Derby Party …

I have always hated the writing of Hunter Thompson. Even as a teen I was mystified why people raved about his whacked out of his head typing. I recently watched an ESPN quick doc on his original story in reporting on the Kentucky Derby. It was, unfortunately, the beginning of what came to be called gonzo journalism. I sought the doc out and was unsurprised to read that it was just more of his incoherent, whacked out of his head, boring vignettes. In the doc, Thompson himself called it gibberish.

All of this is to say, I hope you don’t find my Napa K-Day coverage gibberish. Beringer Wines advertised their party started at 10 a.m. The party was too early for me, but it was nice to stroll around their immaculate, beautiful grounds in St. Helena. In the main house, there were K-day balloons and bags to win one of Beringer’s wines if you picked the winning horse.  I was off to Duckhorn Wine Company’s 1 pm party.

Am I ever glad I went. A great party. All of the gals were dressed in nice dresses and hats. The men were also stylishly turned out, but I know I could never rock raspberry trousers that a few guys were doing. Duckhorn did it right and hired plenty of staff so your wine glass never went empty. But no one was getting Thompson-like wasted and there was plenty of fun conversation to be had with anyone you met at the bar or wine pouring stations. Nice eats too, like fried chicken and waffles, gooey club sandwiches, plus a bourbon infused mousse that I liked a lot.

Then it was race time and we were all packed into the main house having a ball. As the close race drew down to a close everyone shouted at the screens for their horse until Always Dreaming pulled away in the last meters of the race and won. That was Duckhorn’s 3rd wine release and K-party.   If you’re in Napa next May, you can’t go wrong with their party.