This braised beef cheeks recipe is perfect for a cold night with red wine. Begin this recipe 1 day ahead.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1. Combine onion, carrot, fennel, cinnamon, garlic, bay leaves, rum, wine, citrus zest and beef in a bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. 

2. Preheat oven to 160°C. Strain beef mixture, reserving marinade, beef and vegetable mixture separately. Bring marinade to the boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, skimming impurities from the surface. Strain through a fine sieve. 

3. Heat half oil and half butter in a large heavy-based flameproof casserole over high heat. In batches, sear beef, stirring and tossing frequently, for 5-6 minutes until browned, set aside. Add remaining oil and butter with eschalots, bacon and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes until vegetables have softened. Add reserved vegetables and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute, then stir in flour. Return meat to the pan with marinade and stock, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil, cover and braise in oven for 2 hours-2 hours 30 minutes or until meat is tender. 

4. Skim fat from surface of beef pan. Strain, returning liquid to pan and set aside beef and vegetables in a bowl. Return pan to medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes to reduce and thicken sauce. Return beef to the sauce with tarragon and return to a simmer. Serve with mashed potato.

This is an event. Events are created as posts using the “Events” category.

We are honored and pleased to announce that three of our wines have been highly rated by James Suckling. James Suckling is a journalist and wine critic producing tasting notes and videos to blogs and events for the past four decades. A rating of 90 points or more is considered outstanding, according to James, and is considered an outstanding purchase.  
Wine label reads Mountain Brook 2022 Wooden Steel, Red Bell Run Vineyard with a house illustration above.

MOUNTAIN BROOK VINEYARDS WOODEN STEEL CHARDONNAY 2022

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

  • Country: United States
  • Region: North Carolina
  • Vintage: 2022
  • Score: 89
  • Notes: Green stone fruit with almonds and spices. Fresh yet sleek on the palate with medium to full body and a medium-length finish. Drink now. Screw cap.
Mountain Brook Vineyards 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon wine label with a house and mountain outline in background.

MOUNTAIN BROOK VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON NORTH CAROLINA 2020

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

  • Country: United States
  • Region: North Carolina
  • Vintage: 2020
  • Score: 90
  • Notes: Mint chocolate, bark, currants and hints of coconut on the nose. It’s creamy and flavorful with a full body and mellow, well-integrated tannins. Drink now or hold.
Wine label reading Mountain Brook Vineyards 2022 Reserve Chardonnay with a gold illustration of buildings.

MOUNTAIN BROOK VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY NORTH CAROLINA RED BELL RUN VINEYARD RESERVE 2022 

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

  • Country: United States
  • Region: North Carolina
  • Vintage: 2022
  • Score: 91
  • Notes: Wood spices, marzipan, toast and waxed lemons. Quite flavorful on the palate with fresh, medium acidity. Medium to full body with a long, spicy finish. Plenty of vanilla coming through at this stage. Better from 2025.

HOW TO SEASON CHICKEN

I used a very classic smoky seasoning for the chicken breasts in the recipe below, but there are so many other delicious options. Here are some other ways you can season your pan-seared chicken breasts:

  • Lemon Pepper Seasoning
  • Cajun Seasoning
  • Taco Seasoning
  • Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Garlic Herb Seasoning
  • Garam Masala
  • Tajín
  • Greek Seasoning

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tsp steak seasoning ($0.20)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika ($0.05)
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1.3 lbs. total) ($6.79)
  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
  • 1 Tbsp butter (optional) ($0.10)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Combine the steak seasoning, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika in a bowl. Coat the chicken breasts liberally with the seasoning on all sides.
  • Add the cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-low (or medium for thin-cut breasts). Once hot, swirl the oil to coat the skillet.
  • Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for about 8 minutes without flipping (5 minutes for thin-cut breasts). Flip the chicken and then cook on the second side until well browned and cooked through (internal temperature of 165ºF).
  • For extra luscious chicken, add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet, allow it to melt, then flip the chicken a couple of times to coat in the melted butter.
  • Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and allow it to rest for five minutes before slicing and serving.

PREPARATION

CANNELLONI WITH SPINACH AND SALMON STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

1. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil.

2. Cook the pasta sheets according to the package instructions until they bend.

3. Dip into cold water and lay on a kitchen towel to dry.

4. Heat 15 ml butter in a pan and fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat until soft.

5. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts.

6. Stir in the creme fraiche and season with salt, ground pepper and nutmeg.

7. Butter an ovenproof dish.

8. Lay some spinach and a salmon strip on each pasta sheet and roll up to resemble cannelloni.

9. Lay in the dish with the join underneath.

10. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan) 400F, gas 6.

11. Melt the remaining butter.

12. Stir in the flour and fry until golden brown, then gradually stir in the milk with a balloon whisk.

13. Bring to a boil briefly, stirring continuously.

14. Season with salt, ground pepper and nutmeg.

15. Pour the sauce over the pasta rolls and sprinkle with cheese.

16. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the salmon is done and the pasta rolls are lightly browned.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   June 14, 2023, Tryon, NC

A spacious winery room with round tables, sofas, and wine barrels stacked along the walls, lit with colored lights.

The Redgrave family is pleased to announce the opening of Mountain Brook Vineyards’ Experience Center, a unique wine tasting center in North Carolina, on Saturday June 16th. The Experience Center will host educational tasting options that will offer “higher touch” tastings for those guests wishing to further expand and enrich their understanding and appreciation of wine and Mountain Brook Vineyards’ award-winning wines in particular.

Located in the Vineyards’ main barrel room, the Experience Center offers the Elevated Tasting Experience. Guests will be able to enjoy intimate seating areas and rustic table settings to enhance their enjoyment. These ninety-minute Elevated Tasting Experiences will be offered from 2:00 p.m.to 6 p.m. on Fridays and from 12:00 noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays with two tastings offered in The Experience Center. One is focused on wine produced by Mountain Brook Vineyards with locally grown North Carolina grapes and the other is focused on wine produced by Mountain Brook Vineyards with grapes from other fine wine regions. Both tastings will be offered at $40.00 per guest (with discounts for wine club members). A cheese board specifically curated by the winemaking staff to complement the wines being showcased will be available for purchase. Reservations are highly recommended for the Elevated Tasting Experience and are available at https://www.mountainbrookvineyards.com/reservation.

Beginning at 6 pm on Friday-Sunday, the Experience Center will be available for “first come first served” luxurious, temperature-controlled seating, accommodating approximately 60 guests, with additional seating on the outside terrace, for glass and bottle-only service featuring wines exclusive to the Experience Center.

Due to the controlled area and the nature of the tasting experiences, the Experience Center will be limited to guests over 21 years of age. Dogs will not be allowed inside the Experience Center but are welcomed to visit on the grounds.

Mountain Brook Vineyards’ existing tasting area (“The Lawn”) remains open and accessible for all, including families with children and we also welcome well-behaved and leashed pets. The Lawn provides opportunities for wine tasting flights as well as wine by the glass and bottle, surrounded by our picturesque vineyard and views of the mountains. Cheese and charcuterie are available, and there is live music on weekends as well as food trucks.

About Mountain Brook Vineyards

Mountain Brook Vineyards is a family-owned winery nestled in the Tryon Foothills of North Carolina, minutes from the Tryon International Equestrian Center, less than an hour from Greenville, Spartanburg, and Asheville, and less than 90 minutes from Charlotte. First planted in 2002, Mountain Brook Vineyards was acquired by Jonathan and Vickie Redgrave in May of 2018. The family immediately embarked on an aggressive expansion of the 75-acre Estate, constructing a new winery building, event center, case goods warehouse, a dedicated wedding venue, and one of the largest outdoor wine-tasting experiences in Western, NC. The main estate was recently replanted with approximately 15 acres of newly planted Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Grigio. Mountain Brook Vineyards also farms another 22 acres nearby, with twenty-year-old vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, and Pinot Grigio. The family’s involvement in the operations includes one of their sons, Andrew Gorczyca, who is currently the Assistant Winemaker. Open throughout the year, the vineyard and winery experience provide a magical escape from the world where the focus is on providing guests with three intertwined experiences: extraordinary service, an enchanting environment, and exceptional wines. The Redgrave’s success in each of these areas is driven by its commitment and passion for excellence and responsible stewardship for the land, the people, the community, and the future.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susannah Smith | susannah@mountainbrookvineyards.com | +1-202-257-7007

David Coventry Named Winemaker and General Manager

Man in a purple shirt smiling, standing in front of stacked wooden wine barrels in a winery.

The Redgrave family is pleased to announce the appointment of David Coventry as Winemaker and General Manager of Mountain Brook Vineyards, located in the foothills of western North Carolina near Tryon.

A native of Monterey, CA, David Coventry has spent his career at some of the most famed wineries in California including Chalone Vineyards, Morgan, and most recently Talbott. Known as a premier winemaker for consistently making 90+ point wines, Coventry’s winemaking philosophy puts the vineyards first, maximizing vineyard expression. “It takes great vineyards to make great wine,” he said. He added that the winemaker skills and tools he’s acquired are important. However, he largely considers himself a custodian of flavor and translator of the vineyard.

“The opportunity to shift my focus from the West Coast to western North Carolina is just stunning. The opportunity to work with Mountain Brook Vineyards is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Jonathan and Vickie Redgrave are dedicated to writing and re-writing what can be accomplished in the area. Working with them is an honor and a pleasure. Together, we are envisioning, executing, and laying the groundwork for the future of this region, building on the work started by others. Although the over 150-year history of winemaking and winegrowing in the area is significant, our future achievements will truly prove the provenance it so richly deserves,” said Coventry.

“Dave Coventry brings a wealth of experiences and talents, combined with his infectious positive approach to life and to his leadership position at Mountain Brook,” said Vickie Redgrave. “We are confident not only that Dave will be a key leader for our team,” said Jonathan Redgrave, “but also that he will be a significant contributor to the larger winery and vineyard community on the East Coast”.

 

About David Coventry

David (“Dave”) Coventry was born and raised in Monterey, California. After graduating from Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, he earned a biology degree with minors in neurology, endocrinology, and immunology from the University of California Santa Cruz. Dave’s journey to a career making award-winning wines started as a protein chemist at a biotech company.

His inherent love of people, adventure, and music led to a career detour as a manager of a touring musical group. Fate intervened while traveling with the band when he met Ed Kurtzman, then an assistant winemaker at Chalone Vineyard. Always up for a new adventure, Dave accepted Kurtzman’s invitation to help at the winery, and his destiny was sealed. Dave’s record of producing outstanding wines has led to multiple awards and recognition including 2010 Winery of the Year (San Francisco International Wine Competition), over 20 Gold, Double Gold, and Platinum medals in 2010, and the Decanter Magazine Winery to Watch, March 2008. In 2005, two of his wines were placed on the top 10 wines of the year lists in Wine and Spirits magazine. The same year, he was the only Monterey winemaker to make the 2005 top 100 wines list in Wine Spectator magazine. He was the only winemaker in 2003 to have two wines on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List.

 

About Mountain Brook Vineyards

Mountain Brook Vineyards is a family-owned winery nestled in the Tryon Foothills of North Carolina, minutes from the Tryon International Equestrian Center, less than an hour from Greenville, Spartanburg, and Asheville, and less than 90 minutes from Charlotte. First planted in 2002, Mountain Brook Vineyards was acquired by Jonathan and Vickie Redgrave in May of 2018. The family immediately embarked on an aggressive expansion of the 75-acre Estate, constructing a new winery building, event center, case goods warehouse, a dedicated wedding venue, and one of the largest outdoor wine-tasting experiences in Western, NC. The main estate was recently replanted with approximately 15 acres of newly planted Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Grigio. Mountain Brook Vineyards also farms another 22 acres nearby, with twenty-year-old vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, and Pinot Grigio. The family’s involvement in the operations includes one of their sons, Andrew Gorczyca, who is currently the Assistant Winemaker. Open throughout the year, the vineyard and winery experience provide a magical escape from the world where the focus is on providing guests with three intertwined experiences: extraordinary service, an enchanting environment, and exceptional wines. The Redgrave’s success in each of these areas is driven by its commitment and passion for excellence and responsible stewardship for the land, the people, the community, and the future.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susannah Smith | susannah@mountainbrookvineyards.com | +1-202-257-7007

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