Vintage Santa Clara only comes around once a year. And the inaugural Vintner’s Dinner is now history. But you can taste the fruit of the Santa Clara vine all year long now. Introducing the Mission Wine Collection.
Autumn is a special time indeed for wine lovers—particularly for those who can make it to campus for Vintage Santa Clara, the annual festival of food and wine held in the Mission Gardens. This year introduced a lovely new way to savor the fruit of the vine: the Mission Wine Collection, first poured at the inaugural Vintner’s Dinner on Sept. 12.
Now a classic, Vintage Santa Clara has been hosted by the Alumni Association for 31 years. It draws thousands. Along with tastings offered by dozens of wineries—many owned or founded by Santa Clara grads, of course—there are gourmet offerings from local restaurants, craft beers on pour, and gelato to offer some cool respite on a warm Sunday afternoon. The signature wine event supports the Alumni Family Scholarship fund, which helps more than 100 students attend Santa Clara every year.
A Bronco first: The Mission Wine Collection brings together a trio of wines, selected through a blind tasting from submissions by local and alumni-affiliated wineries. Decanting this fall are a 2014 Bargetto Winery pinot grigio, a 2012 Guglielmo Winery cabernet sauvignon, and a 2009 Don & Sons red reserve. The collection is available as individual bottles, sets, and crates—on sale through December, if supplies last that long. Makes a great gift.
Elegant pairing: The Vintner’s Dinner featured an elegant four-course meal—was the gazpacho our favorite, or the duck confit with pasta? Hosted in the historic Nobili Hall dining room, the evening brought together alumni from across the decades, friends, and parents of Santa Clara students. Offering a little backstory on the white and reds were a winemaker from Bargetto and a master sommelier, erstwhile of the famed French Laundry restaurant. One simple secret said sommelier shared: When it comes to pairing food and wine, what goes together should be what tastes good to you.