The Rensselaer Silicon Valley Network and Executive Council recently hosted an Exclusive Napa Valley Weekend which brought together more than 50 alumni and alumnae for a few days of networking, wine tasting, hiking and biking.
Saturday morning alumni and alumnae enjoyed a two-mile hiking trip at Bale Grist Mill State Park led by Rensselaer alum Peter Hart ’62, former President of Ricoh Innovations, Inc. and his wife Diane Hart, a textbook writer. Both are bird photographers and have birded in over 15 countries. The group enjoyed viewing sights within Bale Grist Mill and Bothe-Napa Valley State Park while learning about the various bird sightings along the way.
Following the hiking trip, Rensselaer alumni and alumnae attended an interactive presidential panel discussion with a lunch curated by a locally acclaimed chef with wine paired tastings at Robert Biale Vineyards. Attendees sat amongst wine barrels throughout the discussion on “The Premium Wine Business: More To It Than Meets The Palate,” which was moderated by Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, featuring panelists Bill Hart ’62, Owner of Hart Vineyard; Robert Biale, Co-Founder of Robert Biale Vineyards and David Pearson ’94, CEO of Opus One Winery. Topics the panel covered were the science and art of winemaking, the business behind it and the landscape of the Napa Valley wine industry.
Rensselaer is thrilled to have established a partnership with Mr. Pearson as he hosted a presidential dinner at Opus One Winery on Saturday evening, where Dr. Jackson and attendees enjoyed a fabulous meal paired with wine, and were able to explore the depths of the Opus One Winery wine cellars, where the winery houses all of its award-winning wine barrels.
Sunday morning began with a 12-mile bike ride led by Napa Valley Bike Tours. Bikers were able to take in the breathtaking Napa Valley views while stopping to look at wineries, the vast fields that harvest the finest wines in the region, learn about Napa Valley history and the vine to bottle process. Oakville Grocery served as the optimal stop for breakfast before continuing a short, downhill trek back to the starting point for the end of the tour.
Dr. Jackson concluded the weekend by hosting a presidential lunch, wine pairing and winery tour of Castello di Amorosa, an authentically-styled 13th century Tuscan castle in the Napa Valley region.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this unique and memorable weekend!