Opening Reception
For Santé Award winners and sponsors arriving in Napa from near and far after a long day of travel (including driving through an untimely rain in northern California), the opening reception in the Vintner's Court at the Silverado Resort was a most welcome treat. The visitors indulged in delectable hors d'oeuvres prepared by the Silverado culinary team; beautifully balanced cocktails created by Charlotte Voisey, mixologist and brand ambassador for William Grant & Sons, USA, which were prepared with products form Perfect Purées of Napa Valley and cooled by KOLD-DRAFT's perfect ice cubes; and wines from Beringer Vineyards first-class portfolio.

Cardinale Winery
Sunday evening's delightful reception and dinner at Cardinale, Jackson Family Wines' premier Napa estate, proved the perfect opening act of a three-day Santé Awards culinary and winery tour. Awardees and guests relished hors d'oeuvres, seared scallop, lamb loin, braised short ribs, and creme anglaise, while tasting through Atalon Sauvignon Blanc, Freemark Abbey Viognier, two La Jota Cabernet Sauvignons, and a special Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon in Cardinale's elegant hospitality room above its handsome and efficient small-scale winery.

Grigch Hills Estate
The Santé Awards party experienced an uncharacteristic mid-morning gloom in Napa Valley on Monday, November 3, but any signs of subdued spirits quickly vanished when the group assembled at Grgich Hills Estate for a cellar tour and luncheon. Ivo Jeramaz, vice president of vineyards and production, presented a concise and lucid overview of biodynamic farming before he led the group through a tasting of the winery's impressive wines. Founder Mike Grgich was clearly the star attraction at the delicious farm-fresh luncheon, charming all with his humor and good cheer. Following the festive meal, everyone lingered in the warm glow of Grgich Hills Estate's hospitality, reluctant to leave but filled with good memories.

Beringer Vineyards
Jacob Beringer's old digs (c. 1848), now Beringer Vineyards' "Culinary Arts Center" referred to as the Hudson House, was the site of Monday night's welcoming reception, followed by an exceptional dinner prepared by Chef David Frakes and his staff. The repast, which commenced with curried butternut squash soup and concluded with a warm banana-white chocolate streusel cake, was paired with the winery's best wines, including two vintages of Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Laurie Hook was on hand to introduce the wines, and everyone in the Santé Awards entourage was reluctant to depart, savoring a glass of Beringer's Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Nightingale, which paired beautifully with Frakes' dessert.

Quintessa
The sun shone brightly for Tuesday morning's glorious winery and estate tasting and tour at Quintessa, the impressive estate founded by legendary vintner Agustin Huneeus and his wife, Valeria, a viticulturalist and architect of the Quintessa vineyards, which are farmed biodynamically. Following a tasting of Chile's Veramonte wines, Illumination, (the estate's generous Sauvignon Blanc), Faust (a Cabernet Sauvignon with power and structure), and the elegant Quintessa (a blend of the estate's Bordeaux varieties), the group headed off in guided tours into the vineyards or through the state-of-the-art gravity flow winery and its spacious underground caves. All departed with the knowledge that Quintessa exemplifies the prestige and promise of Napa Valley.

Gala Reception, Dinner, and Awards Presentation
Award winners, sponsors, special industry guests, and Santé staff, five score in all, gathered on the Silverado Resort's Fairway Deck to mix, mingle, and enjoy the spoils of victory: Silverado's irresistible hors d'oeuvres, Charlotte Voisey's original cocktails, Gloria Ferrer bubbly, Beringer Vineyards' wine. The party then repaired to the ballroom to enjoy Executive Chef Peter Pahk's scrumptious five-course dinner paired with top-shelf wines from Beringer's portfolio. About the time the cheese course arrived (world-class Wisconsin picks presented by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board), the awards presentation was in full swing. And as the gathering relished the last of a heavenly chocolate and berry dessert (prepared with The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley's Blood Orange Coulis), Santé Editor & Publisher Mark Vaughan presented the night's final honor, the 2009 Wine Professional of the Year award, to Evan Goldstein, MS.

>>Click here to view the Santé Awards wrap-up.