Fuel Up for Harvest in Napa Valley
Blog Post By Meg Barkley Harvest is a festive time in Napa Valley between early morning vineyard picks, long days crushing fruit and welcoming the many visitors who come to the valley to experience the fall colors and taste our Napa Valley wines. With grapes getting most of the focus, we have limited time to…
Salsa Verde
Tomatillo and Green Pepper Jam Salsa Verde Recipe by Executive Chef, John McConnell INGREDIENTS:1 jar Clif Family Organic Green Pepper Jam1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed4 garlic cloves, peeled2 tsp. ground cumin1 tsp. ground coriander¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil3 Tbsp. lime juice1 medium shallot2 Serrano chilies, stems removed1 bunch cilantro, tender stems includedSalt to taste…
Chocolate Covered Snowball Cocktail
Chocolate Covered Snowball Cocktail Recipe by Samantha Newman Makes 1 cocktail INGREDIENTS: Cacao Honey Syrup: 4 oz water 5.5 oz or 1 full jar, Clif Family Solar Grown™ Cacao Honey Spread (reserve 1 tsp for rimming the glass) Cocktail: 2 oz Vodka 2 oz unsweetened, full fat coconut milk 1.5 oz Crème de Cacao 1.5…
5 Things I Learned at Clif Family’s Valle di Sotto Vineyard
Blog Post By Brien O’Brien Friday August 5th, 2022 was a beautiful day in the Napa Valley. A high of 86 degrees and a slight breeze turned this into what some would call a “perfect day” in the valley. My day started out with a few meetings and connects at the office, but the afternoon…
Solar Grown™ Vanilla Honey Shortcakes
Recipe by Executive Chef, John McConnell INGREDIENTS: Shortcakes3 cups all-purpose flour¼ cup granulated sugar¼ cup Clif Family Solar Grown™ Vanilla Honey Spread1 tsp salt2 Tbsp baking powder1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter1 cup buttermilk Egg Wash1 egg1 tsp buttermilk Macerated Berries1 lb of strawberries (or summer berry of choice), cut into wedges3 Tbsp granulated…
Harvest Meals
Blog Post By Sous Chef Magnus Young Harvest season is upon us. And while it can be a busy time of the year sampling grapes, planning picks, checking on fermentations and writing work orders, don’t forget about your hard-working crews! We are happy to help feed your crew this harvest season with a delicious farm-to-table…
Spiced Mad Hatter Cocktail Recipe
Recipe by Samantha Newman Makes 1 cocktail INGREDIENTS Cinnamon Honey Syrup:1 jar Clif Family Solar Grown™ Cinnamon Honey Spread7 oz of water Cocktail:3 oz brewed iced tea (black tea preferable but green tea works too)2 oz spiced Rum (Captain Morgan)¾ oz cinnamon honey syrup½ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezedIceGarnish: Lemon twist, wedge or slice DIRECTIONS:Cinnamon…
Solar Grown™ Vanilla Honey Challah
Recipe by Executive Chef, John McConnell INGREDIENTS:Dough:4 ¼ cups or 525 grams all-purpose flour¾ cup or 170 grams lukewarm water6 Tbsp. melted butter4 Tbsp. Clif Family Solar Grown™ Vanilla Honey Spread2 tsp. vanilla extract2 large eggs1 large egg yolk1 ½ tsp. salt4 tsp. instant yeast3 Tbsp. raisins, rehydrated in warm water and strained Topping:1 whole…
Everything but the Stinger Cocktail
Everything but the Stinger Cocktail Recipe By Samantha Newman Makes 1 cocktail INGREDIENTS Ginger Honey Syrup: 1 jar Clif Family Solar Grown™ Ginger Honey Spread 1 cup of water Cocktail: 2 oz Gin ¾ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed ½ oz ginger honey syrup Ice Garnish: Lemon twist DIRECTIONS: Ginger Honey Syrup: In a small…
Buzzing for Vanilla Honey
Buzzing for Vanilla Honey Blog Post By Linzi Gay Vanilla may mean “plain” in some circles, but at Clif Family, vanilla is a complex flavor to be celebrated. This aromatic spice comes in many forms and is often considered the most popular spice in the world. And just like wine grapes, vanilla is influenced by…
Getting Down to Business, Napa Valley Style
Corporate Retreats Blog Post by Linzi Gay Napa Valley is the perfect backdrop for engaging dialogue, creative brainstorming and team member collaboration. With our proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley and Sacramento, a short drive brings you to some of the most magnificent beauty, elegant wines and delicious food in the world.…
Introducing the Clif Family Enoteca
Introducing the Clif Family Enoteca Blog Post By Linzi Gay This spring, Clif Family opened our doors to a second Napa Valley Tasting Room located just a few steps from our original Tasting Room. A juxtaposition to the lively energy of our Main Street Tasting Room, the Enoteca offers a more private and intimate tasting…
Meyer Lemon Roasted Chicken
Meyer Lemon Roasted Chicken with Clif Family Organic Estate Olive Oil Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell Yields 3-4 servings INGREDIENTS: 1 2-3lb chicken2 Tbsp salt Season chicken ahead of cooking by evenly applying salt across all surfaces, including the inside cavity, overnight or for about 12 hours prior to cooking. For the glaze1 jar…
Spanish Romesco Pork Loin
Spanish Romesco Pork Loin with Organic Smoked Spanish Pimenton Almonds and Roasted Potatoes Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell Yields 4 servings INGREDIENTS:1 Center cut pork loin, about 1.5 lbs 1 lb. fingerling potatoesSalt and black pepper2 sprigs rosemary4 cloves garlic, smashed4 Tbsp olive oil For the RomescoYield: roughly 1.5 cups 2 large red bell…
Shrimp and Asparagus Skewers
Yields 4 servings INGREDIENTS: 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2”-3” lengths 1 bunch green onions, cut into 2”-3” lengths 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water Additional lime for serving, cut into wedges Marinade 1 lime, zested 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice 2 Tbsp Clif Family Organic Jimmy…
Chocolate-Sesame Tahini Cookies
Chocolate-Sesame Tahini Cookies with Clif Family Solar Grown™ Cacao Honey Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell Yield: 12-14 cookies INGREDIENTS: 2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten free baking mix) 2 TBSP. cocoa powder, unsweetened 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. baking powder 6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature (or vegan butter) ¼ cup sugar…
Char Siu
Char Siu with Clif Family Solar Grown™ Cacao Honey Spread Recipe By Executive Chef John McConnell Yields 8 servings INGREDIENTS: 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder (ideally a fatty piece) ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 Tbsp salt 1 tsp five spice powder ¼ tsp white pepper ½ tsp sesame oil 2 tsp sweet paprika 1 Tbsp…
Sweet Indulgences
Sweet Indulgences Blog Post By Linzi Gay Clif Family’s organic chocolates are a nice way to feel good about indulging your sweet tooth. Each chocolate packs a lot of sweet flavor into a small bite. And with organic ingredients, sustainable packaging and tasty flavors, what’s not to love? What makes our Clif Family Dark Chocolates…
Eating More Plants in 2022
Eating More Plants in 2022 Blog Post By Executive Chef John McConnell A new year brings new resolutions. Some of those around exercise, some around hobbies and many around what we eat. As we enter 2022, plant-based eating seems to be on many people’s minds, including mine. A true plant-based diet is abundant in fruits,…
Mapo Tofu
Mapo Tofu with Clif Family Organic Red Pepper Jam Recipe By Executive Chef John McConnell Yield: 6 servings INGREDIENTS: 12 dried shiitake mushrooms 1-½ c. warm chicken or vegetable broth ½ c. grapeseed oil, divided (or any neutral cooking oil) 1-2 fresh Thai bird chili peppers, thinly sliced (or serrano chiles) 6 dried chiles de…
Rosemary Roasted Almond and Pistachio Green Olive Tapenade
Recipe by Executive Chef, John McConnell
Sustainable Gift Guide: 9 Planet Friendly Gifts to Give Right Now
Blog Post By Meg Barkley
A Wine Club for the Food Lover
A Wine Club for the Food Lover Blog Post By Meg Barkley Deliver the flavors of Napa Valley straight to your doorstep with Clif Family Farm ‘N Vine Wine Club, featuring our favorite food and wine pairing experiences. The Farm N’ Vine Wine Club experience begins on the backside of Howell Mountain at the Clif…
The Five S’s of Wine Tasting
The Five S’s of Wine Tasting Blog Post By Gina Verkamp Clif Family Virtual Wine Educator and Sommelier Have you ever had the experience of tasting a really great wine and then a week or two later, you go to a restaurant and try to describe to the waiter what you liked about that wine…
What’s in a Name?
What’s in a Name? Blog Post By Linzi Gay Naming wine is not an easy task. With thousands of wine labels around the world, many names are already spoken for. But while it can be challenging to find a name that speaks to your brand and the wine in the bottle, it can also be…
Barbecued Vegetable Burger with Barbequed Walnuts & Almonds
Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell
Sesame Fried Green Beans with Solar Grown™ Hot Honey
Recipe By Executive Chef, John McConnell
Happy Hour at the Snap of Your Fingers
Happy Hour at the Snap of Your Fingers Blog Post By Katie Henshaw Planning a happy hour for your team should be easy, right? And yet… have you spent long minutes in the wine aisle trying to figure out what wines your team will like? Do you end up just giving up and grabbing whatever…
Fried Cauliflower with Solar Grown™ Hot Honey & Buttermilk Ranch
Fried Cauliflower with Solar Grown™ Hot Honey & Buttermilk Ranch Recipe by Executive Chef, John McConnell Serves 6-8 as an appetizer INGREDIENTS: 2 heads of cauliflower Marinade: 2 cups buttermilk 2 Tbsp Clif Family Aleppo Hot Sauce 1 Tbsp kosher salt Breading: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup rice flower 1 Tbsp kosher salt 2…
Experience St. Helena Like a Local
Experience St. Helena Like a Local Our 5-Day Guide to St. Helena’s Best Adventures Blog Post By Meg Barkley St. Helena is Napa Valley’s Main Street! The railroad came to the area in the late 1800’s and by 1876 the town of St. Helena was founded. It was the commerce hub for the influx of…
Q&A with Napa Valley Artisan Accessory Line: Olive and Poppy
Nicole Hughes and Anne Siegel founded Olive and Poppy in 2014, creating stylish gifts and accessories using materials locally sourced and inspired by California wine areas. We love sharing a bit of their wine country design in our Tasting Room and recently sat down with them to find out more about this local company and…
Strawberry and Goat Cheese Tart with Pickled Ginger
Recipe by Executive Chef, John McConnell
A Taste of Napa Valley…Straight to Your Doorstep
A Taste of Napa Valley…Straight to Your Doorstep Blog Post By Linzi Gay Napa Valley is known for our delicious food just as much as our outstanding wine. And at Clif Family, bringing wine and food together has always been part of the experiences we create. Our Clif Family specialty food products are created by…
Why I Ride
Why I Ride Blog Post By Chef John McConnell In May, I will pedal 100-miles in the Chefs Cycle event to raise money for No Kid Hungry, an organization whose mission is to abolish childhood hunger in America. I am proud to work for a business that supports these endeavors. To date, Chefs Cycle has…
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe By Chef John McConnell Yield: 5 cups INGREDIENTS1 cup quinoa, rinsed well2 cups Persian cucumber, diced into ½” pieces2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half2 cups Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped½ cup fresh mint, chopped½ cup Clif Family Extra Virgin Olive Oil2 ½ Tbsp lemon juice3 tsp salt, divided METHODBring quinoa, 1/2…
Find Your Wineventure – Join the Clif Family Wine Club Community
Find Your Wineventure – Join the Clif Family Wine Club Community Blog Post By Ashley Cox & Meg Barkley The Clif Family experience was built on a love of wine, food and adventure. The inspiration for our Tasting Room is the Rifugios of Northern Italy, where you can relax and make new friends over a…
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint Blog Post By Sarah Richmond At Clif Family Winery, sustaining our planet has been part of our business ethos and mission from the start. We believe in creating quality wine and food products, with purpose, using practices that care for the earth without jeopardizing quality of life for future generations. In…
Holiday Gifting Checklist
By Katie Henshaw and Claire McConnell Holiday Gifting Checklist What a year. As 2020 draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to show our love and appreciation for all those in our lives who have inspired, supported, taught, cured, delivered, donated, shared, baked, loved, and commiserated with us through the ups…
Toasted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Apple Butter & Tomato Soup
Recipe by Chef John McConnell
“Firecracker” Winter Green Salad with Power Nut and Seed Mix
Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell
Bruschetta of Bellwether Farms Ricotta & Winter Greens
Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell
Grilled Halibut Kabobs with Toasted Pistachio Dukkah
Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell
Vietnamese Style Noodles with Grilled Sweet and Spicy Beef
Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell
Grilled Halibut Kabobs with Toasted Pistachio Dukkah
Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell
