Look how far along we are! Here’s a shot of Chardonnay in our vineyards in Geyserville, CA.

Other items of note on this week trek in the vineyards:

• Jimtown, in Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County, CA, the Cabernet Sauvignon is just done with full bloom
• Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is in full bloom and the air is full of the perfume of the grape flowers

{Want to learn more about Randy? Visit our Meet the Winemakers page!}

• Your friends are just a click away – send them a text, a Facebook message, a tweet, an Instagram invite or an email – so invite them over for a BBQ this weekend! You can even use the phone functionality on your…phone.
• Break out the music! Your BBQ definitely needs some fun music to spice things up.
• Create an easy centerpiece – with produce! Fill a wooden bowl or cool platter with lemons & limes or tomatoes & mangoes. Let the produce inspire your color palette and everything will fall into place.
• If you don’t have much food on hand, make your BBQ a potluck. Ask your friends to bring simple sides & desserts.
• All your BBQ needs, besides your friends of course, is meat & veggies to throw on the grill and some K-J wine. Provide the chicken, steak, burgers, hot dogs, veggies and your friends will fill in the blanks.
• Is your white K-J wine room temp? Add the wine to a large bucket with ice and add water. This will chill the wine down quickly. Chill whites for 20 minutes.
• If your reds are too warm from sitting inside the house, you can get them to the right temperature (around 55 degrees F) but putting them in the ice bucket for 5 minutes. Don’t leave them in too long!
• Stay green. Use your everyday plates & silverware instead of paper plates & plasticware. Recycle cans & bottles. Make iced tea, lemonade and water with lemon & cucumbers in large batches and put in pitchers to cut down on plastic bottles.
• Quick Pairings: K-J Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc with white fish or oysters; K-J AVANT Chardonnay with grilled chicken or white fish; K-J Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay with Caesar salad, marinated grilled chicken and salmon; K-J Vintner’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with tri tip; K-J Vintner’s Reserve Merlot with portobello mushrooms and hamburgers

Learn about your three favorite Chardonnays in our K-J Sensory Tour:

HAPPY #CHARDONNAYDAY!

There are so many ways to gather your friends and make this longest-day-of-the week something to actually look forward to:

• Test a new recipe: Your friends love your spaghetti with homemade sauce but how about inviting them over on Tuesdays to try out something new from our bank of recipes? Try your hand at Grilled Corn & Squash Bruschetta to really surprise your guests. Don’t forget the K-J Chardonnay!

• Break out the good stuff: From the K-J Grand Reserve wine to your nicest plates, break the monotony and enjoy the finer things on Tuesdays.
• The playlist that brings it all together: Start your evening with songs that will keep your energy up while cooking and preparing for your friends to arrive. Keep the get-together going with songs you’d sing in your car. If you do, you know your friends do, and no one will be able to resist singing along.
• Conversation & story-telling: You shouldn’t have a problem with this – you’re all friends for a reason! Your weekends, your work weeks, your family – talk about a gold mine of funny stories that will have you all cracking up.

Raise your glass & toast to Tuesdays: they go well with friends.

#GoesWellwithFriends
#KJFriends

UNDERCOVER BOSS: Epic Bosses
Friday, May 17th, 8/7c on CBS

Don’t miss one of America’s favorite wineries and most captivating undercover bosses as our very own Rick Tigner appears again on the hit CBS show.

“Epic Bosses” features some of the most intriguing bosses from all four seasons of the series, where they are now and how the experience impacted their lives and their companies.

Let’s Party!

We can’t wait to see Rick on Undercover Boss again, so we’re hosting a party to celebrate! The best news? Everyone is invited! Join us on Friday, May 17 at 5pm PT for a K-J Happy Hour Twitter Party (#KJHappyHour)!

East Coasters can tune in during our party to catch an update on Rick while sharing “good boss” stories with other Twitter party attendees. We’ll be asking about work lessons (good and bad!), and favorite ways to relax after a tough week. Wine optional but feel free to pop a bottle of K-J wines and chat with us about that too!

• We have to card you: must be 21+
• Be there! Friday, May 17 at 5 pm PDT
• Follow us @KJWines and the party hashtag #KJHappyHour
• You could win 1 of 5 VISA Gift Cards Valued at $50!
• RSVP Required: http://clvr.li/10iPVec

Spread the word! Tweet this to your followers and give us a shout out on Facebook:

How fun is a Kendall-Jackson Happy Hour? Find out! Join us for a Twitter Party on Friday, 5/17 at 5pm PT. RSVP required: http://clvr.li/10iPVec#KJHappyHour

If you can’t make it to Healdsburg, take this idea and kick off your next dinner party with a dark glass and a mystery wine. Challenge your friends to guess the varietal. Pair this mystery wine with a small bite so the flavors pop. Need help with a pairing? We’re here for you. Visit our food & wine pairing page for ideas! Have fun with the guessing and maybe even throw a prize in the mix for the friend who guesses correctly. Enjoy the food & wine pairing, savor every sip & every bite.

Visit Us:
Partake by K-J
241 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 433-6000
info@partakebykj.com

If you haven’t stopped by Partake by K-J yet, please come by and check us out.  It’s a new concept that brings together the best elements of a restaurant, wine bar and tasting room into one space.  Our Culinary team has created an amazing “small plates” menu that includes Bites (seasonal plates with recommended wine pairings) and Flights (wine & food pairings specifically selected by our chefs).

We love our new location at 241 Healdsburg Ave (right next door to the La Crema Tasting Room).  It’s really fun & inspiring to be cooking in Healdsburg, it’s truly become one of the top culinary destinations in the country.  Amazing produce, artisan products, wineries and restaurants are all tucked into this small town in the heart of wine country.

Below are a couple of pics of some of my favorite spring dishes featuring vegetables from our garden paired with some killer K-J wines.

Délice de la Vallée, English Peas, Radishes, Candied Ginger paired with Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Beet Tartare, Black Sesame, Ume Plum, Shiso paired with Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Noir

Shaved Celery Root, Grapefruit, Quinoa, Marcona Almonds paired with Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Today we’re featuring the Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay, sourced exclusively from our Jackson Estates Grown vineyards in Santa Barbara and Monterey counties.

“Rich tropical fruit intertwines with grapefruit, lemon and candied lime peel. Elegantly layered, this wine exhibits a lush texture and firm backbone with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon spice to round out the long finish.” – Randy Ullom, Winemaster

Have you tried this wine? Leave your tasting notes in the comments!