Oooh-Mummy Burger Recipe featured on Wine Wednesday!

Ooh-Mummy Burger Recipe provided by Bob Blumer!

 

Prep Time

< 30 minutes

Yield

Makes 4 generous burgers

Recipe

  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Vegemite or Marmite
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef (ideally ½ dry aged ribeye, ½ boneless short rib, ½ hanger steak) or your favorite blend
  • 2 Tbsp ground dried morel mushrooms or any other dried mushrooms (use a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder)
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 4 airy burger buns (ideally brioche)
  • 4 ounces blue cheese or Gruyère, or your favorite burger cheese, crumbled or grated
  • 2 Tbsp garlic butter or butter at room temperature
  • 6 Tbsp onion marmalade
  • 4 Tbsp homemade ketchup

 

In small ramekin, mix Worcestershire and Vegemite. Reserve.

To a large bowl, add the ground beef.  Add the Worcestershire/Vegemite blend, mushroom powder, and mustard.  Mix, but do not overmix.  Form 4 beef patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

 

To Grill.

Preheat the grill to direct medium high heat.  Grill the burgers for about 4 minutes per side, or until they are cooked to your desired degree of doneness.  Halfway through grilling the second side, top with cheese and close the lid to help the cheese melt.

To Pan Cook.

Over high heat, heat a cast-iron pan or other heavy pan until it smokes.  Add the burgers, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook your desired degree of doneness.  Top the burgers with cheese and cover with a lid for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.

If the buns are too thing or too dense, pull a little bread from the center of the top half, or slice a bit off from one or both of the cut sides.

While the patties are cooking, brush the buns with butter and toast them, cut side down, in a pan or on a grill until the cut side is lightly browned.

Spread the bottom bun with onion marmalade and top bun with ketchup.

ENJOY!

Celebrating 25 Years!

September is always an exciting time as it is typically the beginning of Harvest Season at Benziger Family Winery.  This year it is extra special to the history of our Sonoma Mountain Ranch as it marks the 25th anniversary of the Biodynamic Tram Tour at the winery, one of the most notable winery experiences in Sonoma Valley.

Introduced in 1994, our Tram Tour was created to show off our greatest asset- our unique property! At the time we had no idea what a success it would turn out to be, but we have now toured over 1 million guests over 25 years.  We have garnered recognition as the Best Winery Tour by Sonoma Valley People’s Choice sponsored by the Sonoma Index Tribune for 5 straight years. We were also recently included in the list of Best Winery Tours by USA Today’s 10Best!

Biodynamics hadn’t been introduced to our ranch when tours began in 1994, but we were very focused on sustainability and saw the tour as an opportunity to provide education on our green farming practices. “Farming for Flavors,” our Certified Sustainability program, is still one of the most comprehensive sustainability programs in the country. Learn more about our green farming practices here. The true goal of the tour program was to create an experience for guests that went beyond the tasting room.  We wanted to immerse them in the natural environment of the land and help them understand the complexity of the Sonoma Mountain property and how it made our wines exceptional. This remains our number one goal.

In the early days, the tour was offered 4 times a day and lasted nearly two hours. That is, unless Mike Benziger was your tour guide, then who knows how long you’d be out there! While there were a couple dedicated tour guides on staff, Benziger family members would often step in to conduct tours throughout the day whenever needed. Guests were treated to their first stop at the Parthenon, a structure that was here when the Benziger’s bought the property. They were offered a splash of sparkling wine while overlooking the property, a component tasting of Sauvignon Blanc, followed by Chardonnay and Sonoma Mountain Red, the cousin of the Biodynamic wine still offered on our tour today, our Oonapais Red Blend.

As our winemaking process evolved into Biodynamics with the release of our Estate grown Biodynamic wine, Tribute in 2001, our tour evolved as well to what it looks like today. With the introduction of our caves, the tour was fine-tuned to give a full educational overview of the grape growing process, winery production facilities including barreling and cellaring to wine tasting. Visitors were now able to follow the full process of a working winery from the vineyard to the bottle. Further, at one of just a handful of Biodynamic vineyards in North America.

We recently sat down with the very first Tram Tour Guide, Nate Reynes, who now manages the tour program at Benziger which also includes our more intimate Tribute Tour.  He reflected on how much has changed over the years, however, the overall goal is still the same.  “Showcase the property, educate our visitors on sustainability and winemaking, and of course, enjoy amazing Benziger wines.” As for retiring? He ensured us that isn’t happening anytime soon. “I love my job, I get to interact with people from all over the world and share my love for this farm. Why would I retire?”

Join us August 30th-September 30th for a Biodynamic Tram Tour and enjoy a special 25th Anniversary tasting menu including our 2014 Tribute which received 91 points from Robert Parker, Wine Advocate!

Top Things to Do in Sonoma with Kids

Benziger

Kid-Friendly Tasting Rooms

This side of wine country’s casual warmth makes for a harvest season that delights all ages. By, Matt Villano 

Let’s face it: Dragging kids along as you swirl and sip all day isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. So some savvy vineyards go out of their way to welcome families with members who are too young to imbibe. Budding green thumbs will dig the tram tours at Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen. The 45-minute outing passes by biodynamic hillside vineyards, wine caves, and an insect-attracting garden; a flock of quail might even make a cameo.
To read the whole article click here.

Fire Up The Grill!

Steak

We are here to help you knock it out of the park at your next Summer cookout. Check out two of our favorite big reds that would go great with nearly anything off the grill- Etta’s Blend and Upper Ridge Malbec. Both would be great with this Flat Iron Steak recipe. Master the grill this Summer with this great recipe + wine pairing!

 

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Coffee and Cocoa Nib Rub

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 5 hours

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 lbs, Cleaned and Seamed Flat Iron Steak (will also work with London Broil) 
  • ⅓ cup, Cocoa Nibs
  • ¼ cup, Dark Roast Coffee
  • ½ cup, Ancho Chili Powder or Regular Chili Powder Blend
  • 2 Tablespoon, Salt
  • 2 Tablespoon, Granulated Onion
  • 1 Tablespoon, Granulated Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon, Herbs de Provence
  • 1 Tablespoon, Smoked Paprika
  • 2 teaspoon, Black Pepper
  • 2 teaspoon, Dry Mustard
  • 2 Tablespoon, Neutral Vegetable Oil

 

PREP:

  • Combine cocoa nibs and dark roast coffee in spice grinder and process until finely ground.
  • Mix dry ingredients thoroughly in a bowl.
  • Coat steak with the oil.
  • Rub spice mixture liberally all over the meat and wrap with plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

 

DIRECTIONS:

  • Pre-heat grill to medium-hot.
  • Remove steak from plastic wrap.
  • Cook steak on the grill until 130-135 internal temperature registers on an instant-read thermometer (approximately 4-5 minutes on each side).
  • Transfer the steak to a dish and loosely cover with foil. Let rest 10-15 minutes.
  • Slice thinly on the bias and serve.

Benziger Pinot Named Wine of the Week!

Benziger

The Press Democrat selected our 2016 Organic Reserve Russian River Pinot Nour as their Wine of the Week!  Ours was selected out of a line up of Pinot Noirs during a blind tasting, and we are so pleased to be recognized by the PD! They also suggested a pairing our Pinot with a yummy Pulled Pork recipe- check it out!

You can find this Pinot, and all our other Pinot Noirs at our shop HERE!

 

 

 

Estate Spotlight Series, Part One: Sonoma Mountain

Benziger

Sonoma Mountain: An Estate of Enlightenment

“Every block is as enchanted as the next…” –Lisa Amaroli, Director of Winemaking at Benziger Family Winery

Our Sonoma Mountain Estate is a majestic site where some of our most sought-after biodynamic wines come to fruition. An amphitheater of biodiversity, this 85-acre certified biodynamic farm contains vineyards, gardens, ponds, and multitudes of wildlife. It is a self-sustaining ecosystem, as well as an endless source of inspiration.

“This estate has the most unique microclimate and soil,” says Benziger veteran Mark Burningham (EVP, Operations), “it’s a 360 degree bowl hanging off the side of Sonoma Mountain, an ancient volcano.”

The vineyard’s shape, soil composition and relationship to light is what sets it apart from most other vineyards in the area.

“The minerals in the soil kind of ping-pong the light rays around the bowl,” adds Jeffery Landolt (Director of Vineyards and Estate Properties), “the intensity of the light is the most important factor… in a really good year the sunlight is more intense than any other estate ranch.”

This helps give Sonoma Mountain wines their marked acidity, or what Lisa Amaroli (Director of Winemaking) often refers to as their signature “Benziger lift.”

“The way the light reflects on this property is magical,” Amaroli notes, “almost as if radiating from the land in addition to the sky,” notes winemaker Amaroli.

Yet for all its natural beauty, Sonoma Mountain is a challenging ranch to farm, and the quality of the wine depends tremendously on the team that tends not just the vines, but the entire self-sustaining system of plants and animals, 365 days a year.

“The 30 years of experience the vineyard crew has in biodynamic farming this property guarantees us outstanding quality every year,” Burningham asserts, and with that experience comes a connection to the land that is as inspiring as it is profound.

“Every block is as enchanted as the next,” adds Amaroli, “seeing our dedicated, expert vineyard crew move from block to block as we get close to harvest is so natural and integrated, as it is in the cellar as well – they are not only caretakers, they are part of the nature here… as if our presence is part of the ecosystem.”

This results in authentic, vineyard-driven, site-specific wines. As Amaroli sums up succinctly, “We are very lucky to be able to make wine here.  Biodynamic farming and expert cellar practices bring us an authentic product that is true to this site.”

We invite you to be a part of our Sonoma Mountain Estate by enrolling in our Partners Club today! Be the first to receive our acclaimed, estate-grown biodynamic wines.

What is Biodynamics? Often described as the highest form of organic agriculture, learn more about our environmentally pro-active farming practices here.

Next month we will journey West to discover the distinguishing characteristics of our de Coelo Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast.