The highlight of visiting my brother in Southern Oregon this weekend was a casual barbecue at Wooldridge Creek Winery in the Applegate Valley. The owners, Greg and Kara, are friends of my brother and were about as nice and welcoming as any two people can be. Before we left on the 20 minute drive from his house out to the winery, my brother said, "Their barbecues are like those photo shoots you see in Sunset and Martha Stewart that show people eating dinner in the middle of a field."
And it was.
The drive out was gorgeous.
When we arrived the kids ran around while the adults sipped wine (Kara pours), chatted, and prepared dinner (the kids shucked the corn). The tasting room was our "home base" and we hung out there and on the patio overlooking the vineyard.
Bunny and her cousin give us a taste of what life will be like in 10-12 years: Download MOV02040.MPG
Nicely wined, I poked around some more.
My bro.
His dog.
Then it was time to cook. My brother butterflied a leg of lamb and marinated it for several hours in buttermilk and Morrocan spices. He grilled it with fresh herbs from his garden. It was so tender you almost didn't need a knife to cut it. I made tzaziki to go with (drained yogurt, cucumbers, garlic) and we warmed pitas on the grill before serving. We also had flank steak; charred red peppers, mushrooms, and onions; corn; insalata caprese; and just-picked apples and grapes.
All the wines were delicious, but my favorites were the rose of pinot
noir (so crisp and refreshing), the viognier/gewurtz blend (perfumey
and bright) and the syrah (jammy-licious). The wines are only available direct from Wooldridge.
And eat! (Look out, Wallie!)
We stayed until the sun went down, then it was time to take our tired girls back home where they fell fast asleep.*
I can't even begin to describe what a wonderful we time had enjoying the good food and the fantastic wines. The photos barely do it justice. All I know is, we will be back. And, I wouldn't mind having a little cabin overlooking the vineyards in Applegate Valley.
*Yes, that's Wallie. In a bed. With Bunny. It might be time for the transition. Yikes! My baby!
