Smoked Duck Pizza with Fontina, Caramelized Sweet Onions, Pears & Rosemary

Smoked Duck Pizza with Fontina, Caramelized Onions & Pears

FLAVORS THAT MELD BEAUTIFULLY WITH CHARDONNAY We recently smoked a whole duck for our Christmas dinner and found ourselves with a small container of leftover duck meat—not enough for a meal-sized portion, but just enough to serve as a flavorful topping on a rustic pizza. As is often the case in our kitchen, we improvise and we try out new flavor combinations. This particular recipe is pure magic paired with our 2019 Lange Estate Vineyards Chardonnay. We used mascarpone for the base of

Braised Lamb Shanks with Creamy Polenta

GET COZY WITH THIS HEARTY WINTER DISH There is a broad perception that Pinot Noir is too delicate for heartier dishes. We think the variety is best served with salmon or poultry—in truth, it’s really dependent on the individual wine, Pinot runs the gamut in terms of its aromatic intensity, structure, and body. When pairing with the variety, all of this should be taken into account. While that’s easier said than done for most of us, there are wines that will effortlessly stand

Gougères with Guyere and Pink Peppercorns

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN Our hospitality team has ordered gougères from caterers for years. This classic cheese puff certainly makes for an impressive appetizer—light and airy, with just a touch of satisfying chewiness, they are the perfect bite to serve alongside sparkling wines. We were so inspired by this elegant pairing, we decided to make it four ourselves. From start to finish, they take round 40 minutes to whip up, and they are definitely worth the effort. This iteration is faithful to

Turkey with Lapsang Souchong Tea

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC We chose this twist on Thanksgiving turkey because we wanted to build on the earthier tones in our 2018 Lange Estate Pinot Noir. The effect is both subtle and elegant, adding depth of flavor where it’s not quite expected. When we first tested this recipe, we added the tea (Lapsang Souchong is a black tea that is traditionally dried over a pinewood fire) as a dry rub along with copious amounts of butter, but found the flavors to be a

Apple Pie

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC There are two tips I’ll share for making truly great apple pie. The first is to mix the dough by hand, a technique learned from a local pastry chef, many moons ago. Contrary to the popular method of mixing the dough in a food processor—where the consistency is akin to cornmeal, I like mixing it by rubbing it through the fingers, a process that leaves sheets of fat and butter in the dough that later expand during baking to create

Duck with Figs & Port

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN For this elegant fall recipe, Duck with figs and a port reduction sauce, we’ve paired the dish with our 2016 Liberty Bell Pinot Noir. The richness of the seared duck skin is lifted by the bright acidity of the wine, and the autumnal forest floor and baking spice notes in this classic Willamette Valley Pinot is complemented by the subtle sweetness and savoriness of the port reduction sauce. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we