Pumpkin Patch

Is squash a pumpkin or is pumpkin a squash? I’ve never been able to remember but I love them all. Tender summer squash that rains down on us all summer and hard winter squash that we rely on to get us through the cold season are mainstays of meals at home and at the winery. 

This year, the winter squash seeds were planted in May; late for squash but I hoped not too late. It looks as though we got them in just under the wire because we’re currently experiencing a squash explosion in front of the winery. 

I plucked a small red kuri from the vine to dream up this fantastic recipe for our delicious Libration Red. Libration isn’t shy and can stand up to a lot of flavor – which is what this pasta delivers. Sweet squash and fried caramelized onions play off the salty pancetta and parmesan while the pine nuts add their unique flavor and go surprisingly well with the underlying graphite notes of the wine.

Libration is big, bouncy and ready to drink now but you will be equally rewarded if you manage to hold onto a few bottles for a gathering down the road.

Until the Next Wine….
Maria

EAT: Red Kuri Squash Torchio with Pancetta, Caramelized Onion and Sage