Last night we attended a terrific dinner at the Wine Cask Restaurant in Santa Barbara, CA with a bunch of VC wine fiends. My thanks to Davidn for great organization of the dinner which was held in the Burgundy room at the Wine Cask. Attending were : the Davidns, the Tbirds, the Pinot Envys, the Winetexs, the JonesWines’, Stemor, the Randy Wiggingtons, and a few guests. There is more to tell but most of us are still out of town. Great company, food and wines.

Wine Cask Dinner for VinoCellar Gang
April 24, 2004

Apertif
2001 Sine Qua Non Albino

Starter

Choice of:
Pan Seared Hudson Valley Ranch Foie Gras
roasted apple ravioli and peach compote

Portobello Mushroom Crepe
with crispy leeks and sweet corn sauce

Wines
1989 Chat. d'Yquem

Appetizers
choice of

Baked Fanny Bay Oysters
bok choy, napa cabbage and citrus hollandaise

Filet Mignon Carpaccio
onion, capers, arugula, manchego cheese and pommes frites

Baby Frisée and Arugula
shaved fennel, jicama, cucumber and castello blue cheese
with champagne vinaigrette

Wines
1999 Au Bon Climat Hildegard Proprietary White
2002 Kongsgaard Rousanne/Viognier
2001 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard

Main Course

choice of
Seared Peppercorn Crusted Ahi
seared rare and served with ginger risotto, stir fried vegetables
and a ponzu sauce with spicy sesame seed oil drops

Roasted Free Range Chicken Ballontine
fagioli ratatouille with lavender glaze

Fennel Crusted Colorado Lamb Sirloin
butternut squash risotto with anise and shallot sauce

Roasted Red Beet and Marscapone Risotto
grilled seasonal vegetables and shiitake mushroom fricassee
with aromatic herb broth

Wines
1999 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Isabelle
1999 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Knox Alexander
1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret
1996 Remoissenet Richebourg Grand Cru
1998 Rauzan-Segla
2001 Jones Family Sisters
2002 Two Hands Shiraz - sadly corked
2001 Dead Arm Shiraz
2001 Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon
2000 Story Hill Semillion (sweet wine)
2002 Clos Pepe Chardonnay
1997 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
2001 Carlisle Petite Sirah

Dessert

Berry Bread Pudding
strawberry coulis and cointreau cream

Chocolate Torte
earl grey ganache and dried cherry compote

Classic Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée
with fresh seasonal berries

The Wines
2001 Sine Qua Non Albino
1989 Chat. d'Yquem
1999 Au Bon Climat Hildegard Proprietary White
2002 Kongsgaard Rousanne/Viognier
2001 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard
2002 JM Boillot Rully Max Cadot
1999 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Isabelle
1999 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Knox Alexander
1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret
1996 Remoissenet Richebourg Grand Cru
1998 Rauzan-Segla
2001 Jones Family Sisters
2002 Two Hands Shiraz - sadly corked
2001 Dead Arm Shiraz
2001 Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon
2000 Story Hill Semillion (sweet wine)
2002 Clos Pepe Chardonnay
1997 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
2001 Carlisle Petite Sirah

My WOTN was again the d'Yquem. With seared foie gras it just makes me swoon. Then the Albino (yes I like white wines...), the 2001 Pride and then my burgundy (the Remoissenet) that I could not convince Davidn that he liked. A note on the '01 Pride - I briefly left the room and when I returned that bottle was just annihilated. I had to drink the dregs of Mr. Winetex's glass to even taste it. Randy had a very large smile on his face around that time (thanks for bringing it).

What a great time! I'm sure no one woke up with a hangover this morning!

Seriously, the wines were great, and the company was even better. I believe Joneswine compiled tasting notes on everything, so I'll refrain from commenting on the wines until those are posted... with one exception

The 2001 Pride Reserve Claret was unreal. My problem is deciding whether to wait for the wines to settle in more... or to drink up. Man that was good juice!!

One of my guests received the "First Time to Attend a VC Dinner Party and Stumble Home" award. I mentioned it to them before the event but apparently she did not listen. When they got up to leave the table she swayed, thanked everyone, hugged Stemor and my other friend carried her off into the night as she exclaimed, "Wow, you guys are fun!".

what an incredible evening. david, you are my hero! damn fine job! what a pleasure it was to have met you all!

What a day. The futures tasting was awesome. These Santa Rita Pinots are among the finest in California (and the world Winetex)!

And what an offline. We meet at Wine Cask's wine bar Intermezzo and started the evening with various and sundry libations from Champagne to Martinis. Then into the wine store (not the restaurant) where the table was set up in the Burgundy dept. Literally over a 1000 bottles of red and white Burgundy lining the wall. I'm pretty sure we got away only open two or three of them.

You are all thanking me for "all the work" I did setting this up. Let me tell you the real thanks should go to the owner of the Wine Cask Doug Margerum and his staff. Wendy Van Horn, wine store manager; Tom Johnson, restaurant manager; and Ted, the Wine Cask's Sommelier. They made this the easiest dinner I have ever set up. If anyone wants to mail a thanks to any of them I think it would be appropriate. We gotta do this again next year.

My wotn 1999 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Isabelle.

My wot tasting 2003 Curran Grenache Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley (I'm sitting here looking at a real bottle of the stuff that Kris gave me to take to a reviewer here in N.Cal. It isn't easy keeping my hands off it).

And Wintex? What is this aversion to the Sea Smoke? I know, you think it is better than that Frog stuff and that by ignoring it it will just go away.

You always knows when you have had fun at a dinner when you sit down at 6:30pm and the next thing you know the staff is standing around watching you eat dessert bacause the rest of the guests in the restaurants are all gone. It was about 9:00 when I looked at my watch and it said 11:30.

Sounds like it was an incredible event! Sorry I missed this one, will certainly try not to miss next year!

Davidn - I definitely have no aversion to Sea Smoke. Ask me how many bottles we own, have consumed and intend to buy in the future. And we're on their mailing list. I just wanted to try the other wines that were there.

Maybe for another thread but from the Wine Cask Futures tasting we also purchased the Curran Grenache Blanc. It's going to make a great summer wine.

Sounds like it was a great event! Nice write-up.

My sister went to the futures tasting by herself. I wish I had known ahead of time and I could have had her look for some of you at the event.