It's time to purchase tickets for the Triangle Wine Experience again (event is the first week in February.) Several of the wine dinners held on Thursday night are closed (all seats by invitation by sponsor which may be a corporation or wealthy individual) or indicated sold out. That ruled out Hirsch though I would enjoy seeing Jasmine Hirsch again. My choices came down to Lioco wines, Failla, or Lutum which was new to me. I went to the Lioco dinner last year at Fearrington House and wasn't familiar with the restaurant hosting the dinner this year (cuisine describe as Asian fusion), Failla is going to be at a restaurant with flavors of India and Asia (I'm not big on cuisine of India, heavy curries, etc.) so I decided to try Lutum at Fearrington House. The description of Lutum Wines indicates that the owner is Bill Price of Price Family Vineyards and the winemaker is Gavin Chanin. Their wines focus on small-production single-vineyard Pinots and Chadonnays from California (Gap's Crown, Durrell, Sanford & Benedict, Bien Nacido, etc.)
Do any of you have experience with their wines?
On Friday afternoon local retail wine shops host tastings with usually two or three of the visiting winemakers or winery owners and I might be able to try Failla or Hirsch wines then but the schedule for that will probably not be released for some time. I am pretty well assured of a good dinner and appropriate wine pairings at Fearrington House. Would love to stay overnight there after the dinner but with taxes, a "standard" room is close to $400.