Date: August 31, 2009 @ 1:40 AM

Starlight Dinner

Do you remember what you used to recite as a kid? You had to do it when the first star of the evening appeared. In my case, I think that I often was reciting it to the glow of a planet instead of a star. That may be my typical confusion and a small indication as to why I am a winemaker and not some sort of astrophysicist.

Star light, Star bright, First star I’ve seen tonight, Wish I may, Wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight.

(Then you had to keep your wish a secret or it wouldn’t come true. It also couldn’t come true if it was directed at the reflection from Venus.)

We had our Starlight dinner on Saturday. If there had been a review in the press, it would have praised the entertainment, the food, the wine, and the fun. It was great. There is a chance that the review might have mentioned that the conditions were perfect…for a regatta.  “I was blown away…Really!”

OK, it was breezy and the gale force winds kept the sky clear for the stars to twinkle. It was also an incentive for all of us to get up and dance to songs that were “our rock-n-roll” (from the ‘70’s) that have now become our winery dancing music. (Must mean that we still have it…) The band was fun and it was a good way to keep warm.

Our guest chef, Mark Dommen from San Francisco’s One Market, along with our culinary team of Chefs Abi and Trevor produced a wonderful four-course meal that complemented a bunch of single-vineyard wines. I think it was the first time that we have shown the new State Lane Ranch Vineyard that joined with the 2006 vintage.

About dessert time, the wind died down, the 2000 Dolce worked its magic (I love that wine as it develops tremendous complexity in the bottle) and the stars…up above, and all who attended, were perfect.  (I still got a macchiato from the coffee cart to warm me up.)

If you weren’t there, I hope you get to share one of these evenings with us next year, because now it is just about time to start harvest. (We are walking and sampling the vineyards every day.)