Tuesday, July 7, 2015

07/07 BILL BALLENTINE, WILLIAM COLE VINEYARDS, TESS MASTERS, THE BLENDER GIRL SMOOTHIES: 100 GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN & PALEO-FRIENDLY RECIPES

BILL BALLENTINE – OWNER & WINEMAKER, WILLIAM COLE VINEYARDS  - NAPA VALLEY’S HISTORIC WILLIAM COLE VINEYARDS ADDED TO NATIONAL REGISTER  

Napa Valley’s Historic William Cole Vineyards added to National Register -  Ballentine family’s restoration and preservation efforts recognized

William and Jane Ballentine, owners of William Cole Vineyards announce that the U.S. Department of the Interior has recognized the historical and architectural significance of this mid-19th century stone winery and gardens by placing it on the National Register of Historic Places. As a result, the state of California also recognized its importance and placed the property on the California Register of Historical Resources.

The estate was part of an original 240-acre parcel purchased by John and Hannah Weinberger from Charles and Carolina Krug in 1868. The stone cellar and 3-story building completed in 1873 is the first stone winery in St. Helena. John was murdered by a disgruntled employee in 1882 leaving Hannah to become the first woman winery owner and winemaker. She ran the winery for 38 years until Prohibition closed the operation in 1920. After her death the property was parceled away leaving just the winery and homestead.

The historic winery property remained shuttered until 1938 when the Harrison family of San Francisco purchased the estate. They commissioned famed architect and relative Bourn Hayne to convert the top two levels of the dilapidated gravity-flow winery into a summer residence. In 1956 the Gonser family purchased the property and maintained a summer home until 1999 when the Ballentines acquired it.

The Ballentines spent the next five years painstakingly restoring the home and winery, as well as the renowned Thomas Church-designed gardens. Winemaking had been suspended since Prohibition when they began making wine and opened in 2004 under the name William Cole for William and his son, Cole. They created a special wine called Cuvée Claire for their daughter Claire.

MORE INFO ON WILLIAM:
The fourth generation in his family to make wine in Napa Valley, William Ballentine, Jr. has winemaking in his blood. Growing up among the vines, tending grapes and making wine is the dominant theme of Williams life, a legacy handed down to him by his father, grandfather and great grandfather. William grew up in St. Helena on the family vineyard, which serendipitously is across the street from William Cole Vineyards. He studied business and finance along with enology and viticulture at Fresno State University and graduated in 1987.

After working for Gallo Wine Company in the late 1980s, and then later with his father at Ballentine Vineyards, William grew eager to hone his cabernet harvesting and blending techniques. In 1998 he became winemaker for St. Clement Vineyards in St. Helena where he had the opportunity to work with many of the great winemakers. In 2001, William left St. Clement to concentrate on opening his own winery and on winemaking consulting for small, quality-driven growers, many of whom he has helped develop and build wineries throughout Napa Valley.

WILLIAMCOLEVINEYARDS.COM 


TESS MASTERS - THE BLENDER GIRL SMOOTHIES: 100 GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN & PALEO-FRIENDLY RECIPES

Powerhouse blogger Tess Masters (aka, The Blender Girl) is back, taking smoothies to the next level with The Blender Girl Smoothies, a comprehensive guide that helps you blast your way to good health and blended bliss.

On her wildly popular recipe blog, Tess shares easy plant-based recipes that anyone can whip up quickly using a blender. Tess’s lively, down-to-earth approach has attracted over a million fans looking for quick and fun ways to prepare healthy food. Now, in The Blender Girl Smoothies, Tess presents 100 creative and delicious recipes designed to fit your every need, whether you want to detox, lose a few pounds, get energized, or guard against seasonal colds. Each smoothie has three optional boosters (like chia seeds, ginger, coconut oil, or wheat grass) that allow you to ramp up flavor, nutrient value, or both.

Featuring gorgeous photography throughout, a smoothie pantry that demystifies unusual ingredients, icons to identify smoothies that fit your particular dietary needs, and strategies for achieving smoothie success, this accessible handbook makes it fun and easy to find your perfect blend.

About Tess Masters:
Australian-born Tess Masters now lives in Los Angeles and is a cook, writer, actor, and voiceover artist. As a presenter and recipe developer, Tess has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Glamour, Chow, Epicurious, and All Recipes. She has also contributed to Vegetarian Times and Gorgeously Green.