I was invited to Dry Creek Vineyard for dinner this month and it was such a magical evening! I had the pleasure of first experiencing their wine during the holidays during my partnership with Dry Creek Valley Wines and had been wanting to go visit the region and see the vineyard in person! Christina joined me for the trip and it felt so right since she and I shot that campaign together. I’m so excited to share our evening with you!
Upon arrival, we were greeted with a glass of fume blanc and had the chance to meet with some key members of the Dry Creek Vineyard team. It was also a chance to connect with the other guests! I love making new connections and the ladies were so fun to enjoy the evening with. After hugs and hellos, the DCV team shared that we would enjoy a guided tour, seated tasting followed by dinner in the vineyard. I loved learning more about Dry Creek Vineyard…and happy to share with you now. Kim Stare Wallace, President of Dry Creek Vineyard led the way! In fact, the evening of the event coincided with Kim’s nomination for Wine Executive of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. She is SO fabulous and I feel so honored to have had some one-on-one time with her. She’s lit a fire in me, that’s for sure!
About Dry Creek Vineyard
Located in the Dry Creek Valley region of Sonoma County, Dry Creek Vineyard was the first vineyard to make its return to the region since prohibition. Founded in 1972, the vineyard produces numerous red and white wines and it’s still a family company.
The years of vinting and blazing trails in the winemaking industry speak for themselves, but what really resonated with me about the winery was the beginning of the story, before any wine was bottled or before any grapes were grown. After receiving his education at MIT and launching a successful career, the “wine bug” bit Kim’s father, David Stare. A few years later, David began graduate studies in viticulture at UC Davis and spent time out of the classroom looking for land. The current Dry Creek Vineyard was an old prune yard, but in ’72, the Stare family planted the first grapes on-site and the rest is history. A photo in the winery’s tasting room commemorates the occasion.
Tour & Tasting
The Dry Creek Vineyard tasting room is open every day from 10am-5pm and offers a very approachable and fun way to taste and learn about the wines and the land. Their grounds are a beautiful backdrop for a picnic or your group, but if you’re looking for a more formal wine tasting experience, consider booking a seated tasting! We were lucky to have ours with Kim and Brian Pruett, one of the winemakers at DCV. We were walked through each wine and were encouraged to scribble down some notes about what we were experiencing. Doing it with others was awesome because I am confident we each added a little something to the “sniff” test. 🙂 You can learn more about their tastings here.
Getting Ready for Dinner
Before dinner in the vineyard, the DCV team had us take part in something that is close to my heart. They didn’t know that I am a sugar scrub maniac. Maybe you didn’t either?! I actually make my own, and even had this as a demo at my Whole Foods Beauty event a couple of years ago. This DIY scrub station was made extra special because not only do the scrubs include Zinfandel from the vineyard we dined in but also because the team personalized our scrub jars as if they came from an apothecary! LOVE.
During this wine half-hour, passed apps were served by the wondering the girl and the fig team out of Sonoma. I could hardly wait for dinner to begin!
Dinner in the Vineyard
Dinner in the zinfandel vineyard was so magical. I’ve been on a lot of styled shoots before, and to actually DINE in an exquisite and intimate setting like this was a dream come true. The girl and the fig team put together a delicious three-course menu paired with Dry Creek Vineyard wines, and of course, dessert! It was incredible and Christina and I are still talking about it. 🙂
As you can see, the experience was an evening to remember and Christina and I are already plotting our return. It’s just 2 hours from Sacramento a little above Central Healdsburg. If you visit, be sure to tell them Kachet sent you. 🙂 If you’re not local to California, come out and visit! But, you can enjoy Dry Creek Vineyard wherever you are by visiting their online shop.
Dry Creek Vineyard
3770 Lambert Ridge Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 433-1000
Many thanks to the Dry Creek Vineyard team for their work in making sure we had a great time. Cheers!
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All photos by my girl Christina Best Photography unless otherwise noted.
I was invited as a guest of Dry Creek Vineyard but was in no way obligated to share my experience. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support the blog!
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