Wine & Cocktail Reception Catering

The First Hour of Your Event Decides How the Rest of It Feels

Guests arrive. They read the room. They make a judgment about the evening in the first five minutes — based on what's in their hand, what's on the station, and whether the space feels like it was put together with intention.

The cocktail reception is not the preamble to your event. It is the event's first and most lasting impression. Coastal Roots Events & Catering builds it accordingly.

The Scampi Sautée Station

For upscale receptions on the Monterey Peninsula, the Coastal Roots culinary team anchors the cocktail hour with the Scampi Sautée live station. A chef works the station through the full reception — garlic, butter, white wine, fresh herbs, the controlled intensity of a sauté pan working at volume. Guests gather. The aroma reaches the room before the food does.

It is the opener that communicates, without a word, that the rest of the evening is going to be worth staying for.

The Wine Program

Coastal Roots Events & Catering builds reception wine programs from the same Central Coast and Carmel Valley producers that supply the restaurant group's lists. For September receptions on the Peninsula:

Central Coast Chardonnay and Pinot Gris — cool-climate whites from the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Lucia Highlands, built for food and for the particular light of a September evening on the coast.

Carmel Valley Rosé and light reds — for the guest who wants something with more structure than a white but more ease than a full Cabernet at a standing reception.

A signature cocktail — the Coastal Roots bar team creates one seasonal cocktail per event, built around what the Peninsula is producing in that month. September means stone fruit, coastal herbs, and the transition from summer to fall in a glass.

Building the Full Reception

The cocktail reception feeds into whatever follows. For a seated dinner event, the Scampi Sautée station gives way to plated courses — the transition is managed by the Coastal Roots team without the host coordinating a single detail. For a standing reception format, additional stations can follow: a Chef's Carving station for mid-event protein, or a dessert station for the close.

The Coastal Roots events team designs the full arc of the reception before the first guest arrives. Your job is to be present for it.

Visit coastalrootshospitality.com/events-and-catering or explore the team at coastalrootshospitality.com/about.

FAQ

What is the Scampi Sautée station?

A live action station where a Coastal Roots chef sautées shrimp scampi — garlic, butter, white wine, herbs — throughout the cocktail reception. It's an interactive, aromatic, high-impact opener for upscale receptions.

Can Coastal Roots build a custom wine program for my event?

Yes — the events team sources from the same Central Coast and Carmel Valley producers that supply the restaurant group, and builds wine programs tailored to the menu, guest count, and occasion.

Does Coastal Roots handle both the reception and the dinner service?

Yes. Coastal Roots manages the full event arc — cocktail reception, action stations, seated dinner, bar service, and event staffing — as a single coordinated team.

What size groups does Coastal Roots cater cocktail receptions for?

Contact the events team at coastalrootshospitality.com/contact to discuss your guest count. Coastal Roots caters intimate receptions through large corporate events.

📍 Coastal Roots Events & Catering | coastalrootshospitality.com/events-and-catering | Serving the Monterey Peninsula