Brioche -
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SPONGE
1 c. all-purpose flour (128 g.)
1 (0.25-oz.) packet or 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (7 g.)
1/2 c. milk, lukewarm (120 g.)
FOR THE DOUGH
6 large eggs, room temperature (320 g.)
3 c. all-purpose flour (384 g.)
1/2 c. granulated sugar (105 g.)
2 tsp. kosher salt (12 g.)
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened, plus more for pans (227 g.)
FOR THE EGG WASH
1 large egg
1 tbsp. water
Kosher or sea salt, for sprinkling
This St. Patrick's Day, don't feel confined to the standard holiday fare. Elevate your gathering with Westwood's 2019 Estate Roussanne / Viognier. A medium-bodied wine that offers an alluring orchard-fruit nose of ripe peach, and pear, as well as notes of lemon candy, honeysuckle and wet stone minerality. The lovely fruit continues on the palate where the pear is accompanied by distinct notes of waxy raw honey, accentuated by harmonious acidity, with hints of lemon cream and sweet thyme.
Want a delicious pairing for our Estate Roussanne / Viognier? Try this decadent baked brie with hazelnuts and honey. The flavors perfectly complement this medium-bodied wine.
Hazelnut Baked Brie
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
If starting with raw hazelnuts, toast them by spreading them out on a sheet pan and roasting them in a 350°F for 15 minutes, or until the skins start to split. Remove from oven and place in a clean dish towel, rub to remove the outer skins.
Sauce
Place the vinegar, honey, salt, and 5 or 6 needles from the rosemary sprig into a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Heat on medium high heat until simmering. Lower the heat to low and simmer until the mixture starts to darken in color and the consistency thickens to a thin syrup, about 5 to 10 minutes, being careful not to overcook. Remove from heat and stir in the toasted hazelnuts.
Brie
While the sauce is simmering, start on the brie. Use a serrated knife to slice off the very top of the brie round, exposing the cheese on one side. Place on a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet (cut side up). Bake until just soft and bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Drizzle the brie with sauce
Remove the brie from the oven and let it cool slightly for a minute or two. Use a spatula (or two) to carefully transfer it to a serving dish. Drizzle the honey vinegar hazelnut sauce over the brie. Garnish with the sprig of rosemary.
Serve with sliced tart apples or other fruits and a glass of Westwood's 2019 Estate Roussanne / Viognier
These Chocolate-Brownie Cookies are incredibly decadent and pair perfectly with a glass of our Annadel Gap Syrah. It just doesn’t get any better.
In a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chopped chocolate with the butter, stirring a few times, until smooth, about 7 minutes.
In another large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar at medium speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the melted chocolate, then fold in the flour and baking powder. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into a shallow baking dish, cover and freeze until well chilled and firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working in batches, scoop 2-tablespoon-size mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are dry around the edges and cracked on top. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before serving.
Cheers!
Harvest is Officially Over
We write you from our winery home in St. Helena. All of the wines are in barrel, the heavy labor is complete, and the small army of farmers and craftsmen are taking a hard-earned break. I thought I’d share some news from our side of the fence.
Time, weather, good fortune or bad, we all make the best of what we have. At Westwood, our small team is ever excited about the future. We handcraft world-class wines, using only the cleanest organic fruit, and employing artisanal winemaking practices. Our drive? Knowing that we can be a part of your special moments, and help you feel the joy of wine country with each glass.
Like the rest of the world, our Pinot Noir/Rhône Annadel Gap Vineyard is in a state of watch-wait-respond. The 2020 fires in wine country damaged a large swathe of the vineyard, but we’ve painstakingly nurtured key areas back to production. Learning to deal with fires is, well, new. But it seems like we are all learning new things, and we must remind ourselves of how blessed we really are.
One real benefit of our minor tragedy was that it allowed us to focus on our partner vineyards in Napa and Sonoma. Fruit from our select rows at Sangiacomo Vineyards becomes a heady Burgundian Chardonnay once Phillipe Melka works his magic. The same is true of our newly released 100% Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. These new wines still ring true to our heritage and style – and really deliver – at responsible luxury prices.
Speaking of which, we’ve gotten some great scores this year (not that we really notice!).
We can’t wait for you to try our wines and, if you are able, to see you personally in wine country. We’d love to host you in Napa or on the Sonoma Square – just let us know and we’ll help curate a trip for you.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy your family and loved ones and feel the warmth of the season.
- Carl Stanton, Founder