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Local Event Premier Host
Cost: $69.50 + tax and gratuity
Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce a special winemaker dinner featuring the wines of Rockpile and Mauritson. Winemaker Clay Mauritson will be down from Sonoma to personally host this dinner. Clay is the sixth generation in a family of grape growers born and raised in Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley, and one of the first vintners to plant in the new Rockpile AVA. Those of you who went on our Sonoma wine tour several years ago will no doubt have fond memories of trekking through Rockpile with Clay and tasting the wines along the way in front of each block.
The Rockpile appellation is located at the northwest edge of Dry Creek Valley where the two appellations actually overlap. All of the vineyards within the Rockpile AVA range between 800 and 2000 feet in elevation. Although Rockpile is located just 13 miles from the coast, Lake Sonoma provides an inversion layer that blocks the heavier fog that typically blankets other Northern California appellations, allowing for longer, more consistent sun exposure. Moisture and daytime temperatures are regulated by howling coastal breezes, making Rockpile an incredible source for ultra premium mountain fruit.
After working for Kenwood, Taft Street and Dry Creek Vineyards, Clay produced his first vintage of Zinfandel under the Mauritson label in 1998. The Rockpile label is a more recent addition, and focuses on premium, small production, vineyard designate wines.
We're pouring four wines for this dinner: two of the Mauritson wines, two of the Rockpile wines, including one of his limited production vineyard designate Zinfandels. We hope you'll be able to join us for a fun evening of tasting some incredible wines from this under-the-radar producer that you'll no doubt be hearing a lot more about as the word gets out. 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.
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Chilled Shrimp + Crab Salad | Fresh Herb + Garlic Crème Fraîche | Gem Lettuce | Crushed Avocado
2018 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc (5 oz. pour)
Natalie’s Chile: House Made Spicy Chorizo | Oven Roasted Tomatoes | Poblano Crema
2016 Mauritson "Dry Creek Valley" Zinfandel (5 oz. pour)
Spicy Duck Stir-Fry | Plum Sauce | Shanghai Thick Noodles | Crispy Ginger + Toasted Peanut Geromlata
2015 Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon (3 oz. pour)
Salt + Dried Herb Crusted Brisket | Potato Pave | Charred Rapini
2016 Rockpile "Rockpile Ridge" Zinfandel (3 oz. pour)
Housemade Caramelized Pineapple Ice Cream | Mai Tai Pour Over (3 oz.)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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 and the cocktail 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 bar will open at 4:15 for a pre-dinner reception until 5:00. Dinner will then begin promptly at 5:00, but we HIGHLY, HIGHLY, 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
Valet parking is available 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 on Sunday and that meters are also not enforced. 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) plus a cocktail totalling 19 ounces, 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
2018 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc ~ $15
(Dry Creek Valley) Winemaker's Notes: This wine is both classic in its freshness and nuanced in its aromas and flavors. Aromas of candied grapefruit, magnolia leaf, crushed river gravel, and hints of wild chamomile dance from the glass. The entry is bright and inviting. On the palate, complex flavors of candied lime, evening honeysuckle, and orange honeydew flesh give way to an energetic finish that is focused and fresh. Enjoy this wine with light appetizers, salads, seafood dishes or on its own on a warm summer evening.
2016 Mauritson "Dry Creek Valley" Zinfandel ~ $22
(Dry Creek Valley) Winemaker's Notes: 95% Zinfandel + 5% Petite Sirah. Perfumed aromas of black boysenberry cobbler with graham cracker crust waft from the glass. Hints of anise, fresh fig, and earthiness beautifully complement the fruit profile. The entry is full but inviting, exhibiting flavors of mocha, wet gravel, and black cherry. The mouthfeel is seamless from start to finish, indicative of perfectly integrated tannin and acid. Please enjoy this wine for the next 7-10 years.
2015 Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $52
(Rockpile) Winemaker's Notes: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 8% Merlot + 2% Cabernet Franc. Concentrated ripe black fruit and warm graham cracker crust aromas dance from the glass. With more air, nuances of vanilla pod, dried brush and pencil shavings reveal themselves. The entry is broad followed by a focused mid-palate and fresh, lingering finish. This wine has incredible depth and staying power. With most of its potential still in hiding, wait 3-4 years, and enjoy over the next 15+ years.
2016 Rockpile "Rockpile Ridge" Zinfandel ~ $42
(Rockpile) Winemaker's Notes: 95% Zinfandel 5% Petite Sirah. Focused and beautiful aromas of dried fig compote, crushed walnut, and boysenberry reduction overlay coffee grounds. The wine shows real elegance on the palate, including purity of fruit, a silky textured mid-palate and soft refined tannins. There is a savory element in our 2016 Rockpile Ridge Zinfandel that complements the signature minerality that runs through all of our Rockpile Zinfandels. In its infancy, our 2016 Rockpile Ridge Zinfandel would benefit from at least 1-2 years of bottle age. Enjoy this wine over the next 10-12 years.
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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