BerserkerFest 8.0 - Santa Barbara/SRH Nov 21-23 #berserkerfest

BerserkerFest 8.0, in Santa Barbara, November 21-23 weekend.

We’re good to go, folks, and look forward to a big, raucous (but responsible) party!!!

COST: $75.00 per person in advance, $90.00 per person at the door - includes facility rental, insurance (yeah, required for this gang), appetizers, desserts, scavenger hunt goodies, meat and veggies for the grill, serving and dining ware, stemware, and cleaning fee for the facility. Please send payment via check (made out to Wine Berserkers, LLC) to 2107 Colina Del Arco Iris, San Clemente CA 92673, or via paypal (though you’ll need to cover the fee, adding that to the total) to todd at wineberserkers.com I’ll mark all those PAID in this thread, so we’ll have confirmation of those who will be allowed in.

Schedule:

FOR FRIDAY:

Group dinner, in the planning stages - BYO, no corkage, etc. (specific restaurants, sizes, themes below)

Hitching Post 7:30 pm - one group of 16 The wine theme will be, “wines that make you sexy, strong and smart.” FULL

Peter Cargasacchi
Marshall and Diana Gelb
Brian Bohr
Chik Wong +1
Scott and Andrea Watkins
Danny Mazza
Kara Van Corbach
Kevin Donoghue +1
Mark Hubbard +1
Bob Summers
Sal and Nancy Dolce

Group Dinner 2 - at Jim Salvito’s house, 6:30 pm (address given via PM) CLOSED:
Mike and Dana Stoneking
Matt Mauldin +1
Jim Salvito and Perry Norton
Larry Schaffer +1
John and Helen Falcone
John Cabot and Aida Vilatoro
Nikki and Jeff Nelson (maybe)


FOR SATURDAY:
kick off bubbles brunch (scavenger hunters ONLY + Refs and Drivers + Jeff/Nik/Peter if he can make it!)
11am - 12:30pm
location: Liquid Farm Casa
some bacon, we will have eggs covered and idea to do breakfast pizzas w/ dough by Sir Carg, pizzas by ninja Kara
hunters/we all would bring some bubbles to crack and share
Nik / Kara / Jeff, etc will fully get the teams up to speed with what to expect, rules, how to win and will be assigning the teams - OR announce them perhaps at the Friday dinner and they can come up with crazy name for their team and start to “bond” about winning

SCAVENGER HUNT - 12:30pm-4:30pm
4 hours will be enough time to hit 4-5 producers if we’re strategic about how we send people where and teaming two producers at 1-2 stops
two cars

NON-HUNTERS DAY

Jonathan Grunzweig and Larry Schaffer are hosting a limited group tasting of Tercero as well as at least one of the great Happy Canyon AVA wineries doing interesting things with Bdx varietals. This will start at noon Saturday and is currently full, but there may be cancellations so let them know if you have interest:

Matt Mauldin and his wife Melissa
Jim Salvito and his wife Perry Norton
Marshall Gelb and his wife Diana
Mark Hubbard + 1
John Cabot and Aida Villatoro
Adam Grossman + 1
Possibly George Yatischin and his wife Chryss Yost


COMPED TASTINGS for BerserkerFest participants (ALL WEEKEND) from these wineries (and growing…)
Melville
Samsara
Palmina
Brewer-Clifton
Crawford Family
Falcone Family
Native 9
Alta Maria
Cargasacchi/Loring (the evil Siamese twins)
Liquid Farm
Longoria
Tercero
Dragonette Cellars
Rusack (plus 20% discount on all purchases!)

Meanwhile at Museum… (our location for the main event)
we have people getting the venue set up and ready for non-hunters/hunters to arrive between 4:30-5pm

FINALE GRILLED CHEESE WAR & WB DINNER @ SY Museum
5pm - teams arrive to the venue where non-hunters have recently or will soon arrive
5:15pm - everyone imbibes a bit while we tally the teams scores on the tasting portion of the HUNT
5:30pm - scores are announced and we announce the finale GRILLED CHEESE WAR (and rules) to determine the Champions
5:45pm - the teams will have had 15 minutes to prepare the best and most kick ass grilled cheese they can and non-hunters begin to taste each
6pm - all votes have been placed for preferred team
(should we have them cooking where they can’t be seen so that non-hunters are unbiased when they choose the winner or not?)
Post 6pm to 8pm - meats are grilled up, sides are served (TBD on this still)
Soon after 6pm if not already done, winners will be announced and CROWNED!
8pm - we present the crazy cake/dessert and toast the Crew/Hunters, etc
band or music wraps up at 9pm
Head to the Maverick Saloon for guaranteed Sunday hangover

(Other area wineries if they wanted to could also come and pour/visit and bring wine to sell / perhaps some of that happens Sat night at the museum?)

Attendees:

FINAL LIST OF PREPAID PARTICIPANTS:

Todd And Jen PAID and Scavenger Hunters
Peter Cargasacchi PAID
Nikki Nelson +1? PAID
Brig Campbell +1 Scavenger Hunters
Kara Van Corbach PAID
Scott and Andrea Watkins PAID and Scavenger Hunters
Danny Mazza PAID and Scavenger Hunter
Brian Bohr PAID and Scavenger Hunter
Mike and Dana Stoneking PAID and Scavenger Hunters
Jim and Perry Salvito PAID
Jonathan Grunzweig PAID
Chik Wong PAID
Cheryl Bonito PAID
Brian Loring +1 PAID
April Bolduc and Vince Yeh PAID and Scavenger Hunters
Bruce and Laurie Rudman - PAID and Scavenger Hunters
Kevin Donoghue +1 PAID
Matt Mauldin +1 PAID
Marshall and Diana Gelb PAID
Mark Hubbard +1 PAID
John Cabot and Aida Villatoro PAID
Larry Schaffer
Backroads Bob Summers PAID
Sal and Nancy Dolcemascolo PAID
John and Helen Falcone PAID
Adam Grossman +1 PAID
Rob Winn and Francine Haight PAID

42 TOTAL HAVE PREPAID, others, below, and walk-ins, will pay the $90 ‘at the door pricing’

Gene Keenan +1
Alan and Sandra Silvestri
Ki and Val Punwar
Gregg Greenbaum +1?
Jeb Singleton
Carlton McCrindle
Jay Hack
Rick T.
Adam and Lea G
Ted and JoAnn Erfer
George Chadwick +1

It depends where people want to stay as the base. Lompoc, Buellton, or Solvang? What do people want to do?

Do people want to just taste wine? Or explore the area?

I’m sure we could arrange several vineyard tours and walks? It depends on how many participants want to join? We could even break it up?

There’s some great ridgeline hikes that are fun and typically rhe weather is dry and cool at that time?

We could even do a bike ride module, there are some awesome bike routes, for both road bikes and mountain bikes.

One idea, depending on how many Berserkers would be interested? I’ve had dozens of people ask me how to make pizza dough and bread. I’d be happy to host a group of people to hands on, make dough then learn to fire flatbreads? Both in a wood oven and using a pizza stone in a regular oven, since not to many people have wood ovens in their backyard?

It all depends on what people want to do.

A night of flatbread making would be fun, a BYO event. I remember your vineyard walk last time, and Leo was in rare form

I’ll be there, sounds good. [stirthepothal.gif]

Woot!!!

Just joking. But actually maybe it’s a possibility since I’ll already be halfway across the country. Perhaps I just need a little incentive. champagne.gif

You need more incentive than hanging with Berserkers in sunny Southern California?

I’m definitely interested. I’d be into a hike and mountain biking.

Except the central coast probably won’t be that sunny in november. :wink:

Sure. Women who aren’t middle-aged men running around with purple mouths would be a great start.

Pussy

In so few words, yes. Is that not what I said? [thumbs-up.gif] Figured the neener face was too much.

If people are interested in learning to make pizza we can do the process start to finish? I’ll make some dough ahead of time with some different protein flours so people can see the effect on crispness, and how resting dough lets the gluten and starches align. But you can make reasonably good crust without extended rest or without the second rest if you manage the yeast right.

(The last time, we found Leo in a ditch the next morning, hands bound behind his back with duct tape. All he had on was a tie and underwear, that was inside out.)

a serious post, I’m only speaking for myself, but the 21-23rd of November is not a great time. Thanksgiving is the week after so I’m not sure how able most people are to take that Friday on the 21st off, let alone travel the weekend for Thanksgiving.

Loving this! We are of course (LIQUID FARM nerds) IN :slight_smile:

There is an idea I have had for awhile that I would put out there for those who dare and with a competitive streak :wink:
I a few years ago helped arrange and plan a Scavenger Hunt w/ Beauregard Vineyards (small producer in Santa Cruz Mountains making wine and tasting room in the Redwoods in the old bonny doon space and Ryan Beauregard and family are a hell of a party any way you slice it). We invited mostly Somms and trade at this one. There were 3 legs to the competition - 1.) the HUNT (think the show “Amazing Race” meets vineyards) where each team was led from place to place and task to task with the next clue. DD’s drove vans carrying the competitors so there MAY have been some road soda’s happening :wink:
2nd leg was an MS level Exam on the SC Mtns area that had to be 100% correct before each team could move to the 3rd leg - blind tasting. each team had to have 3 out of the 5 deductions involving varietal/s, region, vintages, producer, etc before completing that leg successfully. The first team to get through all legs first were crowned the victorious winners!

We had a pig roast happening and “spectators”, etc - was a BLAST.

I think that we could SURELY rally QUITE the hunt with a grouping of 3-4 teams and tear up the Valley - this way you are traveling and learning but also hustling to be crowned VICTORS - we could I am sure encourage the producers participating to donate a mag or a few bottles of their wines to create a little lot for the winners to split amongst themselves.

This would take some volunteers for the competition time only w/ vans, etc and drivers but that can be worked out. I am sure between Peter’s sense of humor and my clue writing skills that we would come up with a pretty unforgettable experience :wink:

Sat day time would be the most ideal to do it and I think the hunt could end at Peters for pizza making/cooking and carnage and perhaps Friday night we could host a more “tame” farm to table family style dinner here for a reasonable per head price or even at our friends place who are making wine/have a vineyard next door to Mosby Winery - they have a stellar outdoor cooking area which would make hosting a large group quite easy pending weather allowed outdoor dining but typically I always feel like pre Thanksgiving the weather is pretty solid.

Just some initial ideas :slight_smile:

That sounds perfect!

If I can figure out the logistics and it’s not outrageously expensive, I’m in.

Interested! My response is the same as J.'s above.

Jeb - you are SO going to make it work and Carlton we would love to have you! I will get with Peter on the hunt concept and further ideas.

a few mentions about being tough with Thanksgiving the next week - do we think it will work for enough folks to keep it that date or do we need to think about pushing back or bumping up the date.

Harvest is going to insanely early this year so most of us will be less crazy earlier than usual and a late Sept time frame which would otherwise be out of the question could possibly work - Oct would also be a great month to look at if needed but we are down with the Nov date. Weather could be a little nicer in Oct but we may have an odd Fall/Winter and ideally for the land rain filled season so hard to tell?

Plan one flying me out on Liquid Farm One?