Finding Thanks for Thanksgiving 2020

Thanksgiving 2020!

 

Thanksgiving looks a little different in 2020.  Covid-19 caused a collective upheaval in our lives and continues to pose a threat.  It is sometimes difficult to remember just exactly what we are thankful for this year; a year presenting challenges for all.

BUT… Thanksgiving is about giving thanks!  It is a time to acknowledge the silver linings in the dark clouds of the past nine months.  

While there have been difficulties, we feel blessed.  Most importantly, our team has remained healthy and safe.  Many of our staff members pulled double-duty and discovered new skills in other areas of the winery.  This year’s Estate vintage is exciting for many reasons, but the greatest is all members of the Kuhlman team contributed to our Estate harvest this year – a true team effort!  Through Virtual Tastings and Facebook Live, we learned new ways to maintain and build community with our guests.  And, we were finally able to reopen and see your smiling eyes, even if we could not see the smiles behind your masks.  

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for our health.  We are thankful for our amazing, hard-working staff.  We are thankful for the opportunities coming from adversity.  We are thankful for our community.  We are thankful for our wonderfully supportive Vina Vita club members.  And, of course, we are thankful for great wine!

We wanted to make our 2020 Thanksgiving bundle something to really celebrate this year.  So, we turned to the cellar for some popular, limited supply, library wines.  When you look for wines complimenting your Thanksgiving favorites, the key is versatility.  You want wines pairing well with a variety of foods, so make sure you have plenty on hand!  

Greet your guests with our 2019 Hensell (or pour yourself a glass while you prepare the feast – we won’t tell.)  This delicate Provence-style Rosé is a perfect pre-dinner drink on its own but also pairs nicely with your favorite appetizers.  For the main meal, you will want to serve both a white and a red wine.  Our 2018 Estate Roussanne is both bright and complex at the same time.  This wine has lovely acidity with herbal notes on the nose and flavors of pear and citrus in the mouth.  The 2017 Sangiovese is a perfect accompaniment due to its beautiful structure, not overly oaky or tannic, and sharp acidity.  Thanksgiving meals are usually heavy enough on its own, so it is best to keep the wines refreshing.

Thank you for being part of our Kuhlman Cellars community!  We wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and a delicious Thanksgiving meal!

 

Hidden Wine Gems

Here at Kuhlman we love being able to feature wines with fun pairings. While we all know and love Alluve, Barranca and Kankar; let's take a minute to talk about wines we consider “hidden gems” for our favorite Texas foods. Our cultural history is written in food & wine and Texas is no exception with its melting pot of flavors. 

2017 Marl: This blend of Merlot and Petite Sirah has been winning hearts at the winery. Its velvety tannins and blackberry notes seem to surprise people who don’t care for merlot. The Petite Sirah adds a peppery note making this a great match for burgers on the grill or picnics with Roast beef or even Ruben sandwiches. We particularly love this with something that has red peppers in it like romesco sauce over potatoes. Try it with Texas style queso and tortilla chips.  A red wine with chips and queso?! Yes!

2016 Gypsum: Gypsum is our hidden summer favorite. Lighter than Alluvé, this wine can be enjoyed chilled. (shhh, try it in sangria!) Gypsum’s light and cheerful nature makes it a wonderful surprise pairing for seafood and spicy Mexican, Tapas and Spanish foods. Try it with spicy Barbecue, beans, and potato salad on a hot summer night. This wine is the perfect way to introduce dry reds to people just beginning their wine journey, but it also has a complexity that lets those “experienced” wine drinkers enjoy as well. 

2017 Zinfandel:  There is a reason we put Texas on the label. This isn’t California Zin. This Zinfandel is light, fresh and peppery with hints of strawberry. Because this Zin is a lighter style, it is surprisingly versatile and loves big flavors in food. Try it with Lamb meatballs or Pulled pork with Barbecue sauce. We often pair this Zinfandel with game meats to complement their earthy nature. Try smoked duck breast for an extra treat. Zinfandel tends to be high in alcohol which can make spicy food seem spicier so be cautious with the hot peppers. But Indian flavors and Zinfandel are a perfect match, I also love it with chicken fried steak or Jaeger schnitzel. But the best… try it with barbecue potato chips. 

Enjoy!

Grab a 3-Pack Bundle today!

A New First - 2018 Hensell Allocation

2018 Hensell Allocation!

Probably the most frequent question I’ve heard in the tasting room the last 5 weeks is “when will Hensell be released?!”

We understand.  We’ve been anxiously waiting too!  Great news though: 2018 Hensell is ready for release!

Our big question was how should we do this?  Waiting till September for the next scheduled club release seems too far away.  Especially since Hensell Rosé is one of the quintessential summer wines in Texas!  So, we’ve decided to do something new and present a new club membership perk:

Allocation

We are offering each club member the exclusive benefit of early-access to Hensell.  

Each member has the opportunity (but not the obligation) to purchase between 3 and 12 bottles of Hensell!  Simply log into your Kuhlman Cellars account, navigate to the Allocation section of your profile, confirm your bottle counts, add to your cart, and hit checkout.  Simple!

You have until July 4th for the early-access Hensell pre-release.  After that, it will be made available to general release in the Tasting Room.

But wait….there’s more exciting news!

We’ve also heard from our members who sometimes can’t make it to the winery.  So, we are hitting the road this summer for a Hensell Roadshow! We will bring your allocation bottles to events held in major cities in late June!

If you’ve accepted the allocation, make plans to join us at one of the different events where we will sample Hensell and other Kuhlman Wines!  Each location will also have a special Hensell food pairing which you can purchase to enjoy with a glass of Hensell. The best part is we will bring your Hensell to you (and any other wines you might want as well).

As always, be sure to bring friends!  You can find the RSVP information here.

2018 Hensell Rosé

For the 2018 Hensell, we continue pursuing our goal of exquisite Provence styled dry, aromatic roses.  We’ve also changed the fruit blend, with this year being hand harvested Grenache and Cinsault from our great partners at Farmhouse Vineyards blended with some of our Estate grown, hand harvested Carignan.  

Hand harvesting provides the most gentle handling of the fruit to preserve the delicate nuances while also conveying the most winemaking control to Bénédicte, our winemaker.  Having grown up in Provence, Bénédicte's rosés are true to style and beautifully transport us all to the south of France and the epicenter of rose in the world!

This wine will be a certain palate pleaser for anyone seeking a refreshing, crisp, aromatic easy drinking wine.  Enjoy with salads, shrimp & grits, BLT’s, as well as BBQ, duck & sausage gumbo, and Tex-Mex. Or, simply enjoy on a porch swing, poolside lounge or an evening relaxing with friends.  

Enjoy!

 

2019 Winter Pairing Menu

Welcome to 2019!  Hard to believe we are already in January 2019.  I know it is always this way as we wonder where last year went and what is in store for the new year.  With the start of the new year, it is also time to debut the new 2019 Winter Pairing menu.

We rotate the menu every three months to keep things fresh, local and seasonal.  Besides, it's always neat to anticipate and then experience what new and different ideas Chef Cook has for us to enjoy.  This menu is no different. To provide a little bit of a spoiler, we get to enjoy puffed Cheetos... wrapped in salami and dipped in an incredible avocado aioli paired with the 2016 Texas High Plains Merlot.  Chester will be proud to see his snack elevated in ways unexpected!

We are sometimes asked why we go through the effort to provide wine and food pairings. The answer is two fold:  First, in our opinion, wines are best experienced when surrounded with friends, food and family. They facilitate community and conversation.  Gathering around the table is the foundation of our food culture and traditions. We find ourselves connecting and reflecting. Wine helps us slow down and appreciate the bounty in our lives.  

The Kuhlman Cellars food pairing tasting helps promote connections and relaxation.  We sit at the tasting table where all are welcome. We find ourselves talking, laughing and sharing with friends new and old.  It is amazing 

how many times new friendships are made or old ones are rediscovered by happenstance in the tasting room. That is what it is all about!  We are pleased to facilitate this experience and have our wines be part of something special.

Second:  growing and making wine takes a long time.  Our red wines age around 30 months between harvest and release.  KanKar, one of our flagship wines, takes about 38 months from harvest to release.  So, let's not be in a hurry to slam down a wine-shot and race down the road. Instead, let's slow down, sit down, relax and savor.  It is worth the effort.

The new menu will run until the end of March.  This gives you plenty of time to find a day to reserve your tasting at the estate taste the wine and food bites.  Don't forget, we also list out all the past pairing menus on the website, should you want to remind yourself of prior bites and perhaps new ideas for your own culinary adventure!

See you at the estate soon.

 

2015 Winter Wine Pairing Dinner

We held our first wine pairing dinner on January 31st - what an incredible Vina Vita event!

Chef Chris Cook, the co-founder of the San Antonio Chef Cooperatives, delivered an incredible multi-course dining experience filled with creative flavors, textures and beautiful presentations.  Each course was perfectly paired with a different Kuhlman Cellars wine resulting in gastronomy harmony!

To match the elegance of the food, the dining experience was further heightened by holding the reception in our production and barrel facility and dining in the tasting room.  Of course, our awesome team was there to ensure each guest was served and attended to without want of anything.

We intend to offer these Pairing Dinners quarterly as we rotate the wine tasting pairing menu with the season.  Therefore, please watch for the next dinner in April when we announce the 2015 Spring Pairing menu.

I’ll wrap up now, but please enjoy the short video and selected pictures from the event. 

Vina Vita!