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 here or call the Yountville 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@pasowine.com 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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♥Chérie Du Vin. You will LOVE my wine picks!

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Valentine's a la Paris

The Hôtel de Crillon invites you to celebrate love in the heart of Paris in its exceptional and romantic setting. Love is In the Air at the Winter Garden From Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 February, 2013

The historic and sumptuous setting of the Winter Garden is the ideal spot for a romantic tea, enchanting your senses with an exotically flavoured "little heart" to share. A special treat that paves the way to even more delightful culinary experiences... Crillon.com

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Les Meilleurs Vins du Canada by LRVF

Be sure to pick up February's issue of La Revue du Vin de France... British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario wines and wineries are featured in a multiple-page spread. 

For the Okanagan some beautiful highlights of Osoyoos Larose and also Quail's Gate, among others. Similkameen received due attention, though Naramata Bench didn't even get a mention. Well, the printed page can only hold so many words... Report prepared by Pascal Patron, a professor at Quebec's ITHQ.

Here's what the cover looks like so order your issues now!

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Yannick Alléno's * 1947 * At Cheval Blanc, Courchevel France

by Paige Donner

• WHEN: December 12, 2012  until April 7 2013

• Where:  1947, Yannick Alléno's new Pop-Up Gastronomic artistic culinary odyssey of a restaurant at Cheval Blanc in magical winter playground Courchevel, France

Please find here excerpts from the Press Release with my running commentary in red italics. 

Five Michelin-starred French Chef Yannick Alléno begins his winter season at Cheval Blanc Courchevel's 1947 restaurant when it opens on December 12th. 

[OK, this is the Super-Uber-Chef-Extraordinaire Alléno, the same mastermind behind Terroir Parisien which I wrote about here. Note to self* Find someone to explain to me how a mere mortal (human being presumably) gets 5 (five!!) Michelin Stars. I mean, even one signifies you've walked through a dozen or more culinary rings of fire. Right?]

The wine: creating a closer alliance

Moving away from traditional food and wine pairings, 1947 offers guests an entirely new way of experiencing wine, by blending the DNA and raw materials of the wines with the ingredients of Alléno’s dishes to create extraordinary results. 

A loin of veal  is  marinated in the barrels from Château Yquem and cooked using chalk from the Ruinart quarries, whilst the vegetables are fermented in vine leaves from Krug’s Clos du Mesnil. The serving temperature of Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1996 is regulated; perfectly suiting the artichoke and black truffle…it is with these intricacies that Alléno is laying the foundations of a new modern cuisine

[Wow. Quelle Magnifique. Ruinart Crayères and grape leaves from Clos du Mesnil - love this Cradle to Cradle conceptual approach and implementation. Not to mention Yquem's botrytis sweet-soaked barrels and Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1996. OMG. Amazing! ; ) ]

The product: distilling ingredients to their essence

“The culinary experience involves tasting exactly the right part of each product in 
successive sequences. At the end of the day, cuisine is only a question of concentration, 
and I have tried to extract the quintessence of the product through a selection process 
resulting from a long investigation,” explains Yannick Alléno.

The service: true mise en scene

Bucking the trend of pared-down service, at 1947 Alléno revives this pillar of French culinary history to offer guests a team of experts that echo the quality of the dining. The scene is set with assistants, sous-chefs and wine waiters that ensure that every aspect of the culinary journey is accompanied by knowledge and passion.

[Ahhh. Niiicce. Back to a bygone era... I'm feeling waves of nostalgia for an era I never even experienced.]

Every evening until 7 April 2013, up to twenty five guests will have the opportunity to  experience Alléno’s new culinary  concept – Cuisine Moderne. The master Chef will create French cuisine that fuses proud Gallic tradition with innovative creativity to define this new foundation. Main course is shared by all 20 guests.

[*Note to LFAW readers - please (please, please, please)  send in your impressions if you have the good fortune to enjoy Alléno's 1947 culinary odyssey this winter season in Courchevel.]

@LocalFoodAndWine

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As a Thank You we’re giving you a Holiday Bonus Perk

We’re optimistic that we’ll reach our film production fundraising goal for Wine & Climate Change, but we can’t do it without people like you.  Word-of-mouth and shared links have really helped and we truly appreciate your support.

IndieGoGo.com/WineAndClimateChange

AS A SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT, WE’VE ADDED THE BONUS PERK OF A 3-DAY 2-NIGHT VACATION IN CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE.

Yes, that’s right. A Champagne Vacation for two.

To Qualify:  

1. Click Like on our Wine & Climate Change Facebook Page. You’ll find it here:  http://www.facebook.com/wineandclimatechange

2. Go to IndieGogo.com/WineAndClimateChange and click on Contribute, for a minimum of $20 or higher.  Add in the comments section that you wish to qualify for the chance to win the Champagne Vacation.

 

It’s that easy. You may contribute more than once to increase your chances.  We will choose One Winner the week of January 16th, 2013. Winner will be chosen randomly.

 

What YOU Get

A 3-day, 2-night vacation for two to Champagne, France. This includes two nights’ lodging in a luxury residence, a Tour and Tasting at Veuve-Clicquot Champagne Cellars in Reims, France, a visit and lunch to Hautvillers, where the monk, Dom Perignon, first invented champagne.

@LocalFoodWine

*Transportation/airfare is not included. Some meals not included. Must be of legal drinking age to participate in the Tasting at Veuve-Clicquot Cellars. Must be 18 yrs. or older to participate.

 

 

Champagne Ernest Remy

If you ever find yourself for a day, or, better yet, a weekend, in Champagne during the Autumn season, use this as a sample daytripping itinerary and you won't go wrong.

Make your main destination Champagne Ernest Remy which is a long-held family champagne house located in Mailly, in the heart of the gracefully sloping hills of the Montagne de Reims. During the Fall, the play of colors - auburns, oranges, eggplants, deep reds, rusts, yellows, golds - is breathtaking so be sure to stop along the way and take pictures of the fleeting richness of nature while you're witness to it.

The Montagne de Reims is one of the most classical viticutural areas in France, famous for its Pinot Noir. The house of Ernest Remy Champagne makes its champagnes using only Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Mailly, harvested from their 15 hectares. Interestingly, for this harvest year 2012, Mailly enjoyed an abundant harvest, according to Ernest Remy's Tarek Berrada, who explained that it was perhaps due to the village vineyards' north- northwest sun exposure. In any event, they did not experience the limited harvest that most of the rest of Champagne did this year.

As with many wineries, this is a husband-wife team who have taken up the family business. But here is where any "typical" winemaker background ends, as both husband and wife come from the world of Art and Art history. It just so happens that she was born into a land-owning Champenoise family.

Evidence of these artistic leanings can be discovered in the labeling, packaging and design of their champagnes. For example, when you buy a bottle of their Rosé de Saignée Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru there is a small pink metallic medallion embedded into the top of the cork, hidden just under the champagne cap. A keepsake and a souvenir - for a memorable champagne whose hints of violet reveals itself on the long finish, after it has flirted its delicate wild strawberry and raspberry aromas before you. This Mailly rosé has a mere 6g. of sugar for its dosage and is aged a minimum of 20 mos. It is a rosé that could accompany meals, such as roast chicken, duck, lightly spicy asian dishes as well as red fruit desserts. It's available in Magnums and bottles, and in cases of 3 Magnums and cases of 6 bottles. *Tip: "Saignée" in French means that this rose has acquired its color through maceration and not blending.

With the rest of the day ahead of you, you have any number of wonderful restaurants nearby, all located in storybook beautiful little Champagne villages, one as lovely as the next. Top choices for lunch (or dinner) are L'Assiette Champenoise in Tinqueux, a two-Michelin starred restaurant that has a set menu starting at about 150 per person. Champagne Ernest Remy is on their menu.

Other choices in the vicinity include Le Relais de Sillery, Le Grand Cerf (Michelin starred), Le Château de Rilly (also a hotel) and then there's the small local favorite that you can easily pass if you drive along the Route du Champagne just a bit too fast - so be sure to keep a scenic pace and watch out for Le Mont Joly in Rilly, big steaks served on wooden cutting boards and very reasonable prices.

Lastly, it wouldn't be a trip to this Montagne de Reims region if you didn't stop in at Le Phare de Verzenay, an old windmill that has since been turned into a museum. But I'll let you do your Tourist Office legwork for this one as it's one of those sites you'll see displayed and described in most guidebooks and certainly at all the tourist offices.

Champagne Ernest Remy

@LOCALFOODANDWINE

@♥CHÉRIE DU VIN