Strawberry and Beet Gazpacho (Inspired by Davis Estates)

Last September my little sister turned 40, and we went to Napa to celebrate. Davis Estates was one of our stops, and it was my favorite. Not only was the wine amazing, the property itself was stunning.

We started with a tour of the barn, which honestly could have been the whole visit and I would have been happy. Then we went upstairs to the tasting room overlooking the vineyard. Outside there was a porch with a giant porch swing where you could sit and look out over the vines as far as you could see.

Our group sat at a long table, and when we arrived there was a custom menu waiting at each place with our names on it. That detail got me. On the other side of the room was an open kitchen where the chef was making the food pairings for each wine. Everything about the place, the wine, the food, the setting and the way they treat you, was considered. Nothing was an afterthought.

When they poured the Sauvignon Blanc and set the gazpacho in front of us, I didn’t know what to expect. The pairing was so immediately, obviously right that it made me want to become a Davis Estates member on the spot. And I did.

The gazpacho is bright, a little earthy from the beets and sweet from the strawberries. It’s not like anything I’d tasted before. When they handed us the recipe on a little card at the end of the tasting, I looked at the ingredients and thought, this is actually really good for you. I’m not someone who naturally reaches for a plate of vegetables, but beets, cucumber, strawberries and basil oil blended into something this good, next to a cold glass of wine? That’s why I saved the recipe, came home and made it.

I make it most when it’s warm out. A bright sunny day sends me straight to this recipe. I’ve made it in the middle of winter too, as a way to get my vegetables in without feeling like I’m eating my vegetables.

A few honest notes before you start

The color is going to surprise you. Beets and strawberries together make a deep magenta that looks almost too dramatic for a bowl of soup. It’s not. It’s stunning.

I’ve made this with homemade basil oil and with store-bought, and both are great. Olivelle makes a beautiful one I reach for when I don’t want to make my own.

Recipe by Davis Estates, Napa Valley. It belongs entirely to their team, and they get every bit of the credit. I’m just the one who brought it home to Montana.