New World Wine Shop hosted a Benzinger wine tasting the weekend before Thanksgiving, which of course prompted further reading about what it was that we were sampling in the store.  Typically there is a backstory about how a winery got started and a little more information about how the wine is produced. Really, it's why we love our Wine Table Tastings so much... we get to tell Wine Stories! 

There are many things we love about the Benziger Family Winery; the first being that it includes "FAMILY".  Not just some family... the entire family! With some help from his parents, the Benzinger Family Winery was founded in the late seventies by one of the seven Benzinger siblings.  It wasn't long before more siblings joined in on the running of the vineyards and eventually all seven children were involved in one way or another.  

The second thing we love is the biodynamic way of farming the Benzinger Family Winery practices.  Biodynamic is a pretty complex word; but it's also the reason Benzinger wine produces such complex and vibrant flavor.  BIodynamic is a holistic, ecological and ethical approach to farming that mirrors the natural systems found in nature.  Everything plays a role, there is no waste, and the end goal is the make the farm completely self-sufficient system that requires no outside assistance to produce the crops.  All nutrients in the soil come from the farm itself.  

SUPER sustainable.  SUPER organic.  SUPER flavor.

After nearly 40 years of business, the Benzinger Family sold their winery to a much larger company a few years ago.  They may have sold the business, but the farming practices remain the same, as does the quality of the wine.  Something else you don't hear very often is every single employee of the winery kept their position with the company, and was given a raise.  While the Benzinger family may not be in the wine business anymore, they have recentered their drive for success in the philanthropic sense, giving back to the community where both their family and business flourished over the years.       

Through the holiday season we invite you to stop by our wine shop in downtown Lake Geneva to pick up a bottle or two of wine from the Benzinger Family Winery collection to share and enjoy with your own family.  

The true gift will be the retelling of this Wine Story.  ::Crickets::

Good luck with that! You may just want to stick to the wine!      

​Event #1  -- Unoaked Chardonnay
 
WINNER: LaPlaya Unoaked Chardonnay
COUNTRY: Chile
 
A favorite coming into the Wine Olympics is the Chilean wine, LaPlaya Unoaked Chardonnay.  We have introduced it before in a previous Buzz post and will continue to be huge fans of LaPlaya!
 
Back Story: For those who aren’t familiar with the difference between unoaked and oaked, unoaked wine isn’t aged in barrels, it’s aged in steel.  Oaked wine has a little more of a fuller, warmer flavor to it while unoaked is more crisp with more dominant hints of fruit.  Oaked Chardonnay will also be a little more yellow in color, taking away more than just flavor from the oak barrels.  If you tend to not like wines with a lot of oak, look into other parts of the world than say, California whites, which are known for being more “oaky” than other regions.
 
ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT
Chile isn’t known for sending big teams to the Olympics every four years, but there is a Marathon runner named Erika Olivera who deserves a mention for being forty years old and participating in her fourth consecutive trip to the Olympics.  While a fourth showing at the games is impressive enough, Erika has five kids and plans on running for office to become a member of the Chilean Congress when she retires from running.  WOW! Although Erika isn’t expected to medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she is a winner in our book.  That’s one ambitious woman!
 
Erika will be running her event, the Olympic Marathon on Sunday August 14th. 
 
 
PAIRING UNOAKED CHARDONNAY
CHILEAN SEA BASS WITH GARLIC & HERBS

1. 2 six-ounce portions Chilean Sea Bass
2. kosher salt and pepper
3. 3 cloves garlic, minced
4. 1 Tbl chopped fresh rosemary
5. 1 Tbl chopped fresh thyme
6. 2 Tbl butter
7. Juice from half of a lemon
8. 2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil or 2 Tbl Coconut Olive

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat cast iron skillet
2. Add coconut olive
3. Heat until medium heat
4. Season Chilean Sea Bass with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper
5. Once skillet is hot, place chilean sea bass skin side up on cast iron skillet
6. Let sear for 1 minute until seared edge is nice and crisp
7. Flip over and sear skin
8. Turn heat down to medium temperature, ten fish with tin foil and continue to cook until cooked thru
9. Meanwhile, melt butter in small sauce pan. Add minced garlic and saute until starting to brown. Add minced rosemary and thyme. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Continue to saute until fish is fully cooked. Remove sauce from heat and stir in lemon juice.
10. Plate Chilean Sea bass
11. With a shallow, slotted spoon, gently garnish Chilean Sea Bass with rosemary, thyme, garlic sauce

Introducing... La Playa!

We are proud to feature La Playa vineyards, a family owned sustainability farmed and estate bottled wine.  Jerry and I stand behind their environmental practices as much as we stand behind their thoughtfully crafted wines.

Located in the balmy Mediterranean climate of the coastal Colihagua Valley, 80 miles southwest of Santiago Chile La Playa, La Playa is a front runner when it comes to environmental awareness in wine making.

Just a few of the environmentally awesome things they do:

• They utilize only natural organic fertilizers
  
• Waste-water is recycled throughout the property
  
• They control invasive rodents with indigenous falcons and owls
  
• Maintain an all natural compost area for grape skins
  
• Grape stems are used to cover their dirt roads for erosion control
  
• Most of their employees ride bikes to work
  
• The vineyard manager prefers to work on horseback 
  
• The winery is naturally cooled by water-irrigated roof and louvers for fresh air rather than air conditioning
  

We completely support their green efforts and we love their wine!

Stop in to sample our selection if wines from this progressive vineyard that we really can't say enough about.  Just a great company that makes a great bottle of wine! 

Save the earth! Drink wine!