STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
It’s not often you see a shark flying through the air outside Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge.
Or pink flamingos.
Then again, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts only throws its beach party in Sun Valley’s lovely mountains once a year.
Hundreds of people turned out for the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ annual Vine & Dine concert picnic and wine tasting Saturday night.
And spirits were high as picnickers batted around inflatable sharks, flamingos and beach balls to the tune of “Barbara Ann,” and vintners hawked such gems as Blanc de Bleu, a blueberry-infused wine.
The event capped a picture perfect weekend that included elaborate vintner dinners and a wine auction gala.
“People left the wine auction dinner talking about art and the importance of art and that means I’m doing my job,” said The Center’s Executive Director Christine Jeffers-Davis.
About 300 people crowded into the lodge before the concert picnic to sniff, swirl, sip and savor wines offered up by vintners who were only too happy to tell their wine’s story from grape to cask.
“We age ours 100 percent in French Oak barrels for 30 months, then another year in a bottle to smooth out the tannins,” said Vineyard (511)’s Ed Ojdana, a classmate at the University of Notre Dame with Sun Valley Mayor Peter Hendricks.
Guardian Cellars touted its Angel—a wine infused with white grapefruit, lemon zest, pear nectar and even lemon meringue pie. And another vintner touted Plumpjack, named for a character in one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Bodega Barcelona served up Sangria Lolea—a refreshing drink made with Spanish wine, a variety of fruits including peaches and hints of elderberry. You couldn’t miss it, given the polka dot bottles it came in.
Hailey’s Jeni Riley and Wayne Wright hawked Kathryn and Craig Hall’s “A Perfect Score,” a book about how they grew an 1885 winery into something worthy of an almost unheard-of perfect score from Robert Parker’s “Wine Advocate.”
As always, Atkinsons’ Market, which rolled out its 23rd auction lot featuring iconic Sun Valley images, held down the fort.
"They tell you all these things to do to tell if it's a good wine. I say forget that. What's important is if it tastes good," said Ted Walczak.
Outside, a host of new vendors served up tapas-like dishes including mini Swedish pancakes inspired by the grandmother of Jersey Girl’s Hannah McNees.
Ted Stout, chief of education for Craters of the Moon National Monument, served up Toni’s Ice Cream as Jane Beattie poured Buck Snort Root Beer for floats.
“Craters of the Moon collaborated with The Center on an art project last year to celebrate the anniversary of the National Park Service. I appreciate everything Sun Valley Center does so I just wanted to give back,” he said.
George Cassiday, an astronomy professor at the University of Utah who lives in Sun Valley, noted that he and his wife Nancy have been attending The Center’s picnic for 25 years.
“The early ones were held on the Trail Creek Campus when the Sun Valley Center for the Arts had its campus there. They got about a hundred people in those days. Now, over a thousand,” he said.
Dentist John Calvert said he and his wife Christine had been coming to the Vine & Dine even before they moved to the Wood River Valley.
“In fact, this was one of the things that made us move here,” he said. “We had outdoor events in Austin, Texas, but they involved thousands of people. Here, we know the people.”
Elkhorn resident Ross Jennings confessed that he still has wine that he bought in the 1970s.
“But I always like this event. Lots of friends I haven’t seen for awhile and lots of good wine to taste,” he added.
Presenting sponsor Wells Fargo brought enough clients to fill nearly seven tables to the wine auction gala. It also treated clients to three vintner dinners and the Vine & Dine, in addition to offering a $40,000 matching grant during the paddles up portion of the gala.
“We come back every year because of how special this event is,” said the bank’s vice-president Jeff Grubb, who is based in Seattle. “We love the arts. We love supporting the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. And we love Sun Valley.”