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

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 Socialpresented 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 232:30 – 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 BrunchSunday 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.

Irish Day Parade on March 18th in Murphys, CA!

We certainly wish we could take Twisted Oak Winery up on their invitation to the Irish Day Parade happening Saturday March 18th! My family and I stumbled upon it a few years back and were pleasantly surprised by a little parade with lots of venders, including many wineries to tempt the palate.  Totally worth the trek from where ever.

On the way there, up Ebbetts Pass (aka Hwy 4), you will breeze through the quaint town of Vallecito.  That is where you can turn off to visit the friendly folks at Twisted Oak Winery and find out more about their upcoming Twisted Folk Concert Series. The dates are set for  May 13th, June 24th, August 12th.

Let them know Chris sent you!

The Blending Experience at Paraduxx: Friday March 24th

This is a special Terroir to Table event happening at Flavor! Napa Valley.  An enjoyable opportunity to be winemaker by making your own blend with the amazing Paraduxx Wine crew.  During this hands-on experience, you will be guided through a component tasting of the three core varietals that make up Paraduxx while enjoying seasonally paired bites from local chefs, Natalie and Jonathan Niksa, of La Saison, Napa Valley.

Get your tickets!
The Blending Experience
at Paraduxx

FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

 

It’s Back! Telluride Wine Festival 2017

Word is out, Telluride Wine Festival will be June 22-25 this year, so time to get your travels plans a’ brewing! I will be there again and setting up some seriously awesome seminars. Details coming soon, but for now wineries can get signed up online with the Grand Tasting at:  2017 TWF Winery Registration

Wineries can also contact me directly about seminars,  wine@sawyersomm.com: I look forward to finding a space for you to participate!  Meanwhile, I will continue to share festival updates.  And for more information about the Telluride, CO area check out this resource:  telluride.com

Cheers! Christopher

Reading Time: American Wino by Dan Dunn

At the ZAP Expo last weekend I ran into my friend Dan Dunn, author of the book American Wino: A Tale of Reds, Whites, and One Man’s Blues.  He inscribed my copy with “This doesn’t happen without you man!”  High praise.  Looking forward to the read.

Here is an informative Forbes review to warm up your mental palate for the excursion:  American Wine: A Fun New Wine Book Wine Snobs Will Hate