December  2020

                                     Annual Celebration Dinner

 

 

Our memories of the first Celebration Dinner goes back before our Tasting Room to a Restaurant that is no longer here. The memories are fond, the momentum is still strong and we did not let the troubles of 2020 stop us either!

 

I was asked in late October after 8 months with no events, if we still planned to host our 'Celebration'. My response was immediately no but then, that instilled the fight in me to make it happen despite!

 

A little different from any previous year but none the less special. An email invitation for a four course dinner paired with 2 of our wines in the comfort of your own home. We teamed with a great caterer who prepared and packaged the dinners.

 

We had 3 pick up locations, the Tasting Room, The Caterer and San Francisco.

                                                      46 people

                                                      44 Dinners

                                    Competition for 'Best Table Setting"

                                                      A lot of fun!

 

Everything was going so smooth! We had pick ups in all locations, everyone was excited, the mood was set!

And then....Mat & I decided we had time to drive home before the 'zoom toast'. On the 20 minute drive my phone started going off!!!! Oh my, all the uncertain competitors for the table setting all the sudden were joining. Photos came flying in so quickly, I could barely keep up forwarding them to our Interior Designer Judge friend.

In the end we had 17 table setting competitors.

 

We made it home and the zoom toast was moments away and of course I couldn't open the host link. The incredible smoothness of the day dropped from my hands. As I panicked with my phone pinging " can't open"from half of the attendees, I needed wine and wanted to hide in my bed. With a few great friends help and an hour, we were up and toasting. All though we lost our sole east coast members and a few local, the toast went on.

 

So incredibly touching and warm to see all those faces. Everyone needing the social scenario, to see friends and fellow club members. My heart grew about as big as it could.

 

We discussed the food, the wine and of course the Table Setting winner. Our Judge Irene ran through her favorite view table, most creative table, most elegant, most inviting and the winner.

To say this event could not have happened without this couple is true. They met me in Petaluma at the caterers to pick up the San Fran dinners, pulled through to get the zoom toast live, and were the first to sign up for our dinner event. Chris and Alex of SF's 'Driftwood Bar' have poured our Pinot at the Folsom Street bar, co hosted a dinner with us, offered a location for wine pick up' in the city. And the funniest part. the judge new nothing of who's photo won or that the photo picked wasn't meant for the competition but just one for us to laugh. Very tongue and cheek or as Mat put it 'Austin Powers'. Anyway, nobody expected for this belly laugh entry. The laugh we really all need after an unprecedented challenging year.

 

We will laugh and love and hug again soon. But for now, the memories of 'celebration dinner 2020', I'm so glad we made it happen! Now to redeem my self from the zoom hiccup......