Tuesday, March 17, 2009

2009 WCI Special Events

At Wine Country Inn, we believe strongly in adding as much value to your stay with us as possible. With this in mind, we have created the following Special Events throughout 2009 to make your stay even more pleasurable. Most are complimentary to Inn guests, and all are available only to our guests. For reservations or more information, please call our front desk staff toll-free at 1-888-465-4608 or send an email to: romance@winecountryinn.com.

February 27-28, 2009: Return Guest Reunion
Please click here for a quick recap of our inaugural Return Guest Reunion.

Fun Thursdays: April through November
Each Thursday April through November, we will be hosting a special food and wine educational event in the Inn's Common Room from 6-7 p.m. These events are complimentary to Inn guests (and subject to availability). Here's the lineup:

First Thursday: Wine Appreciation
Join Marty Paradise to learn the ins and outs of how to better understand -- and appreciate -- the various wines you'll be exposed to during your stay in Napa Valley. Marty is a fantastic wine person (note, we were tempted to call him a 'wine geek') and fun to be around, to boot.

Second Thursday: All About Olive Oil
Diane De Filipi, who leads yearly gourmet cooking class excursions to Tuscany and Rome through her company Let's Go Cook Italian, will help educate us on all things olive oil-related, including how to taste, olive oil characteristics, and much more. Diane's passion for food and wine -- particularly as they relate to Italy -- are unmatched!

Third Thursday: Beer Fun
Our friends at Silverado Brewing Company will lead a "beer fun" course sure to entertain and delight. Brewmaster Ken Mee will lead many of these events. As Ken says, "Keep drinking beer--I'll make more!"

Fourth Thursday: Italian Wine Appreciation
Our friends at Benessere Vineyards will lead this exploration of all things Italian-wine related, including some fantastic wine and cheese pairings. Wine Country Inn guests will learn about the various Italian grape varieties planted throughout Napa Valley, and the steps Benessere takes to produce the highest quality grapes possible (in the winemaking world, more is not better, better is better).

November 19-21: Ode to the Olive
We'll put on a three-day tribute to all things olive-related, culminating in a Saturday blind olive oil tasting with celebrity judges. This was event was a huge hit with Wine Country Inn guests in 2008. For a complete schedule of events, which are limited to Wine Country Inn guests and, unless otherwise noted, complimentary, visit our Ode to the Olive site. (For information on last year's Ode to the Olive event, click here.)

December 31: New Year's Eve
We're putting together plans for a special New Year's Eve party (hint: might be one of only a handful of dinners we've actually hosted at the Inn). More info coming soon...

February 26-27, 2010: Return Guest Reunion
Mark your calendars now: We'll celebrate our 2nd Annual Return Guest Reunion this weekend. Stay tuned for more info.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Return Guest Reunion Rocks!

Wow, we had a wonderful time February 27-28 with our first annual Wine Country Inn Return Guest Reunion. Guests who have stayed with us before from all across the U.S. attended our special event.
The Return Guest Reunion culminated in a special dinner held in the Wine Country Inn common room. Guests and Inn staff began with cocktails from Charbay and wine from Benessere Vineyards, along with cheese and other passed appetizers, including Sonoma Duck Pate, Hog Island Oysters, and caviar and salmon gravlax on potato gaufrette.

For dinner, catered by the catering department at Silverado Brewing Company led by Chef Bernardo Ayala, we feasted on Maine Lobster Salad, pan-seared Filet Mignon, and, for dessert, Dagoba organic bittersweet chocolate cake with raspberry ganache and passion fruit coulis.
The Inn's common room looked beautiful, and guests were treated to a guitar accompanist.

Please note: If you missed this year's Return Guest Reunion, have no fear--plans are already underway for next year's event. Stay tuned.