Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Rollin' with the Punches



I am a planner and enjoy organizing every detail. But there comes a point, where no matter what you have done in preparation, when the unexpected can take everything out of your control. On February 11, 2012, I coordinated our Cass Winery Valentine’s Dinner.

Our barrel room was set for 60 people to enjoy a multi-course dinner paired with Cass wine. Each table was set with a beautiful champagne linen and floating candles in a vase with ruby red beads at the bottom. To add a personal touch, each guest’s name tag was tied to an individual red rose to be taken home as a gift from Cass.



As guests arrived they were serenaded by Michael Swan singing love songs and playing his acoustic guitar. They also received a glass of our sparkling champagne with raspberries which complemented our Kumamoto Oyster shooters perfectly!

Guests were enjoying the ambiance and at 6:30 it hit…We were just about to sit for dinner when a large “pop” sounded and all the lights went out. My first thought… the kitchen and musician blew a fuse. Steve Cass, Ted Plemons and I went to investigate… and we decided the power is not coming back on. Well, the show must go on! Ted & Steve hopped on the bar and entertained the guests, we brought out candles and scattered them throughout the tasting room, Alice hopped on the piano, and from there the party really started! But oh, the kitchen…this is why we hire the best! Cooking by candlelight (as seen in the image below)…you can’t get too much more romantic than that! Each course came out just as planned. Valentine's at Cass…went from a nice elegant evening to an unforgettable story to share. People laughing, drinking wine, singing…it doesn’t get much better than that.



The power did not come back until 6am the next morning. We later found a car hit a transformer and all the surrounding homes and businesses were out of power as well.

Sometimes the unexpected happens, but it is all in how you handle the situation that matters. Smile, make sure everyone is safe, provide some extra experience (special wine, candle lit dinner), be creative and have some amazing guests! As long as you can be quick on your toes, you can transform any hickup in an event to a more memorable experience. At Cass we love the punches that get thrown at us..just another memory to be shared and experienced with others!