Skip to main content

Visiting Quivira Vineyards

Reprinted from the
October 2015 issue of Galveston Monthly magazine Pg 57-59



Quivira Vineyards and Winery, located in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, takes its name from the mythical seven cities of gold that explorers sought through out the sixteenth century. Upon visiting the estate in the late afternoon, one can easily see how the original owners could have chosen the name. The place seems to be bathed in a golden light. The vineyards are not only organic, but biodynamic; there is the sense of life happening wherever one looks.

Sitting out on the tasting room patio with the grapes looking so close to ready on the nearby vines or strolling around to watch the bees working the garden, which includes over a hundred raised beds, a pond, a greenhouse and a chicken coop, all the while tasting the array of wines that are offered would unquestionably delight any visitor’s senses. In back, the grapes are coming in from other areas and more wine is being made adding just a bit of fermentation aroma to the air out there.

Harvest time at any winery is exciting but the atmosphere was intoxicating at Quivira. The grounds are very beautiful yet feel a bit wild. The winery has been Demeter-certified Biodynamic and organic since 2005. Managing soil fertility is a prime area of focus. By composting all winery residue and using cover crops, which are tilled back into the vineyard soil, the natural fertility is maintained. Quivira's energy needs are met with a 55kW solar electric system. The winery has also been actively engaged in restoring Wine Creek, a spawning ground to Coho salmon and Steelhead trout which winds through the estate, for even longer than they have been certified organic. 

Quivira's commitment to the environment means that they must often allow nature to take its course with no repercussions. Though workers at Quivira wake up to routine destruction from wild boars foraging in the vineyards, they understand that it is a part of their area’s terroir and a bottle of Zinfandel was created to honor the bold animals with whom they share the land.

The packaging illustrates the winery's relationship to its surrounding environment with each wine featuring a label with an icon representing a different element of Quivira's Dry Creek Valley estate, such as a red-tailed hawk, a Coho salmon, or in this case, a black boar.

Here in Texas, we are some of the lucky few to be receiving this new limited bottling; be on the lookout for it in wineshops and restaurants. You can also check out the winery website at www.quivirawine.com for their complete line of fantastic wines including a more affordable Rhone-style red blend and a dry Rosé.

Wine Recommendation of the Month: 
2013 Quivira Black Boar Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County has classic aromas of ripe blackberries and baking spice with flavors of mixed berry cobbler with black pepper in the finish. Full bodied, rich, complex, bold, balanced and smooth, an excellent wine for Fall and beyond. SRP $45

Pair it with Blackberry-Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Recipe from the Quivira Kitchen
Ingredients
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 ea 8 to 10-ounce pork tenderloin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ea minced shallots
3 tbsp picked and coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup blackberry preserves
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 450' F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Rub pork tenders with olive oil and 1 tablespoon of thyme, salt and pepper. Sear pork on all sides, about 2 minutes. Place skillet with pork in oven. Roast pork until thermometer inserted into center registers 155' F, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add remaining thyme leaves, stock, blackberry preserves and vinegar and whisk until combined, about 2 minutes.

Transfer pork tenders to work surface. Scrape any juices from large skillet into cranberry mixture. Simmer on high flame until sauce has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes. Prior to serving, remove sauce from heat and whisk in remaining butter - continuously stirring until combined. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Slice the pork on the bias into 1" thick medallions, plate with haricots verts and herbed spaetzle and spoon sauce over the top

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

An Immersive Introduction into the World of Asolo Prosecco

Dinner Views at Osteria Alla Baracca. I was very excited to visit the Asolo DOCG Prosecco region at the end of May on a press trip as it is an Italian area that I have not previously traveled through. Asolo is located in the Province of Treviso at the foot of Monte Grappa in the high hills to the west of the Piave River with views of the Dolomites. The grapes are grown in 17 communes surrounding the town of Asolo. The days were very warm while I was there but I needed a sweater or light jacket on most evenings due to the diurnal swing that makes it a great area for grape growing. Wines from the Master Class Tasting. Asolo was elevated to the DOCG level in 2009. The majority of the Prosecco that I have found in Houston is Prosecco DOC which is mostly from very large producers. Asolo was separated from this category and the region was given this higher status because there are terroir elements that make it distinctive in the world of Prosecco. The Sant'Anna Vineyard. Many of the vin

Lunch at Cépage paired with Paso Robles Sparkling Wine

Cépage is the elegant new restaurant inside of the recently refurbished Paris Valley Road Estate & Winery Tasting Room. Cépage opened in 2022 and currently serves lunch and weekend brunch. Paris Valley Estate is a fairly new brand that is named after the two lane road in Monterey County where the owners, the Stoller family, planted their first vineyard over 20 years ago. The new name inspired them to renovate the former Arciero Winery in the opulent style of French Grand Cru domaines they had previously visited, explained winemaker, Doug Hidinger. I was visiting on a rainy day so I did not get to tour the grounds or take many outside pictures, unfortunately. The table was set and ready upon arrival. Hidinger was at lunch to present both the Paris Valley Road Sparkling Wine 2019 and the Sextant Edna Valley Sparkling Wine 2012 from a sister property of Paris Valley Road. Owner/Winemaker of Vino Vargas , Pedro Vargas, was also there to present his three sparkling wines. All of these

Tasting Tin City - Paso Robles

Located in a small industrial warehouse district, 3 miles south of downtown Paso Robles, is an easily walkable zone of contemporary industrial-style tin buildings called Tin City which is home to an innovative beverage scene. Tin City has several small-production wineries such as Anarchy Wine Co., Benom, Cordant Winery, and Giornata along with somewhat larger producers like Field Recordings . It is not unusual to be greeted by the winemakers in these modern tasting rooms and find them ready to share both their wines and their stories with their guests. Superfly Zinfandel blended with Cabernet and Petite Sirah At Anarchy Wine Co , expect to find a wide range of wines which includes a Bordeaux-Style Blend, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, a Red Rhône-Style Blend, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel all deliciously served with a rebel yell in a rock and roll environment. Les Deux Freres means The Two Brothers and is unique