Palm Event Center in the Vineyard 1184 Vineyard Avenue • Pleasanton • California 94566

The ambiance here is purely palatial or maybe “palazzo,” since the feeling you’ll get is that you’ve stepped into the Italian countryside. Set on a 110-acre winery estate with ample outdoor space and fashioned in a size, scale and simplicity that emphasize the beauty and character of its vineyard setting, the Palm is certainly a magnificent place for a party.

The facilities are surrounded by vineyards and enjoy views of Mt. Hamilton and Ruby Hill. Guests arrive via a graceful palm-lined approach to find themselves in front of an imposing winery with its roots in the past. The atmosphere is one of privacy and refinement. Celebrations take place in the adjacent event venue, which has been built using antique brick recycled from an old historic winery. Carefully designed in a manner that blends wine country and Romanesque styles, it’s a majestic edifice that bespeaks both taste and means. Outside the event venue, a winding pathway leads to the Vineyard Lawn and Terrace, where you can exchange vows in front of a vineyard view or enjoy small bites during cocktail hour, with market lights twinkling overhead.

The enchantment continues when you step into the ballroom through the Palm’s massive redwood doors. They’re made from wine barrels that were aged over 50 years, and constructed by a master carpenter. Inside, a 24-foot-high ceiling and honey-colored Italian-tile floor define the grand scale of this spacious room. High Roman windows connect you with the outdoors: Look through them and you can see the tops of the palms. Weddings, fancy fundraisers, high-end dinner dances and corporate galas will all look impossibly posh in this sumptuous interior. Larger-than-life appointments include French oak barrels and four 800-pound mahogany king’s tables ideal for presenting cakes, registration, buffets or banquets in royal style. Handsome portable screens can partition off any area, including the sleek tan-and-black granite bar. Their award-winning culinary staff turns out delicious meals that are guaranteed to wow your guests. The sky’s the limit on lighting, and this heaven of dual pin spots on adjustable dimmers is better than the stars! Even the seating is exquisite: ultra-comfy chairs are welcoming after a mad whirl (or two or three) around the ballroom.

On the eastern wall, huge floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors open onto a sizeable, two-tiered patio, which can also be accessed from a rosebush-lined, Roman-inspire pathway, leading directly to the outdoor ceremony site. Floored in tasteful gray stone and attractively lit, it’s perfect for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres or for after-dinner drinks under the stars. The well-manicured lawn is another lovely gathering place, perhaps for a ceremony beneath a gorgeous trellis, or for a convivial chat.

The cavernous Estate Room, lined with wine barrels and glittering tea lights, provides more space and is a beautiful setting for an indoor ceremony. This room can also host extra activities and sideshow attractions like a casino room, or double as a swanky lounge. Clean, crisp and cool, it’s full of wine-cave romance and the fragrance of ripening vintages.