V. Sattui Tax Relief Party

If a trip to wine country is in your future, I recommend trying to coordinate it with some type of winemaker dinner, a private event, or perhaps a wine blending class - just to make your trip more special. Anyone can visit the wine regions any time of the year but partaking in some of the events unique to the area are what makes your time that much more special and memorable.

As I've mentioned in my other wine blogs, Sattui is one of my favorite vineyards and they have some of the best events I've ever attended. One of their most popular is the Tax Relief Party which takes place on the weekend right around Tax Day every year!

All the events except (for one where they fly in a chef from Italy) are catered by Tony Knickerbocker, whose menu creations are superb. He has designed a menu for the 2008 event to include roast suckling pig, Spanish paella, and smokehouse bbq options. Usually there are multiple food stations with a wide assortment of options and passed hors d'oeurvres. There is live music, some barrel tasting opportunities, but obviously lots and lots of wine to sample! New releases, some special older releases, and a chance to try some future releases aging in the barrels!

Sattui touts this as the biggest discounts available on their wine throughout the year, as high as 27% on cases. And whatever futures did not already sell out at the Barrel Tasting Event in January are still available for purchase at a discount as well.

This is a great event to get your "feet wet" in the Napa wine environment without feeling out of place or intimidated if you do not know a lot about wine. Everyone is incredibly friendly and willing to explain the various wines and wine making process. If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of Darryl mingling with guests.

For the 2008 event, details are:

April 19, 2008
6:30pm - 9:30pm
$69.75 pp for members(tax included) and $75 for guests and non-members

If unable to attend the Tax Relief party, check out their other events - Fiesta Italiana in July, Harvest Ball (formal black tie event) in September, and the Crush Part in October.