Episode 201 Sponsored by: River Road Family Vineyards and Winery Carol Shelton, Winemaker and Owner of Carol Shelton Wines Today we are joined by renowned winemaker Carol Shelton! We delve into her favorites- currently, the 2022 Coquille Blanc and Wild Thing Rendezvous Rosé, discussing their distinctive winemaking processes. She emphasizes the critical role barrel selection plays in shaping the wines' flavor profiles and highlights the richness of her wines through food pairing, providing a recipe for an asparagus tart that beautifully complements the Coquille Blanc. Wines of the Day: Carol Shelton 2022 Coquille Blanc Wild Thing 2023 Rendezvous Rosé Fast Five: Carol's "Asparagus Tart" - Or Fancy Pizza :) Instructions from Carol herself: Here are the FIVE (sort of, I cheated a bit): 1 roll of crescent roll dough (or puff pastry if you have to be fancy) 2 T. Dijon mustard 2 c. freshly grated gruyère cheese (or fontina or asiago) 1 # very skinny asparagus, tough ends snapped or cut off, then cut into 1” lengths ½ c. freshly grated parmesan cheese A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and its zest (optional) A sprinkling of Herbes de Provence (optional)   Preheat oven to 400°F. Flatten out crescent roll dough into a rectangle (approx. 12”x9”) on parchment paper on a sheet pan. Prick it all over with a fork (called “docking it”).  Spread the mustard evenly over the docked dough.  Sprinkle grated gruyère over crust, avoiding edges so it won’t bubble over when hot. Lay asparagus over the bed of cheese and sprinkle herbs, parmesan and lemon juice/zest on top.  You can make a nice pattern of the asparagus if you want to get fancy! Bake at 400°F for 15-20 min or until pastry edges are brown and crispy and cheese is melted. Cut into squares and serve—top with a squeeze of balsamic glaze if desired.   Links: https://www.carolshelton.com/ Sponsor: River Road Family Vineyards and Winery Credits: The Wine Road podcast is mixed and mastered at
 Threshold Studios Sebastopol, CA. http://thresholdstudios.info/