Storybook Mountain Vineyards

	Storybook Mountain Winery Zinfandel   Chuck Roast in Zinfandel Sauce
Miner Family Winery Owner/Winemaker Jerry Seps and Assistant Winemaker Colleen Williams

The tale at Storybook Mountain Vineyards focuses on Zinfandel. Jerry and Sigrid Seps purchased the property (which included an abandoned 1880s winery and caves built into the mountain) in the 1970s and began paying homage to its original varietal right away. Since then, their wines have won widespread recognition and have even been served at the White House on several occasions. A founding member of ZAP, Jerry served as its president for five years.

Today the winery offers both Zinfandels and Bordeaux blends. We tried the 2005 Napa Estate Mayacamas Range Zinfandel, which is a bold offering of youthful zing and spice. Check it out with this chuck roast recipe by wine club member John Kane Hartnett. In Sigrid’s words, “Rare is it when the (former) owner of your distributorship, who also happens to be an excellent cook, is so inspired by your wine that he creates a recipe to go with one of his favorite bottlings. Here it is.”

Preparation: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat enough olive oil to coat bottom of large, ovenproof pan. Add roast, brown it on all sides, then remove the meat from the pan. Add more oil along with celery and onion. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Sauté for a minute or two. Stir in tomato paste and mix well. Deglaze pan with Zinfandel. Then place the roast back into the pan and add the diced tomatoes. Break up the head of garlic but don’t peel individual cloves. Add to the pan. Add 1/2 bottle of Zinfandel and bring to a boil. Cover and place into oven. Bake until meat is tender, around 2 to 2 1/2  hours. Serve with egg noodles and horseradish. Open the second bottle of Zinfandel and dig in.