This event, the Le Mistral BlendingSeminar was held at the Intercontinental Hotel on Cannery Row in Monterey California. A wonderful area surrounded by the majesty of the Monterey Bay. The hotel is in a beautiful spot and is easy to get checked into. Just pull up and they will take care of everything. The room featured a fireplace, balcony, an ocean view as well as a view of Cannery Row and was very well appointed and comfortable. While I was not using my brain and forgot the reception started at four so was busy showing his friends around the Cannery Row area on what was a spectacularly beautiful summer day. The good news is they were on time for the Le Mistral Blending seminar.
As we were welcomed in and selected our seats, it was immediately
apparent that this was to be a full on, hands on, play with the wine and blend
up a storm kind of event. There were pipettes,
funnels, beakers and numerous bottles of different varietals of wine on every
table. We were talked through the philosophy of the Le Mistral wine by the wine
maker Sabrine. The goal was to make a blend along the line of the Le Mistral
only better (at least in your mouth). Much easier said than done, even though
you are given the same components. Le
Mistral is a blend which includes the major grape varieties, or cépages, that
have been grown in the Southern Rhône Valley of France for centuries. These
include (but are not limited to) Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and
Carignan. We also had the use of Petit Syrah and Alicante Bouschet. There are
remarkable similarities between Monterey, California’s wine growing regions and
the Southern Rhône Valley, including the blustery afternoon winds for which
this Rhône-style wine is named.
We all had great fun and found the event very informative, with the
Ventana people being a friendly knowledgeable group who went out of their way to make it a pleasure for everyone. We even got to meet Allan (a guest at the event) a wonderful gentleman who had met the Queen on more than one occasion!
So we all got to make a bottle of our blends and put a label on it and push the cork in and spin the foil on. Everyone got to take home their own unique bottle of Le Mistral. So we know you are thinking “wow that was a great night”. Well that was part 2, remember the brain lock missed the drinks and appetizers part 1. Serious fail!
Now it was on to
part 3 the evening's wine dinner that was prepared by Executive Chef of The
Clement Monterey Jerry Regester. Each course was specially prepared to be
paired with one of the Ventana wines and the Le Mistral collection. The dinner was served with panoramic bay views
on an outdoor patio on the second floor as the sun set. The five course meal and
pairings were amazing!
This was also
a good time to reflect on some things you had learned and to chat with those at
your table. Monterey Bay put on beautiful weather, The Clement is a great facility
and the people at Ventana know how to put on a great event and to make each and
every person feel like a VIP.
So to
Randy, Bruce, Loren, Barbara, Elizabeth, Georgette and Sabrine, thank you for a
wonderful evening!
None of us rose early enough for breakfast but stopped into the Clement restaurant and had
lunch before heading out. An order of
yummy Calamari and a juicy Kobe beef burger was excellent. The staff of the
Clement took care of our luggage while we all dined. The attention to small details helped make a
nice place a great place. Thanks!
We are looking forward to future events and maybe we will let the Kiwi join us next time!
Cheers,
WineWalkabout
Kiwi & Koala
The 2014 Event is on, don't miss out!!!!
The 2014 Event is on, don't miss out!!!!
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