Traveling Murphy's Life Adventures

Check out this fun snack I picked-up the past weekend at a wedding shower. The wedding shower was at The Little Traveler on Third Street in Geneva.

After the shower they gave all of us a coupons to enjoy some shopping. I grabbed these dark chocolate covered Cabernet grapes that I am pairing with a local Cabernet Sauvignon. Perfect combination!

Cheers,

Traveling Murphy

We had great weather yesterday to spend the afternoon in the garden. We planted our five plots with peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, onions, green beans, kale and herbs!

We celebrated with some wine in the garden and now we just wait.

What did you plant?

Cheers!

Traveling Murphy

*Please note you must be a Cooper’s Hawk Wine Member to buy tickets for this event. If you have a friend that is a member you can attend as their guest.

My husband, Mike and I have been going to the Cooper’s Hawk monthly wine dinners off and on for about three years now. We started attending because my mother-in-law purchased the tickets for us as a Christmas gift (I am a huge supporter of experience gifts). Our first couple of years we attended the dinners at the Arlington Heights location because the ambiance of having a wine dinner in a wine cellar shaped like half of a wine barrel…well it is something magical. The location made you feel like you were deep in the heart of Napa Valley.

When the Cooper’s Hawk opened in St. Charles (Illinois) we were over the moon. This meant we could attend the wine dinners without having to plan ahead of time to leave work early and make the trek all the way out to Arlington Heights. It makes for a much cheaper Uber ride. Plus, we get to see all the smiling faces we spend so much time with during our wine tastings.

One of my favorite parts about attending the wine dinners at the Cooper’s Hawk in St. Charles is the intimate setting. The events team is able to actually slow down and talk with everyone without delaying other people’s meal. The barrel rooms that the dinners are hosted in are all different sizes.

Dinner and Service

When we walked into the restaurant they directed us to the barrel room where the amazing event staff and a glass of wine greeted us at the door. They have assigned tables, so as long as you do not have a large group you will walk out meeting new friends. We have attended four of these wine dinners and have made new friends every time!

There will be a short introduction in the beginning just so everyone can meet the staff and understand what they will be eating and drinking. I do want to note that even if the wine they are serving is not the wine you are used to drinking the event staff will try to get you a different one. We always run into the issue that the first one or two wines are white wines and Mike will not drink white wine. The staff is great at offering a red selection they have in the room as an alternative. But I want to caution you that the chefs have chosen these wines because they pair with the menu. Give it a shot!

The team will make a short introduction of each course which will allow you plenty of time to make friends at your table. Throughout the night, part of the management team will come around to talk to your table about the experience and answer any wine questions you might have. Make sure you take the time to talk to the team. They are a wealth of knowledge about Cooper’s Hawk wines and foods.

Check out photos from some of our past wine dinners at Cooper’s Hawk:

Barrel Reserve Release Party – Click Here

Mardi Gras – Click Here

Adventures in Red – Click Here

A little more about what I find so unique and valuable with my Cooper’s Hawk Wine Membership.

• Every wine club member who signs up for the two bottle membership receives two complimentary wine tastings a month. This is unique for most wine clubs in Illinois. We always use the complimentary wine tasting as an excuse to get us in the door and then we turn it into a date that includes lunch or dinner. This is a bonus since the food is so delicious. Click here to see the menu.
• Wine Club Trips – Wine club members are able to sign-up for unique wine trips across the county and also internationally. One of the upcoming trips that I was so close to talking my husband into signing up for was the Spain trip they are taking in May. What I found to be the coolest part is anyone that has been enjoying Cooper’s Hawk dining for at least a couple years will remember Chef Matt’s Cheese Plate (no longer one the menu). When I called to acquire information about the Spain trip, the travel agent who organizes the trip says if I book that flight I will be flying out with Chef Matt. How cool is that! Club members are joined by the team that creates the Cooper’s Hawk experience. Click here to see the upcoming trips.
• I wanted to circle back and make sure the last thing you remember about this post is the wine dinners. Check out the menus for the upcoming wine dinners. The menus are so creative and maybe the pairings will have you reconsidering your red wine or white wine allegiance! Click here to see the upcoming dinner.

Cheers!
Traveling Murphy

Please note this was not a sponsored post. I wrote this after having such positive experiences when I attended the dinners. No one paid for my tickets or compensated me for this post. The opinions are my own.

Happy Easter from the Murphy family!

We are spending the afternoon trying out some new quiche recipes. Broccoli, cheddar and bacon or ham, onions and peppers…so many options! What is your favorite ingredient combination for quiches?