Staff pins go well with holiday wines

The Gunrock Pub’s November wine tasting is all about pairing: wines to pair with the holidays and wines to pair with your Staff Assembly pin.

Wear your pin and you will be admitted to the tasting for $8 (a $2 discount). You can buy a pin at the door for $5, and then put it to use immediately.

The Wednesday Night Wine Flight on Nov. 4 is open to everyone, not just Staff Assembly members. The tastings are held the first Wednesday of every month, sponsored by the Gunrock Pub and the Cal Aggie Alumni Association’s Vintage Aggies Wine Club.

The pub is on the south side of the Silo, and the tastings run from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Reservations are not normally needed, but, for this month’s event, Staff Assembly members especially are encouraged to RSVP with Tiva Lasiter, tlasiter@ucdavis.edu, because Staff Assembly is providing light appetizers and she needs to know how much to order.

As for the November theme, Wednesday Night Wine Flight organizers said holiday wine pairings can be difficult when the menu runs the gamut from prime rib to roast turkey to cranberry sauce to candied yams.

“Join us as we present some wines that we think will complement your feast,” the organizers said.

Herbs: free for the cutting

The Good Life Garden has scheduled another herb harvest, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 5. People are welcome “to harvest any type of herb we have … including lavender, sage, thyme, chives and mint.”

The organizers said Arlene Kennedy, the Good Life Garden gardener, will be on hand to answer questions about the herbs and the harvesting process, and to direct people to the correct plants.

The herbs are free for the taking; all you need to do is bring scissors or pruning shears, collection bags and wet paper towels to put in the bags with the herbs (if you do not have a refrigerator to keep them in for the day).

Also, the organizers advise: “Be sure to wash all herbs well before enjoying their fresh taste.”

People who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by e-mail to goodlifegarden@ucdavis.edu. The garden sits amid the buildings of the new Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at the south edge of campus (directions).