Simple Hedonisms

Posts Tagged ‘Wine Road’

I regularly comment on the outstanding job the Wine Road of Northern Sonoma does organizing and promoting its 3 key events for member AVAs (regions) Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley & Sonoma Coast. Apparently others do as well as membership is now burgeoning at 200 and still growing.

The Wine Road continues to evolve its annual 3 events to be more than just wine tasting or a weekend party, and into a full appreciation of food pairings, education and art.

Barrel Tasting

March  4-5th and 13-14th is the 33rd Annual Barrel Tasting. I intend to publish a few additional articles on barrel tasting and the event, but for now last year’s blog  Barrel Tasting Insights – What am I Tasting & Do I Get Splinters? What should I buy? should get you by and is still pertinent.

The event spans two weekends, and at $20 in advance (each weekend)  is about the biggest value a wine tasting bracelet event has to offer. Printable program guide can be downloaded here. FYI – Advance ticket sales end next Monday.

Riedel Wine Tasting Seminar – Saturday March 5th  – Special Discount Code only found here

If you haven’t attended one of these, they are pretty amazing. Check out Katherine Parker’s recent experience at one in her recent article.  For you naysayers on stemware making a difference – I highly encourage you to try.

The February issue of Wine Business Monthly (not available online yet), editor Cyril Penn kicks off an article by Sommelier Chris Sawyer that does an in depth analysis on stemware and wine sensory evaluation. He shares he too was a skeptic until attending one of these.

The seminar is  a unique and fascinating wine and glass tasting, and will demonstrate the relationship between the shape of a glass and our perception and enjoyment of wines. Try this mind-blowing experience that will change your wine life!

Tickets are normally $90 which includes a Barrel Tasting ticket, the seminar, and the four Vinum glasses  – valued at  $116.

Simple Hedonism readers can use code HEDONISMS (exactly like that, in capital) to save $20, making the seminar, glasses and a weekend ticket only $70.

This seminar is limited to 100 people and only 30 tickets are left – if you are interested, do not procrastinate!

More Barrel Tasting Articles to Come – Requests Welcome

We will be publishing several more articles on the event. If you have any questions or topics of interest, post them in comments and thanks for reading Simple Hedonisms Wine Blog  – 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

It’s almost D-Day – The Wine Road’s 19th Annual Winter Wineland is here! Wine tasting, with a focus at each winery on Art or Education to boot. Earlier this week Simple Hedonisms featured some of the interesting selections.

This is not an exclusive list; many wineries will be offering sales incentives; take advantage of this weekend to stock up on great wines at great prices.

Robert Rue Winery (my new neighbor!)

• 2007 Wood Road Reserve Zinfandel, only: Regularly $32/btl; Buy 6 – 11 bottles and receive a 25% discount ($24/btl), Buy 12 or more bottles and receive a 40% discount ($19.20/btl)

• For Club Members: Buy 6 – 11 bottles and receive a 30% discount ($22.40/btl), Buy 12 or more bottles and receive a 50% discount ($16/btl)

D’Argenzio:

• Instead of Boston Tea Party its a Wine Party;  no sales tax on purchases during Winter Wineland. Plus new wine club members get additional bonus discounts.

Portalupi:

• Friday and Monday: 20% off 2009 Bianco and 2008 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
  Saturday and Sunday: 20% off, customer choice, mixed case of 2009 Bianco, 2008 Zinfandel, Dry Creek and/or 2008 Barbera.

Old World Winery:

• Buy one bottle of their Library 2002 Loughlin Zin and get a second for $1. (Don’t forget to taste their current release Zin which just won a Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle wine competition.) ALSO, every 5th person to come in get’s a free Tshirt, while supplies last.

Inman Family Winery:

• Will be offering special pricing of 10% off six to 11 bottles and 15% of 12 or more2008 Thorn Ridge Ranch or 2008 OGV Estate Pinot Noirs (mix and match), BOTH online and at the winery, so mark your calendars and use promo code WW2011!!

Sausal Winery:

• $10% off any 1-5 bottle purchase
• 20% off any 6-12 bottle purchase
• $199.00 for any full or mixed case purchase of the 2007 Private Reserve Zinfandel or 2005 Sogno della Famiglia.

Hop Kiln

• Winter Wineland participants who visit Hop Kiln Winery will have the opportunity, to purchase the Hop Kiln Grenache 2008 for $120 a case.

Michael Bernard Family of Wines (779 Westside Rd, Healdsburg)

• 2007 Mantra Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon $20 regularly $25
• 2005 Orsi Papale Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $20 regularly$40
• 2005 Orsi Papale Russian River Pinot Noir $17.50 regularly $35
• 2007 Mantra Old Vines Zinfandel Reserve $24 regularly$30

Mazzocco

Is pleased to offer  the following four wines at a 50% discount for full cases.

• 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Alexander Valley, Retail $264/case, 50% off at $132/case
• 2008 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley Reserve, Retail $348/case, 50% off at $174/case
• 2005 Merlot, Dry Creek Valley Retail $336/case, 50% off at $168/case
• 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Valley, Retail $348/case, 50% off at  $174/case

Battaglini Estate Winery

• 2009 Chardonnay ( no oak ) Regular price $18.00 sale price $13.00/bottle
• 2001 Zinfandel Regular price $27.00 sale price $13.00/bottle
• 2002 Zinfandel Buy 1 case at regular price of $324.00 get a second case for $1.00

New releases:

• 2009 Chardonnay Reserve at $22.00/bottle
• 2008 Zinfandel Proprietor Reserve at $35.00/bottle

Acorn

• Offering 10% discount on 6-11 bottles, 15 % on mixed cases. (25% for wine club!) They will also be pouring a few library wines.

Everett Ridge Winery

Everett Ridge Winery will be offering the following specials. Both Esterlina and Everett Ridge wines at Everett Ridge.

Per bottle price is based on case sale.

• Esterlina 2009 Riesling   $162.00 a case ($13.50 a bottle)
• Everett Ridge 2009  Diablita Blanca (white wine blend)  $132.00 a case ($11.00 a bottle)
• Everett Ridge 2007 Estate Syrah       $264.00 a case ($22.00 a bottle )
• Everett Ridge 2005 Diablita Red (red wine blend)        $96.00 a case ($8.00 a bottle )
• Everett Ridge 2007 Estate  Zinfandel       $198.00 a case ($16.50 a bottle )
• Esterlina 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet      $222.00 a case ($18.50 a bottle )
• Esterlina 2008 Anderson Valley Pinot      $360.00 a case ($30.00  a bottle)

Mounts Family Winery:

• Offering 10% on a 6 bottles and 20% on 12 or more bottles.
• Club Members will receive 20% on 6 bottles and 30% on 12 or more bottles.
• Also, new club sign-ups have a chance to win a drawing for 2 free two-day Passport to Dry Creek Tickets!

Pech Merle (pouring at J Rickards

• 10% Case Discounts.
• 10% for our “Double Your Pleasure” Package (2 whites or 2 reds)
• 15% for our “Wanna Flirt?” Package (4 bottles, their choice of varietals!)

Harts Desire Wines Old Roma Station

• 2006 Claret Sonoma County. Normally $28, $19 a bottle.
  
• 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Rockin H Ranch Double gold winner at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair normally $35, $25 a bottle.

Enjoy your weekend. Don’t forget, if you are on Twitter or Foursquare to use hashtag #wineland when Tweeting or checking in!

cheers!!!

planning your route? don’t miss:

Highlights of This Weekend’s Wine Road “Winter Wineland”

Seasons Greetings to the fine readers of Simple Hedonisms! This article is the first of twelve (I hope!) on the ’12 Days of Wine Christmas.’

We will be exploring an array of Wine and Wine Country related gifts each article, ranging from a few events, gadgets and books, and more, as well as the occasional philanthropic touch, which the Wine Country is renowned for, especially this time of year.

The First Day of Christmas: Tickets to The Winter Wineland, and Redwood Food Bank Raffle Tickets

Winter Wineland is a special event for me;  I can remember it, 2 years ago as the event that made me decide it was time to stop driving up here every month, and move here, and by July, voila I had. (Even when my relationship partner at that time got cold feet at the very last minute. ) My life has changed 100x for the better, and my only regret was I didn’t commit and move back in 1999 when I was first working/commuting to Petaluma.

What is Winter Wineland?

This is the 19th year of the event, organized by the Wine Road - the amazing organization that does events and marketing for Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Coast AVAs.

This year 125 wineries (wow!) are participating, Jan. 15th and 16th. Each winery will have something special and unique; food pairings, art, library wine pourings, tours, and more. The complete program is here. (Note this is still being updated, final completion is Jan. 7th.) Last year I wrote a series of 4 articles for the event, feel free to peruse.

Tickets are $45 for both days, or $35 for Sunday. That’s a great  entertainment value, and gift for the wine lover in your circle of loved ones.

Beef Up Your Gift with a Raffle Ticket for a $2600 Prize, And Help fight Hunger!

For only $10, you can purchase a raffle ticket to win one of three amazing packages, each worth $2600. The packages are here, I will tease you with the first one:

Package 1

• 2 nights Farmhouse Inn – the new “barn” suites ($1400 value) exp. 5/11/2011
• 2 nights Fountaingrove Inn – includes breakfast for 2 people ($400 value) exp. 10/11/2011
• Dinner for two – at Farmhouse Inn ($200 value) exp. 5/11/2011
• West Sonoma Inn – spa treatment ($100 value) exp. 8/20/2011
• Arista Winery – Hummer vineyard tour and tasting for two ($100 value) exp. 11/01/2011
• Rustic at Francis Ford Coppola Winery – lunch or dinner ($100 value) exp. 11/01/2011
• Healdsburg Bar & Grill – lunch or dinner ($40 value)
• 2 tickets – Wine & Food Affair, Winter Wineland & Barrel Tasting ($260 value)

You can purchase tickets here. A single ticket is $10, three are $25, and ten are only $50 ($5 each!)

Add it to your Winter Wineland ticket gift, or buy this is a standalone. Or just donate and do some good for fighting Hunger in Sonoma County. Think we don’t have hunger here amidst our bounty? Take a second to read the 2010, detailed report. (I teared up reading this and bought a $50 ticket.) Help the Redwood Food Bank help those in need.

Hunger In Sonoma County Study Facts

• up to 35% were forced to choose between paying for food and paying for other basic necessities
• 33.3% had to choose between payingfor food or gas for their car
• 35.2% had to choose between paying for food or paying for utilities
• 32.5% had to choose between paying for food or medicine and medical care
• 32.4% had to choose between paying for food or their rent/mortgage
• 30% do not have access to a working car limiting their ability to seek food, services and employment
• 21.1% have a hard time paying their rent and were late paying it in the previous month thus jeopardizing theirliving situation
• 16.9% said their children were hungry the previous year.
• 9.9% have no place to live

None of the people interviewed in this Hunger Study ever imagined they would be seeking food assistance.
Each person had a story to tell which included fortune and misfortune, as well as decisions made and circumstances beyond their control.

Raffle Ticket Sales end Dec 15th!!

More to Come

Come back each day for another suggestion. (Or sign up for email updates.) Feel free to email or post, comments, suggestions, questions, I love to hear from readers.

A very warm, cheers!

After a 2 month hiatus, I am pleased to announce the return of our monthly Sonoma Facebook Wine Meetup. (You don’t HAVE to be on Facebook to attend, that was just the original premise, turning virtual friends into real ones.)

Our hosts this month are two wonderful small producers; Ray D’Argenzio of D’Argenzio Winery (noteworthy Italian varietals, amongst others) and Dylan and Tobe Sheldon of Sheldon Wines, (in their new tasting room) – one of my fave new local producers of Rhone wine (and Burgundian.)

We’ll have lots of great wines poured, a pizza taste off, and a preview of  the new Santa Rosa Vintners Square, the brain child of Ray D’Argenzio; an exciting project that will transform part of this part Santa Rosa.

If this, and seeing all your friends, old and new, isn’t enough, all ticket proceeds will be donated to the Redwood Food Bank, continuing the Wine Road blazing trail. (I haven’t now, or ever taken payment for these events, they actually cost me money.)

Tickets are $8.50 in advance, available here via Brown Paper Tickets.  or $10 at the door.This month, Entry includes:

• Tickets for 3 tastes (2 oz pour) at each winery (6 total)
• Raffle ticket for wine drawings. Pre-paid entry holders get two tickets, at the door gets one
• New this event, persons/wineries bringing wine for a door prize will also receive an additional ticket. (Donating wineries are allowed to present their wine, if they wish.)
• Besides wine, the raffles will include tix to the Wine Road’s January Winter Wineland!
• Catered local pizza taste-off. Compare pizza’s from Franco’s, Jackson’s, Momdo’s, WholeFoods Coddingtown, and maybe more!

• Additional wine is available for  only $5 a glass: Sheldon – Naris white Rhone blend, Grenache, or Petit Sirah. D’Argenzio – Moscato di Fresco (white) Pinot, or Zin.

• Bottle Sales: current releases are on sale for onsite consumption or take-home, at special discount: 20% for consumers, 30% for industry (please bring a card/proof.) If you like the wines, please support these small artisan producers.

The event runs 530 – 7:30 (will stay later depending on interest, sales.) Raffle drawing is at 7pm, must be present to win.

If you haven’t already, you can join the Sonoma F.B. Wine Meetup Fan Page. The official Facebook RSVP event is here.

Lets have a great time, raise money for the Foodbank, and put the ‘social’ in Social Networking!

Cheers and Happy Holidays

p.s. I am getting a fair increase enquiries to send samples for end of year wine review requests. I am ramping up reviews all through the Holiday Season. If you wish a wine considered for review, and don’t want to ship it, feel free to bring it to the event.

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

Facebook

This Weekend’s amazing Wine Road Wine and Food Affair is sold out. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!) In fact ticket sales ramped faster than previous years, a testament to this great event in a year where any Wine Events have been down slightly.

I Didn’t Get Tickets, Now What?

90 of the Wine Road members are participating, there are another 85 that aren’t, BUT many are doing special offers anyway. Some will waive tasting fees if you have a Wine & Food Affair (WAFA) bracelet and glass. There are many examples of these, feel free to post more in the comments section.

• Old World Winery, a brand new Wine Road Member in the Russian River, is having a special Open House. Normally only open for appointment, they are open 10-5 all weekend, and are offering food pairings, T-Shirt to every 10th Visitor, free tasting to ticket holders, and special discounts on wine sales.
• Mounts Family Winery, in Dry Creek, is having an ‘Insider’s Event‘. Special sale prices, free tastings for WAFA parti cipants, and new releases to try.

Even if you do have tickets, consider dropping in on old favorites, and make some new ones!

How to Maximize Your Weekend

The tips and suggestions are wrote last year are timeless, if you wish to read fully; I will summarize briefly and augment here.

• Plan. This is a weekend to enjoy and savor the Wine and Food pairings. If you go all day, 5 stops is a pretty full day. That’s 5-10 out of 90. Take a few minutes to look at the participating Winery’s list (which shows the food pairings) and pick some that are appealing. The Wine Road maps are an invaluable aid. Also, there is a separate event map that only highlights participating members here. And for you Google groupies, here a version in Google Maps that has the address and food pairing.
  • Visit old Favorites and Make New ones. New wineries join all the time. One of these is Sheldon Wines who just opened a new tasting room in Santa Rosa, next to D’Argenzio Winery, in Santa Rosa. This area is one to watch as very exciting plans unfold for the new Santa Rosa Vintners Square unfold. Sheldon makes some incredible small lot wines, with some exciting Rhone wines, Pinots, and a few others. I recommend.

• Buy. Support these artisans with your purchases. Many will have special sales. If you are have flown in, this is an especially great time to stock up and ship these gems you may not be able to find at home. For visitors, this is also a good time to consider the Wine Club, to keep a regular supply of your favorite winery releases coming.

• Taste Responsibly. Don’t hesitate to dump wine you don’t want, use a spit cup, and consume plenty of food and water. You can’t appreciate the pairings if your taste buds are inebriated!

• Have Fun! Remember if it gets busy; A ‘bad’ day in Wine Country (I think this actually doesn’t exist) is always better than a good day at work. There will be peak times, be patient, smile, and enjoy Sonoma’s leisurely pace.

I will be on the Wine Road Sunday broadcasting “live” on Facebook and Twitter. Twitter users can follow event posts via hashtag #WAFA10 .
Enjoy your Weekend on The Wine Road – Heaven Condensed! Cheers!

As promised last week, there will be a new weekly post on the week’s events in Sonoma Valley. (Calendar information courtesy of Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers.) Please note this is Sonoma VALLEY, aka downtown Sonoma, not the entire county. I am endeavoring to have a less manual weekly post for North Sonoma and the Wine Road as well to cover their AVA’s. Key events are usually also on the Blog Calendar (which I have contracted a company to re-do.)

The big event of course this weekend in North Sonoma is the Sold out Wine and Food Affair.

WINE EDUCATION AT BIG 3 WINE BAR – PETER SPANN OF SPANN VINEYARDS

Friday, November 05: 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Big 3 Wine Bar at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
Winemakers discuss the nuances of the Sonoma Valley Wine Region at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn”s Big 3 Wine Bar. The unique tasting room and education center pours only Sonoma Valley designate products. Complimentary.

KUNDE FAMILY ESTATE: HIKE & TASTE IN THE VINEYARDS

Saturday, November 06: 10:00 a.m.
Kunde Family Estate
Join Sonoma Valley Docent Bill Myers on a fun, casual and up-close hike through the 1,850 acre volcanic and vertical Kunde Estate. This is a great opportunity to see sustainable winegrowing practices at work while taking in some of wine country’s most spectacular scenery. Bill’s tours wind through the estate’s distinct eco-systems, each one uniquely contributing to the process of sustainable winegrowing. This moderately strenuous hike lasts approximately four hours.

Please pack a sack lunch and wear hiking boots or appropriate footwear. Also bring sunscreen and water, especially on hot days. The hike will also conclude at the Tasting Room, where invigorated hikers can sample Kunde’s hand crafted estate-grown wines. $25.00 per person. Price includes wine tasting. A portion of this fee will be donated to the Sonoma Ecology Center. Please no pets or children under 5. Contact Information: Hospitality Department (707) 833-5501 Ext. 334. Reservations required. Hikes limited to 50 people per hike.

BIG 3 WINE BAR: MEET THE WINERY NIGHT – WHITNEY LINDSAY OF SCHUG CARNEROS ESTATE WINERY

Saturday, November 06: 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Big 3 Wine Bar at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
The Big 3 Wine Bar provides both locals and guests an opportunity to sip the best of the Sonoma Valley. In partnership with the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers the unique tasting room and education center will pour only Sonoma Valley designate products. Re-discover the best tastes, flights and full bottles of the Sonoma Valley. The Wine Bar is pleased to offer ongoing wine education programs every Friday and Saturday night. All events are from 5:30-6:30 pm in Wine Bar and are complimentary.

BENZIGER FAMILY WINERY: LOBSTER FEED

Saturday, November 06: 12:30 – 3:30 pm
Benziger Family Winery
Roll your sleeves up and join us for our annual lobster feed. Ticket prices are $90; $75 for club members. For more information phone. 800-989-8890 or email Buywine@benziger.com

CHATEAU ST. JEAN: PINOT NOIR RESERVE RELEASE WEEKEND

Saturday, November 06 – Sunday, November 07: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Chateau St. Jean
We are releasing our premium Pinot Noir styled to showcase the very best of Sonoma County. Be the first in line to sample it and you too will concur that “All roads lead to Burgundy!” Come sip, save and shop with many special Holiday packs and unique wine country gifts available. $10.00 per person, $20.00 Reserve Wine Tasting ($10.00 for Club St. Jean Members) www.chateaustjean.com

Other Resources

• For other events in Sonoma Valley, go to the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Calendar of events.
• For more events in North Sonoma, go to the Wine Road Calender of events.
• For a wide variety of events for all of Sonoma County, go to the Sonoma County Calendar.

Simple Hedonisms Has Its First Birthday

It’s not November yet, but I have a lot to be thankful for, first and foremost living here in Sonoma County. I was a ‘lurker’ of the area for a decade before I finally took the plunge in July 2009 (hard to believe such a short time isn’t it?)

I owe a lot of my discoveries and love of the county to the Wine Road. I kept coming to great events, and it was at the Winter Wineland 2 years ago I knew I had to find a path to make this happen, travel challenges or not with my technology industry exec full time job.

Since then I have immersed myself headlong into the wine industry, hobby viticulture (grape growing), garagista oenology (wine making), professional tasting, and more. My ‘big’ dream – buy some land (solo or in partnership, as well as lease vineyards) and be a farmer, and grower. A bit of a change from an American Airlines Two Million Miler.

And now, here we are a year later with the Blog’s Birthday. I only write about 10% of the topics I’d like to from lack of time, but the intent remains; connect consumers with Wine and Food Artisans. It’s not Vinography, but we now average about 3,000 unique readers a month, and ~200,000 hits. And go figure, the more we write, the higher it goes.

Stay with me, at the end of the post are some great giveaways!

A Ticket to the Wine Road

Without taking anything from the many fine AVAs (wine regions) I love and support, the Wine Road team has always done an incredible job promoting their wine regions, event planning, education, and marketing. They embrace both traditional and social media, and are a benchmark for what solidarity can be, in an industry that can splinter with emotion and opinions. Hospitality staff have generally learned here, when the Wine Road speaks, listen.

One of the cool offerings the Wine Road started some months ago is the “Ticket to The Wine Road.” For $25-$50 you can create your own 1-3 day Tasting Excursion, like a mini-event, self-designed.

How Does it Work?

Its simple – 66 of the ~170 (at this time) Wine Road Wineries participate: for $25/person for one day, or $50/person for 3 days, you can taste for free at any of the participating wineries. With wine tastings often costing $5-$20 these days, it’s a value right there, but it also includes many other benefits, which vary by winery; such as:

• Acorn – free Riedel tasting glass with wine purchase
• Balleto – 20% purchase discount
• Downtown Wine – 15% discount and free case shipping
• Quivira – complimentary marble logo coaster

Hotels, Inns and Restaurants also participate with things like:

• Applewood Inn – $25-$50 restaurant voucher
• Farmhouse Inn – free additional spa treatment with purchase of first
• Rio Villa Beach Resort – 20% off stay

These are only a sample, of the many choices of tours, pairings, discounts and more. For the complete list, click here.
Caveats:

• Some wineries are appointment only, be sure to book in advance
• Tours, food pairings etc usually request at least 24 hours notice
• Not valid during other Wine Road events, such as Wine & Food Affair, Barrel Tasting.
• Valid for Groups less than 8.

It’s that easy, and a great deal whether you are local Bay area resident and tasting for a day, or flying in for a long weekend.

Special Wine Road Offer and Giveaway to Celebrate Simple Hedonisms One Year Anniversary

To celebrate, the Wine Road has generously offered these two giveaways:

1. The first 10 “ticket” orders after this blog is posted on the Wine Road Facebook Page today, will be sent a Wine Road license plate frame and Wine and Food Affair cookbook Volume 10.

2. We are drawing for  TWO pairs of One Day Passes.To win the first pair, go to the Wine Road Facebook Page and post “”Why (or what) You Like About the Wine Road.” The 2nd pair will be given away to a Email subscriber of Simple Hedonisms.

If you can’t attend, a license plate frame and 2010 cookbook, is an alternate prize.  If you are not on Facebook, post on the Blog in comments.

Contest ends this Friday evening, so don’t delay!

Thanks

A heartfelt thanks to all the readers; Consumers, Wine Industry, and Fellow Bloggers. Simple Hedonisms is here to stay, and in fact looking to expand coverage. (Details to follow.) Cheers!!!

Summer in Wine Country continues to pick up, with a wide array of fun events to chose from this weekend. Contributing Writer Katherine Parker already wrote this week including the Eighth Street Winery Open House (and ticket contest) about whats going in Sonoma proper (also know as “the island’ by locals), so I can focus on the North Sonoma areas and the Wine Road.

Windsor Oaks – Nature Walks & Wine – 3 Days!

Friday August 6th – Sunday August 8th

Wine Tasting and Picnicking: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.

Windsor Oak’s vineyard and winery team are ready for more summer fun!  They are only open to the public 18 days each year, and these are the last 3 before harvest preparations begin.

Trail levels for all guests! Scale the rugged summit or stroll casually through vineyards with a glass of wine in hand, or do nothing but relax by our winery pond.  Hikes begin as early as 8:30 am. Come early to beat the heat if you want to cover some ground.  Hiking snacks and beverages will be available for sale. Click Here for Hiking Details

Wine Club Members may sign up for a “rare” 4-wheel-drive truck tour with Douglas, through our 350 acres Forever Wild Preserve. After your outdoor adventure, sit back and relax as you sip our award-winning artisan wines! Tasting fee is $10 per person, refundable with 2 bottle purchase. Wine Club members and their guests are FREE!  Wine tasting hours are from 11:00 to 5:00. Enjoy new wine-by-the-glass or bottle options for a perfect lunch! Picnics are also welcome! They’ll have the tables, umbrellas and Riedel glasses waiting for you at our picnic site that overlooks the winery pond.  Choose from our list of our gourmet lunches, or bring goodies from home.  Please contact Jil to reserve a table or order a lunch! Please place orders 24 hours prior to arrival! Click Here for Picnic Lunch Options

RSVP: Jil@windsoroaks.com – wine@windsoroaks.com – 707-433-3810

Friday Night – Napa  Cheers St Helena

(Ok, I know its not Sonoma, but its a great event)

Cheers St Helena is a fun event May to October, the 1st Friday of every month on Main Street in St. Helena. Head there from 6-9pm for a kicked-up Social as they toast friendship and wine in the heart of the Napa Valley! Over 100 of Napa Valley’s Top Wineries will be pouring! Attendance is free, only $35 to taste wines from participating wineries.

Eastside Bunch Summer Wine Experience

Eastside Bunch Wineries of Russian River present the  2010 Summer Wine Experience, Saturday, August 7 11am- 4pm

Explore the exceptional family-owned wineries on the eastside of the Russian River in Healdsburg.  Enjoy a fantastic day of special wine tastings, food pairings, and day only event specials. $20 per person, includes a logo tasting glass.

Participating Wineries: Acorn Winery, Christie Vineyards, Christopher Creek Winery, Deux Amis Winery, Merriam Vineyards, Mietz Cellars,  Mutt Lynch Winery

Kendall Jackson Farm Stand – Saturday August 7th

Visit the Kendall Jackson Wine Center and Farm Stand - culinary gardens that 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.

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

Bring your shopping list and your palate to the Wine Center on the first Saturday of each month May through October.

3rd Annual – Petaluma Music Festival – Saturday August 7th

Benefit for Music Education Programs in All Petaluma Area Schools

An intimate, relaxed, and upbeat celebration: The 3^rd Annual Petaluma Music Festival on Saturday, August 7^th, 2010, at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma with performances by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, ALO, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums, Sol Horizon, Zydeco Flames, the Peter Welker Sextet featuring Jeff Oster, Hillside Fire, and The Artifacts.

This year’s festival will also feature:

• The fine beers of the Lagunitas Brewing Company, and an extensive selection of award-winning wines for tasting
• A unique silent auction and raffle featuring celebrity autographed guitars
• A shaded VIP seating section with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer (where you’ll find Simple Hedonisms covering)
• A variety of specialty food, craft and local business vendors

The large grassy area and park-like setting of the festival grounds are perfect for blankets and low-profile lawn chairs, and the two performance stages guarantee the music never ends.

Because funding for the arts in California is problematic, there is never enough for school music programs.  Festival attendees will help ensure that our children will continue to enjoy the positive influence of music in their lives.

Tickets: $25 General Admission, $75 VIP Premium (shaded reserved seating with complimentary wine, beer, and light appetizers), children 12 and under free with paying adult.  Tickets are available for purchase online at www.petalumamusicfestival.org.  Gates open and music begins at 11:00 AM, wine tasting from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, festival ends at 8:00 PM.  Festival location is the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA 94952.  For more information about the Petaluma Music Festival please visit their website.

Rodney Strong Concert Series – Saturday August 7th, 5 p.m.

This Saturday the Rodney Strong Concert Series continues, and with a handful of tickets remaining for the  Dave Koz & Jonathan Butler – Together Again Tour
Featuring Shelia E.

Enjoy Amazing wines, breathtaking views and concerts with contemporary artists – there’s no better way to enjoy a Sonoma County summer than at Rodney Strong’s annual Summer Concert Series. Be  surrounded by acres of beautiful vineyards, guests enjoy top performers while picnicking at the winery’s intimate concert venue, The Green.

Doors: 4 p.m./ Show Time: 5 p.m. Tickets VIP: $75 / General Admission: $50: Tickets are here.

Live Music – C. Donatiello Winery.  Sunday 1-4 p.m.

I almost want to not share this one, as its one of my favorite Sunday events to sneak away to, enjoy their great wines, music and beautiful grounds. C. Donatiello offers free live music every Sunday, with a great list of artists. Grab wine by the glass or bottle, buy local cheeses and snacks, and sit at a table or bring a blanket and enjoy the sights and sounds. This Sunday is Chris O’Brien, who has made quite a name for himself in Boston’s competitive music scene. Enjoy!

Enjoy a GREAT Sonoma (Or Wine Country) Weekend, no matter what you do – cheers!