City of Gold
Quivira Vineyards and Winery

TRAVEL - May 20, 2009

Spanish conquistadors searched Northern California endlessly for Quivira (key-VEER-ah); a mystical kingdom where everyone ate on dishes of gold. Eureka! We discovered Quivira! Our dishes weren't made of gold but were brimming with treasure.

We joined two-dozen wine lovers for the inaugural Farm-To-Table Seasonal Dinner Series at Quivira Vineyards and Winery. The event celebrated the winery's certified organic and biodynamic heritage. Tables full of cow horns, vine canes, bottles of silica and other organic tools were manned by the farm managers, who patiently explained lunar cycles and earth-friendly techniques to guests enjoying Grenache Rosé on a scorching spring afternoon. Winemaker and grower, Steven Canter, mingled amongst the crowd sharing insights about his favorite wine region (Loire Valley) and his exploratory efforts to grow the Montepulciano varietal.

After a garden and vineyard tour, dinner was served on one long emperor's table in the vegetable garden next to the chicken coop. A rooster ambled around, un-phased by the goings on. Smoke rose from outdoor stoves, as chef Doug Nicosia of Sensuous Farms mined Quivira for the feast. Wine for supper started with a 2008 Fig Tree Sauvignon Blanc, followed by a 2007 Syrah Hommage à Ampuis and ended with a port-like Angelica of Grenache. The treasure-trove of the table included Quivira's fresh eggs in the amuse, its green garlic in the soup, its Syrah Ampuis Jus bathing the lamb, and its zinfandel in the chocolate torte for dessert.

Too bad Coronado wasn't there to enjoy the golden bounty of Quivira.

Quivira Vineyards and Winery
4900 W. Dry Creek Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: 707 431-8333
www.QuiviraWine.com

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