Dedicated to producing the highest quality Chardonnay possible, Proprietor and Winemaker JD Aguilar chose grapes from Monterey, California for Faun Vineyards’ 2005 Chardonnay. Also a wine of extremely limited production, this is a Gold Medal Wine Club Special Selection! This Chardonnay demonstrates the best of both worlds, with a balance of toasty French oak and ripe fruit characteristics. With a crystal clarity and medium golden straw color, this wine presents a combination of citrus, pineapple, and creamy toast notes that produce a plush mouth feel with great concentration. Flavors of white peach, nectarine, lemon meringue and a slight mineral expression linger on the palate but allow for a clean finish. The 2005 Faun Chardonnay pairs beautifully with halibut, cheeses, and creamy pastas. 100% Chardonnay. Enjoy now until 2010.

A Gold Medal Wine Club Special Selection! Faun Vineyards’ 2005 Salado Creek Rubia is a full-flavored, remarkable blend that expresses a tantalizing combination of fruit, spice, and lushness. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, the small percentage of Merlot contributes flavors of blackberry and plum with softer tannins, while the Cabernet Franc presents cocoa and pepper characteristics with slightly firmer tannins. The resulting blend exhibits remarkable levels of chocolate, cherry, and leather aromas and flavors that pair ideally with grilled or smoked hardy meats and sauces – see J.D.’s Cowboy Tri-Tip recipe. Named after proprietor J.D. Aguilar’s wife’s nickname, Rubia is one of the winery favorites and was made with the intentions of enjoying it alongside a delicious barbeque with the best of friends. Aged 14 months in oak. 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Enjoy now until 2015.

Ingredients:
Servings: four - six

8 oz. Chicken, saut'ed, shredded into bite-d pieces
2 Tablespoons unsalted Butter
1 Onion, coarsely chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
28 oz. Chicken broth
8 oz. Tomato Sauce
1/4 Cup Chardonnay - not the Faun Chardonnay-save that to enjoy with your soup!
14 oz. Tomatoes, fresh, diced
14 oz. (or less, to taste) Green Chilies, mild, diced
1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder (or less, to taste)
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin (or less, to taste)
1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
Tortilla Chips, fresh
4 oz. shredded Cheese - Monterey Jack & Cheddar blend preferred
1 Dollop of Sour Cream per serving

Preparations:
In a medium- saut' pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and saut' until onions are transparent (about 15 minutes). Remove to a 2-quart saucepan. Set aside. In saut'ing fresh chicken breasts, use same saut' pan (and additional butter if needed) and saut' chicken breasts until done. Cool and shred as indicated. Set aside to add later. Add the next 8 ingredients to the cooked onion/garlic mixture in the 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, over and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cooked shredded chicken; cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Taste, add salt and pepper as needed.

Ladle into bowls; top with coarsely crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream and a glass of Faun Chardonnay

Ingredients:
Serves four

One well marbled, untrimmed, Tri-Tip (to feed four)
Garlic Powder


Johnny Spice (optional-contains MSG)
Fresh Ground Pepper
3 Garlic Cloves, whole
Salt
Smoke Chips, oak or mesquite or apple chips

Ingredients for Grilled Asparagus:
10 to 15 Asparagus spears, fresh
Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparations:
Apply garlic powder generously over both sides of the Tri-Tip followed by black pepper. Just before putting your tri-tip on the grill, apply salt or Johnny Spice. Salt is applied last because it has a tendency to dry the meat out. Make two small slits on the top of the meat (not the fat side) and insert the whole garlic cloves. Apply meat to grill fat side down. Let cook on this side for approximately 40 minutes or until the meat appears to be cooked about half the way through. Don't panic if the fat burns-it is normal, and the fat part will be trimmed off before serving. Flip the meat to the other side. Let cook on this side for about twenty minutes or until the meat feels slightly firm. Sometimes it looks like the meat needs more time to cook, but this is not always the case. The best way to determine if the meat is done is by taking a utensil and poking the top of the Tri-Tip. If its firm, it is ready. One of tri-tips greatest features is that there is a piece for everyone; the ends will be more done and the midsection will be rarer. Before serving, trim the fat off of the Tri-Tip. It is very important to cut the meat cross grain into thin slices (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).

Helpful Hint:
Remove your Tri-Tip from the refrigerator an hour or more before placing it on the grill. Room temperature meat cooks much more evenly and has better texture than meat placed on the grill cold

Preparation of Asparagus

Place asparagus directly onto the BBQ grill. Brush the olive oil onto the asparagus spears. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll asparagus on grill continuously while cooking. As soon as the asparagus gets warm all the way through(approximately five to seven minutes), remove the asparagus, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. The asparagus is ready to serve immediately.