Urban Winemaker Dinner
A three-course dinner paired with wine.
While San Franciscans have been crushing and fermenting grapes since the first Italian immigrants settled in the Bayview - then an agricultural neighborhood filled with gardens and fruit trees - urban winemaking in the 21st century is experiencing a renaissance in our city. Neighborhood Vineyards is growing pinot noir grapes at Alemany Farm, and many small producers have built tasting rooms that make the Dogpatch seem like the next Napa Valley each weekend.
Join one of the newer local producers, John Donaghue of Thee & Thou Wines, and Elly Hartshorn of Neighborhood Vineyards, for a lively look into the mechanics and aspirations of modern urban winemaking in San Francisco.
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Salad of chickpeas, vinegar peppers, chilled shellfish, harissa, mint
2013 Thee & Thou (Syrah/Merlot/Cinsault blend)
Za'atar-rubbed roast chicken, roasted carrots w ginger, cucumber raita
2011 Thee & Thou (Merlot/Cabernet blend)
Apple Crostata w BiRite Tahitian vanilla ice cream
About Neighborhood Vineyards:
"In 2010 I was living in France and working at small vineyards & creameries when I first stumbled upon Paris' vineyard, Clos Montmartre. I was so taken by the concept that when I found myself back in California I began plotting a similar project for San Francisco, researching the city's long forgotten original plantings, before working with a community farm to plant America's first urban vineyard in 2013 -- a 1/2 acre plot of Pinot Noir. Although the vines are young, I've been working with a team of viticulturists, winemakers, and friends to put together small-lot wines to get the project in people's minds, hands and glasses. My hope is that this simple project will blossom to one of large scope - encompassing farming, community building, cultural identity, progressive urban usage, and yes, wine."
- Elly Hartshorn, Founder & Farmhand
About Thee & Thou:
John Donaghue is a young winemaker committed to working as naturally as possible. He has just released his first vintage, and the wines are super promising. He had the good fortune to work with Gideon Beinstock from Clos Saron (our favorite!), and one can easily perceive Gideon’s influence in the wines, which tend to balance heady, earthy aromatics with deep, velvety flavors and lively acidity. John is making a single-variety bottling this vintage, but he is mostly interested in blends, using different grapes to complement one another, leading to more a complete finished wine. We are also pouring a sneak preview of John’s 2011, which is still pending label approval.
