Denise and Mike Thornberry have put their souls into making Tasting House Los Gatos a destination for Champagne lovers. Being named in the Top 10 in the US by the prestigious Bureau du Champagne, USA, was not on their bingo card, but it happened. They were on a trip to Piemonte with their favorite somm when the news came that they’d made this year’s list, which includes famous bubbles destinations like 13 Celsius in Houston; Apéro in Washington, DC; Coqodaq in New York City; Coupes in Dallas; Fizz Walnut Creek in Walnut Creek; Jean-Georges Philadelphia in Philadelphia; Pops for Champagne in Chicago; The Coupe and Flute in Seattle; and The Little Nell, in Aspen.
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“Winners stood out to us for their treatment of Champagne – which comes only from Champagne, France – as the singular sparkling wine it is, and took care to offer their guests a thoughtful range of styles, growing regions, houses, growers, cooperatives, vintage and non-vintage bottles,” said Lori Russo, director of the Bureau du Champagne, USA.
Russo praised the winning bars for their knowledgeable staff and their expertise in helping guests enjoy Champagne throughout an entire meal. “These places help to tell the story of Champagne, and for that, we celebrate them.”
While we agree that there is nothing like Champagne, there is also nothing quite like the sparkling wine being made from our Central Coast region. Specifically, The Mountain Winery in Saratoga has reintroduced sparklings to its newly overhauled wine program. Viticulturist Prudy Foxx, who oversees the vineyard there, said the famed property—established by Paul Masson and made famous for its award-winning sparkling wine—recently rolled out new estate-grown sparklings, with assistance from local vintner Nicolas Vonderheyden. Taste the new lineup at The Mountain Winery Friday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
Remaining performances in this year’s Mountain Winery concert series include tributes to the Bee Gees, Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac, plus the Marshall Tucker Band, Ziggy Marley, Daryl Hall, and Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters. Boz Scaggs finishes out the season on Oct. 28.
They have an all-new pre-event dinner service befitting the lofty location and fabulous venue. https://gotickets.com/venues/mountain-winery
Calling lovers of Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir to the Pinot Salon at David Bruce Winery on Saturday, Oct. 4, 5-8 p.m. Explore the distinct flavor profiles of pinot noir and chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains made by flagship and boutique wineries, including Aptos Vineyard, Big Basin Vineyards, Burrell School Vineyards & Winery, Byington Vineyard & Winery, David Bruce Winery, Inversion Wines, Lago Lomita Vineyards, Mount Eden Vineyards, Muns Vineyard, Pelican Ranch Winery, Rosscienda Vineyard, Silver Mountain Vineyards and Thomas Fogarty Winery. The event includes a silent auction with library wines, current releases, tours and tastings, large formats and more. http://bit.ly/4nKJFgS
Tickets are going fast for the second annual MOHI Food & Wine Oct. 5, 1-4 p.m. (VIP early access at noon), in downtown Morgan Hill, where restaurants from throughout the Golden State will pair dishes with wines from mostly local wineries in a convivial celebration of the agricultural heritage of the region. http://bit.ly/46WRQkG
Escape to the tranquil town of Aptos for Gourmet Grazing on the Green Oct. 11, noon-4 p.m., for an outdoor garden party and cancer benefit. Nearly every winery from the Santa Cruz Mountains will be in attendance, and the food from local coastal restaurants, from Pasatiempo to Monterey, is unmatched in flavor and authenticity. Cocktails, beer, live music and good vibes abound. Auction items are great for gifting.
In its 20 years, the event has raised $2 million to fund local support programs like the Teen Kitchen Project, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services, The Bennett & Suzy Katz Cancer Resource Center at Dominican Hospital and WomenCARE, founded by women with cancer for women with cancer. https://www.sccbg.org/gourmetgrazingonthegreen
Alamitos Vineyards, located in San Jose’s New Almaden community, is holding a Portuguese-inspired pop-up dinner and wine pairing on Sunday, Oct. 19, 5:30-8:30 p.m., on their stunning lawn overlooking the Almaden Reservoir. Chef Matt Close will cook up Portuguese and Azorean dishes to pair with Alamitos’ three-time gold award-winning 2024 Rosé, a blend of Portuguese alvarinho and estate-grown syrah, as well as Touriga Nacional. This one-of-a-kind blend, along with the rest of the lineup, were created by longtime winemaker George Troquato, with input from co-owner/vintner Shaun Coleman. Limited to 50 guests; tickets are $185 at http://bit.ly/4gHTrhv.
Ridge, that bastion of early-drinking zinfandels and Bordeaux style blends that are best after decades of cellar snoozing, has gotten the message that some people would rather drink white. They just rolled out their newest addition to the Ridge club membership lineup: Lights & Brights. Releases in this club include Chenin Blanc, Falanghina, and Grenache Blanc, as well as lighter-bodied red wines like the Frediani Valdiguié. http://bit.ly/4mW5d9L
Speaking of Ridge, former winemaker Trestor Goetting is now at Rootstock Wine Bar in Los Gatos. Eric Baugher, the winemaker who preceded him in that post for 25 years, is busy working on harvest for the 2025 vintage of Deaurātus Wine, a label he co-created with hisformer Ridge colleague Shun Ishikubo.
As for the current harvest, some local vineyards, like Ascona on Skyline, are completely sold out and most of the fruit has been picked, according to vineyard manager Ken Swegles. However, many others throughout the region and across the state are having trouble finding homes for all the grapes. Some will not be picked at all.
While the crop at Burrell School looks amazing, the cool summer weather means winemaker Dave Moulton has not yet begun harvesting. But when he does, it could be a fantastic vintage.