New Flavors, Familiar Faces & Another Weekend at The Durst House

There's something special about the week after a big celebration.

The decorations have been packed away, the lawn has grown quiet again, and the estate settles back into the rhythm that makes summer here feel so familiar.

The laughter hasn't disappeared—it simply becomes more personal.

Instead of hundreds gathering for one evening, we return to couples sharing a bottle beneath the oaks, families spreading out on the lawn, and friends lingering over pizza long after the last slice has disappeared. The pace changes, but the feeling remains the same.

It's a reminder that while special events create wonderful memories, it's often the ordinary weekends that become our favorites.

This weekend, we're looking forward to another chapter of exactly that.

The Host's Notebook: Why Seasonal Menus Matter

One of the questions we hear most often is why our menu changes.

The simple answer is because the season changes.

Our kitchen isn't designed around having the same specials every weekend. It's built around what inspires us today. Fresh peaches give way to figs. Sweet corn makes room for squash. Tomatoes reach their peak before quietly disappearing until next summer.

When an ingredient is at its best, it doesn't need much.

A perfectly ripe peach can transform a pizza. Fresh herbs picked at the right moment brighten an entire dish. The goal isn't to reinvent the menu every week—it's to let the season tell us what belongs on the plate.

That's one of the joys of coming back often.

The wine may be familiar, but there's always something new to discover.

From the Cellar: The Perfect Pizza Pairing

This weekend's Peachy Pepperoni Pizza has quickly become a staff favorite.

The sweetness of ripe peaches, creamy burrata, pepperoni, fresh arugula, white garlic cream, and a drizzle of hot honey create a combination that's surprisingly balanced.

Our recommendation?

Reach for a glass of Amada Mia White if you're looking to highlight the fruit and fresh herbs, or enjoy it alongside Barbera if you want the pepperoni and hot honey to take center stage.

There isn't a wrong answer.

Just whichever bottle makes you order another slice.

Estate Chronicles: The Kitchen Is Finding Its Rhythm

One of the most rewarding parts of introducing a new food program is watching it evolve.

Every weekend brings another opportunity to refine recipes, improve service, and discover what guests are loving most.

Our team continues to experiment, adjust, and collaborate behind the scenes—not because anything is broken, but because hospitality is never finished.

The goal has always been simple:

Great wine deserves great food.

We're excited for what's still to come.

Around the Garden: The Shade We Sometimes Forget

On warm afternoons, most people notice the vineyards first.

We notice the oak trees.

Long before anyone planted vines across the property, these trees were quietly growing into what has become one of the estate's greatest luxuries.

By mid-afternoon their shade stretches across the lawn, inviting guests to linger a little longer. Glasses refill, conversations continue, and the summer heat becomes something to enjoy rather than escape.

Sometimes the best seat at the winery isn't the closest one to the bar.

It's the one beneath the oldest tree.

This Weekend at The Durst House

Friday

The weekend begins with Durst After Dark as Group Therapy takes the stage from 5:00–8:00 PM. The tasting room and kitchen will be serving from 12:00–8:00 PM, with award-winning wines, seasonal specials, and plenty of room to settle in for the evening.

Saturday

Join us from 12:00–5:00 PM, with live music from Anissa Musica from 1:00–4:00 PM.

This weekend's menu features our Peachy Pepperoni Pizza, the Southwest Chef's Salad, and a few other favorites we think pair perfectly with another sunny afternoon.

Sunday

Sometimes Sunday doesn't need an itinerary.

Just a bottle, a shaded table, good company, and nowhere else to be.

We'll be here from 12:00–5:00 PM.

The Guest Book: A Summer Tradition

We'd love to know—

What has become your "must-order" at Durst this summer?

Is it a favorite wine you've been enjoying for years? A pizza you can't stop thinking about? A spot beneath the oaks that's become your unofficial table?

Tell us the one thing that keeps bringing you back.

Every recommendation helps someone else discover their next favorite visit.

Until next week,

The Durst House Team