LE CUVIER

2008 Calendar of Elliptical Society Events

Overview-Le Cuvier Calendar of Events

General Note: Elliptical Society events are only open to Elliptical Members and their guests. To ensure that as many members as possible can participate, each member may sign up for only one event requiring reservations, but can be on the wait list for one additional event.  The Elliptical Events fill up very quickly, so please make your reservations without delay. In order to give all Elliptical Society members an equal shot at reserving space, we send every member a copy of each year’s Calendar of Events by snail mail at the same time. Reservations may be made by phone or by email, and are on a first come, first served basis.

 Elliptical Events will be marked as “Sold Out” as their slots are filled. To make reservations or to be put on the waiting list for a possible opening, please give us a call at 1-800-549-4764 or email doug@lcwine.com.

Events Requiring Reservations:

Wine Dinners:  Eight dinners are hosted by John & Mary at their house each year. They are catered by Bistro Laurent and limited to 22 guests. We have chosen such a small group so that our wine dinners are true dinner parties rather than those mass wine banquets filled with platters of cold mutton, and to also ensure that you gain a meaningful hands-on experience when you join us for a dinner. We usually pour five wines, either new releases or Library wines from our extensive collection of older wines.  We begin with passed hors d’oeuvres, and then sit down for appetizer, fish and meat courses, ending with dessert.  Cost: $140/person for New Release dinners & $160/person for Library dinners, inclusive of transportation to and from the dinner.

New Event:  Jim Dinners – Jim Fox, Mary’s inimitable older brother & our chief raconteur, will host two wine dinners at the Black Cat Bistro in Cambria during the summer months of June and September. Chef Deborah Scarborough is a great friend and favorite of Jim’s & many of our wine club members, particularly our hard core bons vivants. Guests are limited to22 people and the cost is $120 per person.  No transportation is provided so we suggest you make reservations to stay in Cambria if you are going to attend one of these dinners.

(Note: Moonstone Hotel Properties owns a handful of hotels in Cambria. Tiani has stayed in four of their hotels and can personally recommend them.  Go to www.moonstonehotels.com)                                                    
                           
New Event:  We will offer five Saturday morning Food & Wine Pairing seminars at the winery. After dividing participants into groups, we’ll take you through the same tasting process which we’ve developed to create our own wine descriptions & food pairings. Your group will use this process to create personal and group tasting notes, and then write a wine description, a la John. We’ll discuss how to use your tasting notes to select menu items; be they hors d’oeuvres, entrees or desserts that will bring out the best in your favorite wines.  You will then present your descriptions as well as your menu ideas to one another as we taste through the various wines. Cost: $55/person or $100/couple, which includes the seminar, lunch & the “Wine Lover’s Cookbook”. Check the event schedule for times. (Group descriptions are eligible for the Wine Writers Competition, see below).

Events & Activities Not Requiring Reservations:

New Release Parties:  We open our Spring and Fall seasons with New Release Parties.  These parties feature a series of hors d’oeuvres that have been especially created by Bistro Laurent to complement each of the different wines.  Members may bring up to two guests. If you wish to bring more than two guests, please let us know at least a week in advance, so that we can make sure we don’t run out of food. Saturday & Sunday from 12-4pm at the winery

Paso Robles Festival Weekend Parties:  Zinfandel and Harvest Festival Weekends, we feature Bistro Laurent’s hors d-oeuvres superbly matched to each of the wines.  Members may bring up to two guests, with no reservations required, but if you wish to bring more than two guests, please let us know at least a week in advance so that we can make sure we don’t run out of food. Saturdays & Sundays from 12-4pm at the winery.

New Event:  Wine Writers Competition and Judgment Party:  The group or individual writing the most original or John-like wine descriptions for any of the new releases in 2008 will have their description(s) posted on the website. They will also be entered in the writing competition, to be judged by John himself.  We will read the most notable entrants and announce the winner at the winery on Sunday, December 21st. The winning writer(s) will, of course, receive special & curious prizes, notoriety and, no doubt, the admiration of their fellow Ellipticals.  Entries may be submitted via email, fax or snail mail.  Please don’t forget to include your name and contact information. 

Tasting Schedule

We will be open for tasting at the winery Friday-Sunday from 12-4pm during our Spring and Fall Seasons.  As usual, we will feature David’s excellent food pairings to be sampled with each of our wines.  The Spring season begins February 15th and ends May 25th.  The Fall season begins September 26th and ends January 4th.

Other Important Dates To Remember