I cannot say enough good things about Hamlet Vineyards! Recently, we were visiting our offices in…read moreMartinsville with a client. I was looking for something fun to do with them and I stumbled upon Hamlet Vineyards. I almost didn't pursue it because I noticed it was only open on Sundays, but after calling and speaking to Virginia, I learned that we could host a private event here during the week!
Virginia was WONDERFUL throughout the whole planning process. Between coordinating with multiple people at my company to go through all that corporate red tape and working out all the little details of the catering menu with me, she was just so accommodating! The caterer for private events is done by Jim with Rising Sun Breads. They plan a new menu for every private event and the options were limitless! At some point, we also had someone with celiac planning to join us for this event, so she couldn't eat any food prepared on a surface that had touched gluten. Kind of problematic with a bread company catering. But Jim was very understanding and was planning to prepare this gluten free meal in a completely different facility! We did not end up needing this, but I was very impressed with how accommodating everyone was.
Then came the day of our event. The venue is absolutely lovely and we couldn't have asked for better weather. We ended up bringing corn hole and ladder golf, since it was such a nice day. We all sipped wine, nibbling on our appetizers of prosciutto wrapped asparagus and avocado, tomato, and feta toast, playing yard games, with the sun setting over the vines and the white washed barn behind us. We couldn't have asked for a more picturesque day! The wine was all wonderful, but my favorite was the Eltham. And the appetizers were also amazing and very fitting for the spring weather.
As the sun got low in the sky, we moved into the barn for dinner. This consisted of a watermelon and feta salad, marinated roasted airline chicken with lemon and rosemary, pasta primavera with seasonal vegetables, classic southern tomato pie, and fresh baked breads with butter. Everything was delicious and very fresh. Our dessert was coconut pound cake with blackberries and crème fraiche. It was completely decadent, with a crunchy outer edge, but soft and dense inside and not too sweet. The fresh berries and crème fraiche were a nice addition to round out the flavors. No one wanted to leave, but feeling completely satiated of good food and good wine, we all made our purchases of bottles to take home and made our way back to the hotel.
Two weeks after our event, I am still hearing comments about its success! Everyone was happy, especially the client, and our local employees were shocked to find a hidden gem in their hometown. Between the planning stage, food, wine, location, and service, everything was absolutely perfect about Hamlet Vineyards. I'm sure we will be back for another private event with clients in the future! And I wouldn't be surprised if the local employees now frequent Hamlet Vineyards every Sunday, when they're open to the public!
