This is a very versatile sauce that can accompany grilled tri tip, grilled chicken thighs, grilled salmon, or even on portabella mushrooms for a grilled vegetarian dish. The robust, fresh and earthy flavors are a perfect pairing for Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon.
Yield: 2 cups
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced serrano pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Combine the parsley, oregano, cilantro, shallots, garlic, and serrano pepper. Add the salt, pepper and smoked paprika then stir in the extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks; bring to room temperature before using.
We loved hosting guests November 10th for an unforgettable evening at a special wine pairing dinner at The Matheson in Healdsburg! Visit Knights Bridge Winery Events to explore upcoming events in your area.
Born in Mexico, Rafa's father introduced him to the wine industry and his first bottle—California Merlot.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Mexico, Churintzio in Michoacan, but came to the United States when I was about a month old. I have lived in Calistoga ever since.
What got you hooked on wine?
My father was in the wine industry, he worked as a Field Hand/Truck Driver for Beringer at their Knights Valley vineyard prior to his retirement in 2012. When I finished high school I looked to the wine industry as an opportunity to launch my career. My first wine epiphany was a $5 bottle of 2007 Stone Cellars California Merlot. My dad had a case in the back of our pantry and I opened a bottle in 2015. I remember I tasted the wine at our kitchen table, laughed and thought, “This wine has no business tasting like this!” It was the best $5 bottle of wine I’ve ever had.
Tell us about your career before coming to Knights Bridge.
My first job in the wine industry was working as a Logistics Coordinator for Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford. I joined the production team at Knights Bridge in July 2022.
What is your favorite part of the Knights Bridge property?
The property is immaculate, so it’s difficult to choose just one space. The entire property has a lot to offer. I love the tranquil overlook above the Cabernet in Block 14. It takes effort and a steep hike to reach the top, but once you’re there, you’re rewarded with the most amazing view of Knights Valley.
From your perspective, what makes Knights Bridge unique?
What sets Knights Bridge apart is our natural connection to the vineyard. The team respects the vineyard and strives to bring out the truest expression of what the estate has to offer. Great wine begins in the vineyard, and through our sustainable and organic farming practices we craft wines with personality that echo our passion and love of the estate.
Which wine are you most excited about in 2023?
I’m excited for the Cabernet from Block 15.
How is the growing season shaping up?
The Knights Valley winter has really surprised me this year. It’s been a wet winter and we had a record snow fall blanket the valley floor and cover the entire mountain range for the first time in my lifetime. The cooler temperatures pushed back budbreak a few weeks, which is nice to see because we’ve had warm winters over the last few years and the vines have been accustomed to budding during the last few days of March. Prior to that, March budbreak was almost unheard of, but it has been a common recurrence over the last five years. It’s nice to take a step back and slow things down a little. The season is shaping up beautifully so far. The ground is saturated with water, so I don’t foresee the vines being too stressed. I look forward to a continued healthy growing season.
What's happening at the winery?
This year we’re receiving five new stainless-steel tanks equipped with automatic pump-over devices to help us achieve the desired extraction and maceration. We’re always working to perfect our procedures and learn from previous vintages to continue making wine that best represents our estate vineyard.
Favorite drink besides wine?
A classic Old Fashioned.
“We created this scholarship because we are in an extraordinary time period, including the pandemic and the emotions laid bare by the racial reckoning this summer, that has led many of us to re-examine our actions and priorities. It seemed that honoring a terrific person who influenced so many people, including me, and who was all about bringing people together, is particularly pertinent now.”
—Jim Bailey
The Honorable Sidney Barthwell, Jr. Scholarship Fund at Cranbrook School and Harvard Law School currently provides needs based financial support for three academically gifted, underrepresented scholars. These students from an under-resourced community receive four years of tuition, room, and board at Cranbrook. All three scholarship recipients demonstrate my friend Sid’s passion for education, leadership, community, social justice, and equity.
Together and through this Fund, we change individual lives while improving the institutions we care about by bending the arc toward equity, equality, and justice for all – a promise Sidney believed in deeply.
Learn more about our work by visiting honorablebarthwellscholars.org.
We’re delighted to welcome guests to the new winery, which had been under construction since January 2020. The culmination of 15 years of exceptional winemaking from the estate vineyard, it is only the second winery ever built in Knights Valley. The space was designed by Backen Gillam Architects, with inspiration derived from the wild, natural beauty of Knights Valley and the sublime grandeur of Mt. St. Helena.
The Knights Bridge winery and caves were constructed almost entirely underground, and the fermentation barn showcases elegantly understated architecture and dramatic glass walls. Mt. St. Helena and the surrounding vineyards are visible through the floor to ceiling windows, while the intimate tasting salon places an important focus on natural light. Entering directly through the state-of-the-art production facility, guests follow the same route that grapes go through at the winery, past five stunning, custom tulip-shaped concrete tanks, through the grand barrel cave, into an art-filled light well for a private, seated tasting.
Designed with an immersive visitor experience in mind, Knights Bridge Winery offers elevated, private tastings in a luxurious setting. Guests also have an opportunity to enjoy spectacular views of the property and a glimpse of Mt. St. Helena across the valley.
Our new winemaking facility—which processed its first harvest in 2021—contains some of the most groundbreaking winemaking technology in the world, with an optical sorting table, five custom concrete eggs, and separate climate-controlled rooms for vinification and aging. Remotely operated fermentation tanks with automatic pump-overs are sized to match the unique production of each individual block on the estate. We aim to offer a limited and exclusive experience that highlights the seclusion and untouched beauty of Knights Valley while upholding the heritage of the region, which has been planted to wine grapes for more than 160 years.
Our guests will enjoy a place of retreat and respite with natural spaces to discover and a vineyard that is truly a hidden gem. To request an appointment for a tasting email contact@knightsbridgewinery.com or call 707.341.3391.
Please visit knightsbridgewinery.com/privatetastings to submit a reservation inquiry. Our team will be notified and be in touch regarding your reservation. Learn more about the journey to the new winery here.
Images by @mikelarsonlifestyle
Images left to right, top to bottom:
@knightsbridgewinery, @bangnapavalley, @bangnapavalley, @bangnapavalley, @winedreaming, @bangnapavalley
One of our favorite KB late summer traditions is fresh Estate Meyer Lemon Curd prepared by Chef Richard in our Knights Valley estate kitchen. Made from sweet and seasonal Meyer lemons, enjoy this Knights Bridge homemade curd on scones, with berries and whipped cream, or straight from the jar.
Knights Bridge Meyer Lemon Curd
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 teaspoons Meyer Lemon zest
4 egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons fresh-squeezed Meyer Lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter
Pinch salt
Method
Beat yolks and sugar until well blended, stir in lemon juice, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat or double boiler, stirring constantly, until curd coats the back of a spoon, 196 degrees. Strain through a wire-mesh sieve, add lemon zest. Place plastic wrap directly on surface and cool in refrigerator.