Join us for a very special Women’s Day Wine Dinner hosted by Blu Pointe. 6-Courses paired with select wine by the glass.
AMUSE-BOUCHE
CRAB & CORN TIMBALE
Fire-Roasted Peppers, Hearts of Palm, Chive
WINE PAIRING
Veuve Clicquot
Yellow Label | Brut | NV | Reims, France
1ST COURSE
Smoked Mussel Bisque
Applewood Smoked Maine Mussles,
Saffron-Broth, Caramelized Fennel,
Crispy Leeks
WINE PAIRING
Merry Edwards
Sauvignon Blanc | Russian River Valley
2019 | Sonoma County, California
2ND COURSE
Grilled Flatbread
Caramelized Shallot, Chevre, Speck,
Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, Grilled Flatbread
WINE PAIRING
Elena Walch
Schiava | 2020 | Alto Adige, Italy
3RD COURSE
Cedar Plank Salmon
Pomegranate-Mustard Glaze, Almond Crust, Sage-Lavender Gremolata
WINE PAIRING
Spottswoode
Cabernet Sauvignon | Lyndenhurst
2019 | Napa Valley, California
4TH COURSE
Short Ribs
Cabernet Braised Short Ribs, Parsnip Purée, Roasted Brussels Sprouts
WINE PAIRING
Fantesca Estate
Cabernet Sauvignon | Spring Mountain
2013 | Napa Valley, California
DESSERT
Mille Feuille
Puff-Pastry, Honey, Mascarpone,
Pistachio Crisp, Preserved Lemon
WINE PAIRING
Merry Edwards
Sauvignon Blanc | Late Harvest
2014 | Sonoma County, California
Amuse Bouche: Veuve Clicquot Champagne – Madame Clicquot
In an era when women were excluded from the business world, she dared to assume the head of the company, a role she undertook with passion and determination. Madame Clicquot’s character might be summarized with two words: audacious and intelligent.
She would seize each new opportunity that arose, willing to take risks, and as such she was able to expand her business to all four corners of the world. Uncompromising when it came to the quality of her wines, she perfected new techniques of production. She invented the “table de remuage” (riddling table) to clarify champagne, and innovated the very first blend of rosé champagne. Within just a few years she made her name into a brand of excellence, a name today renowned throughout the world. Even then, her peers recognized her formidable contributions, and referred to her as the “Grande Dame of Champagne.
1st Course: Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
Merredith Edwards
Nearly half a century ago, a handful of women quietly worked their way into the California wine industry. More than trailblazers, these pioneering women helped set the course of the industry for the next 50 years. Along the way, each has become an icon. No one more so than Merry Edwards. Merry has a Master’s Degree from the University of California at Davis. In 1974 she was hired as the winemaker of Mount Eden Vineyards on the Central Coast where the late Richard Graf (co-founder of Chalone) became her mentor, and where she began to forge a new quality direction for California pinot noir. Merry went on to become the winemaker at Matanzas Creek, and in the 1990s began making her own wines. In 2006 she built Merry Edwards Winery in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, specializing in pinot noir and sauvignon blanc. In February of 2019, she sold the winery to Louis Roederer Champagne for an undisclosed sum. Merry was recently awarded a Wine Business Leadership Award from Wine Business Monthly.
2nd course: Elena Walch & her daughters Julia Karoline Walch
An architect by trade, Elena Walch married into one of the oldest and most significant wine families of the region and brought new, modern concepts to the traditional establishment. Now, the responsibility for the family business is being put into the hands of the daughters, Julia and Karoline Walch, already the fifth generation.
3rd Course: Spottswoode Mary Novak & her daughters Beth and Lindy Novak
To many, Mary Weber Novak was the energetic woman who zipped around St. Helena in her little electric red car, smiling at passersby. For those familiar with the modern history of the area, Mary represented the spirit, graciousness, and vision that helped to build Napa Valley.
Through hard work and perseverance, Mary was quietly instrumental in establishing Spottswoode as one of the valley’s great family-owned wineries and a first growth-caliber property. She helped to pioneer organic viticulture when she began farming the vineyard organically in 1985. Mary also played a role in championing women in the wine industry by encouraging two of her daughters to work alongside her, and through the hiring of women winemakers throughout Spottswoode’s storied four-decade history.
Two daughters joined the winery: Beth, in 1987, and Lindy, in 1992. Together they established Spottswoode as one of Napa Valley’s most esteemed multigenerational family estates, with a reputation for making some of the finest Cabernets in the world.
4th Fantesca: Heidi Barrett
World-renowned winemaker Heidi Barrett has been dubbed ‘the first lady of wine’ and ‘the Queen of Cult Cabernet’ by top wine critic Robert Parker. She has been honored with five 100-point scores from the major critics during her career. Heidi is well-regarded for the exceptional finesse and quality of the wines she has crafted over the years.
In addition to Fantesca, her current portfolio includes Amuse Bouche, Paradigm, Lamborn, Kenzo Estate, Au Sommet, Vin Perdu and her own labels, La Sirena and Barrett & Barrett. She has worked previously with Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Jones Family, Grace Family, Vineyard 29, David Arthur, Barbour Vineyards and Showket.
