What’s better than one wine festival? Two festivals in one! That’s what you get with the debut of Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, a three day extravaganza of food and wine held over Labor Day Weekend (August 29 – 31).
This event combines the best of the Sonoma County Showcase of Wine & Food and the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, and serves as a reminder that
Highlights include Taste of Sonoma County at MacMurray Ranch on Saturday, August 30, with more than 100 wineries and 60 chefs offering their wines and food for sampling. Also included are wine seminars, chef demonstrations, vineyard experiences, and a top chef competition.
The Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction at Cline Cellars on Sunday, August 31 features rare and notable wines. The event raises funds for local charities.
Always-popular winery lunches and dinners occur throughout the weekend, as do other events at the numerous
For more information about Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, visit
www.sonomawinecountryweekend.com, or call (800) 939-7666.
Paso Robles Harvest Wine Tour: October 19-21, 2007
Paso Robles is the perfect place to visit any time of year, but harvest is particularly fun and colorful. Warm days and cool nights are a boon to both grape growing and tourism, while the vineyard hues change to red and gold. Scents of ripened fruit permeate the air, while the sounds of celebration from a year’s worth of hard work echo throughout the valley. What better time to celebrate harvest than with the annual Paso Robles Wine Harvest Wine Tour scheduled for October 19 through 21.
This three-day celebration of the beginning of the 2007 vintage is a combination of individual events held at more than 100 wineries throughout Paso Robles Wine Country. Consumers are invited to attend winemaker dinners, barrel tastings, harvest demonstrations, special tours, cooking classes, grape stompings, and much more.
Why Paso? Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles is California’s fastest growing wine region. Acclaimed both nationally and internationally for its superb wines, Paso Robles encompasses more than 26,000 vineyard acres and over 170 wineries.
The Paso Robles Vintners Association website has a complete list of participating wineries and events, as well as local lodging and dining options. For more information, visit www.pasowine.com
San Luis Obispo Vintners Annual Harvest Celebration: November 2-4, 2007
San Luis Obispo is not always on the tip of the tongue when it comes to discussing wine regions, but it should be, because SLO vintners are making some terrific wines that are finally garnering the attention they deserve.
Discover just how good the SLO wines are during the annual Harvest Celebration November 2 through 4.
On November 2, SLO wineries and restaurants partner to create unique and festive wine & food experiences.
Join Winemakers and Winery Owners at the Avila Beach Golf Resort on November 3 as more than 30 San Luis Obispo wineries and restaurants celebrate the harvest with the Central Coast's premier wine tasting and auction, featuring wineries and restaurants from the San Luis Obispo region. The live auction features a wide range of wine formats and experiences, while the spectacular flavors of local chefs and winemakers will be accompanied by the smooth sounds of jazz. Complimentary admission to Sunday Open Houses at participating wineries is included in the $75 admission fee.
The Harvest Celebration concludes on November 4 with SLO Winery Open House Celebrations. Discover the people and the terrior that shaped the SLO wine region as vintners open their doors for tours, tasting, and more.
For more information and tickets, visit www.slowine.com, or call 805-541-5858 or 805-269-TASTE.
Temecula Valley Harvest Wine Celebration: November 3 & 4, 2007
In celebration of a year’s culmination of hard work with the vines, Temecula Valley wineries invite the public to join them for a fun-filled weekend of food and wine. Over this two-day span, one ticket price of $83 allows wine aficionados access to all 21 participating wineries of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.
In addition to their usual selections, wineries will offer specially selected new and unreleased wines as well as barrel and tank samples.
What better way to taste wine then with the accompaniment of outstanding food? The ticket price includes cuisine created especially to compliment the wines at each winery. Enjoy food catered by local Temecula restaurants, in-house winery restaurants, and good old home-style cooking by the vintners themselves.
For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association at www.temeculawines.org.
Santa Barbara Vintners’ Association Celebration of Harvest: October 13
Downtown Santa Barbara may be known for the great restaurants, bars, and shops on State Street as well as the beautiful beaches lining the coast, but travel another thirty minutes North on HWY 101 and discover the beauty of Santa Barbara County’s luscious wine regions in the thick of harvest.
To celebrate the excitement surrounding the picking of the grapes, the Santa Barbara Vintner’s Association holds its annual Celebration of Harvest on October 13 at Rancho Sisquoc in Santa Maria Valley.
Enjoy great food samples from local restaurants, caterers and food suppliers, live music, a Silent Wine Auction, and, most importantly, an outstanding showcase of new release wines from many of the local wineries.
Santa Barbara County is known for everything from the outstanding Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays emanating from Santa Rita Hills to the powerful Syrahs and Sauvignon Blancs in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Consider extending your stay to take advantage of the Vintners’ Visa, a four-day pass (October 12 to October 15) that includes admission to special tours and winemakers dinners at participating wineries—events offered only to Vintners’ Visa holders.
For more information, visit the Santa Barbara Vintners’ Association website at www.sbcountywines.com
