Every memorable celebration has a host who sets the party’s tone before the first toast. During Monterey Car Week a few weeks ago, that host was Silver Oak, which debuted its new partnership with Bentley Motors at the Home of Bentley, the marque’s invitation-only residence just 250 yards from The Lodge at Pebble Beach.
I joined Bentley customers and VIP guests for a private wine tasting and an afternoon of the brand’s signature hospitality. From picturesque sweeping views of Stillwater Cove to an understated atmosphere of sophistication and style, the venue might have set the stage, but Silver Oak’s exclusive wine tasting raised the bar for everyone in attendance.
While the winery is very familiar with Pebble Beach (having sponsored Pebble Beach Food & Wine over the past couple of years), they had never participated in Monterey Car Week until this year, when they decided to join forces with Bentley Motors, as they saw a natural synergy between the brands and clientele.
Since Monterey Car Week has grown into a prime destination for upscale, affluent customers to converge over cocktails and car conversations, it seemed like the perfect pairing: a heritage luxury automobile brand that is synonymous with refined elegance, prestige, and excellence, and a renowned Napa Valley winery that is heralded for exceptional vintages.
For Silver Oak Chief Marketing Officer Lauren Larrabee, that distinction was the whole point. “The conversation with Bentley started around hospitality, but the opportunity quickly became bigger than that,” she said. “We saw a chance to connect Silver Oak with a highly engaged audience in a setting where craftsmanship, heritage, and thoughtful hospitality really matter. Monterey Car Week provided a way to build brand relevance through experience rather than through visibility alone.”
It’s a natural fit. Bentley’s clients care about the hand-finished detail inside a cabin; Silver Oak’s devotees care about the American oak barrels the winery still makes in its own cooperage. Both audiences prize provenance, and both notice when something has been made with intention.
Euming Lee, Silver Oak’s Director of Brand Marketing, saw that overlap play out in real time. “What struck me about Monterey Car Week was how passionate people are—not just about the cars themselves, but about design, provenance and the stories behind what they collect,” he said. “The Home of Bentley and beach dinner environments gave us a chance to bring Silver Oak into those conversations in a very natural way: welcome people in, pour something special and create space for genuine connection.”
Each year, the Home of Bentley becomes the marque’s Car Week headquarters, a showcase of the design principles, materials and craftsmanship behind every Bentley, presented alongside a handful of carefully chosen luxury partners. This year, Silver Oak was one of them.
Espressos flowed from Bentley’s Joe & The Juice Bentayga, clients met one-on-one with designers in a dedicated commissioning area, and the 1919 Collection of merchandise made its second and final appearance after debuting at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Outside, a rotating lineup of the newest models drew a steady crowd.
Silver Oak built its reputation on one thing: Cabernet Sauvignon, aged exclusively in American oak. So the most talked-about pour of the week was something entirely new for the house: its 2025 Sauvignon Blanc.
Sourced from estate vineyards split 57% Napa County and 43% Sonoma County, the wine comes from a cool, even 2025 growing season with no heat spikes. Harvest stretched from August 20 in Calistoga to September 23 at the coastal Merino Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, giving the fruit time to build flavor without losing freshness.
Winemaker Ryan Hodgins designed it to feel unmistakably Silver Oak while living comfortably at the table. “We wanted the Sauvignon Blanc to have the precision people expect from Silver Oak, but with a brightness and freshness that makes it incredibly versatile at the table,” he said. “The wine has pineapple, lychee and citrus blossom aromatics, with lemon zest and white peach on the palate and a bright, refined finish. I love it with simply prepared seafood—like the black cod on the menu at the Bentley dinner—and fresh, seasonal dishes where the acidity can really shine.”
On Friday evening, Bentley’s popular Beach Dinner brought guests to intimate tables set right on the sand for a three-course meal, cooked and served on the beach to live acoustic music. Silver Oak’s wines anchored the evening, with the Sauvignon Blanc poured alongside black cod.
For Justin Hirigoyen, Silver Oak’s VP of Winegrowing, it was the kind of night wine is made for. “Wine is at its best when it becomes part of the experience,” he said. “At the Bentley beach dinner, we had this incredible setting, great food, and guests gathered around intimate tables. Our wines could simply do what they’re meant to do—bring people together.”
That, in the end, is what good hosts do. They bring warmth and hospitality to every experience, turning special occasions into memorable celebrations.
The Home was the hub of a full Bentley calendar. Highlights included:
- The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering: Bentley’s 23rd appearance, with a private terrace overlooking the event and a four-car stand featuring the Supersports, Flying Spur S, GTC S and Bentayga Artenara, preceded by the Quail Rally.
- Seaside surprise: While the Beach Dinner was underway, the Dragon Supersports made a special appearance in downtown Seaside.
- The Signature Party: Held at the Beach & Tennis Club at Pebble Beach and hosted by Chairman and CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser and Bentley Americas CEO and President Mike Rocco.
- The 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: Bentley took over The Bench restaurant beside the judging ramp, with Walliser and board member Christophe Georges serving as Honorary Judges, followed by a farewell toast at the Home.
In a week crowded with logos and launches, Silver Oak stood out by doing something simpler and harder: making people feel at home. If this first chapter with Bentley is any sign, the partnership has set a new standard for how luxury brands can show up at Monterey Car Week.
[Media access c/o Bentley Motors and Silver Oak Winery. Image credits: Christina-Lauren Pollack, SERFOSS, Bentley Motors. All opinions are my own.]