I have much to be grateful for. I'm grateful to be able to do what I love, in a place I love. And I'm grateful to be able to work with friends, colleagues, and clients that enrich my life. This year, I decided to express my gratitude to a handful of clients by introducing them to one of our favorite wineries at an intimate event in a fabulous space, namely our friend Jim Gallagher’s antiques gallery, Garden Court Antiques/Epoca. The two galleries merged last year, bringing together antiques from the 17th century to the 20th century.

We worked with our friend Cynthia Hogan, who runs Winemaker Salon. A former wine buyer for Canyon Market, Cynthia is extremely tapped into the independent and small-batch California winemaking scene, and she launched this business to help connect the winemakers she loves directly to the public, hosting small tastings with thoughtfully paired bites made by her chef Brooke Lewy Behar. It was at one of her salons—coincidentally one year exactly before our event—that we discovered Lichen Estate.

Based in Boonville, in Anderson Valley, Lichen produces elegant sparkling wine, crisp whites, and silky pinot noirs, all organic. Winemaker Doug Stewart was on hand to talk about his wines and their process. Doug is a great presenter, extremely informative and expressive. We all learned (and tasted) a lot. Our wines and pairings were:

2015 Blanc de Gris
Pecan Cheddar Shortbread

2018 Pinot Gris
Poached Shrimp with Coconut Cabbage Slaw

2017 White Pinot Noir
Crostini with Celery Root Puree, Melted Leeks and Thyme

2017 Moonglow Pinot Noir
Crispy Soy-Maple Pork Belly with Dried Cherry Coulis and Pickled Shallots

2016 Estate Pinot Noir
Spiced Short Rib and Mushroom Empanada with Salsa Verde

2012 Grand Cuvée
Winter Squash Risotto with Fried Prosciutto, Sage and Brown Butter

Everything was excellent, but holy cow that pork belly was out of this world. Or should I say holy pig?

After, as we were winding down, Jim brought something out for Doug to try out: An antique French grape harvesting basket. Scroll through the photos to see.

I sent my clients home with a small token of appreciation, a Laguiole wine opener. I hope they’ll think of me every time they open a bottle, especially if it’s Lichen.