Our first Napa
Wine Experience Dinner hosted by us that was held at the
CIA Greystoke
Restaurant featured Robert Craig of Robert Craig Wines and
his associate winemaker Rudy Zedema as guests. Held in 1998, we served a
horizontal tasting of then ten-year-old 1988 Bordeaux cellar selections from
our cellar (below) that included Chateau's Cantemerle, Cos d' Estournel,
Ducru Beaucaillou, Figeac, Leoville Las Cases, Palmer, and Chateau
Suidirant, matched up against Robert Craig Affinity and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The fabulous food selection matched to complement the
wines was graciously served by the attentive and understanding Greystoke
staff including Reuben Katz, Director of Wines (pictured below). One of the
memorable moments of the evening was to be lead into Reuben's office to see
that he had laid on his desk a large sheet of white butcher paper on which
he had dripped and then labeled a round splotch of wine from each of our
selections. "Look at the colours," he mused. Only a true lover and student
of wine would relate!
We repeated the event the next year, again with Robert
Craig as our guest, only this year to be joined by his wife and business
partner, Lynn Craig, and to enjoy ten-year-old 1989 vintage Bordeaux.
Atmosphere - Whether dining outside on the terrace with
placid views of the valley below, inside the stylish restaurant, or in one
of the private dining rooms, Greystoke offers a unique and memorable dining
experience. 4.75/5
Food - You can count on the CIA to always feature
imaginative selections of the finest continental and California cuisine.
4.5/5
Service - Being affiliated with the CIA and Wine
Spectator nurtures a sensitivity and appreciation for the combination of
food and wine. The wine culture combined with the zest for fine food that is
found in the world's great wine regions such as Napa Valley provide an
extraordinary tasting experience where they not only tolerate but add value
to a special wine tasting such as our Napa Wine Experience events! 5/5
Winelist - An extensive winelist features global style
offerings (Cal-Italia, Rhone-Esque), through the breadth and depth of Napa
Valley and other California producers - as well as hard to find,
emerging, and stalwart name producers - including a selection of half
bottles and magnums, and a respectable offering by the glass. 4.5/5
Overall 18.5/20 |