Happy almost Fourth of July to all of our burger & wine lovers! We know that with the Fourth of July around the corner those Build A Better Burger ® creations are starting to really pull themselves together (Am I right?)
Okay, okay.. we know they may not be completely perfected, but don’t worry! Jeffery Starr’s burger tips are around to help you out! And here’s something that mother nature can help you out with, SUMMER..of course! With all of this summer grillin’ time, we’re getting’ geared up for those burger recipes! Yummmy. (Note to self: Stop thinking about all of the delicious burger making that’s going on or your head might explode!)

These fancy burger photos (sent by a fellow competitor) make us already want to sink our teeth in to the competition!

We know we’ve got to wait a few more months until the competition, but we’re already getting super excited! So get to grillin’ this weekend ‘cuz we are prepared for those juicy burgers! (Fourth of July Fireworks and burgers - can that even be topped?)

So let us in on all of your grilling secrets (pretty please with bacon and cheese on top!) It is almost the fourth of July, after all. Celebrate with us!

And if you don’t want to share EVERYTHING at least answer this one teensy question:

How did you come up with your gourmet burger creation? (I promise not to drool!)

Thumbnail Credit:

http://www.movabletype.org/images/fireworks.jpg
CC BY-SA 2.0

We know that your life is crazy busy. You come home every evening from work wishin’ and hopin’ that the housework had magically finished itself. (I’ll ask my fairy godmother to get to work on that!)

Fairy godmothers may be a fairytale, after all, but we’ve got just the thing to help you simplify your trips to the store. Our new iPhone app. – Build A Better Grocery List.

Now, how are we gonna do it? We’ll tell you! (Did you think we’d just leave you high and dry like that?)

- Get to shopping! Organize a grocery list according to YOUR budget
- So what about that pasta recipe that your girlfriend made at a party last week? View past lists or share your list with a friend (gosh, that sure does make it easier)
- Turn up the heat! This app has a burger database for all sorts of burger fun – we’ve got tons of recipes and ingredients so that you can plan your meal right from the store (no more running home to grab the list you forgot on the table)
- Game night! With our Burger personality quiz you can entertain yourself in those long, annoying lines.
- So what’s for dinner? The perfect wine and food, of course. We’ve got food and wine pairings right to your phone – Not sure what wine goes with that pasta dish? Just get out your iPhone!
- Tip Calculator – ‘nuff said
- Organize it! Club Membership cards take up way too much room – store all of your member cards in one easy location (no more cards piling in your wallet!)
- Write it down! With all of your notes in one easy-to-use application, you can jot important things down in a hurry and be able read ‘em later

Ah, life was never this easy.

And after you get all of the groceries put away (the worst part!), celebrate the little victories by grabbing a bottle of Sutter Home Sweet Red. You deserve it, right?

Which Sutter Home varietal do you pop open to celebrate the end to your day?
Let us know what you think of the app and what you think we should add to it!

So he just popped the big question. The initial thought that popped into your head right before you said “Yes!” was, “Thank goodness he didn’t ask during winter.” After all, summer is (of course) the best time to throw any party – especially the one that you’re going to look back on for the rest of your life together! With warm weather and cute sundresses, how can you go wrong?

Now we know that engagement parties can sometimes be stressful, but this is supposed to be your evening, right (well, you and the fiancé of course)? So don’t worry! Sit back and relax – we know how to throw together the perfect party before you can even say “Moscato”! And no one will ever know how little time it took you.

First things first, you need a theme! Grab up the ideal theme for your dinner party from our Burger Parties Cookbook. We’ve got everything covered – appetizers, main course, dessert, and drinks too! And we haven’t even mentioned the best part – you can choose from any of our 16 crowd-pleasing menus.

You might be in a rush to put something simple together, so we’re prepared for that too! Browse our videos for all the tips you need to ensure a successful evening.

Sutter Home’s executive chef, Jeffrey Starr, has got any advice you might need to ensure the happiness of your guests, your fiancé, and (most importantly) yourself! Any other pairing recommendations you need can be found on our website. With all of the flavors and varieties that we offer, your guests will start feeling quite chummy pretty quickly.

To start off your evening, make sure you’ve got a couple of champagne flutes for the toast. And here’s a fun idea for some summery sippin’ – mix together peach nectar, white zinfandel, crushed ice, a splash of sparkling water and a sprig of mint – this is a perfectly delicious toasting option!

When gourmet burgers are this simple, summer fun is a cinch!

So fire up that grill, put on your best dress and dance the night away! ‘Cuz with all of our easy solutions, you’ll have plenty of time to have fun!

Thumbnail Credit:

www.flickr.com/photos/rosedavies/2180336057/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

As Americans, we know you’ve all enjoyed a little football in your time..and we’re sure that you love to get your friends together, grab a few bottles of Sutter Home wine, and fire up the grill when that time comes. But who says that once football season is over the party ends?

With the summer season here, it’s time for some fútbol..and we’re not talking about the kind where you wear pads on your shoulders..we’re talking about the World Cup, baby! With 32 teams competing for the championship, that’s a lot of games and a lot of grilling time for you and your friends to grill your hearts out.

For loads of delicious grilling recipes, click over here and browse through over 5,000 recipes – we’ve got a recipe for every game. Looking for a burger with some of those Brazilian flavors to enjoy during the Portugal-Brazil game? We’ve got it! And you can pair that explosion of flavor with the taste of spicy berries and juicy pepper – Sutter Home’s Zinfandel, of course! Or maybe you’d rather chow down on an All-American burger to go with your All-American spirits – if you’re rooting for the good ‘ole USA, that is.

Let your soccer spirits come out in your food – enjoy an Asian burger or a Spanish burger to compliment the team that you’re rooting for. Or you can enjoy a duo of the delicious and juicy flavors with this flavor mosaic.

And if you’re asking yourself, “What wine goes best with that African burger again?” – check out our wine pairing tips. (By the way, try it with the Sauvignon Blanc..we would never mislead you.)

So, whether or not you’re actually in South Africa participating in one of the biggest events in the world, you sure can pretend like you are by trying all of their delicious flavors.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/shine2010/4167215740/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

If you’re coming to a close halt for creative party ideas, favors, foods and drinks, we know how to help you out (and we promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone)! We know that you’re usually the party queen (or king), and we’d love to help you keep that title.

Our new Burger Parties cookbook has fabulous party menus that range from hosting a Southwest fiesta to a tropical patio get-together – so no matter the occasion, we’ve got your back.

Together, Sutter Home’s executive chef, Jeffrey Starr and the Build-A-Better-Burger head judge, James McNair formulated a book with all of their ideas, culinary genius, and recipes all in one..sounds like a dynamic duo to me! Jam-packed with over 60 full color photos that look good enough to eat, and loads of party-ready menus, this cookbook is sure to get you the “Party Diva of the Year” award.

So why wait until the 4th of July or Labor Day to host the most delicious party ever? The summertime heat seems like reason enough to plan a celebration! Click over here to order your copy now, and begin your path to burger party greatness.

And if you’re not convinced quite yet, take a look at some of our teaser videos and get a little taste of some of our mind-blowing burger parties. You don’t want to miss out on becoming the chef that your friends rave about.

Want to learn how to perfectly construct a deliciously mouthwatering burger that might score you $100,000? Or maybe you just want to host a party for all of your friends so they can “ooh” and “ahh” at your cooking skills?

Jeffrey Starr, Sutter Home’s Executive Chef, has all of the right advice to lead you on your path of deliciousness and perhaps, a chance to showcase your skills at the 20th annual Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Cook-off in Napa Valley! Check out our helpful videos to learn the best way to handle ground beef, what ingredients get the judge’s mouths watering and much more!

You can also watch past videos of our annual cook-off, where you’ll see firsthand the excitement and energy of the competition!

So what are you waiting for? Grab your spatula, fire up the computer and be prepared to be inspired!

This might sound like the “Circle yes or no if you like us” note that we all used to pass around in middle school, but we’re asking because if you like our wine so much, we want your “liking us” to be official on Facebook too!

Now we’re not asking you to update your status to being “In a Relationship” with us on Facebook or anything like that, but we’d love for you to be part of our growing Facebook Page that’s constantly updated with new information about Sutter Home Wines.

On our Brand Page, we’ve got fans from all over the world talking with each other about their latest Sutter Home Wine tasting experiences, sharing pictures and even recommending wine and food pairings to each other.

But more than that, our Brand Page is a place where we get to connect with our customers, hear what you love the most and see what you’d like improved. We get to have real conversations with you, and we love that because the Sutter Home Facebook Brand Page isn’t just a place that we’ve stamped our brand. It’s a thriving community of people who love our wine just as much as we do and can’t help but talk about it.

So click over here to “like” Sutter Home Wine on our Facebook Brand Page! Otherwise, we might have to return to middle school tactics and ask Bobby or Susie if you really like us that much.

If you’re like most, you’ve had a friend return from Europe espousing the simple picnics they saw people enjoy. They were envious of how a couple would sit down and magically produce a basket with salami, some olives, cheese and wine. “They just seem to do everything so romantically,” they’d tell you. Maybe that “friend” was you.

Whether or not Europeans are really more romantic than we are is up for debate, but their picnicking certainly is. Europeans opt for smaller portions of rich, savory foods. Eating likewise isn’t just more fun, doing so might just keep you moving on your hike or museum tour.

The key is to travel light, carry rich, delectable goodies, and a laissez-faire attitude. Here’s what you might need:

-a quality hard salami
-baguette or other hard bread
-harder, more temperature- resistant cheese
-olives or grapes
-a light to medium bodied wine like Sutter Home’s Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon

Sutter Home’s Pinot Grigio pairs well with a wide variety of foods, from mild to spicy, and our Cabernet Sauvignon deliciously complements Italian salamis and most hard cheeses recommended for picnicking.

Oh – want to keep your picnic basket or backpack weight to a minimum? Bring along our convenient single serving plastic bottles of White Zinfandel or Merlot – perfect for every picnic.

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This year is the 20th annual Sutter Home Build a Better Burger® Recipe Contest, and we’re excited that this year’s contest is bigger, better and more mouthwatering than ever, especially with all of the new activities we have going on at Sutter Home!

Want to brush up on your wine and burger knowledge for the competition? Enroll in Sutter Home’s Wine & Burger University where the facts you learn about wine and burgers can help you journey your way to Napa Valley for this delicious event. To get the latest updates and information, don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Are your burger patties needing some culinary inspiration? Don’t sweat it. Find creative ideas by browsing Sutter Home’s Burgerbase, the largest database of burger recipes in the world. Additionally, to honor this important year, we’re releasing our new cookbook, Burger Parties, which features a collection of 16 themed parties with mouth-watering burger recipes from previous winners as well as wine-based cocktails, appetizers, side dishes, desserts and wine pairings. Want a chance to win a Burger Parties cookbook of your own? Enter Wine & Burger University’s monthly giveaway for March for a chance to win a copy.

We’re expecting even more recipe submissions to Build a Better Burger this year, as we’re offering trips to Napa Valley for finalists to compete for a grand prize of $100,000. You can enter too, but don’t forget to check the rules and guidelines for participating in the competition.

With that said, get up off your couch, fire up your grill and join in on the action! Why watch this lip smacking event on TV when you could be cooking up your own delectable creation in Napa Valley? Enter your recipe today! Happy Grilling!

Trying to spice up your boring burger recipe? Check out Sutter Home’s Burgerbase….where each burger is paired with the perfect Sutter Home wine is a sure-fire way liven up your next family grilling night.

Gourmet-your-burger
While yesterday’s custom burger might have involved some Seasoned Salt and some dried onions, these days - the sky’s the limit. And just because they’re gourmet- delicious doesn’t mean they’re gourmet hard or expensive to cook. Check it out - we’ve been farming for the best burger recipes, and using Sutter Home’s Burgerbase, you can have access to over 5,000 gourmet burger recipes. Want mushrooms? We’ve got you covered. Lamb? You bet.

Wine to complement a better burger
The right wine with your burger? You betcha. What with all the prime-beef, blue cheeses and caramelized onions, wine pairing is fun…and easy.

For the most part, big, burly burgers demand a bigger wine. Merlot wines are a safe bet. To pair according to your specific burger and topping, check out our pairing recommendations.

One notable Bugerbase submission, “9th Street Market Burgers,” described as a “fusion version of the Philly cheesesteak,” pairs perfectly with Sutter Home’s versatile and delicious Pinot Grigio.

Want to extend it and find a burger to match a particular wine? It’s super-fun on the Burgerbase. For example, if you’re looking to find a burger to complement Sutter Home’s January Wine of the Month, Zinfandel, among other recommendations you’ll find the awesome sounding “Bacon, Fig and Nut Gournay Cheese Burger.”

There really are too many options to list, and searching is half the fun, anyway. Bon appetit!

Thumbnail Image:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cowcoptim/4375226684/