Thanksgiving Wine Recipes

Last year this country spent $2,375,000,000 on Thanksgiving dinner food, yet the average household spending was just over $50. That’s not a bad number considering how many people are probably at the average dinner table on turkey-day. This is probably because families typically split the menu, each person bringing their own special dish. Grandma makes the turkey, mom brings the sweet potato casserole, and uncle whips up his famous stuffing.

While some people might have their classic recipes they recreate year after year, others might be looking for something a little different, and we have just the thing! Below are some delicious recipes that are sure to please. Even better, they all involve wine, of course!

Cabernet Cranberry & Blueberry Sauce– a unique twist on a Thanksgiving classic, AND we recently released our 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon! The recipe only calls for 1 cup of the wine, so you still have the rest of the bottle to enjoy before, during, or after.

 

 

 

 

 

White Wine Mushroom Bruschetta with Halloumi– I think I teared up a little at this one, it looks so good. It would make a great appetizer while you wait on the turkey’s final touches! Try with out 2013 Chardonnay.

Cheesy Garlic Bites– Forget Great Aunt Edith’s homemade bread recipe that’s been passed down for generations and served at every Thanksgiving meal for the last century, it’s time to start some new traditions! May I recommend our 2012 Pinot Grigio?

 

Mulled Wine– Who doesn’t love warm, spiced wine this time of year? It gets you feeling so cozy and totally in the holiday spirit. You can try this recipe or stop by our tasting room gift shop to find mulled wine spice packets. We like to use our Northern Harrier Red for this one.

Darkest Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Glaze– Don’t forget dessert! You will probably need to make one cake per person because I can’t see how anyone would want to share this. 2011 Proprietor’s Red Blend will probably work very nicely for this.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving recipes, especially ones using wine as an ingredient? How about pairings, what are you drinking with dinner?

Click pictures or recipe titles for image and recipe sources.

Try this Turkey Lasagna with our Northern Harrier Red

Winter is the time for comfort food and a hearty lasagna really hits the spot. This recipe for Turkey Lasagna is perfect paired with our 2011 Northern Harrier Red, and feel free to pour yourself an extra glass. This dish is not only delicious, but with all that spinach and lean turkey meat, its actually kind of healthy, too!

Turkey Lasagna

original recipe found here

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fresh ground turkey
1 (28 oz) can plum tomatoes, crushed
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 (9-oz) package no-boil lasagna noodles
15 ounces low-fat ricotta or low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
2 pounds fresh spinach, washed, but not dried
1 pound shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add ground turkey and cook for about 10 minutes. Add plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper; let simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in basil and parsley; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and egg; season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place damp spinach in a large skillet over medium heat; cook until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Ladle 1/4 of the turkey mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; spread to cover. Add a pasta sheet, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the spinach mixture, and another 1/4 of the turkey mixture. Repeat process two more times; top with remaining sheet of pasta. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over top. Line a piece of aluminum foil with parchment paper; spray parchment with nonstick cooking spray. Cover lasagna with prepared aluminum foil, parchment-side down, and transfer to oven. Bake until bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting; serve.

If you make this tasty recipe, share your pictures and wine pairings with us! Post to our facebook or email us at info@Hawkhavenvineyard.com.

Be Our Valentine?

Valentine’s Day is this Friday, February 14th, which is perfect because it means we have all weekend to celebrate. If you’re looking for something special to do with your significant other, Hawk Haven is the perfect place to spend a romantic afternoon and we have some very exciting festivities planned for this weekend.

If you’re single and Valentine’s Day is depressing for you, let us point out that studies have shown that CHOCOLATE makes everything better. It’s science! You can’t argue with science and you definitely can’t argue with chocolate. Not when there is wine involved, and I’m sure there are other studies showing that wine gives you eternal life or something, so you really can’t lose.

So here we are, offering you happiness and eternal life* and you’re still wondering what to do this weekend. Let us help you with that!

Our friendly tasting room staff is ready to serve up our award-winning wines!

The tasting room is open daily, 12pm-5pm, for educational wine tastings, wine sales, cheese plates, and general hanging out. On Friday, February 14th, we will be offering our Wine & Chocolate Pairing for $12 which includes a wine tasting of eight wines, four of which are expertly paired with gourmet chocolates (we ate a lotttt of this chocolate so we’re pretty sure that makes us experts now), and a souvenir wine glass.

Then comes the Wine & Chocolate Wine Trail Weekend, February 15th & 16th. We are so excited for this weekend that we wanted to make sure you had plenty of time to enjoy it, so we extended our hours a bit to be 11am-6pm. Fall in love with our wines during the Wine & Chocolate Pairing, then stroll on over to our barrel room for a very special barrel tasting with our very special winemaker. During this barrel tasting, you will get to sample some of our newest wines and although they aren’t quite ready for bottling, they are already tasting great which is why we wanted to share them with you now. We will even be selling futures, so you can secure yourself some bottles before they are ever released to the public.

This is the best grilled cheese you ever had in your life, especially if you’ve never had grilled cheese.

At this point you’ll be ready to sit back and relax under our heated crushpad tent with a glass of your favorite wine. Can’t decide which one you liked best? Order a red or white wine flight for a 2.5 ounce serving of four wines. By now you’re probably starting to get hungry, and as delicious as those chocolate tastings were, you need something more! We’ve got that covered too, with gourmet cheese plates and some appetizer-sized offerings from Chef Ryan Kennedy of Executive Catering. We had the opportunity to try some of these dishes last weekend, and they are not to be missed. You might have to order one of everything.

This article is getting pretty long but I am not finished! I didn’t tell you about the LIVE MUSIC yet! That’s right, we will have some great local musicians here from 2pm to 5pm all weekend. Come hear the poetic lyrics of guitarist Gordon Vincent on Saturday, then come back Sunday with your dancing shoes because we’ve got Tamara deMent on the violin accompanied by Jim Maher on the guitar.

And that’s that! If you totally scrolled straight to the bottom without reading any of the above, here is the jist of it: Wine, Chocolate, Food, and Live Music at Hawk Haven Winery this weekend, February 15th & 16th. Now you have to come because you skipped over all my hard work. See you there!

*Our lawyers have advised us that we must inform you we cannot guarantee eternal life from our wines. But we still think we can at least do the happiness part.

Wine Tips: Five Tips for Pairing Wine with Food

Believe it or not, a lot of people feel a great deal of anxiety over this one little choice: selecting a wine to go with a meal. This is especially true when they are choosing for a group. How do I know which wine to pick? How can I pick a wine that everyone will like? How do I know if it will pair well with the food? Relax! The choice is easier than you might think, and these five tips will help you along the way.

Tip One: Drink what you like! As we have said before, the most important thing is to pick a wine you enjoy. Ignore all the other factors for a minute, such as red or white, sweet or dry, expensive or inexpensive, chicken or steak. Forget it! What wine do you like? If you’re having guests, what do they usually drink? If you don’t know what your guests like, don’t worry about it, just focus on what you know. It is fun to experiment with different combinations, and over time you will find pairings that you love.

Tip Two: White & Light. Lighter foods like chicken and fish tend to taste better with similarly lighter wines which, generally speaking, are white varietals. Try barrel-fermented Chardonnay with a creamy chicken dish, or a Pinot Grigio for a light, flaky fish.

Tip Three: Heavy & Red. This tip goes along the same line as the second tip. Full-bodied reds will stand up better to heavier foods. Have Merlot with your red sauce pastas or Cabernet Sauvignon with a nice, juicy steak. The idea is to match the robustness of the food.

Tip Four: Opposites Attract. Sometimes it pays to choose a wine that is on the opposite end of the sweet/dry scale. Sweet wines can be great with spicy foods as they cut through some of the heat and refresh your palate for the next tasty bite. A lot of wine connoisseurs would frown at the idea of chocolate and red wine, but I personally think they are meant to be together. Dark chocolate and a dry red wine with plenty of smooth, berry flavors… pour me a glass!

Tip Five: Similar Tastes. This might contradict Tip Four, but matching tastes and aromas can also produce some lovely  flavor combinations. Let’s say you cooked seared scallops for dinner and you’ve drizzled them with fresh lemon juice. You already know that white wine would be a good choice, but let’s narrow it down a bit. Look for something with citrusy notes, such as Sauvignon Blanc, to match the lemon from the scallops.

I can’t end this article without adding a sixth bonus tip:  Google It! The internet is loaded with information and advice when it comes to wine, and you’re sure to find plenty of wine suggestions with a quick search for whatever you’re serving. Also, the tasting room staff here at Hawk Haven are more than happy to help you come up with something delicious. A lot of us love to cook, and we all love to eat and drink wine (who doesn’t?), so if you’re looking for a good pairing, all you have to do is ask! Don’t forget to share your favorite pairings with us!

Friday Night Supper Club

Join us on Friday nights for a family-style dinner at the vineyard! 

Every Friday Night
June 29th – Sept 7th

 

Live Music 6 to 9pm
Dinner Served at 7pm
Reservations Required
(609) 846-7347

Dinner $32
Wine Flight (optional) $16

Tasting Room open 11am to 7pm

 

Menus

Friday, July 13th
Appetizer: Seafood Bruchetta served over grilled panini
Salad: Carribbean Salad- A spring mix salad with strawberries,
craisins, and candied walnuts,
with honey poppy seed dressing
Entree: Two jumbo lump crab cakes topped with a
roasted red pepper puree
Cucumber salad
Homemade stewed tomatoes
Twice baked potatoes
Dessert: Key lime pie

Friday, July 20th
TBA

Friday, July 27th
Fried Ravioli
Hawaiian Meatballs
Crab Balls
Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Sliders
Pulled Pork Sliders with Asian Slaw
Fresh Fruit Salad
Pasta Salad
Bread Pudding

Menus for August – Sept 7th TBA

Entertainment:

June 29th – Andrew Reeves

July 6th – John Nesbitt
July 13th – Jon Thompson
July 20th – Andrew Reeves
July 27th – Kate Delaney-Chew

August 3rd – Jon Thompson
August 10th – John Nesbitt
August 17th – Jon Thompson
August 24th – Andrew Reeves
August 31st – TBA

Sept 7th – Jon Thompson

Coming Soon: Saturdays on the Crushpad 2012

Last summer at Hawk Haven Vineyard we introduced a new event called Saturdays on the Crushpad to bring more enjoyment to your weekend in Cape May County. With live music, wine, and freshly made gourmet food, Saturdays on the Crushpad was a great success and we are happy to be starting it earlier than ever for 2012.

On Saturday, May 26th we will kick off the first of many Saturdays on the Crushpad which will continue through the fall. We are so excited that we wanted to give you a sneak peek of the new fresh gourmet menu from The Red Store in Cape May Point, a new culinary delight run by the owners of Quahog’s Seafood Shack in Stone Harbor.

So here it is, give or take a few changes that may inevitably occur, and pricing to be determined. Try not to lick the screen.

Winemaker’s Selection Cheese Plate
A tasty selection of four cheeses from our local cheese shop with wine pairing suggestions for each.

Seasonal Quiche
A delectable creation of spinach and goat cheese brought to us by local French baker Michel Gras Atelier of La Patisserie. Served with a side salad of greens picked fresh from Hawk Haven’s own gardens.

Seasonal Gazpacho
Chilled white soup of grapes, almonds, roasted garlic, and cucumber.

Sandwiches

Napa-Style Ham & Cheese Sandwich
A favorite of Hawk Haven owners Todd & Kenna, this sandwich is the perfect pairing to any glass of Hawk Haven wine. Ham, cheese, cornichons, sweet cream butter, and Dijon mustard served on La Patisserie Vienna bread.

Red Store Roast Beef Sandwich
Tender roast beef and sharp cheddar cheese topped with fresh tomato, cucumber, and onions, served on La Patisserie Vienna bread.

Salads

For additional amount add lump crab or grilled chicken

Seasonal Salad
A fresh selection of locally grown lettuces, seasonal vegetables, and fruit with house-made vinaigrette.

Goat Cheese and Beet Salad
A sweet and savory combination of roasted local beets, goat cheese, and candied walnuts over arugula with house-made vinaigrette.

Caesar Salad
Romaine hearts, local cherry tomatoes, shaved manchego cheese, radishes, croutons, and house-made Caesar dressing

The Music!

All Saturday bands play 2-5pm
No Cover Charge!

May 26th Marnie & Nate 

June 2nd TBA

June 9th Gordon Vincent

June 16th Jon Thompson

June 23rd Dale of Hennesey & Jack

June 30th Marnie & Nate

July 7th Gordon Vincent

July 14th John Nesbitt

July 21st Dan Brown Duo

July 28th Dale of Hennesey & Jack

August 4th Tamara DeMent & Jim Maher

August 11th Dale of Hennesey & Jack

August 18th Gordon Vincent

August 25th John Nesbitt

Sept 1st TBA

Sept 8th Gordon Vincent

Sept 15th John Nesbitt

Sept 22nd TBA

Sept 29th John Nesbitt

Oct 6th TBA

Oct 13th John Nesbitt

Oct 20th Kate Delaney-Chew

Oct 27th Kate Delaney-Chew

Check back often for more official menu information and updated schedule of live music. Hope to see you here!

Two Great Events This Weekend!

Don’t miss out on these two great events this weekend!

 

The Garden State Wine Growers Association will hold its annual Cape May Wine Festival Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9, from noon to 5 p.m. and Hawk Haven Winery is proud to be a part of this great event! Festival goers can take advantage of the warm autumnal weather to sample the award-winning wines of New Jersey, listen to two live bands, stroll through crafters and visit The Kids Zone which has activities especially for the younger attendees.

Join Hawk Haven at the Cape May Wine Festival

Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal Cape May, NJ (MAP)

Saturday, October 8, 2011
From 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Sunday, October 9, 2011
From 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Admission Tent open each day 11:30 am

Musical Entertainment

Saturday – Jingo Jive
Sunday – Gashouse Gorillas

Ticket Info

• Sampling is $25 per person for those 21 or older (ID required). Tickets for sampling can be purchased each day of the festival at the Admission Tent. The Admission Tent will be open from 11:30am-4:30pm each day and is Cash Only! Sampling fee includes your commemorative wine glass!
• Tickets can be purchased IN ADVANCE of the festival by clicking on this link for a discounted rate of $20.00. Tickets will no longer be available for purchase or reprinting starting at 11:59pm on Friday October 7, 2011. Please make sure to print your tickets in advance.
• Joining us for the weekend? We now offer a two-day pass for $40. Passes can be purchased in advance by clicking on this link or at the Admission Tent on Saturday. Ask the Admission Staff for more details!
• Those under 21 are FREE, those not sampling are FREE
• Wondering what to bring and what to leave at home? Please check the Frequently Asked Questions Page – Festival FAQ’s.

More questions about this event? Email wineinfo@newjerseywines.com.

                   

Wine Fest not your style? How about a sunset wine cruise?

Enjoy a sunset on your cruise across the Delaware Bay as you savor some of the finest Hawk Haven wines and delicious Hors d’oeuvres.  This event includes return-trip foot passenger ferry cruise, wine samplings and pairings, and the opportunity to purchase featured wines by the glass aboard the Ferry. Live music will be “on deck” as well!

Cruises are available Saturday, October 8th
and
Saturday, October 15th

 6:00 p.m. Departure / Return 9:00 p.m.

Cost: $39.00 per adult (Must be 21 years or older to participate) with round-trip foot passage.  Space is limited.

Reservations are required, so call 1-800-64-FERRY today!

Don’t Miss the Last Sangria Sunday!

This weekend we have a lot of fun ready for you at Hawk Haven! Not only is our new Saturdays on the Crushpad event back, but it’s the last Sangria Sunday of the 2011 season.

This Saturday the 10th we have our second Saturdays at the Crushpad. Enjoy wine tastings and wine by the glass from 11:00 AM until 7:00 PM, and a full menu of delicious food from Seaside Cheese Co. from 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM. Check out some of these treats!

Vineyard Turkey Club

Turkey with lettuce, tomato, pancetta and avocado mayo on multigrain bread.

Seaside Sliders

4 Roast beef sliders with bacon and horseradish spread served on mini buns.

Classic Greek Meze

Dolmas, gigandes beans, roasted red peppers, Greek olive mix, hummus, feta cheese and pita chips.

Seaside Cheese Plate

Assorted cheeses, crackers, Spanish cocktail nuts, fig spread and fruit.

Autumn Brie

Triple cream brie with pesto, sundried tomato and pepperoni on a panini , pressed and served warm.

Grilled Sweet Potato and Blue Cheese

Grilled sweet potatoes embraced by blue cheese, honey, and sugarsnap peas on a panini, pressed and served warm.

Don’t forget the music! From 2:00 PM until 5:00 PM listen to Gordon Vincent out on the Crushpad.

 

And on Sunday the 11th don’t miss the LAST Sangria Sunday of the 2011 season. Starting at 12:00 PM it’s the last chance to get your Hawk Haven Sangria until next year, along with wine tastings and wine by the glass. Seaside Cheese Co. will be back for a repeat performance of their Saturday menu, and we have two bands to entertain you!

From 12:00PM until 3:00PM kick back and enjoy Palmer & Reeves.

Then from 3:00PM until 7:00PM groove with The Dan Brown Duo.

Red-Tailed Rosé Cherry Sorbet

We at Hawk Haven have been enjoying the sangria popsicles so much that we’ve been wondering what other tasty frozen wine treats we can come up with. Maybe it’s due to the heat but we say it’s the wine that inspires us to create new recipes. Lately the Red-Tailed Rosé has been speaking to us, and it is saying, “Sorbet!”

Can't you hear it too?

Our 2010 Red-Tailed Rosé is a blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Vidal Blanc, and White Zinfandel. We describe it as off-dry because it has just the right hint of sweetness to balance out the robust spiciness of the Cabernet, giving it a nice bright cherry flavor. During our Sangria Sundays, we blend it with frozen strawberries and it comes out tasting similar to a strawberry daiquiri, but better.

One trick to deciding how to pair wine with food (or use it in the food) is to think about what foods come to mind when you taste the wine. Some wines conjure images of a nice juicy steak smothered in mushrooms; other wines have citrusy flavors that would work well in a chicken dish (like this Chicken Française). The possibilities are endless! Since the Rosé carries so many berry tastes and aromas, we knew we couldn’t go wrong with a bag of frozen cherries.

Here is a recipe for Cherry Sorbet using the Red-Tailed Rosé. Feel free to adjust the amounts of each ingredient, and try experimenting with other berries. Strawberries or raspberries would taste wonderful as well. Better yet, try all three!

Red-Tailed Rosé Cherry Sorbet

3 cups frozen pitted tart cherries (we used a 16oz bag)

¼ cup sugar

1 cup Red-Tailed Rosé (or more if you’d like)

½ tsp salt

Blend cherries in a food processor until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until blended. Pour into a freezer container, cover and freeze until smooth.

Hawk Haven’s 2010 Pinot Grigio

If you hadn’t already noticed, Hawk Haven has released a few new wines in the last few weeks. One of these new additions to the family is the new 2010 Pinot Grigio.

This lively wine abounds with a natural, crisp acidity. The pinot grapes were harvested at full maturity and then whole cluster pressed and cold fermented over a three month period. This delicious wine was bottled young to capture the subtle aromas. As you take a sip, look for flavors like peach, apple and wild honey. A perfect pairing for this wine is sautéed sea scallops. Stop by the tasting room, open every day from 11:00 AM until 7:00 PM, and pick up your bottle today!