UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio will host a wine tasting event featuring wine releases from Bodkin Wines with winemaker Christopher Christensen and business partner Andy Chambers, and artist reception with paintings and prints by Benjamin vanSteenburgh III on Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5.
The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the studio, 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake.
The musical guest on Saturday evening will be MAJIDE! The Upper Lake lighted Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday.
The $12.50 ($10/per person for studio club members) wine sampler with paired appetizers created by Fresh & Bangin' Eatery, will feature the NV Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc Cuvée Agincourt with sautéed mushroom and roasted chestnut on crostini, 2014 Muscat Canelli with a roasted root vegetable medley, 2014 Sauvignon Blanc "The Victor's Spoils" with skewered roasted chicken served with smoked paprika cream sauce, and the 2013 Zinfandel [Conte Family, Russian River] with Frenched caille drummette with pomegranate / sage gastrique.
While sitting in an English literature class at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Christopher Christensen developed a keen appreciation for Shakespeare's play Henry V, which told the story of how in the year 1415 an outnumbered English army of peasant archers led by their 28-year-old king held back and won a battle against the wealthiest and best armed men in all of France because of their armor-piercing bodkin-pointed arrows.
The play's most famous quote "We few, we happy few" has been Christensen's motto since he began working his way up through the world of wine production, and inspired the name for his company, We Few Vintners.
In 2003 the Stanford graduate was offered an internship at Gallo of Sonoma and that six-month internship led to numerous others. In 12 years he has worked at nine different wineries, eight in Sonoma County and the ninth was BK Wines in rural South Australia.
He developed a love for Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wine. It was while he was visiting New Zealand back in 2011 that he discovered sparkling Sauvignon Blancs and returned to California to launch his Bodkin Wine brand, determined to craft his own sparkling Sauvignon Blanc.
In need of good fruit Christensen was introduced to Lake County's Sandy Bend Vineyard in Upper Lake and immediately recognized the fine quality of their Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The 30-acre vineyard owned by Chris Schlies was planted in 1996 by veteran grower Larry Rogers.
In addition to his Brut sparkling wine, Christensen produces a dry Muscat Canelli and two other styles of Sauvignon Blanc: an off-dry, citrusy, floral version named The Victor's Spoils, and a skin fermented, unfined and unfiltered version named The Albino, under the Bodkin label all using grapes from the Sandy Bend Vineyard.
Production of Bodkin Wines has steadily grown, and in 2013 Christensen called upon his long time friend Andy Chambers to assist with logistics and bearing the load. Chambers will join the festivities at the Saturday evening reception.
Born in Nebraska and raised in Chester County, Penn., Ben Van Steenburgh studied art at Lafayette College and the New York School of Visual Arts.
As a freelance artist he worked with several major publishing houses doing both book covers and internal book illustrations including The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, If I had a Horse and Proud Taste for Scarlett and Miniver.
As well as illustration and fine art, Van Steenburgh has worked extensively in the field of portraiture and has completed more than 80 portraits, including President Clinton with his daughter Chelsea (currently hanging in Clinton's NY office). His works have been displayed in the Pendragon Gallery (in Annapolis), the Wayne Art Gallery, the Chester County Art Foundation, the Artery, the APA and Golden Fish Gallery.
Van Steenburgh has recently moved to Lake County from Pennsylvania influencing the creation of his White Pelican series with the ancient lake Clear Lake, and Mt. Konocti volcano in the background. Other series he has created are Golden Girls, Minotaurs, Yoga Women and Angels.
Lake County Wine Studio is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County. Artist’s shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month, February through December.
The Van Steenburgh art show will be on display through Jan. 31.
The gallery is open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 to 8 p.m.
For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030.
