KICK BACK, RELAX AND UNCORK THE FLAVORS!

Pair our Monarch 2012 Petite Sirah with this amazing Ham & Apple grilled Cheese on Rye for a fast snack, lunch or cut into small pieces for an appetizer that pleases every palate! Make sure you reserve a few Tablespoons of this Petite Sirah for the Red Pepper, Apple Butter, Wine & Mustard Spread that takes this sandwich from Ordinary to Extraordinary!

1/4 cup Apple Butter
2 Tbsp. Monarch 2012 Petite Sirah
1 Tbsp. coarse grain mustard
Pinch of red pepper flakes
8 slices of rye bread
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
4 ounces aged Cheddar (4 slices)
4 slices Ham
1 Granny Smith apple cored and sliced thin

In a small bowl stir together the first 4 ingredients. Lightly spread one side of bread slices with the softened butter. Spread other side of bread slices with the apple butter mixture. Top the Apple Butter sides of 4 slices with cheese, apple and ham. Top the 4 with the other slices, apple butter side down on top of the of the sandwich. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and grill sandwich until golden brown and cheese has melted, turning once halfway through cooking. Serve immediately with a glass or two of our Petite Sirah that you ordered from the Florida Wine Girls! Our 2012 Monarch Petite Sirah has a superb rich dark red robe.This is an antioxidant heaven all the way to the mouth. More red fruits in the attack with a soft gentle power emerging from the 14% alcohol. These light flavors of cinnamon spices and oak are increasing giving the wine a strong tannic structure in the finish. STEMS UP!
www.wineshopathome.com/floridawinegirls

COQ AU ZINFANDEL, A BRILLANT TWIST!

Adult Beverages are great for drinking and for cooking! Try this recipe with our newest Adult Beverage
Monarch 2012 Zinfandel-  Right away this beauty reveals it's varietal with floral and fruity flavors like cranberry or blueberry aromas. Spices and black pepper notes finish this rich attack with elegant tannins. It will never overpower but will linger for many pleasant seconds!

Coq Au Zinfandel

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 bone-in chicken thighs (with skin), excess fat trimmed (you can use white meat but the flavor WILL NOT be the same)
3/4 cup chopped shallots, (about 4)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound boiling onions (the cocktail-sized ones), peeled
12 ounces crimini mushrooms, quartered (about 5 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
One 750ml. bottle red Monarch 2012 Zinfandel
2 cups chicken stock (or canned low-salt chicken broth)
2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook chopped bacon in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
3. Place 1 cup flour in shallow dish; set aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to bacon drippings in pot. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, coat chicken thighs with flour and add to pot; sear until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Arrange chicken thighs in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish (or any combination of glass dishes that will fit the chicken).
4. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from pot. Add shallots and garlic to pot and sauté 1 minute. Add onions, crimini mushrooms, and marjoram and sauté until onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add red Zinfandel and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add chicken stock and bacon; boil 5 minutes.
5. Pour wine mixture over chicken in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil; bake until chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour.
6. Using tongs, transfer chicken thighs to platter or large, deep bowl. Strain wine mixture from baking dish into heavy medium saucepan. Transfer onion and mushroom mixture to platter with chicken; tent with foil to keep warm. Mix 2 tablespoons flour and butter in small bowl to blend. Bring wine mixture to boil. Whisk in flour mixture and boil until sauce thickens and is reduced to 2 3/4 cups, about 8 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Ladle sauce over chicken and vegetables; sprinkle with chives.
STEMS UP! www.wineshopathome.com/floridawinegirls

APPLE OF MY EYE!

A mainstay of summertime drinking is easy, lighthearted spritzers and they have come a long way! They showcase the Wine as well as the fruit component and they are simple to adapt to what you have on hand. This version is mild enough to serve as  a pre-dinner cocktail or serve alongside unadorned seasonal dishes like Roasted Herb Chicken.

Summer Wine Spritzer
1/2 cup of our Mariana 2012 Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 cup of Apple Juice (sub pomegranate or cranberry in the Fall)
1/4 cup Lime Sparkling Water
1 sliced green apple wedge for garnish (add a cinnamon stick in the Fall).

Fill a tall glass half full of ice, add the wine, apple juice and sparkling water. Garnish with the apple wedge. Makes 1 serving, STEMS UP!
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MEAT AND GREET!

Savory, Silky cured meats are lovely complements to any season when Wine is being served. Why not try lightly grilled asparagus spears atop prosciutto, half figs or melon wedges draped with pancetta or a grilled bruschetta with sautéed onions , rustic Italian coppa (cured pork form an Italian Market) and a drizzle of honey to balance the richness of the pork! Not only will these appetizers make flavorful additions to a platter you share with friends and family, but they also work well with a wide range of Wines. Transform these meats into sensational small bites, save the cooking for later!
Serve with our newest addition to our family of wines, Monarch 2012 Zinfandel! This Wine will change how you feel about Zinfandels forever.  Right away, our Zin reveals its varietal with floral and fruity flavors like cranberry or blueberry aromas. Some spice and black pepper notes finish this rich nose description. The attack in the mouth is split between jammy fruits and some very elegant tannins. Is is not an overpowering type of structure but will linger for many long seconds. Try this one to amaze your thoughts on Zinfandels! STEMS UP! www.wineshopathome.com/floridawinegirls

THE PLEASURE OF WINE SIMPLIFIED!

What you uncork on a Tuesday nite with a Pizza is probably not the same Wine you sip on a Saturday night with a sizzling Filet Mignon dinner. Here are the top picks for that Pizza and Filet!

For a wonderful year round, Beautifully Structured White Wine we suggest our Table White. This amazing  affordable wine at only $84 for a half-case is a blend of 62% Chardonnay, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, 13% Muscat and 7% Viognier. All these varietals bring a strong structure, aroma and length for this Wine. The Chardonnay is the Backbone of this Wine giving it tremendous volume with a long finish making this one of our top sellers in the White category. This is a great choice for what we call your "everyday wines."

Our choice for that beautiful rich red Wine for enjoying with friends and family for that weekend cookout where you are serving sizzling Filets, we suggest our Homage 2010 California Lot 39. This is almost a pure Bordeaux style red blend with 29% Malbec, 27% Merlot, 21% Petit Verdot, 15% Cab Franc with a splash of Zinfandel. The Malbec brings its legendary structure, soft tannins and intense color. The Merlot added also some softness and fruit forward characters in this wine. More structure was added after blending in the Petit Verdot, Cab Franc and the Zinfandel. These varietals were fermented separately to keep their unique characteristics only to be blended a few months prior to bottling.

This wine displays a deep, dark red robe. We start quickly with a first nose of black currant, raspberry and pomegranate. A 2010 wine will imply a mature stage of development but you will find a tremendous youth and dormant power in this wine. Tannins are ripe and coat the mouth for a few long seconds. This is a powerful and full-bodied red wine with a light toasted finish. This is certainly a good candidate for 5 to 7 years of cellaring. STEMS UP! www.wineshopathome.com/floridawinegirls

STRESS FREE COOKING, ALWAYS USE WINE, IT RELEASES STRESS!

We used our Monarch 2011 Malbec for this delicious Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/4 lb Spanish onions, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon soft thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup red wine (use our Monarch 2011 Malbec)
• 2 pintes beef stock
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 8 X 1 inch slices of toasted baguette or French stick
• 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated

Directions

• Heat 4 tablespoons of butter and the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf, cover with wet baking (parchment) paper and a lid and cook over a very low heat for 1 hour, until the onions have turned golden and are meltingly soft. During the cooking, stir the onions from time to time, to prevent them burning. Season to taste.
• Add the wine, stock and sugar, then bring to the boil and simmer for 
15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• If the saucepan is ovenproof (if not, transfer to an earthenware soup tureen), place the bread slices on top, sprinkle with Gruyère and then drizzle the remaining butter, melted, over the cheese. Bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
• To make this in a slow cooker: Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook over a medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the onions have started to soften and colour. Transfer to your slow cooker, cover with wet baking (parchment) paper and a lid and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes to darken the onions, stirring from time to time.  Add the wine, stock, sugar and seasoning, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Then continue with step 4 above

WINE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOUR HUSBAND TO GET HOME!

Wine Club Benefits

Why Wait For Your Husband?

As a Wine Club Member, you will become our preferred customer, receiving some of California's best boutique wines, discounts and much more. Wineshop At Home personally travels the world's various wine regions tasting hundreds of wines each year. Only wines of outstanding quality and craftsmanship are chosen for our Wine Club Members. Membership Benefits Lowest Wine Club Pricing, Highest Wine Club Value Flexibility to choose two or four bottles of premium wines each month Ability to change your selections to match the tastes and seasons throughout the year Conveniently delivered right to your door Loyalty Promotions, Discount Coupons and Special Offers Discounted Shipping on all your half case and full case orders Special Vintner’s Notes and Recipes & Pairing Ideas Expand your knowledge of wine as you enjoy the selections at home Personal Service from Your Wine Consultant No membership fees and cancel anytime without obligation. STEMS UP! Visit our website at www.wineshopathome.com/floridawinegirls