Posts Tagged: underwood canned wine

A Step by Step Guide to Surviving Election Day

Election supplies

The day is finally upon us! Are you excited? Nervous? Stressed? Completely over it and checked out? We’re right there with you. One thing we can all agree on is that stress levels are at an all time high, but we believe the key to getting through the madness is to slow down and stock up on all of your tried and true creature comforts.  And we’re here to help. So here’s the plan:

STEP 1: Stock up on the essentials! What are your go-to comfort foods? Make a list of the things that make you feel the coziest and head to the store. Here’s what’s on our list:

a. Underwood Canned Wine (duh)

b. Frozen Pizza

c. Brownies + Chocolate + Frosting (go big or go home!)

d. Cookie Dough

e. Tissues…maybe we will cry tears of joy? Either way be prepared!

f. Bedtime Necessities

g. Coffee

h. Advil

i. Underwood Bubbles

j. Juice

2)  Prepare: Get comfy and don’t forget your mental health

a. Download your favorite meditation or relaxation app in-case you need to take a little break…or a few.

b. Put on your pj’s, it’s going to be a long night

3)  Here we go!

a. Pop open that can, or cans, or bottles.

b. Get to work on that pizza. Make sure to have a side of treats close by. We give you full permission to eat the whole pizza. Stress eating is normal and natural, we won’t judge.

c. Don’t forget that outside exists! Go for a walk, play with your pup, or just get some fresh air. It’s 100% ok to leave the house in PJ’s and sneakers. Maybe the only good thing to happen in 2020?

4)  Re-coop

a. Make yourself a cup of sleepy time tea

b. Draw yourself a bath, light some candles, set out the crystals

c. Grab an eye mask and some earplugs

d. Put on some soothing tunes and doze off

5)  Good morning! Congratulations! You made it! Celebrate with an extra cup of coffee, or a mimosa if you are waking up to good news! You deserve it.

Pro tip: brownies are an acceptable breakfast choice today.

Cheers!

#pinkiesdown

Plan B Birthday Celebration: Getting Creative with Plans in 2020

2020 has been a strange year for birthdays, weddings, and graduations. We’ve all had to adapt and get extra creative with how we celebrate. It’s been challenging just figuring out what a party can look like during a global pandemic. Can we throw one while still socially distancing? How many friends and family can safely gather?

40th birthdays feel like a pretty big deal. It’s a day I’ve gently held in the back of my mind for years. My original plan to throw a big party for myself and two of my best friends (whose birthdays coincide with mine) quickly went out the door when I realized how serious and long-lasting the pandemic was going to be. So I tucked away my disappointment and decided to take off in my van and drive from Oregon to Colorado instead. There, I met up with my dear friend, Abi, who’s 29th birthday happens to fall on the day after mine.

We determined that a backpacking trip into the mountains was the perfect solution to our birthday woes. Since we both love spending time outdoors, it seemed like the most fitting way to celebrate. In order to make our backcountry adventure even more special, we packed in 2 cans of Underwood Bubbles and a vegan chocolate cake. Always worth the extra weight.

Once we landed on doing the beautiful Missouri Lakes trail in the Holy Cross Wilderness, we loaded up and drove the three hours to the trailhead where we camped overnight in our vehicles.

To beat the crowds, we aimed for an alpine start the next morning. Our hiking entourage consisted of me and my dog, Huxley, and Abi and her two dogs, Kodi and Kuma; each of us carrying our own fully loaded backpack into the wilderness.

Abi and I chose a relatively easy trail for this particular overnighter because we both wanted the trip to feel fun and easy. So the 4 miles in with 1500 ft of elevation gain was mostly a breeze, and by the time we reached the lake and our destination for the night, we still had plenty of energy to explore the area.

So we set up our tents and dropped our Union Wine cans in the creek to chill for later. We grabbed our cameras, quickly tied on our raincoats, and headed up the trail to explore a wildflower-covered ridgeline. There were some dark clouds preemptively accumulating in the distance, and Colorado is known for its summer afternoon thunderstorms, so we knew our time to explore was limited.

We wound our way past some smaller lakes, the shores dotted with eager fishermen. We heard the recognizable whistle of marmots and the chirps of pika echoing from the fields of talus, teasing our dog companions into a frenzy. But patches of snow covered the steep hillside, creating small playgrounds for our rambunctious dogs, where they slid and chased each other, bearing their teeth and digging them deep into the snowbank.

Mountain peaks popped into view as we zig-zagged our way up the trail another 1000 ft., finally topping out over the ridge. The views on the other side made the extra effort well worth it and we paused to snack and take it all in. However, it wasn’t long before we heard thunderclap and immediately started the trek back down to camp, quickening our steps as we walked. Back lakeside, Abi and I eagerly pulled our wine out of the creek just as heavy drops started to fall, each of us retreating to our respective tents to hide away from the thunderstorm.

The hours passed inside our tents, dogs snuggling up close, trembling lightly from the sounds of the storm. We each made dinner while cheers-ing one other from afar. It wasn’t exactly the “party atmosphere” I had hoped it would be, but we made the absolute most of the moment, knowing it would pass.

When the rain finally subsided, night was already beginning to fall. As darkness descended upon us, we excitedly emerged from our tents ready to make up for lost time. I cracked open the bubbles and sliced deeply into the chocolate cake. We cheerfully sang the “happy birthday song” to each other, guzzled our crisp and refreshing beverages, indulged in giant bites of chewy cake, and danced and talked until we could no longer see one another through the black. Finally giving in, we tucked ourselves in for the night, tired and satisfied.

The next morning as the sun lit up the peaks, we brewed ourselves some coffee and finished off the rest of the chocolate cake, a perfect breakfast to fuel the hike out. We hung around just long enough to enjoy the morning views and soak in the mountain air before slowly packing up and retreating back to civilization.

Some of the best lessons I’ve learned from this wild and unpredictable year include the ability to embrace flexibility and a willingness to adjust. Even though I had to seriously alter my birthday expectations (along with so much more) many times over, it still magically came together. And guess what? It ended up being one of my most memorable birthdays ever. Remember to always strive for adaptability, because sometimes plan B, C or even D might be better than plan A could have ever been.

Words and Photography by Brooke Weeber.

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)

Summer Gardening: Reaping the Fruits of your Labor

Admittedly, the last few summers in Portland have been hit or miss, weather-wise, for getting the most yield from your home gardens. But with the spate of hot days, we have been having, everything is falling nicely into line for maximum yields from all of your late summer vegetable and herb plants.

That being the case, we figured we’d share two recipes: one a new take on an old classic and the other one an unexpected mélange that will hopefully appear on your summer tables for years to come.

Before we dive into each dish, I’d like to present a little background on the veggies and herbs I used for each dish. Every year we grow cucumbers and we have tried myriad attempts at sturdy and attractive trellising. This year I do believe we found a winner.  It was my wife’s idea (she is definitely head gardener on our property.) She thought it would be an interesting idea to take a few of her old bicycle wheels and attach them to 2×4’s to create a not only sturdy but very original trellis system. And as you can see, it worked great.

We also grow several types of basil, but to be honest I like the flavor and soft leaf texture of the simple sweet basil. This will actually be used in both dishes, but more on that to come.

So for one of the dishes, I decided to combine our cucumbers and fresh basil with fresh peaches (’cause ya gotta eat as many peaches as you can while you can!). There are many great peach growers to be found at the local farmer’s markets all over town. For this recipe, I used Kiyokawa Family Orchard peaches. Although at first, this may seem an unlikely flavor profile, it’s a surprisingly simple but absolutely delicious and refreshing side dish. The secret is in the red wine vinegar and lemon juice, which really sharpen up all the flavors.

Peach, Cucumber and Basil Salad

1 cucumber
3 ripe peaches
1 bunch fresh basil
2 T red wine vinegar
Juice from half a lemon
1 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper

Peel strips off of the cucumber skin (if desired) and then cut longways. Gently scoop out seeds and cut into 1/4 inch half-moon shapes. Cut peaches into bite-sized pieces. Place both into a bowl and add the oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Mix gently and spread evenly on a plate. Evenly distribute the fresh basil over the top and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. This dish can be kept in the fridge for up to half an hour before serving. Much like revenge, this is a dish best served cold.

Our second dish is a slightly different take on a summer classic, the Caprese salad. Most people are familiar with this, but for the uninitiated, a Caprese salad at its core is fresh tomato, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. We decided to take the 3 main ingredients and put a slight spin on each.

I am a die-hard cherry tomato fan, and we try different varieties every year. I like my cherry tomatoes round and red, so this year we chose two varieties that fit those qualifications but were actually quite different. First, we planted a slightly larger variety called Siletz:

We decided to pair those with a very small but “bursting with flavor” variety called Candyland Red Currants. (I have to say these are some of the most delicious cherry tomatoes we have ever grown.) Both plants came locally from Lil’ Starts Nursery.

So that was the first variation, cherry tomatoes instead of full-sized heirlooms. Next, instead of a regular firm cow’s milk mozzarella, I chose a burrata style water buffalo milk mozzarella from Calabro Dairy. This is one of my absolute favorite cheeses and locally in Portland can most often be found at Cheese Bar but I’m sure for folks outside the area, your local cheese shop will carry something comparable.

If you’ve never had burrata style mozzarella, I highly recommend trying it. The outer shell is solid mozzarella, but inside contains stracciatella (literally “small shreds”) and cream.

Finally, instead of fresh basil, I chose to make a basil & hazelnut pesto. My wife recently brought home fresh hazelnuts (Dorris variety), a new product being grown by Baird Family Orchard and they are hands down, no lyin’, the best hazelnuts (and easiest peeling) I have ever had.

Basil & Hazelnut Pesto

2 small cloves peeled garlic
1/3 C roasted and peeled hazelnuts
1 heaping tablespoon parmesan cheese
2-3 large bunches fresh basil
Roughly 2/3 C extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the garlic and hazelnuts in a large food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add in the parmesan cheese and basil and pulse several times. Slowly drizzle in the oil until just covering the basil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remember that the parmesan cheese is pretty salty so taste the pesto before salting it. The final result should have a somewhat coarse texture.

To finish the dish, place a ball of the mozzarella cheese in the center of the plate, surround with cherry tomatoes and drizzle liberally with pesto. A small squeeze of lemon over the whole dish never hurts.

Crack open a few cans of Underwood Bubbles and you are set to feast!

As always, from everyone here at the Union family, we hope you are staying cool and safe this summer.

Keep those #pinkiesdown!

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