Playing further homage to the bounty found in the Monterey Bay region, the Bailliage was honored to host and taste the wines of Randall Grahm, the visionary American winemaker who founded Bonny Doon Vineyard in 1983 and became famously known as “The Rhône Ranger” after appearing on the cover of Wine Spectator in 1989 for championing Rhône-style grape varieties in California. Grahm was on hand to give the Bailliage a history of his organic and bio dynamic grape farming in California as well as the birth of cultivation of Rhone varietals in the New World. 

In recent years he has pivoted toward crafting an authentic “wine of place” at his Popelouchum estate in San Benito County—experimenting with biodynamic practices, genetic diversity in grape varieties, and soils-driven terroir expression, as part of an ambitious long-term project to create truly distinctive Californian wines. He more recently launched the project The Language of Yes while continuing to innovate in California winemaking. Completing the celebration of the senses was the local musical group, The Dave Holodiloff Trio, who served up music that explored musical frontiers from jazz, pop, rock, and folk music. As a surprise Bailliage was also treated to several Grateful Dead songs, featuring Monterey Peninsula Bailli Glenn Hammer on lead vocals. Members and guests experienced a vibrant, farm-fresh feast that celebrated the bounty of the season. 

The afternoon began with a celebratory pour of the just released Non-Vintage Popelouchum Sparkling Grenache Gris/Blanc, a lively and delicate sparkler with notes of wildflowers, citrus peel, and sea spray—its gentle effervescence the perfect match for the elegant bites of Caprese skewers bursting with local heirloom tomatoes and basil, crisp arancini with a golden crunch, and velvety tomato soup shooters with mini toasted cheese sandwiches that warmed the palate. Along with this, the 2023 Language of Yes, Le Cérisier, a luminous pink rosé of Grenache Gris/Blanc, brought bright acidity and whispers of Rainier cherry, alpine herbs, and just a hint of salinity giving a Crudité selection and an enticing array of farm fresh cheeses a refreshing lift enhancing every bite. 

First courses were an array of salads, hand-picked the morning of service. The 2021 Popelouchum Grenache Blanc/Gris offered a more textural white, creamy yet precise, with flavors of white peach, fennel, and wet stone—an ideal pairing for an organic beet salad, as well as the Farm Stand signature salad of mixed organic greens complexity. It danced effortlessly alongside their fresh spinach salad with strawberry & pecans. 

For the main course, there was a choice of lemon-herb roasted chicken, melt-in-your-mouth braised short ribs and perfectly grilled organic raised Tri-Tip served alongside comforting sides of grilled pesto covered new potatoes, brown sugar–roasted vegetables, and delicately stuffed summer squash. Each dish was rooted in simplicity and full of flavor, letting the organic ingredients shine.

 For these heartier dishes, the 2023 Language of Yes Syrah made a bold entrance, with its expressive nose of violets, black olive, and smoked plum. Silky yet structured, it deepened the flavors of the braised short ribs and grilled steak, bringing a soulful richness to the table. As a second red wine, the 2023 Popelouchum Pinot Noir, a graceful and earthy wine, full of red berry fruit, forest floor, and a whisper of spice which proved to be one of the favorites of the meal. 

The day ended on a sweet note with an array of rustic desserts including farmhouse cupcakes and house made soft-serve vanilla bean & dark chocolate ice cream passed to guests as they lingered under the trees, savoring the last moments of a meal grown, prepared, and enjoyed with care in bucolic Carmel Valley sunshine.