McGrail Vineyards is OPEN by Reservation for tastings and bottle service daily! Curbside pickup is also open daily from 10:30-4:30PM.

Wine Club

Blog

Wine at Home

Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts & Clone 8 Cabernet

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

There’s not much to dislike about this delicious dish that features the most trendy vegetable with a classically bad reputation. Yep, not everyone loves Brussels sprouts, but this recipe does the downtrodden, cruciferous veggie justice. Put simply, this warm balsamic bacon Brussels sprouts dish tones down the tannins and balances the earthiness in our McGrail estate Clone 8 Cabernet.


Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Makes about 4 servings.

Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts and McGrail Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 1 lb. (16 oz.) Brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered
  • 2 tbsp. red wine
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar reduction
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts and McGrail Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large, thick-bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil on medium. Add onion and garlic and sautée until soft.
  2. Stir in bacon and sautée with onions and garlic until cooked through.
  3. Add Brussels sprouts and allow to soften and brown slightly, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add red wine and stir. Cook until absorbed completely.
  5. Add apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar reduction, and chicken broth. Stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to cook while covered for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Uncover and add mushrooms. Stir. Allow liquid to cook out of Brussels sprouts, stirring occasionally.
  7. Add pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan once plated.
  8. Enjoy with a glass of our Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts and McGrail Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon

I hope I’ve inspired you to make this warm balsamic bacon Brussels sprouts dish at home! Please let us know if you do end up trying out this recipe. As always, we’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Wine at Home

Virtual Trivia Night via McGrail Vineyards

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

Since it’s ruined plans for almost everything there was to look forward to in 2020, I refuse to allow COVID to spoil get-togethers; meaning, I don’t let the fact that I can’t physically be with my friends and family get me down. Zoom happy hours were all the rage for a while. Though businesses have begun reopening, there are so many folks who don’t always feel comfortable stepping out of the house. At McGrail, we continue to offer SIP Club virtual tastings every other week. We’re also happy to host a virtual tasting for any wine drinkers who’d like to enjoy wine in front of a computer screen with friends. If that’s not for you, these trivia questions and a bottle or two of wine are all you need to host a virtual trivia night!


SIP Club & Trivia

virtual trivia night

Our biweekly SIP Club virtual tastings, have turned Friday afternoons into a ritual of sipping on yummy wines. Each wine is paired with locally sourced tasty treats and we almost always host an entertaining game of trivia with our community of spunky SIP members. It’s truly been a favorite part of my job over the past few months. I enjoy composing a long list of intriguing and edutaining trivia questions and watching our SIP Club engage with them. Although we haven’t played trivia every week, it seems to have become a favorite activity of our SIP Club members. I am happy to look back on the amusing games of trivia we played over the past several months. I can’t help but want to share these exceptionally enthralling trivia Qs and As with those of you who enjoy some healthy competition and intriguing snippets of information to store in your mind

I’ve compiled a few lists of some of my favorite trivia questions and answers by theme. Maybe you can use these to host your own virtual trivia night with friends or family! If you’d ever like us to host a virtual tasting or virtual party for you, we’d be happy to curate a trivia game for you and your friends!


Please let us know what you think of these trivia themes and if you host your own virtual trivia night! We’d love to hear from you.

Cheers!

Wine Production

The Potential for Smoke Taint in 2020

By Mark Clarin of McGrail Vineyards

Because of the local fires in August, I decided to try to understand the potential for smoke taint in our vineyards. After researching the potential for smoke taint, we followed the recommendations from ETS Laboratories. ETS is the West Coast’s most respected wine lab and since they are based in St. Helena, they have seen a lot of examples over the past few years. Their recommendations are to make micro ferments so they can measure guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol, among other smoke flavor compounds. Some of our colleagues in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley are using this technique to decide whether to risk picking the fruit and spending good money after bad. I must say, we were a bit frightened at the thought of leaving our grapes hanging. 

Smoke Taint

We went to the vineyard and harvested grapes from five different areas of our vineyards into five gallon buckets. I had this crazy idea that washing the clusters with water might reduce the smoke compounds on the grapes. In researching this my colleagues conveyed that it doesn’t work but I wanted to see for myself. We used two buckets per pick and washed the clusters into one of the buckets. The other bucket was left au natural.

Then, we yeasted them and fermented them, sampled the wine, and sent the samples to ETS laboratory in St. Helena. The results were interesting, as there was no correlation between the washed grapes versus the unwashed grapes. All of the samples had less than 3 micrograms per liter of guaiacol (smoke flavor) and some were in the 1.3 range. What does this mean? It means we have low risk of smoke flavor in the wines. As we are now in the middle of fermentations, I am feeling strong and hopeful. 

Smoke Taint

December 2020 Vineyard Updates

How has our wine and our vineyard fared since October? Read our December 2020 vineyard updates here.


Wine Production

October Harvest Updates 2020

By Mark Clarin of McGrail Vineyards

2020 has been an interesting year. The growing season has been ideal, beginning with decent rainfall in the winter. We had a warm spring with good conditions during bloom and fruit set. The summer was warm until about the end of August, when the temperatures climbed into the triple digits. We also had a fire in the Livermore Valley due to the lightning strikes, which is the first time we have had to deal with the idea of smoke taint in our wines. 

October 2020 Harvest Updates

In August, we went to the vineyard and harvested grapes from five different areas of our vineyards into 5 gallon buckets. We used two buckets per pick and washed the clusters into one of the buckets. The other bucket was left au natural. We then yeasted them and fermented them, sampled the wine, and sent the samples to ETS laboratory in St. Helena. The results were interesting, as there was no correlation between the washed grapes versus the unwashed grapes. All of the samples had less than 3 micrograms per liter of guaiacol (smoke flavor) and some were in the 1.3 range. What does this mean? It means we have low risk of smoke flavor in the wines. 

We picked 14.5 tons of Sauvignon Blanc on a smoky day, August 22nd. The fire was burning up toward Cedar Mountain. On the 9th of September, we picked 16.7 tons of Chardonnay during an ash cloud event. Then, on the 15th we picked Merlot and Malbec for Rosé. It was a clear day for a change. In all cases, I cold-settled the juice and racked it off before fermenting. As I am recapping, I am tasting the wines with pleasure. So far so good. 

October 2020 Harvest Updates

We picked our Grenache Blanc on the 17th and our Cabernet Franc on the 19th of September. It was really fun to get out there with some of our tasting room staff and actually pick the fruit and bring it to the winery for processing. Then reality hit us on the 24th and 26th when we harvested the Clone 15 one day and the Clone 8 (both Cabernet Sauvignon from our estate) the other day. Both days were more than 50 bins. Long days in the warm weather. We grabbed the Clone 15 and Clone 30 from the Lucky 8 Vineyard, which turned out to be another 50 plus bin day. So far, the Cabernets have great color and intense flavors. Time will tell us whether the smoke has affected our vintage but I’m feeling pretty good so far. We should be finished harvesting everything by the 20th of October.

October 2020 Harvest Updates

Yields have been spot on, with the exception of the Clone 15 at Lucky 8 Vineyard. I miscalculated that block, as it came in heavier than expected. The quality is great. I will have to pay closer attention next year. The young vineyard at Lucky 8 is really coming along now that we are through 4th leaf. Our Chardonnay was about 5 tons per acre and Sauvignon Blanc was almost 7. Our red grapes are closer to 3.5 tons, with the exception of the Clone 15 at Lucky 8, which was just over 4 tons per acre. I am very pleased with the progress in our vineyards and look forward to enjoying some of our wines on the patio soon. 

October 2020 Harvest Updates

A new harvest season means new tunes.

Jump into the new season with our sounds of harvest alongside our October harvest updates…


October Harvest Updates Feedback

October 2020 Harvest Updates

Please let us know your thoughts on these October harvest updates! Did you learn anything? If so, what did you learn? What are you most looking forward to trying from the 2020 vintage? We look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers!

Wine at Home

Easy German Red Cabbage & McGrail Cab Reserve

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

What’s not to love about this classic Bavarian dish with a delicious Cab? This easy German red cabbage recipe and award-winning Cab are a no-brainer! There are just eight simple ingredients and three steps to whipping up this delectable fare that can be served cold or hot.


Easy German Red Cabbage

Makes about 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 small apples, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • I medium head organic red cabbage, sliced
  • 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp. pepper
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
Easy German Red Cabbage

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Spray a large, heavy-bottomed pot with cooking spray and heat on medium. Add apples and onions and cook until onions become soft.
  2. Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Cover and continue to cook on medium for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
  3. Serve hot or cold with grilled brats, spaetzle, a soft Bavarian pretzel, and a glass of 2016 McGrail Cabernet Reserve.

I hope I’ve inspired you to make this easy, but delicious fall staple at home! Please let us know if you do try out this easy German red cabbage recipe. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Wine at Home

Easy Beefy Baby Bella Bites & McGrail Merlot

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards


Easy Beefy Baby Bella Bites

Makes about 9 servings (with 2 mushrooms per serving).

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1/3 lb. ground organic grass fed beef burger
  • 2 tsp. herbs de Provence, divided
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 oz. organic baby bella mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed
  • 2 tbsp. raw pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
Beefy Baby Bella Bites

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium.
  3. Sautee onion and garlic until soft. Add ground burger, 1 tsp. herbs de Provence, and salt and pepper to taste. Brown until beef is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In a bowl or ziplock bag, add baby bella mushrooms and remaining olive oil. Coat mushrooms with olive oil.
  5. On an oiled baking sheet, place mushrooms upside down about 1-2 inches apart. Sprinkle raw pine nuts around mushrooms. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
  6. Turn oven heat to 400 degrees F.
  7. Spoon cooked burger mixture into concave half of mushroom, using back of spoon to push burger into mushroom.
  8. In a small bowl, combine parmesan, bread crumbs, remaining herbs de Provence, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
  9. Pile parmesan mixture on top of mushrooms and bake at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes, or until bread crumbs and parmesan topping have become crispy and crunchy.
  10. Sprinkle baked pine nuts over stuffed mushrooms and serve hot with a glass of yummy McGrail Merlot.
Beefy Baby Bella Bites

I hope I’ve inspired you to make these easy little beefy baby bella bites at home! Please let us know if you do try out this recipe. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Wine at Home

Irish Beef and Potato Stew and McGrail Cabernet

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards


Irish Beef and Potato Stew

Makes about 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 2 1/2 lbs. choice beef roast, cut into 1.5″ cubes
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic, divided
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 large sprigs of rosemary
  • 3 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 large carrots, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery stalks, leaves removed
  • 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup leeks, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 1/4 cup Irish stout beer
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 2 1/4 lbs. red potatoes, cubed into 1″ pieces
  • 1 cup frozen organic peas
Irish beef and potato stew

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium in a large frying pan.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, add cubed beef roast, 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Stir.
  3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over beef, while stirring, to coat evenly.
  4. Slowly coat beef chunks flour with flour and stir to coat evenly.
  5. Cook dredged beef and sprigs of rosemary in hot olive oil, stirring constantly, until beef is just browned around edges. Remove from pan and set aside. Toss rosemary sprigs.
  6. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and chopped bacon, then stir until bacon is cooked through. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Sautee until soft.
  7. In a large crockpot, add browned beef, cooked bacon and veggie mixture, chopped herbs, leeks, bay leaves, beef broth, tomato sauce, Irish stout, and red wine. Stir. Cover and cook on high for about 2-3 hours or until stew has began bubbling.
  8. Remove one of the two bay leaves and add the potatoes. Stir. Continue to cook on high for about 1.5-2 more hours or until potatoes have been cooked through.
  9. Add frozen peas to soup and stir.
  10. Serve stew hot with toasted herb focaccia bread and a glass or two of 2017 McGrail Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.
Irish beef and potato stew

I hope I’ve inspired you to make this warm classic Irish beef and potato stew at home! Please let us know if you do try out this recipe. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Wine Production

A New Season: Harvest 2020

By Mark Clarin and Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

Autumn is just around the corner, but in the vineyard a new season has already begun! Harvest has started here at McGrail Vineyards and we want to share this new chapter with you. We asked Winemaker Mark Clarin to share his thoughts on our 2020 vintage to give our friends an idea of what can be expected of our newest vintage! 

Harvest 2020
Harvest 2020

Harvest 2020 According to Mark Clarin

The vintage has been almost picture perfect this year. We had adequate rainfall, along with an early budbreak. The weather through bloom was dry and mild. No mess, no stress, as they say. Summer has been moderately warm, up until the end of August, and then bam–heatwave, thunder and lightning, fire, smoke and more heat! This is definitely going to be an interesting harvest season. There is no telling how the apocalypse will affect the wines. After 41 crushes, I keep telling anyone who will listen that every vintage is different, though some are more memorable than others. 

We kicked off our vintage on August 22nd this year, as we harvested Sauvignon Blanc from our Lucky 8 Vineyard. It was a smoke-filled day and everyone wore masks during the processing. The masks were doing double duty as we are trying to protect from COVID-19, as well as the smoke. 

We followed up with Chardonnay on the 8th of September. The trend is an early harvest so far and I anticipate it to continue. We are getting ready to pick Malbec and Merlot for Rose and we will be about 25% through picking this year. 

Yields so far have been good and the fruit quality is excellent! The juice tastes great and I hope the finished ferments will be just as good. In general, we are picking about a week or so earlier than last year. If all goes well, I’ll be on vacation mid-October. 

-Mark Clarin, Winemaker

Harvest at McGrail Vineyards
Harvest at McGrail Vineyards

A new season means new tunes.

Jump into the new season with our sounds of harvest…

Harvest at McGrail Vineyards
Harvest at McGrail Vineyards

Here’s Our 2020 Vintage Recap

Tap the link below to read our update on the 2020 vintage.

Wine at Home

Prawns In Lemon White Wine Sauce & Chardonnay

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

It’s summertime, which means most people are drinking crisp, chilled white wines. Accordingly, I’ve been coming up with more recipes for white wine pairings. This pairing suggestion came from Heather McGrail, who loves to recommend healthier versions to classic meals. Using just a bit of butter, a lean protein like shrimp, and veggies as an alternative to starch, I’d say this pairing is a bit more healthy than most. Not only is it delectable, it’s also wonderful paired with our McGrail Family Chardonnay!


Prawns In Lemon White Wine Sauce Over Zucchini Noodles & Cous Cous

Makes 3 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

  • ¾ lb. fresh uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails on
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¾ cup uncooked couscous
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 heaping tbsp. minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp. dry white wine
  • 2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 4 ½ cups zucchini noodles
  • 3 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Prawns in lemon white wine sauce

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a medium bowl, soak shrimp for 6-12 hours in a mixture of water, milk, and apple cider vinegar to reduce fishy taste and smell. Dump liquid and rinse shrimp well before using.
  2. Make couscous as directed. Set aside.
  3. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Once hot, add butter and garlic. Brown garlic in butter-oil mixture.
  4. Add shrimp to pan and season well with salt and pepper. Stir in white wine, lemon juice, cayenne, and zucchini noodles and cook for about five minutes or until shrimp are cooked through, stirring constantly. 
  5. Add more salt and pepper to pan as necessary. Sprinkle parsley leaves over pan and stir well. 
  6. Spoon most of the excess sauce from shrimp and noodle pan and stir into couscous. 
  7. Serve couscous with shrimp and zucchini noodles alongside some McGrail Family Chardonnay. Enjoy!
Prawns in lemon white wine sauce

Please let us know if you end up making this zesty pairing at home. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Wine at Home

Cheesy Summer Squash Casserole & Chardonnay

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

Cheesy Summer Squash Casserole

If you’re anything like me, you live for the amazing fruits and veggies that come around during summer, but still, the quarantine hasn’t been great for your summer bod. Not being able to go to the gym and being stuck at home with a stocked fridge and an overflowing wine closet has physically put me more in a winter state than a summer one. Because of this, I’ve included some alternatives to certain ingredients and some optional steps, as to offer healthier versions of this scrumptious summertime supper. This cheesy summer squash casserole has become a go-to recipe for my family because it’s so easy to make!


Cheesy Summer Squash Casserole

Cheesy Summer Squash, Cauliflower, & Macaroni Casserole

Makes about 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 12 oz. (about 4 cups) zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 12 oz. yellow squash, thinly sliced
  • Pepper to taste
  • 12 oz. steamed cauliflower
  • 12 oz. steamed broccoli
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked corn kernels
  • 1-2 cups shredded cheese blend (medium cheddar, Jarlsberg, and even a lite blend are fine), separated
  • 1-1 1/2 cups grated parmesan, separated
  • 3/4-1 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, separated
  • Optional: 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 (6 oz.) packages of macaroni and cheese (I used Annie’s organic mac and cheese with 12g protein for a healthier alternative to regular Kraft)
Cheesy Summer Squash Casserole

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Heat olive oil on medium-low in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and chopped onions and cook until soft and browned.
  3. Add sliced zucchini and squash. Season with pepper to taste. Cook thoroughly, until soft.
  4. In a large casserole tray (I used a 9″x13″ tray), break up your steamed cauliflower and broccoli into 1″ chunks. Sprinkle with pepper, cooked corn kernels, 3/4 cup shredded cheese blend (optional), 1/2 cup parmesan (optional), 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (optional), and melted butter (optional).
  5. Evenly spread cooked zucchini and squash on top. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese blend and 1/2 cup grated parmesan on top.
  6. Prepare your macaroni and cheese as directed on package.
  7. Evenly spread your prepared macaroni and cheese over the casserole pan. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese blend, 1/2 cup parmesan, and 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs. Add pepper to taste.
  8. Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling inside and the top is crispy and browned.
  9. Enjoy with a slightly chilled bottle of our McGrail Family Chardonnay!
Cheesy Summer Squash Casserole

I hope I’ve inspired you to make this delicious summertime casserole at home! Please let us know if you do try out this recipe. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!