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Napa Welcomes Copia
WineCountry.com welcomes the newest addition to Napa, CA, Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts. Members of the WineCountry.com staff recently attended the grand opening of Copia and participated in a fabulous wine tasting, met Juila Child as she celebrated the opening of Copia's restaurant, Julia's Kitchen, and took part in a delicious cooking demonstration. After the Pecan Pie cooking demonstration, featuring Beth from Beth's Fine Desserts of San Francisco, it was time to venture to the theater, and listen to the masterminds behind the Copia project. On the upper level of Copia visitors strolled through the beautiful lobby and into the art gallery and later participated in a wine and chocolate pairing activity as well as a blind tasting. The grand opening was a great success and WineCountry.com was pleased to be a part of it. Copia is essentially a "cultural museum and educational center dedicated to exploring the distinctively American contribution to the character of wine and food in close association with the arts and humanities, and to celebrating these as a unique expression of the vitality of American life, culture and heritage." Copia is now open to the public to experience the classrooms, concert terrace, exhibition spaces, gardens, gift shop, dining room, café, and theater. Copia has many wonderful things to share, and we at WineCountry.com invite you to celebrate your senses and experience all the best Copia and Wine Country has to offer. Holiday Shopping The Wine Country always has something beautiful and unique to offer, any time of year.
In the wintertime - crisp fresh air, dramatic skies, bright, clear sunlight angled low over the slumbering vines… A breathtakingly beautiful place to spend the holidays. During your visit (virtual or actual), no doubt you will be selecting gifts to give to a beloved friend or relative. Naturally there are the countless bottles of fine wines to select from, but this year give something a little different from Seasons of the Vineyard to warm hearts and homes. Create the perfect holiday table setting with a beautiful array of table linens Vietri, Positano and Italian tableware; Alan Lee, Italian glassware; sumptuous array of gourmet foods and holiday centerpieces.
Or, if you are looking for a special woman's gift, but can't remember what she liked-- don't worry, just visit Mustard Seed Clothing in Napa. If your special woman finds something she likes at the Mustard Seed, they will take a digital picture and email it to you, not to mention wrap the gift for free. The Mustard Seed will also accommodate the tired husband or shopping companion by making them comfortable while they wait with a glass of wine or a scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Visit http://mustardseedclothing.com for their latest fashions and holiday gift ideas.
In the quest to find the perfect, perfectly unique gift, look no further than Cannery Row in the famous Monterey, CA. Boasting more than 75 stores for your shopping convenience, Cannery Row has something for everyone on your list. Stores are open late during the holidays. Visit their shops on-line and find that one-of-a-kind gift for your special someone at: http://www.canneryrow.com/advertisers/shopmain.html Check out all the shopping opportunities the Wine Country has to offer at: www.winecountry.com. Events For December Mendocino: December 22 - 31 -- The Holiday Skunk Train December 31 -- New Year's Eve Party at Brutocao Cellars Monterey: December 8 -- Claudia Villela & Ricardo Peixoto December 31 -- First Night Monterey Napa Valley: December 1 - 2 -- Carols in the Caves at Hans Fahden Vineyards Ongoing Sundays -- "Victorian Stained Glass" Open House Santa Barbara: December 1 - 31 -- Winterfest Celebration December 31 -- Santa Barbara Symphony New Year's Eve Concert Santa Cruz: December 1 - 26 -- Gingerbread Village December 31 -- First Night Celebration Sonoma County: December 13 - 22 -- It's a Wonderful Life at Cinnabar Theater December 7 - 24 -- Dickens Dinner Series 2001 This Month's Recipe Apple Salsa With Cinnamon Chips Salsa:
Chips:
For salsa: Combine apples, strawberries and kiwi in a bowl. Grate orange peel to measure 1 ½ teaspoon; squeeze juice from orange. Add peel and juice to apple mixture. Stir in brown sugar and jelly. For chips: Brush tortillas lightly with water. Combine sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Place in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool, serve chips with salsa. If you have a favorite "Wine Country inspired" recipe you would like to share, please send your entries to editor@winecountry.com. Dining Recommendation
When visiting Pacific Grove in Monterey County, Tom Biggs our Sales Engineering Support Associate "reviewer" suggests that you try Passionfish Restaurant. In Tom's words: Passionfish: As the name implies, the owners and staff are passionate about the food and wine they serve. Guests are warmly greeted and treated exceptionally well throughout their meal. While waiting for a few moments to be seated, we took in the warm atmosphere created by the many candles displayed around us. A unique quality of the Passionfish restaurant is that it has a simple but elegant style, which makes it appropriate for either casual or upscale dress. Wine lovers will delight in the extensive wine list; well over 100 labels are available and priced just a bit over retail. The staff is very knowledgeable about all of the wines and very considerate and willing to help guests choose the most ideal wine accompaniment for a given meal. Each evening, there are six featured wines by the glass -- three red and three white. We chose a glass of Mount Eden Cabernet and a Chance Creek Sauvignon Blanc, and were not disappointed by either selection. The main course menu selections emphasize quality, not quantity. A small but well-rounded selection of 10 choices are lovingly prepared and rotated seasonally. We started our meal off by sharing a crab cake that had a crispy exterior surrounded by a lively fresh relish featuring red peppers, onion, and lime. Our two salads were especially delightful! One, a baked Gorgonzola salad with curried greens and golden chutney, and the other, a beet salad with petite and tender fried onion rings, prosciutto, Cambazola, and figs. Throughout our meal we enjoyed crispy bread, warm from the oven and served with whipped garlic butter. When our main courses arrived, they were nicely presented. The sweet white corn and mascarpone ravioli with tomato and arugula was delicious, as was the chicken breast, twice baked acorn squash and kale with a rosemary infused chevre. The acorn squash exuded its natural sweetness and was wonderfully spiced -- just enough to bring out the natural flavors. We found the portions to be generous, but not too large, which left just enough room to share a dessert consisting of autumn fruit with cabernet syrup over vanilla ice cream. The fruit was a delightful combination of pears, persimmons and pomegranates, which put a perfect final touch to a wonderful dining experience. I highly recommend dining at Passionfish on your next visit to Pacific Grove. Reservations are suggested by calling 831.655.3311 or online through Open Table. Tasting Room Recommendation
If you're looking to truly experience a tasting room, enjoy the estate, learn about wine making and spend the afternoon celebrating a beautiful day, look no further than Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves. Gloria Ferrer, located in Sonoma, CA, encourages their visitors to not only celebrate special occasions with Gloria Ferrer's extraordinary sparking wines, but to celebrate the daily occasions of a hearty dinner, a gathering of friends, or a simple dinner for two. Gloria Ferrer is often found as the sparking wine of choice at weddings, parties and special events, but can be found as the most versatile food wine when served with shellfish, seafood, pate as well as variety of ethnic cuisine.
The editor at WineCountry.com recently spent an afternoon at Gloria Ferrer and was very impressed by the beautiful 335-acre estate, the in-depth tour of the facility and the mini lesson on making sparking wine. All tours of the facility are guided and most take visitors to see the various steps of making sparkling wine, the cellar and caves. The tasting room at Gloria Ferrer is unique in that the atmosphere is similar to a wine bar. For many, to fully experience a sparkling wine is to not just taste, but rather enjoy a glass. Gloria Ferrer's tasting room serves their sparkling wine by the glass, and their new table wines are also available for tasting. The tasting room warmed by a fire in the cool fall and winter months, is comfortable and inviting. The room is positioned to look out onto the estate and visitors to Gloria Ferrer are invited to picnic for the day, or relax with friends on the Vista Terrace. Visiting Gloria Ferrer reaffirmed the need to celebrate every day occasions and enjoy the compliments of sparkling wine with food. WineCountry.com highly recommends visiting Gloria Ferrer, either to picnic or to just sit back, relax and watch the world go by. As Gloria Ferrer's motto goes, "When you serve sparkling wine, you are serving a smile." Gloria Ferrer is open daily from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM and is located at Newsletter Contest Because Visiting the Wine Country for FREE Only Happens Once in a Lifetime!! Win a luxurious trip to the Wine Country! Snuggle under a lush feather comforter with all the accompanying amenities and fragrant vineyards outside your bedroom window... Journey on the Wine Train while you tease your palate with a delicious and decadent five-course dinner… Relax with a private and romantic wine tasting at an exclusive tasting room of the Napa Valley… On January 7, 2002 you could win a two-night stay at the Napa Valley Marriott, tickets for two on the famous Wine Train which includes a five-course dinner, and two tickets for an exclusive wine tasting at the private tasting room of Koves-Newlan Vineyards and Winery. No purchase necessary. Must be at least 21 years old to enter. Only one entry per person permitted. Winner will be selected January 7, 2002 by random drawing. Winner will be notified by email. Employees of FreeRun Technologies are ineligible. Void where prohibited by law. Visit Napa Valley Marriott at: www.marriotthotels.com Visit the Napa Valley Wine Train at: www.winetrain.com Visit Koves-Newlan Vineyards and Winery at: www.kovesnewlanwine.com WineCountry.com Info Weather: Past Newsletters: Subscribe: Unsubscribe: Our privacy policy can be found here: winecountry.com/w3c/privacy.html To Advertise:
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