Delicious Easter Brioche

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

1. Make the sponge: To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, add 1 cup flour, yeast, and milk. Using a spatula, mix until well combined, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 45 minutes.
2. Once the sponge has formed some air pockets, add in eggs, remaining 3 cups flour, sugar, and salt. Mix on medium speed until well combined, then gradually increase to medium-high speed and continue mixing until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes shiny and elastic, scraping down bowl every 4 to 5 minutes, 10 to 13 minutes.
3. With the mixer running, add in butter gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each tablespoon fully incorporate into the dough before adding the next, 13 to 15 minutes. Continue mixing on medium-high speed for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest about 1 hour or doubled in size.
4. To bake next day: Once dough has doubled in size, punch down to deflate dough completely, then re-cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight until you are ready to bake the next day. Follow instructions in the next step, letting dough proof until doubled before baking, longer if needed, up to 2 hours 30 minutes.
5. To bake same day: Once dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured surface and punch down dough. Divide in half using a bench scraper. Cut each half into six equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a rectangle, then fold short ends in towards each other as if folding a letter. Flatten again and tightly roll into a log starting with the short end. Repeat with all pieces.
6. Grease 8”-x-5” loaf pans with butter. Place 6 pieces of dough seam-side down in one straight row into each prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap.
7. Preheat oven to 375°. Let dough proof until puffy and doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and water. Brush egg wash on top of loaf and sprinkle lightly with salt.
8. Bake until deeply golden on top and the center of the loaf registers between 190° and 205°, about 30 minutes.
9. Let cool 5 minutes then turn loaves out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving.

 

A delicious pairing for our Estate Roussanne / Viognier

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

• 1 (8-ounce, 225 g) round of brie
• 1/4 cup (32 g) toasted hazelnuts (skins removed), lightly chopped
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 5 Tbsp (75 ml) honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 small sprig rosemary

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

Chocolate-brownie Cookies Recipe

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.

• 1 pound Semi Sweet Chocolate Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 4 Large Eggs, at Rooom Temperature
• 1 ½ Cups Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• ¼ Teaspoon Salt
• ½ Cup All Purpose Flour, Sifted
• ½ Cup Teaspoon Baking Powder
• One 12 Ounce Bag Semisweet Chocolate Chips

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!

 

Vineyard Update - Winter 2021

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