At the beginning of the summer I posted a Wine Wednesday story that listed upcoming wine dinners at restaurants in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples this summer. One of those on the list was a Patent and Pellet dinner at Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island. It happened last night and featured wine legend Tom Rinaldi in Southwest Florida. I managed to score a seat across the table from him. His stories of Napa in the early days and his rise to the top were fantastic.
Tom is one of the pioneering winemakers in Napa. He is the one who put Duckhorn on the map and that is just part of his extensive resume. He makes Patent Wines with founder Erich Risch who is also a lot of fun. The two make a great team and the wines are pretty special. They actually got a 2020 cab in the bottle before the infamous fires that took out much of the vintage for other vintners. It is silky but bold and drinking nicely. The grapes used came from vineyards first planted during the Civil War.
Enjoy these photos of the dinner with wine legend Tom Rinaldi in Southwest Florida. His next dinner is Thursday night at Harold's Restaurant in Fort Myers. Call to see if there are any open seats. It will be worth the effort.
The people and place
The Food
FYI: The Pellet brand is phasing out. If you find them and like them, buy a few extra. Cheers to Wine Wednesday.
**Drink Responsibly
