We discovered last weekend, that sitting in a vineyard on a hot evening helps lower the temperature a few degrees. The occasion was the Summertime Music Series at Holyfield Winery. We have mentioned this Basehor small batch vintner previously, and even written an article about them.
Jazzing up The Vineyard
Holyfield Winery runs the summer series on most every Friday evening, and will even move the event indoors if the weather demands. These are not the only events that happen at Holyfield, as they have musical performances throughout the year. They also host periodic murder mystery dinners, as well as benefits. No matter our reason, we find a visit to this local winemaker to be a relaxing occurrence.
We arrived early enough to stake out our spot in the vineyard, since the shaded area in front of the winery was already full. It is clear that these events are becoming more popular each year. We can remember times when the crowds barely filled the area just in front of the band. Now the entire front lawn was packed, and quite a few of the rows in the vineyard had small groups hanging out. This was our first time to sit among the grapes, and we were quite happy that we did. As I mentioned before, the temperature felt about ten degrees cooler, and we had the shade of the vines, as well.
This evening they were hosting Guitar Elation with special guest David Basse. The admission price of $7.00 per person was a good deal, to see a group that includes a leader who performed with Ida McBeth. I fetched a bottle of our favorite Vignoles from inside the winery, and we sat back to enjoy the soothing jazz that wafted through the leaves. There were many familiar tunes that evening, including one of my favorites, Sweet Home Chicago. Since we had left the house shortly after I got home from work, it didn’t take long for hunger to strike.
Can’t You Smell That Smell?
Most every event at Holyfield will include at least one food vendor. We enjoy a lot of them, but Prairie Fire Oven has to be one of our favorites. We noticed their signature wood-fired pizza oven, sitting atop the trailer, when we arrived. After creating a perfect seating environment to enjoy the evening, we began to smell the tempting aroma of the baking pies. A decision was made that there is no reason to torture ourselves, and I made my way over to the tent to order us a pair of pizzas. (Like that wasn’t the plan all along,)
While I waited for our order to cook, I took a few moments to speak with David White, the owner of Prairie Fire Oven. It was interesting to find out that they have Kansas City’s first mobile wood-fired oven. We can tell you from first hand experience that it makes a big difference in the taste. It also helps that they source local ingredients, whenever possible. That is something that we truly appreciate about any place we dine at, and usually ask about that point specifically. Soon our pies were ready, and I took them back to the vineyard for us to enjoy.
You Can’t Beat A Kansas Sunset
Soon our pizzas were gone, and we sat back in the coolness of the vines to soak up the sounds that surrounded us. From our vantage point, we were able to partake in some premium people watching, as the sun dropped toward the horizon. Too soon, the last rays of the setting sun filtered through the grape leaves. It was a perfect ending to a Kansas City Friday evening. As the band worked through their last set, we packed up our chairs, and said our goodbyes. Driving back toward the city lights, we contemplated our next visit to Holyfield. Whatever weekend we make it back, we know for sure that we will find a cool spot in the vineyard. Will we see you there, as well?
*We may have received support from some of the businesses listed. All of the writing and opinions are our own.
