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Sarah Walter
 
January 7, 2023 | Sarah Walter

Copia's Love Affair with Cheese

If you’ve visited us and experienced our lounge tasting, you’ll know we love to experience our wine with artisanal cheese. Cheese is incredibly delicious and enjoyable on its own, of course. But, there is a reason that wine and cheese are a match made in heaven.
 
Let's talk tannins! Tannins are an astringent compound abundantly found in nature. When it comes to wine, tannins are extracted from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak barrels. Think texture, structure and mouthfeel. Have you ever had the sensation of a the moisture leaving your palate after enjoying wine? That is the tannin in the wine.
 
What does this have to do with cheese? Cheese is composed of protein and fat and is rich on the palate. There is an interaction that happens when you combine wine tannins and the fat in cheese. A bite of cheese before a sip of wine smooths out the "rough edges" of some wine tannins. The perception of astringency in wine is reduced as it glides like silk over the palate. Studies have also shown that certain cheeses with certain wines can work to enhance fruit qualities and aromas.
 
At Copia, we take time as a team sampling several cheeses with each wine before presenting them to you. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it! Our goal is to always find a cheese match that doesn’t change or overpower the wine. We look for a pairing that puts the wine on a pedestal and simply lets it shine.
 
We’d love to see you in the tasting room soon and take you on this wine and cheese journey! You can also have fun with pairings at home. Check out your local grocery store, or find a cheese shop near you and get your hands on some of our favorites below.
 
BOOK THE WINE AND CHEESE EXPERIENCE
 
WINE SHOP
 

CURRENT RELEASE
PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS

2019 The Story (Grenache)
pairs with Ossau-Iraty

2019 The Cure (G-S-M)
pairs with Cave-Aged Gruyere

2019 The Source (Syrah)
pairs with 5-Year Aged Gouda, Artikaas

Time Posted: Jan 7, 2023 at 9:00 AM Permalink to Copia's Love Affair with Cheese Permalink
Anita and Varinder Sahi
 

Tandoori Shrimp | Recipe by Anita and Varinder Sahi

There is nothing quite as satifying as the traditional Indian method of cooking clay vessel called a Tandoor. What results are delectable, tangy morsels of meat and seafood or pillowy naan breads and rotis. Proteins are marinated (usually in yogurt) and cooked quickly at a very high temperature. In this recipe, we show you how to achieve a similar dish using jumbo shrimp and your BBQ grill. While yogurt and shrimp might seem like an unlikely pairing, it has a very specific role in this preparation. The yogurt is not only a great base for all the spices blended into it, but it also cooks down to a light crust on each shrimp when grilled. This is always a crowd pleaser at our dinner parties. We typically serve it as an appetizer, however, add a little basmati rice and you have a marvelous entrée.

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Time Posted: Jul 4, 2022 at 10:15 AM Permalink to Tandoori Shrimp | Recipe by Anita and Varinder Sahi Permalink
Anita and Varinder Sahi
 
January 12, 2022 | Anita and Varinder Sahi

Game Meat and Prawn Paella | Recipe by Chef Rachel Ponce

We always love to introduce each new Copia vintage alongside inspired food. The release of our 2019 vintage wines was no different. The theme was tapas and Spanish cuisine and we tasked local Paso Robles wine country Chef Rachel Ponce with coming up with the perfect pairing for each wine. Every bite she created was absolutely delectable, but it was Chef Rachel’s Game Meat and Prawn Paella that became the stuff of Copia legend! She had created a perfectly rich and multilayered dish that paired beautifully with our Source Syrah. It is an unctuous and embarrasingly luxurious one-pan-meal that hides its true elegance in its humble plating. As with everything that Chef Rachel does, she used our wine as the perfect inspiration for a dish that we find ourselves cooking again and again. Enjoy this recipe that is sure to impress anyone you serve it to.

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Time Posted: Jan 12, 2022 at 8:59 AM Permalink to Game Meat and Prawn Paella | Recipe by Chef Rachel Ponce Permalink
Anita and Varinder Sahi
 
July 30, 2020 | Anita and Varinder Sahi

This Steak might be jealous, but you gotta try it!

Recently, we were honored to learn that Wine Enthusiast Magazine picked 2017 Copia Vineyards Cabernet as one of it's top-rated all-American Cabernet bottlings (95 pts). We think that this lush and opulent Cabernet could make a steak salivate and we are happy that others agree!

Cooking the perfect steak takes very few things. You need a high quality piece of meat, a super hot cast iron pan and some patience to not mess with it too much! 

Our 2017 Cabernet is a superstar wine and we have held on to it exclusively for our wine club members. We wish you happy food pairing and hope you try this Ribeye recipe out with some Award-winning '17 Copia Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

NEED CABERNET? JOIN THE CLUB

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TASTE THE WINES

 

Time Posted: Jul 30, 2020 at 4:00 PM Permalink to This Steak might be jealous, but you gotta try it! Permalink
Sarah Walter
 
May 12, 2020 | Sarah Walter

Strawberry Bakewell Tart | Recipe by Sarah Boone

This recipe sings summer to me. Being from the UK, a bakewell tart is a summer staple – a delicious concoction of sweet shortcrust pastry, fruit, jam, frangipane (a chewy French almond filling) and topped with sliced almonds.  It’s a show stopper piece that can be made with just about any fruit and jam you like, or have on hand. Strawberries from our local farmer’s market have been delicious lately, I recommend making this with whatever fruit is in season at the time … strawberries, plums, and cherries to name a few. This tart is best served at room temp, so pack it up for your next picnic or backyard BBQ. A classic bakewell is finished with a sprinkling of confectioners sugar, this part in my opinion is optional, and I actually prefer it without!  
 
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Time Posted: May 12, 2020 at 11:00 AM Permalink to Strawberry Bakewell Tart | Recipe by Sarah Boone Permalink
Varinder Sahi
 
May 12, 2020 | Varinder Sahi

Pineapple Mint Mojito | Recipe by Varinder Sahi

This drink transports you to the tropics in one sip. It’s for the days you need to travel to the vacation memory in your mind ….

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Time Posted: May 12, 2020 at 11:00 AM Permalink to Pineapple Mint Mojito | Recipe by Varinder Sahi Permalink
Anita Sahi
 
May 12, 2020 | Anita Sahi

The Little Things

 
Hello Everyone,

Down the rabbit hole we all went back in March. Just like Lewis Carroll's Alice, you could say that it has been an Adventure in Wonderland, with all it's complexities, dramas and strangeness. Back in March, I'm sure a lot of us were wary of mandatory sheltering. Then in April, if you didn't have to seek medical help, you might have felt gratitude for just being healthy. And now in May, dare we try to be cautiously optimistic? To some, it may feel too soon. To others, it may not be soon enough.

This "downtime" is difficult, but it doesn't come without feeling transformed somehow. It's been the little things during this time that feel like blessings. Little reflections. Little activities. Little lessons. We learn how to just "be" in the same space at the same time as our significant other. We can gain an appreciation for the things that the other person does throughout his or her daily life. We share their struggles and relish in their triumphs. Our thoughts become unlocked and free. We share them with each other. We listen to nature uninterrupted and think about our own influence on its cycle and heartbeat. Life is taken slower than before, because we don't have much of a choice, do we? It makes me wonder how many of these "little things" I will want to keep alive in my life after the height of this pandemic passes. Years from now, I suspect I'll look back at this time with a weird sort of nostalgia. I know I'll be forever changed by it and it's not necessarily a bad thing to have life interrupted only to value it more. 

It seems like we're on the cusp of moving to Stage 3 of California's "Resilience Roadmap." We shall see. This last week, we've been discussing how to successfully and safely conduct wine tastings again. On Friday, we joined a Zoom call with around 250 of our peers to learn about where we stand when it comes to reopening. It feels imminent and we are preparing for the eventuality.

Finally, to everyone who has been ill or knows someone who has been affected by COVID-19, we wish you strength and hope that there are some little things that you, too, can hold onto at this time. 
 


A WEEK OF NOSTALGIA

Eats
Sarah's Strawberry Bakewell Tart

Drink
Pineapple Mint Mojito

Jams
This is Little Richard

Read
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Excerpt here: Down the Rabbit-hole
 


We're continuing our Curbside Pick-Up, Local Delivery and $1 Shipping Special. See below for more details and email or call (805) 835-6094 if there's anything we can do for you.

Warmly,
Anita Sahi


"It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."
- Lewis Carroll (From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)


WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
 

COPIA VINEYARDS STORE

20% OFF ALL WINES, EXTRA 5% FOR CLUB MEMBERS

CURBSIDE PICK-UP, LOCAL DELIVERY
$1 SHIPPING AVAILABLE ON 3 BOTTLES OR MORE

PROMO: COPIA20

How?
Go online (select "pick up" or shipping option at checkout)
Or email, call/text Sarah (805-710-7222)

Acquire Wine


 


#copiavineyards

Time Posted: May 12, 2020 at 11:00 AM Permalink to The Little Things Permalink
Varinder Sahi
 
May 5, 2020 | Varinder Sahi

Roasted Chicken Over Root Vegetables | Recipe by Varinder Sahi

This is no trick of the eye. There is more than one way to roast a chicken, but apparently, if you’re Varinder, you need to wear the same shirt on a different day to do it! What makes this homestyle dish just a tad bit elevated is the 3-day prep process. On Day 1 you prepare your chicken and brine. On Day 2, you start the “drying” process, something that V credits Chef Thomas Keller with. On Day 3, you’ll continue to dry and roast it off that evening. The results are well worth the time and nothing short of succulent! In terms of the brine and the specific vegetables you use, be easy and free. We pulled out whatever we had at the time and put it to great use. Enjoy this elegant homestyle meal!     – Anita Sahi

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Time Posted: May 5, 2020 at 11:00 AM Permalink to Roasted Chicken Over Root Vegetables | Recipe by Varinder Sahi Permalink
Anita Sahi
 
April 28, 2020 | Anita Sahi

Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits | Recipe from Anita Sahi

This recipe was inspired by my family. In our travels to India, we would often head to local sweets shops and bakeries and find a to-die-for assortment of biscuits, milk cakes and savory rusks. We also welcomed anywhere from 2 to 20 people a day for tea at home (no joke). Each visit from a guest would have us excited over the prospect of snack pairing.

For Indians, tea time (or chai time, as we call it) is sacred. Our tea of choice is usually a Masala Chai, whose permutation differs from family to family and individual to individual. My specific chai includes influences from my own parents, from Varinder and from his family. In COVID lockdown, we’ve become even more self-reliant and I have started to bake again (one of my first jobs was baking in a professional restaurant). These Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits were dreamt up for three very specific qualities: 1) They had to be nutty and stand up to strong, aromatic masala chai (ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper), 2) They had to be thin and snackable all times of day and 3) They had to have an undeniable crumbliness (think of Biscoff cookies). For the latter, the use of a touch of gram flour did the trick. I mixed these cookies by hand because I love to judge a dough by how it feels, but they are super versatile and, for a less “messy” preparation, can be done in a standing mixer as well.

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Time Posted: Apr 28, 2020 at 11:30 AM Permalink to Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits | Recipe from Anita Sahi Permalink
Sarah Walter
 
April 21, 2020 | Sarah Walter

Chicken and Chorizo Paella | Recipe from Sarah Boone

This recipe is one of my weeknight go-tos – you can dress it up, or dress it down! Paella is tradtionally made with Valencian rice, but I know most of us don’t have multiple rice varieties laying around. Any medium to short-grain rice will work. Arborio is my favorite and it’s found at most stores. This version of paella is finished in the oven, which it allows you to walk away to set the table or do the dishes and return to a finished meal. The most important trick to this recipe is to not stir! You want the rice to be tender, but not creamy or risotto-style. A perfectly cooked paella will develop a crisp, caramalized layer on the bottom called socarrat. Let the crispy layer happen. Serve with your favorite grenache or a grenache dominant G-S-M.

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Time Posted: Apr 21, 2020 at 11:00 AM Permalink to Chicken and Chorizo Paella | Recipe from Sarah Boone Permalink
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