Pretty much all I need to say is “pizza,” to pack the house for Lambert Bridge Winery’s 5th Annual Harvest Party, being celebrated at the luxurious Healdsburg property from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.
Because in true Sonoma style, these aren’t any ordinary pies, but lavish combos such as Love Farm’s caramelized onion, thyme and Point Reyes blue cheese; Vella dry Jack cheese with Mugnaini Garden’s zucchini and blossoms; or Gourmet Mushrooms Inc.’s trumpets, alba clamshells and forest namekos sautéed with tarragon and Bellwether Farm’s fromage blanc.
The chef slips them into a wood fired oven that’s set in a garden outside the winery’s front door, lets the intense heat work its magic for just a few minutes, then slides the pies out with the toppings bubbling and the crust blistered.
Have you snapped up your tickets yet?
Though to focus on pizza would distract from the mouthwatering array of other exquisite edibles at this salute to Sonoma County’s local farmers, ranchers and artisan producers. The menu theme this year is all about our organic and sustainably farmed stars, showcasing boutique vegetables from Love Farms, Soda Rock Farms, Tierra, Oh! Tommy Boy’s and Mugnaini Gardens.
There will also be protein from Liberty Duck, CK Lamb and Hog Island Oysters, plus assorted cheeses from Bellwether Farms, Point Reyes, Cypress Grove, Cowgirl Creamery and Vella. Not only for your eating enjoyment, but you’ll be able to meet many of the producers and bend their ears on their secrets for coaxing such delicious results from the land.
The afternoon kicks off at 3 p.m. with cooking demonstrations in the winery’s al fresco kitchen, led by Lambert’s culinary partner Andrea Mugnaini. Watch and learn as you sample appetizers from the wood-fired oven, sip Lambert Bridge wines, and groove to a jazz quintet while you relax among lavish grounds set with cascading vines, colorful flowers and an expansive lawn overlooking vineyards and forests.
Next up is a tour of the Lambert Bridge vineyards, and a glimpse into the winemaking. This alone could be worth the price of admission, for the gorgeous property tucked on a gentle hillside with a dark, rough-cut wood structure of wraparound porch, gabled shingle roof, moss-lined rock foundation walls and a stone chimney.
While the emphasis is on small lots of Bordeaux blends and varietals, the winery produces a rainbow selection, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Merlot, with signatures featuring Viognier, Petite Sirah, Merlot and assorted cuvees.
Dinner is served at 6:15 p.m., capped of by dessert in the Tasting Room, beckoning with its warm lodge ambience of wooden walls and vaulted ceilings, a crackling fireplace and masses of dried grapevines studded with tiny white lights above a massive, polished wood bar.
And what will you eat? Cassoulet of Liberty duck with Santi’s sausage and Tierra Vegetables’ dried beans, for just one dish, and oven braised Fulton Farms chicken in a local chili verde sauce, for another. In all, be set for a parade of more than two dozen dishes.
View the full menu here
Tickets are $150 per person. To purchase, call Colleen at 707-431-4670 or email colleen@lambertbridge.com.
Details: 4085 W. Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-9600, lambertbridge.com.
