An Afternoon on "The Rooftop"

It’s Friday, February 8, 2019 and my business trip to Southern California has come to an end.

As stated before, anytime I'm in California I must go visit with Mike and Mav.  They have just settled into their new home, and what a nice place it is!

For those who aren’t familiar with the Wojo’s, they are the best wine/dinner hosts you can find in Southern California.  They happen to be relatives too!

Not only was I able to attend, I brought my Institute colleague and her boyfriend Bryan (update, she got engaged the next day) for an afternoon of wine tasting, paired with a nice cheese and charcuterie platter.

The weather was absolutely fantastic which allowed us to take an afternoon off and enjoy a flight of wines on "The Rooftop."

For those who care, here’s what we drank:

Rose

• 2017 Falcor Rose

Whites

• 2014 Costa deOro Chardonnay, Reserva Dorada
• 2016 Aubert Chardonnay, Hudson Valley
• 2017 Carmenet Reserve Chardonnay

Reds

• 2005 Alto Moncayo Garnacha
• 2008 Falcor Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 2014 Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2014 The Adversary Mourvedre
• 2015 Hunnicutt Cuvee Equite, Napa Valley

For pictures of the afternoon tasting, on “The Rooftop,” go HERE.

And now it's time to share the additional wines I enjoyed throughout the weekend at various venues, including dinner at the Bel Air Bay Club, and at the new home with my son Jackson.

Whites

• 2010 Julien ColloVray White Burgundy
• 2012 Frazier Chardonnay, Russian River
• 2014 Liquid Farm Chardonnay, Golden Slope
• 2015 Aubert Chardonnay, CIX
• 2017 Bramito Della Sala Chardonnay
• 2017 Carmenet Reserve Chardonnay (two bottles)

Reds

• 2005 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 2009 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 2009 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

Pictures from our Bel Air Bay Club dinner and pictures throughout the weekend can be found HERE.

10th Annual West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner

On Thursday, July 14, 2016 the Institute team celebrated 10 years of tasting grape from The Hilltop Winery with a special trip to the Bel Air Bay Club.

This year was special since we were able to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Karyn MacRae, IOM, CMP, CAE, Institute’s Director with a special 2006 Magnum of Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon, delivered by one of our favorite Institute faculty members, Brian Baker.

We didn’t taste the wine, we all signed the bottle as a present to Karyn and she will be able to open it at a later date, in Virginia, with Travis and friends.

The wine reception started with a special wine tasting in the Wojo Cabana, just a couple of feet from the Pacific Ocean.  After a quick swirl, we retreated to the dining room for a special dinner created by chef David Summers.

Charlie, our waiter, was a great host and treated us like family.  Thank you Charlie!

The following wines were consumed by all and we had an enjoyable time at the Bel Air Bay Club.

Whites

• 2010 Chateau Montelena Riesling, Napa Valley
• 2011 Liquid Farm Chardonnay Golden Slope, Sta. Rita Hills
• 2012 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, Napa Valley
• 2013 Liquid Farm Chardonnay, Bien Bien, Santa Maria
• 2014 Ceritas Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
• 2014 Liquid Farm Chardonnay, La Hermana (two bottles)
• 2015 Liquid Farm Rose, Vogelzang Vineyard

Reds

• 2006 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• 2006 Staglin Family Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley
• 2006 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
• 2006 Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Mike and Mav, thanks again for hosting the Institute team and introducing us to a new venue allowing us to see a different view of the Pacific Ocean, in Southern California.

For pictures of the evening go HERE.