from harvest to table

CELEBRATING WHAT MAKES TRILOGY® AT THE VINEYARDS MORE THAN JUST A NAME

BY KELCI COOPER WITH MEMBERS SHAY WEISBRICH, RICH KERBAVAZ, DON BOURNE, JOHN TOMEI, AND GLENN BONAGURA

You may think the name Trilogy® at The Vineyards references the Northern California community’s close proximity to wine country. However, after a closer look, you’ll see it’s more literal than it first appeared.

In addition to the community’s traditional amenities such as a fitness center, resort pool, restaurant, and events center, Trilogy at The Vineyards also features hop vines, grape vines, and olive trees. These aren’t just for show. Four Member-led Clubs – The Olive Club, Amici Wine-making Club, the Craft Beer Club, and Vineyards at Marsh Creek (VMC) – use the crops grown on-site to create a wonderful variety of products. Recently, these four clubs banded together to celebrate their community’s uniqueness in a special way.

The idea came in October of 2021 and was spearheaded by Trilogy at The Vineyards Member and Olive Club Leader Shay Weisbrich.

“I enjoy the beauty of our olive groves, vineyards, and hops garden on daily walks with my dog, Toby. One day it occurred to me what a special place we live in to have such an abundance of crops we all use,” Shay said.

“That made me think of characterizing the Olive Club, Craft Beer Club, and the two wine clubs as ‘Harvest Clubs.’ It just made sense to do something together to celebrate our fall harvest.”

So, Shay went to work, contacting her fellow Club Leaders of the Craft Beer Club, Amici Wine-making Club, and the VMC Wine-making Club, and collaborating with BlueStar Resort & Golf to create the “Harvest Celebration.” Her idea was met with overwhelming support.

“Shay came to the other club leads with the idea that we should put on a party to celebrate some of the things that make our community unique,” said Rich Kerbavaz, president of the Craft Beer Club. “I don't think I had ever thought about how unusual it is to have so many ‘harvest’ clubs. However, many of us are members of several of the clubs; so, something about it seems to resonate. Shay saw the bigger picture and came up with a way for all the individual clubs to celebrate with the whole community.” The two wine clubs who make wine from the grapes grown on-site, agreed as well.

“Anytime you can bring 300 friends and neighbors together to eat and drink on the Club Los Meganos Event Center Lawn, what more could anyone want?” said Don Bourne of VMC.

Over the next 11 months, the Harvest Clubs worked together to plan the event which took place on August 26, 2022. Together, there were planning meetings on the menu, the décor, and entertainment. For example, each club was represented in the table décor by placing grapevines, olive branches, clusters of grapes, and a sprig of hops on each. Separately, each Club planned how they’d showcase their specialty for their friends and neighbors.

“George Macht, a member of all of the ‘Harvest Clubs’, has a background in culinary arts,” Rich explained. “He worked with Shay and Chef Ivan at Club Los Meganos on a menu for the event. One of his ideas was to serve an affogato for dessert but substitute the espresso with a home-brewed stout. I worked with him and tweaked a few recipes to make a Chocolate Milk Stout that wowed the crowd.”

Additional items on the menu included an olive tapenade and dishes featuring Olivina extra virgin olive oil, a local producer, to represent the Olive Club “VMC wine was featured at the dinner, and Don and I poured wine for all attendees who wanted to drink,” Glenn Bonagura of VMC explained. VMC’s 20.2 Reserve Red Wine and Josie Rosé Wine are made with the community’s Mourvèdre Grapes were served.

The Amici Winemaking Club offered tastings of their wine and a special roving Barbershop Quartet, the Forget-Me-Nots, was assembled just for the event.

“The night was a huge success,” said John Tomei, who is on the Board of the Amici Wine-making Club.

Three hundred Members attended to the delight of all the Harvest Clubs. And from the outside looking in, the Harvest Celebration truly was more than just another event held for the community.

“It was amazing to see these Members work together to create something so unique and special for the community,” said Club Los Meganos General Manager Steven Tsunekawa. “All of the events held here at the Club are a good time for our Members, but to have something like this created by Members, for Members, from the things that grow right in our community was something we’ve never experienced before. And I think it is something we’ll all remember for a long time.” n