Sometimes you just get lucky. And last Saturday was one of those
times for me.
Sometimes you just get lucky. And last Saturday was one of those times for me. My wife Melanie edits Homestyle Magazine, a publication that showcases exemplary homes around the Monterey Peninsula area. She and her publisher were invited on a media tour of two high-end Carmel Valley housing developments and part of the deal was that they got to stay and have dinner at Bernardus Lodge. And, lucky for me, it was OK with them if they brought their spouses along.
First of all, Bernardus Lodge is an incredible place. The attention to detail is phenomenal. The only time I can remember being so well-pampered was in a 5-star hotel on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean in Bali. (But since they don’t have wine worth talking about in Bali, I’ll save that story for another time.)
I’m pretty sure that when a Bernardus Lodge employee goes through training, some sort of brainwashing technique is employed that removes the word “no” from his or her vocabulary. No request is too difficult, every whim is answered with an “of course, Mr. Chatfield.”
A concierge escorted us to our bungalow, a roomy affair that overlooked the croquet and bocci courts. On the table was a bottle of Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc along with a plate of buttery Brie and some crackers. The concierge also pointed out the mini-bar and refrigerator. Now, this was not your standard Ramada Inn mini-bar. Stocked with gourmet tortilla chips, salsa, Earthbound Farms Ginger Snaps, spring water, coffee, teas and sodas, it was complimentary. Oh, I forgot to mention the bottle of 2002 Bernardus Marinus also included.
Around this point, I had decided that I was moving in permanently.
Bernardus Lodge and Bernardus Winery (slogans: “Live the Dream” and “Taste the Dream” respectively) are owned by a man by the name of Bernardus “Ben” Pon. Mr. Pon (everyone I met called him that) is one of those men who truly deserve the term “gentleman.” Born and raised in Amersfoort, Holland, Mr. Pon came by a European wine sensibility early on. His father, Ben Pon, Sr., imported the first Volkswagen Beetle into the United States and is also credited with designing the VW Microbus.
The information sheet that was in our room describes Mr. Pon as “an entrepreneur and bon vivant with a trailblazing spirit and a passion for wine.” As an entrepreneur, he certainly is successful. The lodge is just one of his businesses. He is said to own the oldest wine-importing business in Holland, among other things.
There aren’t many people around today who would qualify for the term “bon vivant” but, again, Mr. Pon fills the bill. In his youth, he was a team driver for Porsche, and drove in the 1960 Netherlands Formula One race and competed at Le Mans six times. Later, he represented Holland in clay pigeon shooting at the 1972 Olympics.
After retiring from racing, he turned his attention to wine, and that course eventually led him to Carmel Valley. He believes that appellation has the potential to become the best in the United States, and he is a tireless promoter of that cause. Bernardus Winery is arguably one of the finest producers on the Monterey Peninsula.
Here’s the part where I got lucky.
Dinner was included in the real estate dog-and-pony show, and the organizers were gracious enough to invite me along. They mentioned that the general manager of Bernardus Lodge was going to be in attendance, and that Executive Chef Cal Stamenov would create a special tasting menu for the occasion.
At first, I declined – the Kobe beef burger on the room service menu was calling my name – but when they told me that Mr. Pon was also going to be there, I changed my mind. Not because I was looking forward to erudite conversation and not because it was a chance to hang out with a real life bon vivant. Truth be told, I had a taste of the champagne they were serving with appetizers and knew right then that the wines that would go with dinner would probably be the finest liquids to ever cross my lips.
And boy, was I right.
There were 14 guests at the long table. Some media people, some PR people, some Carmel business people, all mostly strangers. The conversation was tentative at first, but as the courses progressed (to the best of my memory, there were at least eight) with their accompanying wines, tongues were loosened, and by the end of the night, we were all hugging and promising to keep in touch like summer camp buddies.
The wines served were sublime. Some were rare, like the Pinot Noir from a vineyard on lodge grounds that was limited to 92 cases in production and the Marinus (Bernardus’ signature wine, and Mr. Pon’s middle name) of which only one barrel was made. I don’t think I’ll soon have the chance to sample such fine wines, and I am very grateful that I was able to do so with Mr. Pon. This was definitely a lucky day for me.
