With the onset of spring weather (mostly!) the palate begins to savor the delicacies of the season. Lovely ingredients tantalize our thoughts until we can just get a few tastes to carry on until they meet again! For instance this recipe for Garlic Prawns with Warm Cucumber and Ginger Salad shared by the Wine Institute of California: Easy to make for a light weekend meal.
Or if you don’t feel like making anything, just go try this decadent Vegan White Bean & Vegetable Puree with Sebastopol Mushrooms and Pesto being served at the Gravenstein Grill: Simply pair it with Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Noirs from my specialty wine list.
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.)
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 theTWF 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.
Yes, I am so very grateful to win Best Sommelier in Sonoma County for the fourth year in a row! I am truly honored at your support and appreciation. Thank you to the Bohemian Magazine for offering this platform for the public to share their opinions. Cheers! Christopher
The final tally is upon us. Just a reminder if you have not already mailed or dropped off your ballot that Tuesday November 8th is the final day cast your vote! Your voice matters.
After you participate in the general election, use that momentum to participate in the Bohemian Best of Sonoma 2017! Please consider voting for me as Best Sommelier for Sonoma County?
Just type in Christopher Sawyer! Many thanks for your support!
Bottled poetry indeed! Join me for a talented selection of wine and poets at Flight of Poets. Curated by Hollie Hardy and Tess Taylor, I will be pairing delicious wines with the work of six talented poets; Tony Barnstone, Cassandra Dallett, Natalie Diaz, Adam Fitzgerald, Brynn Saito, Robin Beth Schaer; Carefully selected to illuminate their work.
Take a peek at my article Underground Sips, published this June in Napa Sonoma Magazine. In it I lead you through five fabulous wine caves that you can make a part of you amazing Labor Day weekend plans in Sonoma Valley. (That is, after you endeavor the spectacular Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, where you will find moi and other select sommeliers.)
Start getting ready for Labor Day Weekend! There will be 15 wine professionals, including myself, at Sonoma Wine Country Weekend this year: We will all amplify the experience for you, while we serve as guest all-star wine guides at key events throughout the three-day, charitable event.
Don’t miss the exciting adventure with me and my sommelier buddies!
Benjamin Appleby, Abe & Louis Steak House, Boston, MA
Cassandra Brown, Hakkasan Restaurants, Las Vegas, NV
Mark Canak, The Metropolitan Club, Chicago, IL
Joy Cushing, Nick & Stefs, Los Angeles, CA
Seamus Dooley, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Chuck Herrold, Dolce Pane e Vino, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Leslie LaMont, Leña Brava, Chicago, IL
Steven McDonald, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Houston, TX
Patrick Olds, Louie’s Wine Dive, Clayton, MO / St. Louis, MO
Nadia Pavlevska, Darrens, Manhattan Beach, CA
Chris Reid, 101 Steak, Atlanta, GA
Christopher Sawyer, SawyerSomm.com Consulting, Petaluma, CA
In the mix of organizing wine seminars, shipments and special guests for the Telluride Wine Festival, I also made time to record this podcast interview with Susan Viebock at Telluride Inside & Out. Keep an eye on my social media for interesting wines, guests and activities this week at the festival!
Wine Channel TV has a new digital online wine lifestyle community called Wine Judges Corner dedicated to wine competitions, award-winning wines and wine judges!
Not only does the site provide extensive competition information for both past and future events, but it also offers the inside scoop from competition organizers, exclusive interviews with renowned judges and extensive wine reviews by experts in the field.
Start your exploration by reading up on yours truly, follow that up with details about the site!
Yep, you guessed it. I have won this prestigious honor again for 2016, third year running! HUGE thank you to all of you that took time to vote for me, it is ever so much appreciated.
Sorry I had to miss the celebration as well, hosted by my good friend Daedalus Howell at the Flamingo in Santa Rosa on Friday night. I was kinda busy working Flavor! Napa Valley as Wine Director (hey, Best Somms gotta work!), which was an incredibly fulfilling experience.
Peruse and congratulate the other Bohemian Winners of 2016 – and don’t forget to vote again in the fall!
With the onset of spring weather (mostly!) the palate begins to savor the delicacies of the season. Lovely ingredients tantalize our thoughts until we can just get a few tastes to carry on until they meet again! For instance this recipe for Garlic Prawns with Warm Cucumber and Ginger Salad shared by the Wine Institute of California: Easy to make for a light weekend meal.
Then there are the easy-to-make wine paired treats like this Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Balsamic Vinaigrette that is best served with Kunde Family Winery Chardonnay, Wildwood Vineyard.
Or if you don’t feel like making anything, just go try this decadent Vegan White Bean & Vegetable Puree with Sebastopol Mushrooms and Pesto being served at the Gravenstein Grill: Simply pair it with Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Noirs from my specialty wine list.
