Meet the JaMily: Our Virtual Thanksgiving Potluck

Thanksgiving is a combination of a few favorite F words: fun, flavor, friends and food! Especially food—it IS Thanksgiving. Meet some of the JaMily—your peeps behind the scenes, as we bring you our virtual potluck Thanksgiving.

We’re talking Turkey—any way you want it.

1.  For a kitchen classicist—the definitive guide to cooking a classic turkey.

2.  Is there anything more American than deep-fried turkey? Get out the grease and get to it with this deep fry guide.

3.  Are you team “stuffing inside” or “stuffing outside”? We’re going stuffed turkey for the win.

4.  If you’re opting for meatless, go all-in on a vegan Tofurkey with all the fixings.

5.  Skip the turkey and go for a classic steak — we know you’re craving the JaM Cab!

Side-Dishing From The JaMily

» Sarah, Marketing: Go Nuts for Spicy, Salty and Sweet, paired with Sugar Sweet White.

Pre-dinner nibbling is my favorite time at Thanksgiving. I have my first glass of wine in my hand while greeting friends and family. This spicy, salty and sweet pecan recipe will fill bowls throughout my house—and they’re always empty and the end of the day. An extra-icy glass of Sugar Sweet White goes perfectly with the spicy, salty, candied nuts, plus the refreshingly-light taste and lower alcohol of Sugar is a great start to our celebration of thanks.

Scoop The Dish: www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/sweet-spicy-candied-pecans

» Mackenzie, Trade: Crab Stuffed Mushrooms, paired with Butter Chardonnay.

My family is very app heavy when it comes to the holidays and even though we have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings, we spend the day grazing on apps that we make so we don’t get too full on a large meal earlier in the day. There is always an assortment of bites in and out of the oven to snack on and these crab stuffed mushrooms are the star of the show every year!

Scoop The Dish: www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12751/crab-stuffed-mushrooms

» Ashley, Media Relations: Creamy, Dreamy Artichoke Dip, paired with Butter Chardonnay.

We typically start our Thanksgiving festivities just after noon but don’t eat until 6pm. This is my favorite snack to help tide me over until dinner. What’s even better: my sister makes it… (food tastes so much better when someone else makes it!). It’s so creamy and rich, just like my favorite wine, Butter Chardonnay. 

Scoop The Dish: www.wonkywonderful.com/artichoke-roasted-garlic-dip

» Trevor, Digital Comms: Nana's Orange Salad, paired with Toast Sparkling.

We're using the word "salad" loosely here, folks, so don't get your hopes up if you're looking for something green and leafy. My Nana has been making this creamy, fruit-salad recipe for every holiday meal as long as I've been alive, and frankly, I'll take a bowl of this over a slice of pumpkin pie, any day. When I make it for my kids, I've also been adventurous and added shredded coconut and some sliced maraschino cherries for more "goodies."

Scoop The Dish: www.thecraftingchicks.com/orange-jello-salad-cottage-cheese

» Carina “Coco”, Wine & Music Studio: Sweet Potatoes, paired with Butter Chardonnay.

The last few years my family has opted for restaurants for Thanksgiving Dinner, but when we used to host, this was the one side dish I always looked forward to. Something about the savory sweetness and the burnt marshmallows on top makes me feel the season even more. I was a very picky eater growing up but this dish always pleased. Now when I get a chance for Friendsgiving I’ll make this and share it with friends.

Family Recipe: Peel Sweet Potatoes. Cut up into little chunks and boil. When you can stick a fork through them pour out the water. Add butter and salt then mash them up. Put in a bowl and add small marshmallows to the top. Bake until marshmallows melt and brown, then serve.

» Alyse, Social Media: Spinach Artichoke “Casserole”, and Toast Sparkling while you cook.

Our mornings typically begin with cooking and Toast-mosa’s (Toast Sparkling and our pick of fresh juice). The dish I always serve up is my Grandma Irene’s spinach artichoke “casserole”. It’s like a deconstructed artichoke dip, transformed into a "healthier" side dish so you can eat more of it!

Family Recipe: cooked & chopped spinach salted and peppered to taste (tip: grab some bags from the frozen food aisle. Easy!). Quartered & marinated artichoke hearts. Cream Cheese. Seasoned Croutons. ½ stick of butter (melted). Instructions: Layer casserole pan with thick layer of cooked spinach (about 1 to 1 ½ inch). Layer of cream cheese on top of spinach. Layer of artichoke hearts over the cream cheese. Layer of seasoned croutons on top. Drizzle the melted butter all over (this makes the croutons slightly moist so they don’t burn while baking). Bake at 350 degrees until cream cheese is melted, about 45 mins. Enjoy!

» Greg, Media Production: Roasted brussels sprouts, paired with JaM Cabernet.

I love adding something bright green to the Thanksgiving table and November is peak season for brussels sprouts!  In a busy Thanksgiving kitchen where every surface is occupied, it’s useful to have a side dish that can be cooked in a variety of ways: steam in the microwave, roast in the oven, steam or sear on the cooktop, etc.  I like to briefly steam mine first and then transfer to the oven to broil and crisp. You can’t go wrong!  

Scoop The Dish: www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-garlic-and-pancetta-104566

Whatever way you dish, it’s bound to be de-lish. At JaM Cellars we’re giving thanks for great company, the best wine, and another year we get to spend with YOU at your table!

Gratefully yours,

JaM Cellars

 

Your Guide To A JaMming 2020 Winesgiving

We’re all in for 12 hours of non-stop Winesgiving this year…Eat Turkey. Drink Butter. Repeat!

• 8am: In prep for a full day of food, fun, and Butter Chardonnay—lace up those sneakers and hit the Turkey Trot 5K! Take the #BigFootTurkeyTrot challenge to be social-distance friendly, while keeping that competitive spirit up and running! …or hit snooze and enjoy an extra hour in bed!

• 9am: Enjoy the quiet before the storm with a celebratory Toast-mosa in the shower (yes, you do need one of these). Cue up the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV and roll up your sleeves to prepare for your kitchen frenzy!

• 10am: As guests arrive, keep everyone out from under your apron with an activity station that has one of these 8 games that everyone can enjoy. Cue up these cute conversation cards, or give everyone the Gobble-Gobble-Giggles when the kids DIY their own Thanksgiving Joke Teller. Don’t forget to have your Butter chilled and ready to serve.

• 10:30am: Pop your turkey in the oven and take a breather (and a glass of Butter… you’ve earned it!)

• 12pm: Now you’re in the groove…turn up the tunes with our Winesgiving playlist on JaM Cellars Spotify. Loosen up everyone’s dancing shoes with some new Tik Tok moves and realize you do have moves like Jagger.

• 1pm: Zoom out-of-town guests while everything is bubbling and baking in the oven. Take a “family photo” of everyone “cheers-ing” onscreen with their JaM Cellars wine of choice. Thank your Mom for sending the case of wine that you didn’t know how much you needed.

• 2:30pm: Check the turkey using your Turkey Roasting Guide. No, it’s still not ready. Refill your Butter and splash a little into the pan. Your bird loves Butter too!

• 3:15pm: Mmm-mmm almost dinner time, keep everyone’s hunger at bay with a few super easy-peasy Thanksgiving apps and the ButterCans you’ve left chilling in the cooler.

• 4pm: Dinner is served…al fresco! Outdoor entertaining is IN for the 2020 season so put your guests on table-setting duty and enjoy a little dinner outdoors on your new patio set-up to keep that air flowing. Ring your dinner gong and gather ‘round. You made it to the finish line and everyone is ready to dig in.

• 6pm: Relax because everyone who didn’t cook is now doing the dishes. Bring out the pie and more Butter to enjoy the delicious food coma and great conversation.

• 8pm: End the night with a family movie night that you can share with anyone near or far. Host a Virtual Watch Party on your platform of choice and set up a Disney+ Watch Group for the kids with any of the best movies to watch right now.

And just like that, another year of food, wine, and gratitude is under our belt—even in 2020! Save some leftovers for a sandwich later and enjoy the smooth ride into the holidays (officially). Don’t forget to restock your stash of Butter!

 

 

Memorial Moments Worth Remembering...Cheers To That!

Memorial Weekend marks the true start to Summer, and we are ready. Break out some ice-cold Butter Chardonnay and raise a glass to freedom, friendship, and fun! Sip on these suggestions for a new-norm Memorial weekend:

Start Out Outside

With a 3-day weekend ahead of you, take Saturday on a long hike to soak in all that summer sunshine (SPF 50 please!). Head off the beaten path and be socially distant with a trail map like AllTrails. Add a few ButterCans in your pack to enjoy the accomplishment, and the view, at the peak.

Toast the Weekend

Memorial Day vibes peak Sunday at 5pm PDT as we tune in to the virtual Memorial Day Concert at Home on PBS! We’re feeling patriotic already! Find your comfy spot, relish the time to relax and sip Toast Sparkling while you watch.

Sip Poolside

If you haven’t ordered your adult kiddie pool yet, what are you waiting for? Grab a straw, a cute floatie and your Butter bikini…it’s time to soak up some Vitamin D and totally chill. Don’t have a pool boy to bring your Butter? No stress! Drizly is at your service with delivery in less than 60 minutes.

Fire Up The BBQ

The signature scent of Memorial Day is definitely BBQ and JaM Cab. So, crack open that red and enjoy cooking in the great outdoors…did someone say ribs? For that perfect snack while you sip, try this Patriotic Snack Mix or refreshing wine popsicles to keep you so cool.

Now that you’re feeling tan, fit, and well-fed, you’ll need to replenish your supplies with plenty more Butter Chardonnay where that came from! Call on the wine fairies to deliver straight to your door with Drizly, InstaCart, or the JaMStore.

Three cheers for kicking off red, white and rosé season!

Come to Our Home for the Holidays!

We’re getting into the Holiday spirit and our motto is “the more the merrier!”—so come on over!

• Turn up the Holiday JaMs. We love song requests! Cozy up in our comfy leather couches, grab a glass and sing along…Michael Buble anyone?

• Catch a Christmas flick… every #TipsyTuesday and #WineWednesday at 7pm. Pair your favorite JaM wine with Elf, Christmas Vacation, or Love Actually. Check out the events calendar for showings!

• Ugly Holiday sweater contest: We’re throwing our first Ugly Holiday Sweater JaM on Friday 12/16. So skip the sequin dress, fancy slacks and throw on your dorkiest, most hilarious Holiday sweater. There will be a prize—will it be you? Can’t make it? Send us a pic of your favorite ugly Holiday sweater (glass in hand, of course!) @JaMCellars #JaMCellars.

And there’s more…check out the events calendar to see what’s going on every day of the week including live music JaMSessions every Friday starting at 9pm—no cover charge.

We can’t wait to see you here (even in your worst Holiday sweater!)

Bubbles in the Bathroom

Nothing says celebration like sparkling wine and sparkly dresses. We encourage you to sprinkle in some glitz this festive season…

• Plan some pre-party preening—just add heels, lipstick and flutes of fizzy!

• Embrace the spirit. Grab another splash and turn up the Holiday tunes. Try our favorite Mariah Carey Holiday radio on Pandora!

• Toast to the Girls! Yep, cheers to you and all your best girlfriends and everything you have meant to each other this year. A. Lot! (…like the meltdown in the wine aisle when they were out of Butter…you know who you are!)

• Ring in 2017. Make big plans, big-hearted promises and NEVER miss a chance to sparkle!  

Cheers to New Years! Cheers to you!

Thankful for Friendsgiving!

Friendsgiving is secretly one of our fave Hols (just check out our pix!). Here’s our reasons why…what’s yours? #JaMCellars #Friendsgiving

• It’s simply laid-back, boozy fun. Just come as you are! (Lululemon?) After all, that’s the way we love you the most (well maybe a teensy bit more with Butter, or pie!). Popsugar nails Friendsgiving fashion.

• Can’t make the trip home? Trade-in pricey plane tickets and road trips and round everyone up and for a wine filled Holiday. No-one is left behind!

• Anything goes at Friendsgiving. Go ahead and make new traditions…we played “Never Have I Ever” around the fire pit… too funny (more Butter please!!). Here’s how to play… oh, and some fun questions to get the game going!  

• It happens whenever you want it to. The day after Thanksgiving is perfect to break into the leftovers—we just stock up the fridge with fresh Butter!)     

Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or somewhere in between, we know what we’re thankful for this year…YOU! Keep smiling, sipping and sharing with us #JaMCellars @JaMCellars.

Butter makes even the Holidays Better!

A little Butter goes a long way to get you to New Year’s intact…

• Butter Now! Instead of the stress of hitting the mall, just hit the Buy Now button–with a luscious glass of Butter in hand, of course! Relax, unwine-d, AND get your shopping done (…in your PJs!). Loving Curvy Girl Chic’s top 5 tips for slaying Cyber Monday – just add Butter!

• ​Potluck? ButterLuck! Enough already with scrambling to make a fancy side! An extra bottle of Butter (or two) is always welcome. You’ll save time and energy—and save the party from running out of wine. Total wine-win! (See what we did there?)

• Will run for wine. Don’t miss your workout—it’s now you need it the most to feel great about that extra glass—or two! We’re loving the wine-spiration from ChinupApparel.com…BFF gifts – check!

• DIY décor. Get inspiration from your fellow ButterLovers like this Butterful display of flowers. We’re loving the tons of tips and guides online, like this one from Bustle.

• Butter up the relatives. Loving Kelly Bauer’s tips for making the Thanksgiving table conversations light and fun this year (…especially the Ross GIF!) And everyone loves a splash of Butter! Maybe sometimes it feels as if it’s the only thing you have in common, but then again what more do you need…?

How do you Butter through the Holidays? Post or message on Facebook #JaMCellars @JaMCellars. Happy Holidays!!

Reasons to LOVE Wine-o-Ween

The Fall holiday season is officially here. And it kicks off with one of our fave Holidays—Wine-o-Ween!

If you haven’t already gone to the pumpkin patch, made your kids’ costumes…or your own costume for that matter…time’s a-tickin! We dreamed up 5 ways to embrace the BOO with Butter!

1. DIY? Trying to MacGyver a costume? The struggle is real! Put away the feathers and glue, grab a glass of Butter and check out these super simple costume ideas instead! 

2. Boo’zed! “You’ve been Boo’zed” lands your neighbor with a fun bucket of Hallowe’en goodies on their doorstep. Our version includes Butter…oh and we’re coming over to join you in a glass! 

3. Buy Now! When you find yourself on Amazon at 10pm shelling out for next-day costume delivery, take a deep breath, a sip of Butter and hit Buy Now! BTW PJ’s for Halloween costumes—guilt-free costume shopping and the kids can wear them again!

4. Crisis Control. When the kids’ blood sugar hits its peak…’nuff said.

5. Besties & Butter. Wine-O-Ween is the perfect excuse for a girls night out, or in! ButterLovers on facebook helped make this BOOzy playlist. Enjoy. 

Embrace the BOO with Butter!

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! @JaMCellars #JaMCellars #wineoween

 

 

 

Celebrating our Country's Independence

Downtown Napa rocked this 4th of July! We hung out at the ButterBus, sipping wine and playing cornhole. And we danced to awesome BottleRock bands The Mowgli’s and Panic is Perfect on the JaM Cellars stage. We love throwing a good party and we had double reason to celebrate—the 4th is also John’s birthday!  What better way to celebrate than bringing friends, neighbors and visitors to Napa together with great wine and music. The best part? JaM made it free for everyone, now THAT’s a party! Check it out here.