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Hans Fahden Vineyards

Why We Like This Place

High in the mountains between Santa Rosa and Calistoga, the Hans Fahden family has created an incredible place with outdoor sites elegant enough for satin gowns and tuxedos, and a marvelous indoor facility with some of the most extraordinary features we’ve ever seen.

Even at first glance, the winery’s gardens and event facilities are quite lovely, but like a Fabergé egg, their outward beauty is only a prelude to a wealth of creativity, craftsmanship and aesthetic richness within. Your special event may start in the Teahouse, a quaint wooden structure covered with wisteria, grapevines and red climbing roses. Small gatherings can use the Teahouse for ceremonies or receptions, but larger groups mingle there before descending into the gardens below. The gardens are an exquisite combination of French country style and wildlife habitat, and if they remind you of an Impressionist painting, it’s no coincidence. Winery owners and landscapers Antone and Lyall Fahden relied heavily on Monet’s paintings of the gardens at Giverny when they designed their own. As you travel the path down to the pond, your senses are tantalized by the sights and smells of roses, irises, petunias, pansies, cornflowers, poppies, ornamental grasses and native shrubs. The garden has been cleverly planted so that something different blooms each month, creating one wave of color after another. In late spring, roses take center stage; other floral “coming attractions” include matilija poppies, oleander, zinnias, sunflowers and blue pitcher sage. Midway between the Teahouse and pond, a terraced lawn bordered by a volcanic-ash rock wall and beds of pink evening primroses, lavender, roses and California poppies serves as a ceremony site for large weddings. The covered bridge spanning the lily pond can also be used for weddings, and brings you close to a variety of wildlife—thanks to the ducks, egrets, quail and mourning doves that call the gardens home.

After exchanging vows, join your guests in the winery building, a long graceful structure whose mellow wood exterior and peaked, sage-green roof blend with the rugged mountainside behind it. Inside, a gray slate floor, high beamed ceiling of grooved pine and redwood, and cream walls give the room a simple beauty that complements the glory of the gardens viewed through French doors. In one corner, a grand piano provides background music as your guests nibble appetizers and sip champagne. Just when everyone thinks that their eyes simply couldn’t take in any more beauty, the 400-pound Douglas fir doors at one end of the room are thrown open to reveal a wine cave containing candlelit tables set for dinner. This amazing cave is like the jewel within a Fabergé egg: gorgeous, surprising and utterly unique. Formed of volcanic ash rock, the T-shaped cave’s walls are lined with wine barrels; metal fixtures with grape-leaf cutouts and twinkle-light-wrapped poles provide subtle lighting. At the T’s apex, two wine barrels support a massive arrangement of fresh flowers; above, gold candle sconces in floral designs await lighting. When these sconces are lit, along with the candelabras on the tables and the twinkle lights, Ali Baba’s cave itself could not be more enchanting. Magical doesn’t even begin to describe an event here—as you sit down to dinner, surrounded by flowers, flickering shadows and the piquant smell of aging wine, you’ll feel as if you’re part of a breathtaking fairy tale. And, unlike limestone caves, this cave’s volcanic-ash rock adjusts to body temperature when occupied, so you can wear the most daring décolleté gown and never have to throw a jacket over your shoulders.

If you’re thinking that Hans Fahden sounds like a wonderful place, but you’re not planning to get married anytime soon, keep in mind that the winery can accommodate all types of events, from a gala celebration to a business seminar. But we can’t help feeling that the site’s stunning visual appeal may be most appreciated at a wedding. So, brides, if your fantasy includes a vision of you in a magnificent Vera Wang gown against a backdrop of pristine natural beauty, you owe yourself a visit to Hans Fahden Winery. They can make your dream wedding a beautiful reality!

Capacity

Ceremony	Reception/Special Events	Meetings
Max. Seated Indoors: 50 Max. Seated Outdoors: 120	Max. Seated Indoors: 120 Max. Seated Outdoors: 120 Max. Standing Indoors: 120 Max. Standing Outdoors: 120	Max. Seated: 120
CEREMONY CAPACITY: The Teahouse holds up to 50 guests; the Amphitheater 120 guests. EVENT/RECEPTION CAPACITY: The Main Hall holds 120 seated guests; the Wine Cave holds 120 seated guests. The facility accommodates up to 100 guests December–March, or 120 guests outdoors, May–October. MEETING CAPACITY: The Main Hall holds 120 seated theater-style; the Wine Cave 120 guests.

Fees & Deposits

For events, a $2,500 deposit is required to reserve your date; the balance is due 10 days prior to the event. The rental fee is $4,500 on weekdays including Friday, $5,500 on Sunday, and $6,500 on Saturday.

Availability

Year-round, daily, 10am–10pm.

Catering Choose From List Alcohol Provided BYO Location Uses Ceremonies Wedding Receptions Special Events, Parties Business Functions/Meetings Rehearsal Dinners Services/Amenities Catering: select from preferred list Kitchen Facilities: prep only Tables & Chairs: provided Linens, Silver, etc.: BYO Restrooms: wheelchair accessible Dance Floor: textured cement floor Bride’s & Groom’s Dressing Areas: yes Meeting Equipment: BYO Parking: on-site lot Accommodations: no guest rooms, Calistoga is 5 minutes away Telephone: emergency use only Outdoor Night Lighting: yes Outdoor Cooking Facilities: BBQ Cleanup: caterer View: vineyards, Mayacamas mountains Other: day-of coordinator, baby grand piano, rentals valuing $5,000+ included with rental fee

Amplified Music Indoors Outdoors w/ Restrictions Wheelchair Access Access Limited Site Views Garden Hills Lagoon/Pond Mountains Valley Vineyards Venue Type Banquet Hall/Events Facility Garden Winery Restrictions Alcohol: full bar available, wine provided or BYO, no corkage fee with 1 case minimum purchase Smoking: outdoors only Music: amplified OK until ½ hour before departure Wheelchair Access: limited Insurance: certificate required Other: no rice, birdseed, confetti, sparklers or butterfly releases

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