Davis Estates Bud Break Party
From Vine to Wine: Inside the Davis Estates Bud Break Party
The sun rose over a bustling winery as dozens of people in Davis Estates attire set up party tents, bar top tables, umbrellas, and food stations. I applauded them from the nearest pop-up wine bar, a glass of rosé in hand. It was 9 am, and I was the first guest to arrive.
The Davis Estates Bud Break party, held every June, celebrates the flower buds breaking on the vine and the start of the grape growing season. Although bud break typically occurs in March or April in Napa, June provides warmer weather, chilled white wines, and freshly bottled rosé.
The party featured a wide variety of wines: the classic Davis Estates Chardonnay, their summertime rosé, signature (and limited release) Cabernet Franc, Zephyr (a custom Davis blend), and their 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon. I mostly enjoyed the rosé and Cabernet Franc, my preferred choices, though many guests appreciated the cold Chardonnay on the warm Napa day.
The Celebration
Officially starting at 10 am, by 9:45, hundreds of people had already arrived, eager to celebrate. The live band finished their warm-ups, tables filled with guests, and every few minutes, another wine bottle "popped." Guests streamed through the barn, collected badges, and snapped photos at the commemorative photo stand.
The party featured five different food stations: pizza, Mediterranean, wagyu tacos, poke, and a freshly made mozzarella station. The handmade mozzarella was the standout, with boiling water, fresh bruschetta, and delicious olive oil drizzled on top. The cheese melted in your mouth, perfectly complemented by the crunchy bruschetta. The light rosé, with its subtle tannins and fruity notes, paired perfectly with the mozzarella.
The event lasted four hours, with nearly 600 guests attending the celebration, and we couldn't have asked for a better day! The weather was perfect, smiles were abundant, and the wine never ran out.
Davis Estates provides four tickets to its Founders Club members, two tickets to its Wine Club members, and sells additional tickets. If you have the chance to attend, I highly recommend it!