CONTENTS | SEPT | 2017
ON THE COVER
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Our cover this month features a gorgeous shot of the Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia. In our Spotlight, General Manager Scott Mattiello highlights how the West Valley golf courses are commanding more and more attention, and invites Vistancia residents to take advantage of a fantastic neighbor special and experience this for yourselves.
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SPOTLIGHT
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FINE ARTS
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BACKYARD
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HAPPY HOUR
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CRAFTS
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Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia - Special Neighbor Rate West Valley Symphony’s 49th Season Opener Why the Hype Over Wood Fired Grills? The Earthly Underpinnings of Mexico’s Vineyards Lasagna Dip Recipe
OPEN DOORS ARIZONA is published by Lion Tree Communications.
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SPOTLIGHT
Trilogy
Golf Club at Vistancia
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Special Neighbor Rate for the Vistancia Community By Scott Mattiello, PGA, General Manager, Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia
WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF GOLF IN THE VALLEY, many minds head straight to the murderer’s row of North Scottsdale. With exceptional offerings from Nicklaus, Fazio, Weiskopf, Mickleson, Jay Morrish and more, it’s easy to understand why. But more recently much of the new golf mojo is found in Greater Phoenix’s West Valley. >>>>
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In just the past year, two of the most talked about courses nationally are both from west of the I-17: Grand Canyon Golf Course (formerly Maryvale) at 59th Avenue & Indian School and the vaunted Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club in historic Wickenburg. This comes on the heels of the rave reviews for the renovations at Wigwam Golf Resort. And of course, you also have Quintero, Verrado, Estrella, and my own Trilogy at Vistancia, all of which have been highly regarded for years – even through the tricky transition months. Right now, the blend of summer heat, monsoon storms and increased humidity actually make for some solid conditions to establish lush, green turf. Despite some record temperatures this summer, we are delighted to say that the course is in remarkably great shape. Not only are the greens rolling nice and true, but the tee boxes have been given a little TLC, providing even tee surfaces from which to punch the perfect drive. But don’t just take our word for it, check out our photos or even better, come on down to visit us to find out why Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia was recently placed top two in the “Ranking Arizona” 2016 awards. To celebrate with you, we’d love to extend a big warm welcome and invite all of our friends from the Vistancia community to come and enjoy Trilogy Golf Club, through to the beginning of our overseed (October 10th), anytime Sunday – Thursday for just $40, while Trilogy residents bounce back for $39. Simply reserve your round by calling our Golf Shop team at 623.328.5100 and bring this article in on your day of play to secure your special neighbor rate.
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With our focus on exceptional service and quality experience you’re sure to enjoy every moment. We’ll see you soon! For more information visit TrilogyGolfClub.com.
Serving the communities of Vistancia, Trilogy and Blackstone!
TWO working for YOU!
Beth & Steve Downing (623) 693-9053 www.TeamDowning.com Beth@TeamDowning.com • Steve@TeamDowning.com Do you have a DD Form 214? Ask Us Why It Matters.
$159 Weekdays through September MENTION THIS R ATE W HEN YOU R ESERV E YOUR ROUND
trilogygolfclub.com • 623-328-5100
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FINE ARTS
2 Symphonies, 1 Concert! Maestro Cal Stewart Kellogg Conducts the West Valley Symphony’s 49th Season Opener Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 3 p.m.
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West Valley Symphony’s upcoming concert at Valley Vista Performing Arts Center, 2 Symphonies, 1 Concert!, features the rarely performed Beethoven’s 8th Symphony. It’s often neglected due to its position between the monumental 7th and 9th; however, you won’t find a better example of Beethoven’s biting sense of humor than in this fabulous piece of music. The concert opens with Beethoven’s dark and brooding Coriolan Overture and Mendelssohn brightens up the day with a blotch of the brightest possible sunlight captured in his Italian Symphony. Concert Sponsor: The Lashmet Family Fund. >>>>
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Cal Stewart Kellogg, Music Director and Conductor. Photo by Robert Strava. This must-see, season-opening performance happens Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 3 p.m. at the Valley Vista Performing Arts Center, which is located at 15550 N. Parkview Place Surprise, Ariz. 85374. Pricing for the West Valley Symphony is as follows: Adult Series Tickets (five concerts): Premium $165 or Standard $140; Adult Single Tickets: Premium $35 or Standard $30; Youth (under 18) Series Tickets: Premium $90 or Standard $65; Youth (under 18) Single Tickets: Premium $20 or Standard $15. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact the box office provider: Arizona Broadway Theatre at (623) 707-8844 (select option one), or by visiting westvalleysymphony.org. Tickets may also be purchased online, in-person or on concert days at Valley Vista starting at 2 p.m. Please contact box office for details. West Valley Symphony is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional performing arts organization located in Surprise, Ariz. A cultural treasure in the west valley since its incorporation in 1968, the symphony produces five live classical and pops concerts each season at the Valley Vista Performing Arts Center from November through March. Led by Maestro Cal Stewart Kellogg, West Valley Symphony joins together professional musicians from across the Phoenix-metro area to share their talents with our audiences. For more information about the organization or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit westvalleysymphony.org.
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To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact the box office provider: Arizona Broadway Theatre at (623) 707-8844 (select option one).
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BACKYARD
Why the Hype Over Wood Fired Grills? By Anesia St. Clair Anesia is a licensed contractor and owns Pure Patio, a design center and retail store in Goodyear, Arizona.
FOR YEARS I HAD STRUGGLED TO GRILL A GREAT CHICKEN BREAST. HOW HARD CAN IT BE?
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Thick in the middle, thin at the ends, I’d accept that parts would be dry or burned in order to get it all done. Out with my flashlight I’d go, cutting through the middle and spreading it open to see if the inside looked done. More than once I’ve sent it back to the grill for more time. As the burners on my gas grill went out or developed holes in them, I’d find new sweet spots where I could position my food. No flame here, too much there… grilling had become a sport of me vs. the grill. It was more challenging than it was fun and all I wanted to do was eat. I grew up on a Weber charcoal grill. The food had great flavor and my parents seemed to have the process dialed in. I still love the taste of food cooked over charcoal and the childhood memories that naturally come with it. At some point, I got away from charcoal and moved to gas in an effort to save time. The instant heat was great! As long as I always had a spare propane tank on hand and was willing to babysit the meat, it was fine enough. A few years ago, my gas grill finished off a slow death. It wasn’t a high-end
“ Smoke brisket low and slow for a juicy main course. grill by any definition. The igniter was the first thing to go, then a burner went out, then the holes in another burner joined together to form a fire trough. Finally, the part that attached to the propane tank broke. It was time for a new grill. And so, the search began! Back to charcoal? Buy a super-duper gas grill? Build an island? How about a kamado grill? One day my family was at a grill store mulling over the options and an older man walked in. He was looking over the seasonings and the different flavors of pellets. He noticed we were doing some careful analysis and we struck up a conversation. He had been in the restaurant business his whole
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If you’re in the market for a new grill or are tired of battling the flame, check out wood fired grills. Some call them pellet grills or smokers. They plug into an outlet and feed wood pellets from an auger to a fire pot beneath your cooking grates.
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Ribs and corn on the cob are easy and reliably good.
Use your grill to bake cornbread, beans, and vegetables.
life and grew his business to 54 locations. This man knew food. He explained that he recently completed a dream outdoor kitchen at his home and had built a fabulous island with a high-quality gas grill. By the time construction was complete, he had discovered wood fired grills. He bought one and cooked on nothing but it ever since. He had just spent $30,000 on his gas grill island and then spent just $1,000 more to get what he wanted all along – great food! He had us salivating in the store as he told stories about the variety of food he was making. Meat, vegetables, macaroni and cheese, pies, bread. He was a tech guy and controlled the grill from his phone. He could change the grilling temperature and check the internal temperature of the meat all while watching the game in his living room. This guy had me at “great food” and my journey with a pellet grill began.
flame so it’s impossible to have flare ups. We cook to a specific internal temperature of the meat and as a result it’s done perfectly every time. We experiment with different flavors of pellets and seasonings to keep it interesting.
The first thing we ever cooked was filet mignon. You could cut it would a fork. Now we regularly cook pizza, brisket, ribs, chicken, steaks, lobster, pulled pork, pork chops, wings and lots of vegetables. Thanksgiving turkey is fantastic! We can smoke all day or grill quick burgers. The food doesn’t come into contact with a
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If you’re in the market for a new grill or are tired of battling the flame, check out wood fired grills. Some call them pellet grills or smokers. They plug into an outlet and feed wood pellets from an auger to a fire pot beneath your cooking grates. It creates an oven-like environment with a digitally-controlled temperature. You can control it from your phone or get some exercise and walk over to the grill and turn a knob. With grilling season upon us, you have the potential to change the way you eat forever. Don’t take it from me; take it from the wise man with 54 restaurants and $31,000 in grills under his belt.
HAPPY HOUR
The Earthly Underpinnings of Mexico’s Vineyards By Wayne Belding You can find more reviews from Wayne Belding and other talented wine writers at www.winereviewonline.com.
It was nearly 500 years ago when Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortéz conquered the Aztecs and created New Spain. In 1524, as Governor of the new colony, Cortéz decreed that all colonists who received a land grant must plant grapevines. Thus, the Mexican wine industry was born. There is record of grapes being planted in the Valle de Parras of Central Mexico in 1593 and the Casa Madero Winery was established in 1597, making it the oldest winery in the northern hemisphere. Much has changed since Cortéz’s early demand, but the intervening centuries have not been kind for Mexican wine production. Royal decrees, political upheavals and the devastation of phylloxera have all had negative impacts on vineyards. The establishment of the Pedro Domecq winery in 1972, however, marks the start of the modern wine industry in the country. Since that time, there have been many advances. Despite its large size and potential, however, Mexico ranks only 25th among the world’s wine producing nations. The country of Mexico lies between 32 and 15 degrees of latitude. This is generally considered too low a latitude for quality wine production unless there are offsetting geographic circumstances to balance an otherwise too hot climate. Mexico’s physical setting provides these balancing factors.
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The “Ring of Fire” around the Pacific Mexico is located in the “Ring of Fire” that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. This is one of the Earth’s most geologically active areas, with earthquake activity and volcanic eruptions on all sides. The structure of the Mexican land is a result of the earth’s tectonic plates colliding over the past 50 million years. Mexico is situated on the leading western edge of the North American Plate, whose interaction with the Pacific, Farallon, Cocos, and Caribbean plates has pushed up the land, creating high mountain ranges (Orizaba Peak, at 18,406 feet is Mexico tallest peak) as well as a high central plateau.
Major Topographic Regions of Mexico (See illustration bottom right) Although Mexico can be divided into nine major physiographic regions, the winegrowing regions are largely in the Central Mexican Plateau and Baja California. It is the high elevation that allows Central Mexico to have potential as a winegrowing region. The average air temperature decreases about 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit per thousand feet of elevation so the Valle de Parras in Coahuila State, at nearly five thousand feet, has an average high temperature of around 90 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of around 64 degrees during July and August, the key ripening months. That’s a range similar to California’s Central Valley. The Parras Valley is the oldest wine making region of Mexico. Similar to arid, high elevation winegrowing areas in Argentina, the Parras Valley benefits from inhibited fungal and pest problems as well as a necessary diurnal temperature shift. The Casa Madero Winery is located here and produces Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Tempranillo among other varieties. Moving south to the Querétaro State, we rise in elevation to 6,000+ feet. Here, the Spanish Cava producer Freixenet has established a sparkling wine facility, using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as some traditional Spanish Cava grapes in their production.
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Satellite Photo of the Baja Peninsula The Baja California peninsula in northwestern Mexico is an isolated strip of rugged and arid land extending between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, aka the Sea of Cortez. Geologically, it is part of the Pacific Plate rather than the North American Plate. It shares a geologic heritage with coastal California west of the San Andreas Fault. This landmass is moving slowly northward relative to the North American Plate at around an inch per year on average. The Gulf of California that separates Baja from the mainland opened up only about 6 million years ago -- relatively recent by geologic time standards. The central core of the peninsula is a granitic fault block with various alluvial and other sediments filling the valleys. Vineyard on Granite Terrain in the Valle de Guadalupe The Valle de Guadalupe is the most important winegrowing region in all of Mexico -- producing 90% of the nation’s fine wine. Similar to winegrowing valleys like Santa Ynez and Santa Maria
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Satellite photo of the Baja Peninsula, Mexico
This landmass is moving slowly northward relative to the North American Plate at around an inch per year on average. The Gulf of California that separates Baja from the mainland opened up only about 6 million years ago.
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in California, the Valle de Guadalupe is influenced by the cool California Current that flows offshore in the Pacific. Heating of the inland areas during the day draws the cool marine air into the valley, providing a beneficial climate for grape growing. Baja’s vineyards have an average high temperature of around 86 degrees Fahrenheit in the ripening season. They receive most of their limited rainfall during the winter months, but are dependent on irrigation for viticulture.
Sauvignon are often found. Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are common whites, but share vineyard space with varieties like Palomino, Viognier and Muscat. While Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted red grape, it does not dominate the vineyards as it does in the Napa Valley. We find Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties planted among Zinandel, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Syrah and Grenache. Tempranillo, in particular, is becoming more popular in the region.
Vineyards in the Valle de Guadalupe Only a short drive south of San Diego, the Valle de Guadalupe has a burgeoning wine tourism business. The Ruta del Vino runs through the heart of wine country here and there has been significant development of hotel facilities to accommodate the increased trade in the last decade. Some of the Valle de Guadalupe producers are getting international recognition for their wines. Monte Xanic, L.A. Cetto, Vinos Pedro Domecq and Bodega de Santo Tomas all produce wines that have received accolades.
Although Mexico has around 100,000 acres of vineyard land, only about 6,000 is devoted to fine wine production. The rest is used for table grapes or as a source for distillation of Mexican brandies. The Mexican populace has a much stronger tradition of consuming beer and spirits than wine. There is an expanding middle class of consumers, especially in growing urban areas, that is now making wine their beverage of choice. The physical setting is available for increasing fine wine production. In the next decade, we may see many more Mexican wines appearing in the U.S. market.
With no established winegrowing tradition, many grape varieties are planted here and unusual blends like Nebbiolo and Cabernet
Just a short drive from San Diego await the vineyards in the Valle de Guadalupe.
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CRAFTS
Lasagna Dip Recipe By Vanessa Coppola Visit www.seevanessacraft.com for more crafts and recipes.
Lasagna dip is my favorite recipe to make during a busy week and it’s always a big hit with the entire family. Make it as an appetizer, it’s perfect for parties, or serve it up as a main dish with some veggies on the side. You can make the meat sauce the night before and just combine everything 15 minutes before dinnertime. Super easy and delicious!
INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce 1 large white onion (chopped) 1 garlic clove (chopped) 1 pound ground beef (cooked, drained) 2 tsp Italian spices 1/2 cup cottage cheese or ricotta 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded) 1 tbsp parsley (chopped) 1 sourdough loaf (sliced) INSTRUCTIONS Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook the ground beef, chopped garlic and chopped onion all together. Add 1 tsp of Italian spices to the meat, while cooking. Step 2: Add the marinara sauce and the remaining 1 tsp of Italian spices to the marinara sauce. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Pour half of the meat sauce on the bottom of a large cast iron skillet. Step 3: Layer 1/2 cup of cottage cheese or ricotta on top of the meat sauce. Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the cottage cheese, followed by the remaining meat sauce. Step 4: Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Step 5: Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling, broiling for the last 2 minutes. Top with 1 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley. Step 6: Serve with a loaf of sliced sourdough bread for dipping.
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