Two Winemakers Visit Vino

May 15, 2009

Site Staff,

VINO Italian Tapas & Wine Bar has announced two meet the winemakers events and a special communal table dinner event later this and early next month.

Winemaker Steve Clifton.
Photo courtesy of Palmina Winery.

The first event with winemaker extraordinaire Steve Clifton takes place on Saturday, May 23^rd. Steve is winemaker for Palmina & Tritono wines & co-winemaker for Brewer Clifton.

The event will begin with a 5:30p.m. Wine Tasting with 5 wines, 2 ounces each. Here is the list of wines to be tasted:

2006 PALMINA Tocai Friulano
2004 BREWER CLIFTON Pinot Noir “Rancho Santa Rosa”
2005 PALMINA Undici
2003 PALMINA Nebbiolo “Sisquoc Vineyard”
2005 TRITONO Malbec

Palmina is a sensational, contemporary minded wine project dedicated to Italian grape varieties grown & produced in the cool, limestone oriented Santa Barbara appellation. Brewer Clifton is a synergistic project between Steve Clifton & Greg Brewer featuring stellar, award winning Chardonnay & Pinot Noir grown & produced in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. Finally, Tritono is a project which features a truly superb, old vine, “mountain grown” Malbec red wine grown & produced in the foothills of Argentina’s Andes Mountains.

The cost of the tasting will be $45 a person (not including tax & gratuity) is by reservations only.

Then there will be a dinner at 7:30 featuring the wines of Steve Clifton & the foods of VINO Chef Keith Endo. The restaurant has selected its favorite wine from each of Steve Clifton’s projects to feature for the dinner. Then, chef Keith has created foods to pair with each of the wines. The menu is still to be announced, but here is the proposed wine line-up just to whet your appetite ……

2007 PALMINA Dolcetto (4 ounces)
2005 BREWER CLIFTON Chardonnay “Rancho Santa Rosa” (4 ounces)
2005 TRITONO Malbec (4 ounces)

The dinner will be served in a “Communal Table” format with 2 tables of 10 people each. The cost is $85 a person (not including tax & gratuity). Call 533-4476 for more information or for reservations for either of the two events.

On Thursday, May 28th, VINO will host another ”Communal Table”format event. Chef Keith Endo will feature fresh, homemade pasta & fresh, homemade pizza dough. Here is the menu…

Moroccan Spiced Duck Pizza
Braised Short Rib & Cheese Ravioli with spicy tomato sauce
Hamakua Mushrooms & Swiss Chard Fettucine with beurre rouge & fresh thyme
Dessert to be announced

It’s a nice opportunity to get together with a group of people with a shared interest to talk story & laugh. The event costs $35 per person (not including wine, tax or gratuity) and is available by reservation only. Call 533-4476 to reserve your space.

Then on Wednesday, June 10^th, VINO will host one of its favorite winemakers, Fred Scherrer of Scherrer Winery. Like the previous winemakers dinner, there will be two components to this visit. First, at 5:30 p.m., VINO will present a wine-tasting with 5 wines, 2 ounces each. Here is the line-up of wines:

Scherrer ‘Old and Mature Vines’ Alexander Valley Zinfandel.(top) Winemaker Fred Scherrer (bottom). Photos courtesy of Scherrer Winery.

2007 SCHERRER Dry Rose
2001 SCHERRER Chardonnay (Library Selection)
2003 SCHERRER Zinfandel “Old & Mature Vines”
2001 SCHERRER Pinot Noir “Russian River” (Library Selection)
2000 SCHERRER Cabernet Sauvignon (Library Selection)

The cost of the wine tasting is $45 a person (not including tax & gratuity) and is available by reservations only.

Then at 7:30 p.m. VINO will host a dinner that will feature some of the very special wines Fred has crafted over the years paired with Chef Keith’s sensational foods.

Three courses paired with wine & then dessert. The menu is still to be announce, but here is the proposed line-up of wines:

First a comparison of two of California’s best pink wines—incredibly food friendly & ideal with chef Keith’s style of cooking –
2008 SCHERRER Dry Rose (230 cases produced) 3 Ounces
2005 SCHERRER Dry Rose (200 cases produced) 3 Ounces
Then a wine with was a collaboration with Jeff Figone & Master Sommeliers Nunzio Alioto & Chuck Furuya-
2001 GIRASOLE Syrah “Eaglepoint Ranch” (56 cases produced) 4 Ounces
And then finish with-
2002 FORT ROSS Pinotage (roughly 300 cases produced) 4 Ounces

This dinner will also be served in a “Communal Table” format with 2 tables of 10 people each. The cost is $85 a person (not including tax & gratuity) and is available by reservations only.

Call 533-4476 for information on any of the events above or to reserve your seat.