Category Archives: Wine

Food, Varietal, Wine

Join me at the Zin-Zin Din-Din! Gravenstein Grill on June 29th

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Just want to shout out a big THANK YOU to everyone who attended the sold-out Balletto Vineyards & Winery Winemaker’s Dinner at Gravenstein Grill! For those that missed it mark your calendars for this follow up opportunity.

The Zin-Din on June 29th!

It will feature fabulous zinfandels from ACORN Winery, Hartford Court Family Winery, Gamba Vineyards & Winery and more! I will be there again as your happy Sommelier Chris Sawyer. Stay tuned for the menu details at the Gravenstein Grill Facebook page and call 707-634-6142 to make your reservations!

Gravenstein Grill is located at
8050 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol, CA 95472

Food, Sommelier, Travels, Wine

Countdown to Telluride Wine Festival, June 22-25

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Wines are arriving, travel plans stirring, stomachs rumbling for the big event next week! If you are not coming be sure to follow the adventures on social media, but virtual is nothing like the reality of those gorgeous mountains, delicious wines and elegant meals.  Hope you will all be joining me there!
Cheers! Christopher

Hosting a seminar at the Telluride Wine Festival 2016.
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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!

Judging, Tasting, Wine

North Coast Wine & Food Festival on June 10th

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I participated as a judge back in April, now here is your opportunity to taste the best wines from the North Coast American Viticulture Areas (AVA).  These are wines that achieve both a Gold Medal status and 90+ points in The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Competition.  The North Coast AVA consists of wines made from grapes grown in Napa, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Solano and Sonoma counties. The winning wines are selected by prestigious judges in a blind taste test.  Mark your calendar for June 10th and get your North Coast Wine & Food Festival tickets soon!

Food, Sommelier, Travels, Uncategorized, Wine

Balletto Vineyard Winemaker’s Dinner on June 8th

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Join me for our inaugural wine dinner at Gravenstein Grill featuring Balletto Vineyards & Winery.  I am hosting the event with winemaker Anthony Beckman, pairing Balleto wines with an incredible menu by Bob Simontacchi, sure to entice and delight any palate! 

Seating is limited so call 707-634-6142 or email brandon@gravensteingrill.com now, to guarantee your spot! 

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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Food, Sommelier, Wine

Delightful Spring Dishes to Make & Try!

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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.

Enjoy! Christopher