Category Archives: Event

Charity, Event, Food, Sommelier, Wine

Sawyer Somm Birthday Fire Relief Fundraiser Pizza Party! November 2nd

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A socially distanced Pizza Party at Gravenstein Grill celebrating my birthday – benefiting the Sonoma Resilience Fund! Monday, November 2nd, 5-8pm

RESERVE YOUR SEATS HERE! Pizza, Wine & a Full Bar will be available. Groups must be 10 or fewer and be pre-reserved to maintain social distance. Each group will receive their own table.

Allen Wines & Bucher Wines will be pouring at the event as well as a cash bar: 50% of all ticket sales goes directly to the resilience fund!

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8050 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol, CA 95472
(707) 634-6142
Event, Food, Sommelier, Video, Wine

Pizza At Paradise Ridge Is A LOVEly Combination!

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Stopped by Paradise Ridge Winery for a work related errand, and just happened onto this spectacular virtual event, which also featured chef Duskie Estes, owner of Black Piglet Food Truck! WATCH IT HERE!!!

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Event, Virtual, Wine

Inaugural LEGENDS Masterclass is LIVE Thursday June 4th!

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Save the Date and register for this upcoming online event series, the inaugural LEGENDS Masterclass, a Vineyard Seminar and Wine Tasting Series beginning June 4, 2020. This special VINOUS Live Webinar will showcase six renowned vineyard sites of the Moon Mountain District.

Guests of the Masterclass will be the first to engage with the Moon Mountain District Vineyard Map, created as part of a major partnership with Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers and VINOUS to comprehensively map the vineyards of Sonoma Valley.

LIVE
Thursday, June 4 | 5:00 PM (PST) | via Zoom
No purchase necessary to participate! REGISTER HERE

You will receive an email confirmation with detailed instructions and credentials to access this special educational webinar.
To enhance your experience, order the Moon Mountain District Tasting Kit. See participating wineries below.

Phil Coturri | Viticulturist 
Antonio Galloni | VINOUS | Moderator 

FEATURED VINEYARDS: B. Wise Vineyards, Kamen Estate Vineyard, Moon Mountain Vineyard, Simons Vineyard, Silver Cloud Vineyard, Trinity Ridge Vineyard

PANELISTS:
B. Wise Vineyards | Brion Wise + Massimo Monticelli, B. Wise Vineyards
Kamen Estate Vineyard | Robert Kamen + Mark Herold, Kamen Estate Wines
Moon Mountain Vineyard | Jim Momtazee + Erich Bradley, Repris
Simons Vineyard | Phil Coturri, Winery Sixteen 600
Silver Cloud Vineyard | Mac McQuown + Jeff Baker, Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery
Trinity Ridge Vineyard | John Lasseter + Tony Biagi, Lasseter Family Winery  

Event, Tasting, Wine

Virtual Vines – Some Online Options to Spend Time With Fine Wines!

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As we all grasp the new reality, at least for the time being, the industry has shifted to allow the opportunity to keep filling our cellars!  In addition there is an interactive tasting component being streamed for our virtual pleasure.

As an example, I was just with Tres Sabores on Instagram for their weekly Live Tasting Party, happening every Tuesday at 4pm!  And look out for information upcoming about CellarPass TV, which I will be participating in soon with some very special wine guests!  Until then here is a list of upcoming wineries partaking in the pleasures of our new normal this week.

Notre Vue Winery:  April 2, Thursday, Join by Zoom at 5pm to participate!

Sextant Estate Winery: April 2 & 9, Thursdays, Order wines to join in!

Adobe Road Winery:  April 3 & 4, Friday & Saturday, Join by Zoom at 5pm to participate!

Byington Vineyard & Winery: April 3, Fridays weekly at 5pm & 7pm

Thirty-Seven Wines: Order your Virtual Tasting Wine Pack by April 5, Sunday, to participate on Saturday April 18.

Calluna Vineyards: Virtual Wine Tastings on  April 5 Sunday, April 11 Saturday,or April 17 Friday, be sure to Register here!

Whichever experience you happen to choose ENJOY!
Cheers, Chris

Event, Varietal, Wine, zigsaw

Coming Soon: ZinEX & #ZIGSAW Discount at the Grand Tasting!

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Get ready San Francisco, because here comes Zin EX, January 30-February 1!  Three spectacular days to celebrate the marvelous varietal Zinfandel.  It starts with the Opening Night Dinner at Le Colonial (SOLD OUT, sorry!).

Moving on, there is a fantastic seminar, Legendary Zinfandel Vineyards – As seen through the Eyes of Their Caretakers on Friday January 31, 10:30 to 1pm at The Palace Hotel, with moderator extraordinaire Joel Peterson, founding winemaker at Ravenswood Winery (TICKETS Available!). Later in the evening comes Havana Nights, the SOLD OUT Winemaker Auction & Dinner.

Saving the best for last is the Grand Tasting on Saturday February 1st, at Pier 27:  This Zinfandel expedition will have over 100 participating wineries and culinary stations to sample delectable bites from leading chefs!  BE SURE to include the code #ZigSaw for $10 OFF your PUBLIC Grand Tasting entry at 2pm!

 

 

Looking forward to an ZIN-tastic weekend!
Cheers, Chris & Ziggy (aka #ZIGSAW)

Event, Sommelier, Tasting, Wine

Wine Wednesdays @Gravenstein Grill: The Autumn Schedule!

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For those that have not yet explored this event, trek on over to Gravenstein Grill in Sebastopol to join a Wine Wednesday tasting!  It is weekly in the Bartlett Bar from 5:30-7pm, an excellent opportunity to enjoy a free wine tasting with a local wine producer!

Here is the Autumn guest list,  also note the special WW event happening on October 30th, details below!

October 9:  Keller Estate
October 16:  Hook & Ladder Winery
October 23:  Halleck Vineyards

October 30:
Sommelier Chris Sawyer celebrates his 50th with the GG crew and four special vintners!  Breaking Bread Wines, Kokomo Winery, Radio-Coteau, Talisman Wine
Wear a costume, taste some wine and come give cheers to Sawyer Somm!!!

November 6:  Preston Farm & Winery
November 13:  Bacigalupi Vineyards
November 20:  People’s Wine Revolution

8050 Bodega Ave
Sebastopol, California

Awards, Event, Wine

Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting: October 10th in SF!

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Join me at this exclusive opportunity to taste more than 200 legendary wines and delicious foods—and find your own best of the best.  Located at City View at METREON (135 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103) from 6:30-8:30pm.  Pair incredible wines with foods from 16 Bay Area chefs!

16 Pinot Noir Masters including wines from Calera, Cristom and
Williams Selyem to enjoy with Absinthe‘s King Salmon Rillettes.

18 Mineral-Rich Whites from Bollinger R.D. Champagne to Chardonnays from Bergström and Walter Scott for Acquerello‘s Lobster Cannoli.

Two Dozen Legendary Cabernets from Ridge Monte Bello to Corison and Diamond Creek, all delicious with the Pâté en Croûte from Verjus.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!!

Event, Food, Tasting, Wine

Rhône Rendezvous! Thursday September 12 at Gravenstein Grill

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Taste world class Sonoma County Rhône style wines, including Syrahs, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Marssanne, Roussane & more at the annual Rhône Rendezvous at Gravenstein Grill, hosted by myself, Sommelier Chris Sawyer! These small production wines are a passion of local winemakers who are bringing styles of one of the most interesting French wine regions home to the Bay Area. Come meet the winemakers themselves and find out more about these incredibly unique wines.

Get your TICKETS!  Experience these wines!

ACORN Winery, Amapola Creek Winery, Benovia Winery, Cochon, CRUX Winery, Dane Cellars , Davis Family Vineyards, Donelan Family Wines, Enkidu Winery, Girl & The Fig, GlenLyon Winery, Jeff Cohn Cellars, Keller Estate, The Larsen Projekt, Lasseter Family Winery, Mengler Family Wines, Miner Family Winery, Muscardini Cellars, Odisea Wine Company, Onesta Wines , Scherrer Winery , Winery Sixteen 600, Trentadue Winery, Two Shepherds & more!

There will be live music, light hors d’oeuvres, and tastings with all wineries included with each ticket.  This event is out on our Grove patio from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Don’t miss this once a year event!

Charity, Event, Wine

Mags for Ag comes to L.A. on August 1st!

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After my ethereal Healdsburg unicorn adventure here is another chance to join in the festivities and raise some money with the L.A. crowd!  Mags for Ag at the Petersen Automotive Museum, this Thursday August 1st!

7PM RECEPTION:  Caviar, Wines, Canapés, Hibachi Grill, Cured Meats & Cheese

8PM DINNER:  Keynote Speaker, Multi-Course Feast, Magnums Poured Table-side

9PM SILENT AUCTION:  More Wine, Silent Auction & Dessert Reception with Chefs

Mags for Ag is an intimate culinary experience promising up-close engagements with more than a dozen star winemakers pouring magnums table side and chefs cooking to support an important conversation in agriculture to grow thousands of new farmers each year.  It kicks-off with winemaker reception followed by a keynote speaker, seated dinner and silent-auction filled with wine magnums and experiences to benefit charity.

TICKETS are $249 and include reception, dinner & silent auction +save 15% with the PROMOCODE -wineclub

Chefs and winemakers include Host Chef Sean Dent of Drago, Duskie Estes of Black Pig Meat Co., Joshua Whigham of Lapis and Anthony Sasso together with wine friends at Coursey Graves, Sangiacomo Family Vineyards, Small Vines, Lando Wines, Kreck Wines, Arcadian Winery, Davis Family Vineyards, Acorn Winery, Silver Oak Cellars, Rocca Family Vineyards and Phifer Pavitt.

Event, Tasting, Wine

NVWLA 57th Annual Grand Wine Tasting! Sunday, August 4th

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Just a SHOUT OUT about this Napa Valley Wine Library Association 57th Annual Grand Wine Tasting on August 4th at The Silverado Resort & Spa.

There will be sixty to seventy-five Napa Valley wineries pouring wines which have been chosen for their expression of a certain style. This could be of appellation, terroir, vintage, variety, or blend. The choice is up to each winery.

Sign up & get your TICKETS!