Randy is a music-lover – he grew up singing and listening to all kinds of music as a child. His record collection has a wide variety of artists – Led Zeppelin to Michael Jackson, Stevie Nicks to The Beatles. You know it’s a good party when Randy pulls out his favorite records, opens more wine and starts telling stories about the music!
I went thumbing through Randy’s record collection today and found some of my favorite album covers to share with you…..
A trifecta of Randy’s favorite ladies – Aretha, Donna and Diana. Yes, Diana’s cigarette smoke spells her name. Total diva glam.
Hank Williams – the father of contemporary country music; Alabama – because I love them; and Willie. And Willie’s rocking some New Balance tennies.
Lynyrd Skynyrd before the airplane crash and the always-fiery Divine Miss M.
Elvis Squared: Elvis Presley, loved by Randy and his Grandmother; with Elvis Costello, one of Randy and my first dates in Houston.
Mental Health.
a KISS cartoon!
Captain Fantastic wears everything I want to wear! – fur, big sunnies, diamond rings! I’ll skip that hat though.
I’m a bit behind on my posts – Harvest 2015 was early and quick and took over for just a minute! Thankfully I had my favorite working dinner to keep me going into the night.
Swansborough Vineyard Grenache + Chili Cheese Fritos
Okra is a Southern summer staple and most everyone loves it fried. But once summer leaves us behind, we can still enjoy them pickled. Crispy and tangy, pickled okra is my favorite condiment for sandwiches and burgers. A bloody mary just isn’t as fun without it, and you can find all types of delicious recipes calling for this crunch (I just read a recipe for deviled eggs with okra)!
Since I don’t pickle my own, I just stock up when I can!
My faves…..
Last minute and easy to find but delicious is the Talk o’ Texas brand.
If I know I need them in advance for a party OR I’m actually in the Fredericksburg area, I always defer to the Square Headed Germans at Hill Country Homestyle Canning. (Side note: Randy is addicted to the pickled jalapenos too!)
I write this blog and my posts definitely give you an idea of what makes me tick.
But Randy is the mystery man. What makes him tick? What is he into? I decided to do a few posts called “What’s inside Randy’s….”
Today’s post centers around WHAT’S INSIDE RANDY’S…..CLOSET?
I can promise you that Randy was wearing Adidas well before Kanye got involved with the line. (Have you seen the collection he debuted at NYFW? With Anna Wintour front row next to Kim K. I guess her disgust with the Kardashians is over? Oops, I digress….)
It probably started in 1986 when Randy heard those words from Run D.M.C. – my Adidas walked through concert doors, and roamed all over coliseum floors
As long as I’ve known him, he’s preferred sneakers over any other shoe. He gave me my first pair of Converse when we were dating and I’ve given him countless pairs of kicks for his birthday/Christmas gifts. I started digging through his closet yesterday and found seven of his fave pairs of Adidas. He’s definitely not a “collector”. All of these shoes are worn and broken in and loved!
my Adidas and me, close as can be we make a mean team, my Adidas and me
One of my favorite childhood foods was this Czech-Texan pastry. And not just any kolache! My favorite was a poppy seed filling in a pillowy dough made by my Aunt Carolyn. I went home for a family reunion two summers ago and almost jumped up and down when I saw that familiar round pie dish filled with her pastries.
I moved to Houston after college and encountered a whole new kolache world in the Kolache Factory. These kolaches contained bacon, eggs, cheese – and Randy’s favorite below, sausage. These pastries have gained even more popularity over the last few years- even the New York Times wrote about these Czexan specialties!
Finding a new (to you) mom-and-pop bakery in a little town is part of the fun of road-trips in Texas. My last trip home included a stop at Hruska’s(on Highway 71 between Houston and Austin) and the choices were endless. But I found myself pointing at my old fave, the Poppy Seed roll.
This fall marks my 10th harvest of winemaking. I moved out to Napa in 2006 with high hopes and a 10 year plan. That plan continues to evolve as I learn more about the wine business and about the kind of winemaker I want to be, but all in all, we have exceeded our expectations and feel very fortunate as we look back over the previous nine harvests.
My first job started as an internship at Cakebread Cellars in 2006. I was able to learn in a high quality winery from some top-notch people. Cosme Arenalles was the cellar foreman who took me in and patiently showed me the ropes. I still thank him when I see him and was very excited to share a bottle of MY wine with him just a few weeks ago.
I’ll never forget when the 2006 Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc was released. As I tasted it I thought back to every part in the process that I had a hand in and realized that I KNEW HOW TO MAKE WINE! That was one of the most gratifying moments of my life.
How have things changed since then? I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the best in the business here in Napa Valley, I am celebrating my 5th harvest for my personal brand of Rhone-inspired wines, and I’m even making wine back home in Texas! I have to admit, I still celebrate every little win and appreciate every little step we take. I hope to make wines that people celebrate with, that they drink with friends on their front porch, and that they want to share with others.
This harvest I will be focusing on our Grenache (red, blanc and pink!) in Napa as well as spending time in Texas with our second vintage of Tempranillo. These days I am involved in every aspect of the business and the process, from vineyard to crush, from aging to bottling, and finally to you. I don’t have a recipe, I don’t take shortcuts, and I do put everything I have into my wines. It’s way more responsibility than I had that first harvest at Cakebread but just as much excitement and awe.
Thanks for following our Lightning Wines journey. It’s been quite a ride for us –
….area rugs. I want new rugs for La Casa de Lightning and I keep going back and forth while I wait on one or the other to go on sale. I love layering looks throughout the house and have narrowed down my faves below!
These colorful Turkish rugs are on sale at Furbish Studios. I can’t decide which I like more though…..
I spotted a Moroccan rug at Cost Plus World Market in person but can’t find it online any more. One very similar is this look found at Urban Outfitter.
And I’m always a sucker for a Persian-style rug like this one at Cost Plus World Market.
Trade in your schedule, work emails and stress for a visit to CampLightning! That’s what my parents, Theresa and Zane, did during their visit to Napa last week.
Camp kicked off with a vineyard visit to Jim Fore’sproperty in Lake County. (We could see the smoke from the nearby wildfires but it wasn’t until later that night that things erupted and got worse).
Jim and his son, Eric, walked us through the Grenache vines, showing just the start of veraison. While Randy talked harvest projections, we spotted a huge woodpecker and roamed off to check out his handiwork. The tree trunks were covered solid with holes and each hole was filled with an acorn. Jim later explained that the woodpeckers put the acorn in the hole so larvae will start to grow in them. Then, the woodpecker comes back and eats the larvae. A lot of work as you can see…..
The next day, we decided to head to the coast. When I think of farmers, I think of crops and herds, but our tour of HogIslandOysterCo. showed us a different side of farming. Our host, George, was informative, fun and had some great stories. We learned how to shuck them and ended the tour with a plate of BBQ oysters. WOW! I think I need to go back for a plate all my own.
Coming from land-locked West Texas, I still get excited every time I see the ocean. I decided to take my parents out to one of my favorite walks leading to Chimney Rock in Pt. Reyes National Seashore. Randy led the way to this beautiful view.
As any good small-town newsletter would report: a good time was had by all! And yes, camp included many delicious meals and Lightning Wines appearances. Who wants to sign up for our 2016 Camp? Taking camper applications now!
If you follow us on Instagram (@lightningwines), you probably noticed I was in England last week. It was a whirlwind trip of work and fun – and I was so excited to have the weekend to enjoy with dear friends in the village of Chew Magna.
Pints of local ale at the village pub, The Pelly, helped kick off the weekend. But the show-stopper was our Saturday lunch. A seven-course tasting lunch at The Pony & Trap, was preceded by a 2+ mile walk through the country-side. For this former farmgirl, it was a treat to see the local farms as we traveled through wheat fields and mingled with the cows grazing in pastures. (I write that very calmly but we might have had a very dramatic moment with a couple of cows who thought we were there for feeding time!).
Lunch, at this Michelin Star pub, was a delight. Many of the wines paired with our meal were local wines I wouldn’t be able to try at home. The sparkling wine, Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2009, West Sussex, England, was a homerun! We rounded out the meal with a Pimms Lolly and geared up for the walk back.
When you are traveling, it is sometimes the little things that are most intriguing – watching a local Saturday afternoon cricket game, exploring the grounds of the local village church, buying fresh quiche in the farm shop.
And you can’t beat spending time with sweet friends.
It’s time to celebrate and what is more Americana than Red, White & Blue? For this Fourth of July, we will be in Sonoma County with friends – enjoying sunset with sparklers, Lightning Wines, and a delicious dessert recipe from back home!
My Red, White & Blue combination? Red: Lightning Wines Swansborough Grenache White: Lightning Wines CdP Blanc Blue: A blueberry galette that is a visual showstopper and half the work of a traditional pie. The herbs in the crust pair so nicely with our wines and offer a refreshing summer twist. Try strawberry & raspberry too!
You can’t go wrong with this combination!
Enjoy the fireworks! XXOO Brooke
Fresh Herb & Summer Berry Galettes
Serves 8+
Galette Fillings
Blueberry Galette * 2 cups washed blueberries
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* 1/8 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Strawberry Galette * 2 cups washed and sliced strawberries
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* 1/8 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped basil
Raspberry Galette
* 2 cups washed raspberries
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* 1/8 cup sugar
Combine ingredients in separate bowls and let sit while you prepare the galette crusts.
1. Mix flour, sugar and salt in food processor.
2. Add butter; pulse until lumps are pea sized.
3. Gradually blend in ice water to form moist clumps (you may need more or less water).
4. Divide evenly into three portions.
5. For blueberry galette, knead in fresh lemon thyme. For raspberry galette knead in fresh rosemary. No additions for strawberry galette.
6. Form each portion into a disc and wrap in plastic then refrigerate for at least one hour.
7. Roll out on floured surface into a 9-10 inch circle then transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet.
8. Pile fruit mixture onto the center of dough, spreading evenly across 7-8 inches of dough.
9. Fold edges in, overlapping as needed. Paint edges with egg wash mixture and sprinkle entire pie with coarse sugar.
* Repeat steps 7-9 for each galette.
10. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes each. The crust should be golden brown.
11. Let the fruit cool and set at least 30 minutes before eating.
12. Serve room temperature with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or real whipped cream.
How have things changed since then? I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the best in the business here in Napa Valley, I am celebrating my 5th harvest for my personal brand of Rhone-inspired wines, and I’m even making wine back home in Texas! I have to admit, I still celebrate every little win and appreciate every little step we take. I hope to make wines that people celebrate with, that they drink with friends on their front porch, and that they want to share with others.
