The Fig Tree Vineyard is so-named for a large, centurion fig tree–so does it follow that Wine Creek flows with wine? Not exactly. In the good old/bad old days, it’s said that the creek served as a drain pipe for local wineries. Contrary to rumor and unfortunately for them, the resident salmon population doesn’t drink like fish. Quivira Vineyards, a certified Biodynamic estate winery, has taken the lead in salmonid habitat restoration, and today the creek glimmers with spawning steelhead once again.
None of which necessarily makes the wine taste better, but by happy accident (and meticulous farming) Quivira wines are quite good indeed, often deriving their intensity from balance, focus and liveliness rather than raw fruit power. And that’s all for the better when it comes to “SB,” which does not stand for “syrup bomb.”
The 2008 Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($18) leads with an aroma of sweet, dry hay or straw, with a hint of strawberry cake. White peach and lychee flavors finish on an astringent grapefruit note. This lean and palate-drying wine is not a likely standalone sipper–but a dynamo with the right food accompaniment. Pair similarly as with dry sparkling–seafood, for example, but… skip the salmon on this one.
Read more about Quivira and their sustainability practices here.
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Oysters with Green Apple- Jalapeño Granite
Recipe courtesy of Joe Reuter-GreenGrocer in Windsor
Prep Time: 10 min (plus freezing) Skill Level: Easy Serves: 2 dozen oysters
Ingredients
4 ea Green Apples, whole, quartered
1 ea Jalapeño Pepper, whole
1 ea Shallot, peeled, quartered
1 ea Meyer Lemon, whole quartered
1 tbsp Quivira Organic Wildflower Honey
Pinch Kosher Salt
Method
Juice all ingredients together into a metal bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Strain and Freeze in the bowl. About 45min later use a fork to chop newly formed ice into smaller pieces. It should bear a resemblance to a slushy. Chop with a fork and serve over freshly shucked oysters.