HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA | OCTOBER 2026
Our final Supper of the year was such a beautiful send off! We welcomed everybody to Harper’s Rest for a special end-of-season Supper just on the edge of the harvest. The October afternoon felt like midsummer, with temperatures touching the 90s — but the way the sunlight slanted thickly through the blue sky can only be seen during California fall.
After a welcome wine tasting with Russian River Valley Winegrowers, guests journeyed along the vineyard edge to the table set on a lawn, where Chef David Carey plated each dish in front of the glowing woodfired oven. We poured everyone their first wine as they walked, a cool refresh before sitting down to enjoy the last of summer’s tomatoes to kick off the meal.
Throughout dinner, Supper guests and guest winemakers alike lead toasts to each other and the season, celebrating the singular community created in this special wine country. The menu we shared was vibrant and colorful, an ode to the near-endless bounty that comes with the shifting season. It was almost beautiful enough to distract from the valley views around us! As the evening wrestled a bit of the heat out of the afternoon, we built our own singular community around the table, a celebration of the enduring connections forged in these precious, fleeting moments we share.
WELCOME
Upon entering the garden at Harper’s Rest, guests were greeted with a self-guided wine tasting and a chance to meet the winemakers of Russian River Valley Winegrowers. Each winemaker poured a pairing during dinner, but during the welcome social they were invited to bring their current favorites to share.
A MENU BY DAVID CAREY
Chef David Carey let theseason tell him what to put on the menu. “We’re in wine country because the terroir is great for growing grapes,” he said, “but it is also perfect for everything else.” He showed the end of summer with a bite of the season’s final tomatoes before serving some of the best bits of fall: root vegetables touched with seaweed, honey nut squash on the side of Superior Farms lamb, and apples and persimmon on the cheese course before dessert.
MENU
WELCOME
Sunchoke + Pear fried taro, red shiso
Pistachio & Pomegranate shortcrust, riesling vinegar, Lydgate Farms cacao
Wagyu Short Rib Croquette goat cheese, yuzu kosho, black garlic ricotta
WINE PARTNERS
Russian River Valley Winegrowers
Ancient Oak Cellars
Balletto Vineyards
Harper’s Rest Winery
Inman Family Wines
Iron Horse Vineyards
The Substitute Sparkling Cuvée (0%)
ON THE TABLE
Final Summer Tomatoes fromage blanc, preserved lemon, olive oil
Wine: 2024 Balletto Vineyards Pinot Gris
Oddbird Low Intervention White No. 2 (0%)
FIRST
Variation of Early Season Root Vegetables Meyer lemon, Monterey Bay seaweeds, baby radish
Wine: 2023 Harper’s Rest Moon Dust Vineyard Chardonnay
Oddbird Presence (0%)
SECOND
Hay Smoked Black Cod brassicas and alliums, black garlic shoyu broth
Wine: 2023 Inman Family Wines OGV Estate Pinot Noir
Oddbird GSM (0%)
MAIN
Superior Farms Lamb Shoulder charred cipollini onion, pinot noir lamb jus, opal basil
Autumn Pumpkin and Honeynut Squash pickled chiles, smoked maple salt, crispy sage
Wine: 2023 Ancient Oak Pagnano Vineyard Zinfandel
The Substitute Cabernet Sauvignon (0%)
CHEESE
Nicasio Valley Foggy Morning + Istara Petit Basque Apple, Persimmon
Wine: 2018 Iron Horse Vineyards Golden Cuvee
Saint Viviana Sauvignon Blanc (0%)
DESSERT
Bananas & Coffee goat cheese mousse, espresso gel, toasted caramel, Italian meringue
Cocktail: Brand Cocktail Name
WINE PAIRINGS
Each guest winemaker sent Chef David a wine to be featured, around which he shaped the menu. We started with fresh Pinot Gris, before moving into a Chardonnay tasting of dusty sunshine, and then reds as the sun went down. We finished the evening with beautiful magnums of sparkling cuvee to cut the creaminess of our pre-dessert cheese, and make sure the final cheers were given with gusto.
SECRET LOCATION: HARPER’S REST
The fields at Harper’s Rest were first tilled in the 1850s, and are now tended with regenerative and organic practices to make beautiful Russian River wines. The rolling, sun drenched hills and clean vineyards rows set a beautiful stage for our shared meal.
OUR PARTNERS
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY WINEGROWERS, HARPER’S REST WINERY, ANCIENT OAK CELLARS, BALLETTO VINEYARDS, INMAN FAMILY WINES, IRON HORSE VINEYARDS, CHEF DAVID CAREY, THE ZERO PROOF, STEVEN SMITH TEAMAKER
Photos by Katie Katz
The table is already set for the next one.
If this story moved you, the next Supper is being set for you! Seats fill quickly — and once they're gone, they're gone!