Prosecco: It's Official!

Prosecco has claimed a DOCG which finally makes the valley area of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene official Proseccoland! DOCG is the highest-ranking and the most stringent regulation for Italian wine regions. Just like Champagne in France, only wine from this area and the surrounding region can be called Prosecco. You can rest assured that when you buy Prosecco you will know where your wine is coming from! We offer a lovely Prosecco from the Ruggeri Winery in Valdobiadenne. It is light and fresh on the palate with lots of tiny bubbles and a long fruity finish. It's perfect at anytime of the day!

Prosecco Recipe from Across the Pond

Many of you may have remembered the Aperol Spritz Recipe from last month, here is another Prosecco concoction from British Chef Jamie Oliver that we featured at our last tasting as a refreshing light dessert!


St. Germain Elderflower Liquere and Rugerri Prosecco Berry Gelatin

\bullet 4 cups of mixed soft fruit: blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries
\bullet .25 oz or 1tbsp powdered gelatin
\bullet 140ml/\'bc pint elderflower cordial
\bullet 2 heaped tablespoons sugar
\bullet 425ml/\'be pint prosecco, chilled

It freshens the palate and you can make it before you need it − it keeps for about four or five days. You can make one large jelly in a tureen mould or dish, or you can do individual ones. Use any combination of fruit, but not pineapple or kiwi fruit, as the jelly won't set. If you are making a big one, it's a good idea to line the bowl with clingfilm first.

Put your ripe fruit into your mould or moulds and refrigerate. Add the gelatin to the bowl with the cordial. Rest above a pan of water over a medium heat and stir constantly until the gelatin and cordial become syrup. At this point you can add your sugar, stir till dissolved, then remove the bowl from the heat and let it sit at room temperature for a minute or so.

Take your fruit and prosecco out of the fridge. The idea being that your fruit, moulds and prosecco are all chilled, so the bubbles stay in the jelly when it sets and they fizz in your mouth when you eat it - beautiful! Pour the prosecco into your cordial mix, and then pour this over your fruit. Some of the fruit might rise to the top, so using your finger, just push the fruit down into the jelly mix so that it is sealed and will then keep well in the fridge. Put back into the fridge for an hour to set.

To serve, dip your mould into a bowl of hot water to loosen the outside of the jelly, then turn it out on to a plate.

Here Comes The Bride...

It's getting to be that time of year... Wedding Season! We wanted to remind all of you that we can create custome one of a kind wedding cakes out of cheese! We do require some advanced notice for these equsite creations.

Here is our beautiful creation of double and triple creme cheeses including Chateau Bourgogne, Brillat Savarin and Chaource. The wheels are layered with Oregon Strawberry Preserves, fresh Blueberries, and local Nasturtiums. It's a fun twist on the classic white wedding cake!

Pondhopper, from Tumalo Farms, is a firm farmstead goat's milk cheese made with a local microbrew. It has a tangy, mild to sharp flavor, with an echo of Cascade hops on the finish! A great cheese which would go well with a full bodied beer or a pinot gris.