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Wine dinners are one of my favorite ways to get together with friends, and this past Sunday we finally had the Hope Family Wines wine dinner at Pastoral that we won at the Lovin’ Spoonfuls Tailgate auction last year.  Lovin’ Spoonfuls is an incredible organization that just recently rescued its 3 millionth pound of food! The tailgate is coming up again in November; get your tickets here, and let’s feed more people in need!

Trying to get a group of 10 friends together is harder than I thought it would be. Initially we wanted to have the dinner last winter after our trip to Tanzania, but I got so sick afterwards, then it was summer, and we just never went through with it.

pastoral wine dinner

Planning the dinner was even more difficult as I worked with at least three different event managers at Pastoral over the months. Between trying to confirm a date and time and then confirm guests, it all really came together last minute. As a result, I was a little frustrated and worried that it wouldn’t go well. In the end, the wines were great, the food was good, and our group had a wonderful time together.

Our dinner consisted of four courses paired with four wines from  Hope Family Wines. A wine rep came in to walk us through the wines, which was a really nice touch. We started things off with the 2013 Liberty School Chardonnay, some incredibly delicious, salty (in a good way) fried olives stuffed with meat, and a beautiful and refreshing wood-fired octopus with crispy crunchy apple and kohlrabi. It was a perfect autumn dish and made me sad that my kohlrabi isn’t growing yet.

Liberty School Chardonnaystuffed olivesgrilled octopus

The second wine was my favorite of the night, a Treana White Blend of Marsanne and Viognier, two varietals I love. There was a delicious, tropical lusciousness to the wine, and I think, while the orrechiette with rock shrimp and arrabiata was delicious, I think the wine would have paired better with something spicier. Then again, my tolerance for spice is extremely high, so my guests may have disagreed.

pasta

The third course was a rich pork belly with buratta and sausage polenta, an unexpected combination of warm and cold that worked really well together. That meaty, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly went great with  the Treana Red Blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, which had great structure and spice, along with blackberry notes. This wine was, to me, decidedly autumnal, and the pairing was beautiful.

pork belly

The final course that Chef brought out was the most stunning, an almond tart with gorgeous fresh figs, fromage blanc, and caramel. I was so full at this point, but the dessert was amazing. I need to have it again. The wine pairing was a 2012 Austin Hope Syrah, an earthy wine that I wouldn’t necessarily pair with dessert. I would definitely love to drink it on its own though!

I loved that Pastoral had some of the wines on tap, so they were served in carafes rather than from the bottle. They were super fresh, and it was a nice touch.

fig dessert at Pastoral

We had a great view of the kitchen from our table, which was a fun experience as we really felt part of the action and were close enough for Chef to come back and forth to provide explanations to us.

Long tables are tough for big groups though, and  I felt bad that I spent a good part of the meal out of my seat. I wanted to make sure I chatted with everyone in our group and decided for groups bigger than six I prefer a cocktail-style setting. Overall though, we agreed that the food and wine were excellent, the service very attentive, and the venue a fun spot for group outings.

Tags: Boston, Hope Family Wines, Pastoral, wine, wine and food pairing, wine dinner, wine tasting

Labor Day weekend is an amazing time to visit Sonoma County. Sonoma Wine Country Weekend PR and social media was something I worked on this summer, for full disclosure, but blogging about it is not part of the job at all. I just happened to find Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Estate Vineyards so impressive, beautiful, and filled with delicious food and wine opportunities that I had to share.

As the name suggests Taste of Sonoma takes place at MacMurray Estate Vineyards, also often referred to as MacMurray Ranch, the former home of actor Fred MacMurray. And it is stunning. The property is only open to the public once a year, for this event, so that in itself makes it special. Since I was traveling with the media, I got to tour the house, and it was so charming and lovely that I may have to write a post about it.

Taste of Sonoma is truly that, a place where you can sample the wine and food of Sonoma County all in one place. Wine and food are organized in tents by appellation so you can visit your favorites and discover new ones, comparing and contrasting grapes and characteristics between AVAs.

Taste of Sonoma runs from 11:00 – 4:00, which is a good thing, because there is so much to see, do, taste, and learn. I was impressed at the number of seminars and experiences available in addition to the tasting tents, which could keep you occupied for the entire day on their own. It’s all incredibly organized, and the layout is spacious and aesthetically pleasing. You can’t go wrong with spending a day surrounded by vineyards and redwood trees

Below, you can take a trip through Taste of Sonoma with just a few of the hundreds of photos I captured on this beautiful day. Sonoma Wine Country Weekend happens every Labor Day weekend; start planning your travel now!

 

heirloom tomatoes Sonoma

Sonoma County Marketplace features some of the high quality ingredients Sonoma County chefs love, with the opportunity to taste and purchase on site.

Taste of Sonoma

Grape to Glass was one of the educational seminars that was a huge hit. Attendees learned about sustainable winegrowing and winemaking in Sonoma County and also got to taste fresh-from-the-vine grapes along with grapes in the glass as wine. Pretty neat!

chilled corn soup

Food samples were in serious abundance, and with the hot summer weather, chilled soups were popular. Corn soup and gazpacho (from Woodfour Brewing Company, which I will have a separate post on) were both popular choices, as was the pork belly served up by the Jimtown Store. What made the sampling at this event so fun were the suggested pairings in the tents; planners took the guesswork out so that tasters could maximize the deliciousness of the wine and food. What grows together goes together!

Woodfour Brewing Company
Jimtown Store  pork belly Peloton CateringTaste of Sonoma

 

Those who opted for the Grand Reserve tickets had access to Club Reserve, a quieter area set off to the side where winemakers were pouring some of their limited production wines, a rare treat and a space that was buzzing with conversation and tasting throughout the day.

Reserve tentpaella

 

The Main Stage at the event was devoted to some of the amazing chefs in Sonoma County including Sonoma Wine Country Weekend Culinary Chair Mark Stark owner of, among others, the beloved Willi’s Wine Bar, the must-visit Bravas, and soon-to-be-opened Bird & the Bottle, which I can’t wait to try on my next visit. The Paella Guy Chef Jose Castaneda was also one of the Sonoma Stars on Stage, in addition to having a tent where he was cooking massive pans of paella.

 

 

Taste of Sonoma

wine pairing with Kendall Jackson Pairing with the Pros by Kendall-Jackson showcased their great food and wine pairing program, one that I got to experience at their estate when I visited in June. The sensory garden at Kendall-Jackson is incredibly beautiful and alone a reason to visit. Taste of Sonoma offered a nice peek into the garden experience with an area devoted to the beautiful herbs, food, and flowers that is grown on the property.

food and wine pairings

 

Kendall Jackson Sensory Garden Kendall Jackson Garden

 

There was so much more to Taste of Sonoma than I could capture in one blog post. Guests were welcomed with a Gloria Ferrer Bubble Lounge featuring oysters and caviar. There were Wine Tours with Sommelier Stars, Wine Talks in the Wine Barn, and so much more, truly a splendid way for a wine and food lover to spend the day.

If you’re unfamiliar with Sonoma County, Taste of Sonoma would make a great first day of your visit, allowing you to check out 200 wineries at once and to decide which ones you want to make a visit to.  If you have any questions about the event or other events over Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, feel free to let me know!

 

Tags: events, Food, Sonoma, Sonoma County, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, Travel, wine, wine country, wine tasting

Last week I attended a Women & Whiskey event  at the beautiful Fairmont Copley Hotel in Boston. Held by Where to Eat Boston and led by Brandy Rand, a cocktail and wine marketing expert, the whiskey tasting was fun, informative, and delicious.

We kicked it off with a Basil Hayden bourbon drink, a tea julep that was a nod to the Kentucky Derby coming up that weekend. The drink was lightly sweet with a lovely tea flavor and a kick of bourbon, really delicious.

 

whiskey tea julep

The Fairmont Copley put out a nice spread of grilled breads, cheese, and charcuterie, and I filled my plate a couple of times, enjoying each bite with sips of my cocktail. The perfect meal?

cheese

Brandy shared information on how whiskey is made, the history of whiskey in various places in the world, and information about whiskey through the decades. It was interesting to learn how vodka, flavorless and difficult to smell, nudged whiskey out as a top choice, but how whiskey (especially bourbon) is making a comeback.

We wafted various whiskeys and learned to properly taste, holding tastes in our mouth, making sure to cover all the tastebuds, and appreciating the finish of each whiskey.

I had tried some of the whiskeys before, including the Scotch whisky, Auchentoshan while we were in Scotland. However, this was my first time trying Japanese whiskey, a Yamazaki 12! I really loved it!

We also tasted three bourbons side-by-side, Maker’s Mark, Basil Hayden, and Knob Creek rye. I’ve become a rye fan in the past few years and enjoyed the vanilla and oak notes in the Knob Creek. It was my favorite of the American whiskeys.

whiskey and women eventTyrconnell Whiskey

The winner for the night for me, however, was the Tyrconnell Irish whiskey. I can’t help it; it was smooth with notes of honey and a little bit of smoke, evoking moments of sitting by a turf fire on past trips to Ireland. It smelled and tasted like a bit of home.

Brandy did a really awesome job keeping us interested and making whiskey fun and approachable, especially for women, who are often steered toward girly (vodka) and fruity drinks. Brandy wanted us to be able to identify a whiskey that we liked, and from the chatter in the crowd, it seemed that everyone did.

whiskey and women

Are you a whiskey fan? If you have an opportunity to attend a Women & Whiskey event, I would definitely recommend it!

Tags: events, Fairmont Copley, whiskey, whiskey and women, whisky, whisky tasting

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