Livermore’s Taste of Terroir Event

July 19, 2009

Taste of Terroir We felt like we were in an episode of Top Chef. Last summer (’08), my wife, myself and two other couple friends of ours went out for a unique twist of an evening in the Tri-Valley. We heard about an event put on by the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association that piqued our interest. The evening event showcases Livermore wines by pouring tastes and presenting food pairings created and innovated by winemaker and chef teams from Livermore wineries and Bay area restaurants. Considering we love wine and my wife is somewhat of a foodie, this was a must-check-out event. When we got to the Palm Event Center in beautiful wine country Livermore, we were blown away by how crowded it was. From shorts to cocktail gowns, the guests were a busy group of folks ready to drink up and chow down.

When we reached the inside, we received a wine glass and a neat tasting plate that could curve snug to the glass. There were many stations set up around the room where you would wait in line to sample a wine from the local winery and then try the food pairing presented by the teamed-up restaurant. A taste adventure! The cherry on top of our Top Chef-like night was that attendees were able to vote for a People’s Choice Award by ballot. For my wife and most of our friends, we just couldn’t get enough of the duck sausage in a bun. Credentialed judges decided on the winners for various categories including “Best Expression of Local Ingredients”, “Most Innovative Pairing”, and “Judges Best”. Check out last year’s winners and the pairings that earned them the title.

Taking a break from all that tasting, we made our way out onto the patio for… more tasting! There were champagne tastes on the patio, for those that were interested (we were!). If I remember correctly, there were desserts to be had, too.

It may not be too late to get in on the action for this year. Taste of Terroir - Livermore Valley’s Food & Wine Experience is Thursday, July 23^rd from 6-9PM. Check online if there are still tickets available. From there you can look into all the exciting details, including this year’s participating wineries and restaurants.

In case you’re wondering, “terroir” is French, meaning “soil” and is pronounced “ter-wah.” Contrary to my original pronunciation, it in no way means terror, especially as this evening was quite the opposite of that word. If you do decide to go this summer, let me know which pairing earned your People’s Choice Award vote.

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