Art of Wine Pouring fuel on the fires of excitement surrounding the Museum of Art & History’s new director Nina Simon and her outside-the-box innovations, wine broker and educator Amanda Rehn has a few irresistible workshops planned for the near future. Designed to complement the museum’s current “Foodies in Exile” exhibit, the four-part workshop series, called Creativity Under the Influence, will match selected culinary dishes with chosen wines. “The classes will highlight what’s going on here in terms of our unique Santa Cruz agriculture and food, joined with hopefully all-local wines,” says the statuesque blonde with the million-watt smile.
Rehn, who has been a wine broker on the East Coast and now in the Bay Area, offered a series of lively workshops in Italian wine at Soif last year. Lately she has turned her energy and expertise to wine club events and expanding her portfolio of rare and unusual Italian and California wines. One thing led to another, and Rehn offered a few workshops on wine and cheese pairings with Tabitha Stroup of Friend in Cheeses Jam Company. The gastronomic entrepreneurs are finalizing details of the MAH series that starts on Sept. 29 with a “Drink & Craft” wine label-designing event. “The one I’m designing is the Oct. 6 “Harvest Foods & Wines,” Rehn explains. “I’ll offer some regional specialties involving Brussels sprouts, leeks and pumpkins—three of our most important agricultural harvests—and offer wine pairings to go with them.”
Since taking Rehn’s wine workshops last year I am familiar with her highly accessible, fun and forthright approach to wine exploration. “It will be very interactive,” she promises. “I want to get people to feel comfortable about wine tasting.” Believe it.
The Creativity Under the Influence wine and food workshops at MAH will be held in the museum’s atrium at 6:30pm on Sept. 29, Oct. 6, Oct. 27 and Nov. 10. Tickets are $30 nonmember. $25 MAH members. Check the MAH website, or EventBrite, for tickets.
Hot Rumors While the ink is not dry and hence names cannot be named, it’s safe to say that some changes brewing in the Santa Cruz restaurant world are bound to pack a huge punch with longtime foodies. You have noticed that the watering hole/restaurant formerly known as Hawgs is once again empty. Well, hold that thought. If things continue to unfold without a glitch, there will be a new tenant in that space guaranteed to shake the Westside dining world. Big time. Stay tuned!
Send tips about food, wine and new dining discoveries to Christina Waters at xtina@cruzio.com. Read her blog at http://christinawaters.com.
