Beautiful Evening at Buttonwood

It was a beautiful evening at Buttonwood Farms Saturday, where I was one of the lucky guests at their annual farm dinner. It was so lovely to sit out in the vineyard by the lake, and enjoy the delicious food and wine and delightful company. By the time the sun went down the breeze died down as well and the setting went from pretty to magical as the lights came on in the trees and the path was lined with candles. Seven wines were served and the favorites at our table were the Cabernet Franc (we had the 1999, but there's a very good 2007 available in the tasting room) and the BW blend, named for Buttonwood's owner, Betty Williams. The food just kept coming...I can't possibly mention it all here. There was a delicious sweet corn and goat cheese quesadilla; the heirloom tomatoes were outstanding; there was lamb, there was pork...and even though we were stuffed by the end of the meal, everyone finished their cobbler, made from the delicious peaches the farm is also known for. I also have to mention how much we enjoyed visiting with the guests at our table, a mixture of local residents, visitors from out of town and members of Buttonwood's extended family. As we learned some of Buttonwood's history, we were struck by the people and families that make up the larger Buttowood 'family' and their easygoing appreciation for the farm and for one another. We felt right at home and at least for the evening, part of the extended family ourselves.

Whether or not you're a foodie, you can be proud of our local wineries, which have once again gotten the attention of those in the know about food and wine. In the September issue of Food & Wine there is a whole page devoted to recommendations for wines to be paired with the various recipes this month, and wines from no less than four different area wineries are included. Bravo to Brander, whose 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (noted as a terrific wine under $15) is paired with Ratatouille and Goat Cheese Subs and Zaca Mesa, whose 2009 Viognier is recommended to go with the recipe for Fried Chicken. Beckman's 2009 Grenache Rosé, a "crisp, berry-inflected dry rosé," is paired with Shrimp Gumbo. Finally, in the reds, Lincourt's 2006 Santa Barbara Syrah is the recommendation to accompany Carolina Pulled Pork. (The whole issue has a Southern theme, if you're wondering.) Congratulations to all and well-done to Food & Wine for recognizing what we already know...that the Los Olivos area produces some of the very best wines available.

Los Olivos Cheese Company

Whether you're a fromagier (cheese expert) or just a cheese lover (who isnt'?) you should really know about the Los Olivos Cheese Company. The company offers light catering, picnic baskets and gifts featuring a lovely selection of domestic and imported cheeses, including some of my personal favorites like Machengo, Mahon and Humboldt Fog.

Jim Thomas and Lindy Shelden own LOCC. He's a retired sheriff and she was the cheese manager at the Los Olivos Grocery (see earlier post) for several years, so she knows her stuff! LOCC has fresh cheese delivered every week and their lunches are available daily at the Gainey tasting room. They also supply cheese to Rideau, in addition to their other public and private events. Lindy is available to do tasting parties as well. She'll teach you and your guests about the origins of different cheeses and how to pair them with different wines and accoutrements. I've had one of these parties and they are really fun.

As cheese experts, Jim and Lindy offer the following advice:

• Jim says, "try them all!" Everyone has different taste and there's a cheese for everyone.
• Lindy says, "only buy freshly cut cheese" and avoid those pre-packaged, shrink-wrapped cheeses you see in stores. Who knows how long they've been around?

By the way, her favorite is Eppoises, a very strong french, washed rind variety with a creamy interior, and his is a mild cheddar, English Cotswald, which they tell me is also great melted over potatoes. Mmm. One final tidbit...Jim and Lindy own six goats, so I had to ask: are they going to make their own cheese? A longing sigh from Lindy, who says she'd love to one day, but not yet. For now their six goats will remain pets.

See their current list of cheeses at http://stores.locc.biz/-strse-Cheese-Department/Categories.bok