Perfect Venues: Thomas Fogarty Winery

Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited always loves working at wineries. Since our home base is the San Francisco Bay Area, we're lucky because we are close to several different wine growing districts. Over the years, I think we've worked at more than 350 wineries. Wineries make perfect settings for all kinds of team building events and entertainment from Wacky Games to Scavenger Quests to Murder Mystery dinners.

One of my favorite winery venues is Thomas Fogarty Winery located in beautiful Woodside, south of San Francisco. On Sunday I had the opportunity to actually attend a wedding there rather than work the event. Very interesting to see the 'other' side of an event. Thomas Fogarty Winery, with stunning views from San Francisco to San Jose, is one of the Peninsula’s premiere wedding and special event locations. Known for its award winning wines, Thomas Fogarty Winery is a breathtaking redwood and stone facility with three separate levels that "flow" down the mountainside. This warm and inviting facility is a great place to escape for that company offsite or perfect wedding, anniversary or special event. There are several different event/meeting spaces, and at the wedding I attended, the dinner was held in the Pavillion, a huge covered deck area suspended over the vineyard, and later we went into Hill House for dancing. These spaces were perfect for the wedding, but there is a conference room and several other spaces for meetings, including the intimate Redwood Room with its stained glass windows and redwood walls.

Thomas Fogarty also has award winning wines, so if you find yourself out and about on a Sunday afternoon, you can always stop by for a tasting.

Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited has been working at Thomas Fogarty since the mid-80s. We've done mysteries, Scavenger Quests, Chocolate Tastings, Wacky Games and lots of other customized interactive teambuilding and entertainment there. The staff is great, the vendor list diverse, and the ambiance terrific.

Thinking about a holiday party on the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula? You might want to consider Thomas Fogarty Winery.

Rehearsal Dinner with Cool Eatz Catering

What a weekend wedding whirl! Saturday night I coordinated Judie Siddall's son's rehearsal dinner. She chose the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto for her venue, and it's quite unique. We'd been sweltering through a heat wave, and this lovely Nature Preserve was a very cool/cool spot right on the Bay. Caterer was Cool Eatz, and although I had eaten at the Flea Street Cafe many times, I had never worked with the catering side of their business. Well 5 stars to Dee and Kasie for doing such a fabulous job! I came into the planning toward the end, but even so, I was amazed at how quickly every question was answered via email about room set up, linens, tables and chairs, buffet, hors d'oeuvres, drinks and timing. Originally the event was planned for family and out of town guests, but the rehearsal dinner guest list grew to 98 people from all over the world. Who knew that guests would come in from England, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, France and other places. The seating arrangement for dinner was tight, but Dee, the onsite coordinator, made it accessible to everyone. He was a joy to work with. Every detail was considered, adressed, and because of his talent and skill, it all ran very very smoothly.

And, the food! Did I forget to mention that the food was absolutely fantastic? From the hors d'oeuvres through the sumptious dinner buffet and the variety of desserts was incredible. CoolEatz uses food and wine raised, harvested, and produced sustainably and regionally. They support and use as many organic ingredients as possible--those produced without petrochemicals, artificial coloring, growth stimulants, antibiotics or pesticides. As their website reads and I witnessed, they are all about Sustainability. They take responsiblility for creating a healthy, sustainable system, in both their cooking and waste management.

I can't wait to work with Cool Eatz again soon, maybe a mystery event? They take the mystery out of great catering.

Wacky Mini-Olympic Games

California is sizzlin', and this may not be the last of the heat waves for the season. Now's the time to get out and go to the Beach! Energize your team with some Wacky Mini-Olympic Games or Sandcastle Building competition. Last week we did some Wacky Games in San Luis Obispo. Great Beach. Great teams. We integrated information on the group, their buzzwords, and company goals and objectives into the games. Frank Price who facilitated the games debriefed. Oh my, not all fun and games! Carefully disguised.

Too hot? Not near a beach? Wacky Mini-Olympics can be done inside an airconditioned meeting room or ballroom, depending on the size of the group. Last Spring we did a Wacky Games teambuilding event for a Japanese electronics company. Luckily we had a translator. 100 men and women in suits and dresses participated in the Games which were held on a tiny dancefloor. Guess that proves that our Wacky Mini-Olympic games can be done anywhere.