Backyard Wine Pairing Dinner

When my husband was approached by one of his favorite Napa wineries to host a wine dinner at our home, he jumped at the chance. And of course, I naturally saw the opportunity to plan and share a backyard wine pairing dinner with our dearest friends: it was a mutually beneficial event!

Jose Tenerio and Bradley Wasserman were our noble wine hosts for the evening

Lokoya and Cardinale wineries, part of the impressive Spire Collection from the Jackson Family Wine Collection, and brainchild of genius winemaker Chris Carpenter, were the generous providers of our wine for the evening. They flew out a case and a half of their wines, including a special library vintage, and we provided the drinkers of said wine (of which there was no shortage).

Jose Tenerio of Lokoya, worked very closely with our caterer to ensure that the wines were paired perfectly with each course. I left the food up to the pros for this one — preparing, cooking and serving a six-course meal for a party of 12 is a lot of work! Plus, I wanted to enjoy myself, so decor was my only job for the night.

Here are the details.

Never too far from the action, Palmer makes sure he remains at the center of it all

The Tables & Chairs

Table setting for outdoor wine pairing dinner

The clear acrylic chairs allowed guests to see through to the beautiful table that awaited them

Here in Phoenix, we are lucky enough to have the most fabulous party rental company — Event Rents. If you live in Denver, consider yourself just as lucky because they have a location there too. I collaborated with them to provide the tables, chairs, flatware, glasses, and stemware for this event. Their inventory is insane and so well-cared for, you will never see a scratch or dent in any of their products.

After a super fun visit to their showroom, we selected their 8-foot whitewash wood tables, which lent themselves beautifully to the backyard setting. For the chairs, I really wanted a mix of modern and rustic, so we chose these clear mirage chairs. I absolutely love this eclectic look!

The setting sun was the perfect backdrop for my table location

I mean, would you look at this dog? He’s holding my hand!

The Place Setting

Does anyone else request place settings as gifts? These were my Christmas present from my husband!

Scalloped and rimmed in gold, this dinnerware set from Anna Weatherley comes in a range of gorgeous hues. I selected indigo, because I thought it was so versatile. Glass beaded chargers, which were already part of my entertaining arsenal, provided the bottom layer of this fantastic stack of plates and tied in seamlessly with the clear chairs.

Antiqued brushed-gold flatware and blue-tinted water goblets from Event Rents were the perfect compliment to my setting.

backyard wine pairing dinner place setting

An overhead shot of the table

Sleek glassware from Event Rent’s Pure collection paired well with the modern acrylic chairs. We used four wine glasses per setting: one for Champagne, one for white, and two for reds.

Matching menu cards were courtesy of Pretty Paper Club. My friend Natalie came up with this unique and creative setup to outline the five courses with the wine pairings we served throughout the night.

The Florals

Clear glass vessels displayed the raw flower stems in all their glory — I love how organic and simple this turned out!

You may have guessed that purple was my palette for the evening. We wanted the florals to reflect that and be elegant, yet dramatic. I worked with Jennifer Grant of Petals to create a purple ombré effect down the entire length of the 16-foot table. Stunning!

purple florals for a wine pairing dinner

A ombré display of purple flowers graced the center of the table

The Food & Wine

Lokoya wines — ready to be poured!

The guys, just hanging, drinking some vino, catching up…

Now, it’s Cardinale’s turn to show it’s stuff

Bradley is dishing out some wine knowledge

Jose is introducing this wine like you would an old friend. Love their passion!

Our caterer for the evening was Fresh From The Kitchen with chef Noelle Salinas at the helm, who prepared a tantalizing menu for us that paired with our wines to a tee!