"I Should Have Drank It By Now" Party

On Saturday, August 17, 2013 The Hilltop Winery hosted two-dozen of their friends and family in an effort to thin out the cellar of bottles of wine that should have already been consumed.

Everyone did their best to thin out the 4,000+ bottles that are housed in a cellar, on top of a hill, buried in a backyard!

The outdoor wood fired pizza oven was once again a major hit with the attendees.  Pizza’s made to order was a nice touch to a perfect evening of wine and fellowship.

The sunset was spectacular and we have the pictures to prove it!

The following wines were tasted:

White

• 1991 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay
• 1997 Batar Agricola Querciabella
• 2005 Chassagne-Montrachet
• 2006 Staglin Chardonnay
• 2006 Jayson Chardonnay
• 2006 Les Corbins Meursault
• 2007 Macon-Chaintre White Burgundy (two bottles)
• 2008 Bjornstad Chardonnay
• 2008 Hubert Lamy Saint Aubin
• 2009 La Follette Chardonnay, Sangiacomo Vineyard
• 2009 Luis Felipe Edwards Chardonnay

Rose

• 2005 Stagliano Rosato di Sangiovese (three bottles)
• 2011 Bandol La Bastide Blanche

Red

• 1974 Sterling Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1985 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1985 Chateau Olivier Graves Leognan
• 1986 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1987 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 1988 Chateau Bouscaut Pessac-Leognan
• 1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Bosquet des Papes
• 1990 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 1994 Talley Pinot Noir
• 1994 Maya
• 1995 Chateau Marguex, Premier Grand Cru Classe
• 1996 Rubino della Plazzola
• 1997 Turkey Flat Shiraz
• 1998 Spottswode Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 2000 Maya
• 2001 Serpico Del Feudi Di San Gregorio
• 2003 Duckhorn Merlot, Napa Valley
• 2003 Clos du Val Pinot Noir, Carneros Vineyard
• 2003 Fess Parker Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County
• 2007 Pets Petite Sirah
• 2007 Roc Du Bel Air Bordeaux Superieur
• 2008 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2010 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert Wine

• 2005 Chateau De Cosse, Sauternes

For a complete slideshow of the event go HERE.

5th West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner

On July 14, 2011, we held our 5th Annual West Wine Reception and Dinner at The Hilltop Winery.

What a special evening. We did a vertical tasting of Silver Oak and a horizontal featuring Pinot Noir from 2005.

Check these out, we tasted:

• 1984 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 1989 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
• 1995 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
• 1999 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
• 2002 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Then we started our 2005 trip around the Pinot Noir varietal:

• 2005 Demetria, Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley
• 2005 Pahlmeyer, Pinot Noir, St. Helena
• 2005 Sea Smoke, Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara
• 2005 Macphail, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
• 2005 Alcina, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
• 2005 Tandem, Pinot Noir, Sonoma County

Thanks to our family and friends at The Hilltop Winery for being such gracious hosts.

For the slideshow of the entire evening with friends click HERE.

3rd Annual West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner

On July 12, 2009, we held our 3rd Annual West Appreciation Dinner at The Hilltop Winery with our dear friends on the west coast.

This was the first year we did a theme when it came to the wine. We did a vertical of Dunn from Napa and Howell Mountain.

The actual wines we tasted were as follows:

• 1985 Dunn, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 1990 Dunn, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 1995 Dunn, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
• 2007 Feather, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington State

Bill was our chairman this year and he brought his friend Perry. This was also the breakout of Jared and his new love affair with red wine.

Gary was our West Board chair and we were so glad he could join us for this annual tradition along with a couple of special friends, you know who you are, from the pictures.

For a complete slideshow of the evening click HERE.