orgia, los carneros, 2012 Robert Sinskey Vineyards

orgia, los carneros, 2012 Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Orgia in italy... A dirty bacchanalian tale! by Rob Sinskey Her contagious smile barely masked her iron will, a onetwo combination that left me vulnerable when she asked me to meet her in Italy. How could I refuse the beautiful blonde? Little did I know her invite, offered almost twenty years ago, would forever change our lives. Maria, then executive chef of three restaurants for the PlumpJack group, had been sent to a cooking school in Tuscany by her employers. Maria and I had just started dating and were still getting acquainted, so it was a leap of faith for her to ask and for me to accept. Little did we know that we both had secret tests our prospective mate must pass, and compatibility during foreign travel was one. Maria figured I could join the cooking school on the final day, arriving in time for the last group meal. Afterward, she and I would roam the land of the Romans and get to know each other. As I walked in that evening, sleep deprived and flight weary, I found myself thrust into a pack of merry pranksters, friendships forged by the kitchen fire. The group greeted me as if I were the last soldier to return from battle, foisted a big glass of Chianti into my hand and called for a toast. Much to my surprise, the room was filled not with strangers, but with people whom I had either met before, who knew members of my family or whom I had heard of through their culinary achievements. Two from the latter category were Johanne Killeen and George Germon of Al Forno in Providence Rhode Island. George had an impish look on his face as he rummaged through the coals of the fireplace to pull a dirty Tuscan steak directly from the fire and on to a carving board. He shaved off the burnt parts and carved the buttery meat. To this day I still remember that beef to be the most tender, luscious, and flavorful I have ever tasted. Feast over, we retired to our rooms for a well deserved rest before Maria and I disappeared into the Tuscan mountains in a trusty rented Fiat. Our destination was a town about twenty minutes outside of Sienna that could only be accessed by a winding, rutted dirt road more appropriate for horses than an underpowered Fiat. The town, if you could call it that, was little more than a cluster of ancient, abandoned stone buildings with a restored barn as the only living space. The barn had a gorgeous sleeping loft, modest kitchen, generous living room, covered patio and a swimming pool that looked out on the most stunning view imaginable of the Tuscan hills. The name of our little private village was Orgia. From there we foraged for mushrooms that Maria would turn into risotto, scampered down the mountain to visit the open markets in the city and when we got lost, our mantra was always further... we just kept going until we discovered something or found our way again. We relished our freedom, even while we subtly sized each other up, figuring out if this thing we were doing was going to work. Tonight, we come full circle. As I write this missive, we are off to dinner at Al Forno in Rhode Island with George and Johanne to enjoy their dirty Tuscan steak and to toast with our first release of Orgia. Orgia, An Enlightened Wine, Los Carneros, 2012 3

Wine growing notes Pinot Gris is a strange beast. It can be delicate to the point of being neutral, almost watery, like large production Pinot Grigio, to rich and elegant like Alsatian Pinot Gris or sweet and sticky like Vendage Tardive. Then, to confuse the issue even more, the natural wine movement has re-introduced an oxidated orange wine that is long on texture, funky in aromatics, and though it is interesting as a curiosity, it rarely intrigues enough to entice you to want to drink an entire glass, let alone the entire bottle. That got us thinking... what if we were to take beautifully farmed Pinot Gris of the almost ideal 2012 vintage, delicately crush the grapes and apply a unique method of fermentation that allowed skin contact for texture and color... could we craft a beverage with the curiosity of an orange wine yet with the intriguing RSV vibrancy? Yup, what you get is Orgia, a wine you want to drink... with gusto! Wine Tasting notes An experience in contrasts, Orgia stimulates the senses, first with a shimmering, light, yelloworange hue, then with a savory, fruity aroma reminiscent of a quince orchard on the ocean s edge. The palate is more about texture than is typical of a white wine... with mineral, bright acidity and a light grip to balance the notes of melon, sherry, apricot, almond, and dried herbs. The wine lingers for a deliciously long time, keeping things lively until the next forkful can join the party. 4 Orgia, An Enlightened Wine, Los Carneros, 2012

Sunshine and Sea Breeze... Orgia is reminiscent of sitting in the warm sun with a salt-scented sea breeze gently ruffling your hair. Its saline tang lies underneath delicate and restrained citrus and melon fruit. Pale yellow in color, with a hint of orange, Orgia mimics the color of the sun. Its texture, derived from skin contact during fermentation makes my mouth snap to attention and take notice that this wine is unlike any other. Sipping Orgia is an experience. Orgia gives the chef a lot of room to play. When I have Orgia in my glass, and the sea comes rushing to my door, I gravitate towards its fruits: prawns, clams, fish and sea urchin. As Mediterranean cooks have done for centuries, I lean toward the distinct flavors of saffron to complement the seafood and bring out the bright saline character of the wine. This intoxicating mix is perfection for Orgia. Until the Next Wine... Maria Orgia, An Enlightened Wine, Los Carneros, 2012 5

Emerald Salmon with Saffron Rice The coral colored salmon is beautiful against this jewel-toned sauce. The saffron brings out the taste of the sea. Seek out wild king salmon during their season, May to October, for the most flavorful preparation. Serves 4 to 6 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves 1 tablespoon mint leaves 2 tablespoons basil leaves 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley leaves 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1 small garlic clove, crushed Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Extra virgin olive oil 1 1/4 pounds wild king salmon filet, no skin, cut into 1 1/2-2 inch chunks 1. Place the herbs, shallot and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. 2. Season the puree with salt and pepper to taste. 3. Turn machine on and add 1/4 cup olive oil in a thin stream. The sauce should be a thick yet spoon-able consistency. Add a little more olive oil to adjust consistency. Reserve at room temperature. 4. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add just enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan. Add the salmon and cook until golden on 1 side, about 2 minutes, turn over and cook for another 2 minutes on reverse side. 5. Place the salmon in a large bowl. Pour the herb sauce over and toss gently to coat. Serve over saffron rice. Steamed Saffron Rice This fragrant steamed rice is a delicious accompaniment to seafood, chicken and grilled meats. This rice is a go-to comfort food for my daughters. Serves 6 to 8 3 cups basmati rice 4 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon saffron threads 1. Place the rice in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Stir well then let sit for 10 minutes. Pour into a strainer and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well and place in medium sauce pan. 2. Add 4 cups water, salt and saffron. Stir to incorporate evenly. Cover the pan with a lid and place over high heat. 3. When rice comes to a boil, remove lid and stir once to distribute saffron threads evenly. Return lid to pan and reduce heat to low. 4. Cook for 15 minutes then turn off heat and let the rice sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a bowl to serve. Prawns with Saffron Herb Butter Head and shell on prawns keep the meat moist and add extra flavor. If you can t find head on prawns, shell-on can be prepared the same way. Serves 4 to 6 16 head/shell on prawns, about 2 pounds Extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons dry white wine 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads 1 tablespoon each finely chopped tarragon, cilantro, basil 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1. Butterfly and clean the prawns - split the prawns up the back of the shell. Stop just before tail so that the 2 halves lie flat but the shell is not cut all the way through. Pull out the digestive track. 2. Drizzle a heatproof dish with olive oil. Place the prawns in the dish split side up. Add the wine to the dish. 3. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, saffron, herbs, shallot, garlic and lemon zest. Season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper. 4. Place 1/2 teaspoon of butter between the split halves. Broil 12 to 15 minutes until butter bubble and prawns are opaque. Serve immediately. 6 Orgia, An Enlightened Wine, Los Carneros, 2012

Saffron Tagliatelle with clams The delicate strands of saffron pasta adds a nice depth of flavor to the saline notes of the tender clams in their tomato kissed broth. Serves 4 to 6 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more to drizzle 1 medium garlic clove, peeled & crushed 1 cup peeled and seeded chopped tomatoes Pinch chili flakes Kosher salt 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 pounds manila or small cherrystone or little-neck clams, rinsed well 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley 1. Heat a large sauté pan or sauce pot over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden. 2. Add the chopped tomatoes and chili flakes, sauté for 1-2 minutes, season with salt to taste. 3. Add the wine and then the clams. Bring to a boil and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until most clams have opened. Remove lid and discard any unopened clams. Add half the parsley to the pan and toss. Reserve the clams in the pan while you cook the pasta. 4. Cook the pasta in a huge pot of boiling salted water immediately for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl that has been coated with olive oil. 5. Drizzle the clams with olive oil and sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top. Serve clams on top of the pasta in the serving bowl or divide the pasta amongst bowls and let guests spoon the clams over themselves. Saffron Pasta Dough This dough is light and delicate. The dough should remain on the firm side. The addition of too much water will make the dough sheets sticky and harder to handle. Dough can also be made in a stand mixer or food processor - in which case you must be very careful not to add too much water. When dough clumps together when pressed in your fist, it is ready to knead. 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup semolina flour 2 teaspoons kosher salt 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon saffron 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3-4 tablespoons cold water 1. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. 2. Whisk eggs, saffron and olive oil together. Make a well in flour and add egg mixture. Mix with your hand until combined. If dough is too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. 3. The dough should be very stiff. Turn the dough out into a wooden board or counter and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Cut into three pieces and let rest, well wrapped, for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight before rolling. 4. If the dough has been refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before rolling. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out with a rolling pin so that it will pass through the pasta machine. The dough may also be rolled by hand as thinly as possible and then cut into shapes. 5. Pass each piece three times through pasta machine before rolling to the second thinnest setting. The dough sheet should be semi-transparent but not too thin. 6. Cut the sheets into 10 inch lengths. Dust the sheets of pasta lightly with flour to keep them from sticking and cover with plastic to keep them from drying out. 7. When all of the dough has been rolled, pass the first sheet through the tagliatelle/fettucine cutter attachment or cut by hand with a sharp knife. Twirl the dough into a nest, sprinkle with flour and shake off excess, place on a floured sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough sheets. Orgia, An Enlightened Wine, Los Carneros, 2012 7

Fine Wines. Organic Vines. Robert Sinskey Vineyards 6320 Silverado Trail Napa, CA 94558 707.944.9090 robertsinskey.com Winemaker: Jeff Virnig Recipes: Maria Helm Sinskey Photos and Text: Rob Sinskey Vineyard Manager: Debby Zygielbaum gluttons@robertsinskey.com