By TR Robertson
The sun was shining, tents filled the walkways into Alta Vista Botanical Gardens and hundreds of people entered to take part in the 11th annual Meading at the Garden featuring close to 30 meadries, wineries, breweries, cideries and artisans set to pour, sell and inform those in attendance about what they had to offer. The event began at 10:45 with an exclusive VIP 5-course Mead and Food Pairing Experience held at the Reception Rose Garden. Other ticket holders for the Meading at the Garden entered Alta Vista Gardens at 1:00 pm.
The sold-out VIP meal started off with a Tuscan Bruschetta paired with the Shadow Legion from Twisted Horn Mead and Cider. Next served was a Pink Lady Salad paired with The Sun from Batch Mead. To clean the pallet of the guests, a Lemon Sobert followed paired with a Blueberry Lemon Drop from Hidden Hive. The main course was a Tri-tip of Beef au Jus with Demi Glaze served with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled Petite Carrots. This was paired with Asgard’s Allure from Sabre Springs Wine & Meadery. Finishing the meal was dessert, Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry and Mint paired with Mara from Lost Cause. The final taste for those before they adjourned to wander the walkways of Alta Vista was the Digestif from Raging Cider, a 2019 Pommeau Reserve. Representatives from the meaderies and cideries were in attendance to speak about each mead or cider that accompanied the various food items of the meal. Some of those in attendance at the VIP luncheon included Rusti Dixon, Manager of Alta Vista Botanical Garden, Nancy Jones, Director of Children’s Programs at Alta Vista, Oceanside District 2 Councilmember Rick Robinson and Corrina Contreras, District 1 Vista Councilmember who is also running for Congressmember for CA-48 in the November election. A new catering service was used this year, Bekker’s, preparing all of the delicious food offerings.
Wandering through the trailways, tents were set up for all of the different groups in attendance. Representatives and owners of the businesses were prepared to offer tastings from their business and to describe and tell the guests about what they had to offer and to speak about the various tasting rooms from the cities where they were located. Each person attending the Meading at the Garden had received a tasting glass, sponsored by United Plant Growers, Inc. The Beverage Vendors in attendance included, 117 West Spirits, Arcane Brewing, Batch Mead, Blue Honey Mead and Wine, Chubby Cheeks, Coomber Craft Wines, Golden Coast Mead, Hidden Hive, InZane Brewing, Lost Cause, Meadiocrity, North County Home Brewers, Norse Legend Mead, Raging Cider, Sabre Springs Mead & Wine, Seven Seas Bar and Grill Vista, Shield Wall, Society of Barley Engineers, Storum Ranch Cider/Julian Mead and Twisted Horn Mead & Cider. Some of the meaderies and cideries were new to Meading at the Garden. Blue Honey Country Wine & Mead, located at 1487 Poinsettia Avenue in Vista, has not opened their tasting room yet, but will soon open to the public. Sabre Springs Wine and Meadery, from Escondido, was also a popular stop for the guests and owner Jay Drewy said they had been open for two years and are growing in popularity. Each business had unique tastings to offer. One tasting I tried was the very smooth Strawberry Lemonade from Chubby Cheeks. You would not be disappointed with any tasting from any of the businesses.
As guests wandered Alta Vista they could get in line to try some of the different flavors each business brought. One very popular tent was the group from North County Home Brewers, where they offered 15 taps of meads and ciders as well as 5 bottle pours. They had long lines all afternoon. This is the spot where members of their group could offer what they had brewed at their homes. Barley Engineers offered 11 beer and 1 cider tastings as well as home brewed lemonade. Barley Engineers group was established in 1994.
Also set up on the walkways were various artisans and booths including Black Hat Bread, Lighthouse Music, Mak’s Chain Company, Sugar Bees, Sunfire Hotsauce, Sweet Bee Honey, Swift Hammer Leather, TMR, and Tree to Table Chacuterie Boards. The Sunfire Hotsauce, out of Oceanside, was a popular tent as guest could sample the many varieties of hot sauce.
In a large open area just past the main corridor of tents was the Viking Village which included Axe Throwing and Black Smithing demonstration. Guests could try their hand at throwing axes at a target. Information about the Vista Viking Festival was also provided. For those that wanted some food before taking part in a lot of mead, cider, wine and beer tasting, there were three food spots to choose from, Cocina Del Carmen, Sticky Chicken and Pizza Sensei.
The Ceremonial Garden was a popular spot in the afternoon as many of the guests listened to the sounds of the Silk Button Butchers. The folk-rock band featured Melody Maker on guitar. Not far from this were tables of prizes where guests could purchase raffle tickets to try and win a variety of donated items.
Meading at the Garden is always a popular event, as shown by the long lines to get in and the packed walkways where the tents were located. The money raised goes to support the various projects and events that occur at the Gardens. There is always something going on at the Gardens and it is also a popular place to wander and enjoy the tremendous variety of plants and vegetation you find throughout the Gardens. Go to www.altavistabotanicalgardens.org for more information.
