Dinner at Vineyard 29

On April 29, Ed and I participated in a colossal dinner party at Vineyard 29, located at 2929 Highway 29. Boy, that's a lot of 29's, for an event that was a super 100. Ann and Chuck McMinn, proprietors of Vineyard 29, generously hosted the party for guests who previously made donations to attend this Vineyard 29 dinner at a St. Helena Hospital Foundation gala. (That gala raised a wopping $2 million for St. Helena Hospital's Napa Valley Breast Health Center.) Chuck is also the Director Emeritus of the Foundation. The McMinn's are intrumental in fundraising for other Napa Valley causes, such as the Napa Valley Vine Trail, a 47-mile walking and biking trail, that will eventually extend from Vallejo to Calistoga.

After a nice reception on the terrace, we passed a stunning Chihuly glass sculpture illuminated by candles on our way to the cave wine library for dinner. Among the interesting guests at our table was Jim Parent, the outgoing President and CEO of the St. Helena Hospital Foundation, as well as Kathleen Patterson, President of Central Valley Builders Supply, who is also on the Board of the St. Helena Hospital Foundation. The dinner, presented by Executive Chef Ken Frank, of La Toque in Napa, was exquisite and healthy--even the decadent dessert of Gateau Concorde au Cholat; you know chocolate is healthy :-) The courses were paired with wonderful Vineyard 29 wines as well as Dalla Valle Maya and Araujo Estate.

It's gratifying to know we are able to have a wonderful experience and support a good cause at the same time. We were so sure of this that we came out for the Volley in the Valley Tennis tournament on the very next Sunday and Monday--again to support the St. Helena Hospital Foundation.