Farmstead Cheeses and Wines

We're pleased to announce an evening with Milla Handley,  winemaker and founder of Handley Cellars, at the Bay Wolf restaurant on Monday, April 7 @ 7:00 p.m. at the Bay Wolf Restaurant.

_{The six course dinner is priced at $105 per person, including all wines, tax, and gratuity.}

_{The Baywolf is located at 3853 Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Their telephone number is 510 655 6004.}

_{Milla Handley will be presenting the following wines:}

• _{2006 Pinot Gris Anderson Valley}
• _{2006 Gewürztraminer Anderson Valley}
• _{2005 Chardonnay Anderson Valley}
• _{2005 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley}
• _{2005 Syrah Dry Creek}
• _{2005 Zinfandel Mendocino County}

_{Chef Michael Wild has prepared an elegant six course meal to accompany Milla's wines:}

• _{Olives, Duck Flan, and Smoked Duck Breast}
• _{Gravlax with Anise-Scented Beets}
• _{Crab Cakes with Crispy Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus}
• _{Bay Wolf Duck with Cassis Gastrique}
• _{Farmstead Cheeses and Wines' Cheese Plate}
• _{Bay Wolf Cookies}

_{About Handley Cellars Handley Cellars is a small, family-owned winery in Mendocino County, located at the northwest end of the Anderson Valley on 59 acres of the original Holmes Ranch. Still standing on the property are the now-refurbished ranch house, barn, and the original water tower.}

_{Their quality starts in the vineyards: the estate in Anderson Valley and one in the Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. Handley's beautiful tasting room is located 6 miles northwest of Philo, California.}

_{Winemaker Milla Handley seeks to make balanced wines that possess distinctive varietal characteristics, wines that reflect the soil and climate in which they were grown. For more than 10 years, Handley has farmed sustainably, using organic methods and avoiding chemicals whenever possible. Her goal has always been to encourage healthy, living soils, which in turn produce vines that yield more flavorful fruit.}

_{She believes that the balanced methods used in organic farming help develop a wine’s expression of regional and varietal character. For these reasons, Milla chose to pursue organic certification for the Handley Cellars Estate Vineyard, a 3-year process which was completed in August of 2005.}

_{Handley Cellars follows many of the guidelines set forth by The Sustainable Winegrowing Practices (SWP) Program, a voluntary program created by The Wine Institute in 2001. Its mission is to promote practices that result in the best grapes and wine possible, while maintaining sensitivity and respect for the well-being of the land, the community, and the economy. Both the Handley Cellars Estate Vineyard and Handley’s Dry Creek Valley Vineyard have been farmed sustainably for many years.}

_{About Milla Handley After earning a degree in Fermentation Sciences in 1975 at the University of California at Davis, Milla worked for winemaker Richard Arrowood at Chateau St. Jean. Following the birth of her first child in 1978, Milla moved to the remote winemaking region of Anderson Valley, where she became assistant winemaker to Jed Steele at Edmeades Winery.Milla struck out on her own in 1982, making the first Handley Cellars Chardonnay in her basement. At that time, Anderson Valley was still uncharted viticultural territory. "I was captivated by its possibilities," Handley says. "AndersonValley's beauty and isolation appealed to me. My husband Rex and I felt that Anderson Valley was a good place to raise children. The people here possessed an independent spirit, and I felt I could follow my own course, somewhat removed from the entrenched winemaking culture. I wanted my wines to capture the essence of this extraordinary place.”In the last two decades, Milla has emerged as a champion of Anderson Valley as a winemaking region. She is committed to producing Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, sparkling wines, and other varietals that are elegant depictions of her valley and her art.}

_{About BayWolf A Bay Area tradition for over thirty years, and a perennial Chronicle Top 100 restaurant, The Bay Wolf offers an elegant and relaxed setting in which to enjoy fine cuisine, inspired by the regions of the Mediterranean. Founding chef and co-owner Michael Wild opened Bay Wolf in 1975 with the goal of serving simple food bright with flavor in an inviting, comfortable environment.}

_{Since then, he has cultivated a place where fine food and wine, conversation, and celebration happen naturally. Long influenced by the food of Tuscany, Provence, and the Basque country, over the years Wild has developed and refined Bay Wolf's robust, down-to-earth blend of California and Mediterranean cuisine. His devotion is to straight-forward cooking prepared with the freshest seasonal ingredients.}

_{Our Wine Dinners always sell out quickly, so pre-paid reservations are a necessity, and can be made by calling Farmstead Cheeses and Wines at 510 864 9463.}

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