Late this summer, on a smoky workday, we rented out the gorgeous Zen Lakes property here in Woodinville, to throw wine parties for our friends.
Imagine coming back from a long, relaxing walk around the Zen Lakes ponds and Zen garden, and coming across this festive table set up in a meadow. You might think you’d stumbled onto Alice’s Mad Tea party!
No one could blame you if you helped yourself to some fruit, some olives, or a small glass of wine..
Here you see Jen’s friend Kristin on the left, and my new friend Mia on the right. (She’d just joined Eastside Social Club, a Meetup group I help run, the day before!)
I didn’t get to taste any of this wine from Isenhower Cellars and Milbrandt Vineyards; I was too busy running around setting up tables full of food and wine!
We’d set up a patio umbrella to provide shade, but sadly our smoky skies made it unnecessary.
I’d just been by the Crossroads Farmers Market (Tuesdays) and picked up several stunning bouquets of flowers, inexpensively!
We served Milbrandt’s Brothers Blend and Isenhower’s A Bloc Malbec paired with fruits, olives, peppers, and of course cheese and crackers.
More guests arrived as the afternoon wore on – I suspect some people were playing hooky from work!
This lovely cake was a delightful find from the QFC in Novelty Hill in Redmond. It tasted just as fluffy as it looked.
I’d purchased unscented black candles to light as dusk began to fall. (Quite probably they were Magnolia Home candles from Target).
We sent our friends home at the end laughing, carrying bottles of wine and bouquets of flowers. So grateful to have such a beautiful property to rent and share for a day!
-Carrie
