Chateau Julien’s 2007 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay is a New Release and a Gold Medal Wine Club Special Selection! This California-French styled Chardonnay is elegant, dry, and fruity with a nice oak presence that continues to deliver vintage after vintage. Previous releases have earned a multitude of medals and value accolades including being named a “Best Buy” wine by many prestigious critics. Since this fresh fruit flavored Chardonnay has just been released, it has not yet been sent out for review, but we expect this 2007 vintage to be right on the heels of its predecessors and earn the valuable honors it deserves. Hints of lemon drops and ripe pear fruit nuances complement forward fruit aromas of butter cream and vanilla before introducing flavors of apricot, peach, pineapple, and vanilla on the palate. A nice texture and rich mouth feel are achieved and a long, broad finish leaves you with tantalizing fruit flavors. The 2007 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay was aged for 7 months in oak barrels, which helps to achieve well-rounded flavors and an elegant balance in the finished wine. Try pairing the Chateau Julien Chardonnay with creamy garlic vegetable soup or angel hair pasta with scallops. 100% Chardonnay. Enjoy now until 2012

Ingredients:
2 Large Eggplants, about 1 1/2 pounds each
8 Ounces Ground Beef, Lamb, or Veal
1 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 Teaspoons Salt
Few grinds of Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Parsley, chopped
1 Teaspoon Mint, chopped
1 Cup Long Grain Rice
1/2 Cup Pine Nuts, toasted
1/3 Cup Raisins or Drained Currants
3 Tablespoons Port Wine
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Dry Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Salt

Preparations:
Cut the eggplants in half length-wise. Sprinkle them with salt and turn them down in a colander to drain for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake eggplant for 30 min., or until tender. Alternatively, place eggplant halves on a microwave platter, cover loosely with plastic wrap and cook in microwave oven for 12-14 min., or until tender.

In a large skillet, brown the ground meat with onion for 5-7 min., or until the meat is no longer pink. Remove the meat with slotted spoon and set aside. To the pan drippings add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, parsley and mint. Stir in rice and cook for 1 min. Add the pine nuts, raisins or currants, Port and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover the pan and simmer the mixture until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 15 min. Stir in the meat and set the rice mixture aside.

When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, leaving about a 1/2-inch shell. Chop the flesh coarsely and add it to the rice mixture. Divide the eggplant rice mixture among the four eggplant halves.

Sprinkle the sur with breadcrumbs and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake 30 min., or until the eggplant is heated through and crusty on top.

Ingredients:
8 Pork Osso Bucco (12-14 Ounces)
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
2 Large Onions, peeled and chopped
3 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 Can Diced Tomatoes in Puree
1 14 Ounce bottle of Pomegranate Molasses (or sub 24 Ounces pure Pomegranate juice)
2 Cups Red Wine
4 Cups Brown Beef Stock or Chicken Stock
3 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Herbs de Provence
6 Whole Garlic Cloves, peeled
6 Springs Fresh Thyme
Salt and Pepper

Gremolata:
6 Cloves Garlic, chopped
Small Bunch Parsley, chopped
Zest of 1 Orange, chopped
Zest of 2 Lemons

Preparations:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Salt and Pepper Pork. In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil until smoking. Add the pork shanks and brown all over, remove shanks. Add vegetables to oil and saute until onions start to brown. Add the rest of the herbs and stir. Add red wine and pomegranate molasses. Add stock, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in oven for approximately 2 1/2 hours. Check to make sure meat is done (a knife should easily go through to the bone). Take shanks out of pot and skim the fat off the top of the sauce. Take out Bay Leaves and Thyme Stems and place sauce (in batches) into blender or food processor and puree vegetables. Pour sauce over shanks. Mix all Gremolata ingredients and sprinkle on top of Pork Osso Buccu and sauce.