Posts Tagged: riesling radler

Summer Round-up: Our favorite Field Note’s from Summer 2020

It’s been a wild summer and we’ve been trying to keep up with all that is going on around us, while still hoping to provide some great recipes and ideas you’ll enjoy! This week we wanted to do a Summer Round-up of yours—and our—favorites from the last several months.

This recipe, our Radler brined rack of ribs, was a huge hit! I hope some of you tried it or will try it soon!

Underwood Riesling Radler Spareribs

 

Who doesn’t enjoy a homemade popsicle during the hot summer months? We were particularly proud of these beautiful and tasty pops made with Underwood Rosé and fresh berries—our Pink & Polka Dot Ice Pops.

Underwood Rosé Popsicles

 

The times have certainly changed of late and we want to protect as many people as possible, starting with our employees. This post on how to get creative and make your own mask was educational and inspirational. Joanna is a pro at making fun and stylish masks and we were so happy she shared her sewing secrets with us.

 

And finally, who doesn’t love to follow along on other people’s adventures when they are as amazing as a day in the life of Cheney?! Cheney is a winemaker at Union and an active guy —it can be hard to keep up with him when he’s having fun. This post helps us enjoy the ride without going to too much trouble!

 

Those are our favorites. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Take good care out there! Be careful and keep safe.

#pinkiesdown

Safely Reconnecting with Co-workers: Tacos, Tequila and Radlers in the Driveway

As I’m sure many people out there can relate to, working from home, although a novelty at first, has definitely got its down sides. The biggest of which is missing the camaraderie, conversations and socialization found in a typical office setting. For instance, my wife Meredith works for CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate service company. CBRE’s main Downtown Portland office closed back in March with no real plan of reopening any time soon.

Luckily, everyone was able to work from home, but for an office of folks used to weekly meet-ups, trivia nights and happy hours, those plans very suddenly evaporated. Now that people are feeling more comfortable getting together in small groups
(and of course respecting the rules of social distancing), Meredith thought it would be fun to “get the old gang back together”, as they say, and have a driveway gathering to reconnect. I was tasked with coming up with a signature cocktail to serve and some appropriate local cuisine. So without further ado, I present…

The Tequila Sunrise Radler

(This will make one drink. Multiply out for the amount of people you are entertaining.)

2 oz Reposado Tequilla (I like Lunazul.)
4 oz Orange Juice
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 can of Underwood Riesling Radler

I found it easiest and safest to measure and mix the tequila and OJ in a separate pitcher before beginning. As the always dapper and talented Michael is demonstrating, line up your glasses—we found 16 oz Mason Jars best for this—fill with ice and add your tequila and OJ mix to just under halfway up the glass.

Then, in true Tequila Sunrise fashion, gently add 1/4 oz of grenadine to each glass, thus creating the sunrise effect.

Distribute your drinks and at this point have each party member come up and grab their own can of the Reisling Radler.

Then, have each person top off their cocktail with the Radler, and continue to do so as they consume their cocktail, adding a little Radler each time there is room in the glass.

I thought that tacos would go great with this drink and since we have an amazing locally owned taqueria at the end of our street, it was a great opportunity to support a local business and also offer something that could be easily and safely self-served by each person.

If you are in the Burnside/82nd Ave area, definitely stop into Taqueria Santa Cruz for some amazing tacos or burritos. (I highly recommend the chorizo and if you are feeling adventurous, the lenqua.)

To keep everything “hands-free”, all chips were individually bowled up, the sauces were separated and tongs were used to serve the tacos.

And it never hurts to have a little hand sanitizer at the ready for anyone who feels the need.

And once the cocktails are in hand and the tacos are plated, its time to relax and catch up.

No carne asada for the puppers…

And with these beautiful summer evenings, what better and safer way to get home than on your bicycle?

So, there you have a solid groundwork for a full evening of entertainment to reconnect with whomever in your life you have been missing. All we ask is that you stay safe and responsible and of course keep those
#pinkiesdown.

Photography, Recipe & Text by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Redefining The Radler

Riesling Radler Granita with Grilled Pineapple

Underwood Riesling Radler

During these hot summer months there is very little as refreshing as an ice cold Underwood Riesling Radler. It’s light, citrus flavored, white wine makes for a solid afternoon beverage. But that got us thinking about how else we could bring the flavor of one of our favorite cans to life.

Enter the Granita. An Italian flavored ice dessert, it is similar to a sorbet but instead of needing an ice cream maker, Granita can be made simply with a pan and a fork for mixing. Often served as an intermezzo, Granita also makes a delicious and refreshing dessert. We decided to pair our Radler Granita with grilled pineapple as both can be done in advance when entertaining. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

Underwood Riesling Radler

STEP ONE:

Preheat your grill.
Peel your fresh pineapple and slice into rounds that are roughly 1/2 an inch thick.
Lightly brush slices with canola oil and grill on both sides for about 5 minutes per side.*
Let slices cool and then keep in a container in the fridge until ready to serve.

(*To achieve the “crosshatching” grilled effect, simply turn the slice 45 degrees halfway through the grilling process.)

Underwood Riesling Radler

STEP TWO:

In a medium sized metal or ceramic dish, pour:

1 can of Underwood Riesling Radler
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz simple syrup

Place dish in the freezer. Set your timer for 20 minutes.
When the timer goes off, stir the liquid gently with a fork to begin incorporating the frozen bits into the liquid. This is done to create a shaved ice texture, and not have the liquid freeze into a solid sheet.

Continue this process, remembering to set your timer and stirring every twenty minutes or so. After about an hour, you will see the liquid becoming quite slushy.

Underwood Riesling Radler

Continue this process until the Granita is completely frozen and there is no more liquid in the pan.
At this point, you can transfer the Granita to a quart container. This will save room in your freezer and also make scooping it out easier.

Underwood Riesling Radler

Underwood Riesling Radler

STEP THREE:

When it is time to serve, place a slice of the grilled pineapple on a plate. Using a 2 oz ice cream scoop, dip the scoop into some warm water, pack the Granita tightly into the scoop and place in the center of the slice.

Serve with an ice cold can of Radler. Bon Appétit!

Underwood Riesling Radler

Photography, Recipe and Text by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

What is a Radler?

Underwood Radler

Traditionally a radler is a low alcohol (sessionable) beer-based beverage. Usually consisting of half beer (something light like a pilsner or wheat beer) and half lemonade (grapefruit juice is also common). Originating in Germany, radler roughly translates to cyclist. As the story goes, one hot day in 1922, an innkeeper in the Bavarian countryside mixed lemonade with beer to create a refreshing, quaffable beverage for all the cyclists riding by. Some say part of the reasoning behind this was because the innkeeper was running out of beer and needed to create a product that he could continue to serve.

Another common term you’ll hear referring to a beer based beverage mixed with a carbonated lemon/lime juice is a shandy. The shandy originated in Britain in the 1850s and was traditionally mixed with ginger.

What is our Riesling Radler?

Underwood Riesling Radler

We’re not precious about our wine. Like a traditional radler, ours emulates the flavors of hops and citrus (we use grapefruit puree), yet adds Oregon riesling to bring a crisp and refreshing approach. Our Riesling Radler is gluten-free with a 3% alcohol level, a perfect pairing for the hot summer months. 

Learn more about the story behind our Riesling Radler here.

Underwood Riesling Radler Cocktails

Another way to enjoy our Riesling Radler

While one of the things we love about our Riesling Radler is it’s sessionable quality, sometimes you want a little more to it. Or, if you are running low on the radler, this helps make it last longer. It’s the perfect base for a cocktail and is asking for a spirit with a pronounced character. The smokiness from the mezcal balances well with the sweet notes from the radler.

Serves 2

1 can Underwood Riesling Radler
2 oz Mezcal Unión
Lime and orange slices
Ice

Grab 2 old fashioned cocktail glasses and add ice to each glass. Pour 1oz of mezcal into each glass. Pour half a can of Riesling Radler equally into the glasses. Squeeze a slice of lime and orange into each glass. Top with extra citrus slices, stir and enjoy.

Cheers!

Underwood Riesling Radler

Underwood Riesling Radler

Underwood Riesling Radler

Thanks to our friends at Mazama Wares for the colorful cocktail glassware.

The Story Behind The Riesling Radler

underwood riesling radler ingredients

At Union Wine Company, we’re fond of breaking patterns. We’re not afraid to mix our wine with other quality ingredients to bring new wine drinking experiences to life. Enter Underwood wine coolers. Our wine coolers are a combination of innovation, art and craft, paired with our commitment to stay local and support the artisans of Oregon. First up: meet the Underwood Riesling Radler.

More than a year ago our fearless leader, Ryan Harms (who’s always pushing the boundaries) asked our wine production team a question that started it all: what if we could make something along the lines of a Radler*, but with wine? 24 hours later, a trial blend was in front of him and the Riesling Radler was born.

*For those that aren’t familiar with what a Radler is: simply put, it’s a traditional German beverage that is half beer, half fruit soda.

goschie farms

Let’s rewind a little. Long before our Radler came to be, we partnered with Goschie Farms, nestled within the hills of the scenic Willamette Valley, to grow Pinot Gris grapes. We pride ourselves in developing and maintaining strong relationships with our growers, and Goschie Farms has been a staple in our winemaking process for over 4 years. More so, they have been a fixture in the Oregon hop farming community for 130 years. So, when we started playing with the idea of a Riesling Radler, partnering with them was a no-brainer.

hops at goschie farms

Goschie Farms is currently managed by fourth generation farmer Gayle Goschie along with her brothers Gordon and Glenn. In 2009, Gayle became the first woman to be awarded the International Order of the Hop, which is the highest honor in the hop community. Rumor has it that Gayle has been running forklifts since before she could walk, and on any given day you’re likely to find her in rubber boots working outside in the crop fields. Gayle strongly believes in the responsibility to conserve and improve our lands, not only as good business sense, but as critical to building future farm leaders.

gayle goschie

Sustainability continues to take a front seat in Goschie Farm’s daily operations. They are the first ever hops grower to be certified as Salmon-Safe, recognized for their conservation practices that protect water quality and native salmon. They also use solar power to operate their facility and have achieved their LIVE certification for sustainability.

goschie hops

Turning back to our Riesling Radler, under Gayle’s leadership and in partnership with our winemaking team, Goschie Farms helped us identify hop varieties that would achieve the flavors and characteristics we were looking for. The final formula combines Riesling wine, Crystal and Cascade hops and grapefruit juice. The goal was to pull some of the flavors from beer, while still keeping the Radler wine-based. The result is a session-able, 3% ABV wine cooler that bridges the gap between approachable wine and craft beer.

We couldn’t be prouder to work with Goschie Farms to put the hop in our Riesling Radler. Stay tuned to see what’s next…

“It’s far better to be challenged by the work than to be overwhelmed, and we all know how overwhelming it can be because farming is hard work. But it’s boots on the ground, hands in the dirt, good honest work.”

– Gayle Goschie

hop farm gayle goschie

Photography by David L. Reamer