A Forever Friendship Created and Honored with Silver Oak

We are constantly amazed by the Bottle Stories we hear from our fans. The opportunity to be a part of people’s lives and their special moments are what drive us at Silver Oak. This beautiful Bottle Story came to us in November 2011 as Jason from Missouri celebrated the life of his friend, Ken.

Thank you, Jason, for sharing your Bottle Story.

I became a fan of Silver Oak several years ago when a client of mine invited me to a celebration dinner in Kansas City, where he had a wine locker full of Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet. Most of our party—including me—enjoyed Silver Oak Cabernet for the first time. I instantly became a fan.

But the story truly begins twelve years ago when I began to spend my holidays—Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas—with a group of friends that included my buddy, Ken. All of us created a strong bond. Though not immediate family, we became “family” in another sense.

As fellow wine-lovers, Ken and I would often talk late into the night at these gatherings. We would surprise one another with great bottles of wine over dinner or introduce the other guests to new wines. At one of our holiday get-togethers, I told Ken about my Silver Oak “find.” His wife had grown up in northern California, so he was more than familiar and a fan himself.

My friend, David Duncan, taught me that there is a bottle story around every bottle of wine. Most of the time the story is one of celebration, sometimes the story is one of sorrow or heartache – but all are equally important in life.

Seven years ago, Ken’s wife was diagnosed with leukemia and life changed for all of us and our “family.” Although she miraculously beat leukemia twice, it reared its ugly head a third time and she passed away. Ken was devastated. He did not know how to raise his three daughters on his own and run the family business, let alone mourn the loss of his beloved wife. We, as a family, were equally as devastated. It seemed as though Ken and I began to talk more outside the holidays. I wanted to let him know I was there any time he needed me.

The story grows deeper with Silver Oak Release Day. As a lover of Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet, I added attending a release event to my bucket list. I crossed that off in August, when I flew to San Francisco with a few of my neighbors to attend the event in Alexander Valley. I was amazed and posted several photos and links on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Ken saw one of the posts and messaged me, asking me to pick up a bottle for the two of us to enjoy over the holidays.

A week ago, Ken, who was in great health, had an unexpected heart attack and died—almost six months to the day after his wife. Our family is once again devastated. We have spent the last week wondering the whys of life and trying to process how we could lose two of our best friends in such a short period of time.

This Thanksgiving, we all got together as we normally do and, late in the evening, all of the guys—Ken’s closest buddies—went out on the deck to enjoy a cigar and that bottle of 2007 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet. It was a momentous time for us to celebrate our friend, and that bottle of Silver Oak was at the center of that memory. I told this story to everyone out on the deck and toasted Ken.

At the funeral, this story was told in the eulogy at the very end of the service. There was not a dry eye. The crowd of 500 learned how Ken loved and lived life, including his love for Silver Oak.

Have a Bottle Story of your own? Tell us at bottlestories@silveroak.com.