Posted by: thepinetree on 06/15/2010 03:23 PM
Updated by: thepinetree on 06/17/2010 11:33 AM
Expires: 01/01/2015 12:00 AM
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Hovey Wines Will Be Welcomed at 29th Annual Vintners' Holidays Event Series Starting This October
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA....The Ahwahnee, a full-service, AAA Four-Diamond hotel located in scenic Yosemite Valley, Calif., will welcome 32 of California’s best winemakers for its 29th annual Vintners’ Holidays event series starting this October. Celebrating excellence in winemaking in the unmatched and beautiful natural setting of Yosemite National Park, Vintners’ Holidays will be held over a series of eight sessions from October 31 to December 2, 2010. From terroir to table, participants in each session will have personal access to meet the winemakers, learn about the latest trends in viticulture, taste the wines and enjoy a five-course finale candlelit dinner in The Ahwahnee’s grand Dining Room....
Since its inception as a small gathering of winemakers and hotel guests in the winter of 1982, Vintners’ Holidays has become a premier and much-sought-after destination for wine aficionados and winemakers alike. Held every year in the Fall, Vintners’ Holidays allows the winemakers to relax after their busy harvest season and share the fruits of their labor with Yosemite visitors. Many vintners have participated multiple years, and returning for the 2010 season are boutique producers such as Tres Sabores to such widely-recognizable names as Mumm Napa and Robert Mondavi Winery. New wineries joining the festivities this year are Ancient Peaks Winery, Carol Shelton Wines, Franciscan, Freeman Vineyard & Winery, Hidden Ridge Vineyard, Hovey Wine and Selene Wines.
“Fall is always a wonderful time of year to visit The Ahwahnee and Yosemite National Park as the foliage changes color and the fireplaces are roaring in the hotel,” said Chance Jorgensen, general manager of The Ahwahnee. “Vintners’ Holidays is such a fun, interactive and historic event that we’re proud to have produced for almost three decades. It really offers guests an inside look at wine and the ability to enjoy some of the best wines in the country in a beautiful and cozy environment.”
Vintners’ Holidays offers everyone from the novice to the connoisseur an opportunity to participate in a part of viticulture, as the wineries share their latest vintages and oftentimes rare and limited-release samples exclusively with guests. Each session includes a “Meet the Winemakers” reception, educational tasting seminars and concludes with a five-course gourmet dinner by Executive Chef Percy Whatley in The Ahwahnee Dining Room. With accolades including a recent win at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or USA competition for “best meat dish,” Whatley prides himself in providing the best in local and organic California ingredients with his seasonal American menu. Working with each vintner, he expertly crafts each course to complement the presenting wines in a fun role-reversal on the more traditional wine pairing, creating beautiful and delicious dishes for each guest to enjoy.
The sessions are hosted and moderated by leading experts in wine, sharing their own knowledge with guests and engaging the vintners in discussions about the industry. This year welcomes back Gilles de Chambure, M.S., director of wine education at Meadowood; Peter Marks, M.W. and vice president of education, Constellation Academy of Wine; Dan Berger, syndicated wine journalist and judge; Evan Goldstein, M.S., president of Full Circle Wine Solutions, Inc.; and Michael Stepanovich, wine journalist and judge.
“I look forward to Vintners’ Holidays every year,” said Goldstein, a longtime session moderator and Vintners’ Holidays participant for more than 20 years. “Not only do you have the best and the brightest from the California wine world in one room, but the events offer an inside look and exclusive tasting opportunity to all guests, thereby deepening their appreciation of wine and winemaking. It is truly a pleasure and a privilege to participate.”
The 2010 schedule is as follows:
Session I: October 31-November 2 (Sunday-Tuesday)
Moderator: Gilles de Chambure, M.S.; director of wine education, Meadowood
Chris Benziger, Benziger Family Winery
Ken & Akiko Freeman, Freeman Vineyard & Winery*
John Conover, Plumpjack Winery/Cade Winery
Timothy Milos, Hidden Ridge Vineyard*
Session II: November 3-4, 2010 (Wednesday-Thursday)
Moderator: Gilles de Chambure, M.S.; director of wine education, Meadowood
Hugh Davies, Schramsberg Vineyards
Kent Rosenblum, Rosenblum Cellars
Jon Ruel, Trefethen Family Vineyards
Christopher Howell, Cain Vineyard & Winery
Session III: November 7-9, 2010 (Sunday-Tuesday)
Moderator: Peter Marks, M.W. and vice president of education, Icon Estates
Janet Myers, Franciscan*
Julie Johnson, Tres Sabores
Clay Brock, Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards
Steve Pride, Pride Mountain Vineyards
Session IV: November 10-11, 2010 (Wednesday-Thursday)
Moderator: Peter Marks, M.W. and vice president of education, Icon Estates
Steven MacRostie, MacRostie Winery & Vineyards
Lawrence “Buck” Cobb, Karly Winery
Chuck Hovey, Hovey Wine*
Genevieve Janssens & Margrit Mondavi, Robert Mondavi Winery
Session V: November 14-16, 2010 (Sunday-Tuesday)
Moderator: Dan Berger, syndicated wine journalist and judge
Dan Goldfield, Dutton-Goldfield Winery
Daniel Baron, Silver Oak Cellars
Michael Sinor, Ancient Peaks Winery
Ben Cane, Twomey Cellars
Session VI: November 17-18 (Wednesday-Thursday)
Moderator: Dan Berger, syndicated wine journalist and judge
Jason Haas, Tablas Creek Vineyard
John Williams, Frog’s Leap Winery
K.R. Rombauer III, Rombauer Vineyards
Carol Shelton, Carol Shelton Wines*
Session VII: November 28-30, 2010 (Sunday-Tuesday)
Moderator: Evan Goldstein, M.S., and president, Full Circle Wine Solutions, Inc.
Rob McNeill, Mumm Napa
Tom Rinaldi, Provenance Vineyards and Andy Beckstoffer, Beckstoffer Vineyards
George Bursick, J Vineyards & Winery
Ed Sbragia, Sbragia Family Vineyards
Session VIII: December 1-2, 2010 (Wednesday-Thursday)
Moderator: Michael Stepanovich, wine journalist and judge
Susie Selby, Selby Winery
Brett de Leuze, ZD Wines
Mia Klein, Selene Wines*
Joel Peterson, Ravenswood Winery
*Indicates new winery this year.
Special two- and three-night packages for Vintners’ Holidays are available at either The Ahwahnee or Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, and include lodging, two tickets to the Gala Vintners’ Dinner, admission to the “Meet the Winemakers” reception and four wine tasting seminars. Odd numbered sessions are three nights and begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and even numbered sessions are two nights and begin on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. The following rates are based on double occupancy, subject to change, and do not include room taxes. Individual tickets for the Gala Dinner may be purchased for $249 per person, excluding tax.
Two-night Packages from: Three-night Packages from:
THE AHWAHNEE
$996
$1,245
YOSEMITE LODGE AT THE FALLS
$744
$867
For more information on Yosemite Vintners’ Holidays at The Ahwahnee or to make reservations, call 801-559-4903 or visit online at www.YosemitePark.com/Vintners.
ABOUT THE AHWAHNEE
The Ahwahnee is a full-service, AAA Four-Diamond hotel located in scenic Yosemite Valley, which is home to stunning natural beauty, bountiful activities and historic charm. The Ahwahnee is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and has been accepted as a member of Historic Hotels of America, a program that recognizes hotel properties for preserving and maintaining their historic integrity, architecture and ambiance.
ABOUT DELAWARE NORTH COMPANIES PARKS & RESORTS AT YOSEMITE, INC.
The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls are operated by DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc., an affiliate of Delaware North Companies and the authorized National Park Service concessioner overseeing lodging, dining, guest recreation activities and transportation services in Yosemite.
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