The vineyard cookbook by Barbara Scott-Goodman
Seasonal recipes and wine pairings inspired by America's vineyards
Robyn Lewis
The vineyard cookbook [©Welcome Books (USA)]
It’s the old wine/food matching conundrum: what comes first? Sometimes it’s the wine – whether it’s a cheap and cheerful you picked out of the specials catalogue, or something that you’ve been saving up to savour or impress your guests – and other times it’s the food that first inspires.
The vineyard cookbook by American author Barbara Scott-Goodman (not to be confused with the much larger Australian Vineyard Cookbook by Victoria Heywood) is in the latter category. It’s a slim little volume that will easily make the transition from coffee table to kitchen bench, with over 60 easy recipes of the uncomplicated style which seems to have almost vanished in recent years.
These are inspired (although not provided) by thirty-two of America’s leading vineyards and wineries, from Sonoma, Napa, Columbia and Santa Ynez Valleys in the west to Virginia, Washington and New York State’s Finger Lakes in the east. California of course predominates, being the epicenter of US wine production, but with around 6000 vineyards and wineries springing up across the USA, there’s plenty of choice, although many of the ‘newer’ or less well known regions miss out.
The recipes have been compiled by Scott-Goodman into seasonal menus, so all you really have to do is choose your occasion and go from there (a little help in the kitchen will not go astray). To start there’s a ‘Welcome Spring’ and a ‘Springtime Pasta Dinner’ (think oysters, new season’s asparagus, early strawberries), plus a ‘Festive Spring Meal’ that will surely bring out your inner entertainer.
Summer of course has a barbecue and picnic, plus an elegant dinner that just begs for a balmy summer evening, with seafood, salsas and salads. Stone fruits with mint, peach and raspberry cobbler…. Autumn (curiously, not fall) menus include an intimate meal – slow-roast those late cherry tomatoes for an entrée – an elegant Sunday dinner with duck, pears and wild fungi, and a ‘Wine and Cheese Party’ that gives you lots of matching tips with not a hint of 70s feel.
The winter menus include a cozy brunch, a ‘Comfort Food Supper’ featuring an oven-braised lamb and white bean stew, and a menu for a ‘Holiday Open House’ – for of course, Christmas falls in winter in the USA, and it’s the season for family get-togethers, friends dropping in, and good cheer.
The recipes may not be cutting edge, but in Scott-Goodman’s words ‘these are uncomplicated, ingredient-driven meals that are a pleasure to prepare, serve and eat’ – what more could you want when you aren’t in the mood or don’t have the time to be your own masterchef?
At the back there’s a handy conversion chart from US measurements to metric, but you’ll have to turn to Google as there’s no glossary, for example when finding out what unfamiliar items like ‘half-and-half’ are (it’s a commercial US product made of half milk and half cream with a butterfat content of 10-12 percent; dilute some single cream with whole milk as a substitute.)
The Vineyard Cookbook comes into its own with the wine pairings, however. Again, to quote the author ‘The opening of a bottle of wine immediately transforms any meal into something special, but I, like many people find the art of pairing food and wine often mystifying. Our featured wineries …. (provide) wine-savvy suggestions that will equip you with the knowledge you need’.
What I really like about their suggestions is that they are grouped by price: relatively inexpensive (US$15-25), premium (US$25-35) and special occasion (US$35 plus) wines, and each category has up to four suggestions. Very few of the wine brands will be known to or available in Australia or New Zealand, but you will recognise the varieties and finding substitutes will be fun, and well as providing stimulus for experimentation.
Scattered through the book are notes on grape varieties and their general food pairings, e.g. merlot with pasta, zinfandel with stewed meats or savoury dishes containing fruit, and why chardonnay does not match well with acidic foods, especially those containing tomatoes.
The wine and cheese matching section is especially good, with recommended labels and varieties for hard cheeses (cabernet sauvignon, merlot), semi-firm cheeses (syrah/shiraz, chardonnay, pinot noir), blue (nebbiolo, cabernets sauvignon and franc), semi-soft (riesling, pinot gris, rousanne), soft (chardonnay, pinot noir) and goat (rosé, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, cabernet sauvignon), again all at the different price points.
What is also striking to my new-world-conditioned eyes is the architectural diversity of the featured vineyard and winery buildings, which to me seem far more of a reflection of place than many we see dotted around Australian wine regions, some of which look like they have recently arrived from another planet, or at best, could be anywhere. In The Vineyard Cookbook there’s adobe and ranch-style where it belongs, out west, and timbered barns with steep, snow-shedding gables looking at home in the north-east – perhaps it’s careful selection, but the photographs do capture a sense of place, far more so than the food.
There are 32 vineyards and wineries featured – the long history of some shines through – and the landscape photographs by Kirk Irwin and Wes Walker in The Vineyard Cookbook will surely want to make you visit, as surely as the food shots by Colin Cooke will entice you to try out some of these easy entertaining recipes.
The Vineyard Cookbook: seasonal recipes and wine pairings inspired by America's vineyards by Barbara Scott-Goodman is published by Welcome Books (New York, 2009, hb, 160 pp) and is available from Amazon.com for US$18.21 (postage extra).
Regions
- USA - all (US)
Our Recommendations
To see our recommendations, ratings and reviews you must be a logged-in subscriber.
To subscribe please enter your email address in the "Subscribe Now - it's Free" box on the right and click the "Join" button, or fill in this form >
Is there any better gift than a cookbook? We've put together our wishlist of great cookbooks - ones that are inspiring with beautiful photographs, clear instructions ... our pick of twelve of the best »
This was our Number 1 foodie's book of 2009. Part cookbook part sumptuous armchair journey through some of Australia’s best wine regions, the Vineyard Cookbook is a culinary delight »
Want to learn more about wine? You could do a lot worse than starting here. WineWise is an up-to-date, consumer-friendly, introductory to medium-level wine book ... to expand your own wine knowledge.
Around the world you'll find many great home cooks – usually self-taught and without extra professional training – united by a passion for food and their culinary ... and Jack Madden certainly is one »
Tutor your nose to detect the subtle aromas in wine and learn to appreciate and enjoy its complexities. VisitVineyards.com subscribers purchasing Le Nez du Vin aroma sets can save up to $110 and get two Essential Wine Tasting Guides for the price of one. Read about the 
Thinking celebration? Then surely thinking Champagne, the wine that's always part of life's most important occasions. And sometimes just for the pure bubbly, enjoyment. Dine and sip with royalty, celebrity at history-making moments with your copy of Champagne and Chandeliers by Bernadette O'Shea. VisitVineyards.com subscribers, you receive a 15 per cent discount on purchase 
Le Figaro calls her "the undisputed mistress of the kingdom of wine". Receive an immediate introductory 
Like to discover more about this state's lifestyle, wine, food and more? Then ask us now for your free copy of Tasmania 40 Degrees South the magazine that showcases the best of Australia's island state. 
In our No 1 Wine Book of 2010, Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein matches distinctive wines with recipes from his favourite chefs in this book focussing on new and emerging grape varietals. VisitVineyards.com subscribers and Members buying this book will receive a 
MEMBER BENEFIT: Take advantage of an exclusive spa and luncheon offer 
This beautiful book showcases the island state's renowned fresh food though delicious recipes set alongside images of the very environment that plays a crucial part in its production. Whether you're a Tasmanian at home or abroad this book will have your mouth proudly watering. If you've visited or plan to visit the state, then it's a great souvenir or advance taste of what's to come. 