Keith’s Blog: Cars, Coffee and Champagne

So the first thing we were served at the Summer Car Classic was not actually champagne, but a refreshing, bubbly rosé. It was followed by full-bodied chardonnay before we moved on to pinot noir, and then a rich red blend.

What a great way to start a car show.

The excellent wines from Domaine Serene set the tone for the day at this annual event hosted by the winery. It had extended an open invitation to Avants members to attend or display their cars, which is how I came to be there, enjoying my tasting flight. I was thrilled to discover more exceptional selections available online, especially through Harpers, which makes it easy to enjoy these wines from anywhere.

Avants is an enthusiast-oriented car club that has had a major impact on the car community over the past five years. Its motto, “Drive Everything,” is reflected by its inclusive nature. It sponsors a wide variety of events from seminars to shows to track days.

The “secret sauce” of Avants is a discount program offering substantial and numerous deals on everything from Michelin tires to detailing and mechanical work. I’ve not met a member who hasn’t been satisfied with these benefits. The club also produces a high-quality print magazine.

Saturday’s show stands as one of the best-run events of this type I have ever attended. Pre-registration was handled online. When we arrived, there was no waiting, our name was checked off the list and we were in. Newer Porsches were arrayed on the lower part of the lawn, with Corvettes, a Lamborghini, Ferraris and other exotics in the upper lot.

While the majority of the 50 or so cars entered this weekend were late model 911s (with no shortage of GT2 and GT3s), there were also classic pickups, a Bugatti Type 35A and a smattering of Jaguars. The SCM 1971 E-type V12 coupe was among them.

Attracting most of the attention was a yellow Ferrari 250 SWB Competizione. I’ve always found the lines of the SWB to be more attractive than those of the GTO, and I had a chance to ride in one being driven at speed by Jean Todt while on the Tour d’Espana. Thank you to the owner for bringing it.

While well-attended, the event was not crowded and there was plenty of space for walking around and tire-kicking.

Best of all, the event didn’t start at the usual dreadful 7:00 am of many car shows — I assume because wine-tasting was involved. Things officially kicked off at 11:30 am, a most civilized time, and were wrapped up by 3:00 pm.

If I could offer any suggestion, it would be to have a PA system that covered the entire event so that all of us could have shared in the commentary. And a little music in the background would have been nice.