Last night my husband and I attended a wine tasting dinner at Undercurrent Restaurant* that featured Joshua DeLoach and the wines from Hook and Ladder Winery. Two words – Just. WOW. Not only was the wine spectacular, Chef de Cuisine Michael Harkenreader really knocked the menu out of the park. There are more than a couple of recipes I’d love to recreate.
If you aren’t familiar with the Hook and Ladder Winery, then maybe you’ll know the De Loach family who passionately pours everything they have into the 100% estate grown and bottled wines produced in California’s Russian River Valley. 118 of their 375 acres are in included in the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. This ensures that their oak woodlands protect the natural predator-prey relationships that exist in nature and responsibly incorporates the trees into their vineyard.
The retired San Francisco firefighter and tillerman family patriarch, Cecil De Loach, is the inspiration for the Hook and Ladder name. Retiring from the hook & ladder company Station 10 in 1982 to begin his family’s adventures in the wine business, he and his wife Christine founded Hook and Ladder Winery in 2005 after nearly 30 years in the industry. What appeals to me about this winery is the fact that each time I pour a glass of Hook and Ladder wine, I think of the family lead team that is committed to exceptional wine in a sustainable way. You know how much I love to hear the story of a brand and this brand has an amazing one. You may also be as surprised as I was to learn that in addition to wine, Hook and Ladder also produces Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. I can’t wait to order a bottle and use it while recreating a few of my favorite recipes from this dinner so stay tuned!
My favorite wines from the evening:
2011 Estate Zinfandel, 2013 Pinot Noir, 2010 ‘Third Alram’ Cabernet Sauvignon.
I hope you enjoy these wines as much as I have! Be sure to connect and keep up with the Hook and Ladder Winery family on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+
If you live in the Greensboro area, I do hope you’ll visit Undercurrent Restaurant located in downtown Greensboro.
*disclosure: Though Undercurrent is a client, I was not compensated to write this post. My opinions are my own.
