Sonoma Wine Country Weekend – Labor Day 2008 by Darryl Beeson  Sonoma presents an array of both visual and wine sipping artistry. Perhaps an hour and a half north of San Francisco, it offers something that Napa may have lost. There are small producers of cheese, many wineries, an orchard here and the occasional goat there.
Sonoma can be green with the environment. Sonoma can also be big time green in the raising of money for important causes. You can be a part of the green and have some real fun while doing so.. This coming Labor Day weekend, consider making a trip to Sonoma County and visit "a country within a county". Support is for local charities relating to students, children, farm workers and people in need. All of Sonoma County's 13 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) such as the famed Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley, Carneros and Alexander Valley, prominent local chefs, world-renowned sommeliers and sustainable companies, will come together in one central location for a weekend long celebration of wine and food over Labor Day Weekend, August 29-31. Realize that it would take several days if not weeks to visit all of these world-class wineries, restaurants, and artisan companies, but Sonoma Wine Country Weekend brings everything together. The event culminates in a full day of auction activities and iconic skits with vintners and growers. These people put on a real show. Winemaker lunches will be hosted Friday and winemaker dinners Friday and Saturday nights at several prominent wineries including Pride Mountain Vineyards, Paul Hobbs, Gundlach Bundschu where guests can meet the actual winemakers in an intimate setting normally reserved for those in the industry only. Reservations are going fast. Saturday will offer the grand tasting event with over 110 wineries, 60 regional chefs, including Honorary Executive Chef John Ash, and several local artisan companies at breathtaking MacMurray Ranch (normally closed to the public) from 11am - 4pm. Some of the nation’s top sommeliers will also be on hand to do guided food and wine pairings and tastings of new and/or hard-to-find wines. One can also catch a seminar with Wine Spectator's Director of Wine Education, Gloria Maroti Frazee, or attend the Russian River Pinot Noir breakout with Hartford Court Winery. But before you leave, make sure to turn in your order form to purchase the wines you tasted- available to take on the spot or shipped direct. On Sunday, end the trip with a bang and take home some bragging rights after winning and bidding on 55 stellar live auction lots while raising money at the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, renowned for its wild themes and winemaker skits, at Cline Cellars. The Sixties–themed 16th Annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction promises a day so full of world-class wines, fabulous food and psychedelic silliness, you’re not likely to forget! Nine Sonoma Chefs will come together to provide a tremendous lunch during the auction, and with Auction Chair The biggest wine and food event in Sonoma County, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend is new this year, a combination of two former events: The Sonoma County Showcase of Wine & Food and the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction. Proceeds directly benefit local charities for students, children, farm workers and people in need. The event is presented by Visa Signature, whose cardholders receive exclusive benefits throughout the events. Pricing is not cheap. The stakes are stellar and the causes are good. For example, the prime event, that being "TASTE of Sonoma" on Saturday, August 30 is priced at $150 General Admission ($125 Wine club members and a bargain $95 for VISA Signature Cardholders). Winery lunches: Friday, August 29 are an affordable $75 (though they are selling out fast) and winery dinners: Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30, range from $160 – $200. As far as the real event, the auction, the paddle to the metal, perhaps dig deeply into your pocket. The Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction: Sunday, August 31 is $750 General Admission ($700 Wine Club Members and $700 Visa Signature Cardholders). Remember that this is a great cause. You will have a great time. Lodging is ample in Sonoma County. A popular venue is The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, 100 Boyes Blvd, Sonoma, CA 95476 (707) 939-2467). Name a style of accommodation and chances are it is found in Sonoma Country. There's everything from nineteenth-century mansions restored as B&B’s to classic hotels to timber inns set at the end of woodsy lanes or amid grapevines. For pure pampering, there are full-service spas and landmark-status hotels. The Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance (SVVGA) is a non-profit trade organization serving over 500 vintners, growers and associates who share a mission to promote awareness of Sonoma Valley’s grapes, wine, terroir and history as the birthplace of the California wine industry. The Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Foundation (SVVGF) is a non-profit organization that has raised over $8,000,000 for local Sonoma Valley charities through the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction. For more information on the SVVGA and SVVGF, please call 707-935-0803. www.sonomawinecountryweekend.com www.fairmont.com/sonoma. www.sonomacounty.com www.sonomavalleywine.com Darryl Beeson travels the world seeking great wine, food and travel discoveries. He teaches sommelier certification for www.internationalsomelier.com. | 