Uncorked and On The Rocks: An Evening at Blackbird

It’s still warm in October on the Central Coast, so we’re bringing you some boutique cool-climate chardonnays and pinot noirs this month at Uncorked and On The Rocks. Riverbench Winemaker Clarissa Nagy brings her extensive expertise to Blackbird, as Executive Chef Travis Watson curates a four-course dinner worthy of these exceptional wines.

Clarissa Nagy, Winemaker

Clarissa fell in love with the aromas of Pinot Noir when she started working with wine in 1995. She studied at Cal Poly and began her career at Edna Valley Vineyards. She worked for many notable brands including Byron, Longoria, and Bonaccorsi before joining Riverbench as winemaker in 2012. Clarissa is known for her elegant, sophisticated winemaking style. She continues to refine Riverbench wines each vintage and adds her own unique style to our portfolio.

Chef Travis Watson

As a former University of Arizona football player, "chef" seems like an unlikely career choice for a guy who also loves competition shooting and Brazilian jiujitsu. But then he was inspired at 14 by his first football coach who was also an Executive Chef at a restaurant where Watson was employed as a dishwasher. Cooking seemed much cooler and definitely more fun, and once he was promoted to prep cook a few months later, the die was cast. 

After high school, Watson attended Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Upon graduation, he did an impressive externship under Chef Jacques Paccard in Paris. Upon his return to the States, enrolled in the University of Arizona in Tucson. Bit by the travel bug, he spent summers and the years after graduation traveling, working and learning in cities like Seattle, Los Angeles and Denver and countries such as Japan, France, Italy and Mozambique. He was fortunate enough to work at some of the finest hotels and restaurants across the world.

In 1999, Watson settled back in Arizona, working for Fox Restaurant Concepts as Corporate Pastry Chef where he was responsible for opening 27 restaurants across the country over the next eight years. He left Fox to take over the helm as Executive Chef of Avalon, where he and his team were named "Best New Restaurant" and "Best New Chef." From there Chef Travis worked at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa, the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, the Stanley Hotel, Rancho Bernardo Inn and now Chef Travis leads the team at the acclaimed Hotel Californian in the American Riviera, Santa Barbara.

6:00PM Reception
Blackbird Patio

6:30PM Paired Dinner
Blackbird

Dinner Menu Coming Soon