By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards I am a huge fan of the delicious summer veggies that come with living in California and the tail end of summer seems to give us the cream of the crop (pun intended). Having easy access to what is arguably the best corn in the world here in the […]
Hearty Gourmet Corn Chowder & Chardonnay Read More »
By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards One of my favorite vegetarian foods is a black bean burger. They can be so filling and so flavorful, like our Malbec! For those who don’t know, our Malbec comes from our Lucky 8 Vineyard, which we acquired a few years ago. We’ve updated the farming practices used on
Black Bean Burgers & Malbec Read More »
By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards Malbec, which is the favorite varietal of our Winemaker’s mother, is typically an easy drinking, jammy wine. Being a producer of heavy, tannic Cabernets, our Malbec is naturally bigger and bolder than the typical Malbec. The large body on this Bordeaux varietal makes it excellent for pairing with heavy
Black and Blue Cheese Burgers and Malbec Read More »
By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards Since portobello mushroom burgers always seem to be our go-to vegetarian pairing suggestions for our big, bold estate-grown Cabernets, I thought it was time I finally created a recipe to pair with our wines. I chose not to add a bun or any kind of bread to this burger,
Gouda Balsamic Portobello Burgers & Patriot Cab Read More »
By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards Can’t choose between our Gracie Sparkling and Peyton Paige Sauvignon Blanc? That’s okay; neither can I. This dish works with both of these delightfully crisp, refreshing wines. Either combo is godsent on a hot day, which we’ve had plenty of lately. The soft, creamy texture of the scallops tones
Spicy Citrus Scallops & Sparkling OR Sauvignon Blanc Read More »
By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards & Winery The versatility of sparkling wine always gets me super excited! It can go with pretty much anything and everything, but it’s also always delicious on its own or in a cocktail. Since we don’t currently have any sweet wines, it’s hard for me to come up with
Summertime Grilled Fruit Spongecake & Sparkling Read More »
By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards If you don’t fire up the grill on our Day of Independence, are you even American? One of my family’s oldest traditions is our July 4th ritual of throwing steaks, burgers, hot dogs, veggies, and just about anything else grill-able over the massive fire pit grill at my family’s
Independence Day Patriot Pairings Read More »
By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards With a global pandemic and a shelter-in-place order came economic recession and unprecedented job loss in the United States. As a result, what became a necessity for American people was comfort and frugality. Said need for comfort and frugality can be satiated in many forms, but food usually tends
Fast Food and McGrail Wine Pairings Read More »
Wondering what to make for dinner tonight? Simply choose your favorite McGrail wine and follow one of our recommended pairing recipes linked below! These are all wine and food pairing recipes we’ve created. A Jó Élet, “The Good Life,” Cabernet Sauvignon Austin James Cabernet Sauvignon C. Tarantino Cabernet Sauvignon Charlie Rae Chardonnay Colton’s Cabernet Sauvignon
All Wine and Food Pairing Recipes Read More »
By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards Although all our wines are delicious on their own, a heavy, tannic Cabernet isn’t always the most appealing on any of the many 100°+ days we have here in the Livermore Valley. An easy way to enjoy a red wine on an unbearably hot summer day is to make
Red, White, & Rosé Summertime Sangria Read More »
