Spotlight's Wine Country Guide

Kenwood Vineyards Announces “TO TO” Sonoma Contest

Dan — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:24:20 +0000

Entrants Have 1,000 Characters To Say Why They Like Kenwood Wines

KENWOOD, SONOMA VALLEY, CA, May 15, 2012 — For more than 40 years, the wines of Kenwood Vineyards have been ambassadors for Sonoma wine country. Now those who enjoy Kenwood Vineyards wines have the opportunity to share their appreciation in their entries to the Kenwood Vineyards “GO TO” Sonoma Contest. The contest begins May 15, 2012, and one inspired entry will win the Grand Prize – a dream vacation for two to spectacular Sonoma County!

In their Kenwood Vineyards “GO TO” Sonoma Contest entries, contestants must tell why Kenwood is their “GO TO” Sonoma County wine. Each explanation is limited to 1000 characters or less (including spaces and punctuation) and should detail the origin – whether an unforgettable bottle, a memorable day, a great meal or something else – and evolution of the entrant’s appreciation for Kenwood wines. Though strictly optional, participants also may include a photograph with their entry, one that reinforces their appreciation for Kenwood Vineyards and Sonoma wine country described in the essay.

The Kenwood Vineyards “GO TO” Sonoma Contest will accept on-line entries, where legal, from May 15, 2012 through July 15, 2012. Entries will be judged on quality, originality and creativity. Kenwood Vineyards will select eight finalists from the entries submitted and from those eight, choose a Grand Prize Winner on or before July 22, 2012.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a four-day, three-night trip for two to Sonoma County, including round-trip coach airfare to San Francisco, lodging, all meals, a VIP tour of Kenwood Vineyards, a generous sampling of Sonoma County activities and ground transportation during the stay. The remaining seven finalists will receive luxury picnic backpacks, perfect for their next Sonoma County adventure.

Contest entries are limited to one entry per person and one entry per e-mail address. Complete Kenwood Vineyards “GO TO” Sonoma Contest rules and access to the on-line entry form are available at www.kenwoodvineyards.com/gotocontest and on Kenwood Vineyards’ Facebook page.

Established in 1970 in the Sonoma Valley, Kenwood Vineyards produces premium wines that capture Sonoma County in a glass.

Drink responsibly.

SOURCE Kenwood Vineyards

2012 Sonoma County Farmers Market Schedule

mcrapeau — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:44:07 +0000

Cotati Farmers Market

Thursday (June-September): 4:30-7:30 p.m., La Plaza Park, downtown (Old Redwood Highway and West Sierra Avenue).

Gualala Farmers Market

Saturday (May-November): 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Gualala Community Center, 57950 Center Street.

Healdsburg Farmers Market

Saturday (May-November): 9 a.m.-noon, one block west of the Plaza on Foss Creek.
Wednesday (June-October): 4-7 p.m., at North and Vine Streets, two blocks northwest of the Plaza in the Purity/Cerri parking lot.

Occidental Farmers Market

Friday (June-October): 4 p.m.-dusk, downtown Occidental.

Petaluma Farmers Market

Saturday (May-November): 2-5:30 p.m., in Walnut Park.
Wednesday (June-August): 4:30-8 p.m., on 2nd Street between B and D Streets.

Rohnert Park Farmers Market

Friday (June-September): 5-8 p.m., at City Center Plaza (next to the library), 600 City Center Drive.

Santa Rosa Farmers Market

Wednesday: 8:30 a.m.-noon, in the south parking lot of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (off Highway 101 in north Santa Rosa).
Saturday: 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., in the same location as the Wednesday market.

Sebastopol Farm Market

Sunday (Year-Round): 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., in Sebastopol Plaza on Weeks Way in downtown Sebastopol.

Sonoma

Tuesday (May-October): Valley of the Moon Certified Farmers Market, 5:30 p.m.-dusk, behind City Hall on Sonoma’s Plaza.
Friday (Year-Round): Sonoma Valley Certified Farmer’s Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., in the Arnold Field parking lot at 241 West First Street, Sonoma.

Windsor Certified Farmer’s Market

Sunday (April-December): 10 a.m.-1 p.m., on Market Street in Old Downtown.
Thursday (June-August): 5-8 p.m., same location as Sunday.

06-23-2012 – Sonoma Lavender Food & Wine Festival

mcrapeau — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:27:23 +0000

June 23 – 24 – Sonoma Lavender Food & Wine Festival
Enjoy lavender fields in full bloom while sipping wine and tasting lavender cuisine by Lisa Hemenway of FRESH. Farm Tours, Seminars, U-Cut Lavender, Lavender Massage, Live Music, Beekeeping. Proceeds benefit the Education Through the Arts Foundation at the Wells Fargo Event Center. Sonoma Lavender Barn, 8537 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood CA
Fee: $5 Adult/Kids 12 & Under Free Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Phone Number: 707-523-4411 x2

06-16-2012 – Tower of Power @ Rodney Strong

mcrapeau — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:23:41 +0000

Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series – Tower of Power
Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series returns with another season of fine food, wine and incredible music. The summer celebration continues with intimate performances by world-class musicians in a stunning vineyard setting. The Series kicks off with Tower of Power, plus Craig Chaquico. 11455 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg
Fee: VIP $80 / GA $50 Time: Doors: 4 pm / Show: 5 pm Phone Number: 707-869-1595 ext. 4

09-08-2012 – American Folk Art Festival at Madonna Estate Winery

Dan — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:16:37 +0000

Special Wine Release Will Celebrate The Festival’s Fifth Year

The American Folk Art Festival will be held on Saturday, September 8th, from 9am to 3pm at the Madonna Estate Winery. Proceeds from the festival will benefit Lucky Penny Productions, a local non-profit theater company.

This is the fifth year that a group of talented folk artists and experienced antique dealers will get together for one day to display their talent and offer their treasured finds. The festival is open to the public. You are invited to explore, unearth and enjoy! Expect to see an offering of primitive Americana antiques and folk art as well as various handmade goods created in a variety of mediums. There will be everything from game boards to colorful paintings, and truly unique one of a kind finds.

In honor of fall and Halloween, and in celebration of the Festival, Madonna Estate will be releasing their custom wine label series called HalloVine wine. It is a deep rich 2007 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon that features a new original folk artist label design every year. It will be offered for tasting the day of the Festival and will be paired with fine chocolates. Other winery varietals also will be featured and available for tasting. Food will be available for sale at the winery. Or, pack a picnic basket; Madonna Estate has two picnic areas for guests to enjoy.

When: September 8th, 2012, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Where: Madonna Estate Winery
5400 Old Sonoma Road
Napa, CA 94559

Admission: An admission donation of $7.00 will be collected at the entrance, a portion of which will benefit Lucky Penny Productions. Upon admission to the show, you will receive a bracelet that will allow you to have a tasting of Madonna Estate wines and the current release of HalloVine Wine.

For more information visit the Festival website at http://www.americanfolkartfestival.com, or call the winery at 707-255-8864.

06-09-2012 Charles Krug Walk Through The Vineyards

mcrapeau — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:20:42 +0000

June 9 – 10th Annual Walk Through the Vineyards
The Bay Area Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is hosting its 10th annual fundraising and awareness walk to raise funds to advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer. Enjoy breakfast, a lovely walk through vineyards, children’s activities and games, live music and wine tasting. Charles Krug Winery, 2800 Main St., St. Helena
Fee: $15-35 Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Phone Number: 310-725-0025

In Case You Were Wondering

Dan — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:34:19 +0000

Are You An Average American?

SAN FRANCISCO — According to the Wine Institute, on average, each resident of the United States consumed 2.54 gallons of wine in 2010. That comes to just over a case per person for the year. Since you’re reading this, we’re guessing you’re on the high side of the average.

FYI, among the nations of the world, the United States ranks 53rd in per capita wine consumption. France ranks 5th, and per capita the French drink five times as much wine as the Americans.

So what country leads the world in per capita wine consumption? The Vatican, of course.

Cheers!

08-03-2012 – West of West Wine Festival

Dan — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:43:29 +0000

Three-day event scheduled for August 3-5, 2012

GRATON, Sonoma County, May 9, 2012 — The West Sonoma Coast Vintners have released the complete schedule for their 2012 West of West (WOW) Wine Festival taking place August 3-5, 2012, and are now selling tickets. The weekend will kick-off with Winemaker Welcome Dinners from ten member wineries on Friday evening. An action packed Saturday schedule at the Occidental Center for the Arts begins with seminars led by wine industry luminaries Ted Lemon, Jordan Mackay, Eric Asimov, David Ramey, Kerrin Laz, Geoff Kruth, Alder Yarrow, Regina Martinelli and Jon Bonne, followed by an afternoon Grand Tasting of over 40 producers and growers. Lastly, guests will stroll to the Union Hotel for a La Paulee style Whole Hog Feast created by acclaimed Chef Ashley Christensen, followed by live music provided by Sean Hayes. New this year is the addition of a second Grand Tasting on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to accommodate additional attendees and provide weekend pass holders a second opportunity to taste their favorite wines.

A complete West of West (WOW) Wine Fest 2012 schedule:

Friday, August 3, 2012, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Winemaker Welcome Dinners

Be an honored guest of a member vintner as you taste wines in the terroir where they were grown and enjoy Sonoma’s renowned local cuisine. Participating wineries:

Failla Winery
Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery
Freeman Winery & Vineyard and Joseph Phelps Vineyards (a joint winery dinner)
Flowers Vineyard & Winery
Hirsch Vineyards, LIOCO Winery and Red Car Vineyards (a joint winery dinner)
Littorai Winery
Peay Vineyards

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Three-Seminar Series, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Wines Tell the Story; One Winemaker’s Journey, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Jordan Mackay of San Francisco Magazine interviews Ted Lemon of Littoral about the early 1990s on the West Sonoma Coast and why he thought it offered an amazing opportunity for terroir-based wines. Taste Littorai wines from along the journey.

Exile on Main Street, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

A tasting of young and mature Chardonnay moderated by Eric Asimov of the New York Times with David Ramey of Ramey Wine Cellars and Kerrin Laz of Dean & Deluca.

Flying Blind, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Compare and contrast Pinot Noirs from the same sub regions from within the West Sonoma Coast. Panelists include Alder Yarrow of Vinography.com, Geoff Kruth, Court of Master Sommeliers and Farmhouse Inn, Jon Bonne of the San Francisco Chronicle and Regina Martinelli of Martinelli Winery.

WOW Festival Grand Tasting, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

An unparalleled opportunity to taste the wines of more than 40 producers and growers, many hard-to-find gems, in an intimate setting just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.

Whole Hog Feast & Live Music, 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

The festivities continue with a La Paulee style celebration prepared by Ashley Christensen of Poole’s Diner fame, and featuring locally-raised heritage pigs slow-cooked to perfection all paired with food-loving West Sonoma Coast wines! Live music featuring Sean Hayes to follow.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

WOW Festival Grand Tasting, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

A second opportunity to taste the wines of more than 40 producers and growers, many hard-to-find gems, in an intimate setting just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.

Tickets available by visiting www.westofwestwine.com:

$450 – All-Access Weekend Pass (excludes Friday night welcome dinners)

$150 – Welcome Dinners (Friday Evening)

$200 – Three-Seminar Series (Saturday)

$125 – WOW Grand Tasting, Saturday-Only

$150 – Whole Hog Feast & Live Music (Saturday Evening)

$125 – WOW Grand Tasting, Sunday-Only

West Sonoma Coast Vintners (WSCV) Members:

32 Winds, Anthill Farms, Baker Lane, Benovia, Boheme, Ceritas, Charles Heintz, Coastlands, Cobb, Doc’s Ranch, Evening Land, Failla, Flowers, Fort Ross, Freeman, Gros Ventre, Hartford, Hirsch, Joseph Phelps, Larue, Lioco, Littorai, MacPhail, Marimar, Martinelli, Papapietro Perry, Patz & Hall, Paul Hobbs, Peay, Quality Shoots, Ramey, Red Car, Small Vines, Siduri, Sojourn, Soliste, Walala and Wine Gap.

The West Sonoma Coast Vintners association formed just one year ago to highlight the distinguished wines crafted from grapes grown on the coastline of Sonoma County. Their sold-out inaugural West of West (WOW) Wine Festival in August 2011 offered both wine lovers and the wine trade an insider taste of some of the most acclaimed cool-climate Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Syrahs being created today.

The 2012 WOW Festival weekend will be August 3-5, 2012 in the hamlet of Occidental, CA. Please visit www.westofwestwine.com for further details and to purchase tickets.

About the West Sonoma Coast Vintners: The West Sonoma Coast Vintners (WSCV) is a one-year-old association of wineries and growers who are passionate about farming wine grapes on the coastline of Sonoma County. The West Sonoma Coast has distinguished itself as one of the world’s leading regions for top quality Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay. It contains many distinctive growing areas including Annapolis, Fort Ross/Seaview, Occidental, Freestone, Green Valley and the Sebastopol Hills. The association is dedicated to preserving and protecting the history, landscape and culture of the West Sonoma Coast, and to promoting its wines to the media, trade and public. Please visit www.westsonomacoast.com for more information.

SOURCE West Sonoma Coast Vintners

05-27-2012 Sterling Vineyards Greek Festival

mcrapeau — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:13:36 +0000

Not everybody can take a summer vacation to Greece … so Sterling Vineyards is bringing Greece to you with our Inaugural Greek Festival this Memorial Day Weekend. Join us May 27 for this can’t-miss event celebrating all things Greek: the wine, the food, the music, the culture, the lifestyle. Our award-winning wines will be on display, including winery best-seller the 2010 Malvasia Bianca, a varietal of Greek origin. Savor delicious home-style cooking by world-renowned (and 100% Greek) on-site Chef Constantinos Laliotitis. Sterling Vineyards is the perfect setting for a Grecian Celebration – the winery’s architecture was inspired by the Greek island of Mykonos (where Sterling founder, Peter Newton once lived), with stunning panoramic views of the Napa Valley. Revel in the sights, sounds and flavors of a Mediterranean get-away…without the jetlag!

Tickets are: $85 per person – $75 for Wine Club Members.

We encourage you to buy your tickets early and join us for what is sure to be one of the biggest Sterling Vineyards events of the year!

RSVP Sterlinghelp [at] sterlingvineyards [dot] com or by calling 800-726-6136 option 1

Inaugural Greek Festival
Date: May 27, 2012
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm

French Blue Restaurant To Open In St. Helena On May 29, 2012

Dan — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:44:17 +0000

New Restaurant from Architect Howard Backen, Interior Designer Lori Backen, Winemaker Leslie Rudd

Stanley Morris to Serve as Managing Partner, Philip Wang as Executive Chef/Partner

ST. HELENA, May 7, 2012 - French Blue, a beautiful and warm neighborhood restaurant located in the heart of Napa Valley from renowned architect Howard Backen, his wife interior designer Lori Backen and vintner Leslie Rudd (also owner of PRESS restaurant), will open on Tuesday, May 29th.

Set in the old Vanderbilt building on the north end of downtown St. Helena, the restaurant’s name comes from the blue doors, which graced its entrance for over 50 years. The space will feature a large open kitchen with a wood burning oven and grill, two fireplaces, a communal table in the center and outdoor seating. The menu, from Executive Chef Philip Wang, features rustic, wood-fired Napa cooking, seasonally inspired from the local gardens of Rudd Farms, located on Mt. Veeder and at Edge Hill Vineyards – the best ingredients, simply prepared. The food is matched by a carefully edited selection of Northern California wines and handcrafted cocktails.

Upon opening, French Blue will serve dinner only, with opening hours from 5pm – 11pm, seven days a week. Beginning June 4th, the all-day restaurant will also offer lunch, with breakfast following on June 13th.

Bringing this restaurant to life is Managing Partner, Stanley Morris. Stanley brings 30 years of hospitality experience to French Blue. Most recently, he has acted as Managing Partner at the world-class dining and entertainment venue, Teatro ZinZanni in San Francisco, which he helped establish in 2001. Formerly, Stanley was Vice President of Operations for Stars Bar & Dining in Singapore, Seattle and San Francisco. His California restaurant career began with famed restaurateur, Larry Mindel, where he was General Manager of Prego on Union Street in San Francisco followed by the position of Director of Operations for the first five Il Fornaio restaurants along the West Coast. Joining Stanley from Teatro ZinZanni are Nicole Whitten and Adam LaCanigna, who will oversee front of house operations as Restaurant Manager/Partner and Beverage Director/Partner, respectively.

Serving as Executive Chef will be Philip Wang, formerly the Executive Chef of Merriman’s Kapalua in Maui, Mason’s in Sacramento, Napa Valley’s Carneros Inn, and Truc in Boston; Chef Phillip also worked in the kitchens of Blackbird in Chicago, Restaurant Daniel in New York, Jardinière in San Francisco, and several others.
French Blue’s menu by Chef Philip will showcase local food sourced largely from nearby Rudd Farms, located on Mt. Veeder and at Edge Hill Vineyards, with fresh baked goods crafted by Noe Valley Bakery Owner, Michael Gassen. The flavorful dishes will be simply prepared with excellence and care, using the best local ingredients. Nearly everything will be house-made from the bread to the honey and jams. The beverage program will feature wines from the growing regions of Northern California, local craft beers, and seasonal cocktails. French Blue’s retail market will offer house-made products and other specialty foods that highlight artisanal techniques.

Designed by Howard Backen with interiors by his wife, Lori Backen, French Blue captures the warmth and comfort of wine country living, re-imagined for its contemporary setting. Behind the restaurant will be Howard Backen’s newly designed office for his architecture firm, Backen, Gillam and Kroeger – making for an easy commute! One of California’s most renowned architects and recently named one of Architectural Digest’s 100 Designers, Howard Backen’s work includes wineries such as Harlan Estate, Ovid, Screaming Eagle, Rudd, Bond and Paul Hobbs; restaurants such as PRESS, Evvia, Kokkari and Il Fornaio; and hotels Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley, Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas, and Sundance in Utah.

Address: 1429 Main Street in St. Helena
Phone: 707-968-9200
Web: frenchbluenapa.com

SOURCE: Michelle Lehmann Communications