2008-06-06
VINTNERS INN
by Michelle J. Baker
Spring has sprung and the gardens are in bloom at the Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa, giving guests at this serene Wine Country retreat and visitors to its world famous John Ash & Co. restaurant a memorable display of spring colors.
The Vintners Inn, owned by Don and Rhonda Carano of Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery since 2000, is one of the most beautiful, luxurious and still comfortable places to stay in all of Wine Country. The 44-room inn is big enough to have all the amenities like spa services and in-room dining, yet small enough to provide guests with plenty of privacy and tranquility. Vintners Inn offers a wide range of accommodations, and all guestrooms are elegantly appointed and come with a balcony or patio, plus complimentary continental breakfast buffet.
The lush campus at Vintner’s Inn makes for a perfect spot to host a private event, corporate event, or wedding. The wedding pavilion is set against a backdrop of the inn’s 80 acres of vineyards and offers enough lawn space for up to 250 wedding guests. The event center lobby converts to a chapel for indoor ceremonies and the spacious ballroom has vineyard views and opens onto an outdoor terrace. The Vintners Inn offers all-in-one weddings, with an in-house florist to take care of flowers and the event center kitchen staff to cater the special meal. And of course wedding guests can stay right at the inn.
While Chef John Ash is no longer a daily presence at the Vintners Inn restaurant bearing his name, he still acts as consultant and teaches cooking classes at the restaurant. Ash’s pioneering style of cooking still influences the menu, which features the best local seasonal foods. Executive Chef Jeffrey Madura carries on the John Ash tradition, enhanced by his skill at finding the perfect food and wine pairings. In fact, John Ash & Co. has one of the finest wine lists in Wine Country, featuring approximately 600 wines from Sonoma County and around the world.
The chefs in all three kitchens at the Vintners Inn harvest fresh produce daily from two fruit and vegetable gardens on the property. Fruit trees dot the property, and many varieties of fig trees are trained on espaliers around the gardens. There’s also a new one acre olive grove, with young olive trees that will eventually provide the restaurant with olives, and a flower cutting garden that’s used for floral arrangements. The Vintners Inn has started to offer guests of the inn a garden tour at 10 a.m. on Fridays.
Join Vintners Inn along with more than 40 wineries at the fourth annual Pinot Family Reunion on Sunday, June 22 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. A three-course, family style dinner paired with some of Sonoma County’s top Pinot varietals will follow at John Ash & Co. restaurant at 5 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Breast Care Center at Sutter Medical of Santa Rosa. The Wine and Food Tasting ticket price is $80 per person in advance, or $95 at the door, including wine glass. The cost for both the Tasting and Dinner is $175 per person, all-inclusive. Seating is limited and reservations are required.
The Vintners Inn is located at 4350 Barnes Road, just off River Road in Santa Rosa. For room reservations, call 1-800-421-2584. To make dinner reservations at John Ash & Co., call (707) 527-7687. To see a schedule of John Ash’s cooking classes, visit online at www.vintnersinn.com.
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