As Terranea Resort on the Palos Verdes Peninsula continues to celebrate its fifth anniversary, it is only fitting that the luxury oceanfront property host its first-ever Celebration of Food and Wine, which is set to become an annual event for the luxury getaway just 45 minutes from Santa Monica.
The celebration took place Sunday with intimate seminars and wine tastings led by experts, along with a wine luncheon, and an evening reception and dinner.
The event was designed for attendees to have the opportunity to learn, taste, and indulge with a special variety of food and wine.
The first of four wine seminars was held from 10-11:15 am.
This “Bubbles of the World” seminar was hosted by Master of Wine Candidate Stuart Prato who has worked in the wine industry for more than 20 years. He spoke about what makes sparkling wine different and talked about their distinct styles and what made them so unique. During the seminar each attendee was able to taste the Phillipe Gonet “Blanc de Blanc”, Roederer Estate “Gramona Brut Imperial”, and Il Mosnel “Saten”.
From 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, award-winning winemaker Boela Gerber of Groot Constantia hosted the seminar “A History of South Africa.”
Gerber spoke about how South Africa is the oldest producing “New World” region, adding it is rich in history and beautiful wines. The tastings in this session were Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc, Groot Constantia Pinotage, De Toren “Fusion V”, and Groot Constantia “Grand Constance”.
French Wine Specialist Paul Swigger hosted the 1 pm luncheon that featured Terranea’s Executive Chef Bernard Ibarra who gave a cooking demonstration highlighting the theme of “Old World vs. New World” in both the food and wine presented.
Here’s a look at each of the courses and the wine pairings:
— Starter – Salumi and Cheese Plate with Terranea own beehive honey.
— First course – Heirloom Tomato and Housemade Burrata Basil Tart both served with Domaine Faiveley Chassagne Montrachet from Burgandy, France.
— Second course – Cauliflower and Dungeness Crab Ravioli paired with the Twomey Pinot Noir from Russian River, CA.
— Third course – Smoked, Grassfed Lamb Chops with seasonal vegetables harvested from Terranea’s garden, paired with Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma, CA.
— A dessert and coffee bar was served after lunch before guests had back-to-back afternoon seminars.
The “Italian Wines” seminar from 3-4 pm was hosted by Master of Italian Wine John Cressman and Italian winemaker Lorenzo Lombardelli. Considered the “most complex” wine producing country in the world, the pair spoke about how Italy is home to more than 3,000 different grapes.
The entertaining pair showcased the country’s most unique and unrecognizable styles while attendees tasted Lombardelli Rose, Fasoli Gino Borgoletto Soave, Massimo Rivetti Barbaresco “Serraboella”, and Massimo Rivetti Arneis. An attendee was asked to join them at the front of the room to uncork a bottle using a sword, which went smoothly and no fingers lost.
The final seminar “Burgandy vs. Bordeaux” was held from 4:15-5:30 pm.
Host Jason Berry, owner of Ametie Wines, talked about the ultimate “battle of the heavyweights” Bordeaux and Burgundy – the two oldest and most respected wine producing regions in the world. Tastings during this seminar included Marcel et Blanche Fevre, Mark Haisma Gevrey Chambertain, Chateau Chantelune Margaux, and Chateau de Sales Pommard.
At 5:30 pm, the Grand Reception and Tasting began at the resort’s Palos Verdes Terrace and lawn that had sweeping ocean views.
The three-hour food and wine ‘Taste of Terranea’ extravaganza had stations presented by Terranea chefs that included a SoCal Taqueria Station, house-made Goat Cheese Station, Sushi Station, Farmland Station, Rotisserie Free Range Chicken Carving Station, From Our Sea Backyard Station, and a Sweet Station.
A selection of 45 wines were poured from all presenting winemakers, a selection from presenting wine specialists, Justin Vineyards, Girard Vineyards, Skyfall Vineyards, Ametie Wines, Groot Constantia Vineyards, Jordan Vineyards, Silver Oak Vineyards, Twomey Vineyards, World Wide Wines, Lorenzo Lombardelli Vineyards, and Landmark Vineyards.
Opened June 2009, Terranea offers world-class accommodations that range from hotel suites to bungalows, oceanfront casitas and luxurious villas, which are also available for purchase as seaside second homes through Terranea Real Estate.
Amenities include The Links at Terranea, a nine-hole, par three golf course; award-winning 50,000 sq. ft. oceanfront spa and fitness center; three swimming pools and a 140-foot waterslide; marea luxury boutique; 135,000 sq. ft. of conference and meeting space; and eight dining venues, including signature restaurant mar’sel; Nelson’s, a cliff-side spot ideal for whale watching; and Asian-inspired bashi.
For more information, visit www.terranea.com.
