Simple Hedonisms

Posts Tagged ‘alexander valley’

Last week I wrote about the Taste Alexander Valley event and special reader ticket discount code. In a nutshell 30 wineries will roll out the red carpet, for a great weekend full of food, music, and wine. The atmosphere is always fun, lively, and down to earth. Each of the wineries  will offer gourmet foods, paired with their own wines and many will incorporate a party theme featuring musical entertainment. Special wine discounts will also be available at most venues. Download the 3 page program here and plan your route!

Enter to Win Tickets – Two Different Ways:

Read carefully – TWO ways to win and you can enter both!

(1) Post in comments:

Tell us your favorite winery of the participating 30 wineries (list here) and why.

OR

If you have never visited any, which would be your top choice to visit, and wine(s) to try.

(2) Become an email subscriber (existing ones win too!)

Subscribe to Simple Hedonisms email updates so you never miss an article. Email is secure and never spammed. Important: You MUST complete the registration process to be eligible, which requires you click on a verification link sent to your email. This is usually almost immediate, so if you don’t see it, check your spam.

Winners will be drawn this Wednesday at 5pm – only 48 hours, get on it! And don’t forget to take advantage of specials to stock up, buy local, and support your local small artisans!

If you don’t win, you still have until Thursday night to save money by purchasing advance  tickets – just  click here, and enter code SIMPLE at checkout for $10 off. People, that’s $55 for two days of world class entertainment, best value date in town!

Follow the Fun

Follow Alexander Valley on Facebook and Twitter for news, updates and fun. Twitter followers (or anyone with a web browser) can follow the Hashtag #TAV11 by clicking here.

cheers!

Alexander Valley is home to 40 wineries and stunning vineyards. Each year they roll out the red carpet, throw open the doors (and bottles) for a great weekend full of food, music, and wine. The atmosphere is always fun, lively, and down to earth.

Guests  will enjoy world class wines, international foods and a variety of outdoor entertainment while enjoying breathtaking views of northern Sonoma County’s inspiring mountainside vineyards.

Each of the more than 30 wineries will offer gourmet foods, paired with their own wines and many will incorporate a party theme featuring musical entertainment. Special wine discounts will also be available at most venues.

A few examples of the fun:

• Latin jazz, samba and rock fusion performed by Bautista, will hold court at Alexander Valley Vineyards along with their smoky syrahs, spicy zinfandels and braised short ribs courtesy of Healdsburg’s Zin Restaurant.

• deLorimier Winery“Hollywood in Wine Country” -   deLorimier will be featuring their entire collection of beautiful wines, grilled rib-eye steaks and 3 barrels to taste the future of deLorimier Winery. Live music both days provided by the Open Hearts band.

• Robert Young ‘Area 27′ – Local residents of Alexander Valley have reported seeing unusually  bright lights in the evening sky. After extensive investigation by high-level government
  officials, the remarkable phenomenon at the Robert Young Vineyards known as Area 27 is still a mystery. Soon after the sightings, reliable sources observed curious activity at the Robert Young Estate Winery. Wine aficionados often attribute terrestrial elements (Terroir) for the winery’s distinguished  and elegant wines, but perhaps, the contributing elements are extraterrestrial. Whatever is cooking at Robert Young, it must be Out of This World!

Download the 3 page program here and plan your route!

Other weekend hosts featuring live music include Clos de Bois Wines, Delorimier Winery and Hanna Winery & Vineyards — playing off of Mardi Gras, Hollywood in Wine Country and Major League Baseball themes. Lots of summertime BBQ favorites, summer salsas and chutneys, specialty pizzas, gourmet sliders and pulled pork sandwiches, artisan cheeses and luscious desserts will be featured alongside Alexander Valley’s world class varietals and blends over the fun-filled weekend.

Ticket Information AND Special $10 off for Simple Hedonisms Readers

Weekend passes (valid for both days – 11am to 4pm) are $65 per person in advance and $75 per person the day of the event. Tickets for the Opening Gala dinner event on Friday, May 20 from 5:00 to 8:30pm are $90/person.

To purchase tickets click here, and enter code SIMPLE at checkout for $10 off. People, that’s $55 for two days of world class entertainment, best value date in town!  Expires Wed. May 18th.

Participating Wineries

Winery participants are Alexander Valley Vineyards, Blue Rock Vineyard, Clos du Bois, deLorimier Winery, Field Stone Winery & Vineyard, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Garden Creek Winery, Hanna Winery & Vineyards, Hart’s Desire Wines, Hawkes Wine, Icaria Winery, J. Rickards Winery, Kelley & Young, Medlock Ames, Mercury Wine, Palmeri Wines, Pech Merle Winery, Pendleton Estate, Quaking Hills Winery, Robert Young Estate Winery, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Sapphire Hill Winery, Sausal Winery, Silver Oak Cellars, Simi Winery, Soda Rock Winery, Souverain, Starlite Vineyards, Stonestreet Winery, Stryker Sonoma, Stuhlmuller Vineyards, Trione Vineyards & Winery, Vintners Signatures and White Oak Vineyards & Winery.

You can also follow Alexander Valley on Facebook and Twitter for news, updates and fun.

Enjoy the discount code (share the love!) and the great weekend – cheers!

You’ve seen the classy black and red Riedel cartons at kitchenware retail. They have an elite aura and great appeal as gifts. But do you know the story behind them? The Riedel name and family has been synonymous with glassware for over 250 years and 11 generations.  But it wasn’t until the 1960’s that the company began to focus in earnest on fine wine glasses.  A handmade Sommeliers series was launched in 1973, introducing for the first time a revolutionary concept: that glass size and shape directly affects the wine inside.

The current generation, Georg Riedel, took the idea further by developing “varietal-specific” glasses to enhance individual wine varietals. Today, Riedels’ Vinum glasses are machine-made, making varietal-specific tasting more affordable and accessible to wine lovers everywhere.

Riedel Tasting @Trione Vineyards & Winery

I participated in a Riedel seminar recently at Trione Winery in Geyserville, CA.  Trione produces fine wines from the Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley of northern Sonoma county. The Trione portfolio is perfect for the Riedel tasting experience. Each of vintner Scot Covingtons’ wines is true to it’s varietal character while showing consistent quality and structure. Scot makes a Trione Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet, matching the 4-glass Vinum set.

Tasting Presentation

Each place at the tasting table was set with 4 wine glasses, a water glass and a plastic “Joker” glass.  The 4 glasses comprise Riedel’s Vinum set:

• Bordeaux/Cabernet
• Burgundy/Pinot Noir
• Sauvignon Blanc/Dessert Wine
• Montrachet/Chardonnay

Through a series of tasting wines matched and mis-matched to their glasses, and in plastic (ick), the group of tasters became converts to the science of varietal glassware.

Wine Delivery System

Riedel speaks of a glass as a complete wine delivery system. The Chardonnay glass delivered the pure fruit, refreshing acidity, light oak, and warm finish of the Trione Russian River Valley Chardonnay.  The wide rim and deep bowl harmonizes these four strong characteristics into a balanced whole, with no one overpowering the others.  As a test, we poured some Chardonnay from its glass into a narrow Sauvignon Blanc glass.  The oak had no room to breathe, and the taste was completely off. Same wine, completely different taste experience. And of course, when we poured Chardonnay into the Joker glass, there was virtually no aroma, and no sense of oak in the mouth.

We went through a similar ritual with the Trione Sauvignon Blanc. The Riedel glass delivered crisp fruit and yeast directly to the taste receptors from a narrow rim, narrower bowl, tall-stemmed glass (keeping the heat of the hand away from the wine).  In contrast, the Pinot Noir glass has a wide bowl with a narrower rim, bringing the fruit quickly to the top, as in “fruit forward”.  Pinot Noir in the Sauvignon Blanc glass was a real disaster. The narrow delivery system passed the wine straight through to the back of the palette where the bitter receptors are. Hard to believe it was the same wine.

We also had a lesson in decanting and cleaning of wine glasses.  Riedel recommends using no soap, rinsing wine glasses in very hot water and drying with a non-linty towel (microfiber works well). Towels can be boiled in hot water or washed without detergent to keep fragrances away from contact with the porous glass.

Find yourself a Riedel Seminar

Varietal glassware completely changed my tasting experience and awareness. I highly recommend the Riedel Seminar, and it’s also a great way to start your collection of varietal glasses. Each Riedel tasting includes the 4-glass Vinum set. To find a Riedel seminar near you, do a google search.

Better yet, come to Barrel Tasting Weekend on Sonoma’s Wine Road. Trione Winery and over 100 other wineries open their cellars and barrels for 2 weekends in March. The March 5^th Barrel Tasting weekend pass is available with a Riedel seminar (and glasses). Tickets here.

Riedel URL

Facebook

RiedelUSA on Twitter

If you have tasted with me before, you likely know I am not a fan of many ‘New World’ style cabernets. ‘In your face with a bat’ oak and tannins, is not a replacement for complexity, and I wish we’d stop confusing the average consumer’s palate thus.

I was pleasantly surprised by this sample of Reynoso’s newly released 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, especially for the $24 price point. I was also unaware  that the vineyard fruit that produces this cabernet is also sold to well known, high end label Silver Oak for its own release. (The Reynoso’s only keep a small amount of their estate fruit.)

I reviewed the wine both after immediately opening, as well as letting it get some air contact. It improved as expected, but the approachability was present at opening.

Wine Review

To the Eye: Deep violet,  inky purple color

On the Nose: Black fruit,  vanilla, currant, and a hint of bell pepper, leather

In The Mouth: Plush, rich, full, approachable. Plum, black fruit, cocoa/chocolate.)  Tannins present but balanced and elegant. I was pleased the alcohol was a moderate  14%, and moderate use of oak, 35% new French oak.

Pairing: A variety of meats as one expects with Cabernet. I envision a fillet. I generally think of cabernet as a food only wine, but could see myself sipping on this solo on the couch with a fire and a book at the end of the day.

Where to Buy: Online and a variety of distributors, listed on their Facebook Page. $24 (media sample.)

I also spotted on their Facebook page a post saying shipping was included with a case purchase, if you used code “facebook fan.” Not sure when expires, but give it a try.

Recommendation: If you are a Cabernet fan, this is an excellent value for the quality, in a world of California $50-$100+ for cabernet. I found myself pouring a second glass after the review.

Earlier this year, Simple Hedonisms reviewed the tasty Long Gamma white blend, so I was quite pleased when I got my hands on a bottle of the Long Gamma red to taste.

Review

Ever have one of those weeks you wanted to clone yourself to get more done? As a lover of Wine Country Events, its a weekend like that, starting tomorrow. Just North Sonoma alone is a hotbed of activity.  Featured below are some of the highlights.

Taste Alexander Valley – Saturday & Sunday 11-4

The folks in Alexander Valley, a wine region in North Sonoma, have outdone themselves with a stunning array of food and  wine pairings, and entertainment to boot at many. 35 wineries, some open only for this event, are pouring great wines, pairing savory wine country food.  Check out previous articles for details. Tickets are no longer available online here, are $75 at door. That’s a bargain for ten hours of Sonoma entertainment.

The event kicked off last night with the Opening Night Gala at Rodney Strong’s rarely open Crown Vineyard. It’s sold out, sorry, I did say to buy early!

Plan your day using  Tips & Suggestions for June 5&6 Taste Alexander Valley.

Russian River Single Night (Single Wines, not people) – Saturday 630-10pm

C. Donatiello Winery
4035 Westside Road
Healdsburg, CA  95448

The Russian River Wine Growers are hosting a new event, this Saturday night, Singles Night. No,  its not a meat market, its for everyone, the ‘Single’ being single varietal (grape ) wines. This fun filled, unique is at C. Donietello Winery. Get there on time for the special tasting in the cellar room that starts at  630. Bring friends to bid on the very cool auction lots, specially designed to win/share with friends. Details here and here. The list of Single Night participating Wineries is pretty spetacular. As of now, some tickets are still available, but have been selling briskly.

8 at the Gate – Sunday, June 6th  11am to 4pm.

8 at The Gate is a special treat if you are a club member of one of these 8 wineries: Balletto Vineyards, Dutton-Goldfield Winery, Dutton Estate Winery, Hanna Winery, Iron Horse Vineyards, Marimar Estate and Taft Street Winery. I am a little miffed about short notice for this event, (I am a member) and overlap to the Taste Alexander Valley event. I know overlap is sometimes inevitable, but it would be nice to see the North Sonoma Wine Road appellations try and co-ordinate; I’d have liked to attend, and spend money at both events.

The event is a traveling farmer’s market with each winery pouring their best wines, offering irresistible wine club discounts and showcasing a local food purveyor and fresh produce from their own winery gardens. For this one special day, you can visit the 8 neighboring wineries, and receive all the privileges of being a member for the day. The wineries are within three miles of each other at the gateway to the Russian River Valley, so it’s a perfect fit for a one-day excursion. Each membership 4 accompanying guests to share in the fun.

Windsor Oaks: Chillin by the Pinot Pond – Saturday & Sunday  11 to 4

Windsor Oaks Vineyards, 10810 Hillview Road, Windsor, CA

Another great venue, only open 18 days a year. Chill Out by the Pinot Pond at Windsor Oaks Vineyards and Winery on Friday June 4^th, Saturday June 5^th and Sunday June 6^th from 11 to 4!  If you have a passion for Pinot, you will love tasting and comparing several their artisan Pinot Noir’s.  Other award winning wines will also be poured.  Order a gourmet box lunch to enjoy pond-side or bring goodies from home.  $10 tasting fee waived with purchase.

Kendall Jackson Farm Stand – Saturday 10-2

The Kendall Jackson Wine Center culinary gardens are home to hundreds of fruit, vegetable and herb varietals from around the globe. It’s the source of fresh produce for our own culinary team and many exclusive restaurants in the Bay Area, and now  sharing their bounty  at the Kendall-Jackson Farm Stand!

• Purchase Heirloom Vegetables from the Gardens
• Chef’s Cooking Demonstrations
• Garden Seminars with Master Gardeners
• Wine Tasting and Education

The first Saturday of each month May through October, starting on Saturday, May 1.

Kickoff of 20th Annual Summer Concert Series at Rodney Strong Vineyards  – Kenny Loggins, Saturday 4 pm

This year’s Rodney Strong Concert Series includes returning greats and winery first-timers that make a stellar lineup for the winery’s 20^th annual concert series.

The season will kick off on June 5^th with Kenny Loggins. As a solo artist Kenny went on to stardom with such top hits as “Whenever I Call You Friend”, “I’m Alright”, “Footloose” and “Danger Zone.” I ran into the head of PR last night at the TAV Gala Event, and was told a few tickets ere still left.

Season passes and individual concert tickets are available here or by calling (707) 869-1595 ext. 4.  Tickets can be purchased in person at the Rodney Strong Vineyards Tasting Room. Doors: 4 p.m./Show: 5 p.m. Tickets VIP: $110/GA: $75. For more information click here.

For additional events, check out the Wine Road and Inside Sonoma websites.

Have a GREAT Weekend enjoying the Simple Hedonisms of Wine Country, cheers!

Unless you have been in a cave, or not reading my blog, (tsk tsk) as a wine lover you know this weekend is the Taste of Alexander Valley, a spectacular wine and food event, where for only $55 (with promo code) you can visit 35 wineries pouring world class wines, paired with gourmet food bites.

Wineries survive on wine sales, and look forward to these events for the opportunity to meet people face to face, try their wines, and if they like them, take some home. During the Taste Alexander Valley, many wineries offer exceptional incentives make that decision a little bit easier.

Winery Sales Promotions this weekend include:

• deLorimier Winery: Is offering  50% off Case only special (mix & match ok)
  • 2004 deLorimier “Mosaic” Meritage ($40 retail)
  • 2005 Preston Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – Alexander Valley ($36 retail)
  • 2005 Preston Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – Alexander Valley ($52 retail)
  • 2005 Dry Creek Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($24 retail)

  Plus Free Shipping on Orders of 3 or more cases. Limited quantities of above, so don’t wait!

• HANNA: Is offering 15% off any 6 bottle purchases (30% to wine club members).

• Joseph Family Vineyards: Will be offering its Alexander Valley Cabernets at a 10% discount off the regular retail 750 ml bottle price of $40. The wines that will be offered and available for tasting are the 2005 ( 92 pts. Wine Entusiast): $36 [Limited Availability]  and the 2006 ( Double Gold, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competion; 90 pts. Steven Tanzer): $36
• Rodney Strong (Sunday only): Is offering 20% discount on purchases of six bottles or more

• Simi Winery: Will be offering 25% off of any mixed 6 bottle combo except older/library vintages and large format. Also, the famed Sonoma County Chardonnay at $10 a bottle by the case only normally $18 a bottle.
• Sausal Winery: Is offering 15% off any 6-pack and 20% off any case purchase.
• Terroirs Artisan Wines: Is offering 25% discount on the  Palmeri 2005 Syrah Van Ness Vineyard. Regular price is $37.

• Trione Vineyards and Winery: Is offering:
  • 2007 Sauvignon Blanc; regularly $23, during TAV it will be $16 per bottle.
  • “Russian River Blow Out!” Buy a mixed case (4 each) of our 2006 Pinot, 2006 Chardonnay and 2007 Sauvignon Blanc for $269, regularly $384!
  • All guests receive 20% on our 2005 single vineyard Reserve Cabernet and our pre-release 2006 Red Wine (usually ONLY discounted to wine club!) Club members receive 30% off!
  • Social Media and 4Square Gurus – Tweet with #Trione, #TAV10 -  check in, tweet us, post a  pic on Twitter or Facebook and show it to receive the wine club discount on featured wines!
  • VIP Tour and Tastings for 6 to everyone 100^th guest (follow on Twitter w/#Trione and @TrioneWinery)

• White Oak Winery: Will be offering a discount on their 2007 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc. Normally $16.00 a bottle: $11.95 for one bottle, $9.95 per bottle if you purchase a 1/2 case, $8.00 per bottle if you purchase a case. Also, all White Oak non-wine merchandise will be $10 off! Items less than $10 are “Buy one, get 1 50% off”.

This is a great opportunity to stock up, Buy Local, and have memories later to remember the event; if you enjoy the wine and the hospitality, grab a few bottles. Per yesterday’s article, Tips & Suggestions for June 5&6 Taste Alexander Valley, don’t forget to pack a cooler, or two!

Have a GREAT wine and food filled weekend – You can follow my adventures, tasting notes, and pics on Twitter (hash tag #TAV10) and Facebook.

Twitter posts are also displayed right here on the blog on the Tweetedia widget on the right column of the blog.

Cheers!!!

We are just a few days away from the Taste of Alexander Valley, a fun filled weekend, I am very much looking forward. Thirty-five Wineries, many without tasting rooms, or open to public are pairing their wines, with gourmet food, and in many cases entertainment. Reviewing the list last night, planning my route, was making my mouth water – the wineries have really outdone themselves.

Planning Your Stops

If you have read my articles before on events, you will recall a consistent theme of making a plan. Taste Alexander Valley has a little more leisurely pace than some of the Sonoma events where you have to choose from 100+ wineries in a few days, but I have always found the event more enjoyable if I take a few minutes with a map, the list of offers by winery and make an ‘A’ list of those I don’t want to miss. You have unique opportunities, such as “Outlaw 7″ seven very small wineries,  you may not come across otherwise.

I find it fun to also have a bit of a theme for the weekend; is my main focus this time exploring wineries I have never been too? Maybe its on a hunt for a certain type of varietal (wine type). Maybe mostly visit favorites. Maybe the music and/or food offers are the theme. I often do one theme one day, and one the other.

My two personal quests for this event: (1) visit as many new wineries as I can, as I have tended to focus on my faves like Stryker Sonoma, Trione and a few others repeatedly, more from habit and friendship.  (2) My love affair with Rhone wines (22 wonderful varietals from the Rhone region of France) after attending Hospice du Rhone remains at an all time high, so I will be seeking these out. I have already marked producers of Syrah, Grenache, Viognier; I am hoping to find some other Rhone varietals and blends. (Petite Sirah doesn’t count sorry.) Shout out to me if you have one, or know of one!

Print out the two page overview, look at the map make some notes, give it some thought, I promise you’ll find the investment worthwhile instead of randomly driving and stopping.

The Alexander Valley website also has a great sorting tool where you can search by wines produced, amenities and more.

What to bring

As a near professional eventer, I have a standard list of things I load up to have on hand:

• Clothing: Yes, wear clothes. Plan on layers, the day starts cool and warms as it goes. Most events seem focused on outside, but if you spend anytime in a barrel room or cellar, the temperature will be 58 degrees, you’ll want a layer to put on. Weather info here.
  
• Credit Card: This is a great time to buy wine; some of these wineries don’t have tasting rooms, or limited distribution. If you find something you like, buy a bottle or 3. Many wineries will be offering sales on releases and cases, which I will feature in a article tomorrow.  Many of these wineries are (very) small business and family owned, and they aren’t non profits, they stay in business via wine sales. These events don’t generate profit, they actually cost the winery money unless sales are good. Please support small local business and artisans.
• Cooler. I actually bring two. One small one with soft drinks, water, caffeine sources, fruit, and a second larger one for wine. There is no better way to ruin wine then to leave it in a 75+ degree car for the afternoon.
• Spit Cup: Most consumers are not going to do this, but I am relentless on sharing how this changed my tasting experience. If you become a hard core wine taster, you eventually have no choice to learn this; taste 50+ wines in an hour and you learn why the big red plastic cups are prevalent at industry events. It takes as little as 6-8 oz of wine to impact your sensory analysis and judgement, and move from wine tasting, to drinking.  Nothing wrong with the latter, if being responsible, but it depends on your goal. Tasting room staff should generally recognize a more serious wine taster and buyer, and you usually also get more interesting pours. At a minimum, especially in the first few hours as you warm up, make use of the dump bucket – its not an insult to take a taste, and dump out the rest.
• Sunny Disposition: You are in gorgeous wine country, having fun. Smile, relax, breathe the great air and be one with the vineyard. If it gets busy, go easy on that staff (often volunteers) helping out. Saturday afternoon is generally the busiest time, so I plan accordingly and seek out the less beaten paths.

For participating wineries, the article I wrote a few months ago  may be of interest: Wine Road Barrel Tasting & Social Media – Optimizing Your Event

Still haven’t bought a ticket yet? Don’t wait, the Friday night opening Gala has already sold out. You can save $20 buy buying online in advance, AND use promo code FBOOK.

I hope that is helpful, don’t hesitate to post questions, suggestions, or comments – I want to hear from you!

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow (or sign up for email updates) for a special article on Sales Promotions by participating wineries.

Cheers, and hope to see you there! You can also follow my adventures, tasting notes, and pics on Twitter (hash tag #TAV10) and Facebook.

In my last post about the upcoming Taste of Alexander Valley, I mentioned there will be several ways to win tickets. We gave away tickets last Friday night at the Sonoma Facebook Wine Meetup. Today Simple Hedonisms and Alexander Valley Winegrowers kick off the Alexander Valley Trivia Contest. Below are 4 Trivia questions, that come right from the Alexander Valley Winegrowers website. (please note, contest is now closed)

To Enter The Contest:

• Make a comment on the blog with your answers to the questions. I will see these, but they will not be published until the contest has ended so people don’t copy answers.
• The person with the most answers correct wins. If there is a tie, a drawing will be made.

All questions come from information on their website, and is considered the source for correct answers:

1. What Winery produces a Grenache?
2. What year did Alexander Valley received federal recognition as an AVA?
3. Which Winery is the Farthest North (by map)?
4. Which 3 Wineries are listed as available for Weddings and Events?

Contest Winners will be announced Friday  at noon.

!Make sure you leave contact info! (and check email/blog/FaceBook for winner announcement)

One additional  chance to win:

One final winner will be drawn from email subscribers of Simple Hedonisms. To win you must have a validated (accepted) registration for blog email updates. (You get a simple two2 sentence summary of new blog posts via email.) These email updates are brief, secure, and never distributed.

The contest begins NOW – Good luck!

(and don’t forget to use Promo Code: ‘FBOOK” – when ordering tickets for a special discount!

Summer is here in Wine Country, and the plethora of amazing food and wine experiences is getting ready to ramp up, right through fall Harvest.

One of the highlights of the start of summer, is the Taste of Alexander Valley, an incredible event featuring food and wine pairings, and entertainment from 35 wineries in gorgeous Alexander Valley. I have yet to visit a fair number of these, and I bet many gems await your discovery as well.

Two Days of Casual Elegance, World Class Food and Wines

The event is June 5 & 6th, from 11-4 pm. Only two days, so many great places, so little time – will need a plan! Luckily the Alexander Valley website is very well done with great interactive tools and maps, the ability to sort by many different ways including varietal (3 wineries make Tempranillo – who knew?!), even sort by dog friendly! As the event gets closer, I will write an article to assist with planning your days, but all the tools are here.

For only $65, a weekend ticket provides you the chance to experience 35 wineries hosting their own special parties offering wine and food pairings, live entertainment and special weekend wine discounts. For a list of Participating Wineries and a Description of their featured pairings, click HERE.

*Special Offer* Enter Promo Code: FBOOK when you purchase online, and get $10 off – thats the entire weekend of premium food, wine, and entertainment in gorgeous Alexander Valley, for $55. To purchase tickets online CLICK HERE.

There are new wineries, as well as wineries not normally open to the public or without tasting rooms participating – have to admit a few I never heard of. (Check out the ‘The Outlaw 7′ pouring at the  Geyserville Inn: Icaria Winery, Joseph Family Vineyards, Kelley & Young, Pendleton Estate, Quaking Hills Winery, and Wilson Fleming Estate Winery.)

Friday Night Opening Gala

For those Hedonists looking for even more culinary and wine delights, there is a special event Friday night to kick it off,  The Opening Gala. Friday June 4 from 5:00–8:30 PM at Rodney Strong’s renowned Alexander’s Crown Vineyard estate. The Gala will feature reserve wines from throughout Alexander Valley and a variety of exquisite small plates prepared by Peloton Catering. There will also be live swing music by Stompy Jones, a well known San Francisco bases sextet. Mingle with Alexander Valley’s winemakers, winery principals, and vineyard owners at “The Crown”, amidst stunning Alexander Valley views. Tickets are  $90 with limited availability, and nearly sold out.

Win Free Tickets

Taste of Alexander Valley has been generous enough to donate tickets for promotional giveway. Two winners will be selected this Friday, May 21st, at the Sonoma Facebook Wine Meetup, in downtown Healdsburg, at the new Roadhouse Winery. Early next week, we will announce a contest for drawing for an additional winners, so stay tuned. And in yet one more chance to win, there will be a drawing for tickets to email subscribers of Simple Hedonisms. (top right.) Come back for details, as well as Tips on planning your event, as well as a special article on Winery inventory promotions.

See you in Alexander Valley – Cheers!