Time & Location
Oct 24, 2022, 6:30 p.m. EDT
Toronto, 87 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 3R9, Canada
About the Event
TICKET PRICE = $215/p (plus hst/grat)
Timeline:
630pm - Arrival
645pm - Sit down for dinner
930pm - Estimated end time
Wine:
Reception: Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne
Course 1: 2016 Ashes & Diamonds Blanc
Course 2: 2016 Ashes & Diamonds Cabernet Franc
Course 3: 2016 Ashes & Diamonds Saffron Vineyard
Menu:
Hamachi Crudo
compressed pear, candied lemon marmalade, caulilini
Wild Boar
tagliatelle, san marzano, tarragon, pancetta, padano
AAA Guelph Ontario Striploin
mushroom duxelles, pomme pave, artichoke chips, sauce albufera
Cheese Duo
beau's abby, handeck, peach & haskap berry compote
BACKSTORY:
Ashes & Diamonds is a love letter to the Napa Valley of the 1960s, when it first received international recognition as a prestige wine region. The project began as the brainchild of Kashy Khaledi, son of Darioush Khaledi (owner of Napa’s Darioush Winery est. 1997).
Khaledi, a former multimedia and advertising executive at Capitol Records, Live Nation, and MTV, was hitting a wall at Capitol Records when he came across the 1958 Polish war drama Ashes & Diamonds. The film had a profound effect and triggered a re-examination of his life and career. He promptly gave his notice at Capitol and began developing the winery, beginning production in 2014.
To make his wines, he enlisted Steve Matthiasson (of Matthiasson Wines) and Dan Petroski (of Massican and Larkmead). Brian Roettinger, who designed the album cover for Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, designed the labels. The stylistic inspiration at the outset were the old-school Napa wines of the 1960s (Mayacamas, Mondavi, Inglenook).
Matthiasson was drawn to the project by Khaledi’s respect for the historical and cultural context of the vineyards, not just their geology or ability to make great wine, as well as his respect for craftsmanship and willingness to let the winemakers tell the story in the bottle.
In 2015, Diana Snowden Seysses, of Domaine Dujac and Snowden Vineyards, replaced Petroski as co-lead winemaker with Matthiasson.