Category: Uncategorized

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24  •  6:00pm

Celebrate the Paris Olympics in grand Aiken fashion! The Willcox is kicking-off opening night by featuring two of Aiken’s very own Olympians, Dacre Stoker and Michel Vaillancourt, who will discuss their experiences participating in the Olympics and share behind the scenes insights while guests enjoy a five-course French dinner paired with French wines selected by Sommelier Matthew Sayer.

$135 per person. Seating is limited, so please make your reservations in advance. Tax and gratuity not included.

MENU:

FIRST COURSE
Diver scallop in a caviar beurre blanc, fresh chives, served in shell
Wine: Chateau Carbonnieux, Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru 2022

SECOND COURSE
Terrine of Pork Liver
pork liver, truffles, pistachios
Wine: Guy Breton, Beaujolais Villages ‘Cuvee Marylou’ 2013

THIRD COURSE
Wild berry sorbet

FOURTH COURSE
Beef Bourguignon, tender beef, potato fondant, local mushrooms, heirloom carrots, pea tendrils
Wine: Domaine De La Vougeraie, Savigny-les-Beaune, Les Marconnets Premier Cru 2002

FIFTH COURSE
Apple & Cinnamon Crème Brûlé
Wine: Domaine Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux Premier Trie 2020 Chenin Blanc 2020

 

About the Speakers:

Dacre Stoker an Aiken resident since 1992 has an interesting Olympic history. A native of Montreal Canada he remembers watching the Munich Olympics on TV at the age of 14, his mother, father and sister attended in person as his father was on the Canadian Equestrian team committee. When the games came to his hometown of Montreal in 1976 he worked as a drug technician for all of the Equestrian events. This is where he first became aware of Modern Pentathlon an Olympic event since 1912, consisting of cross country running, swimming, fencing, equestrian jumping and pistol shooting. Over the next 12 years Dacre competed for Canada at three World Championships, was a victim of the 1980 Olympic boycott, then became a coach of the Canadian Ladies team which won an individual gold medal at the World Championship in 1983. He later led the Canadian Mens team to their best ever finish at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988.

Michel Vaillancourt an Aiken resident, is a Canadian show jumper who won an individual silver medal at the 1976 Olympics. He tied for second place with Debbie Johnsey and François Mathy, but won the silver in a jump-off. Vaillancourt finished in fifth place with Canada in the Olympic team event.  Vaillancourt started training in horse riding aged 12, encouraged by his father, an equestrian coach who died in a horse riding accident in 1971. At his first international competition, Vaillancourt won a team bronze medal at the 1975 Pan American Games. He won a silver team medal at the next Games in 1979. Vaillancourt missed the 1980 Olympics in Moscow that were boycotted by Canada, and competed at the Alternate Olympics, winning a team gold medal. After retiring from competitions he worked as a course designer and coach, supervising the Canadian equestrian team at the 1994 and 1998 Olympics. He was inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame in 2009.

Sitting in her private garden, among the flowers and lush palms she has spent years cultivating, Gail King tells us she didn’t always enjoy gardening. Her mother and grandmother both had their own private gardens in England, where Gail spent her childhood. She, however, preferred to spend time riding her pony than pulling out weeds.

This distaste faded over the years. When Gail and her husband bought their house in the early 1980s, it came with a layout for a garden. “It was a really nice layout, but there were no beds,” Gail explains. “So I have spent the last thirty years putting in flower beds and just softening it.”

Today, her garden is brimming with hydrangeas, daylilies, roses, and camellias. Verbena bonariensis, a towering purple flower topped with a cloud of petals, dots the backyard. Tea olive trees, which Gail says may be the biggest in South Carolina, line the garden wall. In every corner, there is something precious to find: a bird’s nest that fits in the palm of her hand, a young Japanese maple, a sculpture of a songbird perched high above the flowerbed.

Trailed by her English Springer Spaniels, Gail King walks through her private garden each night, past the goldfish pond and the flowers climbing high, blooming in every color. She sits in a chair at the edge of her pool and looks up. “I look at the tree, and I look at the night sky,” Gail says. “And I just — every night, I enjoy the garden for myself.”

In this video, Gail reveals how she brought this magnificent private garden to life.

Our resident sommelier, Matthew Sayer, reveals his
latest wine recommendation for the spring season: the
2022 Muga Rosé. This refreshing rosé boasts tasting
notes of peaches, strawberries, and a hint of white
blossom and citrus. Grown with Garnacha and Viura
grapes in the fertile soil of Valle del Oja, Spain, Muga
Rosada is the finest palate experience and pairs
wonderfully with pasta dishes, fresh salads, and light
appetizers. Matt notes that this wine is like ‘spring in a
bottle’, so be sure to enjoy a glass with us this season!

With the arrival of spring comes the warmth that makes the Palmetto State so famous. One of the best spaces to relax at The Willcox has always been around the pool, which has undergone recent renovations in time for the spring and summer.

The Willcox now offers more room for al fresco dining and outdoor event space with the additions of fresh brickwork and an expanded layout. In addition to a larger poolside space, you might also notice a variety of landscaping enhancements surrounding the area.

Whether it’s a dip in the pool, brunch, or a celebratory event this spring, you are invited to check out these recent improvements upon your next visit!

Interested in booking your next event with us? Contact Katherine Grantham at kgrantham@thewillcox.com for more information.

 

This year marks the Aiken Steeplechase Association’s 57th Annual Spring Steeplechase Championship, slated for Saturday, March 23rd at the Aiken Steeplechase Racecourse. As locals and visitors alike travel to witness this historic tradition of equestrian pageantry, it’s one of Aiken’s most wondrous spring occasions. Although the big event all whittles down to equine excellence, steeplechase festivities breathe exciting energy to the City of Aiken with a carriage parade, stick horse races, hat contests, tailgate competitions, tent parties and more.

Cheers of onlookers echo as scents of spring fill the air, and women’s decorative hats and men’s seersucker suits blend seamlessly with the surrounding excitement. To help the Aiken community and its visitors get Steeplechase-ready, downtown Aiken abounds with a variety of local shops and boutiques to help you celebrate race day in classic style.

Whether you are a local or visiting this spring, Aiken’s equestrian roots are a way of life in this corner of the Palmetto State. For quintessential southern expression, explore the City of Aiken’s list of local retailers here. For more information regarding ticket purchases and how you can keep the steeplechase traditions thriving in Aiken, visit aikensteeplechase.com.

A lifelong resident of Aiken, Sissy Brodie is the definition of a Southern Belle. Some of her earliest childhood memories consist of posing on the steps of The Willcox with her little sister for family pictures. “I loved to get glimpses at the elegant woman inside. I would see their beautiful dresses and hats and listen to them stirring the sugar in their iced tea. I swear I can still hear them today,” Sissie recalls.

Her love for tea parties began in her early years, when her imagination ran wild around a miniature table adorned with play tea sets. As she grew into adulthood, her affection for timeless manners and Southern traditions never waned. This great love affair would continue to grow, eventually culminating into her famous tea parties. Little girls who received invitations to these famed gatherings would be required to send both a handwritten letter of acceptance and a thank you note in order to attend.

Along with her adoration for Southern culture, time-honored etiquette, and the lightheartedness of a graceful tea party, Sissy has also accumulated a stunning collection of hats over the years. Whether she has acquired them herself or received them as heirlooms from others in the Aiken area, Sissy refers to the idea of “hattitude”. Adorned in her cream beret on a beautiful day outside of The Willcox, learn more about Sissy’s fascinating story by watching the video below.

Did you know one of the first incorporated golf courses in the country was founded in Aiken in 1892? Thomas Hitchcock Sr., a prominent sportsman from Long Island, along with his good friend William C. Whitney, started The Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, which is considered the oldest continually operated 18-hole golf course in the Southeast and 2nd oldest in the Country.

Aiken, often referred to as The Sports Capital of the South, is home to world-class equestrian, tennis and of course golf. With Augusta National Golf Club, home of the famous Masters Golf Tournament, and many other world-class golf courses, the area continues to draw the interest of golf lovers from around the world. It comes as no surprise that new clubs continue to spring up across Aiken’s landscape, each featuring distinct character that adds to this rich tapestry of golf in South Carolina’s heartland.

When you visit The Willcox and head out for the greens this spring, know that you’re teeing off in the setting of a long, fascinating golf story that continues to grow alongside this rich city. It’s incredibly exciting to witness the remarkable proliferation of golf courses across Aiken and welcome the wonderful guests who come to visit them. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, there’s a slice of green heaven for players of all ability levels located just minutes from the hotel.

Learn more about these stunning courses in the Golf Digest article at the link below, which covers the exciting details about golf in Aiken.

We sat down with our resident sommelier, Matthew Sayer, and discussed this season’s wine recommendation (and yes, we discussed over a glass!) This beautiful, ruby color wine with an amazing fruit aroma has a warm, long finish- Perfect for those cool winter months! We learned that it comes from a variety of grapes native to only Italy, specifically the Friluli Foothills, Province of Pordenone. We can’t wait to try a glass with what Matt recommends-A savory pasta dish or a charcuterie board of salami and cheese.

Next time that you’re visiting with us, enjoy a bottle and embrace the moment. Think of all the warm memories that you have made this season, and those that you have yet to make.

Want to purchase by the bottle? Visit Aiken’s local bottle shop,
Cork & Cap, on Laurens Street to shop for one.