Masters and Makers: A Valentine Weekend Suggestion

Masters and Makers at MeritageThe Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa will host the inaugural Masters and Makers @ Meritage food and wine experience February 14 to February 16, 2014. This celebration will showcase Napa Valley and Sonoma County wines and farm-fresh foods through creative wine tasting experiences, culinary classes, a Gala and more.  Guests can choose from a variety of activities with Master Winemakers and Master Sommeliers making this an experience not to be missed.

Estate Cave

The Estate Cave at Meritage, photo by Art and Clarity

Masters and Makers @ Meritage begins on Friday, Valentine’s Day, with The Master and The Makers Tasting, a guided tasting of five blended wines from the Napa Valley as a Master of Wine and Master Sommelier taste and review each of the wines.  The Friday night Reserve Wine Dinner in the Estate Cave will be led by Master Sommeliers as they take attendees on a food and wine journey featuring wines from Pine Ridge Vineyards.


On Saturday, guests have three activities during the day to choose from:

  • a Custom Wine Tour set to visit three classic Napa Valley wineries with tours and tastings at each, plus a picnic lunch.
  • The Perfect Blending, an educational and hands-on course about what makes the perfect Bordeaux Blend including lunch and your own “Meritage Blend” with a custom wine label.
  • Cook to This! Trinitas Cellars Cooking Class and Wine Pairing, giving attendees the opportunity to create their own multi-course lunch with the help of culinary experts perfectly paired with wines selected by Trinitas Cellars.
Kunde Family Estate

Kunde Family Estate

The Gala and Grand Tasting on Saturday evening will fill The Meritage Resort’s Grand Ballroom with live music and over 65 wineries offering samples of their fine wines. Napa Valley wineries participating will include Artesa Vineyards and Winery, Beringer Vineyards, Charles Krug Winery, Conundrum Wines, Grgich Hills Estate, Markham Vineyards, St. Clement Vineyards, and Trinchero Napa Valley.  From Sonoma County, you can expect to see Chateau St. Jean, Ferrari-Carano, Geyser Peak Winery, Kendall Jackson, Kunde Family Estate, La Crema Winery, Simi Winery, and Stonestreet Winery, among others.  Accompanying the wines will be a selection of seafood, caviars, cheeses, meats and desserts to enjoy at the Gala.

The Masters and Makers @ Meritage weekend of activities will close on Sunday with two more treats.  First, a farewell Bubbles & Brunch offers a plentiful buffet of choices and Mumm Napa sparkling wines.  Later that afternoon, a tasting of 30-40 wines at the Appellation Tasting paired with cheeses and charcuterie is your delicious finale.

Ticket prices are $40 for the Masters and the Makers guided tasting, $165 for the Reserve Winemaker Dinner, $90 for the Saturday morning options, $125 for the Gala and Grand Tasting, $49 for Bubbles & Brunch, and $40 for the Sunday afternoon Appellation Tasting.  Ticketbuyers can select individual events, or purchase a complete 3-Day All Access Pass for $509 (entry into all of Friday’s events, one A la Carte event on Saturday morning and the Gala and Grand Tasting, and all of Sunday’s events).  To purchase tickets, or for more details on Masters and Makers @ Meritage weekend of events, please go here.

Cope Family Center logoA portion of all ticket sales from Saturday’s Gala and Grand Tasting will be donated to the Napa Valley’s COPE Family Center, helping  families from every background, ethnicity and economic level learn how to be the best parent possible.

The Meritage Resort and Spa is an extraordinary four-diamond Napa Valley luxury resort set against a hillside vineyard featuring 322 Tuscan-inspired guestrooms and luxury suites.  Visitors can also regain a healthful balance with curative treatments at Spa Terra, a lavish underground spa with steam grottoes, soaking pools, and treatment alcoves.  If you want to stay at the Meritage, they are offering a “Masters and Makers Weekend Getaway Package” which includes a Complimentary Room Upgrade and two 3-Day All Access Passes at a discounted rate (2-night minimum stay required, room upgrade based on availability, additional taxes and fees apply, and package must be booked by February 14, 2014).

 

 


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