Winemaker Dinner with Far Niente Winery and Nickel & Nickel Vineyards

A memorable evening with Far Niente Winery and Nickel & Nickel Vineyards begins with a reception overlooking the vineyards behind The Meritage Resort and Spa. The evening will feature many of your favorite wines and flavorful dishes prepared by The Meritage Resort’s culinary team, including Executive Chef, Ryan Rupp.

The dinner reception will begin at 6 p.m. on the Vineyard Terrace of The Meritage Resort, overlooking our hillside vineyards and entrance to the Estate Cave, where appetizers, wine and live music begin your evening of indulgence. The evening continues as we move into the Estate Cave for dinner at 7 p.m. for a six-course wine and food dinner.

Throughout the evening, you’ll hear from Far Niente's winemaker, Nicole Marchesi, as she explains her wine making philosophy and the vineyards as you taste through the wines to learn how they produce wines of exceptional quality, distinctive character and consistency year after year.

About Far Niente Winery
Far Niente was founded in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Far Niente prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919, when it was abandoned and left to fall into disrepair. Sixty years later, in 1979, Gil Nickel purchased the winery and adjacent vineyard and began a three-year restoration of the property. During restoration, the original name, Far Niente, from an Italian phrase that romantically translated means "without a care," was found carved in stone on the front of the building where it remains to this day. We felt an obligation to preserve the name with the hope that we could recapture a bygone era when life was indeed without a care.

About Nickel & Nickel
Established in 1997 by the partners of Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel is based on a philosophy of producing 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines that best express the distinct personality of each vineyard. It is from some of the most coveted vineyards in the Napa and Sonoma valleys that the Nickel & Nickel wines are produced.

6 p.m. – Reception, Vineyard Terrace
7 p.m. – Dinner, Estate Cave

Reception
Nickel & Nickel Stilling Vineyard Russian River Chardonnay 2014
Black Truffle Consommé
American Caviar | Corn Blini | Bellwether Creme Fraiche
Kumamoto Oysters | Pickled Watermelon | Nickel Mignonette
King Crab "Lobster Roll"

Dinner
First Course
Far Niente Napa Valley Chardonnay 2015
Fluke Crudo | Kombu | Citronette | Tokyo Turnip | Wild Chickweed

Second Course
EnRoute “Les Pommiers”  Russian River Pinot Noir 2014
Smoked Mushroom Stew | Caramelized and Pickled Leek | Puffed Wild Rice

Third Course
Nickel & Nickel Branding Iron Vineyard Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
King Salmon | Panang Curry | Bitter Greens | Pickled Pearl Onion

Fourth Course
Nickel & Nickel Sori Bricco Vineyard Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Duck Breast | Cherries | Bourbon | Date and Coffee Compote | Duck Jus | Watercress

Fifth Course
Far Niente Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Wagyu Pot a Feu | Potato Puree | Crispy Alliums | Beef Jus

Dessert
Dolce Napa Valley 2010
Foie Gras Doughnut | Blood orange Sorbet | Bellwether Farms Goat Cheese Bavarian