My Wife Nancy and I recently enjoyed an evening of Wine & Food Pairing in one of Placer County’s hidden gem Wineries – Rock Hill Winery located in Loomis, CA.
We first discovered Rock Hill Winery on Valentine’s Day 2015. Placer County Wine & Grape Association was putting on a special Valentine’s Weekend Tasting Event. Being so close to our house and having never been to the winery, Rock Hill was the first one on our list. The tasting room was built as a large open building, and the first thing we noticed when we walked in was there was festive seating for about 150 people that had reservations for Valentine’s Dinner that night. My wife and I were immediately jealous and tried to find out as much as possible about this gem so close to home. Don DuPont, the owner and wine maker has n extensive background in the wine industry.
I was able to purchase Groupons for Rock Hill Winery’s ‘Wine and Food Pairing’ for my wife and I, my Brother in-law and sister in-law. Don the winemaker purposely keeps the group small and intimate, I believe there was 24 of us. A few people were dress very nicely – most of us were wearing ‘dressy casual’ The experience was very enjoyable and educational night out with good wine and good food. . One interesting fact that Don pointed out is that the wineries in Placer, Eldorado and Amador Counties and in the greater Northern California Wine regions of Napa and Sonoma Counties are located at the same latitude as the Old World wine regions of France and Italy. Those areas would essentially receive the same amount of sunlight and have a similar growing season. The only difference being the soil composition, and elevation.
There are two distinct events – one is a ‘Wine Pairing Dinner’ where the portions are bigger and the selection is smaller, and a ‘Wine and Food Paring’ where the portions are smaller but the variety is larger. We attended the “Wine and Food Pairing’
Don lead us through the courses, pointing out the nuances of the pairings, answering any questions, and interjecting his knowledge of wine making. Assistants keep the event and the wine flowing. You can get additional portions of wine and food if you are so inclined.
The menu:
Palate Adjustment: Fresh Pineapple served with a white blend of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc called Vino Blanco
Asparagus wrapped with prosciutto paired with California Chardonnay, Stainless steel crisp, clean citrus.
Jumbo Prawns with drawn butter paired with 2012 Four Way Blend 28% Cabernet, 28% Zinfandel, 28% Syrah, and 16% Petitie Sirah
Brie Cheese with French Fig jam paired with 2012 Sonoma North Coast Pinot Noir 95.5 points
Grilled Italian Sausage Paired with 2013 Estate Grown Barbera
Skewers of Tortellini, Garlic Olives, Tomatoes, Salami and Bucantini Mozzerella 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Cheesecake with in-season Strawberries paired with 2010 Four wine port, blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Syrah
We like our big red wines so the Barbera was one of our favorites. It’s fruit forward without being sweet, and a dry finish that cleans your palate of the sausage. The 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is very respectable with good body and spice. Another wine worth noting is the Four Way Blend, slightly lighter on the tongue than the Barbera, but with a very enjoyable blend of flavors. The Zinfandel lends it’s fruit, the Cabernet gives it body, the Syrah and Petite Sirah adds to the finish.
In between dinner and dessert Don gave us a tour of the winery – a wine storage area is built into the hill making it much easier to keep the wine at optimal temperature. Above the storage area and built up into the hill is an area used for concerts. He hopes to develop it more but it’s fully usable now. Here is the Winery’s Event Calendar The large tasting room also serves as an art gallary for local artists, so if your looking for photographs or paintings you should stop by and have a look and some wine!
