The Chardonnay Symposium will take place at several locations throughout the Santa Maria Valley Friday through Sunday, July 19-21.
Kicking off the fourth annual symposium is a tribute dinner Friday honoring longtime winemaker Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat.
Saturday will offer an educational panel moderated by Steve Heimoff of the Wine Enthusiast followed by the chardonnay tasting. Saturday’s main events will once again take place at Byron Winery, east of Santa Maria.
Chris Slaughter, executive director of the Santa Maria Valley Wine Country Association, which produces the symposium, said the three-day event attracts both hundreds of consumers and industry professionals who specialize in chardonnay.
Details: Jim Clendenen tribute dinner, 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, July 19, at the historic adobe on Bien Nacido Vineyard. Sommelier and winemaker Rajat Parr, Bob Lindquist of Qupe Wine Cellars (and Clendenen’s longtime business partner), and winemaker Gavin Chanin will be among those toasting Clendenen. Chef extraordinaire Rick Manson will whip up a four-course dinner to pair with wines selected by the speakers. Tickets are $200 each, or $1,700 for a table of 10 diners.
The chardonnay winemaker panel session begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Byron and will include seven winemakers or industry specialists led by moderator Heimoff.
The session is entitled “Bring in the clones! Chardonnay Clones: Do you care? Should you?”
Participatants: Matt Dees, Jonata Wines; Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery; Eckhard Kaesekamp, Guillaume Grapevine Nursery; Jeff Stewart, Hartford Court Winery; Clarissa Nagy, Riverbench Vineyard & Winery; James Ontiveros, Alta Maria Vineyards and Native 9 Wines; and Karl D. Wente, Wente Vineyards.
The cost of the grand tasting alone is $65 per person; both the panel and tasting together are $150.
From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday is the grand tasting, and here’s a complete list (as of June 26) of who is pouring: Alta Maria, Au Bon Climat, Baileyana, Bien Nacido Vineyards, Bridlewood Estate Winery, Byron Winery, Cambria Winery, Chamisal Vineyards, Conway Family Wines/Deep Sea, Costa de Oro Winery, Cottonwood Canyon Winery, Deovlet Wines, Dierberg Vineyard, Eberle Vineyard, Edna Valley Vineyard, Falcone Family Vineyards, Fess Parker Winery, Fontes & Phillips Wines, Foxen, Gainey Vineyard, Hartford Family Winery, J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines, J. Wilkes Wines, Jonata, Ken Brown Wines, Kenneth Volk Vineyards, Kessler-Haak Vineyard & Wines, La Fenetre Wines, La Rochelle, Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, Landmark Vineyards, Lucia’s Wine Co., Merry Edwards Winery, Migration from Duckhorn Wine Company, Niven Family Wine Estates, Old Town Market, Orcutt, Patz & Hall, Presqu’ile Winery, Qupe Wine Cellars, Rancho Sisquoc, Riverbench Vineyard & Winery, Rusack Vineyards, Sanford Winery, Sanguis Wines, Sierra Madre Vineyard, Solomon Hills Vineyards, Talley Vineyards, Thomas Fogerty Winery & Vineyard, Toretti’s Family Vineyard, Wente Vineyards and William James Cellars.
What food might you sample with your chardonnay? Food from Bello Forno Wood-Fired Cuisine, Bob’s Well Bread Bakery, Central City Market, Chef Rick’s Ultimately Fine Foods, the Far Western Tavern, The Garden Room at the Historic Santa Maria Inn, Jessica Foster Confections, Pasion Comida Mexicana, Panera Bread, Rooney’s Irish Pub, Testa’s Bistro & Catering, Trattoria Uliveto and the Vintner’s Bar & Grill.
Just announced are two more events for the Chardonnay Symposium weekend:
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday and Friday, July 18 and 19, Foxen Winery will host a special tasting, chardonnay style, for those with tickets to the Chardonnay Symposium.
Foxen will feature a selection of special chardonnays from its wine library; sample and evaluate how chardonnays from the Santa Maria Valley can age gracefully. The $10 cost includes a small charcuterie plate. No reservations required. $10 with tickets to Chardonnay Symposium (regular tasting $20).
From noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 21, Rancho Sisquoc Winery will host a ranch picnic day. The band “Occasional Mustache” will provide music, and Fresh Fire Pizza will offer local pizza for purchase. Information: Rancho Sisquoc Tasting Room, (805) 934-4332, or http://www.freshfirepizza.com. No reservations required.
Information and tickets:
http://www.santamariavalleywinecountry.com/calendar/the-chardonnay-symposium/
http://www.santamariavalleywinecountry.com/tickets/
Keep checking the website for updated details about the schedule of events for Sunday, July 21, Slaughter noted.
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