
The Aquidneck Club in Portsmouth hosted a wine and spirits pairing dinner in collaboration with Johnson Brothers of Rhode Island on Oct. 25. Special guest Dave Phinney, Winemaker of Napa Valley’s Orin Swift Cellars and Founder of Savage & Cooke, and Arthur Sutley, Director of Northeast and Strategic Accounts, Savage & Cooke, were in attendance to lead the evening’s pairings. Guests enjoyed a five-course meal and education featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe Chardonnay, Our Lady of Guadalupe Pinot Noir, D66 Painted Scars Grenache Blend, Orin Swift Mercury Head Cabernet Napa, Savage & Cooke Bloody Butcher Bourbon Whiskey and Savage & Cooke Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Wine Barrels. Founded by Phinney in 1998, Orin Swift Cellars is now owned by Gallo, with Phinney crafting the iconic California wines. Phinney also founded and owns the Savage & Cooke distillery, located on Mare Island 23 miles northeast of San Francisco.
- The Aquidneck Club and Johnson Brothers showcased Orin Swift wines with Winemaker Dave Phinney on Oct. 25.
- Guests enjoyed a five-course meal paired with wines from Orin Swift Cellars and spirits from Savage & Cooke.
- Arthur Sutley, Director of Northeast and Strategic Accounts, Savage & Cooke; Phil Kitchen, On-Premise District Manager, Johnson Brothers; Hoyt Scharff, Oxford Street Merchant Luxury Portfolio Specialist, Johnson Brothers; and Dave Phinney, Founder/Winemaker, Orin Swift Cellars.
- Dave Phinney, Founder/Winemaker, Orin Swift Cellars.
- Arthur Sutley, Director of Northeast and Strategic Accounts, Savage & Cooke.
- Phil Kitchen, On-Premise District Manager, Johnson Brothers.
- James O’Connor, Executive Chef, The Aquidneck Club.
- Dan Wedlock, Director of Food and Beverage, The Aquidneck Club and Hoyt Scharff, Oxford Street Merchant Luxury Portfolio Specialist, Johnson Brothers.
- D66 Painted Scars Grenache Blend.
- Savage & Cooke Bloody Butcher Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Wine Barrels.
- The evening’s welcome cocktail was a Paper Plane featuring Savage & Cooke Bloody Butcher Bourbon Whiskey.
- A taste of Savage & Cooke Straight Bourbon Whiskey, finished in Orin Swift wine barrels and bottled exclusively for The Aquidneck Club.
- The first course, a blood orange and beet salad with radish, avocado and citrus-prickled pear vinaigrette, was paired with Orin Swift Our Lady of Guadalupe Chardonnay.
- D66 Painted Scars Grenache Blend was paired with the third course, cioppino crab, clams, halibut, fennel and tomato.
- Hoyt Scharff, Oxford Street Merchant Luxury Portfolio Specialist, Johnson Brothers.
- Glasses of red wine.
- A Tobiko oyster.
- Featured Orin Swift wines and Savage & Cooke spirits overlooking the water.
- Glasses of Savage & Cooke Bloody Butcher Bourbon Whiskey.
Photos by Laura Widness.