Category Archives: Event

Event, Food, Sommelier

TWF: Food, Somms & Team Sawyer!

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More appreciation goes out to those that made this event work for me and the wineries involved.  Cannot overlook the amazing food, Sommelier experts Wayne and Nadia, plus my team of Deborah, Teale, Simone and even my son Rupert (who helped deliver ice & water at the Grand Tasting)!  I could not have done it without them.  Besides this view of the Sunday Brunch along the main street of Telluride, here are some more great pix to share from behind the scenes.

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Left to Right: Selfie with my Somms, Wayne Belding & Nadia Pavlevska; A delicious salad from the Precious Bites picnic; Busy chefs prepare a gourmet meal

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Clockwise: A cake by Fig & Bloom at the Grand Tasting; The gondola view from above Telluride; Special course from guest star chef Dean Max at The Calling dinner; With my team, Deborah and Teale, surrounded by oodles of wine talent!

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Clockwise: Telluride main street; Delectible snacks at the Grand Tasting; The crowds gather around the Sommelier Selection table at the Grand Tasting

Event, Music, Wine

Rodney Strong Summer Concerts start July 8th!

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Chris Botti will perform on August 27th!
Chris Botti will perform on August 27th!

Have you been to one of these shows? The last few years my family and I have attended, first to see Chris Isaak, followed by B-52’s last year. It was super fun, plus you have the opportunity to catch Isaak again this year! Rodney Strong is a great outdoor setting with delicious wines to accompany your pleasure.  Here are the details!

July 8th – Chris Isaak
July 23rd – Kenny Loggins
August 27th – Chris Botti
September 9th – Kool & The Gang

Get tickets while you can!
Cheers, Christopher

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Charity, Event, Wine

2017 Great Gatsby Gala Benefiting the HDSA

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Buena Vista Winery will be transformed into a Roaring Twenties destination on Saturday, July 1, 2017 when the winery hosts the Great Gatsby Gala to benefit the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA).

With a goal to raise $100,000 to support the HDSA mission, the event will honor Jean-Charles Boisset, Proprietor of Boisset Collection, which owns Buena Vista Winery, and Dr. Laurice Yang, Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University in the Neurology & Neurological Sciences department. Join us in your Gatsby-themed attire to enjoy live entertainment, a delicious dinner and wine pairing, Buena Vista’s classically retro Bubble Lounge and a fantastic silent auction.

To make donations and purchase tickets please go to: pacificsouthwestreg.hdsa.org/

Event, Travels, Varietal, Wine

Get your tickets to Festival of Albariño, June 16-17!

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A cool event in a hot climate!   At the Festival of Albariño in Paso Robles, you will get to interact with as many winemakers as possible from these low-production wineries on the Central Coast.

Three events at three different venues:
-The seminar at Derby Winery in historic downtown Paso Robles, moderated by Doug Wilder of Purely Domestic Wine Report
-Grand Tasting of over 25 different Albarinos at Broken Earth Winery.
-The dinner Friday night at Brecon is limited to only 46 people, with a few places still available. Pairings of Albariños with a gourmet menu.

Get tickets while you can!

Event, Sommelier, Varietal, Wine

Ravenous for Rosé? Some June events for you!

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It just must be the season for those lighter spring delights to make an appearance! June seems to be blooming with delicious Rosé opportunities to please the palate.

Thursday, June 1
FREE Rosé Tasting at Gravenstein Grill
Join ME for a fun and educational Rosé tasting on the Gravenstein Grill patio in Sebastopol (8050 Bodega Ave). No reservations required, but show up early to guarantee a spot!

Saturday, June 17
Rosé Today Presents: A Country Garden Party
Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery will host pourings on the grand tasting court & in the meadows, talks from industry leaders, gourmet food pairings by the Culinary Institute of America, pétanque, badminton, dancing, and merriment!

Event, Food, Garden, Wine

Sunset Celebration Weekend at Cornerstone! May 20-21

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This is a fun event for all ages!  For those that missed the news, Sunset Magazine purchased Cornerstone in Sonoma, so we are lucky that they now use the gardens for their annual celebration.  Lots of great activities including Wine & Spirits seminars, Iced Tea Sampling, Succulent Potting, Cocktail Garden, Music Stage as well as a great line-up of star chefs and talent; Chef Ryan Scott, Chef Perry Hoffman, Chef Ari Weiswasser, Tyler Malek, many of Sunset‘s own editors, and more!

Sunset Celebration Weekend @Cornerstone
May 20 & 21, 11am to 5pm
Purchase tickets HERE!

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Event, Sommelier, Wine

Seminar Schedule for the Telluride Wine Festival!

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I am busily crafting a list of stellar winery and sommelier guests to join the seminar offerings at this year’s Telluride Wine Festival, June 22-25.  Benovia Winery, Robert Biale Vineyards, Gloria Ferrar, Laurel Glen Vineyard, Montemaggiore, Rodney Strong are all on the list, and more coming. . .

(Photo courtesy of the Cycling Foodie blog.)
(Photo courtesy of the Cycling Foodie blog.)

There will be four one-hour special seminars, all scheduled for Friday and Saturday (details below): There are of course many more fabulous events to attend so take a moment to peruse the TWF full schedule.  Then purchase your tickets HERE!

Perfectly Pinot: Friday June 23, 10:30-11:30
A unique opportunity to taste a collection of these sophisticated, limited-release wines crafted from world-class grapes grown in the prestigious regions of Russian River Valley, Santa Rita Hills, Anderson Valley, Willamette Valley, and other coastal regions of the West Coast.

Rhone If You Want To: Friday June 23, 2:30-3:30
Learn about the characteristics of the special grapes used to make a wide range of flavorful red and white still wines, dry pink wines, and complex blends that are great to pair with a wide range of cuisine all year long!

A Mixed Bag of “Mixed Blacks”: Preserving Rare Old Vine Wines Friday June 23, 4:30-5:30
Join us at this rare opportunity to taste and find out what proprietors of the Robert Biale Vineyard and other special producers from Napa Valley and Sonoma County are doing to preserve these old vines as you experience this magnificent series of limited release wines.

Inventing an Icon: The Art & Craft of Proprietary Red Blends Saturday June 24, 10:30-11:30
From elegant to powerful, the profiles of complex red wine blends made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and other special grape varieties offer flavor profiles that set themselves apart from all the rest.

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Event, Food, Travels, Wine

Laird Family Estate – Wine Train Dinner! Saturday April 22nd

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Ready to ride the rails? I will be there to enjoy this exquisite four-course gourmet dinner of seasonal offerings by Chef Donald Young.  The Laird Family Estate portfolio will be tasted and discussed with Consulting Winemaker Brian Mox.

This 3 hour adventure is on the all new Napa Valley Wine Train, for the Private Reserve Dinner Series, aboard the 36-seat restyled Pullman rail car.  Boarding for the special Laird Family Estate dinner will be on Saturday April 22 at 6:30 PM,  with the train departing the station at 7:00 PM.

Reserve your tickets now!

Event, Food, Tasting, Wine

5 Flavor! Napa Valley Events You Don’t Want To Miss

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I am reposting this informative article from Legendary Napa Valley to better reach your inboxes!

Flavor! Napa Valley, the food and wine festival benefiting the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), celebrates both Napa Valley and CIA graduate chefs and winemakers with five days of exclusive experiences that bring out the best flavors of the legendary Napa Valley. Come join us during these five wonderful days of wine classes, chef demos, elegant dinners and more.

Be sure these five Flavor! Napa Valley events are on your schedule:

  1. First Taste – A Downtown Social, presented by the Downtown Napa Association, Wednesday March 22, 6 – 8:30 p.m.; price is $95 per person. Celebrate under the stars at the brand new CIA at Copia in downtown Napa, with more than 15 of Napa’s best restaurants and more than 40 Napa Valley wineries. The evening will also include live entertainment and the opportunity to bid on Magnum editions of rare wines during a silent auction.
  2. From Vineyard to Bottle – Exploring Napa Valley with Iconic Winemaker Heidi Barrett at the CIA at Copia, Thursday March 23, 2:30 – 4 p.m.; $95 per person. Moderated by wine, food and television star Leslie Hartley-Sbrocco of KQED’s “Check, Please!”, this exclusive seminar and tasting is focused on Heidi’s secrets behind how she captures the deep and complex flavors of the fruit in the wines.
  3. Napa Valley Icons Dinner, Tuesday March 23, 6 – 10 p.m.; $295 per person. Guests will celebrate the food and wine icons of the Napa Valley at the Silverado Resort and Spa while honoring legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett. Participating chefs include Host Chef Jeffrey Jake from Silverado Resort and Spa; Matthew Accarrino from SPQR; Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski from State Bird Provisions and The Progress; Ken Frank from La Toque; Michael Schulson from Schulson Collective; and esteemed CIA graduate Waldy Malouf.
  4. Legendary Napa Valley, The Grand Tasting, VIP admission is Saturday March 25, 6 – 7 p.m. and tickets are $225 per person; general admission is at 7 p.m. and tickets are $175 per person.  The sixth annual Grand Tasting at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena allows guests to taste their way through the Napa Valley with a selection of sweet and savory bites from more than 25 Napa Valley restaurants, paired with wine from more than 80 Napa Valley wineries.
  5. Bubbles and Brunch, Sunday March 26, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.; $135 per person. Flavor! Napa Valley concludes with a brunch at one of Napa Valley’s most renowned sparkling wine houses, Domaine Chandon. Guests will enjoy dishes from Host Chef Brian Whitmer from VINeleven, winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars and Owner, Trail Blais Inc., Richard Blais, and nationally acclaimed Vegas restaurateur Rick Moonen, RM Seafood. Brunch will be accompanied by a selection of Domaine Chandon’s still and sparkling wines.