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Appreciate the premier marriage of art and wine at Kenwood Vineyards with their Artist Collection Series.

Every weekend, visitors will have an opportunity to view original art pieces from the collection that began with the controversial 1975, "Naked Lady" by David Lance Goines. With every new vintage, a new piece of art is featured making each bottle a true collectable.

Sip exceptional wines including the Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignons and nosh on gourmet appetizers perfectly paired to bring out the best characteristics of the wine.





More Details

• Date: Every *Saturday & Sunday*
• Time: 1pm - 3pm
• Place: Kenwood Vineyards
• Price: $30/person or $25/ wine club members
• RSVP Required: For reservations, please call 707-282-4228. Reservations are required 72 hours in advance.
  

Beaulieu Vineyards, located in the heart of Napa Valley in Rutherford, will play host to the original wine paintings of local artist Penelope Moore whose work will be on display starting April 1st in BV's Maestro Tasting Room and Club Room.

On Sunday, April 14th from 1:00-4:00pm, join other guests and enjoy a wonderful fusion of art and wine, live music, and afternoon hor d'oeuvres. Each of Penelope's paintings will be paired with a sinfully selected bottle of BV juice. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on each pairing. The lucky winner will have a sensory experience to take home. Tickets are only $15 per person or complimentary to club members.

But you don't have to wait until April 14th to start bidding!

• Bid In Person: Visit Beaulieu Vineyards anytime starting April 1st - April 14th. Just mention "Arts in April" to receive two Maestro Tastings for the price of one to enjoy while you view and bid on the art.

• Bid Online: A selection of five paintings will be available to preview and bid online at www.facebook.com/penelope. Bid on the painting by leaving a comment under the corresponding painting with the amount, your name and phone number. Online Auction closes on Sunday, April 14th at 4:00 pm PST. "Buy it Now" bids win. Visa, MC, AMEX, PayPal accepted.

No need to leave your dog at home when going wine tasting! Pawsport Napa Valley is a fabulous annual dog-friendly, passport-style wine tasting event in Napa Valley. This year the event is March 22-25th and features exclusive tastings at 20 Napa Valley dog-friendly wineries, food pairings, discounts on wine purchases, souvenirs for guests and their pups, drawings, dog treats, meet-and-greets with the winery dogs and winemakers, and so much more!

Pawsports are only $75 per person for four days of exceptional wine tasting in the beautiful Napa Valley. Your ticket includes one complimentary wine tasting and a discount on wine purchases at each winery. Additional specials and activities vary from winery to winery. Already sold on coming!? Click Here to buy event tickets.

NEW THIS YEAR! From discounts to special dishes, a selection of Napa Valley restaurants and lodging partners are offering "Pawsport Perks" to attendees during the four-day event, including  special lodging packages at these dog-friendly hotels: Harvest Inn and Westin Verasa Napa.

This year's participating Napa Valley wineries include: B Cellars, Bennett Lane Winery, Ca' Momi, Chateau Boswell, Clos du Val, Cornerstone Cellars, Franciscan Estate Winery, Grgich Hills Estate, HALL St. Helena, Jessup Cellars, Lava Vine Winery, Madonna Estate, Mumm Napa, Peju Family Winery, Pine Ridge Vineyards, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery, Trefethen Family Vineyards, V. Sattui Winery.

Visit www.napahumane.org/PawsportNV for more details!

No need to forage for mushrooms on your own this season. Join local Sonoma County mushroom experts at Chateau St. Jean February 23rd and 24th for a weekend of discovery with perfect pairings of fine St. Jean Pinot Noir and artisanal mushrooms. This special event will feature special wine and mushroom flights, a bountiful, mushroom-centric marketplace, informative lectures on fabulous fungi, an incredible Station-to-Station tasting experience, and a sumptuous Earthly Wonders luncheon, all which will leave you with a renowned sense of awe for the so-called simple mushroom and Pinot Noir. See more details below!

Have full run of the Chateau with your friends this coming January 26th at Chateau Montelena Winery when they host their annual House Party.  This year's theme is Fire and Ice and will feature one fantastic night of dancing, find food, and of course, wine!

The menu includes an array of culinary delights served at tempting temperatures paired with Montelena classics, special wines from the library collection, and even a few limited-production winery-only wines. AND! back by popular demand is hit band "Wonderbread 5" for an encore performance in the cellar.

Snap up these tickets as soon as you can!

What: Chateau Montelena House Party!
Where: Chateau Montelena Winery ~ 1429 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515
When: January 26, 2012 ~ 6pm -10pm
Tickets: $65-$95
More Details: CLICK HERE!

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About Chateau Montelena Winery
Founded in 1882 by Alfred Tubbs, Chateau Montelena Winery is currently owned and operated by the Barrett family, who purchased the property in 1972. Perhaps best known for the 1976 Paris Tasting when the little-known American winery triumphed over the French in a blind tasting, the winery is currently recognized for producing world-class wines with the Barrett family still at the helm.

No need to leave Fido at home when you travel to Wine Country and go wine tasting! There are plenty of pet friendly wineries in both Napa Valley and Sonoma.

St. Supery, located in Napa Valley, have declared themselves "THE MOST dog friendly winery in the WORLD"! and encourage visitors to bring their furry friend along to the Estate tasting room, French parque, or petanque courts. St. Supery loves dogs so much that they even let their employees bring them to work and have regular visits from Buddy the Chiweenie, Nicki the Boxer, Rogue the Tibetan Terrier, and Coco the long-haired Chihuahua.

This year they are supporting a great cause at the Napa Humane's inaugural Walk for the Animals on August 5^th.  All donations made go directly to Napa Humane's life saving programs like their low-cost spay & neuter clinic, their affordable vaccination and microchipping clinic, mobile adoption & educational outreach programs.

CLICK HERE to read more about St. Supery being a dog friendly winery and how you too can personally support Napa Humane.

Be sure to read the Wine Country Travel Guide: Pet Friendly for tips and suggestions when traveling with your pet to Napa Valley or Sonoma County.

Explore the Santa Cruz Wine Country, a unique viticultural region, and become acquainted with the incredible diversity of the wines and winemakers therein.
 
Passport wineries will be open on the third Saturday of January, April, July and November from 11:00am to 5:00pm, as well as during their regular hours. Each season brings something new to the vineyards; from pruning in the winter to crush in the fall, wineries are bustling with activity year-round! Passport is your opportunity to meet the talented winemakers of the Santa Cruz Mountains and to see where and how they produce some of the world's great wines.
 

Television Personality and National Breast Cancer Spokesperson Whitney Port to Present Whitney Eve Collection at October Event

Napa, CA (October 3, 2011) -- On October 13, 2011, Domaine Chandon, American Sparkling pioneer, hosts the sixth-annual Breast Cancer Awareness benefit in partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). This year's highly-anticipated event features a fashion presentation by television personality and National Breast Cancer Spokesperson Whitney Port, as well as and hors d'oeuvres by Michelin-starred Chef Perry Hoffman of Chandon's étoile Restaurant. Details and ticket information are available at: www.chandon.com/pinkparty.

Whitney Port serves as a spokesperson for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, as part of a national initiative for early detection among young women.The October 13 benefit marks Port's first major public appearance on behalf of the organization. The event, which includes a reception, silent auction and Whitney Eve fashion presentation, will be held at Domaine Chandon winery from 5:30-8:30pm. 

Since 2006, Chandon has supported local and national initiatives in the fight against breast cancer. As a proud sponsor of NBCF, Domaine Chandon invites consumers to join them in the fight by entering the code "Chandon4theCause" on Chandon's Facebook page to activate a $1 donation to NBCF. Chandon is also providing Facebook fans the ability to easily share the promotion with their networks to continue to raise awareness for the cause and NBCF.

Tasting on the Lawn Celebrates 150th Anniversary of Napa's First Winery

Where will you be this Saturday? Hopefully you already have tickets (and if not - CLICK HERE) to the annual Tasting on the Lawn celebration at Charles Krug Winery where they will toast the winery's 150th anniversary!

Enjoy tastings of Charles Krug's current releases, barrel tastings, rare tasting of older, vintage wines, food and wine pairings, live music, and there will be several opportunities to meet members of the Peter Mondavi Family.

Celebration Highlights:

• Tastings of all Charles Krug's current releases, from sauvignon blanc to cabernet sauvignon, including the winery's Limited Release and Family Reserve wines. Food pairings by Knikcbockers' Catering


• Chefs from several Napa Valley restaurants serving samples of their specialties also paired with Charles Krug wines. Featured restaurants include Michael Chiarello's acclaimed Bottega, Cindy Pawlcyn's eclectic Backstreet Kitchen, and her brand new Mediterranean eatery, Brassica.


• "Easy Everyday Pairings" -- Charles Krug wines served with fun, casual foods like pizza from the wood-fired oven, grilled burgers, tacos and even popcorn.


• Actors portraying Charles Krug and his wife Carolina Bale Krug will stroll the Great Lawn in period costume, presenting vignettes from their lives 150 years ago.


• Special pourings from magnums of Charles Krug's 150th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon and a rare tasting of older wines from the estate's cellar in the ballroom of Charles Krug's 1881 Carriage House.


• Meet members of the Peter Mondavi Family, who will be on hand for photos and to sign bottles for visitors.


• Live music on the main stage will provide a backdrop for all of the festivities. Featured is the popular Steely Dan tribute band, Steely Scam.
  

Wine lovers are invited to raise a glass to history at a special event in July.

ST. HELENA, Calif. -- Freemark Abbey invites wine lovers on July 16 to join in a "Toast to 125 Years" as the winery celebrates 125 years in the Napa Valley. From 1 to 4 p.m., guests will enjoy past, present and future vintages of Freemark Abbey wines paired with small bites presented by Chef Cindy Pawlcyn. The winery will also unveil "History," its highly anticipated 125th anniversary blend, a limited-edition red wine that was crafted from the finest lots in the cellar spanning vintage, variety and vineyard.

"The history that this winery has seen and been part of is incredible," said Ted Edwards, director of winemaking who has been with Freemark Abbey for 26 years. "Freemark Abbey started when the Napa Valley's biggest crop was prunes, not grapes. We survived Prohibition, participated in the Paris Tasting and have watched wine become an important part of American culture. "

Tickets to the event are $50. For reservations or more information, call (800) 963-9698. Or e-mail kimberly.reed@freemarkabbey.com. Guests must be 21 or older to attend. Not able to make it to the celebration on July 16th? Plan a a wine tasting visit anytime through the end of July and take advantage of a special two for one tasting offer. CLICK HERE!

By Deirdre Bourdet

On Saturday March 12, the Napa Valley Wine Train will make history with its first LGBT wine dinner, co-sponsored with Sonoma-based Out in the Vineyard.  The event brings together Sonoma's most prominent LGBT travel company, and one of Napa's most iconic and campy activities for the first ever big gay train ride.  

The evening kicks off at 5:30 pm with a sparkling wine reception at the train station lounge, featuring J Vineyards' fantastic brut.  I don't know if the piano player in the lounge will be taking requests from the audience, but I think it's worth asking.   The train departs at 6:30, with five gay vintners from Sonoma and Napa on board to schmooze and carouse with guests.  Specifically, Greg Bjørnstad of Bjørnstad Cellars, Mark Lyon of Sebastiani Vineyards, Philippe Langner of Hesperian Wines, and Jeff Durham and Joey Wolosz of Poem Cellars will all be roving the train with wine in hand, answering questions and making new friends.

The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance will host its January Wines of the World event Thursday, Jan. 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Murphys Historic Hotel. Guest presenter is Matt Hatcher, owner of Hatcher Winery, who will pour a number of Sierra Foothill Barbera wines. According to Hatcher, "The reputation of the Sierra Foothill Barbera is growing quickly, and guests at the event will find out what others have discovered - that Sierra Foothill Barberas are truly among our finest red wines."

Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy. It produces good yields and is known for its deep color, low tannins and robust fruit flavors of cherry, red and blackberry. Outside of Italy, Barbera is rarely found in Europe except for small plantings in Greece, Romania, and Slovenia. However, in California, Barbera is one of the most successful of the Piemontese (the area in Italy most Barbera grows) grapes to be adapted in the state with more than 8,000 acres of plantings.

By Deirdre Bourdet

I'd choose crab and wine over roses and song pretty much any day of the week.  Unfortunately, the highly acclaimed "Crab & Wine Days" festival in Mendocino County only happens once a year--at the cold, wintry peak of local Dungeness crab season.  But what better excuse do you need for a winter getaway than the promise of days and days of crustacean revelry and local wines, hosted by California's greenest wine country region?

Those heady Crab & Wine Days will take place January 21st through 30th, 2011, at a variety of locations around Mendocino County.  Events range from classic crab feed fundraisers for local community groups to crab-themed cooking demonstrations, wine dinners, and open house winery tastings celebrating wines that pair with the crabby festival hero.  And because this is Mendocino, everything comes at a very affordable price.

SUISUN VALLEY, CA - The Vezer Family is one of the originators and only one of a few wineries in California that specialize in Barrel tours that actually take you through a hands on Blending experience. This Barrel room tour starts with a base wine right from the barrel, at the same time your host is giving you a wonderful history lesson in the art of wine making, the use of barrels, the origination of aromas and bouquets, the structure of the wine grape itself, and how to balance and give you a well rounded tasting experience.

By Deirdre Bourdet

This Sunday, June 27th, HALL St. Helena hosts one of the most anticipated and delicious female fantasies/worthy cause fundraisers of the year...The Sixth Annual Wine, Women & Shoes Event, benefiting Planned Parenthood!

The concept is genius: seriously awesome wines from a huge range of blockbuster and sleeper wineries, delectable snackage from local masters of wine country cuisine, a Moulin-rouge inspired fashion show, live and silent auctions full of ridonculous treasures and one of a kind experiences, and fabulous footwear peddled on silver trays by attentive, eager to please men in the prime of life.  Oh, and you're in beautiful St. Helena on a gorgeous summer day...  and oh, a portion of every sale benefits Planned Parenthood of Shasta-Diablo counties.

MENDOCINO, CA - Let us help you pick which weekend to escape to Mendocino Wine Country. With so many wineries to taste at throughout Mendocino, why not attend a wine festival where you can taste all your favorites and discover new ones too. See at a glance all the wine festivals happening in Mendocino Wine Country May - December this year!

MAY
May 14-16, 2010 (THIS WEEKEND!) - Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival
Anderson Valley is known for producing great Pinot Noir. If you love Pinot, then this is the event for you. Scratch whatever plans you have this coming weekend and attend this not to be missed Pinot Noir festival where over 40 wineries will be pouring their wines. Enjoy gourmet treats & music in the vineyard at Goldeneye Winery. Learn about Pinot Noir at the tech. conference & dine with the winemakers at Sat. evening dinners in Anderson Valley and on the Mendocino coast. On Sunday, visit the wineries for special wine tastings, seminars, food pairings, and more.
Fee: $50 to $125/person; Time:  Fri. 8 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.,Sat 11a.m. - 3 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Phone Number: (707) 895.9463

If you're planning a trip to Monterey Wine Country, then Chateau Julien Wine Estate should be on your list of places to stop for wine tasting. Print out the special offer for complimentary tasting (good for up to 4 guests) or sign up for one of their private tours! There are a variety of themed tours to choose from, including but not limited to, "Winemaker's Tour, Chateau Tour, Le Petit Tour, Back to Basics" and many more!

Of course, you also might want to attend one of their many wine events held throughout the year on the property. See below for the schedule of upcoming Chateau Julien wine events:

by Courtney Cochran

NAPA VALLEY / SONOMA, CA

Once a year (seems it ought to be more often, no?) we pay tribute to that special woman who had the good sense to bring us into the world - and, once we'd arrived, to guide us through life's many travails and triumphs with aplomb. This year, we encourage you to consider our list of Must-Do Mother's Day activities in planning your Sunday celebrations.  Because wine, like mothers, improves with time, we think it's only fitting that you pair these two delights come fête-time.

Yoga In the Vineyard
San Francisco sommelier-turned-yogi Christie Dufault offers delightful Mom-and-me experiences in her buzz-worthy new "Yoga In the Vineyard" retreats. Held amidst the vines in vinous hotspots including Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Santa Cruz, Dufault's classes emphasize being in the moment and celebrating the senses - activities made all the easier thanks to inclusive Biodynamic® wines and organic meals. Call for custom retreats; gift certificates available.

St. Supéry Behind the Scenes
Sundays from 11am-12pm Rutherford's St. Supéry offers cellar tours designed to give you the inside scoop on the winemaking process from crushing to bottling. Wrapping with a barrel tasting of estate grown reds, it's a rewarding way to pair a little education with your wine country exploration - something Mom will no doubt appreciate (while noting your grown-up savvy, ahem).  St. Supéry's sweet staff and beautifully appointed tasting room should be icing on the cake.

Each holiday season The Council produces a list of "Businesses Open" ... and this Easter is no exception.
 
Click Here for this helpful summary of Easter Sunday openings for wineries, restaurants, and spas.
 

It may come to your surprise, but Spring Barrel Tasting is a celebratory time of year in Washington wine country. It's the largest wine festival in Washington's wine country, a celebration of spring, new wines and a peak at the warm summer months ahead. The winemakers and staff are on hand to mingle with visitors, conduct tours and answer questions. Most open a barrel or two of future vintages for sampling. Many wineries have live music, appetizers and just a festive mood of celebration.

Tasting straight from the barrel is needless to say, a unique experience that any wine lover should enjoy and appreciate. A recommended event to do this would be the Yakima Valley Spring Barrel Tasting taking place April 23-25, 2010. This event also includes cooking demonstrations, winemaker dinners, vineyard tours and education on pairing food and wine. Click here for more information on this not-to-be-missed event!
As the event grows and more wineries come on line, a little pre-planning helps to best enjoy the festivities. Here are a few tips to help make the celebration fun for all.

By Courtney Cochran

For Pinot fans who aren't sufficiently "off" the variety as a result of the slew of recent "Pinotgate" allegations, there is an upcoming tasting in the Bay Area sure to satisfy your every Pinot fantasy.  Enter La Paulée de San Francisco, a now-annual wine and food bacchanal inspired by the namesake grand feast held each year in Burgundy at the conclusion of the harvest.  With a bevy of the best names in French Pinot and Chardonnay - not to mention a stellar lineup of star chefs and sommeliers - on the docket, this year's event looks to be something you won't want to miss.

By Deirdre Bourdet

The film Bottle Shock tells the tale of the 1976 "Judgment of Paris," where California wines beat out their French counterparts in a widely publicized blind tasting.  This week in Napa, three local merlots go head to head against three from Bordeaux at Back Room Wines' Thursday night tasting event. It won't be blind, but it will be delicious.

Press Release

SANTA CRUZ, CA - In an effort to promote wines produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Capitola's landmark Shadowbrook Restaurant is offering Winemaker Wednesdays, featuring half-price wines from the appellation now through May.

Each week Shadowbrook will be featuring two to four wines from a Santa Cruz Mountains winery, offered by the bottle or glass.  Wednesdays, beginning at 5p.m. a representative of that week's winery will offer tastings and information from a table set up in the restaurant's Rockroom Lounge.

That night all wines from the week's winery, whether ordered in the bar or dining room, by the glass or bottle, will be 50 percent off the regular price.  Featured wines will also be available in flights (about 2.5 oz, also half-price), accompanied by complimentary appetizer.

ST. HELENA, CA - Great news for wine enthusiasts anticipating the tasting of the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape vintage at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone with Robert M. Parker, Jr. Three more wines have been added to the flight, making a total of 21 wines from this excellent vintage to be tasted. This annual event has generated an endowment in excess of $1 million for Wine Advocate scholarships for the CIA's Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies. This year's tasting is scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. at the CIA's Napa Valley campus.

When Parker first reviewed the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape wines, he awarded them ratings in the mid to high 90s. According to Parker, "the entire vintage will be very long-lived given the extraordinary balance in the wines. (And) given this quality, the high demand and limited supply from these producers makes 2007 one of the most collectible vintages in recent memory."

With wine sales down and tourists carefully considering every dollar earmarked for travel, Napa Valley and Sonoma are trying to attract local visitors with more than driving from tasting room to tasting room along the highways.  According to Linda Castrone's new article "Wine Tourism Goes Local" from Palate Press, "wineries are getting creative".

No longer just a couple of glasses of  wine with a few crackers here and there, many wineries have since expanded to offer wine education classes, food & wine pairing tastings, vineyard tours by tractor, SUV, or even a hay wagon, picnic areas and Bocce ball courts.

Places like Kunde Family Estates in Sonoma even offer "Eco Tours" with their winegrower Jeff Kunde perfect for those who like to hike, bike or want their dog to tag-a-long. (Upcoming Bike Tour is on October 4th!)

There's a three day Spring Blending Camp at Schramsberg in Napa Valley (March 14-16, 2010), though the cost ($1100/per person) may preclude most.  Their three day harvest camp has already passed, but several Sonoma and Napa Valley wineries are still offering a host of crush and harvest related activities that are much more affordable. Be sure to check out the events calendar.

Suffice to say, visitors to wine country have plenty of activities to choose from whether you are a local going on a day trip or out of the area spending a couple of days.

To read full article from Palate Press, CLICK HERE.

PRESS RELEASE:

CARNEROS, CA - For the first time in its history, the wineries of the Carneros Wine Alliance (CWA) will hold a Harvest Passport, a unique wine trail through the highways and back roads of Carneros on October 17 from 10 to 4 p.m.

Many CWA wineries never before open for a public passport event will be open to passport participants and pouring for the first time. An On-Line Auction of The Carneros Experience will offer holiday gifts, shared experiences with friends and family and special wines from the '07 and '08 vintages widely lauded by industry professionals.