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Home > News > Epiphany Cafe and Carpe Vino Wine Dinner
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Epiphany Cafe and Carpe Vino Wine Dinner
April 3rd, 2008
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Thank you to everyone who came out both nights last week and Monday night of this week. I am sure the American Cancer Society really appreciates your support. For this week we will be joined by Socratic teacher Glen Toney of The Wine Source. It's always a treat to have Glen come and do our tastings because his enthusiasm makes it easy to learn all the geeky stuff about wine. Glen and I chose some fun wines from all over the place for our tasting this week. Here they are:
Razor's Edge Unwooded Chardonnay 2006 McLaren Vale, Australia $14.99
Ch. de la Presle Sauvignon de Touraine 2006 Loire Valley, France $16.99
Deinhard Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling 2006 Germany $15.99
Thomas Fogerty Pinot Noir 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains, CA $27.99
Turchi Syrah 2004 Santa Barbara, CA $19.99
Core Blend 163 2004 Santa Barbara, CA $28.99
So grab your friends and come out and see us here at Carpe Vino. If you are new then here is how our tastings work. They run from 6:00 P.M. Until 8:30 P.M. You are welcome to taste through all the wines ONCE for free. If you find something you really like you can purchase a glass and drink it here at the shop while you hang out.
In other store news...
It gives me great pleasure to formally announce our next wine dinner. The Epiphany Cafe and The Wine Source will host Brian Loring of the Loring Wine company. For those of you familiar with Brian Loring and his wines he needs no introduction. For those of you still scratching your head's over who this guy is he is one of the top producers of Pinot Noir in California. His wines consistently garner high scores from the wine critics. They are usually snatched up by serious collectors as soon as they become available. Loring Wine Company is a small production boutique winery that produces several single vineyard Pinot Noir's from the top vineyards in California. This is going to be one hell of a wine dinner. For those Pinot freaks out there we will be sampling four of Brian's single vineyard Pinot's. These fantastic wines will be paired exquisitely with the culinary masterpieces of Tres Jackson. Check out the menu below for a full list of both the wines and the dishes. Here is an excerpt from the Loring Wine Company website that should give you some more insight into just who Brian Loring is and how he constructs his wines.
My name is Brian Loring and my obsession is Pinot Noir. OK, I'm also pretty crazy about Champagne, but that's another story. While in college, I worked at a wine shop in Hollywood (Victor's), where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic. So, my very first experiences with Pinot Noir were from producers like Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer, and DRC. Needless to say, I found subsequent tasting safaris into the domestic Pinot Noir jungle less than satisfying. It wasn’t until I literally stumbled into Calera (I tripped over a case of their wine in the store room) that I found a California Pinot Noir that I could love. But it would be quite a while before I found someone else that lived up to the standard that Josh Jensen had established. I eventually came to understand and enjoy Pinots from Williams Selyem, Chalone, and Sanford, but I really got excited about California Pinot Noir when I met Norm Beko from Cottonwood Canyon at an Orange County Wine Society tasting.
My philosophy on making wine is that the fruit is EVERYTHING. What happens in the vineyard determines the quality of the wine - I can't make it better - I can only screw it up! That's why I'm extremely picky when choosing vineyards to buy grapes from. Not only am I looking for the right soil, micro-climate, and clones, I'm also looking for a grower with the same passion and dedication to producing great wine that I have. In other words, a total Pinot Freak! My part in the vineyard equation is to throw heaping piles of money at the vineyard owners (so that they can limit yields and still make a profit) and then stay out of the way! Since most, if not all of the growers keep some fruit to make their own wine, I tell them to farm my acre(s) the same way they do theirs - since they'll obviously be doing whatever is necessary to get the best possible fruit. One of the most important decisions made in the vineyard is when to pick. Some people go by the numbers (brix, pH, TA, etc) and some go by taste. Once again, I trust the decision to the vineyard people. The day they pick the fruit for their wine is the day I'm there with a truck to pick mine. Given this approach, the wine that I produce is as much a reflection of the vineyard owner as it is of my winemaking skills. I figure that I'm extending the concept of terroir a bit to include the vineyard owner/manager... but it seems to make sense to me. The added benefit is that I'll be producing a wide variety of Pinots. It'd be boring if everything I made tasted the same.
You can definitely see that this is one serious winemaker. The dinner will take place on April 16. It will cost $169 per person plus tax and gratuity. While this is some serious coin it is a relative bargain for wines and food of this caliber. If you are interested in attending then please call the Epiphany Cafe immediately (205-344-5583). The reservations for this dinner will fill up fast!
Epiphany Café
519 Greensboro Avenue
A wine and food dinner featuring Brian Loring of Loring Winery, The Wine Source and Glen Toney, paired with the cuisine of Epiphany and Executive Chef Tres Jackson. Sponsored by Carpe Vino A Wine Shop in Temerson Square.
Wednesday April 16th at 7 p.m.
One
Sustainably Raised Scottish Salmon in Parchment with Napa cabbage, Squash, Peppers, and Ginger
Paired with Loring Pinot Noir Green Valley Keefer Ranch Vineyard 2006
Two
Springer Mountain Chicken and Shitake Mushroom Ragu with Parmesan Reggiano
Paired with Loring Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella’s Vineyard 2006
Three
Duck Consommé’ with Duck confit Wontons and Duck egg roll
Paired with Loring Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Gary’s Vineyard 2006
Four
New Zealand Lamb Chop and Lamb Loin Carpaccio with Yukon Gold potato Bilini, mint ratia, and lemon Gremolata
Paired with Loring Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Durrell Vineyard 2006
Five
Baked Meringue with Mint chocolate ganache, shaved chocolate, and mint
Paired with Lanson Champagne
$169 per person plus tax and gratuity
I've just about have all the wrinkles ironed out of the High End wine tasting. Expect an email about it next week. Until then take care of yourselves.
Thanks
Jonathan Harder
Manager
Carpe Vino Inc.
205-409-4738
Carpe Vino is conveniently located in Temerson Square in downtown Tuscaloosa. It is directly behind the RBC bank building. Our hours are 11:00 A.M. Until 9:00 P.M.
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April 3rd, 2008
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