Culinary Creations of Handwritten Wines
Continually demonstrating how perfectly paired wines enhance the flavor and enjoyment of delicious foods has been a longstanding mission of Handwritten Wines, a Napa Valley boutique winery and a noted producer of superior handcrafted wines.
Handwritten Wines has presented an ongoing slate of culinary events and experiences that celebrate the harmony between food and high-end red wines, supporting the winery’s commitment to promoting their synergies.
By coordinating the extraordinary talents of our winery’s award-winning Director of Winemaking Rob Lloyd and Resident Chef MikeC, Handwritten Wines offers unique pairings with each new wine release.
Handwritten Wines Recent Wine and Food Events
In support of Handwritten Wines’ commitment to celebrating the glorious relationship between handcrafted wines and delicious foods, our Yountville boutique winery offers culinary themes and experiences to highlight that synergy.
Resident Chef MikeC is now positioned to expand upon current and past offerings to offer creative new epicurean experiences for our Wine Club Members and visiting guests. MikeC has shared his talents brilliantly in the past for several of our winery’s unique events and presentations, and the entire Handwritten Wines Team is excited to track new wine and food combinations rise to higher levels.
Seven Culinary Wonders Series
Throughout 2021, Handwritten Wines Members and guests experienced a culinary journey of epic proportions with an underlying objective to search and identify the most treasured edible delicacies on Earth.
What could be a more majestic culinary quest than identifying The Seven Culinary Wonders of the World, a pinnacle of foodie perfection and the ultimate handcrafted wine pairing experience?
The quest for Seven Culinary Wonders of the World foods to be paired with the appropriate Handwritten wines identifies the following sequence:
- Wagyu Steak
- Oysters
- Paella and Jambon
- Fois Gras
- Lobster
- Caviar
- Truffles
Members and guests enjoyed this remarkable 7 Wonders tasting experience live at Handwritten’s outdoor tasting area, the Courtyard, or virtually, by having the complete package of ingredients and instructions delivered along with the perfect wine pairing to complement each delicacy.
Member Circle Booklet Recipes
In addition to having access to several exclusive handcrafted wine tastings, Handwritten Wines Member Circle participants enjoy specific recipe pairings with each of our new releases.
In the past, newly released wines have included: “Author” Sauvignon Blanc, Carneros Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, Carneros Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, “Three Words” Red Blend, Late Harvest Chardonnay, and 10-Year Tawny.
The delightful recipes that accompanied these new releases originated from submissions by our owner families, Team Members, Chef Emily Buller, Chef MikeC, and our former VP of Digital Experience, Philip O’Conor.
Bread and Butter Experience
The opening of the Handwritten Wines’ new South Yountville (SOYO) Tasting Room in January 2020 was cause for another unique special celebration of wine and food. Along with a special small-lot of single vineyard-sourced Cabernet Sauvignon, Handwritten Wines treated Tasting Room guests to a specially selected grouping of three artisan cheese selections, sliced jamon, Bouchon Bakery baguette, Petite Basque cheese, and white truffle potato chips.
As of 2021, this delightful selection of wine tasting accompaniments also included three unique kinds of butter: Amish Butter, Cow and Goat Milk Butter, and a straight Goat Milk Butter from Minerva, Achadinha, and Nordic Creameries, respectively.
This tasteful combination also now includes a 12-year old Gouda Cheese and a Stagberry Salame.
Farmhouse Experience
A less recent example of Handwritten Wines propensity to pair excellent handcrafted wines with the perfect food accompaniments was the 2015 through 2020 Farmhouse Experience. This experience, conducted at Chef Emily Buller’s nearby St. Helena farmhouse, evoked the core agricultural “roots” of both the wines and the food pairings in an authentic pastoral setting.
Each unforgettable event included a tour of the farm along with an expertly curated wine tasting plus a chef-prepared lunch or dinner, and a selected cheese and charcuterie platter.
Virtual Cooking Class and Wine Tastings
While our beautifully handcrafted, high-end red wines are Handwritten Wines’ main products, the Chardonnay was front and center in 2020 with an in-home Lobster Dinner Supper Club presentation. Designed to bring together East Coast lobster with West Coast Chardonnay, Members and guests could enjoy a live virtual professional demonstration and Q&A session. The wines, lobster, and essential ingredients were shipped in advance of the event.
Handwritten Wines Upcoming Wine and Food Experiences
Supper Club
Handwritten Wines Resident Chef MikeC has reached out to several fellow highly regarded Chefs in the region to craft more unique offerings that will complement upcoming epicurean wine and food adventures.
Throughout 2022, Handwritten Wines Members and guests can sample and enjoy several new and exciting combinations of high-end red wines from our boutique winery while they enjoy genuinely delicious food pairings that they may not experience elsewhere.
Private Events
Are you looking for a remarkable, unforgettable experience with friends and associates? Or how about an intimate culinary experience for your small group at our boutique winery or in your home?
Handwritten Wines will organize in-home wine pairings and even cooking classes as part of our Wine On Location program.
For the remote wine and food tastings, Handwritten Wines will organize with a local caterer to duplicate the proscribed food pairings for each event.
Wine Educator-Curated Tasting Experiences
Throughout the year, guests can reserve their place for any of three winetasting experiences at the Handwritten Wines South Yountville Tasting Room.
This award-winning boutique winery offers:
- Classic Experience includes five wines pre-poured in a side-by-side comparative format to depict and educate the subtle differences created by location and microclimate. Offered with the wines will be an array of flavor-enhancing white truffle potato chips, Bouchon Bakery baguettes, three artisan domestic butters, Stagberry Salame, and 12-month aged reserve Gouda cheeses.
- Short Story Experience includes three wines that individuals can pre-select while making the reservation. White truffle potato chips accompany the winetasting.
- Bread and Butter Experience features five high-end red wines poured side-by-side in a comparative format. The tastings will focus on Hillside and Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignons from specific 2-acre blocks. The food accompaniments for these red wine tastings will be white truffle potato chips, Bouchon Bakery baguette, three artisan domestic butters, Stagberry Salame, and 12-month aged reserve Gouda cheese.
The Handwritten Wines Experience
The principals and staff of Handwritten Wines believe that the beauty and elegance of their handcrafted wines are best enjoyed when paired with the perfect food accompaniments.
And, as every culinary expert knows, the flavors and nuances of food recipes are best revealed when accompanied by the right wines.