Summer Sonoma BBQ Sippers
Reservations Closed
| Course | Pairing / Description | Wine |
|---|---|---|
| Hors D' Oeuvres |
Creole BBQ Shrimp Skewers (Cajun Dust with Basil Anchovy and Garlic Pistou)
Chorizo & Sweet Summer Corn Maque Choux (Peppers and Onions in Sweet, Spicy and Garlicky Cream)
The Trentadue family arrived in Sonoma County long before the region gained a reputation as the Wine Country. Life-long, hands-on agriculturists, Evelyn and Leo Trentadue contributed significantly to the advancement of their region over the years. In 1959, the Trentadues decided to flee the developers encroaching on their apricot and cherry orchards in Sunnyvale, the area known today around the world as Silicon Valley. To preserve their way of life, these hard-working Italian ranchers purchased 208 acres of land in Sonoma County's then remote Alexander Valley. There was little market for the region's dry-farmed apples, prunes, pears, and grapes in the late 1950s, so land was cheap and plentiful. Scores of ranches were for sale but, because it was blessed with an excellent combination of climate, soil, and water, Leo settled on a special piece of property in the heart of the Alexander Valley. Little did he know what this ranch had once been, much less what it was to become. The 2016 harvest began with yet another early bud break. The growing conditions were great for the rest of the season with the exception of a week or two of a mini heat wave. The 2016 Old Patch Red blend is predominately Zin blended with Petite Sirah and Carignane resulting in a very fruity yet complex and full bodied Rhone-like style wine. The wine has dark red color with intense black cherry aromas, blueberries and cherry cola as an immediate impression. With aeration nuances of ripe plums, vanilla and cocoa are showing with slight dose of oak and toast. On the mouth, the wine is fresh and juicy with youthful brightness, finishing long and fruity. This is a wine that will drink well with variety of foods but it is also very enjoyable on its own. |
Trentadue Old Patch Red 2016
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| Hors D' Oeuvres |
Creole BBQ Shrimp Skewers (Cajun Dust with Basil Anchovy and Garlic Pistou)
Chorizo & Sweet Summer Corn Maque Choux (Peppers and Onions in Sweet, Spicy and Garlicky Cream)
Quivira Vineyards is a leading producer of Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhone varietals, built upon intentional winegrowing and a thoughtful commitment to sustainable and organic farming. Quivira’s philosophy is driven by the seamless vision of quality shared between winemaker Hugh Chappelle and vineyard manager Ned Horton. Together, they have integrated the vineyard and winery where farming practices are optimally aligned with the desired characteristics of the finished wine. The winemaking style at Quivira emphasizes balance and transparency of terroir utilizing thoughtful low-input winemaking to produce wines that proudly showcase their varietals and origins. In crafting these wines, Hugh uses a light touch when working with the raw materials. This is not a hands-off approach, it simply means that manipulation is intentionally and thoughtfully minimized to only those operations the wine truly needs. In fact, it requires even more engagement via more frequent observation and tasting to best know when and when not to intervene. Hugh likes to develop complexity by judiciously using a few techniques: blending, co-fermentation, phased harvesting and barrel aging - both oak and acacia wood. With the 2016 Quivira Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, all the elements of the world's best Sauvignon Blancs converge at Fig Tree Vineyard. The site is located at the confluence of two rivers, Wine Creek and Dry Creek. The Musqué clone contributes heightened floral aromas that tantalize even before you taste the wine. The color is a pale yellow with an attractive green tinge that is the first indication of the wine’s youth. This vintage is harvested across a spectrum of ripeness to capture the unique aromas and flavors available at each stage of maturation. Racy, green grassiness and tropical flavors are deftly balanced by brisk acidity and the mid-palate concentration. The round, smooth finish results from the blend of tank and barrel aged lots. The one-of-a-kind, single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc yields a harmonious and enchanting wine. |
Quivira Sauvignon Blanc Fig Tree 2016
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| Beef Course |
Charbroiled Beef Coulotte Steak (Bacon-Melted Onion Jam, Garlic-White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes and Zinfandel-Rosemary Reduction)
Named after one of his daughters, Day is the new Zinfandel project of Ehren Jordan, the mastermind behind such amazing labels as Turley, Neyers, and Failla. Zinfandel is, for Ehren, a return to his roots, having been the wines that established his reputation as a talented vigneron. Similar to the approach at Failla, most of the Day Zinfandel wines are sourced from Sonoma County; an area largely unexplored during Ehren's tenure at Turley. Named for the old grist mill that was found on the property, Grist Vineyard sits pretty at 1000 ft. elevation on Bradford Mountain in the Dry Creek Valley AVA. The site was originally planted 100 years ago, and has since been replanted in the early 1970s. Farming here is CCOF Organic. The 58 acres under vine are head-trained and cane-pruned and have spectacular views of the fog line driving in 15 miles west from the Pacific Ocean. Between Grist and the beachfront are 15 miles of mountain lions, deer, and unspoiled forest. The Grist Vineyard Zinfandel is clean and fresh from start to finish. On the palate, dense, dark brambly fruits are highlighted by notes of graphite and violets - balanced by a bright and focused finish. |
Day Zinfandel Grist Vineyard Dry Creek 2016
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| Pork Course |
BBQ Spice Rubbed & Smoked Pork Shoulder (Black Strap Mop Sauce, Cream Corn Casserole and Summer Asparagus)
Named after one of his daughters, Day is the new Zinfandel project of Ehren Jordan, the mastermind behind such amazing labels as Turley, Neyers, and Failla. When he purchased a St. Helena property back in 2004, he knew he wanted to plant grapes on the hillside that at the time contained an apple orchard. After a few years of pondering, he decided that the locale was ideal for one of his early loves in the vine world - Zinfandel. Four acres are currently planted, with the original vines hitting the dirt in 2011. Zinfandel is, for Ehren, a return to his roots, having been the wines that established his reputation as a talented vigneron. Similar to the approach at Failla, most of the Day Zinfandel wines are sourced from Sonoma County; an area largely unexplored during Ehren's tenure at Turley. His obsessive hands-on farming practices and minimalist hands-off winemaking approach come through in every bottle- allowing site, variety and vintage to shine through. The Sonoma County Zinfandel (Roughly 95% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Sirah) from a blend of vineyards spanning the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek and Alexander Valley: Gore, El Diablo, Sommer and Ponzo, offers a savory nose of dried raspberry, blueberry compote, herbs, peppercorn, purple flower potpourri and crushed stone. It has an elegant mouthfeel complete with subtle notes of sweet red cherry, tobacco, brown butter and bramble berry cobbler. |
Day Zinfandel Sonoma County 2016
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| Salad Course |
Watermelon, Goat Cheese & Watercress Salad (Spiced Almonds, Grape Tomatoes, Pickled Onions and Citrus-Rose Vinaigrette)
Quivira Vineyards is a leading producer of Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhone varietals, built upon intentional winegrowing and a thoughtful commitment to sustainable and organic farming. Quivira’s philosophy is driven by the seamless vision of quality shared between winemaker Hugh Chappelle and vineyard manager Ned Horton. Quivira's estate-grown, single-vineyard Rosé (47% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, 15% Petite Sirah, 8% Counoise, 5% Syrah) boasts bright, fresh flavors, and refreshing acidity. Their home vineyard, Wine Creek Ranch, possesses a nearly identical climate to Provence with 3,000 hours of sun, warm summers and mild winters. A classic mix of red Rhône grapes, layered with thoughtful clonal variation and a range of desirable well-drained soil types gives the perfect painter's palette from which to craft a fine Provencal-inspired Rosé. From vineyard to bottle, this is an intentional Rosé a sustained commitment, throughout the vintage that yields only the best Rosé. Immediately immerse yourself in the alluring classic salmon color and first whiff of bright, pure, fresh red fruit. In the nose, aromas of crushed fresh strawberry are front-and-center from the Grenache base, followed by notes of pie cherry, pomegranate, and rhubarb. Flavors are intense and deep, echoing the nose and lingering in the long flavorful finish. The mouthfeel is smooth and round with mouthwatering, juicy acidity that lures you back for more. True sunshine in a bottle! |
Quivira Rose Dry Creek Valley 2017
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| Dessert Course |
Dark Chocolate Cake Pop (Sweet and Salty Clove-Red Wine Scented Caramel, Espresso Scented Whipped Cream and Fresh Blackberries)
The Marietta Cellars history of family winemaking goes back four generations in Sonoma County. At current count, there have been seven different winemakers in the family. Each has had their own focus and style. The unifying elements have been family, hard work, passion and a love of the creative process that is winemaking. Their Family Series consists of a Zinfandel, a Cabernet and a Rhone-style Syrah Grenache blend. All three are carefully crafted from Estate Grown grapes from their properties in Northern Sonoma County, the McDowell and Hopland Valleys and the Yorkville Highlands. The Christo Estate Grown Rhône blend is an intense, powerful Syrah-based wine (60% Syrah, 22% Petite Sirah, 14% Grenache, 4% Viognier), grown mostly on the McDowell Valley property which has a long history of championing Rhone varietals. Co-fermented with Viognier, the Syrah expresses violet, tar, and rich earth. Petite Sirah from Alexander Valley brings chewy bitter chocolate, while Grenache grown at 1400 feet elevation in the Yorkville highlands keeps the wine bright and juicy. Full-bodied and fleshy, this wine is dark and brooding yet silky and smooth. The 2014 Christo is bold, racy and juicy, all qualities that make it hard to resist. The Christo is the most exuberant and flamboyant of these reds. Sage, tobacco, menthol and licorice wrap around the juicy, exuberant finish. This wine earned 90 points from Antonio Galloni in March 2017. |
Marietta Cellars Christo Estate Grown 2014
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