Recipes

Escape To Wine Country Through A Memorable Meal Experience

Posted: 6/8/2011

Sautéed Buffalo Sliders with Blue Cheese and Onions is a dish that can go over big with sophisticated guests, especially when paired with the right wine.

(NAPSI)—You and your guests may be able to enjoy a beautiful evening thanks to a place known for its beauty.

Located in the exquisite Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California, the historic MacMurray Ranch is increasingly known for crafting a collection of elegant, expressive wines from cool-climate vineyards in premier growing regions. The ranch itself began in the 1850s. Then, in the 1940s, it was taken over by Hollywood legend Fred MacMurray. Now, his daughter Kate has a genuine appreciation for viticulture and winemaking. MacMurray Ranch wines have received critical acclaim from many top wine critics.

“Our wines reflect our passion for the special places that give us extraordinary grapes,” she says. “We carve out unique vineyard blocks to make small lots of Pinot Noir, while our cool-climate Pinot Gris and Chardonnay embody the unique characteristics of Sonoma Coast.”

Kate MacMurray sees parallels between her ranch and her former life in film production. “One of the techniques actors use is called ‘sense memory,’ reaching for remembered aromas or flavors to evoke a time and place and emotion. Tasting our Pinot Noir wines is like that… one sip reminds you of wild berries; the next sip is earthy and warm like a summer afternoon; the next carries the sense of cool ocean fog. You really get a whole movie in every glass.”

Kate treasured the times when her family would get together for a memorable fine food and wine experience. Here are two of her favorite recipes to enjoy with delicious MacMuray Ranch® wines.

Buffalo Sliders with Point Reyes Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions

Serves 4−6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

1 pound ground buffalo meat

12 slider buns

2 ounces blue cheese (preferably Point Reyes)

1 onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt

Divide ground buffalo meat into 12 patties. Slice the onion and add to sauté pan. Cook onions with salt in olive oil on medium heat until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. Toast slider buns under broiler. Cook sliders to your liking. Flip and add Pt. Reyes blue cheese. Place caramelized onion on the bottom half of slider bun. Top with slider patty and top bun.

Served in some of the most elegant restaurants in the country, sliders are fantastic companions to MacMurray Ranch Central Coast Pinot Noir. The gamy flavor of the buffalo is nicely balanced by the caramelized onions and complements the red cherry and cola aromas of the wine.

Barrel Stave Roasted Shrimp and Scallops with Green Apple Slaw

Serves 4−6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

½ pound fresh sea scallops

½ pound fresh prawns

1 green apple

½ red onion

2 radishes

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Soak barrel stave (or cedar plank) in cold water for 1−2 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place scallops and prawns on barrel stave and place in the oven for 12 minutes. Grate the green apple. Slice red onion and radishes. Combine apples, onions and radishes, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss together.

This dish is designed to pair with the MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. The creaminess and mineral aspects of the seafood, especially the scallops with the green apple slaw, complement delicate aromatics of ripe melon and passion fruit of the wine perfectly.

You can find these wines at fine wine shops and dining establishments and online at www.macmurrayranch.com.