Schmooze with Randall Graham at Manresa

Two of the Bay Area's most celebrated biodynamicists are teaming up for a wine dinner at Manresa in Los Gatos, Calif. on Sunday 7 Sep.

http://manresarestaurant.blogspot.com/2008/08/dinner-with-randall-grahm.html

A wine reception plus four courses including wine but not tax or gratuity for US$250 (EUR65). Really expensive, but the restaurant only seats 68 people, so this is your chance to buttonhole Randall Graham and try to talk some sense into him. Or sample his new terroir-based wines now that he's sold off the bulk of his operation.

I would probably splurge and go, but I'll be eating airline phood on a cross-country flight. From Newark. With a 6-month-old baby. Eeek.

Disclaimer: I don't have a business relationship with Manresa, but we go there a few times a year and they know us by name.

Walt

I'll be nowhere near, but will say my one meal at Manresa was magnificent.

Same here--went to Manresa when visiting friends in San Jose last year. Had a superb meal.

-Paul W.

As you both have noted, Manresa is a truly outstanding restaurant. Perhaps I should have mentioned that fact. They also do an excellent job pairing food-friendly wines to show off the cuisine, so for someone's first visit I'd recommend skipping any special event and just going for the tasting menu with its wines.

Walt

...this is your chance to buttonhole Randall Graham and try to talk some sense into him. Or sample his new terroir-based wines now that he's sold off the bulk of his operation. Walt

Walt,
Not sure anybody is going to be able to talk some sense into RandallGrahm. When he sold of his high-production end of stuff, I thought
he might be concerned w/ his legacy that he leaves w/ the Calif wine biz and refocus on quality and innovation. Thus far, I've not seen
any signs of that. And I don't think he wines display much of terroir, when many of them bear a Calif appellation. But one can always hope.
He'll be here in Sept for SantaFe Wine&Chile on a panel w/ JasonHaas & NeilRosenthal...moderated by...gakkkk...AliceFeiring. I'm making up
a list of pointed questions for him.
Not seen much of you hereabouts in this little corner of CyberSpace, Walt. Trust things are well.
Tom

Dear Tom,

I assume it will take Graham and company a few years to make the switch. Did I hear he's planting vineyards?

With baby Max taking up so much of my time, I haven't been able to spend much time on the interwebs. I still look in from time to time, and all is well on the homefront.

Walt

I assume it will take Graham and company a few years to make the switch. Did I hear he's planting vineyards?
With baby Max taking up so much of my time, I haven't been able to spend much time on the interwebs. I still look in from time to time, and all is well on the homefront.
Walt

Walt,
Sounds like life is good...if hectic. Enjoy Max...they grow up all too fast. Before you know it...he'll be driving a car, drinking beer (maybe even his Dad's wine), and getting laid....all the stuff we wanted to get away but couldn't.
Randall's had his vnyd down in Soledad for quite some time, planted to all sorts of weird Italian stuff. The wines don't particularly speak of terroir to me, though.
I'd heard rumors that he wanted to plant again up in the SCM, but not seen anything concrete yet.
Tom

[Jenise]

Dear Tom,

I assume it will take Graham and company a few years to make the switch. Did I hear he's planting vineyards?

With baby Max taking up so much of my time, I haven't been able to spend much time on the interwebs. I still look in from time to time, and all is well on the homefront.

Walt

Walt, didn't realize you had a newborn. Congratulations!