Wine Wipes

Thirsty Girl Gone Country

Borracha — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:43:49 +0000

Just in case you didn’t know….there’s a few Thirsty Girls here at Borracha that love their country music (one of them being me!) This past weekend, I ventured to the desert for California’s biggest country music festival, Stagecoach. The line-up couldn’t have been better, including Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride, and my favorite…Miranda Lambert. This three-day festival was filled with lots of heat, singing, alcohol, and kettle corn. Most stagecoachers stay at a nearby campground for the three days, however, camping in100 degree weather(and not being able to get rid of that damn tequila smell in the morning) isn’t exactly my thing…Luckily, a good friend of mine has a house just minutes away from the venue, making my time much more enjoyable. By the first night, we had all lost our voices, but we kept chugging on through. Waking up to mimosas every morning and keeping the alcohol flowing until late at night was tough, we will all made it successfully (with a few drunk falls here and there). After purchasing $13 drink after $13 drink the first day…we decided to get a lil’ country. Saturday and Sunday, we conjured up a plan to stick plastic bags (double bagged of course) and our bras…creating an instant boob lift with our vodka boobs. All 7 of us joined in on the mischievous plan and our mission was successful! All that was left was grabbing a slushie lemonade and we were good for the day (although a few guys looked pretty disappointed when they saw our breasts were made of vodka). And luckily, every morning, I had my trusty Pearly Wipes to keep my breath fresh! I would definitely recommend Stagecoach to all country music fans (and our Thirsty Girl trick) for a good time! Of course I had to include a few pics……..

Shirts say…”Luke Bryan we’re a little drunk on you……and high on summertime!”

Cheers!- Katie

cheers to the SLO[w] life

Borracha — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:27:52 +0000

One of my favorite aspects about living on the Central Coast is that we take the SLO[w] life very literally. Unlike the stereotypical American city filled with cranky workaholics on a mission to stretch the limits of productivity, we SLO-pokes would rather succumb to the temptations of relaxation and enjoy ourselves versus stress ourselves out. So on a beautiful Tuesday such as today. it should come as no surprise that my mind is drifting towards activities I plan on incorporating into my a warm, lazy weekend just around the corner. Enjoy!

Good thing orange is in this season because SLO is literally covered in orange poppies. A beautiful sight to see

Vino and a bath?? Don’t mind if I do.

Sippin’ on Pinot Noir at Chamisal Winery in the Edna Valley.

View of Morro Bay from Perfumo Canyon Rd…one of my favorite SLOcations

Zoning out to a great book.

Heaven on a platter

I love spring.

Borracha — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:01:40 +0000

If you are a fan of fresh food market, visiting “La Boqueria” on La Rambla needs to be on your bucket list. First off, the street of La Rambla is bustling with life; the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca once said it was “the only street in the world which I wish would never end”….something I couldn’t agree with more. As if La Rambla, located in the heart of Barcelona, is already enough of a fiesta, stepping into this food market will make you wish you had a never ending pit for a stomach. It is by far the biggest food market I have ever been to (and the largest in Europe) and has the largest variety of fresh food you could ask for. La Boqueria has been a fresh food stop for locals in Barcelona since the 17^th century. In the center of the market, you can find the “illa de peix” or island of fish, where literally every kind of seafood can be found. The perimeter of the market is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables stacked to perfection and delicious freshly squeezed fruit juices for just 3 euro. La Bouqueria also carries freshly prepared mouth-watering street food like empanadas or chorizo, bread, and manchego on a stick (both of which I indulged in). But like most taste-bud tantalizing foods, the only real way to explain “La Boqueria” is through pictures(taken by me with my meat/cheese/bread stick in hand;)

Cheers! -Katie

Secretos de las Borrachas

Borracha — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:31:45 +0000

Today during our weekly Friday staff meeting I became inspired. An unusual time to stumble across your daily dose of inspiration, I know, but between the cozy hominess of the Victorian-style Borracha office and the free flow of creativity circulating among our five rain-dampened locks, I caught the inspiration bug.

I can’t go into detail regarding the subject of our meeting, partly because it’s top Borracha secret and partly because I can’t help but want to build some suspense, but I can share the spark that enchanted this little day of mine. This said sparks stems from a combination of the following images (with fun links to recipes and other what-have-you’s you might enjoy). It will undoubtedly make no sense to you at all, but if you stay tuned you will see the following images fuse together in the next couple of months into one awesome _____.

Happy guessing!

-Kayleigh

Beautiful graffiti in Granada (Granaá as the locals pronounce it), Spain (España)

George (Jorge) Clooney—

No se como se dice ‘Clooney’ en Español…But I do know how to say “mama mia!” and “caliente, picante, que rico, y delicioso!”

This Mastic Ice Cream gem of a recipe from the land of gods and goddesses: Greece.

Una receta para tacos de al pastor that look like they are to die for! Really, is it possible to get too much cilantro in one’s diet? I think not.

And of course: Vino.

From the Barrel

Borracha — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:21:21 +0000

Hello fellow Borracha-blog subscribers. My name is Kayleigh Sharp and I am the new addition to the Borracha Team. Many of you may recognize me from Granada Bistro, and now you can recognize me as both the waitress at Granada and the new marketing intern for Borracha:).

Last week I had the pleasure of attending/representing Granada Bistro at the From the Barrel event. What is this, you ask? From the Barrel is a little get-together held at the Santa Margarita Ranch to celebrate all of which comes from a barrel (in this case: beer, port, and whiskey (I say this with pursed lips and a nauseated look on my face)). At this particular event, I came to a rather peculiar realization which I intend to share with you all. Bear with me, and please hold off on as much judgment as possible . The lesson I took from this experience was not about alcohol whatsoever. In fact, the lesson learned, my friends, is the power of bacon. Yes, I said bacon. And yes I am going to argue in favor of bacon being the ultimate aphrodisiac (for men).

Forget chocolate and wine, ladies. It turns out bacon may be the cure to all of life’s woes having to do loneliness and singleness. Perhaps the new Love Potion #9? Now the question is: “Kayleigh…how the heck did you come up with this?” Valid point, and trust me I intend to defend myself entirely.

Let’s start off with a little background: I first noticed the connection between men and bacon a couple of months ago while serving two Bistro regulars some cold ones. Kimberly Lemons, our lovely chef, was in the midst of frying up some bacon for the grilled medjool dates (for those of you who haven’t tried them, they are addicting) when the guys started going off about their love for bacon. Not only did these two argue that the taste and smell were some of the most irresistible things on earth, they also said that they wished women smelt like bacon. This is where my hypothesis regarding the relationship between men and bacon was started.

It was further expanded upon; in fact I would say solidified, in the days prior and during the From the Barrel Event, at which we decided to serve the previously mentioned bacon-wrapped dates. I think it was the combination of being complemented on my strong, stubborn-to-remove bacon aroma several times and the speed at which the bacon-wrapped dates were consumed that converted my hypothesis into a theory. If you can imagine the speed at which a wildfire spreads through a forest in the dead of summer, that’s similar to how the news about our dates spread throughout the event. People (especially men) lined up by our booth waiting patiently yet territorially just to try one. Needless to say, I was completely wiped out of dates an hour into the four hour event and left with the dubbed title of “the bacon girl” from “Grandma– not Granada- bistro” (I blame the Grandma title on the alcohol).

So ladies, here are my two-cents: forget Love Potion #9 and consuming chocolate and wine to mend a broken heart. Throw some bacon on the grill, watch the guys line up, and have a celebratory glass of Triton Tempranillo with hints of bacon fat, oak, and vanilla at Granada. Less heart-break, less calories, and more reasons to celebrate; it’s a win-wine situation.

Cheers to that!

Chateau Montelena: True California Wine Tasting

Borracha — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:57:59 +0000

If you are looking to visit the epitome of California Wine…look no farther than Chateau Montelena located in Calistoga, Ca. Not only is the wine top-notch, but the views are beautiful. When I was younger, my family and I would drive every year through this quaint little vino-town on our way to see my aunts and uncles for holidays. I would always get excited to reach Calistoga, because that meant the sickening windy roads were almost over. Once we got to Tubbs Lane, where Chateau Montelena is located, my sister and I would awe over how beautiful the winery was…we always asked my mom if it was a castle. Years later, I had still never gone wine tasting in Calistoga, only the surrounding Sonoma and Napa areas. Then, last year, my friend introduced me to the movie “Bottle Shock”, which is a must see for all wine lovers (aka thirsty girls). For those of you who have not seen it, the movie tells a story of the early days of making wine in California. The movie follows the Barrett family as they master the art of concocting the perfect Chardonnay. Chateau Montelena’s famous Chardonnay went on to win the famous “Judgment of Paris” in 1976 against many notable French wines in a blind tasting.

After watching the movie, I was eager to visit the winery that put California wines on the forefront of the world-wide wine industry. I told my mom (a fellow thirsty girl) about it and we made sure to stop by on our next venture for the holidays. When we arrived, it was just as beautiful on the inside of the gate as it was on the out…with beautiful mountain vineyard views, white swans floating the ponds, and classic ivy all over the brick walls (I asked if it were available as a wedding venue…unfortunately that was a no). We wondered inside and the staff was extremely friendly, showing us all of Bo Barrett’s (the current family winemaker) accomplishments. We then proceeded to taste the: Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Chardonnay, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Montelena Estate Zinfandel, and Potter Valley Riesling. My favorite was the Montelena Estate Zinfandel, but all were very satisfying in their own way. After you’ve finished, pick up some local cheese and grapes in town and enjoy the views outside near the pond. If you want a true California Wine Tasting Experience, you’ve got to go here.

Need a delicious dish to go with the world-renowned Chardonnay you bought?

Try Crab Cakes with Spicy Aioli

And for more on Chateau Montelena visit: http://www.montelena.com/

Cheers!

Wine and Dine Around the World

Borracha — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:08:05 +0000

My biggest passion is by far traveling….and my favorite part about traveling is without a doubt the food and drinks! Unfortunately, I need to make a living, so traveling around the world non-stop isn’t always a part of my agenda….yet:). If you have a travel itch but can’t exactly drop everything and hop on a plane to Paris, try throwing an “Around the World” party with food and wine. Let friends join in on the fun by having everyone choose a country and bring a different dish/wine for each. This party will be sure to please all you Thirsty Girls!

First stop, Spain.

Wine: Sherry, Alfonso Oloroso Seco, Spain
This aint yo’ gramma’s sherry.. Carmel, wood, salt, nutmeg, vanilla.. this wine pairs with everything.

Dish: Tortillas de Camarones

Next, off to Northern Italy. Last year, I lived in the region of Piemonte where good red wine and fresh pasta were everywhere to be found. I visited Fontanafredda’s vineyard and fell in love with their Barbera. To go with the Barbera, cook up a traditional Agnolotti (Stuffed Pasta), a dish that can be found in almost every trattoria in northern Italy.

Wine: Fontanafredda Barbera Piemonte “Briccotondo” 2009

Dish: Agnolotti

Time to switch continents…off the South Africa. I have never been, but this destination is definitely on my bucket list. The wine was Obama’s #1 Choice for Bubbles after a Sommelier in DC recommended the wine to our now President and First Lady just weeks before the election…they bought 6 cases for election night celebrations. For the food, this yellow rice is filled with all that spice Africa is famous for!

Wine: Sparkling Wine, Graham Beck, South Africa Brut NV

Dish: Yellow Rice w/ Raisins

Back to Europe and the land of Beaujolais. Not to be confused with Beaujolais Nouveau, Cru Beaujolais is similar to a Pinot Noir; complex, elegant and balanced. 2009 is considered the vintage of a lifetime for the region. The Gamay pairs perfectly with a typical French lunch, eggs and veggies.

Wine: Gamay, Villa Ponciago, France 2009

Dish: Eggs Baked over Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach

Now you didn’t think we were going to skip South America, did you? (of course not)… Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere come together to form Chile’s version of a french Bordeaux. Created by the muy famoso winemaker behind Napa’s Quintessa Wines.. Mr. Agustin Huneeus. And for the food, Passion translates to empanadas in Chilean, so you just can’t go wrong here;)

Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Primus, Chile 2008
Food: Classic Chilean Empanadas

For me, no wine party is complete without a Pinot Noir. For this one, I’m going straight to my roots…California. This Pinot is full of raspberry, strawberry, and pomegranate aromas and flavors followed by subtle spice. Serve up with roasted duck breast for a perfect Californian meal.

Wine: Pinot Noir, Wild Horse, Paso Robles, 2009

Food: Roasted Duck Breast with wild mushroom stuffing and red wine sauce

Bottoms up!

10 Granada rules I never knew I’d have to make

Borracha — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:21:54 +0000

Three years ago, I opened Granada Bistro in SLO with the premise that it would close after 1 year because the building was slated to be demolished. Three years later its still alive and about to expand into a bistro/hotel. I absolutely love the restaurant business and all that it teaches me on a daily basis. Some of my favorites are below.

10 Granada rules I never knew I’d have to make

Staff can not serve salad in the mixing bowl. Even if that means you having to wash another dish.
Staff can not get naked in the bistro. Even if its just to change into ‘going out’ clothes. Even if there are no customers.
Staff can not tell customers to get their coffee at Starbucks, just because you hate making French Press. Even if its only 15 minutes to close. Even if you have a hot date.
Staff can not make soup from carnitas. Even if our carnitas are the best in town. Even if you call it ‘stew’.
Customers are not allowed to sleep in lounge or bistro. Even if they are regulars. Even if its raining. Even if they’re too drunk to drive home.
Customers are not allowed to bring in home made ice cream and serve it to customers. Even if tastes amazing. Even if the customers are ok with it being served in their wine glasses.
Staff is not allowed to dance in the streets while on the clock. Even if its a Gnarls Barkley song. Even if its with the boss’s mother.
Staff is not allowed to make out with the customers. Even if they are really hot. Even if you do it in the store room.
Customers are not allowed to bring in their own tequila. Even if they share it with the staff. Even if its Clase Azul.
Staff can not refer to Granada as ‘The G-Spot’. Even if its catchy. Even if the name’s a good fit.

Cheers!

Kimberly

Left My Heart in San Francisco

Borracha — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:58:52 +0000

Last weekend, I visited my oldest friends in San Francisco. Like most people, whenever I leave, I usually “Leave my heart in San Francisco”. Every time I drive away, I find myself plotting my next steps to move there. To me, the wide array of people, food, and things to do couldn’t make life any more interesting. So, what does one of my “falling in love” with SF weekends consist of? Here is goes….and if you follow my path, I guarantee your plotting will begin as well;)

Friday Night

Right when I arrive to my friends’ apartment, Pinot Noir is instantly poured. My friend (Beau) begins complaining about getting “wine lips”, and just then I introduce him to our lovely product: Wine Wipes! He falls in love, says he doesn’t know how he was living before these:). After a few glasses of vino, we are off to sushi in the Castro at “All Seasons”, one of my favorite places in San Francisco. The only thing better than its sushi is its marvelous staff (that loves to provide you with endless saki bombs). Next up, dancing the night away at Trigger then Badlands, seeing plenty of assless chaps along the way.

Saturday

Day: Delicious “hangover” breakfast at Java beach Café in the sunset. My order: Hummus Veggie Bagel. After breakfast, we jump on the Muni to travel down the streets of Haight. While shopping, vintage clothing stores provide us with props for a “movie montage”. Next, we stop in for a mid-day margarita (while people watching of course) and then take the bus over to the marina. We take a walk out on the Municipal Pier and take in the great view Ghirardelli Square. After we start talking about Ghirardelli, there is no way any of us could deny ourselves some chocolate. So I grab some of favorites (dark chocolate with raspberry) then catch a glimpse of Catagnola’s. Since its right about lunchtime, we decide to take a ocean-view spot here at chow down on some clam chowder (with a glass of wine…or two). We finish up and hit the Muni, where we witness a Bulgarian family struggling with the ticket machine. Through broken English (I tried to speak Italian to them, that was no help at all), we deciphered they didn’t have enough American dollars to buy a ticket to get to the airport, so I handed them a $10 (good karma should be coming my way anytime now). We hop back on the Muni (go the wrong way once….or twice), then end up back at the apartment…Naptime!

Night: Wake up around 6:30pm, feeling refreshed….and hungry. I am in San Francisco so what am I craving? Thai Food! An order of Pad Thai and Mango Sticky Rice, and I am fully satisfied. Over Thai, we contemplate where the night will take us, and we decide the Marina it is. After numerous outfit changes (where we end up all wearing black, typical), we head over to the Marina district for a night of bar-hopping. We end up home around 3am (which I am dying because my yawns usually start at 11pm), but then we realize its daylight savings, I don’t feel quite as much like a party animal. We end the night by popping in Season 3 of Sex in the City and reminiscing over old pictures from high school.

Sunday

Morning: Time change has us waking up at 12, but we all still have that breakfast craving. We circle the streets trying to find parking for about 30 min, so sleeping in+no parking=lunchtime. Once we finally park, we find a great Greek place (pre-yelped of course) with one of my all time favorite desserts, baklava (great baklava recipe). I just couldn’t leave the city without a little more shopping, so we stop by Ambiance for some last minute grabs. Then we say our goodbyes and it’s off to SLO for me….and as I sit hear writing this, my heart is still in San Francisco….

Yours Truly,

-Katie

Its Zin Time of the Year

Borracha — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:37:25 +0000

In honor of the upcoming Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival for 2012, I wanted dig up a little dirt on the origin of the beloved California Zinfandel grape. For quite a while, Zinfandel was known as the “mystery grape” of California because no one knew exactly where the grape first began growing. At first, many claims were made that Zinfandel most resembled southern Italy’s primitivo grape. However, careful research has determined that most evidence points to Croatia where it then eventually migrated to various parts of Italy. The actual Zinfandel name is native to America, originating from a Boston nursery owner in 1832.

During the Gold Rush, Zinfandel was introduced to California where magic happened. California’s Mediterranean climate was the perfect match for Zinfandel, and it soon became the third leading wine grape variety in California. In fact, in 2010, 394, 177 tons of Zinfandel grapes were crushed in California!

Zinfandel is often described by blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry, cherry, black pepper, clove, and, anise notes. It is usually grown in hot climate areas of California and known for its higher alcohol levels and tannins (thank gosh we have Wine Wipes for that). Zinfandel tastes vary from region to region, for example, from east Paso to west Paso.

Dishes to pair with Zinfandel: Luckily, Zinfandel pairs well with some of the most delicious foods I can think of. Here are a few of my absolute favorite dishes (that I could eat every day for the rest of my life):

-Italian sausage risotto (Click for Recipe)

-Ciopinno (Click for Recipe)

- Jamon, Queso, and Chorizo (Click for Recipe)

- Pulpo a Feira (Click for Recipe)

- “Duck N’ Shrooms” (Click for Recipe)

And which Zin should you match up with these orgasmic dishes? Here are a few “Thirsty Girl” worthy Zins:

-2007 Brown Estate, Chiles Valley $36.

-2006 Woodenhead Martinelli Road, Russian River Valley $45.

-2007 Saucelito Canyon, San Luis Obispo $18

-2006 Kokomo, Sonoma County $20

-2007 Fontanella, Napa $36

Now no excuses, time to start a Zin-fest in your own kitchen….we know you’re a Thirsty Girl;)