Wilson Creek Blog
Events, News, Recipes & more!

Yea abs are great… but have you tried our donut and wine pairings?? These pairings will definitely Sprinkle your Donut, because National Doughnut Day is this Friday, June 7, 2019! Pick your favorite pairing and celebrate with us!

Make sure to snap a pic enjoying your favorite donut pairing with Wilson Creek Wine, tag us @wilson_creek_winery, and #wilsoncreekwinery #NationalDoughnutDay so we can share your posts on our Instagram Story!

EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH DONUTS & WINE!

OLD FASHIONED & ALMOND SPARKLING WINE

The old-fashioned donut is less sweet than most, allowing you to pair this with a sweeter wine. Our Almond Sparkling has just a hint of pure almond added to bring out those nutty flavors that you never knew a plain glazed donut had. The bubbles cleansing your palate keeps you ready for that next bite! Ah, the circle of life.

CHOCOLATE FROSTED & 2014 CELLAR SELECT BARBERA – MOURVÈDRE

Barbera-Mourvèdre has flavors of plum, cherry, and spice with modest levels of tannin complimenting the light and airy donut with the right amount of chocolatey sweetness in the frosting. Talk about a well-balanced treat that leaves you wanting more!

JELLY FILLED & 2015 FAMILY RESERVE ZINFANDEL

The Zinfandel being the perfect balance of jam & pepper pairs great with a Jelly donut! The sweetness of the blackberry flavors complimenting the raspberry jelly and the pepper from the wine really cuts through the sweetness of the donut. It’s Zin-fully good!

DEVIL’S FOOD & 2017 CELLAR SELECT ZSM (Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Malbec)

The double deliciousness of the chocolate cake donut plus the chocolate frosting pairs well with the dark jammy fruit-forward flavors of the ZSM. Chocolate dipped berries rolled in alcohol… sign us up!

STRAWBERRY FROSTED & ROSÉ SPARKLING

These two are just so pretty together! I think we can just leave it at that, but we just have so much more to say about this delicious pairing  … Rosé Sparkling being the perfect balance of sweet & dry pairs great with a Strawberry Frosted Donut! The sweetness of the strawberry & melon flavors of the Rosé complimenting the strawberry frosting and the acid from the Rosé really cuts through the sugar of the frosting and sprinkles. We’re obsessed!

APPLE FRITTER & 2017 WINEMAKER’S SELECT MOSCATO

Moscato & Apple Fritters were made for each other! The dynamic flavors of honeydew melon, mandarin orange, and a touch of mint from the Moscato and the tart acidic apples with the caramelized buttery goodness from the fritter will have your taste buds singing Hakuna Moscato!!!

CRUMB GLAZE & 2016 WINEMAKER’S SELECT SYRAH (only a few cases left in the tasting room); also try it with the 2017 WINEMAKER’S SELECT SYRAH or 2015 FAMILY RESERVE SYRAH

The cinnamon glazed donut- flavors of cinnamon, vanilla, and hints of toffee, go perfectly with those same flavors in the Syrah. The wine manages to enhance these warm flavors in the donut, rather than mask them. And despite the sweetness of the donut, the Syrah remains smooth and packs that delicious punch of cherry and sour plums on the palate, leaving you completely satisfied as is if you just finished an amazing pie on Thanksgiving!

MAPLE BAR & 2017 FAMILY RESERVE “YES DEAR” CHARDONNAY

The maple bar, with its underlying hints of vanilla, toffee, and butter, go perfectly with flavors of Vanilla & Sweet French Oak Spice, in the Chardonnay. The soft acids giving you those fruity flavors in the wine are the perfect balance to keep this flavor training going! A Chug- a Chug- a Chew- Chew!

HAPPY PAIRING!!!

We had to share this Peach Cobbler Cocktail for two reasons! National Peach Cobbler Day is on Saturday, recognizing the delicious dessert that originated during the 19th century! BONUS our Peach Sparkling is ONLY $10 right now for Wine Club Members! How perfect is that?! Grab a couple bottles and enjoy the weekend!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 peach
• 1 cup of Peach Sparkling Wine
• 2 ounces of Almond Sparkling Wine
• 2 ounces of peach vodka
• 1 cup of ice
• brown sugar (optional)
• cinnamon (optional)
• crushed graham crackers (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make your Brown Sugar Mixture. Mix a small amount of brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed graham crackers and set aside.
2. Blend all ingredients except brown sugar mixture in blender until smooth.
3. Dip rim of glass with water.
4. Dip glass rim in the brown sugar mixture.
5. Pour in drink mixture.
6. Garnish with a sliced peach.

~ Go On. Celebrate!

Happy National Fruit Cocktail Day Everyone! Many of us have childhood memories of a dish of fruit cocktail served regularly with a meal… which now doesn’t sound so appetizing. I think we can all agree we prefer fresh fruit and as an adult, and alcohol is included. To celebrate this super fun day we are bringing you enough fun fruit cocktails to count as all of your fruit servings for today!

For starters, our fun fruit inspired Sparkling Wines are a great way to celebrate all on their own! Just add some fresh or frozen fruits to any of these sparkling wines for an easy and fun drinking cocktail!

Peach Bellini Sparkling, Orange Mimosa Sparkling, Coconut Sparkling, Sangria Sparkling (currently $10 all month for Wine Club), and our NEWEST Yuzu Lemon Sparkling Wine.

PS Rosie Wilson loves mixing the Peach and Orange Sparkling together!

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT INTO A WINE SLUSHY…. (WHO DOESN’T?!)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour your bottle of wine into a gallon ziplock bag set inside a dish then freeze overnight… wine doesn’t freeze solid so don’t be concerned if yours is a little slushy 
2. Slice up 1 cup chopped fruit of your choice.. strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or pineapple.
3. Add wine and fruit to a blender, then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

NOW LET’S MOVE ONTO SOME WHITE SANGRIA!

1. Bottle of White Cabernet or Riesling
2. 1/2 cup Peach Sparkling
3. 1/4 cup Orange Sparkling
4. 1 orange sliced
5. 1 lemon sliced
6. 1 cup sliced strawberries
7. 1 cup raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together all of the liquid ingredients.
2. Add in the fruit.  Let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 10 hours (unless wine was previously chilled)
3. Serve cold.

FINISH OFF WITH A RED SUMMER SANGRIA!

1. 2 bottles red wine, Barbera-Mourvedre or VS Cabernet Zinfandel
2. 2 cups strawberries
3. 20 oz can pineapple, including juice (chunks or slices)
4. 2 cups cranberry juice
5. 1 cup fresh blueberries
6. 2 large oranges, sliced into wedges (remove seeds)
7. 1 lemon sliced into wedges (remove seeds)
8. 1 lime sliced into wedges (remove seeds)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large 4 quart pitcher, pour the wine, strawberries, pineapples with their juice, and cranberry juice – mix well.
2. Squeeze the juice from the orange, lemon and lime wedges and toss in the wedges when done. Toss blueberries, stir.
3. Place sangria in fridge for several hours or overnight. When ready, pour over glass filled with ice, garnish with fresh berries and or fruit wedge. Enjoy!

– CHEERS

How perfect is it that National Margarita Day is on a Friday?! This recipe is so easy and so delicious, let’s make it a good one and keep this recipe going all weekend long!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Golden Jubilee
6oz Frozen Limeade Concentrate
1/2 cup Orange Juice
3 cups ice
limes wedges
orange slices

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Blend wine, limeade and orange juice until well combined
2. Slowly add in ice and blend to a slushy consistency
3. Rub margarita glass with lime and dust with salt
4. Fill each glass and garnish with orange and lime slices

Happy National Margarita Day!

– Cheers!

1. People, people, people! Goldens light up and smile when they see people. A day wine tasting is about the connections with friends and family, not just good wine. So, like a golden, love others unconditionally and, if need be, quickly forgive a friend if they get mad at you (a wet kiss is optional).
2. Sniff, lick and move on: Drink the kind of wines you like. Be alright with that. If someone wants you to drink something totally different, maybe give it a lick/taste and then kindly decline. To give our retriever some medicine we put a small pill in her dinner. She would eat everything and leave just the pill in the bowl. Now THAT is a good palate.
3. Take short sniffs. Why do dogs do this? We humans take big, long sniffs. Dog’s noses have 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses. We have about 6 million. Try taking 2-3 quick sniffs of a glass of wine and see if you can detect more aromas. You’d be surprised.
4. Take a nap. Could this be the secret of contentment for dogs? After a busy day of wine tasting, a nap can recharge your batteries. A recent study says a 20-30-minute nap is the perfect length.
5. Drink water: Dogs seem to lap up a lot of water. When you drink wine, the rule of thumb is to drink a 12-ounce bottle of water for every glass of wine. You will enjoy the day (and the next morning) much more when you are hydrated.
6. Lie down in the shade when you can. There’s something about finding a spot of grass in the cool shade. Don’t rush from place to place. Maybe just chill out at one location for a bit.
7. Wear your dog tags. Bring your I.D. to each place. Don’t leave your wallet or purse in the car (break-ins happen). And if you drank too much and get lost, someone can check your “tags” and call someone for you.
8. Let someone feed you. When wine tasting, enjoy a lunch at a nearby restaurant. Let someone do the cooking and serve you!
9. Don’t drive. Dogs love to be a passenger. If you have been drinking, get an Uber or have a designated driver. This way you don’t end up in the dog pound. If you are the passenger, maybe stick your head out the window a little bit. Why not?
10. Leave your worries at home for the day: Dogs aren’t anxious about tomorrow, or what they will eat, or where they will sleep. Dogs exist in the now.
11. Don’t just go to the inside of tasting rooms. Walk through a vineyard and look at the vines, the soil, the birds. Take it all in. Breathe. Chasing rabbits or digging for gophers is optional.

– Mick Wilson