Sonoma County wineries are not special in at least this one detail: Every other tasting room has a “Winery Dogs” book for sale or on display, featuring a big portrait of their faithful pooch in coffee-table style.
There’s Wine Dogs (including Robert Parker winery dog rating system), Winery Dogs of Sonoma, and Winery Dogs Gone Wild. Just kidding on that last one, but when I visited Hawley Winery recently, owner John Hawley had something wild indeed: A winery hawk.
Hawley practices falconry, which some vineyards employ as an alternative method for keeping birds away from ripening grapes. His red-tailed hawk Breeze prefers rabbits and gophers, and is just getting started on the learning process with her master, to whom she flies back with the slightest prompting.
It’s too early to say what she’ll do for Hawley’s vineyards, farmed organically on a hill above Dry Creek Valley. But it’s safe to say that Hawley, a former head winemaker at Kendall-Jackson who now makes wine in an unassuming family operation with his two sons, is pretty far along in his learning process.
The Hawley 2005 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($36) is a robustly-hued, tooth-staining Cab. Aromas of chocolate, leather, and wine-soaked, dark toasted oak; cocoa powder and assertive, furry tannins grip the palate.
Rich flavors of stewed blackberry, licorice and a little dried apricot persist for days: This wine doesn’t fly south after four days open – fruit aromas still lurk in earthiness, like some holiday fruitcake that had been buried in the ground, by some darned winery dog. Decant and serve with rich, meaty fare.
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HAWLEY WINERY STEAK WITH RED WINE SAUCE
4 New York strip, shell, or sirloin tip steaks (9 oz each) about 3/4 inch thick.
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp virgin olive oil
2 shallots, peeled & finely chopped (4 Tbsp)
4 large mushrooms (4 oz), cut into julienne strips
2 large cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and finely chopped
1 cup red wine
1 cup homemade unsalted and defatted chicken stock, or lower-salt canned broth.
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp potato starch dissolved in 2 tsp water
1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
• Trim the steaks, remove all visible surface fat and sinew.
• Sprinkle the steaks with pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the steaks, and sauté for 2 1/2 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove the steaks to a platter, and set aside.
• To the drippings, add the shallots, and sauté for 10 seconds. Add mushrooms and garlic, and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the wine, and boil down until only about 2 Tbsp remain. Add the stock, and reduce the mixture to about 3/4 cup.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and mix well. Stir in the dissolved potato starch, and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Arrange the steaks on plates and spoon some sauce on top and around each steak.
