A Wine Club Trifecta
Sogno Del Fiore Serves Up Three Perfect Pairings:
Food, Wine & Charity
 Along bucolic
Refugio Road in Santa Ynez, serpentine driveways
lead to exquisite ranch homes. One such home
belongs to Jerry and Liz Fiore, owners of Sogno
del Fiore Wine Club. The exclusive club is free
to
join and offers members, and those thinking about
becoming members, premium, limited production
California wines as well as a luxurious destination
experience
nestled in the heart of wine country.
This evening,
club members and “friends
of friends” are invited to the Sogno del
Fiore 5th Annual Wine Dinner hosted by the Fiores
at their breathtaking retreat. But this is far
from just another dinner in the valley. “
We asked ourselves what we could do differently
to enhance the quality of our venue,” says
Jerry Fiore, originally from New Jersey, who
arrived to Santa Ynez from Orange County five
years ago
with wife Liz Fiore. “We
wanted to expand on the club’s theme - ‘Friends
of Friends.'"
 The answer was
a culinary ensemble with all proceeds going to
two remarkable charities.
After guests
arrive to sip champagne and sample an assortment
of gourmet cheeses (ladies receive a long-stem
yellow
rose; the logo of Sogno del Fiore), they meander
down a stone walkway to the sparkling pool and
spa nestled
between a red tiled roof piccola casa, designed
for overnight guests, and an intimate tasting
room and 2,000-bottle
wine cellar. Some take a moment to magically
transport themselves to the wine-studded hills
of Italy with a quick game of bocce ball while
others stroll through organic vineyards burgeoning
with Cabernet
and two clones of Sangiovese. Also here to enjoy
the culinary festivities are representatives
of two charities the Fiores embrace: local organization
People Helping People and world renowned Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation.
 People
Helping People, a local nonprofit, is dedicated to improving
the lives of men, women
and children in the Santa Ynez Valley, Los Alamos
and the Gaviota Coast. Founded in 1992, People
Helping
People continues to change lives every day through
a series of youth and adult programs, drug and
personal counseling, a large thrift store, and
emergency services including temporary shelter
and transportation.
The Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation, the leading charitable funder
and
advocate of type
1 diabetes research worldwide, continues its
quest for finding a cure for diabetes and its
complications
through
the support of research. For those unfamiliar,
type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that
strikes children and adults suddenly, and can
be fatal.
When word gets
out the wine tasting segment of the dinner is
underway, guests flock to the upper lawn beneath
cool canopies of serpentine oaks. Twenty-one
boutique wineries are pouring today from 46 labels.
Whether one is in the mood for Chardonnay, Cabernet,
Pinot Noir, Rhône, Syrah or Zinfandel,
it’s
all here, thanks to high-profile vintners from
Aiena, Alban, Buttonwood Farm, Carr, Coho, Dierberg,
Donelan, Drew, Emerson Brown, Falcone, Four Vines,
Grassi, Jorian Hill, Kenneth Crawford, La Fenetre,
Le Felice, Melville, Ramey, Rin Estate, Seagrape
and Siduri.
 But
the biggest surprise of the night is the dinner
buffet. Rather
than selecting one caterer or one kind of cuisine,
the Fiores have invited nine of the most recognized
chefs in the Santa Ynez Valley to showcase their
gastronomic talents. Chef Alfonso Curti
of Trattoria
Uliveto in Orcutt dons his apron
behind his cooking station and serves up pepper-crusted
tuna and stuffed quail wrapped in crisp pancetta.
Chef Budi Kazali from The
Ballard Inn is featuring
his signature duck confit. Los Alamos sensation
Full
of Life Flatbread Pizza and Clark Staub
are busy dishing out a bevy of gourmet pies while
Jeff Olsson of New
West Catering is dazzling
guests with his sweet corn arepas, grilled beef
skewers and purple potato salad. With plates
toppling over, hungry wine connoisseurs continue
navigating their way through the cooking stations,
piling their plates higher with mouth watering
delectables from Chef Jeff Nichols
of Brothers'
Restaurant at Mattei’s
Tavern, Chef Leonardo Curti of Trattoria
Grappolo,
Chef Rick Manson of Chef
Rick's, Chef Petros
Benekos of Petros in
Los Olivos and barbecue maestro
Robert Santoro of Santa
Ynez BBQ. As guests take
their seat to enjoy their culinary smorgasbord
before resurfacing to hit the decadent dessert
station, both charities are introduced and applauded.
“ At the
end of the day, thousands of dollars will go
to these two special charities, thanks to our
wine club members, our friends, the chefs,
the wineries, Elite Events Rentals in Buellton
and Renae’s Bouquet,” says
Liz Fiore with a smile. “That feels great!”
Written by James
O. Fraioli
Read about the
2009 Tasting and Dinner here.
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