Chef Aimal Formoli – July 4 & 5
*We are only taking 10 guests per every hour and a half and keeping tables at least 6 feet apart from one another. We will be extending reservation time slots to later times this year and to every hour and a half at 11:00, 12:30, 2:00, and 3:30*.
*There is an hour and a half maximum on seating times as we are trying to accommodate everyone accordingly.
*Please be flexible with possible cancellation of these event dates as we are proceeding with these events only in the instances that the shelter-in-place orders have been lifted by that time and if we are back to normal operating procedures. If cancellations do take place, Miraflores will credit the original amount that was charged back to the original form of payment or for an inner winery credit if desired.
Chef Damon Barham – July 27 & 28
*We are only taking 10 guests per every hour and a half and keeping tables at least 6 feet apart from one another. We will be extending reservation time slots to later times this year and to every hour and a half at 11:00, 12:30, 2:00, and 3:30*.
*There is an hour and a half maximum on seating times as we are trying to accommodate everyone accordingly.
*Please be flexible with possible cancellation of these event dates as we are proceeding with these events only in the instances that the shelter-in-place orders have been lifted by that time and if we are back to normal operating procedures. If cancellations do take place, Miraflores will credit the original amount that was charged back to the original form of payment or for an inner winery credit if desired.
January 6th – Soup Sunday Begins!
Warm up with a cup of comforting, delicious soup every Sunday through the end of March. As always, this is complimentary to all who visit!
February 24th & March 24th – “Sunday Tapas” with Chef Carl Williams
We’re bringing back one of the favorite chefs from our Summer PAIRINGS! Chef Carl Williams will be here one Sunday per month, in our Barrel Room, February, March, and April. He’ll be serving four types of delicious tapas, of course paired with Miraflores wines! $39 Club Members and $45 General. Reservations required as space is very limited. Make your reservations early! One hour seatings at 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, and 2:00pm (limited to 10 people per seating).
Here is the menu for our first Sunday Tapas event:
Korean Fried Chicken on Southern Cheese Grits
Lamb Chop on Pumpkin Pop Tart
Middle Eastern Kibbeh
Bananas Foster
March 10th – Truffle-Making Class with Chef Buck Davis
Due to super snowy weather, we’ve moved our truffle-making class from February to March 10th — we hope you can join us! Bring your apron and be ready to get your hands dirty and learn how to make delicious port truffles and peanut butter truffles with Chef Buck Davis! $39 for Club Members and $45 General. 2:00-4:00 pm. Reservations required as space is limited!
Wine Spectator: 90-plus-point “Smart Buy” Miraflores wines
We are extremely proud to announce that Wine Spectator has included six of our wines on their “Smart Buys, 90+ Point Wines, $30 & Under.” Not only that, the list includes 1,300 wines, and ours is among the wineries with the most wines selected! So without further ado, here the chosen wines (we’ll be adding them all to the shop ASAP!):
2014 Clone 91 points – SOLD OUT
2014 Syrah 91 points – SOLD OUT
2014 Mourvedre 90 points – SOLD OUT
2014 Petite Sirah 92 points – SOLD OUT
2014 Zinfandel 92 points – SOLD OUT
2014 Viognier 91 points – SOLD OUT
Viognier Ice Wine is Here!
Our brand new release, 2016 Viognier Ice Wine, is the perfect sweet wine to pair with your winter desserts. Supply is extremely limited with o
nly 28 cases produced — this wine is already going fast! Come visit us today to give it a taste, or go ahead and snag a bottle or several via our shop.
January 27th – NV Muscat Canelli Barrel Tasting & Pairing with the Winemakers!
Your opportunity to taste our top-rated dessert wine right out of the barrel. Rated #40 on the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2017, 95 Points & Editor’s Choice, this outstandingly luxurious wine will make your senses come alive. Enjoy this wine as it is paired with a decadent dessert bite while chatting with our winemakers! 11-5pm. Club Members: free. Public: $5.
Keep Up with Our Articles in Bliss Babe Magazine!
Follow Ashlee Cuneo, the General Manager & Sommelier of Miraflores, as she writes articles, all relating to wine, for the bi-monthly, Reno-based magazine, Bliss Babe
The Basics of Wine & Food Pairing: Try it this Summer!
Well, it’s official. Spring has officially sprung and soon summer will be here before we know it! As we know with the heat of summer comes incredible produce, which leads to amazing recipes that pair with delicious wine! As a Sommelier, I often get the question, “How do you know which wines to pair with food?” There are so many ways to pair summer dishes with wine and I would love to share a few of my go-to pairings secrets with you!
To be able to pair wine with food, the most basic method is to match the color of the wine to the color of the food you would like to pair with it. Who ever knew it could be so simple?? For example, if you are trying to figure out a dish to pair with a dry Rose’, choose foods that are pink and light red: Pan Seared Salmon, a salad that includes red and pink fruit like raspberries and cherries, or a watermelon gazpacho (just make sure the gazpacho is not too sweet or else you will need to pair it with a sweeter wine).
There are essentially five basic tasting components to wine: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami (savory). There are two ways that a wine and food pairing can be done, either by the “Compare” method which is matching the flavors of the wine to the flavors of the food or by using “Contrast” method which would involve pairing wine with a dish that has the complete opposite flavor of the wine (for example: a salty food item paired with a sweet wine).
Acidity is a very important component of both wine and food. Acidity is the “sourness” in wine that makes your taste buds salivate. When using the “compare” method of pairing, use food and wine of equal acidity to pair with each other (for example, Barbera and tomatoes). When using the “contrast” method of pairing, try pairing a rich dish with an acidic wine to cleanse the palette (for example, a rich cream sauce paired with a crisp, unoaked Chardonnay). With sweet wines, the general rule of thumb is to match equally sweet desserts, otherwise one will overpower the other.
If you follow these simple rules, I guarantee that you will have the ultimate success with your pairings this summer. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavors and just make it fun! Cheers!
Miraflores Winery holds annual Food & Wine PAIRINGS every summer on their patio. Every weekend a different chef prepares a four course lunch and Ashlee Cuneo pairs Miraflores wines with each course. You don’t want to miss these amazing events!
2017 Dates: Every Saturday and Sunday, starting June 17th & 18th through October 1st.
Price: $39 Club Members/$47 General. Call (530) 647-8505 for reservations.
Article by Ashlee Cuneo, “The Sierra Foothills Somm”
Sommelier, & General Manager of Miraflores Winery, transplanted from Sonoma County and exploring all the hidden gems the Sierras have to offer!