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Reprinted from the Central Valley Business Street, April 2002
Awaken to Madera Wine & Foods
By Jim Gill
Want to be among the first to get in on a new trend? One of the
best-kept secrets in Wine is about to be spilled. At a recent
“Slow Food” dinner held at Chateau Lasgoity, some of California's
best Merlot and Blanc du Val was served to the delight of the
patrons. What is most amazing is that these wines were not from
Napa, nor were they made in the more trendy Central Coast region.
These rich, flavorful wines were from what will soon become a
very important quality wine-making region, Madera County.
Why not Madera, the same Central Valley region has also produced
the award winning Fresno State wines! Now these former Enology
students and other Vintners are building new wineries and producing
landmark vintages. Already the Quady Winery is well renowned for
its dessert wines, especially the exquisite Elysium. Now Chateau
Lasgoity, is bringing forth a vintage that is high in quality
and equal in flavor and color to any Napa wine. Both their Red
Merlot and the Blanc du Val are an excellent buy. These are true
premium wines that you can buy at Old Docs and at the Fig Garden
Longs at very reasonable prices.
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As the revolution to free Madera from the “jug” wine image is
undertaken by the growing membership of the Madera Vintners Association,
another Madera group is starting a revolution of their own. This
is the Madera chapter, of the “Slow Food” movement. Just as you
would guess, this group is the antithesis of the “Fast Food” movement
that is taking over the country, French fry by French fry.
The food served at these monthly dinners is all organically grown,
exquisitely prepared, and appreciated with a slow savoring by
the guests. The dinner I attended was hosted and held in the bottling
room of the Chateau Lasgoity Winery. It was co-sponsored by the
Madera County Arts Council. The food and wines were presented
by T and D Willey Farms, The Vineyard Restaurant, Chateau Lasgoity
Winery, Quady Winery, Love & Garlic and Maderans Making A Difference.
The menu consisted of wonderful fresh winter vegetables with a
superb garlic cream dip, followed by a medley of roasted carrots,
nantes, rutabaga, and beets. There were also roasted red Irish
potatoes with a trio of sauces, crËme Fraiche, mustard Aioli,
and roasted garlic potato sauce. Then Nancy Vajretti's Love and
Garlic servers brought out the whole roasted pig. Like any good,
family Italian meal, the salad followed the entré and was a sweet
salad of winter greens, grapefruit, chiogga, beets, walnuts, blue
cheese and citrus vinaigarette. This was followed by Nellieís
beet cake which was a similar but more exciting than a good carrot
cake. Then, of course, we topped it all off with Quady’s Elysium
dessert wine.
It was said during this lovely evening in Madera, “Intimacy with
the food is our future.” Being that all that we ate and drank
was grown and processed in Madera, that future looks pretty bright.
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