FEATURED EVENT
A Taste
of Redwood Valley- Mendocino
County
 FATHER'S
DAY EVENT- June 18 & June 19th 2005, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
The 14th Annual “A Taste of Redwood Valley” invites you to enjoy
a weekend of sensory experiences in the heart of Mendocino Wine Country. Taste
award-winning wines, sample local gourmet foods and listen to live music as you
tour through 13 wineries. Get a close look at vintage cars in their “Tour
du Vin”, a classic car show traveling from winery to winery. Tickets
are $25.00 and include a logo wine glass, wine tasting and food for two days,
and entry into a drawing for wine prizes. Purchase tickets at any participating
winery. For information, visit www.atasteofredwoodvalley.com or
call 1.800.760.3739 or email wine@ATasteofRedwoodValley.com
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Inn at Schoolhouse Creek
 "Whereas most small inns located along the Mendocino coast have to make do with an acre or less, the Inn at Schoolhouse Creek has the luxury of spreading its nine private, immaculate cottages amidst 10 acres of beautiful flower gardens, lush meadows, and cypress groves. As a result, the instant you pull into the driveway you feel like you've gotten away from it all and entered a more tranquil environment." - Northern California, Best Places, 2001
Whether you are searching for a romantic weekend escape or a fun filled getaway with your family and pets, the Inn at Schoolhouse Creek has accommodations to fit every budget and taste. Our new Cliffside Cottages offer some of the best white water ocean views on the coast. Unwind, relax and enjoy life on the Mendocino Coast.
The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek ~ 7051 North Highway One
Little River, California 95456
(800) 731-5525
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The Inn at the Tides
 The Inn at the Tides invites you to visit one of the premier Sonoma Coast resorts. The six rolling acres encompass 86 bay view rooms, two onsite restaurants, fish market and gift shop. Relax in our heated swimming pool, whirlpool spa and Finnish sauna or rejuvenate yourself with an in-room therapeutic massage.
What better way to spend your evening then by sipping fine wines paired with sumptuous five course faire at our 20th Annual Dinner with the Winemaker Series in The Bay View Restaurant. Join us June 17th for the Wattle Creek Winemaker Dinner with host Michael Scholz. If you enjoy fine Italian cuisine, reserve a seat for our Big Night Gala June 24th for a family style Italian dinner featuring Ruffino winery. For reservations, please email reservations@innatthetides.com or visit our website at www.innatthetides.com to view additional winemaker dates and menu selections.
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Grape Leaf Inn
 The picturesque Grape Leaf Inn is a luxuriously restored Queen Anne Victorian. Located in Healdsburg, in the heart of the California wine country and only an hour from the Golden Gate Bridge, Sonoma County's Grape Leaf Inn has been warmly welcoming its guests for over two decades.
This award-winning bed and breakfast combines the gracious hospitality of a country inn with meticulous service, fine cuisine, and 12 luxurious accommodations. Stylish, contemporary decor paired with timeless antiques meld to create the best of California wine country style and luxury. The relaxing ambience, attentive staff, and its unmistakable romance have made this bed and breakfast one of the most sought after small luxury inns in the Sonoma wine country.
View Grape Leaf Inn's accommodations, check availability, and book on-line any time of day or night at www.grapeleafinn.com. "Leave the stress of everyday life behind and surrender to the allure of the wine country; Escape to the romance of the Grape Leaf Inn ".
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Coveted White Sweepstakes Winner!
 Brassfield Estate Winery & Vineyards was recently honored with the prestigious White Sweepstakes award for its proprietary meritage, 2004 Serenity ($15.99) - a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Gewurztraminer. Brassfield Estate Winery invites you to experience this newly released wine with a 20% savings. Simply use promotional code: WCNOG to receive this limited offer through June 19, 2005.
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The Carmel Bach Festival
 The Carmel Bach Festival welcomes international visitors and musicians from around the world (July 16 - August 6, 2005) to revel in the glorious music of Bach and Beyond. Join us this summer for sparkling performances of long-time favorites - the Mass in B Minor, the Brandenburg Concertos, Orchestral Suite No.2, and works by Hayden, Mozart and Beethoven indebted to Bach. Purchase tickets at www.bachfestival.org or (831) 624.2046.
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LAKE
COUNTY TRAVEL
ITINERARY
Around the Lake We Go!
Northern California's scenic Lake County is experiencing
a nascent renaissance. A new generation of growers, wineries and hospitality
is remodeling old tourist destinations and building new ones that are state-of-the-art.
Indeed, things are changing fast in this attractive area, which is focused around the beautiful,
recreation-oriented jewel of Clear Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in California.
Whether you are enjoying a romantic getaway, or balancing family fun with wine country explorations,
Lake County offers everything you need to enjoy a rich, exciting change of pace.
As you explore the area, the focus is usually on Clear Lake's periphery, a
leisurely circular drive. Stellar vines and wines abound, and a plethora
of water activities and nature. There are three outstanding 18-hole golf courses; you can typically
walk on and play even on a Saturday! In Middletown County Park, you might
explore the 2005 Lake County Sculpture Walk, a stroll blending the work of nature and
world-class art. And the litany of top-notch concerts of popular music
at Konocti Harbor Resort draws
thousands monthly to a unique Wine Country value-added destination! There is definitely a lot to do.
A day trip from Napa County is an easy jaunt. If your focus is already
on Up Valley Napa, Calistoga or Pope Valley, then you are on your way. Middletown,
as the name implies, is less than 20 miles from downtown Calistoga and about the same distance from Clear Lake.
Most of us will want to stay longer though, perhaps to enjoy hot summer days,
cool water and refreshing nights, along with the diverse entertainment the area has to offer.
You can enter the circular Clear Lake Itinerary at any point around the lake. Find your entry spot along the lake, and explore from there.
A map that includes most of the wineries mentioned in this article is downloadable at the
Lake County Winegrape
Growers website, and the friendly volunteers at the Lake
County Visitor Information Center in Lucerne on the eastern side of the lake between Shannon
Ridge and Ceago wineries are exceptionally helpful.
To
Continue Reading the Lake County Itinerary Story, Click Here
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EDITOR'S PICK—
Spend a day or two in San Francisco on your way in or out of Wine Country.
The easiest way to get to Napa and Sonoma wine country is to fly into one of
the Bay Area airports, then drive the hour or so from there. Because San Francisco
gets a lot of air traffic, fares tend to stay low and competitive from most U.S.
departure cities. Whether you choose to explore the city on your way to your
wine tasting adventure or on your way home, the Hotel Vitale, right
across the street from the newly refurbished Ferry Building, is a great new addition
to the San Francisco hotel scene. Ask the concierge for a complimentary copy
of WineCountry.com magazine and start planning your tasting adventure. |
RISING
STARS OF WINE COUNTRY
Sabor de Napa
— A Latino New Wave Gets Creative Juices Flowing for Community
Napa Wine Country turned out in full force to support the sold-out Sabor
de Napa (Flavor of Napa) event Saturday May 14th at Quintessa
Winery. This exclusive opportunity to enjoy and explore
Latino wine culture behind the landmark curved rock wall of Quintessa
benefited the Napa
Solano Health Project, which serves those who are the backbone
of our collective wine country experience. The event, like
the work of its beneficiary, was nothing less than a stellar experience.
In the last year, the NSHP has reached well
over 3000 individuals in 65 different wineries, migrant labor camps
and vineyards, enriching their quality of life with the added value
of preventative health services. NSHP offers a multitude
of compassionate Spanish bilingual/bicultural services along with
educational outreach on several preventative health issues.
The dramatic setting, with wine barrels and tanks
towering above all heads, was the backdrop for an impressive exhibition
of featured Latino artists from all walks—musical, visual, food and
wine. The turnout
for the event expressed resounding appreciation for NSHP and its community,
and the crowd was rewarded with a relevant and rich expression
of Latino-influenced wine culture at every turn. We also made
a list of tasty wines to watch for that we will share with you a bit
later.
Continue
reading article |
FEATURED EVENT
13th Annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction —
September 2 - 4, 2005
Relive the golden age of Hollywood cinema at the Sonoma
Valley Harvest Wine Auction. Experience A Day in the Vineyard.
Be an insider at the Cult Cab Dinner. See the Phantom under
the Big Tent. Have grape stompin’ fun at Saturday’s Harvest
Picnic. The Main Event has fabulous lots of everything from rare and
coveted vintages to exotic overseas travel. We will have you
lifting your glass to toast California’s most historic wine destination.
For tickets and information visit: www.sonomavalleywine.com or
call (707) 935-0803
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WINE COUNTRY RECIPE
Clear Lake Salad
Pears and walnuts are two other agricultural specialties
of the Clearlake area besides wine grapes. Visiting with the friendly staff at
Steele Winery in Kelseyville, home of the Steele
and Shooting Star brands, this Clear Lake Salad recipe came up in conversation.
The combination works well, and it expresses the casual quality of the area's food and wine culture.
Paired with Shooting Star Sauvignon Blanc, whether served as appetizer or dessert, you will enjoy
three famous flavors from the lake area, arranged together in perfect harmony.
Go to recipe |
EDITOR'S PICK—
Shannon Ridge Vineyards 2003 Barbera
The 2003 Barbera ($19) from Shannon
Ridge displays everything that is right about a Lake County
red wine. Bright and juicy, dense, lush and mouth-filling,
its ripe fruit was harvested at about 30 brix, but resulted
in only 14.3% alcohol and is balanced to its lush, deeply rounded
flavors.
Barbera, an Italian varietal from Piedmont,
ripens fully only late in the season, and a prolonged heat spell
in 2003 allowed the fruit to hang on the vines to a slow, complete
maturation. Sour cherry and sweet candied fruit combine with
boysenberry and blueberry to tantalize your taste buds. Only
20% new French oak was used to preserve a delicate fruit character. Fruit-driven
and elegant, you can enjoy now or cellar this wine for up to
five years.
Naturally high in acid, this ultra-rich,
100% Barbera wine is a perfect match to a cool Caesar salad, and
is also an ultimate pizza or pasta companion. A recent Sweepstakes
Winner at the Riverside International Wine Competition - don’t miss
this artisan wine before it sells out! |
WINECOUNTRY.COM
DRAWING
Newsletter Trivia Contest—Enter
and Win!*
Napa Food Gourmet Package!
The May Newsletter featured the culinary artistry of The
Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, CA. For those of
you who would like to be chefs at home but need a few pointers, enter this drawing
and receive four cooking demonstration tickets which include recipes and a tasting. In
addition, savor the delicious gourmet cuisine at the Greystone
Restaurant as the winner of this contest will also receive 2 dinner gift
certificates ($100 value).
You can enter to win by answering the following question from this Newsletter: What
is the brand name of the innovative, faux-granite recycled material used to build the
Ceago Estate Winery?
Click
here to enter this drawing!** The Winner of
this Drawing will be announced on The
Winner's Page after June 30, 2005.
*some restrictions apply
** No purchase necessary. Must be
at least 21 years old to enter. Only one entry per person permitted.
Winner will be selected June 30, 2005 by random drawing from
the correct entries. Winner will be notified by email. Employees
of Freerun Technologies are ineligible. Void where prohibited
by law.
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EDITOR'S PICK—
Wine Country Attraction — Fetzer Fridays
Enjoy summer breezes and a casual picnic-style experience
at Valley Oaks Ranch in Hopland this summer. Chef Bridget Harrington will be grilling up food
from around the world. Wine country visitors might enjoy this stop on the
way to the A Taste of Redwood Valley event. You’ll have plenty
of time to enjoy the fun, music and wines by the glass. Many of the
events will also include entertainment.
June 3 -- Southern BBQ, June 17 -- Indian Grill, July
8 -- Hawaiian Grill, July 22 -- Asian Grill, August 12 -- Mexican Grill,
August 26 -- Mediterranean Grill, September 16 -- Cowboy Cooking
For more details, call Fetzer Winery in Hopland, (800)846-8637.
Time: 5 pm–8 pm
Meal: $8 - $10 per person
Wine: $4 - $6 a glass |
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