Azari Vineyard Estate is a wonderland of sumptuousness just ever so slightly positioned over the Western edge of P' Town, and tucked peacefully and appropriately into the darling green rolling hills of Spring Hill Road.
Proprietors Pari and Kamal have painstakingly created a picture-perfect slice of Iranian-American/Mediterranean nirvana and no one holiday gathering of local personalities could possibly have appreciated the Azari's unique flair for hospitality more than last night's well-behaved mob of Petaluma wine makers!
Pari cooked up a spectacular Persian feast fit to defy a single mention of having already wined and dined ourselves to capacity these past two weeks! Besides, it was all so incredibly healthy and wholesome looking, and who in their right mind would pass up platters of barbecued chicken skewers, Iranian style, spinach frittata, Persian rice, lamb, beef in pomegranate sauce....
You may have read a feature I wrote about the Azari house in the summer issue of Petaluma Magazine. Pari and Kamal had just settled the first few stately pieces of their gorgeously eclectic Persian furniture collection into the newly painted marble floored rooms of their lifelong dream home when the glossy photos appeared in print.
Six months later a roaring fire in the great room hearth entirely transformed this spacious new construction into glorious Mediterranean country manor, bedecked in winter holiday style!
A redwood tree decorated with Western and Iranian winter holiday trinkets adorned the corner of the great room, awaiting a January planting on the outer edges of the sprawling vineyard property - a family tradition which has gradually populated the Azari's impressive parcel of land over the past few years.
Young wine from the Avesta Vineyard's recent harvest of Pinot and Syrah will gradually be set to age in barrels in the brand new winery built onto the property. And as Pari and Kamal prepare to produce exceptional cool climate vintages in coming years, the Azari's Avesta Vineyard will most certainly be a major contributor in placing the Petaluma Gap firmly on the map as a premium wine producing region.
In the meantime, atmospheric Iranian music piping through this enchanting, candlelit house provided the ideal post dinner workout for several energetic dancers amongst us. After-Christmas belly dancing! Might well be my new form of exercise!
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