Yountville Summer Events

Meet the Winemaker Reception Come meet Cloudburst’s winemaker, Will Berliner from Margaret River, Australia for a complimentary tasting at Lucy Bar. This event will take place TONIGHT, May 16, from 5 to 6:30 pm. In town for two weeks only, Mr. Berliner will be pouring his Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. With biodynamic practices integrated into both wines, they are quickly becoming all the rage on the New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco food scene. This exclusive engagement will be complimented with savory bites prepared by Lucy’s executive chef, Victor Scargle. Contact Lucy to make your reservations at (707) 204-6030 or www.bardessono.com/restaurant_bar. Spring Wine Dinners at Bouchon Bouchon invites you to experience two exclusive epicurean events this Memorial Day weekend. Join Bouchon under the stars in their beautiful courtyard Thursday, May 23rd as they welcome Samuel Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac. Known as the “grand cru” of the Langueduc, Mas de Daumas Gassac features organic wines full of elegance, finesse and structure – the perfect pair for Bouchon’s cuisine! $175 per person plus tax & service. Then on Sunday, May 26th they welcome 13th generation winemaker and Master Distiller, Marko Karakasevic of Charbay Distillery. Marko will be pairing artisanal cocktails with Chef’s special menu while sharing the stories of his family’s craft. $150.00 plus tax & service. Both dinners start at 7:30 pm and seating is limited. For reservations please call (707) 944-8037 Save the Date: RockNapa Concert in July RockNapa 2013 will take place at the historic Charles Krug Winery on July 18th and 19th. The series will offer a festival atmosphere on the winery’s Great Lawn and a VIP Experience in the beautifully restored 100 year old Carriage House, featuring some of Napa Valley’s premium wineries.

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Cristal Vibrations

by Paige Donner

This title actually began as a chapter heading for my journal entry about my visit to Champagne Louis Roederer in Reims. But I liked it so much that I’m using it here, too. It just works so beautifully. It describes simply what Cristal, the legendary champagne by Roederer, is all about. Or, more precisely, what Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Roederer’s Chef de Caves – that’s Cellar Master or “winemaker” in French – does with his wines.

Read Entire Post HERE + Picture Gallery 

It was at the cellars in Reims where I was treated to a guided tour by none other than Mr. Lécaillon. Yes, a visit to the cellars where Cristal is made, where a million bottles of the golden elixir lay resting before disgorgement, and by the very man who blends this most famous of the world’s champagnes.

Unbelievable. Or, rather, Unforgettable.

It’s required a fair amount of reflection to settle upon a term as to how to describe the man who elaborates the world’s most famous, and perhaps loved, champagne… Read Entire Post HERE + Picture Gallery 

Cristal is a wine. It is a celebrated champagne. The most celebrated on Earth, in fact. And it is a singularly unique vibratory energy. It’s a frequency. It’s a vibration. It’s the Cristal Vibration.

Lécaillon imprints his wines with this energetic vibration. Or, more precisely, he orchestrates the energetic vibrational imprint that nature has already made on the grapes – via the crayères (chalky champagne soil and cellars), the sun exposure, the placement of the vines the climactic conditions of that year – and allows its essence expression in his champagnes…

Read Entire Post HERE + Picture Gallery 

Champagne-Roederer.com

 

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Lallier Vin Clair Tasting Oger, Champagne

by Paige Donner

March 7th was a day clearly marked on my calendar. I was invited to participate in my first-ever “Vin Clair” or still wine tasting for champagne. In Champagne this is monumental because these are the newly vinified wines that are used in the blendings, the “assemblages,” for the year’s batch of champagnes, both Vintage, if the year merits it such as 2012 (by most everyone’s estimation), and the Brut NV, or basic champagne…

Read Entire Post + Picture Gallery HERE

Francis Tribaut, Lallier Champagne, Oger, Champagne – photo by Paige Donner c. ’13

Read Entire Post + Picture Gallery HERE

champagne-lallier.fr

 

xo ♥Chérie Du Vin

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Napa March And April Events – Art and Taste of Yountville

With Spring just around the corner, the itch to get outdoors is growing stronger day by day. It’s easy to imagine how the grapevines must be feeling ’round about now… ready to burst forth and get busy bathing their buds in that sunshine.

Napa offers SO many great attractions the year round, but two of their outstanding events happen in March and April every year.

The first, Taste of Yountville, has been occurring annually for the past 20 years. With more excellent restaurants per capita than just about anywhere else on the planet, tiny Yountville really has something to offer… and boast about.

Better yet, each Taste Ticket costs only a buck ($1) and you can count on participants like Bouchon and Bardessono’s Lucy being ever so present.

Yountville will host the 20th Annual Taste of Yountville weekend celebration March 14-16, 2013 to showcase the town’s finest food, wine and arts. Taste of Yountville will culminate in a town-wide block party on Saturday, March 16, 2013. Admission is free, tasting tickets will be $1 each. In addition to Saturday’s signature block party event, the Taste of Yountville weekend will play host to several special events throughout Yountville.

For more information click hereor call theYountville Chamber of Commerce

More Info Here

Arts In April

Relative newcomer as far as events go… is Arts in April, Napa. Started in 2011, this will be its 3rd year running. Best yet is that the event unfolds over the course of the month… so no matter which weekend in April you get yourselves up to Napa, you will find highlighted art shows and exhibits to accompany those great Napa Valley Wines.

April 1 – 30, 2013
Visit Website

And be sure to check the Special Events Calendar (like for bASH in St. Helena April 13th!!) to help you plan your trip itinerary….

A celebration of the elemental connection between wine and the arts, this month-long program satisfies cultural cravings with an exploration of winery art installations, pop-up exhibitions and tastings. Introduced in April 2011, Arts in April offers special access and packages to enjoy The Napa Valley Collection, making it the perfect time to get a dose of Napa Valley culture with your Cabernet.

More INFO – VisitNapaValley

The NapaLife Insider’s Guide to Napa Valley

More than a guidebook, this newest Napa Valley Travel Book is written by Insider Paul Franson, a Napa resident for coming on 20 years now. What’s great is that he orients his book to the Digital Age. So, gone are the addresses and pet-friendly, smoking/non-smoking icons in minuscule type…

Instead – since you can look up those other things on your SmartPhone, of course – what Franson gives you is honest, down home opinions of the best of what there is to find in Napa.
He’s big on the local favorites, too, so you won’t get just the tourist recommendations or places TouristAdvisors have reviewed and recommended…

In fact, as far as Travel Guides go, Franson seems to have hit this one out of the ballpark. It’s like talking to a friend who has lived in Napa for a couple decades and getting the DL on good eats, good deals, good hikes and bike rides, where the celebs hang out, and even a bit of history as to who owns which winery and for how long and with whom?…

At any rate, you just might be tempted to pitch your tent until harvest time… Now that’s not such a bad idea is it? Too bad that Ag Preserve is so vigilant, eh?!

You can order NapaLife Insider’s Guide to Napa Valley guidebook directly from his website: NapaLife.com

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♥Chérie Du Vin

Paso Robles Grand Tasting Tour

 

Explore more than 150 wines from 40 Paso Robles wineries.
Paso Robles is California’s third largest and fastest growing wine region,
so come taste a new vintage from your favorite winery or discover new ones!

Wineries from Paso Robles will showcase what sets this world class wine region apart.

Cheese and charcuterie will be presented by The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

and Peacock Cheese Company to complement this Paso Robles wine experience.

This Thursday, February 28, 2013

6 – 8:30 p.m.

The BookBindery

8919 Lindblade Street
Culver City, CA 90232

Join us for this unique night of wine tasting where the winemakers and principals

will be on hand pouring their award-winning and nationally acclaimed wines.

info l pasowine.com

Participating Wineries and Partners:

Adelaida Cellars
Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery
AmByth Estate
Ancient Peaks Winery
Bodegas Paso Robles
Bon Niche Cellars
Caliza Winery
Cass Winery
Chateau Margene
DAOU Vineyards
Eberle Winery
Epoch Estate Wines
Halter Ranch Vineyard
Harmony Cellars
Hunt Cellars
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery

Kenneth Volk Vineyards
L’Aventure Winery
Le Vigne Winery
Lone Madrone
Midnight Cellars
Minassian-Young Vineyards
Nicora
Niner Wine Estates
Opolo Vineyards
Paso Robles Vacation Rentals
Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery
Proulx
Rangeland Wines
Record Family Wines
Silver Horse Winery
Stanger
Tablas Creek Vineyard
Thacher Winery
The Farm Winery
Treana and Hope Family Wines
Venteux Vineyards
Victor Hugo Winery
Vina Robles
Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards

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Cognac For ♥ Valentine’s Day

by Paige Donner

Cognac for the most important ♥ holiday of the year!? Yes! And not just for your fella, but for your Lady (love) as well. 

Scenes from Cognac

 all photos by and c. Paige Donner 2012 

Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud (in that order)

Women love things that are smooth, warm, that glide just the right way and yet still have that appropriate touch of femininity. You might think that I’m describing lovely lingerie. But, No! I’m talking about cognac. That’s right!  Cognac can be YOUR dreamy passport to love and pleasure this Valentine’s Day!

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Wine And Climate Change In The International Herald Tribune

Dear Readers, Wine Lovers and Environmentalists: Please have a look at my recent article which originally appeared in the International Herald Tribune. It is also online at NYTimes.com with full LINK HERE.

by Paige Donner

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