Vineyard 511

Cabernet for Connoisseurs

On Saturday, February 12, Ed and I attended the 22nd Annual Cabernet Tasting, Dinner and Auction, at the St. Regis Hotel, to benefit the Family House in San Francisco. The Family House is a non-profit organization, founded in 1981, to provide much needed, free temporary housing for the families of seriously ill kids receiving treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, at the University of California Benioff Children's Center. The low-income families must live at least 50 miles away and, because of this benefit, are able to provide physical comfort and emotional support for their children during a critical time of their young lives. The Family House serves over 3000 families a year.

At this "Cabernet for Connoisseurs" event, we poured our 2012 Vineyard {511} Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon along with 58 other vintners, who also poured their Cabernet. Over 350 guests attended the event which included, along with the wine tasting, a delicious steak dinner and silent and live auctions to raise much needed funds for the ill children.

Cruising the South Pacific Islands

Ed and I welcomed in 2017 aboard the Paul Gauguin cruise ship in the Society Islands in the South Pacific. We joined Jeff and Darice O'Neill of Ram's Gate Winery, who hosted a group of 21, which included their friends and family--all wine lovers. They generously provided their delicious wines for all of our receptions and dinners, plus a Ram's Gate Wine Seminar and Tasting for guests of the whole ship. We also shared some of our Vineyard {511} 2012 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon at one of the dinners. Everyone loved it!

During the cruise we visited the islands of Huahine, Taha'a, Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti. We toured the islands to learn about the culture of the islanders, had beach barbeques on private motus (small islands), snorkled to see lemon sharks and manterays, and had sunset cruises on a catamaran.

It was great to escape the (much needed) rain in California.