Join us for a premier Blackstone Valley event, the first annual Art & Wine Festival. This weekend begins with a Connoisseur's Evening on Friday, September 9 at the Asa Waters Mansion. View a juried art exhibit, dine on exquisite fine cuisine, and taste selected imported and local wines. Mingle with fine artists, guest vintners and renowned chefs on this exceptional evening.
Reception: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7:15 pm
Limited seating ~ $100. p/p
For reservations 508.234.9090
www.blackstonevalley.org
Preview the Menu.
Purchase tickets for Connoisseur's Evening securely online at the Chamber's e-Purchase website.
Robert Wetzel, owner/winemaker for the Alexander Valley Vineyards of Sonoma will be our distinguished guest speaker for our Connossieur’s evening.
Sonoma County's Alexander Valley was mostly prune orchards and pastures when, in 1962, Maggie and Harry Wetzel purchased a large portion of a homestead built by Cyrus Alexander, the valley's nineteenth century namesake. Here, in a rural community of family farms and ranches, the Wetzel family settled. They raised livestock, cultivated bountiful gardens and restored Alexander's original home, making it the center of family life. With an eye to their neighbors in nearby Napa Valley, the Wetzels boldly planted premium grape varieties, among the first in the area. Then the family built a small winery. Acclaimed for crisp Chardonnay and luscious Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley Vineyards brought recognition to the appellation and became a leading winery in Sonoma County.
Today the Alexander Valley is a prominent appellation known worldwide as the source of elegant, age worthy wines. As the twenty-first century begins, the Wetzel Family Estate grows fourteen grape varieties, on diverse sites stretching from the banks of the Russian River up onto the hillsides. Each grape variety is matched to a specific soil type and exposure. Vineyard Manager Mark Houser and Winemaker Kevin Hall work as a team to maximize fruit flavor in the vineyard and to create balanced wines that capture the grapes' varietal characteristics. The winery produces 100,000 cases annually, nine varietal wines and proprietary blends. Seventy-five percent of AVV's production is red wine. Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon constitute over one third of total production. Other varietals include Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Syrah and Viognier.
