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Haak News Straight from the Grapevine : August 2010 Salute! Haak Winery News Straight from the Grapevine August 2010
Erst mach' dein' sach dann trink' und lach! First take care of business, then drink and laugh! ~German Toast Plan Your Holiday Party with Haak With December just four months away, it's already time to begin thinking about your holiday party plans. Haak Vineyards & Winery can provide the perfect setting for an informal or formal gathering such as family parties, corporate functions and more. We offer several rental packages to accommodate groups of 10 to 240 guests, which include staff, seating setup and take down, linens and chair covers, and centerpieces. Your guests will also be treated to a winery tour and wine tasting. 2010 Holiday Rental Specials Available August 31, 2010 through January 15, 2011 Exclusive Vineyard and Winery Rental Seats up to 240 guests This package includes the privacy of the entire property for four hours. $2,000 Pavilion Rental Seats up to 130 guests with dance floor; 200 guests without dance floor $ 1,100 Cellar Rental Seats up to 45 guests $800 To learn more about having your holiday bash with Haak, call 409.925.1401 to book today, or visit haakwine.com [link to http://www.haakwine.com/facility_rental/rental_rates.html] for more information.
Words from the Winery The Corked Wine Conundrum Since the inception of corked wines there has always been a problem with 'cork taint.' The technical name for it is Trichloroanisol or TCA for short. And if you have ever tasted a 'corked' bottle of wine, you have probably experienced TCA. Cork taint occurs in about 1 to 3 bottles of wine per 100. It can give wine a taste or flavor described by some experts as 'wet cardboard' or a 'wet sock!' Not something you would want in your wine glass. TCA is formed by the combination of tannin compounds and chlorine which form chlorophenol compounds. The concentration levels of TCA in wines are very low and actually in the parts-per-billion-level. It poses no health hazards, only an unpleasant tasting experience. As a matter of fact, the water used to process wine and clean tanks is unchlorinated to prevent the formation of TCA. However, during the manufacturing, packaging, shipment, storage, filling and corking of wines, the wine can still be exposed to a very small amount of chlorine. The cork itself can also be a cork taint culprit. Cork trees take up chlorophenols that have been introduced by pesticides and wood treatments. Fungi spores in the atmosphere then transform the chlorophenols into TCA. At Haak, we prefer the aesthetics of natural cork and have chosen a cork provider that ensures excellent material. Haak is committed to maintaining the highest level of quality in our wines. With that in mind, if you or someone you know has had a bad experience with our wines, corked or otherwise, we would appreciate knowing. If you experience a flawed bottle of our wine, please put the cork back in the bottle, bring it to us at the winery for analysis and we will replace that bottle free-of-charge. As always, thanks for your loyal support of Haak wines! Cheers and Ciao! Raymond & Nadia
Don't Miss the Boat! Haak Winery 6th Annual Caribbean Wine Cruise April 7 -- 11, 2011 Sails out of Galveston, Texas to Cozumel, Mexico, aboard Carnival Cruise's Ecstasy Cruise includes: * Welcome Cocktail Party * Two Haak Wine Tasting Events with Raymond & Gladys Haak * Music after each tasting with Robert Greaney * Welcome gift in each cabin Prices start at $499 per person (plus tax) with a $300 deposit per cabin. Price includes wine tasting events. Final payment due January 29, 2011. Spots are filling up fast! Contact Debbie Simons of SuperTravel at 281.990.8362 or debbies@supertravel.com to book your spot today!
Summer Special Beach Wine Trio Sale Take advantage of our Beach Trio new lower price--just $11.95 per bottle. Includes our tasty Pink Pelican, Purple Porpoise and Red Crab varietals. Welcome Kim! We're so excited to welcome Kim Jennings to the Haak Winery team! Kim brings a wealth of experience to her position as outside sales representative. She's helping us to spread the word about Haak wine to retailers throughout Houston. You can contact Kim at 713.476.8977 or kim@haakwine.com. Cheers to Kim!
Chef Lee's Recipe of the Month Stuffed Chicken Breast with Creamy Curried Corn Chicken Breast Stuffed with Argentinean Sausage and Spinach Serves 4 Ingredients 4 large chicken breasts 12 oz. of your favorite pork sausage removed from casing 2 cups of loosely packed fresh spinach 1 tsp of red pepper flakes 1/2 large yellow onion diced 2 garlic cloves minced Salt and pepper to taste Directions Place chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound out chicken breast using a heavy sauté pan or skillet to about a 1/4inch thick. Set aside. Put a few tablespoons of oil (vegetable or olive oil) in a skillet and heat on med/high. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add sausage and red pepper flakes. Sauté until sausage is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Set filling aside to cool. Place each chicken breast on large piece of plastic wrap so that it is overlapping enough on each end to tie. Once the filling is cooled to room temperature, divide into four equal portions and spread out over the chicken breast. Carefully roll each chicken breast into a log using the plastic wrap to cover it completely. Tie one end of the plastic wrap and force the chicken breast into the tied end. Squeeze out any air through the other end and tie tightly. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and reduce heat until it stops boiling. Place chicken breast in water and cook until firm, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from water and remove plastic wrap. Heat a non-stick sauté pan to med/high heat with a little oil. Brown the chicken breast to add color, just a minute or so before turning. Once you have a light brown color all around, remove and slice. Serve with Creamy Curried Corn and enjoy! Creamy Curried Corn Serves 4 Ingredients 3 cups of fresh or frozen sweet corn 3/4 cup of heavy cream 1 tablespoon of curry powder Salt and pepper to taste Directions In a sauce pan, reduce the cream over med/high heat for about 7 minutes. Add corn and curry powder to cream and stir to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes letting the cream thicken. Serve with the stuffed chicken breast and enjoy.
Upcoming Events | August 2010 Sunday Summer Concert Series Great live bands, delicious food and tasty wine. Visit haakwine.com [link: http://www.haakwine.com/events/event_schedule.php] for all the details. See you on Sunday! Wine Down at the Winery Wine down on the patio during Dinner in the Cellar, where we now offer an a la carte tapas menu. Held between 6 pm and 9 pm. No reservations needed! 1st Sunday Concert with Prime Time Band 6 - 8:30 pm 6th Dinner in the Cellar 6 - 9 pm 8th Sunday Concert with Nigel Edison Band 6 - 8:30 pm 13th Dinner in the Cellar 6 - 9 pm 15th Sunday Concert with Ezra Charles 6 - 8:30 pm 20th Dinner in the Cellar 6 - 9 pm 22nd Sunday Concert with Kelly McGuire 6 - 8:30 pm 27th Dinner in the Cellar 6 - 9 pm 29th Sunday Concert with Yelba and the Max Cat 6 - 8:30 pm Haak Vineyards & Winery 6310 Avenue T Santa Fe, Texas 77510 haakwine.com
 
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