STOLPMAN VINEYARDS WINEMAKER DINNER WITH PETER STOLPMAN

RSVP: (619) 295-3939

$49.50 + tax and gratuity

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 6:30

Pre-Dinner Reception with Peter Stolpman from 5:45 to 6:30

Dinner starts promptly at 6:30

Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce a special new winemaker dinner featuring Stolpman Vineyards.  Stolpman specializes in Rhone and Italian varietals, and consistently garners 90+ point ratings from Robert Parker.  We're serving a spectacular 6-course dinner paired with six of their wines.  Co-owner Peter Stolpman will be here in person down from Santa Barbara to host this dinner.

The vineyards at the Stolpman Estate enjoy the warm days and cool nights of Ballard Canyon, which lies 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara County on California’s Central Coast. The combination of climate, southern exposure and limestone soils makes for a unique terroir suited to growing Rhone and Italian varietals.

For this dinner we're pouring their crisp and creamy Sauvignon Blanc, their La Coppa Blanc Rhone White, their intense Grenache, their 30-month oak aged Sangiovese, their flagship Syrah, and their limited production Syrah/Sangiovese blend called La Croce, or "The Cross" in Italian.  Wine notes and bottle prices are at the end of this announcement if you're interested.  Here's the line-up:

Bartlett Pear Salad | Smoked Burrata Cheese | Wild Arugula | Spiced Walnuts | Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

2008 Stolpman Sauvignon Blanc (5 oz. pour)

Pan Roasted Swordfish | Garnet Yam Puree | Preserved Lemon | Baby Fennel | Blistered Shishitos

2007 Stolpman "La Coppa" Blanc (3 oz. pour)

Butternut Squash Soup | Brioche | Cardamom Mascarpone

2007 Stolpman Grenache (3 oz. pour)

Pancetta + Chestnut Ravioli | Celery Root Puree | Roasted Onions | Micro Arugula

2006 Stolpman Sangiovese (3 oz. pour)

Herb Roasted Pork Belly | Stone Ground Grits | Hen of the Woods | Gremolata

2006 Stolpman "Estate" Syrah (3 oz. pour)

Red Wine Braised Beef Cheeks | Cauliflower | Black Truffle

2006 Stolpman "La Croce" Syrah/Sangiovese Blend (3 oz. pour)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

RSVP ~ (619) 295-3939

Please make your reservations directly with Wine Vault & Bistro at 619-295-3939.  We're very good about returning calls promptly, so please leave a message with the best time to return your call if you get the dreaded voice mail.  Due to limited seating, CREDIT CARD RESERVATIONS ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST.  Sales tax and an 18% gratuity will be added to the cost of all dinners.

SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS

If you have special dietary requests, please let us know when you RSVP, not when you arrive!  We're pretty flexible (within reason!) with substitutions and can usually accommodate most special dietary requests if given advance notice.

CANCELLATION POLICY

You may cancel your reservation up to 72 hours in advance without penalty.  NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED WITH LESS THAN 72-HOUR NOTICE unless we are able to replace your cancellation at the last minute.  (See below for groups over 4 people.)

LARGE GROUPS (OVER 4)

If you want to come with a group of friends, please make one reservation for your entire party so we can reserve a block of seats for you ... however, in the interest of fairness to others, we reserve the right to limit the number of people on a single reservation at our discretion.  The cancellation period for canceling the ENTIRE reservation without penalty is doubled from the standard 72 hours (see above) to 144 hours (6 days).  If you need to cancel only 1 or 2 people, the standard 72-hour notice still applies.

WHEN

The bar will open at 5:45 for a pre-dinner reception with Peter until 6:30.  Dinner will then begin promptly at 6:30, but we HIGHLY recommend that you arrive well before then to better your chances of getting a closer parking space and to beat the last minute rush.

WHERE

Wine Vault & Bistro is located in the heart of San Diego between Little Italy and Old Town at 3731-A India Street on the upper terrace.  Follow the black handrail from the sidewalk up the stairs to our front door.

PARKING

On-street parking is usually available within a 3-block radius.  Remember that it’s OK to park in yellow commercial zones after 6:00 and that meters are also free after 6:00.  You can also park in the lot behind Shakespeare Pub two doors down, but do not park in El Indio's lot unless you want your car towed!  If you can’t find parking next to the restaurant, there’s always LOTS OF PARKING on San Diego Avenue and the adjacent side streets just past the Chevron station across Washington Street.  There's also a huge pay parking lot ($1 per hour) at the Mission Brewery Building two blocks south at the corner of Washington & Hancock.  (You'll have to take San Diego Avenue to Noell to Hancock to get there due to the one-way streets.)  So please don't drive yourself crazy endlessly going around in circles waiting to pounce on that perfect spot when there's TONS OF PARKING less than three blocks away!

WINE QUANTITIES

We'll be pouring 3-5 ounce tasting portions of wine (see the line-up above) totaling 20 ounces, or the equivalent of just under a full bottle of wine per person.  Pour buckets are provided for designated drivers.

WINE SALES

Although some wines may be in limited quantities, all wines poured at this dinner will be available for purchase at the restaurant until sold out.  We reserve the right to limit sales of any rare or allocated wines at our discretion.

THE FINE PRINT

Due to fluctuations of supply, we reserve the right to make substitutions of equal or greater value in case any of the wines or foods become unavailable.  Please, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 ... even if your babysitter flakes out on you at the last minute!

WINE NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES

2008 Stolpman Sauvignon Blanc ~ $16

(Santa Ynez)  Winemaker's notes: Fermented in the classic Loire fashion with 90% tank-fermentation and 10% barrel-fermentation with indigenous yeast. Has flavors of lemon, verbena, apricots, and not quite ripe cherries.  The wine was kept on its fermentation lees until bottling to add a creaminess on the mid-palate. (5 oz. pour)

2007 Stolpman "La Coppa" Blanc ~ $25

(Santa Ynez)  Winemaker's notes: 60% Roussanne + 40% Viognier.  Deliciously ripe, fruit forward, rich and full-bodied, this wine is a classic new world style white Rhone blend.  260 cases produced. (3 oz. pour)

2007 Stolpman Grenache ~ $28

(Santa Ynez) Winemaker's notes: Intense nose of seductive candied fruit, all the while maintaining a varietally correct, refreshing medium body.  The fruit purity is simply astounding.  With only 8 acres of Grenache planted, only 500 cases of 2007 Grenache exist.  Hopefully these will last until Thanksgiving and the Holidays, as this will definitely be an amazing turkey wine. (3 oz. pour)

2006 Stolpman Sangiovese ~ $32

(Santa Ynez)  Winemaker's notes: Sangiovese is the heart and soul of our ever-popular Italian passion project.  The Estate Sangiovese is made in the same way as Italy’s best Riservas, picked at optimum ripeness and then oak-aged for 30 months.  The extended oak age softens the tannins allowing the wine to roll along the tongue.  Ruby in color with a soft, delicately perfumed nose, the wine integrates seductive flavors with an austere structure.  The Stolpman Estate’s terroir creates this balance, placing the Sangiovese in a league above most other "Cal-Itals."  Blood orange and pomegranate flavors hang on the periphery of the lifted, elegant cherry flavors.  As our Sangiovese becomes more known, and our new plantings mature, fans can look forward to a beautiful Stolpman Sangiovese Estate Riserva currently in barrel! (3 oz. pour)

2006 Stolpman "Estate" Syrah ~ $21

(Santa Ynez)  Winemaker's notes: 82% Syrah + 14% Grenache co-fermented with 4% Viognier.  Estate Syrah is the winery’s flagship wine and is always representative of the Stolpman style: bright fruit that is ripe but never jammy, and an elegant structure and up-front acidity that balances the wine, allowing it to compliment meals (especially meats) without competing. The 2006 Estate Grown Syrah is sourced from over a half dozen clones throughout the vineyard which offer different climatic nuances and soil diversity. To enhance the wine’s perfume and "Rhone" character, we blended in 14% Grenache and co-fermented with 4% Viognier.  This wine offers lovely notes of huckleberry, plum & cassis.  Big bright fruit off the top and a luscious mouth feel make this a definite cellar pick.  Enjoy this wine now, or find the patience to lay it down for the next 5 years.  2,472 cases produced. (3 oz. pour)

2006 Stolpman "La Croce" Syrah/Sangiovese Blend ~ $54

(Santa Ynez)  Winemaker's notes: La Croce, or Italian for "The Cross," is a co-fermentation of 50% Syrah + 50% Sangiovese.  Named for the crossing of two cultures, Syrah from France and Sangiovese from Italy, this wine is crushed by foot then barrel aged for 20 months.  The wine blends the vibrancy, red fruit and tannic strength of Sangiovese with the lush dark fruits of cooler climate Syrah.  This wine is a rare blend but very food friendly.  Try it paired with grilled steaks, roasted lamb or a mature hard cheese.  575 six-packs produced. (3 oz. pour)