Ahhh…the monthly wine dinner at Prime 82! I don’t always get to attend but when I do it’s a such a fun night!

Each month, Paul Illinger, our evening Sommelier, is excited to share with us information on the regions, vineyards, history, wine makers and, of course, the wines. His passion for wine is obvious by the way he presents the evening’s selections, describing in detail the scents and flavors that you’ll experience in each wine. I’m always in awe at the wealth of knowledge he has on wines within the US and throughout the world.

Tonight we will be tasting exclusive wines from The Jackson Family not available in stores, however, Paul has arranged the opportunity for us to purchase them at tonight’s wine tasting.

We had special guests attend the wine tasting tonight. Paul brought his mother, Mrs. Illinger, along with his wife Jonni for a special Mother’s Day treat.

There’s always a little something shared among our group that adds an extra element of fun to the evening and tonight with Mother’s Day in mind, our Boozy Baker, Christina, whipped up “Sweet Bitch Rosé” Cupcakes made with an Almond Cake and Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting and Chocolate Cabernet Cupcakes with Cabernet Buttercream Frosting. Of course I had to try one of each! I was quite impressed! The Rosé one was my favorite!

With a few light taps on a glass the room quiets down and Paul earns everyone’s attention. I was flattered yet somewhat embarrassed when Paul announced to the group that “Out and About Allie” was here tonight and to be sure to check out her blog. I wanted to crawl under the table when I heard the applause!

First up…JNSQ Rosé, the only wine of the evening that could be purchased in a store. It’s a California grown French Rosé, light, crisp, not too sweet with a touch of strawberry making it the perfect summer wine. The company, maker of Figi water, did not cut corners on the bottling. The rose resealable topper makes the elegant bottle a keepsake (yes I begged and am now the proud owner of a bottle!) I could definitely see myself sipping JNSQ poolside this summer. I’d like to try the well-known Sauvignon Blanc, as well.

Next up – Capture Sauvignon Blanc – Wow! Great, rich flavor with aromatic notes of citrus and green apple. This northern wine is grown north of Calastoga in Knights Valley at a high elevation of 800-1200 feet above sea level. Paul described how the heat from the sunlight during the day rushes up hill to ripen the product. This was my favorite wine of the evening. It was paired with a Blackened Shrimp over Herb and Cheese Risotto. Well done Alex!

Paul told the story of how Jess Jackson, a lawyer, didn’t want to get into wine making but when finally did he went full force. In 1974 he and his wife, Jane Kendall Jackson, purchased an 80 acre pear and walnut orchard in California, converted it to a vineyard and begin his Kendall Jackson wine business. In the early 1980’s they divorced and he later married the love of his life. He eventually owned 25,000 acres in California and 14,000 of those acres were planted with wine grapes. 90% of KJ wines come from their own grown grapes.

Jackson Estate, Santa Maria Chardonnay. Santa Maria Valley is nestled in a rare east-west mountain range (not your typical north-south direction) along the California coastline. The Pacific breeze channels through the valley creating a cool climate perfect for grapes. The French oak barrels used to age the wine cost roughly $1200-$1300 each which you’ll notice is reflected in the price. I’m not a Chardonnay drinker, especially oak barrel aged yet I found the pineapple, buttery flavor pleasing to my palate. No sniff, swirl, swish, spit for me; it went down quite easy.

Now that the energy in the room is flowing we are on to Jackson Estate Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Anderson Valley is up in Mendocino County which is also a cool climate. With the cool mornings and evenings it takes longer for the warm sun during the day to ripen the grapes which makes this a medium to full bodied wine with a lush, rich blackberry flavor. Did you know…the main crop in Mendocino County is not wine; it’s cannabis! So…if you’re visiting Mendocino take Paul’s advice…don’t go down someone’s driveway without them knowing you’re coming!

One would wonder if there was a little cannabis mixed in with the wine with all the laughter in the room! The Bolognese, our next course, quieted things down…for a few minutes.  Spoiled with an extra pour of Pinot Noir, our table fell behind schedule and paired the short ribs with Pinot Noir rather than the Cabernet!

As Sharon says, “Rinse & Repeat!”

Last but not least…Jackson Alexander Valley Cabernet! Alexander Valley has a hot and dry climate and rusty colored soil making it ideal for reds. Mount Saint Helena’s early years’ eruption left deposits in the soil adding a little spice to the wine. Alexander Valley is also well known for some of the best Zinfandel’s. I still regret not making it up to Alexander Valley on our California Wine Country trip. Next time I’ll start there and travel south!

We ended the evening with a sinful slice of dark and decadent chocolate layer cake while sipping the Alexander Valley Cabernet.

Page and Jess, our servers, did a fantastic job making sure the lively crew was well cared for while Alex and his chefs prepared the small plates making sure no one left hungry. Kudos to the Prime 82 staff!

We missed our dear friend Judy, hostess with the mostess, and Karyn, my partner in crime, yet they would be happy to know the evening was filled with great conversations and lots of laughs.

Prime 82 offers Wine Dinners once a month.  You can follow them on Facebook to get the latest information.  I hope to see you Out and About!