Please join the Wharton Club of Northern California for a wine and food pairing showcasing European wines at the hot new San Francisco restaurant, Circa. Uncorked Events, one of San Francisco’s leading wine events companies, has paired with boutique wine importer Adventures in Wine to create an educational and delicious event for the Wharton Club!

Nicole Burke, star sommelier and wine director at Garibaldi's and 415 Restaurant, will lead an interactive discussion on deciphering French wine labels; finding the region’s best values, and provide tips on ordering French and Spanish wines on a restaurant menu. Following that, it’s time to taste! Adventures in Wine has provided 10 different French and Spanish wines to taste, which you will enjoy with some delicious bites from Circa. After all the delicious wine and hors-d’oeuvres, the restaurant will be open downstairs for dinner.

Details for the event are below. Thanks to the generosity of Uncorked Events, Circa and Adventures in Wine, the Wharton Club can provide this event to you at an incredible value, so book fast! Seating will be limited to provide a quality experience for our attendees.

Register online

Date: Tuesday, October 24th, 2006
Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm
Location: Circa Restaurant and Lounge – Mezzanine private event space. 2001 Chestnut St. (@ Fillmore St.), San Francisco, CA
Price: $40 Current Alumni Club members and their accompanied guests. $60 Non-Member alumni and other guests.
Registration deadline: Friday, October 20th, 7:00pm. After that date, based on availability, tickets will be $50 for members and $70 for non-members. The WCNC's standard cancellation policy applies for this event.
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Nicole Burke - Sommelier & Wine Educator
Nicole Burke received a degree in Food Science from University of California at San Diego before moving to the Bay Area. Nicole has worked with notable chefs such as George Morrone, Scott Giambastiani and Tyler Florence. She has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation and has earned Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Nicole has worked as Beverage Director for Jeffrey Chadrow’s Asia de Cuba and as Wine Director for highly regarded Viognier.

Nicole was recently recognized as one of the Bay Area’s “Up and Coming Sommeliers” by the San Francisco Chronicle and is a regular component of the Chronicle’s Wine Section Tasting Panel and a regular contributor to Patterson’s Beverage Journal for Spirit and Wine Education. You will see her consulting stamp on several cutting edge wine lists around the Bay Area from popular Swig Lounge to Maria Manso’s World Cuisine in San Rafael and as one of the faces of the recently released Roth Vodka.

Currently Nicole is the Beverage Director and Sommelier for John Hurley’s trio of restaurants, 415 Restaurant and Lounge, Garabaldis on Presidio and Garabaldis on College.

Uncorked Events (www.uncorkedevents.com)
Uncorked Events was created to bring the Bay Area the ultimate in wine lifestyle events. Whether you are learning to pair champagne with food in an intimate sit-down gathering, attending a Pinot Noir tasting at a new art gallery or at a majestic company party in the heart of Napa Valley, we provide the perfect wine event every time. Uncorked Events was founded on the notion that enjoying wine should always be fun, relaxed, social and educational - never stuffy or snooty! While wine is the focus of our events, we often incorporate gourmet food pairing, art, music and fashion. This seamless blend of sensory elements turns our wine events into truly memorable gatherings. Recent clients include Adobe Systems, Palm Inc and Charles Schwab.

Adventures in Wine (www.adventuresinwine.com)
Adventures in Wine was founded in 1982 by Merrick J. Dowson with the goal of offering the finest selection of wines from around the globe. Mr. Dowson spent several years in the London wine trade before coming to the US in the late 1970s. He built the business initially through a large selection of vintage ports.

Circa (www.circasf.com)
Chef Erik Hopfinger brings nearly two decades of culinary experience to CIRCA, including almost a decade of opening at the helm of the city’s most innovative restaurants. He is the previous winner of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rising Chef Award and the James Beard Foundation “Best Chef – California” award. Erik was the mastermind behind such culinary trendsetters as Butterfly, Backflip and Spoon. Throughout his several ventures he has reinvented classic dishes from around the world like he does at CIRCA.CIRCA was designed by Michael Brennan, as a celebration of the moment. Michael has been a creative force behind some of the most beautiful restaurants in San Francisco, including Cortez, Jardiniere, Farallon, Le Petit Robert and Tartare. His repertoire includes more than 40 restaurant projects in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Napa, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Michael has been recognized nationally for his restaurant designs including Esquire Magazine, Bon Appetit and San Francisco Magazine.