More than 1,000 wine- and food-lovers gathered on Saturday, November 10, for one of California’s biggest post-harvest bashes, Party in the Hangar. The annual event—hosted by Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association and sponsored by Wine Enthusiast—took place in Monterey Regional Airport’s spectacular 20,000-square-foot Del Monte Aviation Hangar.
Some 38 winemakers poured a wide collection of Monterey wines alongside culinary delights prepared by more than 20 chefs, including Todd Fisher of the Discovery Channel’s United States of Food. In addition to the sipping and snacking, VIP guests were encouraged to sit in on two educational seminars moderated by Wine Enthusiast’s California Editor, Steve Heimoff.
The sparkling wine seminar featured a tasting and discussion of Caraccioli Cellars’s 2007 Brut Cuvée, Scheid Vineyards’s 2008 Isabelle Reserve and McIntyre Vineyard’s NV L’Homme Qui Ris. Winemakers described their respective approaches to producing bubbly, and discussed Monterey’s climate and méthode Champenoise—the traditional French technique of making sparkling wine with a secondary fermentation occurring in bottle.
The second seminar and tasting featured dry table wines, including the Pinot Noirs, Petite Sirahs, Chardonnays, Bordeaux-style blends, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons that have become Monterey County specialities. These wines were from Wrath, Galante Vineyards, Talbott Vineyards, Pessagno Winery, Paraiso Vineyards, Hahn Winery, Pelerin Wines, De Tierra Vineyards and Château Julien Wine Estate.
Published: November 14, 2012