Published February 23, 2006

Early birds survey the venue in the opening minutes of the VinOlivo Gala.

Photos by Rick Bolen.

Grazia Bianchi, beautiful by trade and proprietress of Grazia Bianchi, Grazia’s West, and Fiorini’s, makes the table settings jealous.

Creative culinary tidbits and gorgeous Italian-style wines were the currency at the VinOlivo gala Saturday at The Lodge as local chefs and vintners from Sonoma’s great restaurants and wineries one-upped each other with beautiful foods and wine. Portable puffs with goat cheese and olives, Kalamata masa tamales, and Chinese angel hair pasta with arugula pesto and olives to go. The wines, too, were as diverse as they were plentiful: a gold-medal zin from Ravenswood, velvety Pinot’s from Robledo, crisp Chardonay’s from Benziger, and countless others. The American Standard Band rocked the well-heeled house as wine-making movers and shakers of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance mingled and schmoozed with happy locals and star-struck tourists in the delightful ambience of the Lodge’s stone building and white tent, swapping secrets and savoring one another’s tasty successes.