Biba + the Third Annual Masters and Makers

As always, it's been a great few weeks. I've been making the time to run while I'm at home (even got up to 10 miles on Super Bowl Sunday), enjoyed fabulous food and wine, celebrated with friends and family, plus have been in Napa.

My family celebrated my grandma's birthday at Biba in Sacramento with a beautiful lunch. Plus Biba came by to sign a cookbook for her, chat, and take a few pictures. We also had a great dinner cooked at home with a bottle of Napa Valley wine from Rutherford Ranch. Lunch and dinner at Red Robin and Chili's weren't a bad thing either.

After a 10 mile run on Super Bowl Sunday we continued a food tradition ... homemade nachos! They were so good, I think after three years, we're figuring out the right way to make baked tortilla chips.

The Third Annual Masters and Makers did not disappoint. With an opening wine tasting with HALL Wines/St. Helena and Trinitas Cellars, followed by a winemaker dinner that began with a poolside reception and finished with dinner in the Estate Cave.

Saturday began with breakfast with a friend in Siena (the French Toast was tasty). Breakfast finished at about 10:50 ... lunch started at 11 a.m. on the Vineyard Terrace, I accepted the challenge and enjoyed the three course "Opposites Attract" lunch with a wine you would and wouldn't expect to be paired with each course. After lunch was (is) my favorite class every year ... Shape of the Glass with RIEDEL. This year we tried two white wines and two red wines, all from Etude. It always amazes me how the shape of a glass really can make a huge difference in the taste of the wine (or for that matter even water and Coca-Cola).

Saturday night was the Grand Tasting. 40 wineries, 2 breweries, an author, RIEDEL, and more amazing food from the culinary team, plus a live band that added to the ambiance. It may be stressful to plan, but knowing that everyone had a great time makes it all worth it.

Sunday morning started with a Valen-Wines Day Brunch (February 14) on the Vineyard Terrace and ended with a Meritage Blends and Chocolate Tasting. I'm looking forward to 2017 now (as well as a few upcoming Winemaker Dinners).
Pictures for those with iPads.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dead Sea Scrolls at Bayside

Image
Although there were some amazing things presented at InterAct2 , a dessert at Bayside to celebrate 2009 and look ahead to 2010, a few stuck out with me in particular. First the highlights of 2009 … - Amazing guest speakers including: Luis Palau , Nick Vujicic , Franklin Graham , Louie Giglio and Francis Chan - More than 500 active small groups throughout the Sacramento region - Nearly 800 Jr. High , High School and College/20's at weekly events - Breakaway Summer Kids Camp sold out in April ... 2010 will offer a special needs program - Bayside Gives Back (garage sale) raised over $102,000 for 24 Sacramento region charities - Semi's were filled with food and donated items for the Salvation Army What's ahead ... - Jim Caviezel - who played Jesus in the Passion of the Christ will be speaking this weekend at Bayside - Experience Christmas at Bayside - Bayside's Christmas Eve services start on December 18th, they are amazing and you can get your free tickets begin...
Read more

Snow at Fort Bradley

After a great open house with friends and family at Fort Bradley, a birthday dinner at Zocolo and watching Blind Side , I did not think the day could get much better ... but then it started to snow. Fort Bradley is looking more and more like the Bradley Lodge and is becoming a " Winter Wonderland ." Or maybe it's beginning to look a little more like Christmas .
Read more

Celebrating Peanut Butter and Pancake Days, Skiing and Friends

Image
It was a week of varied experiences. I used my Chick-Fil-A Calendar Card for an order of free fries (and also ordered a wrap and ice cream sundae ) while out to dinner with a friend, then joined my parents for the weekend at the Bradley Lodge . My dad and I got a beautiful day of skiing in at Bear Valley ... beautiful since so much snow had fallen. My mom and grandma went all out on dinner and we celebrated Peanut Butter Day with a dessert of Reese's Chips Ahoy Cookies and Reese's Peanut Butter Pie (funny part ... we had no idea it was going to be Peanut Butter Day in advance, we just already had those items and it made for a good excuse to eat them). On Sunday I met with with friends at Rolling Hills Christian Church for a night of worship and baptism and then we headed to dinner at Casa Ramos ... my plate of food was giant (I actually brought leftovers home). On Tuesday I found out it was Pancake Day and figured I should celebrate. I made a few pancakes for my room...
Read more