Peanut butter and jelly…Chips and salsa…Goats and wine? Some things just naturally go together. And now you can add goats and wine to that list. Move over, goat yoga.
Feeding time at the farm.
When I suggested a goats and wine experience to Kevin, well, you can only imagine the onslaught of questions… Goats and wine? At the same time? Like cuddling a goat and sipping sauvignon blanc? Yes, yes and yes!
Is it me, or is this goat smiling? Seriously.
Last year, I celebrated my landmark birthday by living it up in Singapore and experienced life like seen in Crazy Rich Asians. This year, coronavirus (and babies) kept us a little closer to home. Though, partying with goats and wine does seem like a weird rich person thing to do if you ask me!
Birthday Celebration During COVID: Cake Before Goats and Wine
Birthday cake from Flour Cake Shop in Beverly Hills.
You can’t have a birthday without cake. That’s my mantra in life. After a few days of dropping some not-so-subtle hints, Kevin “surprised” me with Flour Cake Shop’s explosion cake (designed as a unicorn, called the Cara Cake). A rainbow unicorn cake as an adult? Hey, I say why not… Stop judging!
Flour Shop Bakery started off in New York City’s SOHO neighborhood and became an immediate Instagram hit. They recently opened up a shop right in the heart of Beverly Hills. The explosion cake has 6 colorful rainbow vanilla layers, cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle surprise in the center (i.e. what makes it an “explosion”). So keep your expectations in check. It’s not going to explode in your face (um, lawsuit in the making). Think of it as more of a trickling effect. There is definitely a lot of frosting, which I had no problem with. The “Mini” cake is the perfect size for 2 people and costs $40.
Main Event: Goats and Wine Time
Twentynine Oaks Ranch, located in Agoura Hills just north of Malibu, has come up with what might be one of the most entertaining and unique things you can do in LA — combining playtime with goats and wine tasting. We joined Lynn, who runs the operation, for the 4 PM tasting that includes five different wines, each paired with food to enhance the flavor.
Lynn gives everyone an overview of the tasting and goat and wine experience.
The goat and wine experience is kept small — with our group consisting of about 14 guests including ourselves. Many of the courses naturally include goat cheese, such as the dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto. Or the delicious bruschetta that was paired with New Zealand’s Picton Bay sauvignon blanc.
After enjoying a few glasses of wine — and the incredible views overlooking Cheseboro Park — we headed over to feed the goats inside their pen. The goats knew it was dinner time, as they lined up at the gate and licked their chops.
Once inside, we got plenty of time to feed them and even got to pick up some of the baby goats. I’m pretty sure Kevin wanted to take one home. I can only imagine what our dog Doug would have thought.
Okay, clearly I can’t resist the charm of a baby goat either.
Once we got our fill of goat time, we headed back to our table outside the goat pen where we enjoyed a few more glasses of wine and tasty snacks. And then was surprised with birthday dessert #2. Hey, I say calories don’t actually count on birthdays so I was down for the sweets.
This is a great birthday gift for any animal lover, or a special date night away from the craziness of LA. It’s truly hard to believe that a place like this exists so close to LA. Before the goats and wine experience wraps, you’re able to go back into the pen to say goodbye. Though, one of the cheeky goats kept posing with his butt to the camera. Oh well…
The entire experience lasts about 2.5 hours, wrapping around 6:30 PM. We weren’t hungry at all after enjoying all the snacks. Though, we recommend driving down the Malibu coast and taking in the views or a drink overlooking the ocean at one of the many seaside restaurants. Talk about another memorable birthday. Who said a birthday during a pandemic can’t be fun?
The experience costs $79 per person and can be reserved through the booking site Fever. The experience runs Thursdays through Sundays.
Looking for other ideas for special occasions? Be sure to check out all our recommendations here, including 5 secrets spots in LA you (probably) never knew existed (but should!).
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