Dazzle and Dine with Fall Recipes and Donelan Wines
November Pairings We’re Falling For
November’s hallmarks and treasures are here to fill us with wine and home-cooked food, loved ones and nature, kindness, and gratitude. This season is about settling back into daily values and rituals of enjoyment. That’s the word we’re loving these days; “rituals.” Our lives are built on the small but mighty customs we practice. Stop doing them, and you feel their absence right away. Hone in on them, and your life is richer for it. Fall is a masterclass in the ritual of gathering. It asks us to stop rushing through meals, eating on the go, or in front of a screen. Instead, it calls on us to crave the values of gathering; quality time with people we love, sitting around a table, preparing and eating a meal together, picking the bottle, popping the cork, sharing the wine. For us, the month of November officially signals an open and busy kitchen, so we’re sharing pairings and recipes that we’re craving with new wines from our Fall Release.
2020 Venus
Roussanne-Viognier
If you incorporate seafood into your holiday meals, then we speak the same language. Our Venus Roussanne-Viognier finds its voice in autumn when seafood is in true season. Rich and buttery seared scallops with potato gratin are divine with a glass of the new 2020 Venus’s salinity, acidity, peach, wet stone, and chamomile.
Since 2003, the Roussanne for this elegant blend has come from two distinct blocks from Dry Stack Vineyard, both planted exclusively for Donelan Family Wines. 30% of the blend comes from a small, quarter-acre block we refer to as The Rocky Block with the balance of the Roussanne coming from an East-facing slope. The power and weighty mouthfeel combined with the fresh stone fruit from the sloped block make for a well-balanced wine.
Shop New Venus | $60
2017 Cushing’s Block
Pinot Noir
A Pinot with velvety blackberry, plum sauce, and intense spice, Cushing’s Block will pair beautifully with just about any bird. We recommend cooking something a bit more exotic than the usual turkey, like roasted and stuffed quail. Then, dark fruit elements will allow you to sip this wine into the dessert course of Thanksgiving with sweet potato soufflé or bourbon pecan pie.
Shop Cushing's Block | $85
2017 Kobler
Syrah
This new vintage inherited our favorite Kobler qualities of mouth-watering meats topped off with hints of stone fruit. Apricot skins and flowers bring light to a palate of juicy sausage and peppered salami. Pair this distinguished Syrah with a cut of your favorite red meat. We’re loving the idea of the new 2017 Kobler Syrah with cast iron ribeye steak, garlic butter, and wild mushrooms.
Shop New Kobler | $80
2017 Cuvée Moriah
Grenache
Moriah is a blend of Grenache and Mourvedre and it’s always one of our most eager, food-friendly wines. The new 2017 has a striking resemblance to fresh and tart cranberry sauce, so serve with your classic turkey or ham and sides of garlic-roasted carrots and wild rice.
Shop New Moriah | $60
2019 Nancie
Chardonnay
For the lighter components of your holiday dinners, look to our Nancie Chardonnay to take an elegant lead. This wine is structured with chalky acidity, vibrant minerality, quince paste, lemon tart, and baking spice. Pair the Nancie with dishes like stuffing, cornbread, collard greens, or mashed potatoes.
Shop Nancie | $60