A Weekend with Koehler: Vineyard Tables, Lobby Pours, and a New Partnership
There are partnerships that look good on paper, and there are partnerships you can taste in the glass. Our weekend with Koehler Winery was most definitely the second kind.
For two days, we traded our usual rhythm for something a little slower. Friday brought Koehler home to the Union for a welcome reception in the lobby. Saturday, we headed out to Koehler's tasting room for a luncheon in the heart of the vineyard, then returned to the Union for an intimate paired dinner in the lobby bar. Two properties, one shared belief: that the best meals happen when the people who grew the wine are sitting at the table with you.
Friday at the Union
Hotel guests gathered in the lobby for a welcome reception — Koehler pours, light bites, and the slow hum of a good crowd settling in for the weekend ahead. The kind of evening that sets the tone without trying too hard.
Saturday at Koehler
Saturday morning, guests boarded transportation right from the hotel and headed out to Koehler's vineyard in Los Olivos for a luncheon designed around the property itself. Before lunch, the Koehler team led a walk through the vineyard and a barrel tasting straight from the cellar. There were stops to meet the ostriches, the resident cats, and a few very friendly dogs.
Lunch followed in the tasting room, set with Seraphine plates and Santorini Ivory napkins with olive trim from SY Elite Events.
The Menu
Salad — Baby spinach and fresh strawberry with feta, balsamic, and pine nuts
Sandwich — Hatch chile hummus, cucumber, and roasted bell peppers on focaccia
Pasta — Farro pasta salad with roasted herb zucchini, olives, and lemon zest
Bright, garden-forward, easy in the afternoon light. Exactly the kind of food that lets the wine do the talking. After lunch, guests were transported back to the Union to rest up before dinner.
Saturday Night Back at the Union
Saturday evening, the weekend moved into the lobby bar for a paired dinner that felt like the whole community had a hand in it. King Louis chairs pulled up to tables dressed in dark olive Cottenesse linens with Penelope chargers , all from Elite Events. Passa Parola Florals brought the florals a perfect blend of wild and whimsical.
Executive Chef Noban Shahid built the menu around the Koehler bottles we'd be opening:
Starter — Fried calamari, aioli, lemon · 2024 Coteaux de Clair Grenache Blanc
Greens — Arugula, shaved fennel, orange segments, olive tapenade · 2022 Zotovich Vineyard Pinot Noir
Main — Braised short ribs, rubochon potatoes, pomegranate-glazed brussels · 2023 Ballard Canyon Sangiovese
Dessert — Almond cake, apricot compote · 2024 Gamay Noir
Candlelight, conversation, four pours that earned their place at the table.
What's Next
Weekends like this don't just end on Sunday. We're proud to share that Koehler wines are now permanently on the list at the Saloon one of our favorite bottles, Koehler’s Cabernet Sauvignon, that carried us through the weekend will be waiting for you next time you stop in.
The Saloon is open Wednesday and Thursday, 4–9pm. Craft cocktails, chef-driven bar bites, live music, and now, a few new Koehler favorites by the glass.
