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Local Event Premier Host
Cost: $69.50 + tax and gratuity
Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce our first ever winemaker dinner with Bodega Catena Zapata from Argentina. We are honored to have this not-to-be-missed event hosted by Laura Catena herself on Sunday and Export Manager Pablo Piccolo on Monday. If you're not familiar with Catena Zapata, here's a little background info.
Founded in 1902, Catena Zapata is known for its pioneering role in resurrecting Malbec and in discovering high-altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza. Third generation vintner Nicolás Catena Zapata is justly credited with putting Argentinean wines on the map by focusing entirely on quality.
When he began running the family winery in the mid '60s, his grandfather and father were still making wines according to old Italian traditions. But in the 1980's, while visiting UC Berkeley as an economics scholar, Nicolás experienced the Napa wine revolution firsthand where a new generation of Californian producers had set out to make wines that were superior to the French. Not to be outdone, he immediately decided to carry out a similar project in Mendoza. The first vintage in 1990 using this Californian-French style was a Cabernet Sauvignon with a small percentage of Malbec. This was the beginning of the history of this cuvée, which eventually became Argentina's most collected wine. This revolutionary change in vinification methods was instrumental in influencing other Mendoza wineries to abandon their old oxidative winemaking practices to embrace these new techniques that actually retained the wine's fresh fruit flavors.
Hosting on Sunday is Laura Catena, a fourth-generation Argentine vintner, physician and author. She was born in Mendoza and spent her childhood with her grandfather Domingo at the family's winery in the small village of La Libertad. She graduated from Harvard in 1988 and then got a medical degree from Stanford. In 1995 she joined her father Nicolás at the family winery and founded the Catena Institute of Wine with the vision of making Argentine wines that could stand with the best in the world.
Laura has been called "the face of Argentine wine" for her active role in studying and promoting the Mendoza wine region and Argentine Malbec. She is managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata, the founder of her own Luca Winery in Mendoza, as well as an emergency room physician in San Francisco. Busy lady! And you'll get to meet her here in person on Sunday!
Hosting on Monday is Pablo Piccolo, a native of Mendoza, where he was raised among the vineyards of Argentina. Born from a family of grape growers, Pablo was introduced to many world class wines by his father, an avid collector and wine historian. Together the two spent hours meticulously organizing their wine cellar, and as Pablo’s father was oft to repeat, “No good cellar is complete without the wines of Bodega Catena Zapata.” Pablo achieved his prime objective of working with Bodega Catena Zapata in 2011. His experience as the US Export Manager for this world class luxury producer has been a dream come true. From Pablo’s perspective, Argentina is one of the most exciting places to be making wine today, and no other winery does it as well as Catena. His goal is to showcase the variety of Argentina’s finest wines to the US market, demonstrating the excellence of Catena Malbec and beyond.
Hope to see you here for a truly memorable evening. Wine notes and bottle prices are at the end of this announcement if you're interested. Here's the line-up:
NOTE: Due to the complexity of this menu we regret that we will be unable to accommodate vegetarian requests or extensive menu aberrations.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mixed Seafood Tostada | Crushed Avocados | Macerated Torpedo Onions
2015 Catena "Tupungato" Chardonnay (5 oz. pour)
Argentina-Style Roasted Beef Ribs | Dried Herb Oil | Crispy Potato Croquet
2016 Catena "San Carlos" Cabernet Franc (5 oz. pour)
Housemade Choripán Sausage Sandwich | Fire Roasted Corn + Piquillo Pepper Relish | Yucca Frites
2015 Catena Malbec (3 oz. pour)
Grilled Skirt Steak | Sun-Dried Tomato Chimichurri | Charred Brussels Sprouts | Smoked Sea Salt
2014 Catena "Alta" Malbec (3 oz. pour)
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream | Brown Sugar Crumble
French Quarter Bourbon Milk Punch (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.
COST
Cost for the complete dinner including all five courses and all four wines is $69.50 per person. Sales tax and an 18% gratuity will be added to the cost of all dinners. Due to limited seating, CREDIT CARD RESERVATIONS ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST. We accept Visa and MasterCard only.
SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS
Due to the complexity of this menu we regret that we will be unable to accommodate vegetarian requests. If you have any other special dietary needs, please let us know when you RSVP, not when you arrive. We will do our best to accommodate special dietary needs if we can and if given advance notice. Please be aware that last minute menu aberration requests without advance notice will be impossible for us to accommodate.
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 dinners begin promptly at 5:00 on Sunday and 6:30 on Monday, but we HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend that you arrive earlier to better your chances of getting a closer parking space. The bar opens at 4:15 on Sunday and 5:45 on Monday if you'd like to mingle with the winemaker and enjoy an adult beverage before dinner.
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
Valet parking is available on Sunday only for $8.00. The drop-off point is two doors south of our entrance in front of Shakespeare Pub at the corner of India and Winder. On-street parking is also usually available within a 3-block radius. Remember that it’s OK to park in yellow commercial zones after 6:00 (or all day on Sunday) and that meters are also not enforced after 6:00 (or all day on Sunday). 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. 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 16 ounces plus a 3-ounce Bourbon Milk Punch cocktail, or the equivalent of well over three-quarters of a 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.
WINE NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES
2015 Catena "Tupungato" Chardonnay ~ $17
(Argentina) Winemaker's Notes: The Tupungato appellation has the unique expression of a high altitude, cool climate vineyard site. Nose of fresh white peaches, pineapples, jasmine and magnolia. Attack of pear and citrus flavors balanced with crisp, fresh minerality in the evolution. Rich mouthfeel with a clean, crisp finish.
2016 Catena "San Carlos" Cabernet Franc ~ $20
(Argentina) Winemaker's Notes: 100% Cabernet Franc. This wine is a purple color with red ruby tones. The nose offers elegant aromas of spices, and fresh herbs as thyme and rosemary, red berries, cassis and raspberries, with layers of cedar. The mouthfeel is full and rich with cassis, raspberries flavors and notes of black pepper and oregano. The finish is bright and fresh with finely grained tannins.
2015 Catena Malbec ~ $17
(Argentina) Winemaker's Notes: This wine presents a deep violet color with purple reflections. This microclimate blend of four unique vineyards offers intense aroma, soft texture and concentrated flavor. Deep aromas of ripe red and dark fruits are joined by delicate violet and lavender notes, with traces of vanilla and mocha. A rich, concentrated mouthfeel is highlighted by flavors of blueberries and blackberries with a touch of leather and cinnamon. The wine has well-integrated tannins, bright acidity and a flinty minerality that provides exceptional length to the finish.
2014 Catena "Alta" Malbec ~ $42
(Argentina) Winemaker's Notes: This wine shows a deep violet color, with blue reflections. The nose is elegant and complex with ripe red and blackberry fruits, notes of violets and lavender and a touch of leather, spice and vanilla flavors. The palate is full and rich with soft and sweet tannins and a silky, smooth structure. Mulitple layers of rich cassis, black currant and blackberries are interwoven with hints of licorice and black pepper. Its lengthy finish is marked by wonderful minerality, finely grained tannins and lively acidity.
French Quarter Bourbon Milk Punch
A classic, old-school cocktail typically served at brunch in New Orleans but that also works great as a dessert or after dinner drink. Our version is a simple but decadent and potent combination of Buffalo Trace bourbon, half & half, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Served on the rocks.
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!
Hope to see you here. Buon appetito and cheers!
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Wine Vault & Bistro
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