It was time for another wedding and a symbol that people could get back together.  We had to survive a period in history, where weddings were outlawed, just like going to a restaurant like the French Laundry and dining indoors.  OK, some were allowed to dine indoors, but I didn’t hear about any weddings.  It was a time to celebrate and it was a beautiful wedding held in an Armenian Church and the priest went and explained all the symbolism and traditions for the non-Armenian attendees.  It was a beautiful ceremony and there was time in between the ceremony and the reception to allow for the formal wedding portraits and family portraits.   My Bride and I took advantage and stopped for some food and drinks on the way to the reception, A practice that I have done for years. 

The reception was at Planterra Conservatory, which was a new venue for us.  The facility is actually a huge greenhouse, as they are a leading provider of interior landscape services and plant rentals.  When I was a kid, my science classroom in elementary school had a little greenhouse built on the back of room.  One saw small greenhouses for eccentrics like Nero Wolfe or in The Big Sleep, but this place was huge and because of the nature of a greenhouse, they only rent out the facility at certain times of the year for events like this reception.  It was beautiful and they were offering appetizers and Pomegranate Margaritas as you entered into the facility, or you could go to one of the bars set up.  At the dinner, they started off by serving everyone flutes of Dark Horse Brut NV for toasting and to accompany the Michigan Salad of mixed greens, dried cherries, walnuts, cheese and a Champagne vinaigrette.  Dark Horse Wine is a brand and owned by E. & J. Gallo and they offer many popular varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Chardonnay among others.  This sparkling wine is produced using the Charmat Method or the Bulk Method and it is perfect for sparkling wines used for toasts.  The entire (The Original) Dark Horse wine collection is popular priced California wines that one can encounter in many restaurants and in grocery and convenience stores.  This was a festive wine, and to be truthful not everyone drinks sparkling wines, so I had a couple of extra flutes at my table setting (another reason that I tend to eat something before going to a wedding).     

The entrées for the evening were a filet and shrimp with sides and it was very well prepared.  Our table was also perfectly situated for watching all of the toasts and the cutting of the wedding cake.  We started out with Cardiff Wines Chardonnay California 2019 and then we finished our dinner with Cardiff Wines Cabernet Sauvignon California 2018.  I can find no real information about this winery other than it is one of the least expensive California wines on the market. We have only encountered this wine in hotels or by catering companies.  The Chardonnay was far superior to the Cabernet Sauvignon.  The dinner was much more impressive than the wines, but that is fine.  The wedding was very nice and enjoyable and the hall was very interesting. Though I didn’t see any orchids and that would not have pleased Nero Wolfe or General Sternwood.