It’s been two years since Live in The Vineyard Goes County, one of music’s most sought-after events, hit the hills of Napa Valley, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the private country fest, which combines country music, good food, and fine wine, returned in 2021 with an incredible lineup of country talent, including Zac Brown Band, Darius Rucker, Old Dominion, Cole Swindell, Lainey Wilson, Tenille Townes, and many more country favorites.
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The event took place Nov. 2- Nov. 4 in Napa Valley’s wine country, spread out over several wineries and locations. Created by Bobbi Jacobs, LITVGC is a spinoff of the original Live in the Vineyard, but with a focus on country music.
“The 1st Napa in-person event in 2years!!! Live In The Vineyard Goes Country!!!! So happy beyond words,” Jacobs shared on social media as the event kicked off. “Thank you to everyone who made this happen! “
To kick off the 3-day invite-only festival, Tenille Townes, Matt Stell, and Old Dominion welcomed guests to the beautiful Nickel and Nickel winery, which lent itself to stunning views that set the scene for the evening. While guests were enjoying samplings of wine, Townes treated them to tunes like “Where You Are” and “Somebody’s Daughter.” Matt Stell kept the night going with his hits “Prayed For You” and “Anywhere But On.” As the wine continued to flow, Old Dominion capped the event, getting the crowd on their feet, with songs like “Song For Another Time,” and “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart.”
As the sun set on the mountains of Napa Vally, the night seemed to only get hotter when Sony Nashville hosted an exclusive dinner for music supervisors, radio programmers, and industry VIPs at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, showcasing some of their up and coming artists—Kameron Marlowe, Morgan Wade, and Adam Doleac.
On day two, the Round Pond Estate Winery‘s Red Barn was the site for the VIP Tailgate party where guests sipped on, you guessed it, more samples of wine, and feasted on Brisket, Mac and Cheese, and an apple pie-like dessert in a jar. The afternoon entertainment was provided by Priscilla Block, who warmed up the crowd with her songs “Just About Over You” and “Wish You Were the Whiskey.” Parker McCollum kept the party going and Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker provided stellar entertainment with hits like “Alright,” “This,” “My Masterpiece” and the crowd-pleasing “Beers and Sunshine”
Guests next made their way to the beautiful Regusci Winery, which offered soaring views that served as the backdrop to the main stage event. For over three-plus hours, country artists including Lainey Wilson, Tenille Arts, Cole Swindell, Chris Janson and headliner Zac Brown Band filled the night air with some of the finest country tunes to grace the mountains of Napa.
However, there was a moment amidst Tenille Arts’ set that stopped the show and shocked Arts herself. As Arts took the stage to begin her set for the music hungry crowd, she was quickly interrupted by her label family with some good news.
“This is what happens when you have a number one at country radio, you get your first platinum single,” said her label exec as he presented her with her first platinum single for “Somebody Like That.”
It was Zac Brown Band that had the VIP guest on their feet, dancing in the aisles and rushing up to the front of the stage. The Atlanta, Georgia-based band did not disappoint with rousing renditions of hits like “Chicken Fried,” “Toes,” and “Whatever It Is.”
As the 3-day event came to a close, guests finished the week off with a hearty brunch send-off at the Calmere Estate Winery. It was CMT’s Next Women of Country that provided the entertainment bright and early. Tiera, Hannah Ellis, MacKenzie Porter, and Clare Dunn said goodbye to
In addition to all the stellar performances throughout the fest, close to $90,000 was raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the official charity partner of Live In The Vineyard Goes Country, around the event.
Zac Brown photo courtesy of LITVGC / Ryan Waneka
