Organic Côtes du Rhône Rosé with Salmon Cakes, Squash Soup, Salad
Rosé Day –the second Saturday of June each year–officially marks the start of Rosé season for many, and what better way than with organic Rosé from the Côtes du Rhône region in southern France? So many foods go well with Rosé— think smoked meats, cheeses, seafood, quiche— that it can be hard to decide what to choose! Sue wanted to do something different and suggested salmon cakes — a first for us here on Wine Predator. Since we had a winter squash that needed to be used, and a perfectly ripe organic pear, we knew the direction we would go to round out the meal.
2023 Domaine de l’Amauve “Le Rosé de Simone” Seguret Côtes du Rhône Villages Agriculture Biologique Certifié
Winemaker Antonella Manuli inspects a young La Maliosa vineyard she owns that’s full of biodiversity
Today May 22 is International Biodiversity Day, and I spent it exploring the Fattoria la Maliosa vineyards in Maremma, Tuscany with owner, winemaker, and vineyard manager Antonella Manuli. This is my third visit in as many springs, and this year, in particular, I am keen to see the rare and almost extinct grape Procanico which she helped resurrect. Procanico, a local clone of what’s known as Trebbiano Toscano, belongs to the large Trebbiano family, one of the most popular and oldest known vines that’s mentioned by Pliny the Elder in Naturalis Historia. La Maliosa’s Procanico vineyards come from Vigna Madre, a half hectare vineyard well over 60 years old that was abandoned and renewed by Antonella Manuli, the owner of Fattoria La Maliosa, a woman dedicated to the recovery of the historical authenticity of the area including the traditional grapes.
Procanico cylindrical clusters spread out on the stem
Do you love a classic Margarita, a sophisticated Cosmopolitan, or a smooth Espresso Martini— but you don’t want to mess with making them from scratch or searching out the ingredients? Mission Cocktails is on a Mission to deliver bar-quality, ready-to-pour drinks, AND to make a difference: every bottle sold helps fund meals for families in need, with over 100k meals provided so far. Wow! And today May 13 is World Cocktail Day! No better way to celebrate this Mission than with a Mission cocktail and light bites!
We recently enjoyed taste testing a sample box with five of Mission’s award winning cocktails, Continue reading →
Discovering Virginia Wine + Cuisine via the Governor’s Cup Case 2025
Given the opportunity to taste six of the top wines from Virginia, would you choose red or white wines? That was my dilemma when I was invited to taste either the white or the reds plus one sparkling and to participate in a ZOOM about them. This year marks the 43rd year of the Virginia’s premier wine competition “The Governor’s Cup Case” and my friend Frank Morgan’s second year serving as Director of Judging leading judges like Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher in sampling over 620 of the best Virginia wines, ciders and meads from 87 wineries to determine the highest 12 ranking red and white wines. The Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition is a partnership between the Virginia Wineries Association and the gubernatorial-appointed Virginia Wine Board where any wine made from 100% Virginia fruit is eligible.
VA Gov Cup Case winners
Here’s the list of the 2025 Governor’s Cup Case Wines with links to the wineries:
Satellite Nat Coast Wine Fest poster by Michael Matheson
As we near the end of Earth Month, in California we received needed rain— even 6″ of snow in Tahoe. Our rain gauge shows a half inch and our rain barrels are all topped off again. This rain shouldn’t put a damper on today’s festivities— we might get a little more but that should be it. Which is great for area farmers and gardeners, and for people at local festivals like the Natural Coast Wine Festival in Santa Barbara just down the street from the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival — which is where we are headed! Then tonight we’ll go see Fantuzzi at Art City. Also this weekend is the Replant the Forest Fest in Santa Paula.
To celebrate Sonoma County Wine Month here at home, we have from the Russian River Valley, three from Women in Wine producing Pinot Noir: owner/grower Renee Stein at Balverne, owner/grower Allie Ketcham at Ketcham, and winemaker Susie Selby at Selby Winery all paired with French Pate and Duck Breast.
Paradise Pantry picnic with wildflowers on a foggy “Grapril” Day
Happy Earth Month! Happy National Parks Week! Spring is sprung, and wildflowers are everywhere— at least in my neck of the woods!In fact, there’s so many wildflowers that my latest article for the VC Reporter published April 17 in the “Great Outdoors” issue is all about three easy accessible wildflower walks with picnics in the parks! The three parks are in Ventura– Channel Islands National Park, Ventura Botanical Garden, and Arroyo Verde Park—and we put together a picnic from Paradise Pantry paired with a rose from Clos des Amis Ventura County Estate Vineyard and a Pinot Noir from The Ojai Vineyard’s Fe Ciega Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills.
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 