You’d be hard pressed to find someone more passionate about wine than Jerry Fiore.
At one time, he and his wife Liz were members of more than 20 high-end California wine clubs.
They moved to Santa Ynez nearly a decade ago and decided to start their own unique wine club—turning their beautiful five-acre property on Refugio Road into a luxurious wine club resort.
“We think we’re the only wine club in the United States that has a destination that’s like a mini resort,” Jerry said.
Nestled next to the Fiore’s manicured Sangiovese vineyard are two casitas on either side of a saltwater swimming pool and spa, sharing panoramic views of the San Rafael Mountains.
“We’re referred to as Sogno del Fiore, a wine club and an estate resort,” Jerry told me during a recent private tour of the grounds.
Sogno means “dream” in Italian, and this place is dreamy.
Wine club members staying in the cozy, red-tile-roof casitas can enjoy a glass of wine next to the rose garden, olive groves, or at the wine barrel fire pit, and partake in bocce ball at the lighted court, while listening to the calming fountains.
Sogno del Fiore wine club members are eligible for free night stays at the resort and private tastings in the Fiores’ wine cellar.
There are three different wine club levels. The first level club member receives three bottles of wine per quarter—all different varietals from different wineries—and tasting and technical notes for each wine.
The second level club member receives six bottles per quarter; third level members get 12 bottles per quarter.
The wine club features highly rated, limited-production California wines.
Jerry and Liz taste wine every day, staying up on all the best boutique wineries in the state. About 65 percent of their wines come from the Central Coast, and the rest originate from Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Sierra Foothills, and beyond.
Over the years, Sogno del Fiore wine club members have enjoyed wines from an impressive variety of respected wine producers such as Alban, Roar, Pisoni, Brewer Clifton, Tensley, Falcone, Dry Creek, Ampelos, Pali, Margerum, JC Cellars, Stolpman, Sojourn, Rua, Vergari, Kynsi, L’Aventure, Denner, and Siduri.
“I want to be an advocate for them; I want to help promote their brand,” Jerry said of the wineries.
This is the Fiores’ seventh year shipping their favorite California wines to their wine club members in more than 40 states.
This Aug. 17, from 4 to 9 p.m., the Fiores will open up their charming estate to the public for a fundraising feast they call The Gathering. All proceeds will benefit JDRF, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is the leading global organization aimed at curing type 1 diabetes. This is the fourth year the Fiores have donated the proceeds of The Gathering to JDRF.
That evening, wines from 25 to 30 different California wineries will be poured, and about 10 well-known chefs will prepare Italian specialties to go with the Italian Carnivale theme.
Chefs attending this year include Cariati, Italy, natives Leonardo Curti from Trattoria Grappolo and brother Alfonso Curti from Trattoria Uliveto; Verona, Italy, native Luca Crestanelli of Santa Ynez Kitchen; David Cecchini of Cecco; and Robert Santoro with Santa Ynez BBQ, among others.
“We’re going to have different pastas, risotto, chicken and meat, vegetables, cannoli, and all that stuff,” Jerry explained. “Yeah, it’s gonna be big. It’s gonna be very big!”
As guests arrive that evening, every lady will receive a long-stem yellow rose—Sogno del Fiore’s signature (Fiore means “flower” in Italian).
Everyone will be given a flute of champagne to enjoy down by the pool.
Wait staff will serve gourmet cheeses and appetizers as costumed musicians play and sing Italian music. Guests may choose from carnival masks to get in the spirit of the theme.
The wine will be flowing as dinner is served on the lush grassy lawn, under thousands of twinkling lights. Guests are sure to feel as though they’ve been transported to the Italian countryside.
Sponsorships for The Gathering are still being accepted; they include incredible gifts and perks, including yearlong memberships to the Sogno del Fiore wine club, stays in the casitas on the estate, in addition to a table for 10 at the event. Go to sognodelfiore.com for more information.
As the mother of a small child recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I will be attending The Gathering on Aug. 17 at Sogno del Fiore, fully supporting any efforts to treat, prevent, and ultimately eradicate type 1 diabetes.
It’s an elegant evening savoring the finest local cuisine and wine, in a beautiful vineyard setting while raising awareness about this challenging and sometimes devastating disease and hopefully bringing us one step closer to a cure—what could be better?
For more information about the Sogno del Fiore wine club and estate resort or to buy tickets to The Gathering IV, an Italian Carnivale, on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 4 to 9 p.m. benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, go to sognodelfiore.com or call 686-9340.
Sun wine and food writer Wendy Thies Sell likes nothing more than to gather with wine, food, and friends. Contact her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 4-11, 2013.
