Quick Take
With Santa Cruz Mountains wines paired with food from Soquel chef Brad Briske, the penultimate Taste of Terroir event of the season was a smash hit, Laurie Love reports.
The popular Midsummer Harvest Dinner at Lester Estate Wines in Pleasant Valley on Sunday was a huge success. Hosted by the Wines of Santa Cruz Mountains as part of its annual Taste of Terroir wine dinner series, the sold-out event took place al fresco on a warm evening with views of the summer sun setting on Lester Vineyard’s immaculate rolling hills and the Monterey Bay in the distance. The talented Brad Briske, chef-owner of Home restaurant in Soquel, expertly prepared passed appetizers and a fabulous four-course, sit-down dinner paired with wines from select Santa Cruz Mountains wineries.
The evening started with a “tasting salon,” a walk around tasting featuring wines from Charmant Vineyards, Ferrari Ranch Winery, La Vida Bella Vineyard, Left Bend Winery, Lester Estate Wines and Santé Arcangeli Family Wines. One of my favorite wines of this tasting was La Vida Bella Vineyard’s 2020 Sparkling Rosé, so fresh and beautifully made by Dan Person in the traditional sparkling wine method, it makes a perfect aperitif and was a great start to the evening.
As I watched Briske working his talent on the large outdoor grill, I enjoyed sipping on Ferrari Ranch Wines’ 2019 Estate Chardonnay. This wine is so well balanced, with good fruit (lemon, apple, papaya), graham cracker notes and a crisp, palate-cleansing acidity. It also paired nicely with the first course, a summer-perfect panzanella salad with ripe juicy heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and thinly shaved Garden Variety Cosmos feta cheese. The Left Bend 2019 R-Bar-R Ranch Chardonnay, with its tropical and stone fruit notes and fuller body, counterbalanced the salad’s flavors.
Two bright-fruited pinot noirs were poured with the second course, a rich campanelle pasta with wild mushroom Bolognese, sun gold tomatoes, cream and parmesan. The Charmant Vineyards 2020 Estate Pinot Noir was lighter-bodied and elegant, which worked as a great counterpoint to the rich dish, while the La Vida Bella 2020 “Amar” Estate Pinot Noir was more fruit-forward and full bodied. Great pairings, both wines.
The main course arrived on platters overflowing with huge slabs of braised short ribs and summer corn polenta. Wines with this course were the Lester Estate 2020 “Domingo” Pinot Noir and the Santé Arcangeli 2022 Split Rail Vineyard Pinot Noir. I loved both of these bolder, richer pinot wines with this rich dish, with a slight preference to the Santé Arcangeli for the pairing. The caramelized glaze on the open-fire grilled beef bridged perfectly with the wine’s cherry and oak notes, and the fresh acidity on the finish worked to cleanse the palate for the next bite.
Taste of Terroir dinners take place at different locations in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They are a wonderful way to explore the beauty of our winegrowing region and to discover the food-friendly nature of our wines. The dinners happen every month during the summer. If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend one of them yet, you have one more chance this year: the last Taste of Terroir 2024 dinner takes place on Sept. 13 at Thomas Fogarty Winery (19501 Skyline Blvd., Woodside) with these participating wineries: Thomas Fogarty Winery, David Bruce Winery, Kings Mountain Vineyard, Madson Wines, Maison Areion, Sandar & Hem Wines and Vidovich Vineyards. Chef Scott Cooper of San Jose’s Le Papillon will prepare the gourmet meal for this one. Get your tickets before they sell out.
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