I attended a superb Wine Club Lunch at Paradise Ridge.  We were greeted at the Barrel Room by enthusiastic smiling women in Hawaiian dresses, and handed a lei and a glass of champagne (Blanc de Blanc!)  The party started at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday and I hadn’t eaten yet so I was thrilled to find some fruit and sliced bakery items to go with the champagne.  I also was delighted to find a table with a game on it.  (Name that varietal – smell various scents, name the descriptors & then match it to a varietal.)

I tasted a Chardonnay & Pinot Noir in barrels.  Not only was the wine maker hosting the barrel tasting, notes were posted on the barrel. This detail gave me more time to understand each wine which increased my anticipation of its bottling.  They were also pouring two new releases and had plenty of small bites to go with it.

One of my favorite parts of the event’s first stage was the introductions of the family & the winery team.  They all seemed so friendly and accessible!  Summoned by the bell (silverware on a wine glass) we proceeded to the winery for lunch.

Assigned seats were labeled with our names on pretty envelopes.  Inside, a thank you note from Amanda McLain, the Wine Club Manager reminded us of past and future events including pairings with local produce from the Paradise Patch, sunsets in Paradise, the 2nd P.R. tasting room in Kenwood.

Lunch was first-class with lots of wine glasses and sparkling silver. I especially appreciated the Chef speaking.  (I love it when the Chef  comes out of the kitchen.)

I found Paradise.  Have you?

Tags: event, Paradise Ridge, wine, Wineries & Wine Bars, winery