Beth S.
Yelp
We met friends here to enjoy their "Dude Ranch" experience. What a phenomenal experience! We stayed two nights there, and since their boutique hotel was fully booked for the event, we stayed in their Farm House in the back of the property. What a exquisite place to stay. The Farmhouse was rustic, comfortable, roomy and quite picturesque. We even brought along our dog, who enjoyed the backyard with neighboring donkeys, goats, cattle and llamas.
The first day, we had a lovely afternoon reception with canapes and wine, of course. This reception was made complete by the presence of owner Steve Cass. We had time to freshen up before dinner which was very nice and really very top notch. there were roughly 10 couples taking part in the event which was awesome because we all made fast friends. The Chef came out at every meal and explained the menu, along with interesting stories to explain his inspiration all without pretension. All of the fresh produce was grown right there in Chef's garden. Amazing. Breakfast the next day was pre order with a wide variety to suit everyone's preferences. Then it was off to harvest grapes, so fun! Afterwards we were treated to a tour of the winemaking rooms with walking tutorials. Next, we were in a competition to stomp grapes in barrels like Lucy Ricardo! The winner was who could stomp, and fill their bottle first won a beautiful bottle of reserve wine, fortunately our friends won (because Mike wears a size 15 shoe, let's just say he made quick work of those grapes!) and that was great! We had a cooking demo with the dear, lovely Chef while enjoying more wine, then a delicious lunch made with some of the food Chef had demonstrated. We then had a sorta class on wine tasting with-you guessed it- more wine. We then had a recess to freshen up before our final formal dinner. This was a most amazing meal at a very impressive table. Our entertainment was a piano serenade provided by the delightful wife of Steve Cass, Mrs. Cass who was a beautiful pianist and a charming dinner companion. In the morning, a wonderful breakfast again, then a lesson on wine making. Before making our departure we were given a wine making kit, along with a large bucket of grapes to make wine with, and a complimentary case of wines. What a great experience that none of us will ever forget.
Thank you Cass Winery. You are truly a Class Act (Cass Act)