Simple Hedonisms

Posts Tagged ‘Healdsburg’

William has invited me to keep you apprised of upcoming wine events for the North Coast with weekly posts here at Simple Hedonisms. Each article will cover roughly 2 weeks of events taking place in Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties. Every now and then, there’ll be a sneak preview of something farther out in time or distance.

All events listed below are in chronological order by region. Some events require advance reservations or ticketing, so it’s best to click through for any event you’d like to attend. The headline links for each event will take you to the calendar at NorCalWine.com where you’ll find further details on that event. And event organizers sometimes change details at the last minute, so it’s always a good idea to contact the host prior to showing up at their doorstep.

One-time, up-front disclaimer (in future articles, this will appear at the end): The events I’ll call attention to here are those that I’ve become aware of and which offer something beyond the standard winery tasting room experience. Neither I nor William are compensated by any of the event organizers in any way. The listings are for the benefit of the community. Enjoy!

Event organizers and publicists wishing to maximize the likelihood of their events being published here should post their events in the calendar at NorCalWine.com. Posting events there requires a one-time registration (easy, peasy), but is totally free of charge. And it only takes a couple of minutes. I’ll soon post a guide at NorCalWine.com with tips on how to make event posts as effective as possible.

Now that that’s out of the way… Wow! What a busy couple of weekends we’ve got coming up. If it weren’t for the Super Bowl this Sunday — an event against which few wineries are daring to compete —  I’d still be clacking away, adding festivities. Valentine’s Day has inspired a huge bouquet of events pairing wine and chocolate, wine and oysters, wine and flowers, wine and romance. I’ll take any of those over a Hallmark card. (Gentlemen, this is not a suggestion that you forgo a card this year. Bad idea!)

Have a great weekend and I hope to see you tomorrow afternoon at the Micro-Winery Collective Open House at the Inspiration Vineyards tasting room in Santa Rosa.

Lake County

Saturday, February 11

Wine & Chocolate . . . and More! at Mt. Konocti Winery — Lakeport: 12:00 – 4:00
There will be more than 30 wineries pouring premium Lake County wines paired with gourmet chocolates and savories by Master Sommelier Candidate and Masters of Wine Candidate Sommelier Stephanie Green.

Marin County

Tuesday, February 7

Happy Hour with Tudal Family Winery at Bacchus Venus — Sausalito: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Taste through a flight of Tudal Wine’s for $10.

Mendocino County

Sunday, February 11

McFadden’s Second Saturday — Hopland: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Enjoy McFadden’s wines made from 100% organically-grown grapes and paired with a delicious food treat.

Wine & Chocolate Extravaganza at RWV Wineries — Redwood Valley: 11:00am – 5:00pm
One ticket gets you a glass for Wine Tasting and Chocolates at all 9 locations.

Cupid in the Caves at Saracina Vineyards, Hopland: 12:30pm – 4:00pm
Stop by the Saracina Tasting Bar for the romance-inducing foods of the gods: wine, oysters and chocolate!

Crab Feast in the Barrel Room at Jaxon Keys Winery — Hopland: 6:00pm – 10:00pm
A Valentines Weekend Crab Feast in the Jaxon Keys Barrel Room. They’ll start things off with Oysters three ways: Rockefeller, Florentine, and raw and then it’s all about the crab!

Napa Valley

Friday, February 3

Annual Open House at Charles Krug Winery — St. Helena: 10:30am - 4:30pm
The Peter Mondavi family welcomes you to their annual open house. Meet the family, taste new releases and enjoy live music.

Saturday, February 4

Annual Open House at Charles Krug Winery — St. Helena: 10:30am - 4:30pm
The Peter Mondavi family welcomes you to their annual open house. Meet the family, taste new releases and enjoy live music.

Winter Release Day at Silver Oak — Oakville: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Release celebration for the 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and kicks off of festivities for Silver Oak’s 40th Anniversary.

Cabernet Release Event at Bennett Lane Winery — Calistoga: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Visit Bennett Lane Winery for the pre release of their 2009 Cabernet and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winter Tag-a-Long at Saddleback Cellars — Oakville: 11:00am – 5:00pm
It’s a great day to taste at Oakville wineries since most in the area celebrate the release of the 2007 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon! At Saddleback, they’ll have an enhanced tasting day with food from Rebel-Dog and live music by the Wasted Rangers.

Cabernet Pre-Release Day at Cosentino Winery — Yountville: 12:00pm - 04:00pm
Get a sneak peak at the Cosentino Winery Reserve Cabernet and its library varietal, paired with chocolate.

Cabernet Pre-Release Day at Girard Winery — Yountville: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
A sneak peak at the inaugural release of the Girard Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

Friday, February 10

Cupid’s Kitchen at Girard Winery — Yountville: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Bubbles, the Oyster Girls from Tomales Bay, a sensuous chocolate fountain and exquisite cheeses.

Saturday, February 11

Valentine’s Oyster and Wine Pairing at Black Stallion Winery — Napa: 12:00pm – 4:00pm or until the oysters run out
Oysters by the pair, six-pack or dozen. And wine!

Goosecross Valentine’s Day Party at TopFlight — Napa: 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Enjoy an afternoon of wine, chocolate and romance.

San Valentino Dinner at Andretti Winery — Napa: 6:00pm – 10:30pm
Put on your best Upscale Wine Country attire and come celebrate amore and Valentine’s Day with Andretti Winery.

Sonoma County

Saturday, February 4

Crab Feed at Sbragia Family Vineyards — Geyserville: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
The Sbragia family invites you to join them for an evening of cracked crab and fabulous wine!

Winter Release Day at Silver Oak — Geyserville: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Release celebration for the 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and kicks off of festivities for Silver Oak’s 40th Anniversary.

Syrah Saturday at Amista Vineyards – Healdsburg: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Enjoy Amista’s signature estate wines with gourmet food pairings from 11:00-4:30 on Saturday, February 4th.

Wine & Chocolate Fantasy at Rodney Strong Vineyards — Healdsburg: 10:00am - 5:00pm
The Rodney Strong barrel room is transformed into a beautiful series of halls and rooms, featuring wine and chocolate and chocolate and wine!

Micro-Winery Collective Open House at Inspiration — Santa Rosa: 11:00am - 5:00pm
These wineries don’t have public tasting rooms. This is a special opportunity for you to try and buy wines from seven uniquely different wineries, each with their own winemaker present to tell you their stories and introduce you to their wines.

Fundrasier for the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue at Marimar Estate — Sebastopol: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Tapas, wine, and an education booth run by Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue

Tuesday, February 7

Tasting Tuesdays at Willi’s Wine Bar — Santa Rosa: 4:00pm - 05:30pm
This week’s guest is Jesse Inman of August Briggs Wines.

Friday, February 10

Roche Winemaker Dinner at Sheraton Sonoma County — Petaluma: 6:30pm - 09:00pm
This “Pre-Spring Fling” Winemaker Dinner is open to the public, however, advanced reservations and RSVP are required.

Saturday, February 11

Reds & Romance Weekend at Dutton Goldfield — Sebastopol: 10:00am - 04:30pm
Featuring Dutton Goldfield Winery‘s luscious red wines, including single-vineyard Pinots from the amazing 2009 vintage. A special sweet treat awaits you as well.

Bring Your Sweetheart! at Deerfield Ranch Winery — Kenwood: 10:30am – 4:30pm
Deerfield Ranch Wines paired with Robert’s handcrafted chocolate truffles.

Culinary Romance: Valentine’s Weekend at Bella Vineyards — Healdsburg: 11:00am – 4:30pm
Bring your special valentine and bask in the elegant ambiance of our wine cave as you explore the culinary side of romance.

Sweet 116 at the Wineries of 116 — Sebastopol: 11:00am – 4:00pm
Enjoy decadent treats and delicious wines at six wineries along Highway 116 near Sebastopol.

Valentine Library Wine Flight at Skewis Wines — Healdsburg: 11:00am – 4:00pm
We have a special tasting planned for Valentine’s weekend; a single vineyard, vertical tasting from our private wine library.

Miette Pastries at J Vineyards — Healdsburg: 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Head over to J Vineyards and Winery and enjoy tasty treats prepared by Executive Chef Mark E. Caldwell from the Miette, San Francisco’s most charming pastry shop.

Tasting Room Grand Opening at Karah Estate/Windy Hill — Cotati: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Come to the grand opening of the new Karah Estate tasting room and enjoy a free tasting, plus its panoramic view of the Petaluma Gap!

A Zin Affair to Remember at DeLoach Vineyards — Santa Rosa: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Vertical Zinfandel tastings, gourmet chocolate, local artisan cheeses, live music and more!

Sunday, February 12

Reds & Romance Weekend at Dutton Goldfield — Sebastopol: 10:00am - 04:30pm
Featuring Dutton Goldfield Winery‘s luscious red wines, including single-vineyard Pinots from the amazing 2009 vintage. A special sweet treat awaits you as well.

Bring Your Sweetheart! at Deerfield Ranch Winery — Kenwood: 10:30am – 4:30pm
Deerfield Ranch Wines paired with Robert’s handcrafted chocolate truffles.

Culinary Romance: Valentine’s Weekend at Bella Vineyards — Healdsburg: 11:00am – 4:30pm
Bring your special valentine and bask in the elegant ambiance of our wine cave as you explore the culinary side of romance.

Valentine Library Wine Flight at Skewis Wines — Healdsburg: 11:00am – 4:00pm
We have a special tasting planned for Valentine’s weekend; a single vineyard, vertical tasting from our private wine library.

Love and Meritage Blending Party at Topel Tasting Room — Healdsburg: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Topel winemaker Marcus Topel will pair up with KRSH Radio’s Ziggy Eschliman, best known as Ziggy – The Wine Gal, to guide friends (with or without benefits) and lovers through the wine blending process.

Wine Lover’s Event at Mounts Family Winery — Healdsburg: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Indulge yourself with a wine, cheese & chocolate Pairing and try pre-release Petite Sirah, Malbec and Zinfandel. RSVP required.

Looking Forward

Don’t forget the 7th Annual Int’l Alsace Festival coming up on February 18 in Boonville. There will be an Int’l Alsace Varietals Festival Technical Conference a Grand Tasting and a Winemakers Dinner. I’ve attended this event before and really enjoyed it.

This article is by Fred Swan for Simple Hedonisms. Photograph ©Igor Prole, used under license. All rights reserved.

What better way to get into the Holiday Spirit than to spend the day being treated like royalty by 25 Wineries in Healdsburg.

Its the Second Annual Wine’d Up!

Wine club members at any one of the participating wineries get to be a Wine Club member of the others, that day only. What a great way to taste, discover, and buy wines, at a club price.

Become a fan of Wine’d Up on Facebook!

Follow the fun on Twitter by using, following Hashtag #winedup

Not a Wine Club Member? Enter to Be One for The Day

Well, first you could/should consider joining one. I am a big proponent of wine clubs, as I wrote in Wine Clubs – A Review of Different Types and Benefits.

Simple Hedonisms and Thumbprint Cellars will give four lucky couples tickets for the day. TWO ways to win. Enter BOTH ways, to double your chances.

(1) In comments, tell us which winery below you would pick to be a wine club member of and why. Or if you are a wine club member – why. You can gift your tickets if you win, as you obviously can already attend.

(2) Sign up for an email subscription, for Simple Hedonisms. Its fast, free, secure, and takes only a minute. In the top right, simply enter your email address, go to your Inbox and click confirm on the verification link, and you are entered. (Non verified subscriptions won’t be entered.)

Featured Winery Offers for Wine’d Up

When you check in and start, you will be given a card with detail from each winery. Below are highlights of some of the offers.

Davis Family Vineyards

• 20% off all wines
• In addition to the 6 wines that are part of the  tasting we will be pouring from large formats as well.
• Will be doing a cheese & truffle pairing with truffles from  Truffle Gateaux.
• We are also offering a gift with a 6 bottle + purchase.

Windsor Vineyards

• Foi Gras and Water Chestnut Stuffed Mushrooms with Blanc De Noir and Persimmon Drizzle Paired with the 2007 Windsor Blanc de Noirs Carneros
• Crab and Shrimp Crustini paired with 2010 Windsor Chardonnay Evelyn Parrish Vineyard
• Handmade Lamb Sausage with dried cranberries and pistachio nuts with whole grain mustard sauce paired with 2009 Windsor Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
• We will be offering a selection of holiday gifts, stemware, wine accessories, clothing, wine and more:
• 30% family discount on all purchases for Wine Club Members
• 20% discount on wine purchases only for event participants
• Complimentary glass of bubbles when you refer a friend to the club

See Everyone Sunday,

Participating Wineries

Bluenose Wines
Davis Family Vineyards
Downtown Wine
Edmeades
Garagiste Healdsburg
Hart’s Desire
Hauck Cellars
Hawley
J Keverson
Kelley & Young
Kendall Jackson
La Crema
Longboard
Murphy Goode
Portalupi
Roadhouse
Sadler-Wells
Sapphire Hill
Selby
Shippey Vineyards
Toad Hollow
Topel
Willowbrook
Windsor Vineyards

This Saturday, October 29th is Topel Winery‘s annual Dogtoberfest fundraiser for the Healdsburg Animal Shelter.

This is a special event for Simple Hedonisms as it marks the Two Year anniversary of our Sonoma Wine Meetup. Our inaugural meetup was held at Topel during Dogtoberfest.

This event is special as it also marks the 2nd year that my beloved Australian Shepherd, Flash, himself a rescue, is featured in the calender.

Please register here on Eventbrite to be eligible for special door prize drawing.

The 2012 Topel Wine Tails Calendar

The event is held honoring the winners of the annual “Shoot Your Pet!” photo contest for the 2012 Topel Wine Tails Calendar, a benefit for the Healdsburg Animal Shelter.

The event features:

• Free readings by Marla, The Pet Psychic (1-4 pm)
• Renderings of your favorite pet(s) by artist Robert Harris (fee applies)
• Human and doggie treats
• Wine for humans, water for dogs!
• Great discounts on selected wines

Noon to 5 pm Saturday, October 29, 2011 Costumes welcome, but not required — after all, it’s almost Halloween!

Door Prizes Drawing for Eventbrite Attendees

Bring a printed copy of your registration ticket, we will be drawing for merchandise prizes and emailing winners the following week.
Bring your canine friend, or if you are a dog lover without one, just come enjoy the fun. (and the wine!)

The Topels, Flash and I will be there to greet you! Come see us and support this great cause.

cheers!

Guest post by Ed Thralls of WineTonite and Windsor Vineyards.

Healdsburg is a quaint little town in the northern part of Sonoma County that has really grown in prestige and popularity as a wine country vacation destination.  Located right at the crossroads of Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley it is a great home base for your next trip.  It seems to make sense that if Windsor Vineyards wanted to share their quality wines sourced from vineyards these same great AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) as well as the extreme Sonoma Coast that they have produced in Sonoma since 1959 then a return this great town was imminent.

Event

Celebrate the Grand re-Opening this weekend, September 16-18th (Link to EVENT details), with a weekend of wine, food, music and wine country festivities.  There will be special offers and unique flights all weekend starting on Friday night as well as live music and nibbles Saturday & Sunday from 2-5pm each day.  The delicious bites will be provided by Tim Vallery and Peloton Catering and the music will be provided by two local Healdsburg favorites:

• Saturday, 9/17 2-5PM: Chris Herrod
• Sunday, 9/18 2-5PM: Brandon Hassur

The Tasting Room

At the heart of Healdsburg is “The Plaza,” which is in the shape of a square lined with with trees, grass, benches and a pergola for concerts and surrounded by shops old and new as well as tasting rooms, bars and some of the best local restaurants in wine country.  Imagine waking up and taking the dog for a walk in the early morning fog, while you stop for a cup of coffee at the Flying Goat Coffee shop.  Perhaps, for breakfast, you might be craving the pastry delights from the Downtown Bakery & Creamery including their popular donut muffins or sticky buns.  It just so happens that the bakery is the next door neighbor at 308 Center St. and the location provides a pristine view of the Plaza.

The unobstructed Plaza vista is framed by sliding glass windows that remain open throughout Summer providing an atmosphere that is relaxing and scenic and pairs best  with a glass of wine.  This is a great place to hang before, during and after the summer’s Music on the Plaza every Tuesdays.  This is country living, folks.  Leave your big city dreams at home and become assimilated.  The tasting bar has plenty of room for everyone to enjoy and if you are looking for some privacy, you can reserve the VIP room in the rear for private tastings too.
View Larger Map

Bring your friends and family.  Afterall, that is how wine is best enjoyed.  Cheers!

For the last 18 months now I have been hosting the monthly Sonoma Wine Meetup - a labor of love designed as a networking event to put the Social in Social Media. We have a Facebook Page where we post the events. This Thursday night from 530-730 is our latest meetup, in downtown Healdsburg.

New Format

In February I modified the format to be more of a combination Industry Open House and Meetup. This comes at an increased hosting cost to the winery, but the goal was to increase industry traffic, so we decided to waive the usual $10 cost, and eliminate all drink tickets, including for consumers, who are still invited.

It appears the new format was a resounding success, we had over 140 people come through Old World Winery last month.

So How Does This Work

The basic premise hasn’t changed; intermixing Industry, Media, Hospitality, Concierge and Consumers to network. Many have ‘met’ on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but not always in person. The event is specifically NOT called a Tweetup. We are not spending the evening with our noses in our phones, but connecting, the old fashioned way, face to face, glass of vino in hand.

If you are industry there is no charge. If you are a consumer, or the guest of someone industry, the charge is $10, 100% of which goes to the winery to defray some of the costs of wine, catering, staff. That includes all food and wine that night (no more drink tickets.)

Where Are We Meeting?

This month we are at Vintage Wine Estates cozy new tasting room and lounge, right on the square in downtown Healdsburg. (308 B Center Street.) Vintage Wine Estates will be pouring bubbles. Vintage Wine Estates Sonoma Coast label was the winner of the Charlie Palmer Pig & Pinot Cup in 2008. They will be pouring:

• 2007 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Sea Fog Cuvee Blanc de Noir (bubbles!)
• 2009 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Gold Ridge Hills Chardonnay
• 2008 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Bodega Ridge Block Pinot Noir
• 2007 or 2008 Windsor Sonoma Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• NV Windsor Vineyards Port

Also for consumers attending, and wish to purchase everyone is treated like Industry this night, so you may buy wine to take home at 30% discount.

Helena of Helena’s Kitchen will be catering again, as she did for Old World Winery.

Meet Fun People, Take Home Prizes

One of the highlights of the evening is the raffle prizes. Each person who comes in, drops of a business card to be entered. Winery staff who donate a bottle for the drawing, get an extra chance to win. Consumers who pre-pay, also get an extra chance.

We generally give away 6-12 bottles, so we have smiling faces at the end. Must be present to win.

This week, we also give away a pair of tickets to this Saturday’s inaugural Taste of Olivet Road event.

The Facebook event to RSVP is here. The site to pre-register, pre-pay, and for you people STILL not on Facebook is here http://sonomawine.eventbrite.com/.

Visiting Guests

We generally get some out of town winos visiting and try and make them feel welcome. This month Suzie Linville, Wine blogger and PR person will be in town. (Suzie is interested in moving to CA from the east coast.) Her wine blog is RunningWineGirl or @SuzieLin on Twitter.

Also visiting is the Portland based team from IndieVinos Karin McKercher (@KarinMcKercher), Kim Fuller (@KimF_IndieVinos) and Dennis Powers. Also @IndieVinos.

IndieVinos is in town visiting and chatting with wineries in anticipation of their June soft-launch of their community-based social-commerce site that enables the purchase of artisan wines. Also part owner of Part owner, Deux Fen Estates, a small producer of Burgundian-style Oregon Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

Do say hi and show them some Sonoma hospitality!

Many people will hit the bars and restaurants of Healdsburg after, so it should be a fun night – see you there! Cheers and thanks for reading Simple Hedonisms Wine Blog !

Pinot Pinot Pinot!

This weekend is the 6th annual Pigs & Pinot, hosted by celebrated chef Charlie Palmer. March 18-19, 2011 at Hotel Healdsburg. The celebratory weekend offers a series of intimate dining and educational events.  Master Sommeliers and international celebrity chefs will showcase some of the world’s greatest Pinots with perfect pork pairings….you had me at Pinot…

(All proceeds from Pigs & Pinot benefit Share Our Strength and local Healdsburg Education (The Healdsburg Education Foundation, St. John school and The Healdsburg School).)

If you didn’t get a ticket to this  sold out, highly sought after event, don’t despair – there is a great alternate option below. But first here is what you will miss:

• Friday evening’s kickoff event is the lively Taste of Pigs & Pinot where guests sample 60 highly-acclaimed Pinot Noir wines competing in the Pinot Cup competition, both from Sonoma County and around the world. (I was lucky enough to score one of these – will ‘broadcast’ live.
• On Saturday afternoon, Pigs & Pinot participants can attend two seminars: “Tournament of The Pig” where Charlie Palmer and three guest chefs will divide into two teams to prepare the best pork-inspired dishes as determined by an expert judging panel, and “The Ultimate Pinot Smackdown” seminar led by Master Sommeliers, Keith Goldston, Fred Dame, Drew Hendricks, and William Sherer
  

  Courtesy of Hotel Healdsburg

• Saturday evening – Spoonbar’s Celebration of Pigs n Pinot:  An exclusive four-course dinner on Saturday evening at h2hotel’s Spoonbar. This special dinner will begin with a welcome artisan cocktail from h2’s master mixologist, Scott Beattie, followed by an intimate Celebration of Pigs & Pinot dinner created by Spoonbar’s Chef Rudy Mihal and Guest Chef Liza Shaw, formerly of San Francisco’s Southern Italian hot spot: A16. The menu will be paired with acclaimed Pinot Noir from Sonoma County Vintners’ Inman Family Wines and Thomas George Estates along with two top international producers.

• Saturday evening’s Pigs & Pinot Gala features a sumptuous five-course dinner at Hotel Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Kitchen.  As a collaborative offering, each course features a signature creation from Palmer and his guest chefs including: “Top Chef” brothers Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, Nancy Oakes of Boulevard and Prospect, Marc Forgione of Marc Forgione and Season 3 winner of The Next Iron Chef and Philippe Rispoli of Boulangerie Bistro. Every course will be paired with two limited-production Pinot Noirs from highly acclaimed wineries Merry Edwards, Woodenhead, Rochioli, Bodega Chacra and Domaine Parent.

• Pigs & Pinot Late Night is a post-gala celebration with after-dinner drinks and dessert in the Hotel Healdsburg lobby.  All Pigs & Pinot celebrants are welcome to attend.

Piggy and Pinot Noir for the Rest of Us: Vintage Wine Estates  – ‘Pork on the Plaza’

Saturday March 19th, 2011 from 5:30 to 7:00 Vintage Wine Estates will host  Chef Mark Stark and award-winning Sonoma Coast Vineyards Winemaker Anthony Austin  in their intimate downtown Healdsburg Tasting Room.

Mark will pair three pork creations with three  Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noirs and demonstrate how to prepare them.
- Serrano Ham & Manchego Cheese Matchsticks with Chives & White Truffle Honey
-Pork Belly Potstickers with Chinese Five Spice and Shiitake Mushrooms
-Orange Crush Carnitas Sliders with Salsa Verde & Piquillo Peppers

Anthony will introduce you to Sonoma Coast Vineyards and his winemaking philosophy. For tasting, be greeted with bubbles with their 2007 Sea Fog Cuvee Blanc de Noirs and then pair the small plates with: 2008 Petersen Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007 Balistreri Family Vineyard Pinot Noir (a 2011 Pinot Cup contender) 2008 Bodega Ridge Pinot Noir.

Although sold out of the 2006 Petersen Vineyard Pinot Noir, which won Charlie Palmer’s Pigs & Pinot 2008 Pinot Cup,  a few are set aside  to taste.

Cost: only  $60.00 general public, $50.00 Wine Club Members. Price includes 30% off all Sonoma Coast Vineyards wines and a complimentary tasting flight of VWE wines Limited seating, so early registration is recommended. To register for the event or for more information, please call Vintage Wine Estates at 707.921.2893.

About Mark Stark:

CIA trained, Sonoma County celebrity chef Mark Stark has an esteemed career from some of the country’s most respected restaurants. Since mov- ing to Sonoma County, Mark has become renown for his innovative and creative approach to food and has developed a legion of devoted fans. With his wife Terri, he opened Willi’s Wine Bar, Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar and Stark’s Steakhouse among others, all to rave reviews. Created in partnership with Relish Culinary Adventures.

As of today, there is some seating left – call 707.921.2893. And I don’t want to hear the usual ‘we procrastinated and its sold out’ comments later.

Cheers!

Winemaker Tim Borges greets guests daily

There’s a new tasting room off the Plaza in downtown Healdsburg, California: Portalupi Wine. Healdsburg lies at the convergence of 3 renowned Sonoma county wine-growing regions: Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, and Alexander Valley – also known as the Wine Road. The Plaza is host to a number of tasting rooms, dining and lodging establishments. Here Jane Portalupi and Tim Borges have created an engaging oasis where you can experience the full portfolio of Portalupi wines, learn about wine, and recharge. Tim has been making wine and building winery businesses in Napa and Russian River Valley since the 1980s. Over the years, he developed relationships with the vintners he now sources grapes from. Many are highly-sought-after grapes from proven vineyards. This allows Portalupi to craft their distinctive artisan wines.

Jane and Tim began Portalupi in 2002, with the name and wines inspired by their rich Italian heritage. Jane’s family came from the Piemonte region of Northern Italy, known as the birthplace of the Barbera grape. Jane’s grandmother Marina began making wine in the late 1800’s in Piemonte. She later became a successful entrepreneur retailing Italian food and wine in California.

A Focus on Learning about Wine

Tim is in the tasting room every day, pouring and sharing his wine knowledge with guests. He offers daily sensory seminars including basics such as “understanding wine varietals” and “how to read a label.” If you are new to wine, or just enjoy talking wine with winemakers, this is a great opportunity to immerse yourself right in the center of Healdsburg.

Recharging in the Portalupi Tasting Room

Tech-Savvy Tasting and a “Non-Club”

In addition to free high-speed Wi-Fi, Portalupi’s tasting room is equipped with charging and docking equipment for every variety of device. Apple iPads are used on the tasting bar and Portalupi will even loan you one to use while you are there! Also in the neuvo spirit, Portalupi’s wine club requires no advance purchase commitment. Dubbed Appassionato, “non-club” membership benefits include 10% wine discounts, complimentary tastings and wine classes, and free case shipping.

The Wines

Portalupi’s grapes come from vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and Nevada counties and the Central California coast — including Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Santa Lucia Highlands. This access to fruit is reflected in a diverse portfolio of varietals and packages – from the new 1.89 Liter Red Wine packaged in a real milk jug (equivalent to 2-1/2 bottles of wine), to the petite 500 ml Dessert Wine made in the Porto style.  Portalupi also produces white wine and red wine blends, a Paso Robles Pinot Noir and 3 Zinfandels. In keeping with the food wine theme they also offer a selection of branded olive oils and balsamics.

We tasted through the list, from the white wine blend to the Port, savoring each stop and bottle shape along the way. With the family’s Italian heritage, it’s no surprise to find Barbera on the list.  Below we review the current vintage of Barbera — Nevada County 2008.

Jane Portalupi and Wine Family

“Sip and Fit” January Restorative Event

The Tasting Room is available for corporate parties, birthdays, and tours with customized wine education and fun, personalized wine gifts. To help wine country dwellers and visitors recover from holiday excesses, Portalupi is hosting “Sip and Fit,”  a wine country revival weekend with Live Fit  and Healdsburg’s Camillia Inn, January 21-23.  Contact the Camillia Inn for details — ask about special rates for locals to participate without lodging.

Portalupi Tasting Room is open daily, 10:30 am to 7:00 pm and online. Located 1 block off the plaza at 107 North Street, Healdsburg CA, 707.395.0690.

WINE REVIEW

Wine: 2008 Portalupi Barbera — Penn Valley, Nevada County

Color:  Deep, inky purple

Aromas: Sea salt, pepper, wet slate.

In the Mouth: Layers of fig, plum, and licorice. Pleasant heat at the back of the mouth with a long finish. The wine doesn’t come across as high-alcohol despite it’s 15.3% content. Rustic and bold — a food wine.

Pairing: Taste with Fig Newtons. For fine dining, pair this Barbera with braised lamb shanks or wild boar carpaccio.

Price: $36

Portalupi 2008 Barbera

Wine Geek Details:

Alcohol: 15.3%

Harvest: 10/07/08, hand picked

Brix = 25.8

TA = 0.77

pH = 3.23

Vineyard: Pendagio Vineyard

Acreage:  3 acres Prunato clone

Cases Produced: 350

AVA: Nevada County, CA

Aging:  18 months in Slovakian medium plus toasted red oak barrels, 1/3 new; 1/3 1 year old; 1/3 2 year old

Winemaker: Tim Borges

Portalupi Website

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This Saturday, East meets West in a New England Lobster Boil at Merriam Vineyards. Saturday, July 10 from 5 – 8 pm.

Merriam Vineyards, the new winery on 101 you drive by every day between Windsor and Healdsburg, think “I must stop one day”, aren’t sure where to exit, so keep going. Take the Arata Lane exit, it’s really easy, and worth it.

Go early for a wine tasting and enjoy their great patio, then migrate to the  crush pad to enjoy Maine lobster with all the trimmings; Pauline’s potato salad, Tierra Farms baby greens salad, farm fresh corn and Downtown Bakery’s Blueberry Pie a la Mode. All served with delicious Merriam Vineyards wines. $65 per person. Reservations required.

Merriam Vineyards, 11650 Los Amigos Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448

707-433-4032

info@merriamvineyards.com

FaceBook RSVP (need to call as well)

Friday May 21st is the next monthly meeting of the Sonoma Facebook Wine Meetup. If you haven’t attended or heard of, its a Wine Networking event started last December. It’s a social happy hour for networking of wine industry, marketing and social media, wine consumers, cellar rats, and people who love Sonoma. The underlying goal was to put the ‘social in social networking’ after I observed how many people in the county had been Facebook friends, but may have never met; and every event one can hear “so glad to finally meet you” as well as make new friends and have a great time.

We meet 1x a month and rotate the venue and the night. Most have been in North Sonoma, as I am traveling 4+ days a week now regularly for my ‘real’ job in the software industry, have limited time, and the best support/resource base has been up here, but I certainly intend to do Sonoma Valley again – sooner than later if a venue, or people step up to help. Napa Valley also just started their sister group and had their first event, with over 70 people attending. (The Monday night was a successful draw for industry, oddly no one here has requested that.) I hope to work with Andrew at some point this summer to combine one, if we can find a middle ground people will drive too. (Historically a challenge, given the distance.)

If you are interested in hosting one month, the suggested criteria for success, based on experience, is here. Contact me to discuss if interested. (June is tentatively selected at a winery, combined with a music event, but still in progress. For the busy summer, I am contemplating combining the meetups with other events.)

Anyway, I am pleased to announce this month’s venue and a new twist. We are at Roadhouse Winery, a new winery in North Sonoma, just a few blocks away from downtown Healdsburg. The event will run from 5-7 pm, $10 a the door gets you a glass of wine and nibbles ($5 for non drinkers.) As with previous events, we will have a raffle drawing for wine or merchandise, generously donated by local wineries (who get to present their offering.) drawn at 630.

Please RSVP by tonight, so we can have adequate food, staffing, glasses etc.

Wine Meetup: RSVP Here or email SimpleHedonisms@gmail.com

Cheers!

(For those of you interested in the ‘Secret Dinner’ after by Chef Mateo, unfortunately he had to postpone (did we ruin the secret?). After the meetup, dine in one of Healdsburg’s many amazing restaurants.