Four Seasons Interlude

Updated Schedule for Aviara Wine Club Announced

The Aviara Wine Club has announced its calendar for 2008, and it promises to be an exciting and unique opportunity for oenophiles and gourmands alike.

Four Seasons Resort Aviara’s membership-only Wine Club hosts exclusive monthly dinners for its members, mostly residents of the community and nearby San Diego. Aviara Residence Club owners are invited to participate in these special evenings, which are typically only open to Wine Club members. The dinners feature some of the world’s top vintners, whose wines are paired with the Resort’s exquisite cuisine.

The upcoming schedule is as follows:

Thursday, March, 27
Ceago Vine Garden - Jim Fetzer, President & Owner: At Ceago, Jim Fetzer has taken everything learned from his dad and forty years in the wine business to a new level of farming. He concentrates on sound farming practices using biodynamic and organic methods to produce quality grapes while creating and maintaining a unique, self-sustaining farm ecosystem. This dinner will be a traditional sit down dinner consisting of an all-organic menu.

Thursday, April 24
J Vineyard - George Bursick, Winemaker: For more than 30 years, George has proven his expertise in all aspects of the wine industry. J’s mission is to create world-class wines reflecting the rich terrier of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley and to craft wines that enhance special moments in the lives of its customers. This will be a traditional sit-down dinner.

Saturday, May 17
4th Annual Around the World Wine Tasting Event: Taste the world in one evening when we will be pouring wines from the United States, Australia, Germany, France and many more. Executive Chef Pierre Albaladejo will prepare a delectable assortment of regional cuisine and desserts to accompany each of the featured countries. As this will be an outdoor event, we suggest that you dress accordingly.

Thursday, June 19
Fallbrook Winery - Ira Gourvitz, Owner: Join us for our very first Back Home BBQ at the Pool. We will feature home-style BBQ cuisine with local wines produced in our own backyard. Come watch the sun set over the ocean and dine buffet style under the Carlsbad Stars. A leader in California’s emerging south coast wine region, Fallbrook Winery has the ideal microclimate for creating award-winning wines. Since its inception in 1981, Fallbrook Winery has focused on creating wines from a number of varietals that grow well in the local climate.

Thursday, July 24
Tenuta Di Arceno - Pierre Seillan, Winemaster: Pierre Seillan came to California to work with the winery’s owner, Jess Jackson, in 1997. Since then he now has responsibilities which include consulting roles for several of Jackson’s prestigious California wineries. Outside the United States, Seillan’s touch is found in the wines from Tenuta di Arceno, where he works closely with the vineyard manager. The Tenuta di Arceno estate lies in the hills of the Chianti region in central Tuscany. The sit-down inner will be a Tuscan-themed sit-down dinner held outside, so please dress accordingly.

Thursday, August 14
Robert Mondavi - Genevieve Janssens, Director of Winemaking: Join us for this world-renowned winery and winemaker. Prior to joining the winery in 1997, Genevieve was the Director of Production at Opus One for nine years. Her mission is to produce wines of great density and rich fruit character, wines of elegance and finesse that complement food. This is done “California-style” by combining the structure of the finest French wines with powerful fruit. This will be a traditional sit-down dinner.

Thursday, September 18
Progressive Pinot Wine Journey - Jann Cotter, VP of Education with Majestic Fine Wines: Join us as we travel the Four Seasons restaurants and the world of Pinot Noirs. We will begin our Wine Journey at The Argyle and end on the Lounge Library terrace, all the while sampling outstanding Pinot Noirs complemented by our famous Four Seasons cuisine. Our guide, Jann Cotter, began her wine industry career in 1983 as a wine buyer for Liquor Barn. Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates hired Jann in 1992 to help manage their wine portfolio. Fourteen years later, Jann is still thrilled to be part of the Jackson family as the National Director of Education and Training. This dinner will be limited to 50 people, so make your reservations now!

Wednesday, October 15
Clos Pegase - Jan Schrem, Founder: Jan Schrem, Founder of Clos Pegase will present "Bacchus the Rascal, A Bacchanalian History of Wine Seen through 4000 Years of Art." The images you will see are among the greatest works of art ever made including art by Da Vinci, Rembrandt and Dali. Those who hesitate at viewing a seminar as part of a fun evening will discover that this presentation is full of humor and fascinating anecdotes, adding up to a most entertaining and informative evening.

Thursday, November 13th
Jackson Family Wine Estates - Dueling Chef: Join us for our Four Seasons Iron Chef competition! Our very own Executive Chef Pierre Albaladejo will be taking on the acclaimed Chef Taki of Jackson Family Wine Estates. A graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Cuisine Française in Paris, Constantinos Laliotitis (better known as "Chef Taki") is a veteran of some of the most respected centers of culinary excellence in the world. His broad scope of endeavor has included positions at Market-Jean Georges and Restaurant Alain Ducasse in Paris, and The French Laundry in Yountville. Chef Taki has also worked the line at the Culinary Institute of America Wine Spectator restaurant in Napa and Grande Hotel Villa Feltrinelli in Gargiano, Italy. Chef Taki is now the estate chef for the Jackson Family Winery, creating exquisite food and wine experiences around the estates’ wines in the Jackson Portfolio. The Chefs will design their own menus based on the wine selection for the evening. Guest will enjoy a sit-down meal prepared by both chefs and decide the winner of the event.

The evenings typically begin at 6:30 pm with an elegant reception, where live music greets guests prior to the five-course dinner. Here, you will have the unique opportunity to dine with and meet some of the world’s top winemakers.

For more information on the Aviara Wine Club, or for details, pricing or reservations for the upcoming wine dinners, please call Michael Ann Montoya at 1 (760) 603-3790.

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