The crème de la crème of the Santa Barbara winemaking community was invited to a spectacular evening and dinner in honor of Around the World Honoree Jim Clendenen. At his private ranch, the golden light could be seen glowing from his floor to ceiling windows as guests were seated along one grand long teak Indonesian table.

In keeping with the theme of Enso 2007, Jim chose the menu featuring round foods in a concentric presentation. Starting courses included slivers of gourmet pizzas by American Flatbread, the Los Alamos artisan bakery known for their pizzas made in primitive wood-fired earthen ovens. As a finishing touch, owner Clark Staub lavished truffles over each pizza. Next the most tender romaine and baby greens were selected from the garden for a salad accompanied by a single exquisite scallop on a bed of French white beans and tender shrimp. Lamb over butternut squash and a succulent arugula and pesto puree was paired with brussel sprouts caressed with Andrew Murray Enchanté.

Guests included fellow star winemakers including Andrew Murray of Andrew Murray Vineyards and Bryan Babcock of Babcock winery and vineyards, Chuck Carlson of Curtis Winery, Executive Director of the SBVCA (Santa Barbara County Vintners Association) Jim Fiolek, The Hitching Post Owner/Chef Frank Ostini as well as the Au Bon Climat team, Michael Meluskey, ABC/Qupe winemaker and enologist Jim Adelman, Marketing Director Rob Fry and Enrique Rodriguez and members of Clendenen’s family including sister Marcia and niece Marisa.

1995 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir, "La Bauge au Dessus," Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, 1995 Santa Ynez Valley Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay, 1996 Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay Nuits-Blanches, 1999 Santa Maria Valley Hildegard, and Vita Nova 1994 Reservatum Cabernet Sauvignon were some of the exquisites wines poured.

The culmination of the evening was the performance and interactive presentation of Enso 2007 to Jim where he eloquently spoke about it in parallel to the art of winemaking as a cycle in balance with nature. After tasting the Around the World pinot noir around the world it was an incredible moment to see a glass finally in Jim’s hand for his special toast. The wine in his glass swirled around this circle of remarkable people who had devoted their lives to the ancient art of winemaking. He waxed poetic about the infinite tones of Sumi-e and the infinite complexity of notes in this pinot…even denoting the exact color of cherry notes, “not in the dark and heavy spectrum,” he said but more with the subtlety of Queen Anne and Rainier.