Winemaker Barry Jackson has taken the Fiano grape and turned it into a lovely white wine. Fiano, native to the southern Italian province of Campania, is aromatic, crisp and delicate. A high-quality white Italian grape, Fiano has intense floral aromas and notes of honey and spice.
Expert winemaker Jackson has made an intriguing Fiano, which I first happened to try when in his tasting room to sample his Equinox sparkling wines. Fiano can be nutty and rich, and some people find it piney and herbaceous. Jackson’s well-made Fiano is extremely flavorful with a lovely smoky minerality. It’s always exciting to venture out and try lesser-known wines, and Jackson is an ace at making artful libations.
The Fiano sells for $26 a bottle and you can find it at the Equinox/Bartolo tasting room. Jackson and his wife Jennifer moved into the busy Surf City Vintners complex a couple of years ago from their previous location on Swift Street. They’re located opposite Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and next door to West End Tap & Kitchen—an ideal spot for food, wine and brewskies.
Equinox/Bartolo, 334 Ingalls St., Unit C, Santa Cruz, 471-8608. equinoxwine.com.
Children’s Etiquette Class for Ages 9 to 13
Just in time for the holiday season, Karen Anne Murray, proprietress of Eddison and Melrose Oats and Scones Tea Cottage, will be doing a two-part class on etiquette for children—including eye contact, handshakes, table manners, electronic-device manners, and table setting. Tea and treats will be included, and each student will get a certificate of completion. Murray, who hails from England, says that in our modern world, some old-fashioned values are still required. Classes are 1:45-3 p.m. Nov. 3 and Nov. 10 and the cost is $65. I took a friend to Oats and Scones for afternoon tea recently and we loved the dainty sandwiches, English scones, sausage rolls, and cupcakes, all served beautifully on fine china. Murray’s tea room is charming, and I love the touches of dear old Blighty.
Oats and Scones Tea Cottage, 1180 Forest Ave., Suite G, Pacific Grove, 601-4851. eddisonandmelrose.com.
