Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 10, 2015 - 13

For the first Sunset Suppers last summer, Nitsa created decorative
flower arrangements for each table that combined roses, succulents,
oak-tree moss, lemon leaves, hydrangeas and Hypericum berries
from all over the property. She was still refining her floral designs
minutes before guests arrived, picking additional strands of moss
from the nearby trees. Menus and a decorative surprise for each
place setting were also made in-house.
THE EXPERIENCE
Because of the unique setting, seated dinners at the Vista Point
pavilion are unlike food and wine pairing experiences anywhere
else on the Jordan Estate.
Guests are greeted at Bacchus courtyard, an alcove just in front
of the Winery Chateau. Once the guests have arrived at Vista
Point, a walk-around reception with passed hors d'oeuvres and
Champagne allows them to enjoy the gorgeous views and take
photos around the pavilion or in the adjacent vineyard.
The pavilion seats no more than 50 guests family-style, so the
meal is more communal than dinners in the winery dining room.
Guests sit at long tables, and family-style courses are served at the
beginning of the meal to facilitate conviviality. For the inaugural
dinner, Chef Knoll served a deconstructed caprese salad with
mounds of fresh local burrata, slices of heirloom tomatoes from
the garden, and wire caddies with four different kinds of basil:
Thai, Greek, Lime and the vibrant, purple-hued Opal. This allowed
guests to share ingredients and create their own salads.
"Some of the guests were initially puzzled by the deconstructed
caprese salad presentation, but once the garden basils were
introduced, the salads began to take form and introductions to new

friends were quickly made," says Nitsa, who helped engineer this
ice-breaking appetizer. "Our goal was to create a carefully designed
menu that did not require the formality of our dining room."
Another component of the dinner that makes the Sunset Supper
experience memorable: the weather.
Breezes tend to pick up most afternoons in this valley, and
apperitifs tend to be served when temperatures fall-sometimes
10-15 degrees within an hour or two. Summer nights can be windy
or calm. As with any outdoor evening affair in Sonoma County, the
attire is wine country casual-sunglasses are essential.
"The concept behind Sunset Suppers is a multi-sense immersion
in all that makes Sonoma County special: the flora, fauna and
most importantly, the food and wine," Jordan says.
Though most dinner courses are plated and served in concert,
guests are afforded the opportunity to mingle and take more
photos throughout the evening. As the sun sets, the chef is hardpressed to keep everyone in their chairs as the western sky turns
from blue to swirls of pink, orange and purple.
WHAT'S NEXT
Two Sunset Suppers are planned for 2015-one on July 18 and
another August 1. Space for these meals is limited, and at press
time, the July event had just sold out. Tickets are $200 per person
or 10,000 points for two. For more information, visit jordanwinery.
com/rewards or call 800-654-1213.
Matt Villano is a freelance writer and editor in Healdsburg. Read
more about him at whalehead.com.

http://www.jordanwinery.com/about/winery-chateau http://www.jordanwinery.com/rewards http://www.jordanwinery.com/rewards http://www.whalehead.com

Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 10, 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 10, 2015