CHRONICLES, AUGUST 20, 2010
You’re Invited to a Chronic Costume Party!
Dia De Los Muertos is coming to Paso Robles and Chronic wants you to help celebrate with us! On the eve of Saturday, October 30th, we’ll be partying “Day of the Dead” style among barrels of Chronic wines at the winery facility across the street from The Chronic Cellars Tasting Room (that winery would be Peachy Canyon’s Winery Facility).
Think massive barrel room nestled among lush vineyards = giant dance floor and lots of Chronic wine! Live music, taco bar, costume contest, beer and plenty of Chronic wines all for $40/person ($50 non-member).
Tickets available for purchase September 1st!
Consider yourself a “Planner”? Book a room now at any of these nearby hotels (listed by distance from Chronic).
Holiday Inn Express http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/reservation
Best Western Black Oak http://bestwesterncalifornia.com/hotels/best-western-black-oak-motor-lodge
Paso Robles Inn
http://www.pasoroblesinn.com/
Courtyard Mariott
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sbppr-courtyard-paso-robles/
Or try this website for great vacation houses, http://www.pasoroblesvacationrentals.com/ many of which are located on the Westside or heart of downtown Paso Robles (just 4 miles from the party and walking distance to restaurants, bars, & wine lounges).
Chronic Connoisseurs Club growing strong: 338 members
Next Shipment: January 2011
“Stoned & Pickled” Garlic
Pickled garlic can be a great snack to pair with a glass of Stone Fox http://www.chroniccellars.com/wines/ on a warm summer night. The cloves have a nice crunch to them, and the bite is all but gone after about 24hrs of being sealed in cans or refrigerated.
I tweaked this recipe from Gourmet Garlic Gardens http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/pickle.htm) to be pickled in a cup of Stone Fox and then I added a few surprise ingredients.
Pickling garlic is easy and fun if you arm yourself with the proper tools: a bottle of Stone Fox-well chilled! pots, ladles, pot holders, and a canning kit if you are going to can. Keep in mind, you’ll only need a cup of wine per batch of pickled garlic. The rest of the bottle is yours to sip while you’re prepping and mixing ingredients. Once you’ve finished, these jars of pickled garlic can go straight to the refrigerator (after they’ve cooled) or they can be canned for a longer shelf life.
Try adding cucumber slices and/or onion slices to the batch for a smooth and spicy twist. For my last batch I added whole Serrano peppers from my garden!
I’m not gonna lie to you, I really like to munch on these with a cold beer, or use them as a garnish for Bloody’s!” ~Jake Beckett
Pickling Garlic.
Here's a recipe from Canoe, the Canadian Internet Network:
Pickled Garlic:
12 large heads garlic, about 838 g (1 3/4 lb)
625 mL (21/2 cups) white vinegar
250 mL (1 cup) dry white wine
15 mL (1 tbsp) pickling salt
15 mL (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
15 mL (1 tbsp) dried oregano
5 dried whole chili peppers
Separate garlic bulbs into cloves. To soften and loosen skins, blanch garlic cloves in rapidly boiling water 30 seconds; immediately immerse in cold water, drain and peel cloves.
Place 5 clean 250 or 236 mL Mason jars in a boiling water canner; fill with water, bring to a boil. Boil SNAP lids 5 minutes to soften sealing compound.
In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, wine, pickling salt, sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil; boil gently 1 minute; remove from heat. Add peeled garlic cloves to hot vinegar mixture. Stir constantly 1 minute.
Pack garlic and 1 dried whole chili pepper into a hot jar to within 2 cm ( 3/4-inch) of top rim. Add hot liquid to cover garlic to within 1 cm (1/2-inch) of top rim (head space). Using rubber spatula, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Centre SNAP lid on jar; apply screw band just until fingertip tight. Place jar in canner. Repeat for remaining garlic and liquid.
Cover canner; return water to a boil. Process -- boil filled jars -- 10 minutes. Remove jars. Cool undisturbed 24 hours. Check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store in a cool, dark place.
Makes 5 250 or 236 mL jars.
Note: At elevations higher than 305 m (1,000 ft) increase processing time. Add 5 minutes at 306 to 915 m (1,000-3,000 ft); add 10 minutes at 916 to 1830 m (3,001-6,000 ft); add 15 minutes at elevations higher than 1831 m (6,0001 ft).
Warning: This recipe was specially formulated to allow home canners to preserve a low acid food -- garlic -- in a commonly available boiling water canner. Please do not deviate from the recipe ingredients; quantities, jar size and processing method and time. Any change could affect the safety of the end product.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading!
Chronic Cellars
February 2010
Just in time for Spring
GOOD NEWS! We are now serving Wine By The Glass at our Tasting Room. Enjoy a glass of your fave chronic juice out on our vine-covered patio or stay inside and challenge someone to a game of pool. Check out pics of the Tasting Room on our Facebook Fan Page and Profile!
Mark Your Calendars for PASO ROBLES ZINFANDEL FEST!
Friday-Sunday March 19th-21st 2010 stop by the Tasting Room to try our three Zinful Wines! Our 2008 Dead Nuts 100% Zinfandel, our 2008 El Perfecto a 50/50 Zin/Tempranillo, AND introducing our new 2007 PURPLE PARADISE 95% Zin with a 5% splash of Petite Sirah. Regular Tasting Room Hours will apply: Thursday - Monday 11:30am-5:30pm. On Saturday, March 20th we will also be pouring for the Grand Zinfandel Tasting event. JOSH will be out there pouring Dead Nuts and Purple Paradise. PLUS if you are going to be at the Wine Country Auction & Dinner check out our collaborative Zin Blend at the silent auction. That's right, Joe Barton from Grey Wolf Cellars and our Josh Beckett came up with an AWESOME Zinfandel blend called WOLF NUTS! Two 3 liter bottles HAND PAINTED by our master artist Joseph Kalionzes will be on the auction table. Sweet.
Chronic Chic
ALL our clothing is now available for online purchase. Need we say more? Check it out.
December 10, 2009
Hello CHRONIC LOVERS!
THE WAIT IS OVER! Thanks to Josh our ROCKSTAR winemaker (thank you thank you thank you) our 2008 SofaKingBueno is bottled, labled, and ready to go! The delicious new blend is a tantalizing combo of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Mourvedre. Rhone with a kick and only $20 a bottle ($14 for Wine Club Members). Come give it a swirl at the tasting room or order online here.
And just to be a tease... OUR NEW LINE UP for 2010 features our new Dead Nuts Zinfandel, El Perfecto and Suite Petite (complete with label makeovers!) AND our new Tranquilo - this time a Late Harvest Petite Sirah! Crazy things happenin over here...
Connoisseurs' Club (pinky's up!)
Want to be the first to get our new wine line-up in January? Need a fun idea for a Holiday gift this year? Just want to save a few bucks on your Chronic purchases? Here's the deal. Joining our club means that you will receive two shipments per year of Chronic Wines. Each shipment will contain SIX bottles of wine at 30% off! Once you sign up you will also get 30% off on all other purchases of wine AND merchandise - yes that includes that adorable Chronic Cellars hoodie you've been wanting. Go online, call, or come in to sign up!
Chronic Wish List
Need some gift ideas? We have some AWESOME new merchandise - women's zip-up hoodies, new tranquilo and sofaking label tshirts, logo glasses, and a lot more! Unfortunately it's not all on the website yet but everything IS available in the tasting room. So stop by and check it out!
ALSO for our lucky California fans, remember we use GSO to ship our wines aka OVERNIGHT aka you'll get your chronic needs in time for the holidays.
Eat, Drink and BE MERRY!
November 15, 2009
As the year comes to a close it's about time we gave a shout out. Yup, we're still kicking! Harvest Weekend was a huge success - thanks to everyone who came out and supported us! Especially to our artist Joe who brought some incredible pieces to exhibit and the Scholars from SoCal who rocked out the tunes on Saturday. I still have dreams about the Vivant Fine Cheese pairings - blue cheese and Tranquilo? Epic.
Some BIG News: We have a new addition to the chronic clan. Introducing ME! My name is Jenny and I'm proud to be the new Tasting Room Manager. Need some delicious chronic vino? Got some questions/comments? Bored and just want to chat? Feel free to pester me at jenny@chroniccellars.com ALSO our NEW TASTING ROOM HOURS are Thursday-Monday 11:30-5:30. Come visit soon!
Now that we are entering into the Holiday Season we'd like to remind you to drink responsibility. AKA don't drink something lame, drink Chronic! We recommend some El Perfecto or Petite Sirah to warm you up on these cold autumn evenings. El Perfecto with its big fruit, smooth texture, and rich finish is the perfect thing to have on your dinner table next to that Turducken you're cooking. For the adventurous, try this fun recipe with El Perfecto:
PERFECTO LAMB CHOPS
Ingredients: One bottle of 2006 El Perfecto, 4 Delicious Lamb Chops, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, S&P, Olive Oil, Chopped Shallots, 1/3cup AGED Balsamic Vinegar, 1/2cup Broth, 2 tablespoons Honey.
1. Mix rosemary, basil, thyme and S&P in a bowl. Rub chops, both sides, with mixture - cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Open your El Perfecto and pour yourself some. Taste how it develops in the glass throughout the cooking process. YUM!
3. Heat up a skillet to medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil. Cook chops for about 3.5 minutes each side for a nice medium-rare sear (depends also on thickness of chops). Take out and cover to maintain heat. Throw the shallots in the skillet and saute.
4. Add the balsamic vinegar in with the shallots and turn the temp up to high. Stir in the honey, broth, and a splash of wine. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down a bit and stir until the mixture is reduced by half. If you're impatient, add a little cornstarch to thicken it up.
5. Drizzle the reduction over the chops, fill up your glass with 2006 El Perfecto and devour. For those who need a lil kick try sauteing the shallots with some red pepper flakes. Also this lamb rocks with potato mash OR even a salad of mixed greens and pears. Drool...
Speaking of food, we are teaming up with the SLO County Food Bank this year to give back to our community. Did you know that over 30,000 people on the Central Coast need food assistance? That number has grown by 25% this year alone. So, for EVERY bottle of Chronic wine you purchase we are donating $1 to the Food Bank. Ya, that's right, you can drink WHILE giving back at the same time - you're welcome.
AND DON'T FORGET Chronic Cellars is a sponsor for REDEMPTION - the first ever MMA sanctioned cage-fight in Paso Robles!!! Get you tickets at www.vallitix.com and come support Paso's own Terry Cook. Gates open at 6, fight begins at 7 - be there.
And finally, for those out-o-towners who can't stop in to visit, check out the website! All our wine is available online PLUS we've got CLOTHING available for online purchase now. Check it out: www.chroniccellars.com
Happy Holidays from all of us at Chronic - Keep Drinkin!
~Jenny
June 26th 2009
What's happening everyone? Chronic is still in business!!!! amazing in this economy, however, it's a testiment to the demand for Chronic Wines. It's also a reason for me to take a minute and thank everyone for all of the support you have given us. Our distributors have been invaluable, J&L of Central Coast California has absolutely kicked some ass. Hawaii's JMD Dist., has done some damage, and Georgia is officially on the map for Chronic. Mr. Barsotti of Pitt. Pennsylvania is holding his own and breaking out the Chronic wherever and whenever, and J and P wholesale of NV has officially placed some of the Chron's in the Hard Rock!!! SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK, we love the Hard Rock! Everybody who has given us a chance, thank you thank you thank you. For stopping by our tasting room, and for picking up our wines off of the shelves. If you are into motocross, which i am, Check out our logo on the hood of the Wonder Warthog rig. They will be running it for the remainder of the Outdoor Nationals. It looks great, thanks Warthog Gang, we are proud to be a part of the team. Good luck this weekend guys, i wish i could be there. Check out the Outdoors live on NBC and Speed for the first time this year. I also have to throw a shout out to DC and Fubar of Racer X, without whom i would not have met the Warthog boys. Thanks Davey and Mike!!!!! oh yeah we are also participating in the first MMA sanctioned cage fight in Paso Robles. As sponsors of course, i am not a badd ass for sure. But i love the sport. That event is being held on August 28, 2009. It is being put on by my brotha Ray Rodriguez of Fight Quest and Beat Down Fight Gear. Let's see, what else is going on....... Wine Warehouse is picking us up in Northern and Southern CA, thanks Iceman...still waiting on that first order. I have to thank my friend Brett Dennen for twittering Chronic Cellars, you are da mang Brett.
Everybody, come on by the tasting room and shoot some pool. I am going to put our clothing online soon i promise. that reminds me, thanks to Yesterdays clothing in Paso Robles. They have the best threads anywhere. Judy and Steph, you are a huge part of Chronic Cellars and our success, And thanks to my wife Dawn Beckett, Happy Anniversary!!!! I love you. I am having so much fun with this!
Sincerely,
Jake Beckett
December 16th 2008
I wanted to give a brief update of how things are progressing at Chronic Cellars.
The 2008 vintage for Chronic was something special. We have crafted wines that give me the chills when I think about how good they are now and how they will improve over time.
A few items of interest this vintage at Chronic Cellars include:
2 Concrete Tanks - We fermented some Certified Organic Zinfandel in one of them and and are now aging Petite Sirah in the tank. The other tank has Grenache Blanc aging in it.
Native Fermentations - All of the Chronic fruit was fermented using Native Yeasts.
New Grape Varietals - Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Mourvedre
New Wine - Late harvest Petite Sirah, coming to you in 2009
New Fermentation Process - In an open top fermentor we fermented 1,000 pounds of Zinfandel 100% whole cluster.
We also purchased fruit from three new vineyards this year..
At the tasting room we have added new art, clothing and other decorations from Joe Kalionzes and Thiessen Design.
Hope to see you soon
Josh
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