Stories from Clif Family
The Clif Family Blog
Updates from the people behind our wines and food, including our winemaker Laura Barrett and Executive Chef Magnus Young. Read on for entertaining ideas, recipes, events, membership news, press, and our sustainability work.
The Best Wine to Give as a Gift (Even If You Don’t Know Wine)
The best wine to give as a gift is a bottle you can explain in one sentence: a crowd-pleasing red, a rosé, or something festive. You don’t need to know...
Read more
Cook With the Bottle You’re Pouring: Our Chef’s Favorite Hosting Shortcut
It’s Friday. Four people are coming at seven, you’ve got one good bottle on the counter, and you’re running the same two questions you always run: what do I cook,...
Read more
Virtual Wine Tastings for Teams and Clients: The Corporate Gift People Actually Show Up For
A virtual wine tasting is a live, guided tasting hosted online, with the wine and food shipped ahead to each guest. At Clif Family, that means organic Napa Valley wines...
Read more
How to Keep Your Wine Fresh After Opening: Storage Methods That Actually Work
It was one of those evenings. Good food, good friends, and at the end of it somebody opens one more bottle right as the party starts thinning out. You push...
Read more
Wine Tasting for Beginners: How to Taste Wine in 5 Steps
The first time someone hands you a glass at a tasting bar and asks what you're getting, it's easy to freeze. Blackberry? Leather? Wet stone? Somebody two seats down just...
Read more
Fall Charcuterie Board Ideas (And the Wine to Pour Alongside)
The first cool evening in Napa Valley shows up sometime in late September, right in the thick of harvest, and it catches us off guard every year. Somebody digs out...
Read more
Halloween Charcuterie Board Ideas
Halloween parties in Napa Valley always involve treats for the adults too. We usually start with a charcuterie or cheese board on the counter as the centerpiece. Here is what...
Read more
How to Build a Wine, Cheese & Jam Board (Clif Family Style)
We have a blueberry patch on Howell Mountain, down past the olive trees. It gives us more fruit than we can eat, so every summer we cook it down into...
Read more
Wine & Snacks - Nothing Styled, Nothing Stressful
What We Actually Put Out When Friends Come Over Here is the thing nobody tells you about entertaining: the food does not have to be impressive. It has to be...
Read more
The Best Dishes for Cabernet Sauvignon (And Why Each One Works)
Picture this: you pull a bottle of Cab Sauv from the rack, maybe a Kit’s Killer Cab or a Cold Springs you’ve been saving, and you start thinking about what’s...
Read more
Best Low-Alcohol Wines for Entertaining: Hosting Guide
Great entertaining isn’t about the strongest pour. It’s about flow, pacing, and making every guest feel considered. Here’s how to build a balanced, low-alcohol wine lineup, from the sparkling welcome...
Read more
Savory S’mores: The Fire-Pit Appetizer That Steals the Night
Someone at the farm kitchen swapped the chocolate bar for a round of brie one evening last summer, tucked in a sliver of prosciutto, and finished it with a spoonful...
Read more
Wine Country Bridal Shower Ideas: Elegant Themes, Food & Drinks
Picture a long table under the oaks, rosé sweating in the afternoon light, and a bride-to-be surrounded by the people who love her most. That’s the kind of afternoon a...
Read more
Napa Valley Girls’ Trip Itinerary: 3-Day Weekend Getaway Guide
A three-day Napa Valley girls’ trip itinerary with wine tasting, Michelin-starred dining, spa stops, and practical planning tips from a St. Helena winery.
Read more
Low-Alcohol Wine, Explained: What to Know (and What to Pour)
It’s a Tuesday. You want a glass of wine with dinner, but you also want to feel sharp in the morning. Or you’re heading out for a long, sunny afternoon...
Read more
The Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Wine, Cheese, and Napa Valley Experiences
Finding the perfect gift for Mother’s Day is all about celebrating her unique tastes. You can honor her as a connoisseur of food-friendly Chardonnays, a lover of artisanal cheeses, or...
Read more
The Best Happy Hours in Napa Valley: A Local’s Guide
Every hour feels like the happiest hour in California wine country, but if you want to experience the valley like a local, you need to know where the hidden gems...
Read more
How to Celebrate World Malbec Day: A Napa Valley Local’s Guide
What is World Malbec Day? World Malbec Day commemorates April 17th, 1853, the day this celebrated grape and varietal was first introduced to Argentina. The history of Malbec traces back...
Read more
Easter Entertaining: A Farm-to-Table Cheese Board Guide
Longer days, warmer temperatures, and the arrival of spring are the perfect excuse to adventure in the kitchen. If you are looking for fresh Easter appetizers and organic food pairings,...
Read more
Fuel Your Adventure: Building the Perfect Cheese Board for Runners
At Clif Family Winery and Farm, we believe that the best stories are written outdoors and the best adventures are fueled by wholesome, flavorful food. Whether you are preparing for...
Read more