Those of you who know me well know that two of my favorite things in this world are country music and fantastic wine. So, this past weekend when I was invited to a private wine tasting event and country concert at Gargiulo Vineyards, I was so excited. Gargiulo Vineyards is located in Oakville which is only about an hour away from our good family friend’s home in Santa Rosa, so I decided to make a weekend out of it.

Kim and Mary Edwards are members at an absolutely gorgeous club called Mayacama and I try to get up there as much as I possibly can to play golf (Mayacama is my favorite golf course,) spend time with Kim and Mary and of course explore the town of Healdsburg. This weekend, Mayacama hosted its annual Member Guest Tournament and my dad and Kim placed 2nd! So when I realized that I would be in the area this weekend, they invited me to their Championship Dinner on Saturday night. The weather couldn’t have been any more perfect and the wine was even better. On Sunday morning, we had brunch at the club and then we were off to Gargiulo Vineyards for wine tasting and country music!

What was so incredible about the event was not only the fantastic wine and BBQ, but the fact that the owners of Gargiulo invited some of Nashvilles top songwriters to their breathtakingly beautiful winery to perform for us!

The songwriter who I connected to the most was James Otto. If you have never heard of him, you should look him up because he is fantastic! He has written some of the top songs in Country like “Just Got Started Lovin’ You” and “In Color.” What I loved the most about him was his ability to connect with the audience and draw them in to his story. I know that sounds cheesy but when he told us about his Grandfather and Father who both served in the Army and ultimately inspired his song “In Color,” I was instantly drawn in.

I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I was that day just drinking wine and listening to live country music in the middle of a vineyard. Next time that you are in the wine country, check out Gargiulo Vineyards for some great wine and even better views… Maybe even bring along your phone and play a little James Otto in the background! 

XOXO,

Rachael Claire