Delicious Paella and great wine at the Harvest Party.
What greater way to unwind from a demanding trip all over Europe than a nice relaxing drive up to California’s wine country to celebrate the harvest season with one of our favorite wineries, Ehlers Estate.
We love the winery, not only for their great wines (and their 1886 bottle design which I have proclaimed to be the most beautiful in all of Napa), but also because:
- it only produces wine from 100% estate-grown grapes keeping their production levels low
- all of the proceeds from the wine goes to the Leducq Foundation, a not-for-profit with a mission to fund international cardiovascular research
- the Ehlers Estate vineyard is farmed organically and biodynamically
Ehlers Estate: View from afar.
We got an invite to their harvest party over a month ago from the gang at Ehlers Estate promising great wines and Paella by Gerard Nebesky, the King of Paellas. Gerard has defended this title in a Throwdown with Bobby Flay and won!
Fun sign welcoming wine club members to the event.
About 60 people RSVP’ed for the event and from the looks of the bustle of activity when we arrived; I think everyone made it out. The weather was perfect. Clint and I marveled at the festive ambiance: colorful tablecloths draped across two long tables, a Paella making station, a table of delicious appetizers and of course, 2 large buckets of Ehlers Merlot and the debut of their new wine club wine, “One Twenty Over Eightly”.
Tables draped in festive table cloths, each place setting had an Ehlers water bottle and wine glass. Wine glasses have been taken by guests and are in active use tasting the many wine samplings from Ehlers.
We spent some time talking to the new winemaker who will be taking the helm from Rudy. The new winemaker comes from Screaming Eagle and has been with the winery only a couple of months so far. It will be exciting to see where he takes these wines under his guidance.
I had a fantastic time and as the event came to a close, Clint turned to me and commented that I have great taste in wine clubs. I agreed.
If you want to try out their wines, next time you are in Napa Valley, swing by.
Ehlers Estate Winery
3222 Ehlers Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
Maria Rohe of Ehlers Estate walking over to join the wine club guests.
There was some serious wine at this Harvest Party. Both the Merlot and the new wine club wine, “One Twenty Over Eighty” was delicious.
Paella from Gerard Nebesky, the King of Paella…after seeing this finished result, there is no doubt!
Hungry line up of guests after it was announced that the Paella was ready to be eaten…yum.
Guests settling in with their wine and Paella at the festive tables.
My dish of Paella.
A salad was the starter to the meal. It was good, but the Paella and wine was definitely the stars of the meal.
I loved the orange and yellow umbrellas against the stone wall of the tasting room.
Inside the tasting room at Ehlers where I picked up another bottle of their 2005 1886.
Their large format bottles are beautiful with the label etched into the wine bottle.
The Ehlers Estate sign at the front of the winery. I shot this from out the car window as Clint and I were leaving – happy and satisfied.
