For one enchanted evening in December, Boordy Vineyards became a “speakeasy” to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the 21st Amendment (which ended Prohibition). The setting for the party was the vineyard’s 1830s stone bank barn in Hydes, set amid Boordy’s lush 230 acres.
The barn, embellished with “bootleg” stashes of wine and old oak barrels, quickly filled with partygoers dressed in their best vintage attire. Ladies in flapper headbands and pearls, and gentlemen in gangster hats, honored Prohibition’s demise with an evening of wine tasting and jazz. Eighteen wines, including the estate-grown Landmark Chardonnay, Riesling and the evening’s favorite, Petit Cabernet, were sampled by the guests.
Attendees were treated to a retro-style menu that included Waldorf salad, chicken rosé, potatoes Lyonaisse and green beans au gratin. The New Hots Jazz Band’s sounds filled the air with classic backgrounds for the Foxtrot, Charleston, Lindy Hop and Jive. Later in the evening, guests were awarded prizes for costumes, and a staged “raid” hauled off one lucky couple to the slammer, otherwise known as the historic bed and breakfast, Slades Inn.
Guests raised a glass of one of Boordy’s award-winning reds to toast the end of Prohibition as the memorable three-hour celebration drew to a close.
