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'78 California Cabs Horizontal

April 8th 2016
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Porcelli's Ristorange & Bar

Hosts: Atwood, D'Amico, Kamin
Location: Porcelli's Ristorante & Bar, 6500 SW Virginia Avenue, Portland, OR 97239
Time: 6:30 pm
 
Click here to register online
Click here for a printed registration.

$95 Members, $115 Non-Members
Limit 14


Steve Curtis, Chef-Owner of Porcelli's in concert with his sous-chef will prepare a Classic Italian Dinner matching the great 1978 California Cabernets (of which many of the winemakers are of Italian descent).  Steve graduated from the Western Culinary Institute and apprenticed under Chef Phillippe Boulot at The Heathman Hotel before opening this restaurant in July, 2007. 
 
All courses will be served “family” style. We do know the menu will include his fabulous Washington Coast Manila Clams, white wine, butter and garlic with our Starter Wine:  2013 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay. 
 
Then onto courses like Fulton Farms ground beef, Carlton Farms pork, and crushed tomatoes over pasta; Portobello Mushroom Ravioli with cream, butter, and gorgonzola; Spaghetti alla Carbonara (pancetta, egg yolks, parmesan and black pepper); and his Tender Beef Tips and Mushrooms served with a red wine demi sauce, tossed with penne.  Prices include gratuity and use of appropriate Reidel stemware.  Cabernets are listed below.

Generally regarded as one of the best vintages for California Cabernet, 1978 was a heady time for the California wine scene. Popularity was rapidly increasing, thanks in part to the Paris tasting two years earlier, and there was an explosion of new wineries in the region. Following two drought years, 1978 saw rains in January-March that ended the drought and helped produce a large crop. The harvest was long and dry and produced wines that were ripe with excellent structure. Indeed, looking at the alcohol levels on the bottles we will be tasting showed them to be in the 13% - 14.3 % ABV range; indicative of very ripe fruit.
 
The 2015 Wine Enthusiast Vintage Chart doesn’t go back to 1978.  However, it does list great older vintages by region.  They list the 1978 California vintage alongside the likes of the other great California vintages of 1984, 1974, and 1968. How lucky we are.
 
We intend to be tasting great 1978 California Cabernets including:
 
1978       Husch Vineyards Mendocino
1978       Pine Ridge Stags Leap
1978       Durney Private Reserve
1978       Buena Vista Private Reserve Sonoma
1978       Cakebread Lot JTL-1 Napa
1978       William Hill Gold Label Reserve Mayacamas/Napa
1978       Duckhorn Napa
1978       Ch. Montelena 100th Anniversary



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