quick take
In a rerun of her biweekly column, Lookout wine expert Laurie Love gives readers a taste of her recent trip to Europe's wine regions, revisits Cabrillo College's Perfect Pair event, and explores the local wine industry. We cover the news and introduce events you can't miss.
Welcome to Raleigh Love on Wine! I'm Laurie Love. I am a professional wine writer and educator based in Santa Cruz. In this column, I share my passion, knowledge, and experience for wine with his Lookout readers. Follow me on my wine blog, Laurie Love's Wine, and on Instagram. loli love on wine. I love receiving emails from readers! Get in touch: Email laurie@lookoutlocal.com. Let's travel together through the wonderful world of wine.
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wine news
raleigh wine trip
My husband Ray and I recently returned from a wonderful long vacation in Europe, visiting the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland, and we are delighted to be back in Santa Cruz. One of the many highlights of this trip was her amazing week long wine tour. Napa Valley Wine Academy Master of Wine tours Germany's wine regions of the Rhine, Moselle, Saar, Lewer and Aar valleys Romana Echensperger. Our group of 15 people visited 13 wineries, sampled over 100 wines, enjoyed gourmet lunches and dinners each day, and heard family stories from centuries-old winemakers. Ray and I then enjoyed about a week in Alsace, a wine region in eastern France. I look forward to sharing more details about my trip in future columns, including recommended wineries and highlights. stay tuned!
Cabrillo's Perfect Pair of Food and Wine event was a huge success
The day after I returned from my trip to Europe, I had the pleasure of attending the following event. cabrillo college and wine from the santa cruz mountains' perfect pair event. For me, it felt like a big homecoming party, seeing so many familiar faces and returning to the place where I first really studied wine. I was also involved in the planning of Perfect Pair, and I was very happy to see over 200 people visit and the feedback from everyone who participated.
The April 27 event was a revival of a similar popular event previously held on Santa Cruz's West Side five years ago.This event was held at a historic location. sesnon househome to Cabrillo Culinary Arts students and their student-run Pino Alto Restaurantand expanded to include two master wine classes taught by Cabrillo wine research instructors. deborah parker wong.
Cabrillo's students in the Catering and Advanced classes work in 11 different teams, with each team handling a specific Santa Cruz Mountains wine from 11 participating wineries to create the perfect food and wine pairing. I was given a mission. The day was all about showcasing the culinary arts students' talents and how well they could pair the flavour, texture and weight of a dish with a designated wine. On a vast, sunny lawn, attendees sampled food and wine pairings and voted for their favorite three of her dishes.
Once the votes were tallied, third place went to the following teams: 2020 Pierce Ranch Vineyard Alicante Boucher at Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard.student chris evans and Cameron Steck I made ravioli with beef and ricotta cheese. Made from heritage varietals commonly used to add color, body, and tannins to red blends, this wine's full-bodied and fruity character paired well with the dish's rich tomato sauce.
Runner-up josten barber and Michaela Freedom Not only did they nail the pairing, but the delicious turkey herb meatballs with raspberry sauce also had the catchy name “Fifth Petition” to go with the court-themed wine. I did. “Alternative Jury”, Aptos Vineyards' 2020 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir. This was my personal favorite combination. I loved the flavors of this dish and how they paired with the raspberry and herbal notes of the wine.
And the first place winner is Annelis Carranza Medrano and dominic roberts Lemon curd puff pastry combined with flowers Biricino Winery's 2022 Petulan Naturel Malvasia Bianca. The pastry and cream in the dish balanced the fruit, floral, and acidic notes of the refreshing wine, and the lemon curd bridged nicely with the wine's citrus flavors.
Congratulations to all the winners, as well as the students, instructors, and wineries who participated!
Winery closures and openings
As Lily Belli previously reported, Doon to Earth The Aptos tasting room closed on April 28, citing the space's lack of profitability. The tasting room was a collaboration between: Bonnie Doon Vineyardowned by Warroom Ventures Ltd., and Cell Winery, nicole walshAnother label. Walsh is also the winemaker for WarRoom Wines. It was such a shame to see this tasting room close, especially after having a warm and relaxing happy hour there with a group of wine friends on April 27th. Silver Mountain Vineyard and bottle jack winery Following Perfect Pair. The venue was packed!
Walsh also said it would be a shame to see the tasting room close. After all, it was WarRoom that didn't want to renew its lease. “But don't worry if you're a fan of the winery.'' Walsh shared some exciting news. Her cell wines will be available below. vernal equinox winery (334 Ingalls Street). “barry jackson, the owner and winemaker of Equinox called me and asked if I wanted to pour in the Equinox tasting room,” Walsh said. “I've had a long-standing working relationship with Barry, and Equinox was actually where I first started pouring cell wine over a decade ago.” It's a great full circle for fans of Walsh and Sir.
When one door closes, another opens.There's new news on my radar Rochenda Vineyard, a small 4-acre vineyard in Aptos that produces estate chardonnay, pinot noir and other varietals, and will soon open a tasting room. We will let you know when we know the details.
This week's wine list
I couldn't wait to get home and eat. Santos Mahanonew spot, hook & line Located in downtown Santa Cruz. Ever since Soif closed his restaurant in 2022, I've been waiting quite a while for this long-awaited venture to materialize and bring Maggiano back to Soif's kitchen, where I first fell in love with his cooking in 2008. A very talented wine director, alexis carrco-owner of soif wine bar and Dede Eckhart. So even on a busy Friday night, we were thrilled to be able to enjoy a great meal there that exceeded our expectations.
The wine list includes great combinations of familiar wines (J. LaSalle “Cachet Or” Champagnea beautiful Provence rosé Roquefort castle, white Burgundy Mâcon Village Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains), as well as new wines that are less familiar, more esoteric, and more fun. In the latter category, 2021 AT Roca Rosat Reservoir, a delightful dry sparkling rosé from Penedes, Spain, made in the traditional manner, paired beautifully with my grilled octopus dish. There is also a dry white wine made from Furmint grapes from Tokaji, Hungary. This region is usually known for its luscious dessert wines. Or how about a Romanian Pinot Noir and Syrah blend? Or perhaps a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Kekfrankos from Serbia? We also have a wide selection of local wines. Biricino, farm cottage and ghostwriter winery.
I love that there are so many wine by the glass options on the list (11 wines by the glass!). That's not always the case at local restaurants. All wines are also available by the bottle. As the food menu changes, so does the wine list, so new selections are frequently introduced. I commend Carr for putting together a great wine list that showcases a variety of styles and regions while pairing beautifully with Maggiano's delicious and fresh seafood dishes.
Upcoming wine events
This Friday, super tuscan night in Bottlejack Westside Tasting Room (328D Ingalls Street). We'll be pouring, so join us from 4pm until 7:30pm for a night celebrating the new release of Bottle Jack's best-selling 2019 Florence. A red blend based on Sangiovese, with a special taste and delicious taste. Click here to make a reservation.
Saturday is Passport celebration day in May At over 35 participating Santa Cruz Mountains wineries. Get your passport here (or at a participating winery) and gain access to exclusive tastings at local artisan wineries. Some wineries are only open on Passport Celebration Day.
Sunday is an annual Downtown Santa Cruz Wine Walk Stroll through the downtown shops and sip your favorite local wine from 3pm to 6pm. Get your tickets here.
The first event will be held on Sunday, June 9th from 1-4 p.m. Surf City Wine Walk It will be held on the West Side around the Ingalls, Fair and Swift Street areas. Enjoy wine from 13 small, family-owned wineries as you wander from business to business. Purchase your tickets in advance here ($55).
Check out two popular wine events in late June that you should get your tickets for now before they sell out. On June 23rd, enjoy the second harvesta wine tasting event held to raise money at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos. Second Harvest Food Bank. Tickets are available now ($60 per person, $110 per couple, $125 VIP). The second annual general meeting will be held on June 29th. Folk, Cork and Barrel Festival At Kaiser Permanente Arena, you can sample food from local restaurants and drinks from local wineries, breweries, and spirits makers. Get more information and buy tickets here.
Until next time!
cheers,
lorry
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