RECIPES

Rub chicken wings generously with Eric’s Sonoma Spice Seasoning, because bland wings are just sad. Bake at 400°F until crispy and sizzling (about 40 minutes), flipping halfway—think of it as their tanning session. Serve with ranch or blue cheese for those who like to live on the edge. Pair it with our Improvisation Syrah to really have the full guy experience.

Toss pumpkin seeds with olive oil and a generous sprinkle of Eric’s Sonoma Spice Seasoning; make sure every seed gets some love. Roast at 350°F for 15 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and crunchy—don’t burn them unless you enjoy disappointment. These are snackable, addictive, and might just steal the spotlight from Halloween candy. Pair it with our Vive Le Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, because, let’s be honest… you have too many kids.

Toast sourdough slices until golden, slather them with butter like you’re trying to impress Julia Child, and sprinkle with Mindi’s Sonoma Rosemary Lavender sea salt flakes. The floral and savory notes make this taste like a Parisian café in one bite. Pair it with our Vive La Musique if you’re fancy—or coffee if you’re pretending not to be.

If you want a truly upscale 3-star Michelin experience, this is for you. Pop Orville Redenbacher’s finest and drown it in melted butter (don’t skimp, this is your moment). Shower it with Mind’s rosemary lavender sea salt flakes, turning humble popcorn into a red-carpet-worthy snack. Warning: You’ll never look at plain popcorn the same way again. Pair it with our Vive Le Jazz Chardonnay… butter on butter, need we say more!

Always start with high quality ingredients. Grab your potatoes and cut them into fry shapes—thick or thin, you do you. Just aim for consistency, because nobody likes a fry with an identity crisis.

Blanch the fries in a cool water for about 5 minutes, giving them a gentle head start on their journey to greatness. This will help release many of the starches… and give you a chance to pour your second glass of wine. OK, who is kidding, your third.

Heat your oil to a precise 350°F—this isn’t a suggestion, it’s a science. Too cold, and you’re making soggy sadness; too hot, and you’re crafting charcoal sticks. If you're drinking wine, be super careful as you can imagine the oil is…um, HOT!

Gently immerse the potatoes in the hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding (this isn’t a weird party). Fry until golden and crispy, about 4-5 minutes, and resist the urge to eat them straight out of the pot—molten potato is not a vibe.

Toss the fries immediately with our Mindi’s Sonoma Rosemary Lavender Sea Salt while they’re still hot. Don’t be shy—nobody ever complained about fries being too salty.

We recommend pairing it with our new 2021 Vive Le Jazz Napa Valley Chardonnay. A lightly oaked Chardonnay is the Beyoncé of wine pairings for this dish. The slightly buttery notes of the wine will high-five the crispy fries while the lavender brings the whole pairing into “I’m-too-fancy-for-ketchup” territory.

Always start with high quality ingredients. Rinse your chicken under cold water like it just returned from Coachella and pat it dry with paper towels. We truss our chicken, and just typing that made it sound creepy. You could take that from here. Give it a full-body massage with olive oil to help lock in moisture and get that perfect golden skin.

Chop carrots, potatoes, and onions into bite-sized pieces—they don’t need to be runway-ready, but keep it consistent. Toss them with olive oil and a sprinkle of Mindi’s sea salt, because even veggies deserve to feel special.

Generously rub Mindi’s “Sonoma Rosemary & Lavender” sea salt blend over the entire chicken, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Think of it as giving the chicken a proper seasoning hug.

Roast at 375°F until it looks like it got a tan in the South of France… Provence to be specific, since we’re hosting an Adventure there (we digress)… until the internal temperature of way inside the breast meat is 165°F (74°C).

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes—patience pays off. Be proud as you have made a masterpiece of chicken… coolness. Carve it up, pile on the veggies, and let everyone think you secretly went to culinary school. Boast about it… because a good lie really works when it is repeated a lot…. not.

We recommend pairing it with our 2021 Vive Le Soul Rogue Valley, Oregon Pinot Noir. A lightly oaked Chardonnay is the Beyoncé of wine pairings for this dish: smooth, balanced, and absolutely iconic. Its hints of vanilla and buttery goodness will high-five the roasted veggies, while its citrusy zip will dance gracefully with the lavender and rosemary.

Always start with high-quality ingredients. 1 pound of ground turkey from your butcher, half a cup of shredded local medium sharp cheddar cheese, quarter cup of minced shallots, one generous tablespoon of Eric's Sonoma Blend seasoning... or more if you're feeling in the mood.

Form into four burgers, or three if you want a bigger serving (though it might be a bit embarrassing). On medium to high heat, preferably with grill ridges, add enough olive oil to cover the area. Once up to temperature, place the burger onto the grill.

Using a heavy object, which could be the bottom of a cast-iron skillet or a brick from your next door neighbor old man Billies yard, push down on the burger until half to a quarter of its original thickness. Enjoy the sizzle, it's a beautiful sound. In about 3 to 5 minutes, turn and reapply the weight.

Get crazy assembling your burger in whatever way you feel fit. Here we use a brioche bun lightly toasted on the same grill, a local heirloom tomato and two slices of butter lettuce. A side of ketchup is there just for dipping if needed.

When no one is looking, unhinge your jaw like a large anaconda snake and take your first bite. Here you can check the spice level to see if you need a little bit more. If so, sprinkle more on... and don't be shy.

We recommend pairing it with our new 2021 Outlaw Lake County Zinfandel. The expressive spiciness needs a big wine to match the style and flavor. Add a little country music from our playlist and you have the perfect meal.

Always start with high-quality ingredients. Speak with your butcher to get awesome baby back pork ribs as they always know what’s best. Usually there is a thin membrane on the bottom of the ribs that looks like a white sheet. This does not cook well and is a bit tough, so try to pull this sheet off starting at one corner, and once you get it going, it should come off easily. If you’re unsure how to do this, ask your butcher or there are a number of great YouTube video tutorials online.

If your ribs are fresh out of the refrigerator, give them about 15 to 25 minutes to come to room temperature before taking the next steps.. Very generously coat your ribs on all sides with our Eric’s Sonoma Blend Seasoning. Lightly pat down the spice to make sure it gets into the surface of the ribs.

Smoke your ribs! I’ve found the 3-2 method of smoking is the most effective method for getting that incredible smoky flavor along with retaining the juiciness of perfect pork ribs. I’m going for tender, fall-off-the-bone meat. Smoke the ribs unwrapped for three hours at a temperature of around 180–250°F, meat side up. This allows the smoke to penetrate the meat and develop flavor. After three hours, the ribs should have an internal temperature of 165°F. 

Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and cook for two hours at a temperature of around 225°F, meat side down. The foil helps tenderize the meat and lock in moisture. 

You want the internal temperature of the ribs to hit 190°F. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before you go Fred Flinstone on those babies, cutting then eating them like someone is going to steal them from you. It's ok... we do it the same way.

We have chosen to pair this with our 2021 Improvisation Columbia Valley Syrah. You will notice that our spice has a lot of depth and earthy, smoky characteristics. It also has a subtleness of complex spices blended together. Instead of a big red wine, we find that our Syrah compliments these smoked ribs perfectly.

This is a 2 day endeavor that pays huge dividends at the end... so suck it up and let's do this! Start by selecting a high quality chicken as great ingredients matter! Start by rinsing, patting dry then trussing your chicken (stop giggling). Learn from the master by clicking here. Thomas Keller Master Class

Put on Sly & The Family Stone, drink a few glasses of wine and start rubbing that baby (the chicken) with the now world famous Eric's Sonoma Blend seasoning. Get crazy with it.

THEN... let it rest in your refrigerator uncovered for at least 1 - 2 days. It will evaporate most of the moisture, which will concentrate the flavors and give you a much crispier skin when roasted. It's the secret Thomas Keller sauce.

Select your favorite root veggies, cut large chunks and place them in a roasting pan. Nestle the chicken in the middle and brush melted butter and Eric's seasoning over the top of everything (don't tell your cardiologist) and pop in the oven at 475° for 25-30 mins. Then reduce to 400° for another 30-40 minutes and get to an internal chicken temp of 160°.

Take out of the oven and spend at least 10-15 minutes staring at your multi-day magnum opus of awesomeness. Broaden your chest, beat it a few times then start carving that baby. Announce to the family that this is a work of food art that is about to be enjoyed... then dig in.

We have chosen to pair this with our 2021 Vive Le Soul Rogue Valley, Oregon Pinot Noir. Eric's Sonoma seasoning offers a subtle smokey spice and the chicken is a more subtle protein, so our Pinot Noir fits perfectly. Earthy, smoky, complex yet delicate. A pairing made in the inspiration of our times greatest master chef Thomas Keller.