Porcupine Provisions featuring Skipstone & SPHAERICS
Join us for this salute to dynamic duos and powerhouse couples as we pair up Charlotte’s top husband and wife catering team, Bruce & Leslie Schlernitzauer of Porcupine Provisions, with a husband and wife team of wine industry veterans, Brian Ball and Laura Jones. Brian has been the general manager at Alexander Valley’s prestigious Skipstone winery since 2017, and Laura joined Skipstone as Winemaker in the spring of 2022 partnering with the winery’s longtime consulting winemakers Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky.
Brian and Laura have just launched their own wine line as well, Sphaerics, dedicated exclusively to terroir-driven Chardonnay. Attendees will be thrilled to enjoy the first-ever Sphaerics release as well as an array of Skipstone wines while dining alfresco on one long table set for 32 guests on a covered patio at the private home of Bruce & Leslie Schlernitzauer in Myers Park.
ABOUT SKIPSTONE
Skipstone began crafting wines in 2005 from their 200-acre private estate, located on the western hillsides of the Mayacamas Range in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. Producing approximately 2,500 cases annually, .Skipstone’s wines have received ongoing critical acclaim and are sold almost entirely to their mailing list of dedicated collectors. The hiring of Winemaker Laura Jones coincides with the upcoming completion of Skipstone’s estate winemaking facility, bringing to fruition the vision set forth by founder Fahri Diner of creating one of Sonoma County’s great luxury wine estates.
ABOUT SPAERICS
Beginning in 2022, Chris Jackson generously offered Brian and Laura incredible access to fruit from the legendary Upper Barn parcels of the famed Alexander Mountain Estate Vineyard, an opportunity they couldn't say yes to fast enough. Their parcel is part of the original 1982 plantings that went into bottlings of Marcassin (Gauer Vineyard Upper Barn) and Peter Michael (Mon Plaisir and Point Rouge) during the 1990s and had gone exclusively to Stonestreet since 2010. The Chardonnay from Upper Barn is the only wine Sphaerics produces in their first vintage (2022). They have excitedly added two additional Chardonnay sources to their portfolio with the 2023 vintage, the future is bright.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Thursday, April 18
Time: 6:30 PM Arrival | 6:45 PM Dinner
Location: Schlernitzauer Residence in Myers Park |
Address to be provided to ticket purchasers the week of the event.
Special Guests:
Brian Ball, General Manager - Skipstone | Proprietor - Sphaerics
Lauren Jones, Winemaker - Skipstone | Winemaker & Proprietor - Sphaerics
Executive Chef: Bruce Schlernitzauer
Tickets: $250/person plus tax
Gratuity is included in the ticket price, and $50 of each ticket is tax-deductible.
Must be 21+
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!
To be added to the waitlist, please email info@charlottewinenadfood.org.
Hosted by Charlotte Wine & Food Board Members and Chairmen Emeritus Leslie Schlernitzauer & Palmer Steel.
FEATURED WINES
7th Edition Skipstone Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne
2022 Sphaerics if and only if Chardonnay
2021 Skipstone Malbec
2021 Skipstone Ripple Effect Cabernet Sauvignon
2021 Skipstone Oliver’s Blend Cabernet Sauvignon
MENU
RECEPTION
Chef's Choice Passed Appetizers
7th ed. Skipstone Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
FIRST COURSE
Poached Halibut – Shaved Celery Salad – St. Germaine White Grapes – Marcona Almonds
2022 Sphaerics if and only if Chardonnay
SECOND COURSE
Seared Lion’s Mane Soup
2021 Skipstone Malbec
THIRD COURSE
Grilled Lamb Loin – Slow Roasted Beets – Endives Salad – Elderberry Jus
2021 Skipstone Ripple Effect Cabernet Sauvignon
FOURTH COURSE
Short Rib – Cassoulet Beans – Seared Brussel Leaves – Braising Juices
2021 Skipstone Oliver’s Blend Cabernet Sauvignon
Dietary restrictions may be accommodated with advance notice. Please indicate any restrictions the event organizers should be aware of at time of your registration/ticket purchase. Alternatively, please email info@charlottewineandfood.org to notify us at minimum 5 days prior to the event.
CULINARY & BEVERAGE TALENT
BRIAN BALL | GENERAL MANAGER - SKIPSTONE AND PROPRIETOR - SPHAERICS
Brian’s passion for wine began during college, working in fine dining restaurants. After a brief stint on Wall Street, Brian pursued his dream of working in the wine industry. He is thrilled to work at Skipstone after first falling in love with the wines years ago.
Brian’s experience in the wine industry began in 2010, and for two years, he traveled the world working with winemakers in Napa, Sonoma, Australia, and New Zealand to learn the craft of winemaking. To further his education, Brian studied at UC Davis, where he earned a second degree in Viticulture and Enology and attended the Wine Executive Program. After UC Davis, Brian ran the wine program at Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley, where he first discovered Skipstone and was struck by the extraordinary character of the wines, vineyard, and brand. Brian has been the General Manager at Skipstone since 2017.
LAURA JONES | WINEMAKER - SKIPSTONE AND SPHAERICS
Laura's impressive winemaking experience spans 14 harvests and includes a 5-year tenure as Assistant Winemaker at Aubert as well as winemaking stints at Domaine Armand Rousseau in Burgundy, Cliff Lede Vineyards and Buccella in Napa Valley, and Skipstone in Alexander Valley. Her talent for navigating nature's unpredictability with precision in the vineyard and winery has contributed to dozens of critically acclaimed wines throughout her career. She founded Sphaerics with her husband, Brian Ball, to craft terroir-driven Chardonnay of character and distinction from carefully selected vineyard sites. She holds a B.S. in biology from Pepperdine University and a Master's degree in viticulture and enology from the University of California Davis.
BRUCE & LESLIE SCHLERNITZAUER | CO-OWNERS - PORCUPINE PROVISIONS
Bruce Schlernitzauer, a Navy brat, is mostly from Massachusetts and Leslie is a Charlotte native. They met in college in Massachusetts and later Bruce went to Johnson & Wales in Cranston, RI in their advanced standing culinary program while Leslie received her MBA from Boston University. In 1994, they arrived in Charlotte and two years later opened Porcupine Café on East Boulevard. After closing Porcupine Café, they opened Porcupine Provisions, becoming one of Charlotte's top caterers. In June of 2020 they launched Gathered, a twice monthly delivery basket filled with carefully curated local lovelies from the catering team behind Porcupine Provisions.
Leslie serves on several boards including Charlotte Wine + Food, Council for Children’s Rights and previously served on the Advisory Board for Charlotte Concerts. They have two adult children (girls) Megan and Grace. When not cooking for a profit you will find them cooking for a cause every chance they get!
THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR!
