In an effort to showcase artisans, among them bakers, chefs, winemakers and singer/songwriters, a trio of Lompoc residents — two winemakers and a singer — founded Chez Soirée, bringing true meaning to the phrase “house party.”
The three are singer/songwriter Emily Wryn, her partner Keith Parker, winemaker and the wine manager for Scratch Kitchen, and their pal Tony Botello, assistant winemaker at Liquid Farm
Wines.
“Our goal is to highlight handcrafted and local,” Wryn explained. “We want to have a good time while supporting as many efforts as we can.”
She likened the Chez Soirée community to a pop-up endeavor: “Each time, it’s a different venue, artist or artists, and we will always offer food and wine.”
Chez Soiree’s first event took place in Lompoc on Jan. 13 and featured intimate performances by Wryn and fellow musicians Jacob Cole and Sarah Summer.
The second event is Thursday at Lompoc’s soon-to-open Hangar 7 eatery and wine bar (formerly D’Vine Wine Bar) on West Ocean Ave.
“This will be a sweet opportunity to check out all of the amazing work (the owners) have done before their grand opening,” Wryn said.
Tickets are $20 per person and available online.
A portion of the proceeds from the January and February shows will benefit those affected by the recent disasters via the United Way Thomas Fire and Flood Fund, she said.
The founders are relying on social media, newsletters, their website and old-fashioned word of mouth to promote their events.
“We aim to create one-of-a-kind experiences by shining the spotlight on otherwise overlooked artisans, craftsmen, creators, artists, poets and writers,” Wryn noted on the website.
“Our goal is to bring together a community of people who may have not had the opportunity to imbibe, indulge and be inspired with one another under normal circumstances.”
Musicians scheduled to perform during Thursday’s event include acoustic guitarist Johanna Warren; a small band of musicians known as Arthur Watership; and Maitland, an indie/folk/rock
group.
Food and wine sponsors are Cakes by Jayde — Jayde Stamm is a self-taught baker/decorator and a full-time college student; Artisan Uprising, a wine label created by brothers David and Billy
Vondrasek; Three Flies on a Knife, a baking company; and Boondock Botanicals, which utilizes botanicals in hand-crafted specialty drinks.
The brothers Vondrasek describe their small endeavor: “After years of making wine solely for our family, we quickly found ourselves making more wine than the family could drink. Our methods are slightly unconventional, but the science backs it up. Artisan Uprising is handcrafted wine two people can make.”
— Laurie Jervis blogs about wine at www.centralcoastwinepress.com, tweets at @lauriejervis and can be reached via winecountrywriter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own.