Consume & Educate

Fire Recovery Efforts in CA Wine Country: Come, Buy and Spread the Word

Nov 17th, 2017 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

At the annual Wine Bloggers Conference, this year held in Santa Rosa from November 9-12, the main topic of major concern were the recent North Bay wildfires most notably in Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma County. The city of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County experienced the Tubb’s fire at its northern edge as it swept through the residential areas of Coffey Park and Fountaingrove, causing devastation and loss of life. In Napa County and Sonoma County, the Nun’s fire ravaged the countryside and further casualties, as well as the separate Atlas fire in Napa and the Redwood Valley in Mendocino. It has been only six weeks since the first fire started late on Sunday, October 8, and continued for three weeks as firefighters focused initially on evacuation before being fully contained. Wine Country residents are gradually coming to terms with the catastrophe that consumed them but are determined to move forward and save their national treasure.

Getting fresh with Rías Baixas at Wine Bloggers Conference

Nov 12th, 2017 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

With Spanish wine, my mind generally leaps to full bodied reds that reflect the heat and terroir of this complex region. At the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa, one of the wine discovery sessions showcased a relatively new DO that tested my tastebuds and assumptions. Far to the west within this great country, Rías Baixas in Galicia sits north of Portugal, soaking up the cool moistness of the Atlantic on its rugged, granite base. The name Rías Baixas is Galician for “Lower Rias” and refers to the five main rivers, whose water carve out the mineral-rich alluvial topsoil before mixing fresh with saline.

The Jambip Top 10 Most Obvious Lemon Recipes

Feb 24th, 2016 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

When life gives you lemons, don’t just serve lemonade. It makes a great way to spend a Sunday with your kids and then sell them on the street to boost that allowance but there are also other, equally obvious ways to use that ubiquitous fruit in your garden. For the record, I’m a Brit—now Californian resident—and that means a certain amount of gratitude for this somewhat exotic fruit that reigns supreme at this time of year. More specifically, I live in The Bay Area and a 9B USDA plant hardiness zone means citrus can bathe in full sun and comfortable temperatures. Not everyone is blessed with this climatic combo but store-bought citrus tastes just as good even though it comes at an additional price.

Holiday Cookies

Nov 17th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

The upcoming festive season demands something to nibble on in-between turkey, trimmings and the thought of new year resolutions and these holiday cookies are the ideal recipe. It combines festive cranberry with indulgent white chocolate and a subtle almond meal crunch. A glug of Grand Marnier orange-infused brandy gives any perceived innocence some well deserved citrus decadence but can easily be swapped for vanilla. This holiday cookie recipe is easy to create but do bake in bulk as they are so very moreish.

Pointing the fracking finger: Finger Lakes Wines

Sep 24th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

For an apprentice expat living in the US, placing the Finger Lakes Wine Country on a map required a bit of care. I knew wine had been grown within New York State for a long time - since 1829 in fact - but proximity, knowledge and the need for a tasting or two required further research. With the help of a Book and Wine combo club I initiated a long time ago called ‘Wines & Spines,’ I found the perfect excuse for my choice of wine. The book ‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt is mostly set in New York City and gave me a great opportunity to open a Fingers Lake Wine or two for the curious Wines & Spines members. My research also took me towards an exploitation of another kind. Fracking could have a major impact on the Finger Lakes wine industry, should it ever get the go-ahead.

Screen-Shot-2014-09-05-at-2.27.32-PM.png

Stats, Facts & Maps on Santa Barbara Wine Country

Sep 5th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

I admit that the Santa Barbara Wine Country near the Californian coast was always a bit of a mystery to me. It took a 5 hour car journey from the San Francisco Bay Area and a conveniently located Wine Bloggers Conference in Buellton for me to really appreciate this enigmatic gem of a wine destination. Santa Barbara Wine Country sits between San Francisco and Los Angeles and about forty miles NW of the coastal city of Santa Barbara. The coastal mountains unusually transverse East to West instead of the the typical North to South coastal ridge seen elsewhere along this Western stretch of California. This geology allows the climatic Pacific breeze to penetrate deeper inland and provide a cooler and longer growing season for the perfectly positioned Santa Barbara Wine Country. The resulting style for both the red and whites is generally a more sophisticated glass of wine. Unsurprisingly, it is the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape that seem to enjoy these slightly cooler growing conditions and the marine-calcium rich soils that lend the wine a certain elegance. If I were to take away from the wine conference one recommended Pinot and one Chardonnay it would be the Hilliard Bruce 2010 ‘Sun’ Pinot Noir ($55 approx) and the Alma Rosa 2010 ‘El Jabalí’ Chardonnay ($28), both from the Santa Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara Wine Country. I matched the Alma Rosa Chardonnay with a chicken and peach skewer recipe I created a little while back - see the blog post. The Hilliard Bruce Pinot went down so well with another Jambip food creation - my blackberry and basil pork with couscous - I actually forgot to immortalize it via a photo. Fortunately, I have a lasting memory of an evening tour around this unique winery where John Hilliard’s dedication to vineyard quality and SIP certification and Christine Bruce’s passion for perfection are unsurpassed. This talented partnership follows through into an incredible bottle of wine.

Chicken and Peach Skewers with Pedro Ximénès sherry marinade

Aug 8th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

Very often I start with a recipe and then I select the wine to match the food. However, this time the wine came first and I was confronted with the pleasurable task of creating a dish to match its enticing tasting note of a particular wine. While at the annual Wine Bloggers Conference in Buellton, Santa Barbara I got the opportunity to taste some excellent wines from the Santa Barbara County including the Alma Rosa Vineyard in the Sta Rita Hills AVA. Thekla and Richard Sanford started the winery after their move in 2005 from their highly regarded namesake Sanford winery in the same AVA and along the same Santa Rosa Road. At the conference Richard spoke passionately about his lifetime in the local wine industry and, like me, a graduate of Geography, he chose to make a natural progression from his subject major and move into the wine industry. I was taught at an early age to realize the enormous breadth and importance of understanding Geography in our lives, particularly with regard to horticulture. Several physiological factors such as temperature, soil type and aspect all play an important tole in defining what the French like to call terroir. I like to think the somewhat unromantic English equivalent, would be termed “local Geography,” - but that could just be the times-past Geography teacher in me reaching out and flying the flag for the subject. I certainly felt Thekla and Richard had taken on board the terroir of Sta Rita AVA and their passion for practicing what they preach with their slogan: “Nature and agriculture in perfect harmony.”

Typical Aging French Syrah Wine Tasting Video

Aug 7th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

How to taste a typical aging French Syrah. A Quick Sip Video French Syrah Wine Tasting by Jayne Pearce at Jambip with a breakdown of her Show: Sniff: Sip approach to tasting wine.

Screen-Shot-2014-02-19-at-12.16.10-PM.png

Typical Semillon Wine Tasting Video

Aug 6th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

How to taste a typical warm climate Semillon. A Quick Sip Video Semillon wine tasting by Jayne Pearce at Jambip with a breakdown of her Show: Sniff: Sip approach to tasting wine.

Peach & Tomato Chutney

Jul 16th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

It’s cheeky chutney time of year. Along with homegrown tomatoes, those Californian peach nectar varieties can be put to good use in a tasty chutney. I have a good friend who offers organic peaches to the highest bidder at the annual school PTA auction. Every year I make sure I win a tray. I can’t get enough of the sweet and sour chutney combo flavor. This is all thanks to a lasting childhood memory of the British cheddar and Branston Pickle sandwich. These days I like it with buttered crusty baguette; a slab of strong cheddar and an oaked Chardonnay with refreshing acidity. The peach and tomato season conveniently coincide in California during July and August and the resulting flavor is perfect for al-fresco culinary indulgences. This easy recipe also makes an attractive gift that lasts for three or so months. Plus, you get to feel oh-so-very-productive in the kitchen and garden if that works for you.

Chardonnay Horizontal Tasting

Apr 23rd, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

The breathtaking easterly views down to Silicon Valley and the slowly advancing fog over Skyline Boulevard towards the west make the location of Thomas Fogarty winery so wonderfully enchanting. As a full moon prepared itself for a bold entrance behind me, I headed up the curvaceous Page Mill Road for a treat: The Thomas Fogarty 2011 Chardonnay wine tasting. The pre-release 2011 horizontal Estate Chardonnay tasting consisted of four closely located Estate Chardonnay’s from the Santa Cruz Mountains as well as a contrasting 2010 and a 2008 (not listed). All of the wines experienced similar viticultural practices, oak aging and élevage so the tasting differences noted are purely down to position within the Estate. This was pure poetry and a tantalizing taste for - and test of - terroir.

Typical French Chablis Wine Tasting Video

Apr 9th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

How to taste a typical French Chablis. A Quick Sip Video Chablis wine tasting by Jayne Pearce at Jambip with a breakdown of her Show: Sniff: Sip approach to tasting wine.

Screen-Shot-2014-02-19-at-12.16.10-PM.png

Typical French Beaujolais Wine Tasting Video

Apr 9th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

View Jayne Pearce’s latest in her Show: Sniff: Sip wine tasting videos. This video post explains what to typically expect in a French Beaujolais wine tasting.

Typical Italian Pinot Grigio Wine Tasting Video

Mar 25th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

View Jayne Pearce’s latest in her Show: Sniff: Sip wine tasting videos. This post is about a typical Italian Pinot Grigio.

Screen-Shot-2014-02-19-at-12.16.10-PM.png

Typical Italian Barolo Wine Tasting Video

Mar 25th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Connect & Create, Consume & Educate

View Jayne Pearce’s Show: Sniff: Sip wine tasting videos. This post is about a typical Italian Barolo.

Lemon Refreshment

Mar 24th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

I still can’t get over having homegrown and very accessible lemons in my Californian garden. It may have something to do with originating from a cool north European country where blackberries made much more of an appearance. I’m always trying to add my mighty meyer lemon to whatever dish or drink I can find but I always come back to my ever faithful and simple Lemonade recipe. My kids love being entrepreneurial and selling it on the street to thirsty passers-by for 50 cents a pop. For the cost of half a bag of sugar, that’s a great markup and not a drop ever gets wasted. This is on the slightly less sweet side so feel free to add more sugar, preferably at the syrup creation stage.

Seven Spiced Lamb with Minty Asparagus

Mar 19th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

This recipe started with a gift. I was given a bottle of Lebanese Chateau Musar 2005 (tasting note to follow) and it seemed only right to prop it up with something seasoned, seasonal and close to as local as I could get for Lebanese food. Some deliciously seasonal New Zealand lamb chops were lavishly coated with a Lebanese seven spice seasoning. A lemony cilantro mint puree sealed asparagus and a tabbouleh side finished off this full-flavored dish.

Chateau Musar was a must!

Mar 10th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

Chateau Musar is testament to a living legacy of wine-growing that has lasted 6,000 years in modern day Lebanon. At 3,000 ft above sea level in the Lebanese Beqaa Valley, Chateau Musar is located about 15 miles North of Beirut and, itself, has been in operation since 1930. Amazingly, the winery only missed one vintage (1976) during the 15 year civil war that ravaged the country between 1975 and 1990.

Kumquat Quack!

Mar 7th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

Those adorable-yet-thirsty kumquats sneaked out of my appetizer recipe and into my Grand Marnier-soaked duck entrée. I decided to roast the duck breasts instead of shallow fry to allow the developing fat flavors to penetrate the meat, thyme and kumquats. With a tangy saucy glaze, partially sliced fingerling potatoes, orange and greens, this recipe ticks the traditional but with a tangy twist box. Serve with a youthful bottle of Burgundy Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Gamay. I say youthful and light as you wouldn’t want it to dominate your duck, or would you?

Wild Boar & Kumquat Crunch

Mar 5th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

I’ve never really known what to do with those little ovular shaped citrus fruits cutely called kumquats that originate from Asia. I knew they had a bitter-sweet taste to them and most often acted as an accessory in cocktail drinks. Because of the color and shape when sliced, I thought they would make a great cherry-on-top equivalent for my wild boar salami and mozzarella crostini. I realized a little experimentation in the kitchen can often reap surprising results. With a bit of help from some lemon-laced olive oil, kumquats now have a new role to play in appetizer garnishes. The fatty proteins from the wild boar break down very well with the acidity from the lemon olive oil and kumquat. Add a bottle of NV Mumm Napa or any good quality Prosecco and you have yourself a quick, easy and incredibly tasty platter of yum.

Quick Swordfish and Pesto Skewers

Feb 24th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

This colorful and tasty kebab is super quick to prepare and grill. Add some rice or jacket potato with melted butter to the pesto flavor and pronto - you have a great serving dish. I adapted it from this month’s Food & Wine’s Swordfish skewers with Salsa Verde as I thought the pesto, yellow pepper and the firmness of the pine nuts would go better with the meatier texture of the fish. Do comment if you agree/disagree; have an opinion or just want to say hi.

Austin Powers & Gold Country Zinfandel? Yeah, baby!

Feb 5th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

Wow, I love this incredibly juicy 2011 Gold Country Zinfandel from one of Calaveras - Gold - Country’s best wineries. I do find myself driving past and inevitably stopping over at Newsome Harlow’s Murphy’s tasting room en route to ski and summer sun in the Sierra Nevadas. All very handy really.

Full of Wonder meets Italian armpits and heels

Jan 26th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

This months Wines & Spines gathering brought together the combined efforts of a laugh and cry children’s book with two Italian wines. ‘Wonder’ by R.J Palacio is a poignant story of a boy with a facial anomaly struggling with being new and different when he starts school at 5th grade.

Frog's Leap Wine Tasting - a whimsical leap of faith to Napa.

Jan 9th, 2014 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

A somewhat impulsive Saturday afternoon’s decision to visit Frog’s leap winery in Rutherford, Napa, made the experience even more enchanting. The only connection we’d previously had with a Frog’s Leap wine tasting was via The UK Wine Society which was a supplier, so then why not? Plus, I rather liked the name and the corresponding image of a frog leaping seemingly blindly into the air. At $15 pp we booked ourselves slightly ahead and online for the garden tasting. We naively thought the outdoor part would distract the kids sufficiently while we got stuck into the wine. This was before we realized just how chilly that Saturday was turning out to be. Fortunately, the organizers cleverly relocated the tasting underneath an attractive patio heater in the Red Barn where the kids could also run free. Everyone was happy and warm either chasing dust or consuming Frog’s.

Mythology, chocolate and childhood adventure in Belize

Dec 20th, 2013 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

Once upon a time only a few years ago I lived in Belize for a year. I got so caught up in the fascinating Mayan history, culture and the plight of the jaguar, I had to write a fictional children’s book about it. It is available on Amazon and will take you on an imaginary trip to Belize to solve a cacao covered mystery and save the jaguar from evil celebrity chef extraordinaire Cefity Belcher. I had a lot of fun researching, writing and drawing for this fun book targeted at the 8-11 age group. I have Belize-living Artist Chris Emmanuel to thank for the cover painting and Belize-based Gecko Graphics for the cover layout. Do let me know if you or your kids have read it and hopefully I didn’t put anyone off chocolate forever. Unlikely, I’m sure. For further information on the Jaguar Preserve in the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary, click here. If you’d like to read about the incredible efforts of Zoologist Alan Rabinowitz and his struggle to create the jaguar sanctuary then this non-fiction book entitled ‘Jaguar’ makes for an enlightening read.

Chewy Choco-Chip Cookies

Dec 19th, 2013 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

This has to be the easiest cookie recipe out there and they are really tasty too as my kids don’t have any trouble eating them. You can substitute the chocolate by adding raisins, dried cherries, nuts to the mix and it might just taste even better!

Back to Bistro Bouchon

Dec 16th, 2013 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

We can’t seem to get enough of this French restaurant in Yountville, Napa and this time we invited the kids and the in-laws also. We were keen to get there at the allocated reservation time and no later as our previous visit involved a stressful ten minute late arrival and temporary loss of table.

Basil-by-the-Sea

Dec 16th, 2013 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

A weekend down the coast to Carmel-by-the-Sea brought with it a chance to enjoy the great choice of eateries and, after a spot of research using Open Table I opted for the cozy local hangout of Basil. Basil specializes in seasonal, organic and locally produced dishes in an intimate setting off a main street which made it a little hard to find but maybe that was part of its charm. Being two adults and two kids we decided to dive straight into the main course especially given the soporific atmosphere of low lighting, loud conversation and a heavy heat that already had the kids heads bowing.

Heller Vineyards Wine Tasting

Nov 29th, 2013 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

On a recent trip down to Carmel-by-the-Sea we took a detour inland to the boutique-styled wine region by the name of Carmel Valley. Carmel Valley is about 11 miles to the South West of its coastal sister where nineteen or so wineries are attracted to its mild winters and very warm summers. At more than 1000 ft above sea level it sits pleasingly above the maritime fog that hugs the coast and the winds that often whip up a storm. I decided to pay a visit to a long-standing wine producer called Heller Estate Organic Vineyards and and conduct a Heller Vineyards wine tasting of their extensive range of winers for myself. For a map and a leaflet about Carmel Valley wine tasting rooms click over to my own creatives.

English food & Wine evening

Nov 29th, 2013 Jayne Pearce Consume & Educate

Mini Shepherds

Caviar and goats cheese crunch