A night to remember...

Take a moment to form a picture in your mind…a beautiful mid-summer night, sitting amongst gnarled Zinfandel vines laden with gorgeous clusters of ripening fruit. Spending the evening with your favorite wine makers at Stryker Sonoma, enjoying the fruits of their labor paired alongside the bounty of Sonoma County. What a great dream right? It’s reality for a select handful of friends and guests of Stryker Sonoma. For the past 7 years Stryker Sonoma has held our Dinner in the Vineyard towards the end of summer, just prior to harvest, coinciding with the full moon. We look to the Dinner in the Vineyard as a chance to give our wine club members and guests a more intimate experience with our winemakers.  With the dinner right around the corner I had an opportunity to discuss this annual event with our Co-GM and Asst. Winemaker Jenn Berman and learn how it all began.

What was the inspiration to begin such an event at Stryker?
“We wanted to provide a more personal and intimate setting to our guests. Not only do they get an opportunity to converse and get to know our winemakers and staff but they get an experience like no other, to sit among the vineyards that produce our great wine at Stryker Sonoma.”

What about the Dinner in the Vineyard sets it apart from any other Stryker Sonoma event?
“Well it’s one thing to have a white table cloth dinner, but it is another to be having such a dinner sitting in the vineyard, drinking wine produced from the vines you are sitting next to, enjoying a 4-course meal prepared by top Sonoma County chefs, with the gorgeous sunset and the full moon looming in the background.  I cannot think of a more picturesque and romantic setting . Being out in the vineyard is something very few get to experience.  There is a sense of pride similar to a son showing his dad ‘look what I can do.’  We are here sharing our wines saying ‘look at this, isn’t this great’ we’re so happy to share it with you.”

What is your favorite part about the dinner?
“I personally love walking from table to table sharing stories with our guests and relearning why these great people have been a part of our wine club for as long as they have.  Additionally I remind myself to soak up all the beauty of the sun setting, take a deep breath and thank my lucky stars for being part of something so special.”

How do you choose what wines to pair with the menu you and Tim select?
“Tim and I meet with the caterer and we usually know what wines we would like to share with our guests and work with the Chef to develop the pairing menu. Sharing a deep passion for wine and food, it’s always wonderful to work with some of the best chefs in the county.”

What involvement do you and the rest of Stryker Sonoma have during the dinner itself?
“We are present throughout the whole meal to explain the food and wine pairing choices and to answer any questions the members and guests may have. The rest of the crew is also present to help pour wine and make the evening unforgettable.

Who can attend this event?
First and foremost our wine clubs members and their guests.  Unfortunately due to the size of the dinner we are rarely able to invite general public.  Each year the dinner sells out, I guess that’s a good indication we’re doing something right. :)”

Has Stryker Sonoma seen an increase in interest in attendees since the beginning of the event?
“From the debut of this event the interest in attendance has grown. At one point  we hosted almost 120 guests at the dinner. Though Stryker Sonoma loved providing the experience for so many people we saw a benefit in having a smaller number of guests. We decided a maximum of 80 guests was the perfect number to provide a private and intimate experience for all our guests.”

I've heard rumors that towards the end of the dinner fireworks are sometimes shot off into the night sky, do you think they may make an appearance this year?
“No, I have no idea what your taking about.” (with a sarcastic tone.)
~ AnneMarie