(Chelsea Update would like to thank Bridget Favre for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea Area Festivals and Events committee thanked the sponsors of the 2014 Sounds and Sights with an appreciation party on July 14 at The Common Grill restaurant.
More than 80 guests attended the event, which featured an assortment of entrées and desserts by Chef Craig Common and the wines of Terra d’Oro.
Chelsea resident and General Sales Manager of Trinchero Family Estates, Scott Stubbs, helped organize the event.
“I would like to give a sincere thank you to all of the sponsors and the community. My family lives in Chelsea, and we are truly fortunate to live in an energetic community that encourages the arts and comes together to create events like Sounds and Sights,” said Stubbs.
Jeff Meyers, Terra d’Oro senior vice president and general manager, guided a tasting of seven wines from the winery located in Amador County, Calif. To start the night, he poured one white wine, a first vintage 2013 Chenin Blanc-Viognier, and a limited edition 2013 Rosé.
“To reward your support of Sounds and Sights we have brought some esoteric style wines, small production hand crafted wines that you are not going to typically find outside of California,” said Meyers.
Also served were five reds from Amador County: a 2012 Barbera, 2012 Teroldego, 2011 Petite Sirah, 2010 Home Zinfandel and a NV Zinfandel Port.
Another limited edition, the 2010 Home Zinfandel, was also poured. The Home Vineyard is a little under four acres and may seem small, but according to Meyers, it hits a home run with every vintage.
“The acreage is the only thing small about it, as this vineyard produces truly memorable, intensely jammy Zinfandel with luscious body and the softest touch of silky tannin. The amount of character from these vines cannot be replicated and must be experienced,” said Meyers.
Meyers charmed the guests with 33 years of winemaking experience and his knowledge of each wine as it was poured. He also helped draw raffle tickets for numerous prizes sponsored by Trinchero Family Estates. The grand prize, a trip for two people to Terra d’Oro in Amador County, California, was won by Jennifer Fairfield, owner of The Garden Mill.
“I am thrilled to win this trip and look forward to working out the details with Scott. Thank you to Trinchero for the prize, Craig Common for hosting the event, and everyone associated with the Chelsea Sounds and Sights Festival,” said Fairfield.
The grand prize winners from last year, Chairman, President and CEO of Chelsea State Bank John Mann, and his wife, Anne, returned to talk about their recent trip to the Amador County.
“I was so surprised when I won last year, I never win anything, and I would like to thank Trinchero Family Estates and Scott Stubbs for being so accommodating and for planning a wonderful experience,” Mann said, adding, “I highly recommend visiting Amador County because it is off the beaten path, and the Terra d’Oro winery is stunning.”
For those who have not tried them, Trinchero Family Estates wines including Terra d’Oro will be featured in the social and entertainment tent at the Sounds and Sights Festival this year.
Clcik here for event details and for a complete list of sponsors.
(Publisher’s note: I highly recommend the white, 2013 Chenin Blanc-Viognier. In fact, I bought a bottle at the event.)
