Email from Jeff Fink, Tantara Winery

[Peter]

I received this email from Jeff Fink, the co-owner of Tantara Winery in Santa Maria, CA... He's a first-class guy that makes amazing wine...

Greetings from the Santa Maria Valley,

I am thankful that so many of you on this mailing list know me personally. For those of you who don't, my name is Jeff Fink, and I, along with my long-time friend Bill Cates, have spent the last 14 years of my life making the best Pinot Noir I could. Our winery is small and beautiful, surrounded by Bien Nacido Vineyard - perhaps the most prestigious and historic Pinot Noir site this side of Sonoma. We've seen our share of amazing things here. We've hosted dinners, lunches and tasting for all sorts of friends and wine-lovers. I've been invited to the best restaurants in the world to pour Tantara wines, while world-class chefs prepared feasts to match. We have done so much - more than we ever imagined - but we've never done this....

First, some context. Here is a list of the vineyards we are lucky enough to get fruit from:

- Bien Nacido Vineyard
- Brosseau Vineyard
- Dierberg Vineyard
- Garys' Vineyard
- Laetitia Vineyard
- Lindsay's Vineyard
- Pisoni Vineyard
- Rio Vista Vineyard
- Silacci Vineyard
- Solomon Hills Vineyard
- Talley Vineyard

But what many of you might not know is that some of them are also farms.

Laetitia Vineyard & Farm- You'll find young lambs roaming the hillsides and grazing between vine rows, a Meyer lemon grove, and lavender from the communal garden started by the Laetita staff several years ago.

Rio Vista Vineyard & Ranch- Cattle ranching and farming have been happening here since the 1880s, and the Thorne family alone has been ranching at Rio Vista for over 50 years.

Talley Vineyard & Farms- This 3rd-generation family vegetable-farming operation was founded by Oliver Talley in 1948 - a good forty years before any vines came on the scene - specializing in bell peppers, cilantro, spinach and Napa cabbage.

Pisoni Vineyard & Farm- There is a well-known story in which a young Gary Pisoni persuades his father to expand the family vegetable farm into a vineyard by asking, "Have you ever been to a $250 lettuce tasting, Dad?" Vegetables are still grown on the property including that famous lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, celery and onions.

I am inviting you to a dinner that will never happen again. The stars have aligned.

Please join me for a mid-summers' eve dinner of UNCOMMON ORIGINS. Taking the single-vineyard approach to a delicious new level, we at Tantara Winery are partnering with these four vineyards to present a thoughtfully-curated menu of wine and foods that find their roots in the very same solid ground.

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Part I: Pre-Dinner "Evelyn" Wine Tasting
Including Two Other Best-Ever Wines

Each summer we release "Evelyn," a blend of the best Pinot Noir that Tantara has to offer. This year is different, though, because the 2007 vintage was perhaps the greatest we've ever seen. I'm not the type to blow things out of proportion, but could be the loveliest "Evelyn" yet.

2007 "Evelyn" Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley
Produced from the very best barrels of Bien Nacido Vineyard
102 cases made, $90 bottle

And she's not the only beauty of 2007. Every now and then we get a barrel of wine that is so unbelievably good it is crying out to be bottled separately, but never has there been more than one. For the 2007 vintage, however, there are two: La Grande Dierberg Chardonnay - which is the closest thing I've ever made to a white Burgundy - and La Grande Colline Pinot Noir.

2007 La Grande Dierberg Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley
Never made before
23 cases made, $75 bottle

2007 La Grande Colline Pinot Noir (Laetitia Estate Vineyards), Arroyo Grande Valley
Produced also in 2001 & 2002
23 cases made, $90 bottle

I've talked the talk; now I'm inviting you to taste these wines for yourself. Join Bill and me at the winery before the dinner to sip through these three once-in-a-lifetime wines together and celebrate the fruit of a magnificently good year.

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Part II: Uncommon Origins Dinner
Featuring The Farms & Vineyards of Tantara Winery

Following the tasting will be a family-style feast prepared with food and Tantara wines from the same vineyards across the Central Coast.

The Hors D'Oeuvres
passed
Bruschetta of Talley Farm Heirloom Tomatoes, Arugula and Grilled Eggplant
Quesadilla of Rio Vista Carne Asada with Goat Cheese
Ground Laetitia Lamb Kebabs with Cumin Raita

The Dinner Menu
served family-style
Lavender-Pomegranate Grilled Laetitia Lamb with Preserved Lemon and Pine Nuts
Barbecued Rio Vista Beef with Salsa Pebre, Talley Chipotle Guacamole Crispy Onions
Salad of Talley Heirloom Tomatoes and Avocado with Persian Cucumber and Cilantro
Grilled Pisoni Broccoli with Talley Yellow Zucchini with Laetitia Lemon and Serrano Chile
Classic Caesar Salad with Pisoni Vineyard Romaine Lettuce, Fresh Egg and Grana Padana Parmiggiano
Basket of Country Bread with Dried Talley Tomato Butter
Peach and Blackberry Crostata with Tahitian Vanilla Crème Anglaise

The Dinner Wines
served family-style
2007 Talley Vineyard Chardonnay, Arroyo Grande Valley
2007 Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
2007 Rio Vista Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills
2007 La Colline Vineyard (Laetitia Estate Vineyards), Arroyo Grande Valley

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Details:
Saturday, July 18, 2009 at Tantara Winery (directions below)
6:30 - Once in a Lifetime Wine Tasting
7:30 - Farm-Fresh Dinner

Cost: $110 per person, $180 per couple

Seating is extremely limited. To reserve your place, contact me, Jeff Fink at 714.329.1082 or [e-mail]. I hope you will come share with me a dinner that is close to heart and home.

Keep in touch,

Jeff Fink, Co-winemaker/Co-owner
Tantara Winery

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Directions to Tantara Winery:
from Highway 101 in Santa Maria, California

1. Take Betteravia exit and go East.
2. Drive approximately 8 miles from Hwy 101 overpass and Betteravia - take left at the "Y" onto Santa Maria Mesa Rd.
3. Drive approx. 0.6 miles to Ontiveros Lane and turn Left.
4. Drive about 1.3 miles through vineyard on Ontiveros Lane until you arrive at Tantara Winery.

Caution: Do not use GPS or any other mapping device/software to find your way to the winery.

My Acommodation Recommendations:

Radisson Hotel (10 miles from the winery)
www.radisson.com/santamariaca [phone]
3455 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93455

Holiday Inn (12 miles from the winery)
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com / [phone]
2100 N. Broadway, Santa Maria, CA 93454

The Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa (40 miles from the winery on the coast)
http://www.thedolphinbay.com/ [phone]
2727 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach, CA 93449

The Cliffs Resort (40 miles from the winery on the coast)
http://cliffsresort.com/ [phone]
2757 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach, CA 93444