Chancellery

We also welcomed a long time member of the Monterey Chapter that had recently moved to Sacramento, Ineke Rose. What a joy to see the membership catching up with old friends after a long hiatus for many.

We kicked off our Holiday Season with a KOV gathering at the Brenneman house. We were blessed with good weather and able to spread our 45 guests throughout utilizing the back patio for extra room. With the aid of outside heaters and hot soup we kept everyone warm and cozy. The wonderful wines that our guests brought to share helped with that also. Dinner was three different soups made by Chik, some house‑smoked salmon and cheese which started the eve‑ ning. One of our long time members, Doug MacGilvray, brought his yummy chili dip and Fritos; it is always a hit! Glenys Kaye, Debbie Fogerty, and one of our new members, Steve Siegel, were so kind to bring desserts to top off the meal.

All in all, the events of 2021 were a smashing success! The Chapter was able to contribute $1,000 to the

OUT & ABOUT AGAIN! We kicked off fall with an event that we called An Old Wine Party. Jim and Glenys Kaye opened their lovely home and patio for the evening. The rules were simple: bring a red wine that is at least 10 years old or an interesting white wine. We had some very old bottles; the oldest being a port that Chik Brenneman brought from 1957. Beyond the age of the bottles were the stories that folks told about the wine they brought and why they wanted to share it. As happens when Chancellery Chancellery older wines are featured some have gone past their prime, but always interesting to taste. We had beautiful appetizers to start the evening and sliders and salads to have as our meal. Desserts followed with the ports that Chik shared. All the food was beautifully prepared by our members and some we hope will become new members. The evening was so welcome after not get‑ ting together since the crab feed in March. On November 14th we celebrated the chapter’s Grand Assemblage. Like many chapters, we finally held our assemblage after having to delay it for almost a year and a half. We went back to the Granite Bay Country Club because they had treated us well in the past; we were not disappointed. After the enthronement of three new members, Claudia and Steve Siegel, and Steve Deas, we were able to enjoy a nice assortment of appetizers paired with a Crémant de Bourgogne by Louis Boullot UC Davis Scholarship Fund. The monies for this year’s donations were awarded to a graduate student working on a project that focuses on four different clones of the Petite Sirah grape. We look forward to our event schedule for 2022. There is a lot planned and we hope that you will check our calendar for any events happen‑ ing in Northern California should you be traveling this way; including our Assemblage weekend, May 20‑22. and proprietary white wine blend of Semillon and Sau‑ vignon Blanc by Baker Family Wines. Our guests had a choice of three entrees: prosciutto and goat cheese stuffed chicken, almond crusted salmon or a petite chateaubriand. We paired it with a Chateau Bois Redon Bordeaux Superior. How fitting for the fall season, des‑ sert was an apple strudel that we served with a Chateau Miselle Sauternes. We were honored to have Master Commander Ernie Grossman and Master Lady Marga‑ BY MASTER COMMANDER CHIK BRENNEMAN ret Lewicki from the Lake Tahoe Chapter in attendance.

continued >>>

Pastoral Placer County Wine Region By Glenys Kaye

The main event will be on Saturday, May 21 when our Assemblage will be held at Rancho Roble Winery Vineyards (www.ranchoroble. com) with dinner in their 20‑year‑old vineyard under the stars. A four‑course meal will be served, and the entire evening will be one to remember.

Rancho Roble is a family‑owned winery established in 2003. The Syrah vineyard was planted in 1999 and two Barbera vineyards were planted in 2000. The Barbera grape was selected because of its rich history in the area. The Italian Barbera was introduced to Placer County by the 49ers during the 19th century Gold Rush. This varietal is particularly well‑suited to the soils and oak savannah micro‑climate of the Placer County Sierra Foothills where the vineyard is located. The current owners, and former neighbors of the writer, purchased the winery in 2015 and have gradually transformed the venue to offer events around the pond, the patio tasting area and within the vineyard.

The Assemblage will include a small silent auction to raise funds for scholarships for oenology students as part of our evening. This is our way of giving back to the community.

Friday evening will be a casual get‑together at the home of Lee and John Ford who are part of a KOV enclave in Auburn. We ask guests to contribute a bottle of wine and a nominal fee for this fun evening in the Ford’s Garden where we will be enjoying wine with other wine‑lovers. On Saturday morning, before the Assemblage, guests will have ample opportunity to explore and taste in the wineries along the Placer County Wine Trail. Details are easily available from www.placercountywine.com

The weekend will conclude with a brunch Sunday morning, which will be held in the Roseville area. The events will be priced separately so you can decide whether you would like to attend one or more. For those people traveling from out‑of‑town, there are many hotel/motels along the Hwy 65 corridor from the exit off I‑80 at the outskirts of Roseville.

You may know that Sacramento is the capital of California, but did you realize it’s close to the budding Sierra Foothills wine region? Wet your taste buds and get ready to explore the Placer County Wine Trail May 20‑22, 2022. The Chancellery Chapter in Sacramento, California is planning an exciting three‑day weekend to this destination, an area that is probably unfamiliar to wine enthusiasts who come to California seeking the more famous areas of Napa and Sonoma.

Placer County extends from the northern foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, approximately 100 miles from both San Francisco and Napa and 30 miles from the center of Sacramento and extends to the eastern shores of Lake Tahoe. Most of the vineyards are in the rolling, oak‑studded hills at elevations ranging from 500 to 1500 feet. The climate is Mediterranean, featuring warm days and cooler nights. The wine grape varietals of Italy, Iberia and the Rhone areas perform well in this area.

There are 25 wineries here. Most are family‑owned, which provides for a less commercialized and more personal wine tasting experience. The vineyards are small, and the winemakers are usually on hand ensuring a friendly and more personalized tasting experience. For more information and to rsvp for this great weekend, please contact glenyskaye@outlook.com.