Don’t miss this sensational winemaker dinner, April 19!

Hola! If you live in the Bay-area within the sound of my voice, circle April 19 on your calendar and immediately call Tra Vigne restaurant, in St. Helena, to reserve a seat, or two.

Charter Oak, homegrown here in Napa Valley, and EIEIO, from the Willamette Valley, OR, are co-hosting a sensational dinner to:

1. Show off their respective wines (six will be poured at dinner) and
2. Celebrate the cooking of one of my favorite Napa Valley chefs, Nash Cognetti.

The seasonal Italian dinner will be served in the restaurant’s private dining salon, Cantinetta, and there will only be 36 seats for this rare event. (We prefer our winemaker events as we prefer our steaks – rare.)

EIEIO is a fun label, but a serious wine, produced by a colleague and friend, Jay McDonald, who actually lives on a farm in the Willamette Valley.

Jay borrowed from the childhood nursery rhyme, figuring that since he lives on a farm, where he grows grapes, he might as well name his wines on this basis: “Old McDonald had a farm, EIEIO.”

Jay also owns and operates one of Oregon’s foremost retail wine stores, a sweet, small, focused operation called The Tasting Room in Carlton.

Jay Mcdonald, right, walks through his Yates-Conwill Vineyard with Shannon, a harvest helper.

Essentially, Jay took over what used to be the community bank, converting it into a wine store. The treasured wines are kept in what used to be the bank’s vault. 

If you’d like some background on Jay and The Tasting Room in Carlton, check out an earlier story I wrote:

http://www.napaman.com/napamancom/2008/05/oregon-pinot-noir----proof-that-the-best-things-in-life-are-not-free.html

EIEIO vineyards, source of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dinner wines

The dinner and wines 

For the dual winemaker dinner at Tra Vigne, Jay will be on hand to pour three wines:

2009 EIEIO Chardonnay Yates-Conwill Vineyard. Produced from Dijon 76+96 Clones, aged in predominately neutral French Oak. $25.

2008 EIEIO Cuvee E Pinot noir Willamette Valley. $35.

2009 EIEIO Cuvee I Pinot noir Willamette Valley. Predominately old Pommard vines planted in 1974. $45.

And from Charter Oak….

Rob (on right) and me, kibbutzing at Charter Oak.

Rob Fanucci

Rob Fanucci, Charter Oak winemaker, who asked me to become his winery partner four years ago, and I will be on hand to pour three of our favorite wines:

2009 Charter Oak David Fulton Vineyard, Old-Vine Petite Sirah, from 80-year-old vines planted in St. Helena. $48.

2007 Charter Oak Mt. Veeder Hillside Cabernet, from a vineyard high above Napa Valley. $75.

2009 Charter Oak Monte Rosso Zinfandel, from the oldest block of Zinfandel planted in the United States – 128 year-old vines in Sonoma County. $48.

If you like what you taste, you can order any of the six wines from the respective producers at dinner.

Charter Oak Zinfandel on the vine.

Rob and his family, in the cellar of Charter Oak

At Charter Oak, we hand press the fermented juice in Rob’s grandfather’s wooden basket press.

The price of a meal ticket is $100, subsidized by the winemakers in order to keep the cost down. The price includes a four-course meal, six wines, taxes, and even gratuities!

In the fall, I help Rob punch down fermenting grapes.

Here’s the full menu:

                EIEIO & Charter Oak Winemaker Dinner

                    Tra Vigne, Thursday April 19

 

                                            Primo

    Olive Oil Poached Santa Barbara White Seabass ‑ spring pea

                and watercress puree, shellfish nage

         2009 EIEIO Chardonnay, Yates Conwill Vineyard

 

                                            Pasta

    Hand-made Maccheroni alla Chitarra ‑ slow cooked sonoma duck

                        with wild mushroom sugo

                 2008 EIEIO Cuvee E Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

                                            and

               2009 EIEIO Cuvee I Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

 

                                            Entrée

          Bistecca alla Fiorentina ‑ garlic spinach, rosemary roasted potatoes

              2009 Charter Oak David Fulton Vineyard, Old-Vine Petite Sirah,

                                                and

                 2007 Charter Oak Mt. Veeder Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon

 

                                        Formaggi

            Cave-Aged Fiscalini Farmstead Cheddar ‑ Modesto California

            Black Market Colston Basset Baby Stilton ‑ Nottingham, England

           2009 Charter Oak Monte Rosso Vineyard, Zinfandel, Sonoma County

If you like what you see, call 707-963-4444 and ask the Tra Vigne receptionist to reserve a seat, or two. Seats will be held with a credit card. Reservations can be cancelled by phone up to one week in advance of the event.

See you there!

Comments

[Tina Couch]

Thanks for your amazing write up on Tra Vigne - we had a fanstastic meal there. I gave you a shout out in my blog! http://intinaveritas.blogspot.com/ I look forward to reading more about your food adventures!