Hello from Lynae, C&B's Tasting Room Manager!

Meet Lynae Anderson - I’m the tasting room manager and marketing liaison.


Fall is absolutely upon us, and we walk into the winery stepping on crunchy leaves. The clouds are quite gray today and it’s a bit windy. We are in American Canyon, just south of Carneros.


We’re anticipating our first rain. It’s been sooo long! The last of our Snows Lake Vineyard grapes were harvested from a steep hillside block up in Lake County. That Cabernet came in this morning and is going to get crushed, following other Cabernet lots from that vineyard, which came in a few weeks ago.

You may or may not have heard of us. We find that we’re known nationally and internationally, and yet not always in our own Golden State.

And about me - I love wine, talking about wine, meeting new people, football, food. So, let's get this started off right with a recipe!

Lynae's sauteed baby artichokes:

They always sound so fancy, and they’re delightfully easy. I originally found this recipe in the New Basics Cookbook, though I’ve adapted it a little over the years. I’ve made it in the springtime when the artichokes first hit the market, but on the whole, it feels much more autumnish to me.

10 baby artichokes

Extra virgin olive oil--enough to cover a skillet

A few tablespoons lemon juice

Kosher salt

Ground pepper

Cut off the stems with a sharp knife and trim the top portion. Get rid of the tougher outer leaves. Quarter the artichokes. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, toss in a little salt and pepper, then saute the artichokes over medium heat until they start to brown a little. Add the lemon juice and a little more salt and pepper, and continue sauteing until they are crispy.

YUM! And if you throw in a little fresh garlic, well double YUM!

And pairing artichokes can be tough, as I’m sure you know. That said, these would probably be lovely with our 2007 Dancing Crow Sauvignon Blanc -- which I shouldn’t even mention, because we just sold out of it in the tasting room. But if you are lucky enough to find it in stores, enjoy! I’m also thinking about our 2006 Amador Zinfandel. That might do the trick!

Join us in the future for photos of crush, bottling, vineyards, more recipes, random musings on wine, and who knows what else.

Salute! Cheers!

Lynae