Nantucket Wine Festival :

The daffodils are still in bloom and the island's color is just starting to take hold. That far away place called Nantucket is just getting out of bed after an especially long, cold winter. 

So you're thinking why would we travel all the way to New England and head thirty miles offshore to a tiny little spit of land in the Atlantic Ocean?  You can't even go for a swim because the water is still only fifty degrees. 

One word. Wine, and lots of it.

The Nantucket Wine Festival has grown up over the last eighteen years into one of the most important venues where the best wine markers gather to share their latest vintages and launch new products. 

Chateau D'Esclans, Cote de Provence’s Rose "Whispering Angle" was introduced on the "Grey Lady" by storm in 2012. It flew off the shelves and is now on allocation. Stock up. They just can't keep up with the demand. 

You'll be able to taste some fabulous wines and meet industry mover and shakers like Carissa Mondavi and Christopher Barefoot from Flowers Vineyards. We're hoping that next year's event enables us to catch the ear of Longboard Vineyard's owner and winemaker Oded Sharke too.

You'll be able to taste some amazing wines and hobnob to your hearts content and step it up a notch too. Network with the NETJETS crowd by attending a private dinner that's sponsored by a cache wine maker and a celebrity chef. It’s not inexpensive. Tickets to these private dinners that are hosted by local residents in their showcase Nantucket homes can run up to $1,000 a plate.

The big gala event is just about to start. Collect your etched "White Elephant" wineglass. Welcome to the show. You're living large at the Nantucket Wine Festival.

Harbor Gala - 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  $275 Per Person

We were amazed at how well attended this grand opening event was on Thursday evening. We were lucky enough to have VIP credentials that allowed us to get a one-hour head start. It’s well worth paying the fifty-dollar premium per person. We were able select from the forty wine pairings that are matched with dishes designed by award–winning chefs from around the world without having to wait in line. The main tent is set up at the White Elephant hotel which, is located on the harbor with spectacular views of the ferry coming in to dock and the mega yachts. 

After nibbling on some amazing food and wine we entered the main exhibition area and marveled at how many wine makers were presenting. Nancy Bean and her team did an amazing job growing this event!

Where does one get started with so many choices? It was like being a kid in a candy store. We turned right and there was a booth that glittered like gold. The redheaded woman drew us in with her gracious smile.

I thought,  "Continuum. What a great name for a wine. Let's try some." 

The woman said, "Continuum is a single wine, produced with clarity of focus at the highest quality level. A unique wine, it is a blend of Cabernet family varieties grown on our hillside vineyard above the Napa Valley.”

I said to myself, "Oh no it's a marketing sales pitch." She poured the wine into my glass and the moment of truth was at hand. Was it any good? I lifted the glass and took a small taste and was completely blown away. 

AMAZING JUICE! 

I asked, "Can I please try some more?" Her smile was a little broader now and she replied, "Absolutely."

Again, I lifted my glass. But this time I was smiling too. It wasn't a fluke. The Continuum cabernet was fabulous.

I asked, "How much does a bottle cost?" She replied, "One-hundred and fifty dollars." 

I thought to myself, "This is going to be an amazing event." And then I asked her, by-the-way what's your name?"

She replied, "Carissa Mondavi."

For more information or to make a media inquiry you can contact Ms. Mondavi at 707.302.2262 - carissa@continuumestate.com

We also had a chance to visit with Flowers Vineyards. I’ve been a fan of their Pinot Noir since it was selling for twenty-five dollars a bottle. You can’t touch this juice for under fifty bucks now and it’s over one hundred dollars in fine dining establishments lucky enough to have a distributor and allocation. 

Christopher Barefoot looks and feels as laid back as his name suggests. He worked for Coke back in the day as a “Mad Man” marketing guru and found his way to the promised land in Northern California.

He now oversees Flowers Vineyards. It’s situated on top of a ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean and has the perfect microclimate conditions for growing ....