Local News, Events and Activities

Jan 29, 2009

Dear Friend of Farmstead:

I hope that everyone is doing well; things are fine just fine here at Farmstead. 

Super Bowl. Didja know that football is just as enjoyable with artisan products, in fact more enjoyable with some healthy cheese and good hooch!   We've got loads of great party cheeses on hand (think flavorful aged goudas, crumbly cheddars, and tangy goats), and a huge selection of low cost wines (ask for sugestions, but our South African and Spanish wines would be just the ticket for the big game!!), so your Super Bowl party doesn't have to be all Nachos, Guacamole and Beer. 

Sharecropper  We've brought in a good amount of two favorite wines  from Owen Roe, a beloved producer of great Washington and Oregon wine - Owen Roe's Sharecropper Pinot Noir and Sharecropper Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from two vineyards, in Yakima Valley and Alderdale, Washington; it's plush and forward with fresh berry notes.  Drinkable now, it can be cellared for up to 5 years. The Pinot Noir comes from the northern Willamette, and like past vintages,  is very fragrant with intense berry flavors with excellent acidity. 

Burrata Our wintertime experiment with Burrata went well - we sold through most of this luscious OMG-fresh-mozzarella-stuffed-with-cream  cheese in a few days, so we're bringing in some more.   
It arrives today in both shops. But please don't tarry - the shelf life on this dreamy bundle of joy is only seven-ten days....  Try it on it's own, drizzled with a bit of extra virgin olive oil or balsamic vinegar and a little salt. 

This weekend's tastings   We welcome Rick Mickeals of the Henry Wine Group to the tasting bar this week (6-8 p.m. on Friday night in Montclair Village, and from  1-4 on Saturday  in Alameda (note different time for Alameda tasting, this week only) .  Rick will be pouring some great wines from France, Italy, Spain and California.

• Baumard Cremant Brut - a wonderful Chenin Blanc-based sparkling wine
• Pino & Toi - a store favorite.  Blend of Tocai Friulano, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Bianco
• Atteca - no, not what Al Pacino yells in Dog Day Afternoon, but a rich and bold old vine Grenache from our friend Jorgé Ordoñez and the Gil family
• Rutherford Ranch Cab - finally, a reasonably priced and well made Napa Cabernet!
• Bogle Petit Sirah - this baby has it all, depth, flavor and a screaming price!

Fancy, Part Deux.  Last week, we spent a good deal of time tasting cheese and other stuff  at the Fancy Food Show, and have arranged for several cheeses and specialty items to come into the shops over the next few weeks. 

We love the cheeses and other fine products imported by Forever Cheese (in fact, they import most of our Spanish and Italian cheeses!), and flipped for some new (to us) cheeses and food items that will arrive this week. 

• Leonora, a soft, cakey goat cheese with lemony and grassy flavors 
• Quedrello di Bufala, a washed rind (stinky!) buffalo milk cheese that is reminiscent of Taleggio...  Amazing.
• Panforte, a dense Italian confection made from almonds, candied fruit, honey and spices.  A near perfect cheese accompaniment. If you like our Fig Cake, you'll love panforte!
• Roman Hazelnuts, much more flavorful than their local cousins (much like Marcona Almonds are related to California Almonds, the European cousins pack a lot more flavor)

Culture Our friend Kate Arding, a major force in the world of cheese, has launched a new quarterly magazine, called Culture, The Magazine for Cheese Lovers.  We have copies for sale in both shops.  It's a lovely magazine, beautifully written and illustrated.  Show your support for a new small business by purchasing a copy.