• Vegetable Oil
• 1 – 4 lb. chuck roast
• 1 T butter
• 3 T chopped yellow onion
• 2 T chopped carrot
• 2 T chopped celery
• 1-1/4 c. St. Clement Cabernet
• 1 c. beef broth or bouillon
• 1-1/2 T chopped Italian tomatoes
• Pinch of thyme
• 1/8 tsp. marjoram
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

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• 4 lbs. tenderloin, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1 cup Howell Mtn. Cabernet
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup beef broth
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 TB flour
• Thinly sliced onions and mushrooms
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (optional)

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• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups red onion, diced fine
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 pound ground veal
• 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 Tbl red pepper flakes
• 1 bottle 1995 St. Clement Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2 Tbl garlic, minced
• 1 large can Pomi chopped tomatoes, plus
• 8 fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups water (optional)

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The sun-dried cherries mirror the flavor of red wine, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, which this dish showcases.
4 8-bone racks of lamb (1-1/2 pounds each)

Marinade:

• 2/3 Cup olive oil
• 1/2 Cup St. Clement Chardonnay
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. each chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

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• 4 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
• 8 tbsp. virgin olive oil
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, all stems removed
• 1 tsp. oregano Salt
• White pepper
• Cayenne
• 2 lbs. well-cleaned eye of the filet mignon, un-sliced Salt
• Black pepper
• Coarse “margarita” salt

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• 4 lamb shanks
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil flour
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled
• 6 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups St. Clement Cabernet Sauvignon
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably rich homemade
• 4 bay leaves
• ½ bunch thyme
• ½ bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
• 6 Tspb unsalted butter

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This delicious and easy sauce for summer grilling pairs wonderfully with the spice and oak of St. Clement’s 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon.

• 4 beef fillet mignons, 1 inch thick
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• ½ cup St. Clement 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
• ½ cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (optional)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2-4 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

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I have been asked regulars to give them the low down on Meritage wines. What does it mean in the wine world, how is it pronounced, is it an important wine style to know, and should I be drinking them.

Well yes, you should be drinking them. Some of my favorite wines in the world are Meritage wines and if you give them a try they will most likely creep onto your favorites list also.

First off, Meritage is pronounced as if it rhymed with Heritage. It is actually a name derived from combining the words Merit and Heritage. It is NOT pronounced as if it were a French word, Mer-it-ahhhhjje. Meritage wines are fashioning themselves after the classic blended wines of Bordeaux, France. The famous Bordeaux region uses five grapes to produce their great red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot. The white wines of this region are blends of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle. The red wines dominate the scene in Bordeaux, getting recognition as some of the finest wines produced in the world and collected by countless wine enthusiasts whose cellars would never be complete with out these precious French masterpieces.
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1998 Michel-Schlumberger
“Dry Creek Valley” Cabernet Sauvignon
If you haven’t had a Cab from Sonoma lately that you really, really enjoyed, then I have a suggestion for you. Try this Michel-Schlumberger Cab and I will bet you $1 that you love it.

The winemaker Fred Payne has been at this property since 1989 when it was still Domaine Michel, and has done wonderful work with his wines for many years. He is all about top quality, super-premium juice. When Jacques Pierre Schlumberger became a majority partner in 1993, Domaine Michel became Michel-Schlumberger and now we reap the rewards with wines like this produced from this 100-acre estate.

The Schlumberger family has a 400 year history of grape growing and winemaking in Alsace, France and Jacques Pierre brings a little of that to blend with Fred Payne’s winemaking talents.
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1997 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “Cask 23”
The Cask 23 is solid blood red and very aromatic and perfumed. The most fragrant out of the group. A nose of young dark berries. This has aggressive flavors of pan sautéed, thick reduced blackberries. They are coming out in droves. Thick mouth feel, with tons of tasty fruit coming out and tannins that are surprisingly very balanced right now.

This wine is drinking astoundingly awesome now. Briary, rustic gamey flavors surrounded by full-bodied lush oak and a tad of mint thrown into the mix. Earthy oak is all over the tongue coating finish. This tastes like black licorice that was covered with dark berries and left in an oak cask for about a month.
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