction project – they added a beautiful back patio surrounded by garden boxes and most recently built even larger vegetable boxes and an outside waiting area to accommodate their loyal patrons.

In the restaurant world, owners Jim and Annette Murdaca just get it. They’re growing as many of their own vegetables and herbs to use in their authentic Italian dishes and not many restaurants can accomplish that.

The spread from our Summer Pick Up Party at Pietro's - May 2011

I’ll be pouring tastes of our Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Make dinner reservations and come taste and dine with the Lange and Murdaca families.

Please call 209.368.0613 to make reservations.  They’re also on Facebook.

We hope you can joins us!

Our Chardonnay will be available as the selected white wine every Wednesday at the Los Gatos Town Plaza from 6:30 to 8:30pm.

The first night is tonight and continues for ten weeks – mark your calendars and be sure to sip our chilled Chard!

Here are the latest events we have on the books for the Northern California area.  Hope we’re coming to your neighborhood soon!

May 25th, 5-7pm
Malone’s Grille, Scotts Valley
Wine Down Wednesday

May 25th, 6-9pm
Pasta Pomodoro, Pleasant Hill
Casual Food and Wine Pairing

June 4th, 4-7pm
Grape Escape at Cesar Chavez Park, Sacramento
Food and Wine Festival

June 8th, 5-7pm
Thai Spices, Lodi
Wine Feature – Complimentary Tastes

June 8th, 6-9pm
Pasta Pomodoro, Novato
Casual Food and Wine Pairing

June 16th, 6-9pm
Oakdale Country Club
Oakdale Country Club Wine Dinner

June 7th, 4:30 – 7:30pm
Riverview Golf and Country Club
Stock Your Cellar Wine Tasting


Our Summer Wine Club Selection will feature our brand new 2009 Zinfandel which was just pre-released.

Owners Jim & Annette Murdaca have recently finished a new addition to the restaurant – a large outdoor patio with an arbor overhead and vegetable garden boxes throughout.  They have a few more projects in the works to make Pietro’s the premier spot to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine in Lodi.

We’ll have a few bites to pair up with our newest wine until 5pm – then sit down and let Jim and his kitchen cook dinner for you!

Exclusive to Wine Club Members.  Invite your friends to join our Wine Club and attend this and all of our Club events throughout the year.

RSVP:  joe @ langetwins.com
Pietro’s Italian Restaurant, Lodi  (map)
Saturday, May 21st
2pm to 5pm
Light appetizers and wine tasting

*For those out of town or unable to make the party, we’ll ship/have ready for pick up at the winery starting May 23rd.

This year’s party was (by far!) our largest crowd but we added more food, pulled corks on wine bottles and told the Easter bunny that we had a few additional kids joining us.

The weather cooperated much better than 2010 and we had a fantastic afternoon sipping our newest wine, the 2010 Sangiovese Rosé.

Here are a few pics:

As always, Club Members save money on ZinFest tickets when they order in advance.  This year, Club Members save $20 off the gate price!

Email me with your ticket order by May 6th.

For everything ZinFest, check out their website or Lodi Wine’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

As always, we’ll have lots going on that day:  painting, games and photos with the Easter Bunny, an outdoor BBQ and barrel tasting of exclusive wine lots for those of age.

Also, remember to bring your basket for our Egg Hunt starting at 11:30am sharp!  There will be hidden eggs for kids and adults so come prepared to search.

RSVPs are required. Please let us know all names for personalized name tags.

First time to our big Egg Hunt?  See here for pics from 2009 and 2010!

(Click to enlarge)

LangeTwins Easter Celebration
Saturday, April 23rd
11am – 2pm
Lower Sacramento Rd and Jahant Rd, Acampo
RSVPs Required: tammie@langetwins.com or 209.334.9780

It was probably the most enjoyable and unique black tie event we’ve been a part of since nearly everyone had their dogs in tow.  They had waiters offering both human and dog appetizers and separate lounges for the dogs – the evening was great but I do think they catered to the pooches more than us!

The Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe does a fantastic job of rescuing and placing dogs in the greater Tahoe area – as a dog loving family, we were proud to support and hope to be back next year.

Here are some pics from the Gala – click below to browse or view at our Facebook Page.

We’re hosting our Spring Wine Club Pick Up Party tomorrow night and showcasing the work of some talented photographers at our Professional Photo Exhibit all weekend long.

Drop by and see us!

Here’s a sneak peek of the activity in the cellar:

As I posted earlier, we’ll be giving our Club Members a sneak peek of the exhibit at our Spring Pick Up Party here at the winery on Friday, February 11th from 5-8pm.  RSVP soon.

We’re looking forward to showcasing this photography side by side with our newest wine, the 2010 Sangiovese Rosé! Hope you can join us.

(click to enlarge)

Exclusively for our Wine Club Members, we’ll be holding our Spring Wine Club Pick Up Party in the winery cellar where they’ll get the very first taste of our newest wine, the 2010 Sangiovese Rosé!

While sipping on our latest arrival, Members will also have a sneak peek of our Professional Photography Exhibit, featuring work from three photographers who visited us during Harvest 2010.

As always for our Pick Up Parties, light appetizers and complimentary wine tasting is included – all for our most loyal fans.

The photography exhibit will be open to the public during Lodi’s Wine & Chocolate Weekend, February 12th & 13th.  If you plan on visiting us and the other participating Lodi wineries, remember that our Club Members get special pricing.

LangeTwins Spring Wine Club Pick Up Party
Friday, February 11th
5 – 8pm
In the Cellar
RSVP Required email me

All three photographers are graduates of the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, Montana.

The art show will be hung in the cellar with an exclusive sneak preview on Friday night, February 11th from 5 – 8 pm for members of our Wine Club.

The exhibit will be open to the public during the Wine & Chocolate Weekend sponsored by the Lodi Woodbridge Winegrape Commission with hours on both Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm.

Fatima, Brenda, Sabrina (not attending) and Serena

Here’s a sample of some of the great shots they captured during their Harvest 2010 visit along with their bios:

Fatima Donaldson

Donaldson specializes in Macro, Lifestyle, Travel and Corporate photography and uses often times overlooked details to inspire the viewer to slow down and look at things in a different way.

www.fatimaphotography.com

Brenda Lindstrom

Lindstrom is a fine art and nature photographer with a deep love of nature and art found not only in her own Pacific Northwest backyard, but also during her travel adventures.

www.brendakayimagery.com

Serena Lissy

Lissy specializes in architectural and interior design photography and looks for the graphic lines, shapes, textures and shadows within a frame for inspiration.

www.serenalissy.com

Also, remember that this is a two-day event – $17.50 per day, for those number crunchers.

For our loyal LangeTwins Wine Club Members, send me an email by Friday, February 4th to order your tickets.  We can either mail the tickets to you or have them available at Will Call over the weekend.

We’ll be doing something really unique during Wine & Chocolate, stay tuned for the details.

Cheers!

Please come in anytime after 6:00pm and enjoy the wine dinner at your own pace – meaning when you are ready to move on to your next course, both the food and wine pairing, along with a personal explanation of the wines will be ready.  There’s no waiting on anyone.  You set the tone for your evening!

Reservations are not needed, but if you would like to secure a table, please call to reserve your table!

Pasta Pomodoro – Roseville
3984 Douglas Blvd # 110
(916) 773-4027
Saturday, January 22, 2011, 6:00pm

Below is the seasonal special menu with the wine pairing:

First Course
Insalata di Cavolini
sauteed sliced brussels sprouts with house-cured pancetta, egg, red onion and aged red wine vinaigrette
2009 Generations Viognier

or

Gnocchi Formaggi
potato dumplings with gorgonzola, fresh Belfiore mozzarella and parmesan
2009 Estate Chardonnay

Second Course
Pollo Saltimbocca
fresh chicken breast with Zoe’s Meats prosciutto, provolone and fresh sage with a porcini mushroom reduction, served with sautéed organic spinach
2007 Culinary Merlot

or

Ossobuco di Maiale
Kurobuta pork shank braised in white wine, served with fettuccine
2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Third Course
Spuma di Cioccolato
dark chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce
2006 Icon Midnight Reserve

See you there!

If you think the pictures don’t do it justice, take some creamy peanut butter, mix in water and super glue and I think you may begin to understand what the racers had to pedal through.

Thanks to those brave racers that came out to join us in the harsh conditions.  And, as always, a big thank you to Guantonio’s Wood Fired Cuisine and Coffees of Hawaii for serving up their specialities.

Until next year, have a great one!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJg4WMXoILY

For more pics of the gooey race, check out Tim Westmore’s set as well as Mike Upchurch’s Team Mad Cat set.

The morning started with a cup of joe from Coffees of Hawaii, a breakfast pizza from Guantonio’s Wood Fired Cuisine and then the races began.  As the racers finished their categories, they sipped wine and shared painful memories of the leg-burning peanut butter course!  All in a good day of racing, I suppose…

Check out the slideshow below for the highlights.  More pics can be found at Sacramento CX’s Facebook page and from Jeff Namba.

We’ll see everyone again for Race #6 on December 18th!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uZRVzG1N_A

Here are the details:

Course: Spiral of doom.  Enough said – check out the course map here.

Spectating area: Much of the action can be seen from our elevated crush bridge.  We’ve setup two large canopy tents and we’ll crowd in as many as we can if the weather turns ugly.  Remember to bring your rain gear!

Wine Tasting: We’ll be pouring tastes of our LangeTwins wines – with lots of sales going on, you can get stocked for Thanksgiving!

Food: Lodi’s own Guantonio’s Wood Fired Cuisine will be serving hot seasonal soup, 2 or 3 types of their handmade artisan pizzas (vege options avail) and even some breakfast pizzas.  You’ll want to taste what the Guantone family can do.

Coffee: Coffees of Hawaii (a big supporter of everything cycling/triathlon/Ironman) will be selling hot cups of Joe.  Choose between their Island Style Molokai or 100% Molokai Malulani Estate.

Plus, if you carpool to the race, you’ll save big on our wines and at Kinetic Cycles in Elk Grove.  Check out the deals here.

RSVP required, so call now to reserve your table!

Pasta Pomodoro – Roseville
Wednesday, November 17th at 6:00pm
$36 per person
(916) 773-4027

Check out the scrumptious menu and wine pairings below:

First Course
Zuppa di Zucca
Riverdog Farms organic roasted butternut squash soup with fresh sage, served with garlic bread

2009 Estate Chardonnay

or

Risotto Funghi
Italian carnaroli rice, crimini mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, house-cured pancetta and Marin French Farms Camembert

2007 Estate Merlot

Second Course
Maiale
Niman Ranch pork chop topped with a Point Reyes Blue Cheese sauce & Zoe’s Meats crispy bacon, served with sautéed organic spinach

2008 Generations Petite Sirah Petit Verdot

or

Snapper Scoglio
Pan roasted red snapper with manila clams, P.E.I. mussels, tomato sauce and shrimp stock, served with garlic bread

2009 Generations Pinot Noir

Third Course
Coppa Nocciola
Hazelnut gelato with chocolate sauce, fresh whipped cream and crumbled florentine cookies

2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Mark your calendars to join us (rain or shine…everyone is hoping for muddy conditions) for a full day of awesome CX racing and of course, wine tasting!

Our good friends at Guantonio’s will also be here with their wood-fired oven cooking up gourmet hand-made pizzas.

More details to follow -- here’s a video of last year’s race, as well as a slideshow.

Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGerRDfX11s

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TitjFfU9qHI

We’ll be pouring tastes of the featured wines in the Holiday Wine Club Selection which include the just-released 2009 Generations Pinot Noir.  The talented chefs at School Street Bistro are putting together a few light appetizers to pair with our wines.  We hope you can join us!

RSVP now. Space is limited.

Details
Saturday, November 6th
1-4pm
School Street Bistro, Lodi (map)
Light appetizers and complimentary tastes
RSVP required joe@langetwins.com

Not yet a Member? C’mon…

There will be over 45 wineries, 200 Lodi Appellation wines, educational seminars and live music -  all under the amazing Fleet Week aerial shows.

F-14′s and wine tasting?  That’s an easy decision.

See you there.

Save $6 off advance tickets to this Sunday’s Taste of Lodi 2010 at Wine & Roses by using a special promo code.  Email me for the code.

This year’s event features wine seminars, cooking demonstrations, live music, and wine and food tasting from all your favorite local wineries and restaurants.

For those looking to really dive in, check out Saturday’s Wine Camp.

See you there!

Andrea will be hosting numerous complimentary tastings at two Zanotto’s Markets in the San Jose area, so find her to get a taste while you shop.

The local crew will be pouring in Elk Grove, Modesto, Sacramento and Lodi.

Also on the schedule is a very cool Bay Area event where our wines will be featured.  Join us in the Premium Winegarden at Nightlife: California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco this Thursday night where our Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon will be poured.

Check out their website for all the info.

Keep up on our events here.

We were pouring tastes of our newest releases, the 2008 Single Barrel Malbec, 2009 Chardonnay, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, and one of our most popular wines, the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Musque Clone.

Our good friends (can you tell that we’re fans yet?) Guantonio’s Wood Fired Cuisine rolled our their mobile oven and were serving up some delicious pizzas as well as handmade sausage, caponata, and other authentic Italian fare.  If you missed them at this event, I have a sneaky suspecion they’ll be back again soon… (hint: Cyclocross races!)

Not a Wine Club Member yet?  It’s the best deal in town -- and you’ll be invited to the next event!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=So0NuHnZHDg

Andrea will be hosting the events in San Jose and Kristin will be pouring in the city.

Wednesday, September 8

Hedley Club @ Hotel de Anza
233 W. Santa Clara Street
San Jose 95113  [map]
(408) 286-1000

12pm to 2:30pm.  Tastings complimentary.

Zanotto’s Family Markets
1970 Naglee Avenue
San Jose 95126  [map]
(408) 294-9151

6pm to 8pm.  $20 for 12 wines from 3 wineries plus all-you-can-eat soup/salad bar and buffet.

Tuesday, September 14th

Wine Jar
1870 Fillmore Street (cross street Bush)
San Francisco, CA 94115  [map]
(415) 931-2924

6pm to 8pm. Tastes of the Petite Sirah/Petit Verdot, Viognier and Proprietary Cabernet

Andrea Roselli

We hosted big crowds who came to meet and taste 300 wineries showcasing 1,000 different wines representing 30 different California Appellations.  If you wanted a comprehensive tasting of California wines – Ft. Mason was the place to be Sunday and Monday.

Our newest member of the sales team, Andrea Roselli – who serves as the area manager for the South Bay – cut her teeth at the wine show with literally thousands of tasters all clamoring for a tasting of LangeTwins.

The best part of tasting wines off-site is meeting up with friends and family – here’s proof that Clayton Worfolk and his group are appreciative fans of Lodi wines!

Next show? Wine Women and Shoes in Monterey.  Follow us there!

We’ll be in the middle of crush so it’s an exciting time to be here.  There’s even a chance to see the winery’s harvest action firsthand on a crushpad tour.

Spend your Labor Day Saturday tasting our Wine Club Exclusive 2008 Single Barrel Malbec and pairing it with pizzas from local and family-owned Guantonio’s.  The Guantone family works wonders with their mobile wood-fired oven to craft handmade pizzas and other authentic Italian bites from the freshest ingredients.

Bring your family and friends (kids too!) to play games on our lawn (grape stomp anyone?) and sample delicious wines paired with yummy gourmet fare.

Harvest Wine Club Pick Up Party
@ LangeTwins Winery, 1525 East Jahant Road, Acampo
Saturday, September 4th
2 – 6pm

RSVP by emailing joe@langetwins.com or call 209.334.9780 with names!

*You’re welcome to invite your non-Club friends, but please RSVP for them*

I couldn’t imagine Union Square ‘tented’, but indeed the organizers of SF Chefs 2010 had it under cover.  And what an event!

LangeTwins participated in the “Fork It Over” fundraiser on Saturday night – fabulous restaurants to pair great food with our wines.  We poured the Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and our icon Midnight  Reserve to great reviews.

Music was by David Martin’s “House Party” – if you get a chance to hear them, don’t miss!  When was the last time you saw go-go dancers on the stage?

Sunday’s Grand Tasting was an oasis of delights and education featuring notable chefs and vintners.   The Lodi Appellation was center front in the action and LangeTwins was part of the local team pouring to a great crowd. 

Lodi had a unique connection to the event – the Treasure Island giveaway tickets were won by Miles Sperling’s daughter who actually lives in Oakland.  And to those folks who have a bit of history with Lodi, you’ll remember Sperling was once Chief of Police for liveable, loveable Lodi.

Next big show in the Bay Area is Treasure Island: 10-10-10. We think that’s a lucky day!

Make sure your mark your calendars for Saturday, September 4th. Yep, that’s Labor Day Weekend – so grab your family and friends and spend the afternoon with us on the winery lawn.

We’re pairing with local and family-owned Guantonio’s who works wonders with their mobile wood-fired oven.  The Guantones’ are a Lodi family I’ve known for years and the pizzas are downright amazing.  They only use the freshest ingredients and nearly everything is made from scratch…you have to love that!

We’ll be pouring tastes of our Wine Club Exclusive 2008 Single Barrel Malbec, the featured wine for the Harvest Club Selection.  Everyone at the Wine Club Luau raved about it, which makes me think we’ll be sold out very soon.

I hope all of our Club Members can join us.  For those early-adopters, RSVP by emailing me with names!

More details to follow!

It’ll feature wine and food, of course, but also tons of extras – cooking demos, wine seminars, beer and liquor tastings, industry seminars and if you’re a Top Chef fan, you’ll recognize plenty of familiar TV faces.

We’ll be pouring our wines at both the Grand Tastings, Saturday and Sunday from 12-4pm.  Please come by and taste with us!

The invitations say “meet the Napa Vintners and taste fabulous wines…”  Hey – what about Lodi? We’ll be there representing our wines – great and delicious wines of the Lodi Appellation!  Come taste with us.

Join us in any of these three locations:

Saturday, August 28:  Corral De Tierra Country Club benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Monterey County.

Friday, September 10:  The Parador in Houston, Texas benefiting All the Way Home.

Thursday, September 16:  Charity is the Scripps Health Foundation and event is held in a private home in the upscale community of Rancho Santa Fe.

See all upcoming events at the WW&S website.

Randy and I will be at all three of them – I’ll be the one wearing the heels; he’s just along to look good!

So, for those Members who couldn’t make our Wine Club Luau, we made sure to send them each a LangeTwins Luau Insulated Bag!

These bags are great for your next day at the beach.  Just remember a bottle (or two) of LangeTwins wine and you’re good to go! Grass skirts and coconuts optional…

It’s good to be a LangeTwins Wine Club Member, isn’t it?

Hope to see all our Club Members at our next annual dinner!

If you weren’t here, you definitely missed a great party.  Also, you missed the release of the Wine Club Only wine!  Only those who were here got a first taste -- stay tuned for which varietal made the Single Barrel cut!

Check out the slideshow below -- I kept all of the most embarrassing ones out!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=orLPDIE2ZYo

If you haven’t already sent or called in your RSVP, let us know if you can make our Luau!  It should be a great time, if it’s anything like the last awesome three years!

RSVP to Tammie at tammie@langetwins.com or 209.334.9780

Check out the invite below for all the details and we’ll see you on July 31st for the party!

It’s no mean feat to travel to Bryan – two lane roads pass some of the most beautiful farm country – gorgeous horses, real painted wooden fences and cows.   And then we passed a lake – only this is a lake with a capital L.  It went on for miles – 21 miles to be exact – covering 21,000 acres.  I had never heard of a ‘valet boat launch’, but then I had never seen a Subway sandwich shop with a six bay marina dedicated to serve boaters – I think that is for curb-side orders.

The Texans do things right.

I digress.  We’re headed to Bryan, Texas to meet Peter Madden of Madden’s Casual Gourmet. This young man and his wife, Tara, have created an outstanding restaurant, opened in 2004, which focuses on ‘made fresh food everyday’.

Peter is truly part of the sustainable movement and has a refreshing attitude of ‘know where your food comes from’.

Located on 202 S. Bryan Avenue and open for lunch, dinner and Saturday breakfasts – his restaurant is under the same roof of a great antique/salvage/great-finds store.  Madden supports his concept of fresh everyday with his own garden as the primary supplier for the restaurant produce.

Madden’s is a hop, skip and a jump from College Station – home of Texas A&M University – and our dinner was peppered with professors and faculty.  It was a great night when I met Dr. Pourahmadi, who did his doctoral work at Michigan State – that makes him practically family for me!

The menu is available here – every detail was handled with style and grace, from the introduction of the menu, staff and wine to the closing appreciative comments from Peter and Tara.

Peter Madden is spreading his wings and will be opening Madden’s Market in College Station this fall.

It’s great to support family restaurants, talented young chefs and be part of the magic pairings and creativity they produce.  Bravo Madden’s and thanks for a great night.

Check out Madden’s Facebook page, where we stole these pics!

We’re moving from the cold and sometimes drizzly nights of November to the warm and breezy (fingers crossed for only a breeze!) summer nights of July!

As always, this event is exclusive to our Wine Club Members, who get all the perks. 

4th Annual LangeTwins Wine Club Dinner
Saturday, July 31st,  7pm
RSVP required by July 19th
209.334.9780 or tammie@langetwins.com
$75 per person, limited seating

We hope you can join us – see the invite below!

(Click to enlarge)

It was a partnership night with an invitation to pour our wines in a cooking class at the Inn on Lake Granbury and we paired with Ft. Worth’s Tillman’s Roadhouse Restaurant.

The Inn’s proprietors, Cathy Casey and Jim Leitch were fabulous hosts to the 40 member class attending with the hopes to grasp a bit of knowledge of food and wine.  There was no shortage of either that night as Tillman’s Chef Lance Smith and Randy sparred off each other with a menu that complemented our wines.

We’ve attached Lance’s menus (PDF) –  if  you have any questions, just reach out to him – or better yet, drop in and visit at 2933 Crockett Street in Ft. Worth.  You’ll love the restaurant – when you grab the door handles, which are rifles, you figure out quickly “…gosh, I must be in Texas!”

And the quote of the night from Lance as we were talking about techniques in the kitchen, especially the need to keep your tools in good shape:  “…if you have a dull kitchen knife, it will hurt worse than a sharp knife…”  Obviously the voice of experience.

The wines were perfectly paired – we poured Sauvignon Blanc, which was a great starter in the Texas humidity – and then moved into the Viognier.  I had to pull out the granita recipe and show all the Texas girls that an adult snowcone in the freezer was a great way to manage a hot flash – I guess you had to be there for THAT conversation.

The Zin, which by the way, just won a Gold Medal in the 2010 Lone Star International Wine Competition for the second year running, was stunning against the Texas Red Clay spice on the flat iron steak.

Dessert was a movable feast as we walked the two blocks down to the Pan Handle @ 106 N. Crockett Street.  One of the feature stores that circles the stone courthouse is an amazing collection of everything wonderful that you need in your kitchen – from a smoker to cutlery to amazing trinkets.  And the ladies are indeed partners for this cooking class, while you enjoy dessert and coffee in their store, they discount all your evening’s purchases by 25%.

And one last note, back to the Inn.  This is an amazing property with individual guest houses and rooms that are quietly tucked on the grassy banks of the Granbury Lake.  We learned that the Brazos River was dammed in 1969 and created a fantastic water resort that is nearly 33 miles long.  Cathy Casey toured us through all the rooms – she and her team have created a very unique and gorgeous facility – perfect for a weekend retreat, wedding or just a great place to recharge.  This is not your typical B&B!

The tours of Texas just keep on getting better and better.

Our first stop after the Sacramento to Ft. Worth flight from hell found us with a small intimate winemaker’s dinner at Wayne’s place.  We had an hour to kill so we set up shop in the back of the restaurant before the dinner.  Randy was desperately trying to finish up some winery business over the phone so he hunkered down in the wine closet, literally – hey, it was cool and quiet and a welcome relief from the 95 degree temperatures with humidity to match.

Into the Glass, 322 S. Main Street, is just a sliver of a restaurant, nestled in the antique district of historic town of Grapevine.  The bar sits squarely in the middle of the room and is definitely a “Cheers” kind of place – everyone is a friend as soon as you walk into the door.

Wayne knocked it out of the park with the pairing of basil buttered popcorn to compliment the 2009 Muscat Canelli Frizzante.  And truth be known, we hauled the Muscat in my suitcase – it’s always fun to surprise our great restaurants with some of the newest releases.

The Chefs owned the night with Fried Green Tomatoes paired with our 2008 Proprietary Chardonnay that earned a Gold Medal at the 2010 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, and most recently the 2010 California State Fair Wine Competition.

And to shake it up a bit, Wayne brought out a second course that was wrapped in a white paper bag – and listed on the menu as a “sack lunch”!  Everyone was rolling with laughter as we paired a ham and cheese taste with the 2007 Merlot.  If only Mom had made those lunches while we were in school.

The evening moved through pairings with the Midnight Reserve, Petite/Petit and the Zinfandel.  We rolled up the streets late that night and made another group of great friends.

We hope you all enjoyed the party.  It’s always nice to chat with our biggest fans.

Thanks for your support!

Is it super obvious that I forgot the good camera and had to use my phone to snap some pics?

If you’re planning on dropping by, please remember to RSVP with us to make sure that we bring your Wine Club Shipment!

joe@langetwins.com or 209.334.9780

LangeTwins Wine Club Summer Pick Up Party
Tin Roof BBQ, 171 South Guild Avenue, Lodi  (map)
June 12th
2 – 5pm
Open to all Wine Club Members

RSVP Required

As a surprise, the ‘kids’ presented the Twins with their very own 60th Birthday wine -  a special wine that the five of us had been crafting with our winemakers for the past two years.

It’s a one of a kind wine, never to be made again.

We have less than 10 cases to share with our loyal fans.  Grab a bottle for your cellar and take home a part of the Twins’ 60th birthday.

Each bottle will be personally signed by the Twins.

2008 Twins’ 60th Birthday Celebration Cabernet Sauvignon
$60.00/bottle
Maximum 6 bottles

Here are some pictures from last night’s birthday celebration:

In the Seattle area on July 13th & 14th?

Join us at the Rhone Rangers wine tasting event!

July 13th is for the trade/media.

July 14th is for everyone! Proceeds from the event go directly to FareStart.

Like the Rhone Rangers Facebook page!

We’ll be one of 60+ wineries pouring our wines along with 40+ restaurants providing tastes of their signature food.

Lots of Lodi wineries are involved, so come by and say hi to your favorites.  See you there!

Raley’s Grape Escape
June 5th, 2010
4-7pm
Cesar Chavez Park, 10th & J Streets, downtown Sacramento (map)

$40 in advance
$50 at the door (if available)

We poured our Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Midnight Reserve, and of course our newly released 2008 Zinfandel!

Thanks for coming out and tasting with us!

For more pics (not from a camera phone) check out the ZinFest Facebook album.

Our Summer Wine Club Selection is almost here and it’s all about BBQ.  This shipment will feature our new 2008 Zinfandel (barbecue’s best friend) and we’ll host our Summer Pick Up Party at Lodi’s Tin Roof BBQ on Saturday, June 12th from 2-5pm.

Tin Roof has been cooking up some amazing BBQ for awhile now and they really have it dialed in.  I’ll be working with BBQ Master Richard and his crew to pair up some nice appetizers with our Zin.

As always, we’ll be there pouring our newest wines – Zinfandel, Viognier, and a few other favorites.  Have any suggestions?  Let me know!

RSVP required: joe@langetwins.com

LangeTwins Wine Club Summer Pick Up Party
Tin Roof BBQ, 171 South Guild Avenue, Lodi  (map)
June 12th
2 – 5pm
Open to all Wine Club Members (friends too, just let me know!)

We poured the Viognier, Pinot Noir, and Midnight Reserve which are all part of the wine list at The Selland Group’s restaurant, Ella Dining Room and Bar, in downtown Sacramento.

LangeTwins Wines at Selland's

If you didn’t make it last night, our Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon will be featured for the month of May at Selland’s. Don’t forget the $1 of each bottle sold at the Market-Cafe goes back to Shriners Hospital for Children.

Pouring with David Scott Baker!

We appreciate all who came out to support and thank you Selland’s for supporting our wines!

Special thanks to David Cheng for grabbing his camera and taking a clear shot of David Scott Baker and myself pouring wines last night!

We have a history of support since the Lange family stepped up in 1952 as part of the community leaders who went door-to-door to raise funds to build our local hospital.

And here we are again – 58 years later, supporting the community effort to build quality health care in our farming community.

We had a crew of runners, walkers, babies in strollers and toddlers in the wagon!  We all wore matching t-shirts and Marissa’s little guy said “…I have on my parade shirt!…” And even the dogs (Arrow & Alex) joined in the festivities – we’re not sure who was suffering more sensory overload while watching 1,300 runners, the kids or the dogs?

So we made a mark in the lives of our winemaker Karen Birmingham’s four toddlers – they completed their very first 5K walk at the young age of  three!  A couple of them fell asleep in the wagon, but they were still pulled over the finish line with help from our good friend and Lodi Memorial Hospital’s IT guy, Bob Whitmire.

A great day – and a good way to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend in Lodi.

We promise to make it an early night – we have a big ZinFest Weekend ahead of us!

Get your ZinFest weekend started early on May 13th at the beautiful Wine & Roses – we’ll be hosting a Zin Release Party for our new 2008 Zinfandel!

Come taste the newest vintage paired with scrumptious appetizers by the Wine & Roses culinary team. Hopefully the weather will be nice and we can enjoy a relaxing evening outside with great food and wine.

Pre-ordered Zin? Let us know if you want to pick up that night.

Details
Zin Release Party at Wine & Roses (map)
Thursday, May 13th
5 – 8pm
Tastings Complimentary

Kendra, Randall Selland and the Selland’s crew will be pouring tastes of six wines, including our Viognier, Pinot Noir, and Midnight Reserve, as well as a mystery wine!  All this for $15.

Give the folks at Selland’s a call if you have any questions (916.736.3333).  See you there!

In addition to LangeTwins, Selland’s, Ella, and a variety of other restaurants and wineries are supporting the Shriners during May – be sure to join us for the Shriners Cyclebration event on May 15th from 6-9pm.

Remember that’s it’s Shriners Month at LangeTwins – $1 per bottle sold in May is donated to Shriners.  Use coupon code SHRINERS at our online store or mention it at the winery.

What do you think of the poster?

(Click to enlarge)

All month long we are donating $1 per bottle sold – just use the coupon code SHRINERS at our online store or mention it at the winery when you’re stocking up on your favorite LangeTwins wine.

To make the deal even sweeter, we’ll include two tickets to Lodi’s ZinFest (May 15th) for the next twelve bottle order that we receive.  Order online, call me, email me, you decide – the first order to reach my desk wins!

Help Shriners.  Enjoy some great wine.  Go to ZinFest 2010!

They’ll be in the Traverse City area for a few days seeing old friends and tasting our wines with new ones.  The folks at Crystal Mountain have been supporting our sustainably grown wines for awhile now, largely based on the fact that we farm responsibly.  It’s nice to have partners in supporting sustainable agriculture!

Check out the menu below – looks delicious, doesn’t it?  We’ll make sure we get some pics posted after the dinner.

Have you been to Crystal Mountain?  Let us know in the comments.

If you’re not a regular by now, you’ve at least heard of Lodi’s ZinFest Weekend. This year, it falls on May 14-16, with the main tasting event held at Lodi Lake on Saturday, May 15th.

In addition to the wine tasting, educational seminars, cooking demonstrations, live music and scrumptious food, (convinced yet?) they’ve added a Piano Bar!

For our Wine Club Members, email me to get $35 tickets! (That’s $10 off regular admission, for all you non-Clubbers. )

Place your orders by Wednesday, May 5th and let me know if you’d like them sent ($5 overnight fee) or can pick them up at the winery.

Should be a great day to spend at the lake with some friends.

During the month of May use coupon code “SHRINERS” when you place an order online or at the winery and we’ll donate $1 for every bottle plus you’ll receive a 15% discount.

At the end of May we will tally up the sales and hand over the donation to the Hospital.

May is LangeTwins Shriners Month – $1 donation per bottle!

Come taste the newest vintage paired with scrumptious appetizers by the Wine & Roses culinary team.  Hopefully the weather will be nice and we can enjoy a relaxing evening outside with great food and wine.

Pre-ordered Zin? Let us know if you want to pick up that night.

Details
Zin Release Party at Wine & Roses (map)
Thursday, May 13th
5 – 8pm
Tastings Complimentary

Never been?  Think Iron Chef with a local flair – competing for the title are six chefs from the Sacramento area who will be under the gun to cook their best in 45 minutes with mystery ingredients, emcees narrating play-by-play, and a live (and hungry!) audience.

Come by and see us!

Here are the details:

8th Annual Celebrity Chef Challenge
Friday, April 30th, 2010
5:30 – 9:30pm
California Automobile Museum, Sacramento, CA (map)
$50 in advance
$60 at the door

Top cyclists from around the world are teaming up with the Sacramento community to help the Shriners’ children. Two events are planned: a daytime health and educational fair open to the public with free admission, and an evening wine tasting and restaurant pairing reception with a silent auction as a fundraiser.

All net proceeds directly benefit The Northern California Shriners Hospital for Children®.

The timing is perfect! Not only is May Bike Month in Sacramento, but the Amgen Tour of California is in town, and Hot Italian is hosting a Bicycling Film Festival and Fremont Park! Check out all the details of the Shriners Cyclebration below:

Fitness and Safety Fair
Professional cyclists will sign autographs, wellness spas and cycle businesses will be promoting their shops, and health organizations will provide information on products.  A kid’s safety fair demonstrating proper helmet fitting, bicycle riding and general safety will also offered.

9am to 3pm
Shriners Hospital – 2425 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento CA
Free Admission

Silent Auction & Wine Tasting
A silent auction will include clothing signed by professional cyclists, cycling gear, wine, and bicycles, local restaurants such as Ella Dining Room & Bar, One Speed Pizza, Mulvaney’s, Selland’s Market Cafe, The Waterboy, and Hot Italian will feature small bites, and local breweries and wineries from the likes of LangeTwins, Sean Minor, Moniz Family, Scott Harvey, and River City Brewing Company will provide a taste of their best!

6pm to 9pm
Shriners Hospital Lobby – 2425 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento CA
$40 or $50 at the door
For advance ticket sales, please contact Dave Kause at shrinerscyclingteam@comcast.net

Hope to see you there!

The kids (and some young-at-heart adults) took pictures with the Easter Bunny, hunted for their own personalized Easter eggs, painted bird boxes, and played the afternoon away on our winery lawn.

While the ‘big kids’ weren’t chasing around their little ones, barrel samples of our 2007 Midnight Reserve were popular – red wine was definitely in more demand than chilled white that day!

Once again, our good friends at Wright Insurance Crew were out barbecuing for the crowd – thanks for your help guys!

Thanks to our awesome Club Members for coming out.  We always enjoy seeing you.

The most intriguing part: a portion of what the cycling team raised from each race would go back to Shriners Hospitals for Children®. What a great cause!

The Northern California Shriners Hospital for Children® is located in Sacramento. It is an 80-bed pediatric hospital, research and teaching center providing comprehensive medical, surgical and rehabilitative care to children up to the age of eighteen. The medical team at Shriners’ specialize in orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, and most importantly, the patients and families have no financial obligation.

What they do is amazing! After taking a tour of the hospital, combined with personally knowing a past-patient of the hospital, and a few stories of how families have been fortunate enough to receive care from the team in Sacramento, I realized what an honor it would be to be involved in something that gives to this organization. So we paired up with the Shriners Cycling Team as a sponsor!

Besides participating in races, the team is also throwing a fundraising event at the Northern California Shriners Hospital for Children®.

Stay tuned for event details!

It will be the first opportunity to release the Chardonnay in Texas – our Wine Club Members were able to add it to their cellar a few weeks ago and the first response is always “…wow, this is yummy…”  And if you have trouble finding it locally, talk to Joe about a shipping included deal he just announced.

If you’re in the Dallas area on April 25th – join us!  You can find out more detailed information on their web site.  I’ll be the one that is doing the two-handed pour (a technique learned last month at the Houston Rodeo).

We’ll also be sharing our other wines that medaled in the competition – the Midnight Reserve, Petite Sirah/Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Proprietary Cabernet Sauvignon.

I guess the only big decision to make now is where to head for dinner – too many great options.  Any suggestions?

See y’all there!

Just released:

Our 2008 Proprietary Chardonnay has won GOLD at the 2010 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition! That’s a big honor for one of our newest wines.

This is the 26th year of the wine competition, which received over 3,000 entries for judging.  (The largest national wine competition outside of California!)

In addition to the Proprietary Chardonnay, our 2006 Midnight Reserve earned a Silver medal.

If you are in the Dallas area April 21-25, taste both of our most recent award winning wines at the Dallas Food and Wine Festival.

To celebrate, here’s a shipping included deal for all Proprietary Chardonnay orders until April 25th – just add a bottle of it to your online cart and use coupon code CHARD. 

Remember to click ‘Submit Coupon’ or press enter to make sure the coupon gets applied.  You’ll see your savings on the last checkout screen.

2008 Proprietary Chardonnay $25.00 / $20.00 Wine Club

2006 Midnight Reserve $30.00 / $24.00 Wine Club

In addition to the wine tasting, educational seminars, cooking demonstrations, live music and scrumptious food, (convinced yet?) they’ve added a Piano Bar!

For our Wine Club Members, email me to get $35 tickets! (That’s $10 off regular admission, for all you non-Clubbers. )

Place your orders by Wednesday, May 5th and let me know if you’d like them sent ($5 overnight fee) or can pick them up at the winery.

Should be a great day to spend at the lake with some friends.  Check out some pics:

LangeTwins was paired with Chef Percy Whatley of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite – he made a great nibble that featured Fiscalini’s 18 month aged bandaged Cheddar Almond mille Feuille with Duck Prosciutto, Argula and Fig Gastrique and it was paired with our LangeTwins Merlot.   Chef Whatley enlisted the help of Missy who is currently a student at the CIA.

Nearly 300 folks attended the progressive style dinner and we were thrilled to have as our guests Jessica Engberg of Walnut Creek Nordstrom’s and the Lucchese Family of Lafayette, California.

We’ll be pouring tastes of our Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot Petite Sirah, and Midnight Reserve – more on our wines here.

No RSVP necessary.  Any questions?  Call Vino 100 Tracy owners Janet & Chris Ackerson at 209.839.2200.

See you there!

RSVP:  tammie@langetwins.com or call 209.334.9780

See pics from last year’s Easter event.

(click invite to enlarge)

If you have any talent in the kitchen, find the quail saved in the freezer from last hunting season, or head to your local grocery store, and pair the dish with our Pinot Noir!  Check out their recipe:

Quail and Ricotta Ravioli with Blood Orange Reduction
Chef Steve Mitchell

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
- 1/2 Quail, smoked, Minced
- 2 oz Ricotta Cheese
- 0.5 oz Applewood Smoked Bacon
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 0.5 oz All Purpose Flour
- To Taste White, Black and Red Peppercorns, ground
- 1 Egg
- 16 oz Water
- 1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary
- 1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
- 5 sprigs Fresh Parsley
- 1 oz Celery, chopped
- 1 oz Carrots, chopped
- 2 oz Onions, chopped
- 1 each Blood Orange, juiced, zested
- 2 Garlic Cloves

Preparation:
•    Place the bones and organs from the quail, parsley, rosemary, thyme, onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a pot with water and simmer for 4-5 hours.
•    Puree bacon with the ricotta and egg yolk.  Fold the minced quail meat into the cheese mixture and chill.
•    Make pasta dough with eggs, flour, ground peppercorns and water.
•    Place 1 oz of cheese and quail mixture in pasta.  Fold pasta over and cut into ravioli.
•    Strain stock and add blood orange juice.  Reduce to au sec.
•    Boil ravioli.  Strain and top with reduction.  Garnish with blood orange zest.

Monday, April 19th
6:30pm
$65 per person

Tuli Bistro
2031 S Street
Sacramento CA
916-451-8854
www.tulibistro.com

Please mark your calendars and see you at Tuli in April!

Take a look at the great menus our wines will be paired with:

Day 1
Gegis Bistro
Monday, March 29, 2010

Appetizer
Ice Carved Raw Bar with Oysters and Caviar
Pairing: Vodka and Champagne

First Course
Seared Pacific Sea Bass with Bacon Polenta and Grapefruit Beurre Blanc
Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Second Course
Foie Gras Pate with Crostinis and Honey Mustard
Wine Pairing: Chardonnay 2008

Third Course
Lamb Cassoulet
Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir 2008

Intermezzo
Watercress and Radicchio Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Fifth Course
Kobe Carpaccio with a Warm Red Onion Marmalade
Wine Pairing: Midnight Reserve 2006

Sixth Course
Elk Medallions with Morel Mushrooms and Boursin Cheese
Wine Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Dessert
Kaiser Schmarren with Homemade Applesauce (Austrian Emperor’s Pancakes)
Wine Pairing: Muscat Frizzanti 2009

Reservations Required
Monday, March 29
Time: Please call Gegis
Price:  $75.00 per person

Gegis Bistro
1775 West 1st Street
Casper, WY  82604
307-234-9796
www.gegis.com

Day 2
Oliver’s Bar and Grill
Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Appetizer
Scallop Ceviche with Mandarin Oranges, Cucumber and Fresh Dill on Grapefruit Supremes and Tarragon Mimosa
Wine Paring: Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Salad Course
Cantaloupe and Mango Salad with Proscuitto d’ Parma and Roasted Pineapple – Lime Vinaigrette, finished with Arugula Chiffonade
Wine Pairing: Chardonnay 2008

First Course
Balsamic Raspberry Glazed Pacific Salmon Filet with Herbed Sweet Pea Risotto and Red Wine Reduction
Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir 2008

Second Course
Spice Roasted Lamb Loin with Truffled Bread Pudding and Warm Mint Coriander Vinaigrette
Wine Pairing: Proprietary Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Third Course
Pepper Seared Beef Tenderloin, Coffee Roasted, with Vanilla Mascarpone enriched Yukon Gold Potatoes and Baby Spinach Chiffonade
Wine Paring: Midnight Reserve 2006

Dessert
Lavender Panna Cotta with Peach Puree and Toasted Coconut Macaroons
Wine Paring: Muscat Frizzanti 2009

Reservations Required
Tuesday, March 30
For Time and Price: Please call Oliver’s

Oliver’s Bar & Grill
55 North Main Street
Sheridan, Wy 82801
307-672-2838

Day 3
Prime Rib Restaurant
Wednesday,   March 31, 2010

Appetizer
Lobster, Jumbo Shrimp and Sea Scallop Cocktail with Fresh Baked Gruyere Cheese Olive Batard
Wine Pairing:  Chardonnay 2008

First Course
Red Pepper Gouda Bisque
Wine Pairing:  Sauvignon Blanc 2008 and Pinot Noir 2008

Second Course
Spring Salad of Tomato and Mozzarella Tapenade
Wine Pairing:  Proprietary Chardonnay 2008

Intermezzo
Berry Sorbet

Third Course
Pecan Crusted Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce, Potatoes Veronese, and Bacon Wrapped Steamed Fresh Asparagus
Wine Pairing:  Proprietary Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 and Petite Sirah Petit Verdot 2008

Dessert
Chocolate Lava Cake with Raspberry Framboise
Wine Pairing: Muscat Frizzanti 2009

Reservations Required
Wednesday, March 31
Time: 6:00pm
$59.00 per person
Please Reserve with Charles

Prime Rib Restaurant
1205 S Douglas Hwy
Gillette, WY 82716
307-682-2944
www.primeribgillette.com

See you there!

The wine dinner at Tuli Bistro is a few short days away! The menu is a surprise, but I know you will enjoy a variety of locally inspired courses paired perfectly with our wines. Please come and taste great wine and delicious bites on Monday, March 22nd at 6:30pm. This is a reservation ONLY event, so please book your seats without delay. See you there!

Monday, March 22
6:30pm
$65 per person

Tuli Bistro
2031 S Street
Sacramento CA
916-451-8854
www.tulibistro.com

Our Easter Celebration is exclusive to our Wine Club Members, their children and grandchildren.  Not yet a member?

We’ll have painting, games, and photos for with our Easter Bunny -- fun for the whole family.  We won’t leave the wine tasting out -- those ‘of age’ will enjoy tastes straight from the barrel!

Chef Gar Wright and crew will once again be behind the grill serving up a delicious BBQ lunch for all.

RSVP: tammie@langetwins.com or call 209.334.9780

If you need more convincing, check out the 2009 Easter Egg Hunt slideshow:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKS_I-gWBgk

The Proprietary Chard and Cab were big hits with the crowd – I think we may have something great here…

Isn’t Boulevard Bistro awesome?  Bret and Debbie do a fantastic job – stop in and see them again soon.

On Sunday, we were invited to pour our wines at the Palace Hotel as part of their Sunday Blues Brunch.  My wife, Meghan, and I were the lucky ones chosen to represent LangeTwins to take part in a decadent tradition at the Palace Hotel – brunch in the Garden Court.

A little bit of history: The landmark Palace Hotel was completely rebuilt and re-opened in 1909 after being damaged by the huge 1906 earthquake of San Francisco.  It’s most famous room, the Garden Court, rests under an ornate stained-glass window dome and Austrian crystal chandeliers….so, it was safe to say that I couldn’t wear my work boots.

Trivia bit: The glass dome-ceiling is also the same one that Michael Douglas fell through at the end of the 1997 movie, “The Game”, for those of you interested in worthless movie trivia!

Executive Chef Jesse Llapitan and his team came by for a tasting and really enjoyed our Generations Viognier and Proprietary Cabernet Sauvignon.  The food was excellent and we were happy to pour our wines to compliment the cheese tasting tables nearby.  In fact, we were there to promote the upcoming Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma taking place on weekend of March 26th in Petaluma.

Buy tickets ahead of time for a luxury food weekend featuring over twenty-four artisan cheese makers, twenty wineries and breweries, and just as many chefs preparing handmade bites for all.  We’ll be there paired up with our friends at Fiscalini Cheese Company!

See below for all the details:

Pairing Perfection: Culinary Arts meets Lodi Winemakers
Saturday, March 13, 2010
5pm – 8pm

Student chefs from the Art Institute of California Sacramento will join Lodi wineries to create Pairing Perfection- exceptional cuisine paired with handcrafted Lodi wines.  Each student chef and winery team will offer guests samples of their pairing, not only will they be judged by professionals- but you too will have the chance to vote for the People’s Choice award.

The top four student chef winners will be awarded scholarships and prizes at an award ceremony directly following the event. This is an epicurean event not to be missed.

Ticket price: $60 per person/$50 wine club member.

Call the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center at (209) 365-0621 for more info.

And then I found Tillman’s Roadhouse.

Lunch started with a lavender infused lemonade – and then came the barbeque.  We’re in Texas, right? You have to eat barbeque – brisket smoked over post oak wood. Mouth watering delicious.

General Manager Stephanie Meyer joined us at the table and then two hours later, we’re still talking and matching wines with her great food.

Ambiance – class and style!  This restaurant rocks – you first notice the pop when you grab the rifle handles mounted on the front doors.  And then you spot the ice blue (is it turquoise?) sofa bench that goes for miles.  It’s just a taste of the restaurant whose walls are actual trunks of white birch trees and somehow it all fits in with the long line of sparkling crystal chandeliers.

But the restrooms – for a moment I thought I was back in my childhood room in Chelsea, Michigan; the restroom was covered with fair ribbons and rosettes – pick your color, it was wonderful.

Now pay attention! We’ve got a code and a game going here.  Dan Landsberg, chef and partner, introduced me to their special croutons.  Avocado pieces, marinated in margarita mix (including the tequila), rolled in corn meal and then fried.  Infectious nibbles.  Their restaurant is just starting to make a name for themselves — patronize their restaurant and use the code word LODI and the nibbles will magically come to your table, compliments of Sacramento’s favorite son.  Spread the word – y’all have Facebook and Twitter accounts, right?  Make it happen.

You probably have never witnessed the Redneck Sommelier? He does exists at Tillman’s Roadhouse – tool belt, concrete screws and claw hammer.  It’s a crowd pleaser and a unique way to open wine – certainly handy if you happen to forget your cork screw.

By this Friday, our Sauvignon Blanc will be on their By-The-Glass list – and with any luck, after Stephanie melted into her chair when we paired our Petite Sirah Petit Verdot, you might find it a perfect match to their at-the-table dessert s’mores.

If you’re in the Ft. Worth area – everyone head to Roadhouse.  If all goes well, we’ll have Stephanie cooking something special at the winery in September.  More details to come on that…

Dinner was another story; headed out to Boo-Ray’s for an oversold dinner, but we had this little bitty detour; actually Dana and Keith Schrick of Schrick Liquors in Weatherford gave us a tip about Tesky’s.  It only took me fifteen minutes, but somehow I managed to locate owner Mike Tesky and he showed me a great Australian saddle and, well, the rest is history. Now if I could only get home to ride that naughty mare!

Back to Boo-Ray’s – we packed the place.  88 of our newest best friends joined us for a wild night of pairing wines with food.  Our Sauvignon Blanc partnered with oysters rockefeller; the Chardonnay was magical with crabcakes and a corn salsa; we’re in Texas, so we had some big steaks and smoky scalloped potatoes and enjoyed both the Houston Rodeo Double Gold Cabernet along with the Midnight Reserve.

Dessert?  It was opening night  for the Proprietary Cabernet and Boo Ray’s paired it with a chocolate cake with a bit orf cinnamon.  Yummy. Yummy. Yummy.

Great night – Randy had the crowd rockin’ – who were those good natured strangers that won the ugliest man contest?

And we confirmed with all the girls – it’s absolutely okay to throw ice in your wine.

All is well in Texas – we just have to figure out how to get some more sleep.  Onward tomorrow to Ellerbe’s – heard Michael Phillips of Michael-David was doing a tasting dinner while we were out at Boo-Ray’s.  Lodi is a good match for Texas!

We’ll be pouring tastes of our new Proprietary Chard and Cab as well as Midnight Reserve and Viognier!

RSVP today to visit with us Saturday, March 6th from 2pm – 5pm at Elk Grove’s Boulevard Bistro and grab your Spring Wine Club Selection.  This shipment we are featuring the 2006 vintage of one of our most popular wines, Midnight Reserve.

Chef/Owners Bret and Debbie Bohlmann will serve light appetizers while we pour our latest wines, including your first taste of our Proprietary Cab and Chard – remember voting on that label?

Pre-order your first taste now for up to 30% off.

At 5pm, we’ll have to give the restaurant back to Bret and Debbie – make a reservation with them to sit for dinner!  916.685.2220

For those who can’t join us this time, your Spring Wine Club Selection will be shipped or ready for pick up at the winery beginning March 8th.

Details

When: Saturday, March 6th from 2pm – 5pm (at 5pm we have to either leave or sit for dinner)

Where: Boulevard Bistro, 8941 Elk Grove Blvd (3rd Ave), Old Town Elk Grove, CA  (map)

RSVP required: joe@langetwins or 209.334.9780

Not a Wine Club Member?  Join now.

The sun is out this morning; no more rain – looks like a marvelous day in the Lone Star State.

We’re heading out to Weatherford, Texas for Dana Schrick’s dinner at Boo-Ray’s.  Expected 50 folks, settled on 88 and apparently there’s a waiting list!  Putting the last lick of polish on my boots before we head out – cowboy up!

Char.

Tuli Bistro is a small, stylish, individualistic restaurant in the downtown area of Sacramento.  Chef Adam Pechal, a Sacramento area native,  creates a distinct urban flare with sophistication. The changing menu may have flavors of Asian fusion, tastes of Latin cuisine, or southern comfort slow-cooked foods.

If you haven’t had the chance to dine with them, it’s a must… and we are lucky enough to have Chef create a menu that pairs perfectly with our wines! We will have more details on the price, menu, and time in a few days – but please mark this on your calendar.

Cheers!

Looks like we secured some great placements, and those that were interested in our Viognier, I shared the granitas recipe.  Seems to me that granitas = relief when you’re talking about the humid Houston summers!

Raced down to Hasta La Pasta in Katy, Texas – an hour west of downtown Houston for an evening of wine tasting and nibbling on their award winning dishes with a crowd of 40 folks.

Hasta La Pasta participated in the Best Bites Contest at the Houston Rodeo and was earned the Popular Choice award for their delicious chocolate bread pudding – we quickly matched it up with our Petite Sirah Petit Verdot and there wasn’t a crumb or drop left.   Restaurant Manager Kip was over the top with the welcome mat – and we found Randy signing the great poster.  Also made him sign bottle after bottle – he had an admiring crowd!

Heading home to try and catch up via the computer for work that we’ve neglected at home at the ranch.  There’s never enough hours in the day.  Back out on the streets of Houston tomorrow for more tastings and hopefully placements!

Char.

This is the wine label that YOU chose back in March during our quest for the most stylish look for our higher-end tier of wines.  These wines are limited individual lot selections crafted from grapes grown in our favorite vineyards.

Pre-order your first taste of our Proprietary Tier for big savings, using the specific coupon codes listed below at our online store. Your order will be ready for pick up or ship beginning March 4th.  You can also pick up your order at our Boulevard Bistro party on March 6th.

Regular price for our Proprietary Chardonnay is $25.00 bottle/$150 six-pack case and Proprietary Cabernet Sauvignon $35 bottle/$210 six-pack case.

Wine Club Members get the best deal (of course!)

25% off bottles – Use code “CLUB25”
30% off six-pack cases – Use code “CLUB30”

Regular Customers

10% off bottles – Use code “REG10”
15% off six-pack cases – Use code “REG15”

Shop at our online store.

Email me with any questions!

The crowd was great -- all very eager to learn about our wines and take a look around our ‘tasting room’ which, once again, was located in our cellar.  We even carved out some space in the barrel room for more tasting and we needed every inch of it.

You can tell how busy the weekend was since our movie slideshow is all of 1:16 long!

Take a gander:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMVLskwJkE0

Chef/Owners Bret and Debbie Bohlmann will serve light appetizers while we pour our latest wines, including your first taste of our Proprietary Cab and Chard – remember voting on that label?  Details on pre-ordering soon…

Then at 5pm, we’ll have to give the restaurant back to Bret and Debbie – make a reservation with them to sit for dinner!  916.685.2220

For those who can’t join us this time, your Spring Wine Club Selection will be shipped or ready for pick up at the winery beginning March 8th.

Details

When: Saturday, March 6th from 2pm – 5pm (at 5pm we have to either leave or sit for dinner)

Where: Boulevard Bistro, 8941 Elk Grove Blvd (3rd Ave), Old Town Elk Grove, CA  (map)

RSVP required: joe@langetwins or 209.334.9780

Not a Wine Club Member?  Join now.

The restaurant was packed with Alebrijes loyalists, some who admitted that during a home renovation, they practically lived at the restaurant.  Talk about a good clientele!

We paired our wines with each course of Ruben’s menu, saving the last spot (a yummy creme brulee) for Grands Amis‘ Syrah port.

For a ‘school night’ 10:30pm was late to be wrapping up dinner!  Thanks for a great time.

We’re excited about our annual events and hope you can join us!

Here are the two big events you’ll want to attend:

Wine Club Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday, April 3, 2010

Our annual Wine Club Easter Egg Hunt at the winery. Open to our Wine Club Members, their little people and grandchildren.  We’ll keep you posted with details – reservations required, and of course, bring your Easter basket to hunt for eggs in the winery pasture.

Wine Club Dinner
Saturday, July 31st, 2010

The annual Wine Club Dinner will move to the summer before harvest begins.  Limited to Wine Club members only.  Great food, wonderful wines, music and good company; plan your vacation around this event!

Thanks to Matthew James for sending these pictures along.

Photos: Matthew James

Appetizer
Avocado-Mango Salad with Blue Cheese, Bacon and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds with Garlic Dressing
Ensalada de aguacate y mango con queso azul tocino y pepitas azadas con adereso de ajo
Wine Pairing: Chardonnay 2008

First Course
Grilled Asparagus Quesadilla and Goat Cheese with Tomato Jam and Cilantro Yogurt
Quesadilla de esparragos con queso de cabra y mermelada de jitomate y yogurt de cilantro
Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Second Course
Roast Leg of Pork in Adobo Sauce
Pierna de Puerco Adobada
Wine Pairing: Petite Sirah Petit Verdot 2008

Third Course
Grilled Lamb Porterhouse with Cascabel-Fig Sauce and Red Chile-Fig Marmalade
Chuletas de cordero con salsa de cascabel y mermelada de higo y chile
Wine Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Dessert
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Crème Brulee
Wine Pairing: It’s a surprise!

Please join us for a fun evening!!

Monday, January 25
6pm
Alebrijes Mexican Bistro
$55 per person (Tax and Gratuity Not Included)
Reservation 209-368-1831

Your check or payment is your reservation.

Please join us for a fun evening and to taste the pairings for yourself!

Appetizer
Smoked Tuna, Orange Marmalade & Micro Wasabi
Wine pairing: Sauvignon Blanc 2007

First Course
Grilled Day Boat Scallop and Victoria Pineapple on a Vanilla Skewer, Beurre blanc
Wine pairing: Chardonnay 2008

Second Course
Maine Lobster Land & Sea
Poached with Truffle Butter and Enoki Mushroom
Wine pairing: Merlot 2007

Third Course
Spice crusted Medallion of Venison, Cocoa veloute and Caramelized Yams
Wine pairing: Midnight Reserve 2006

Dessert
Slow cooked Bartlett Pear in Star Anise Syrup, Pinot reduction and Basil Mascarpone Cream
Wine pairing: Pinot Noir 2008

Please join us for a great evening!

Wednesday, January 20th
6 to 9pm
W&R Restaurant
$75 per person [tax and tip included]

Reservations: 209.334.6988 or reservations@winerose.com