Tivens is Tops at Winewomen and Song

We can't stop crowing about the magnifique Ahnfeldt wine dinner, your amazing support for Well in the Desert and the heart-stopping voice of Jessica Tivens. Our Winewomen and Song evening under the full moon at Miramonte on Friday was nothing short of magical. In case you weren't there, here's what you missed.

First off, thanks to Randy Hazard for five awesome Ahnfeldt wines and Chef Robert Nyerick for a beautiful fall dinner anchored by ol' reliable filet mignon and lobster, both tender and letter perfect – which, for more than a hundred hungry guests that included quite of few VIPs, is not an easy thing to do.

As for all of you who came out to support Well in the Desert, the West Valley's safety net for the working poor and homeless – a giant thank you. God bless Arlene Rosenthal (pictured, to Jessica's right) and the Well staff for the incredible job they do for so many on a shoestring budget. You are true humanitarians.

Lola Rossi Meza sang a fitting People – a daring enough feat in itself – to recognize and honor Arlene and the stellar Well supporters and staff. With barely any prep or notice, accompanist Gale Enger was, as always, right on it. He is the consummate piano pro.

After the festivities, foods and wines, Jessica Tivens took to the stage to give the massive full moon a run for its money. Her vocal dexterity and poise ran a gamut of styles from Sondheim to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Massenet and contemporary Broadway tunes with gusto and humor, always hitting her notes. With stage presence, youthful grace and humor, Jessica lifted the evening to another orbit of sheer musical delight. Listen to her accompany pianist and producer Mike Garson here on Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, which she absolutely must perform next time as an encore.

As much as we're dying to tell you about our next event at Bellatrix on November 21 in support of local scholarships to Cal State San Bernardino's Palm Desert Campus (and yes, you can start calling Kathleen at 760.799.7076 to reserve), we want to bask in the glow of Tivens' voice and the magic that was Winewomen and Song at Miramonte on Friday. More November event news coming soon.

Showtime! Winewomen and Song This Friday

Our Ahnfeldt wine dinner on Friday, October 22 is sure to hit the high notes. Between the vocal performance of classical songstress Jessica Tivens with Gale Enger at the piano, wines that include two reds from Napa's excellent 2005 vintage, Chef Nyerick's cuisine, a gorgeous outdoor venue at Miramonte and the incredible charity that is Well in the Desert, you are in for a monstrous treat.

Tivens has covered a lot of sheet music in her twenty-something years. The precocious talent made her debut on TV's Star Search when she was only eight years old. Later, she trained at New York's legendary Julliard School of Music, followed by her professional operatic debut in 1999 and an appearance at Carnegie Hall only a year after that – how tough is that in Noo Yawk? Lemme tell ya.

Besides performing for dignitaries Rudy Giuliani and the Clintons, Jessica has also shared the concert stage with Josh Groban, Davis Gaines and Michael Crawford. Listen to this lady rattle the rafters on her website – yowza!

As though all this weren't enough for one night, our Winewomen and Song event features Nyerick's gorgeous fall menu wine dinner and five pairings with Napa Valley's Ahnfeldt wines.

Start with passed appetizers and Ahnfeldt 2005 Cuvee at 6 PM and be humming your way home by 9:30 PM. The dinner includes Ahnfeldt's 2009 Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay as well as two 2005 vintage beauties: Ahnfedlt Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Estate Merlot.

Weather permitting, Tivens' performance and our wine dinner should unfold under the stars at Miramonte's romantic Mediterranean Lawn. Proceeds will benefit Well in the Desert, a charity dedicated to food assistance, programs and services that focus on poverty prevention and intervention.

Make your just-in-time reservations today! Tickets are $75 for WinewomenPSP members and $85 for nonmembers.

See the entire four-course dinner menu and event schedule online and ring K at 760.799.7076 con brio. See you there!

Winewomen, Song and Ahnfeldt Wines

To close out California wine month, we want to tip our hats to a small Napa Valley winery you'll have the chance to get to know better next month – Ahnfeldt Wines.

Plan to join us as we reprise Winewomen & Song with a special Ahnfeldt wine dinner on Friday, October 22 at Miramonte Resort and Spa. Our last Winewomen & Song was such a magical evening under the stars at Miramonte's Mediterranean lawn that we were driven to do it again!

This time, we're honored to showcase talented vocalist Jessica Tivens and her accompanist, the ever-charming Gale Enger. Chef Nyerick has composed a gorgeous menu to pair with five Ahnfeldt wines.

Napa's Ahnfeldt has been turning out 90+ point winners, a laudable feat for a winery that only began in 2002. Crushing this successful run is enologist and winemaker Craig MacLean who put his talents to work at Markham Vineyards, Cain Cellars and Spring Mountain Vineyard. MacLean's handcrafted wines for Ahnfeldt are made only from grapes harvested from Ahnfeldt vineyards. They show beautiful fruit while offering refinement and complexity.

Check out the amazing lineup here along with the menu and festivities. Not only are you are in for a treat, but you'll also support Well in the Desert, the west valley charity that provides services to seniors and the working poor, homeless and disabled.

Bring a light evening wrap or someone special to keep you warm. Call Kathleen today to reserve at 760.799.7076 and you'll soon be singing Ahnfeldt's praises too.

Sunday Grand Tasting at Coachella Wine Festival

Sunday chores are almost done so we can beeline over to Miramonte Resort for Coachella Wine Festival's Grand Tasting today from 1 to 5 PM. Chef Robert Nyerick told us Friday night's celebrity wine dinner with Peggy Fleming Jenkins and hubby Greg was so perfect in every way, he wouldn't have changed a thing. It was all harmony, between their Fleming Jenkins wines, Chef's spot-on food, the peaceful setting in Miramonte's herb garden, weather and yes, even moonlight added its magic. We also heard raves for the confections and wines served that night at the Dessert Soirée.

We spotted the lovely Olympian gold medalist at the shopping bazaar as tasters took a break to check out the debut of local artist Diane Kline, lovelies by Custom Vintage Wine Cellars, fashions by Andrea Paris, art from Howard's Backdoor Gallery and Frame Shop, jewels in a variety of tastes and price ranges and more.

The shaded outdoor tasting area featured a boatload of wines and lip-smacking culinary treats – one look at the lineup on the festival Web site and you know there's good eats to be had. Worker-bees got hungry just listening to festival-lovers rave about the short ribs and pulled pork, not to mention the lighter fare, so perfect on a sunny afternoon.

We found this berry and spice-rich Shiraz from Victoria, Australia at the Cooralook booth. Made from grapes grown in red soil not far from Melbourne, Heathcote's Shiraz shows fine tannins and rich texture laced with ripe plum and blackberry flavors around a lick of licorice.

Better wrap up those chores so we can get going – it's not too early to be thinking about wine, is it?

Encore at Miramonte

We had such a blast at last month's Winewomen & Song event at Miramonte that we're going back on Thursday, November 12th for a South African wine safari and more of Chef Nyerick's delights.

Our October 23rd event featured elegant and talented Romanian soprano Angela Bunea who filled the perfect night air with magical coloratura under a starlit sky. Accompanist Gale Enger, a virtuoso performer himself, provided signature polish to the performance. We thank Lola Rossi for wrapping the lovely lady in red's powerful voice in crisp sound and ethereal lighting.

At tables atop the Mediterranean Lawn, antipasti towers offered tempting treats to accompany Novas 2007 Chardonnay. Novas features wines made with organically grown grapes from Chile's Casablanca Valley. The gently oaked Chardonnay was crafted with a smidge of Viognier to add subtle tropical notes alongside refreshing citrusy fruit. Your Winewomen consensus: delicious and versatile.

Main courses were paired with a 2005 Novas blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Chile's warmer Central Valley. We enjoyed its ripe berry and dark cherry fruit with smooth tannins – a perfect accompaniment to chef's slow-roasted Black Angus sirloin.

Well in the Desert President Arlene Rosenthal gave thanks for our fundraising efforts and recapped the charity's outreach programs and support for the working poor, homeless and our less fortunate neighbors. Thank you, Arlene for all you do! Mark your spring calendar for Opera Arts' Opera Under the Stars dinner and show at the Renaissance Esmeralda on Saturday, April 17th.

Season is definitely upon us with two WinewomenPSP events this month. On Thursday, November 12th, a Miramonte encore on the Piazza: South African wine tasting safari courtesy of 4 Wines Plus More with special appetizers paired to each of five exquisite wines by Chef Nyerick. Details in our flyer here. If you haven't had South African Pinotage, don't miss the gold-medal winner we'll be serving from Clos Malverne – reserve today for this nearly sold-out event.

We'll post more information soon about our Friday, November 20th wine dinner at La Quinta Resort and Club's new Morgans in the Desert. Join us to welcome back chefs Jimmy Schmidt and Brian Recor to the desert culinary scene! You remember Jimmy and Brian from our Go Red for Women February event at Rattlesnake. Reserve with Kathleen today for this important event to benefit Shelter from the Storm. Welcome to the season of giving!

Thanks for Stopping By

Thanks to all Coachella Valley women, visitors and yes, more than a few brave men who stopped by our booth at the 2009 Desert Woman's Show this weekend!

We were thrilled to hear how much you've enjoyed our events and to let you in on all we do in fun, learning and charity with WinewomenPSP. In case you missed us, here's a look at our booth with goodies and Kathleen, our hard-working President who endeavors to make all our events unfold seamlessly with pizazz and pop. Click on the image to also get a closer look at our logo aerators, custom wine charms and fabulous welcome necklace.

Lip-smacking details about our Miramonte South African wine tasting safari are now posted on our Web site, too. Don't let the party leave without you - hurray and grab your reservations today by calling 760.799.7076.

WinewomenPSP at Desert Woman's Show

Visit us at booth 202 at this weekend's Desert Woman's Show at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa. We're planning plenty of fun and show specials: Hand-crafted, original sterling silver and genuine Swarovski crystal wine charms.

We have eight colors to match your wine taste, or not. Heck, they're so gorgeous, you'll want to convert these wine charms to earrings or wear them as pendants. Find your fancy in champagne, rosé, pinot noir, bordeaux, malbec and more. At only $12 for one or two for $20 tax-inclusive, you can delight all the wine lovers on your holiday gift list.

After you visit the food and wine pavilion, visit our booth to try out our new WinewomenPSP logo wine aerators. Not only will they smooth out any rough spots in your wine, they'll also instantly aerate your wines to make them ready to enjoy as soon as you can pour. Can you drink to that? We thought so, too. Besides, they're so pretty on their cork-bottomed bases that you'll want to display them at home. Each aerator is dishwasher safe and comes with its own travel pouch so you can take it with you to restaurants or parties. You won't want to leave home without your wine friend.

WinewomenPSP member price is only $40 each ($45 for non-members) but don't forget: When you renew your membership, this logo aerator is your free 2nd anniversary gift! If you're not a member, sign up at the show for two years and you'll not only get your gorgeous wine bottle necklace welcome gift, you'll also receive your logo aerator. Make it your Halloween - Holiday combo!

Also, don't forget to pick up event flyers and sign up for our two faboo November events. Come to our first South African wine safari at Miramonte's Piazza on Thursday, November 12th. Chef Nyerick will prepare irresistible nibbles paired to each of the five exotic wines. On Friday, November 20th, we'll be treated to Executive Chef Brian Recor's debut at the new Morgans in the Desert at La Quinta Resort and Club. Join us to welcome back the former Rattlesnake chef de cuisine for a sneak preview wine dinner at what's sure to become La Quinta's culinary beacon.

We'll be at Esmeralda's Emerald Ballroom from 10 AM until 5 PM Saturday and Sunday. See you at the show!

Princes of Darkness

Just before our event at Wine Vault of the Desert got underway last Friday, a truck smashed into an electrical transformer, knocking out electricity to the new Desert Business Park across from Palm Desert's Sun City. Would our sold-out Chill with WinewomenPSP show go on? In the dark?

You betcha. Wine Vault director Jeff Frank flew into overdrive to find soft lighting for each table. As the back-up generator hummed along to keep the Vault's wine chilled and unfettered by the hub-bub, the crowd found their way in the semi-dark to take their seats for Wine, Women and Health: Medicine or Myth?

From ancient teachings to the latest scientific findings, the audience learned of scientists' attempts to identify factors responsible for population, laboratory and clinical studies that point to beneficial effects of moderate alcohol and wine consumption on the heart and other vital organ systems, from our brains to our bones.

While many studies favor resveratrol as a key player in the wine-health connection, wine's complex biochemistry suggests other elements may also contribute to health effects scientists continue to track and analyze. Could the whole be greater than the sum of its biochemical parts? If so, whole fruits rich in these compounds or a glass of wine should do the trick.

You can read more about our presenter's take on the topic here but stay tuned – the final chapter has yet to be written.

Wine Vault itself was really cool. Our tour of the 10,000 sq. ft custodial wine storage facility yielded a delightful surprise when manager Jack Dixon told us how affordable storage can be. We'll remember that next time a deal comes along that we needn't pass up for lack of wine TLC or space at home.

Desert Cancer Foundation's executive director Peggy Bilous provided background on that organization's mission and services for ailing Coachella Valley residents in need of medical services. With Jeff underwriting the wine provided by Southern Wine & Spirits and appetizers by Sherman's Deli, our fundraising efforts were a success. A few lucky attendees took home fab prizes, including storage for their wine at Wine Vault and our new, cool WinewomenPSP logo wine aerator. More on that lovely in another post.

Out of the darkness, we'd seen the light and headed home with kicked-up wine smarts. See you next on October 23rd for an evening under the stars with soprano Angela Bunea, wine and the Mediterranean culinary marvels of Miramonte Resort and Spa!

Madrid Magic at Miramonte

WinewomenPSP spirited off to Spain last Thursday as Miramonte Resort and Spa transformed their new Grove Artisan Kitchen into a tapas wonderland.

Executive Chef Robert Nyerick directed traffic over the restaurant's display arena as platters piled high with ultrathin prosciutto, olives and savory salads flew by. With a shake and slam of their fryers, cooks turned out batches of piping hot empanadas. It was all fun to watch and even better to eat as the room pulsed with the energy and anticipation of Food Network's Kitchen Stadium. Would Iron Chef Emcee Alton Brown appear to recite stage-whisper commentary?

No, ladies, this was Madrid Magic. Chef Nyerick and his on-the-ball staff delivered a tapas feast that had us dishing over each tasty bite. Greeting us at the door were flutes of Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut sparkling wine. It was so good that we spotted a few champagne-snubbers going back for seconds.

Next, red or white sangria? It was tough to decide between the two house-made specialties so we opted to try both. Nyerick makes his red version with fresh orange, blood orange, lemon and lime juices blended with La Terre California Merlot and Spanish Rioja wines. He spices it up with splashes of triple sec and Spanish brandy before he swirls in ice and club soda with cinnamon sticks.

For his white sangria, Nyerick combines ruby red grapefruit, orange, lemon and lime juices with La Terre Chardonnay, cloves and ice finished with more Segura Viudas extra dry sparkling wine, a winner from one of Spain's artisan cavas.

Our table gave thumbs up to La Terre Chardonnay's fresh apple and pear flavors while others enjoyed La Terre Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Whatever your drinking or dining indulgence, all managed to save room for Chef's decadent chocolate dipping station – and resisted the urge to dive in head first.

Gracias, Chef Nyerick, Colby, guitarist Rafael Soto and the outstanding Miramonte staff! If you missed it, make your own magic at their Tapas Thursdays from 5-8 PM in the Vineyard Lounge.

Note to rosé fans: We found more A to Z Oregon Rosé at Jensen's in La Quinta and LA Wine Company in Palm Desert. Chill it and enjoy it all summer long.