California Wine Country Beckons for Winter Getaways

Do you want to escape the cold and snow? California Wine Country beckons for Winter getaways!

California Wine Country Beckons for Winter Getaways

When temperatures plummet in other parts of the country, it’s time to warm up to a winter getaway in California wine country. Not only does the Golden State enjoy sunny skies and comparatively mild temperatures all year long, California’s distinctive wine regions offer a host of seasonal activities and events, from food festivals to barrel tastings. Here are just some of the activities and events happening in California wine regions this season.

Hands-on Experiences

For those who prefer hands-on pursuits, many California wineries offer wine-blending workshops, cooking classes that focus on seasonal ingredients and educational tastings. See DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com to search for wineries by region and events.

The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure (Feb. 15) in Sonoma gives tasters access to micro-production wines from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Santa Cruz Mountains and more. Central Coast winemakers show off their blending expertise at BlendFest on the Coast in Paso Robles (Feb. 20-23). This year’s Anderson Valley Winter White Wine Festival (Feb. 22-23) highlights Riesling and other Alsace varietals with seminars, a grand tasting and winery open house events.

Wine Tasting Passport

For great wine tasting deals in Napa Valley, pick up the Winter in the Wineries Passport ($60), which includes tastings at 16 Calistoga wineries, or St. Helena’s Little Book of Big Experiences passport ($75), which offers enhanced wine experiences at 15 wineries throughout the season.

Annual Wine and Food Events

Some of California’s best wine and food events happen in the winter months. During California Restaurant Month in January, eateries across the state offer special rates on prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus. Restaurant Week promotions run in various cities throughout the month. This year, Sonoma County extends its Restaurant Week celebration from Feb. 21-March 1.

Every Friday through April, Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena hosts a Winter Farmers Market featuring organic produce, beef, honey and other farm-grown goodies.

Head to V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena on Jan. 18 for a Coq Au Vin and Cabernet Pairing in the glow of the winery’s crackling fireplace. Steaming bowls of slow-cooked coq au vin with porcini-parmesan polenta are matched with Napa Valley Cabernets, including older vintages.

On President’s Day Weekend, Black Stallion Winery in Napa is celebrating with a wine and oysters event Feb. 15. No reservations needed.

The Napa Truffle Festival (Jan. 17-20)

The Napa Truffle Festival includes mushroom foraging and truffle cultivation seminars, plus chef-led cooking demonstrations. Experience the magic of truffles while savoring some of the finest truffle cuisine in the world paired with magnificent wines amidst the splendor of world-class Napa wineries. Learn firsthand how to work and cook with truffles from the best Michelin star/master chefs. Explore a working truffle orchard, see where and how truffles are harvested, and meet the trained truffle dogs who find them (petting allowed).

Crab Feast Mendocino (Jan.24-Feb. 2)

The Crab Feast Mendocino event features all-you-can-eat crab feeds, a wine competition showcasing local producers and a Crab Cake Cook-off. Tour northern Sonoma County during Winter Wineland (Jan. 18-19), when vintners pour samples of new releases and limited-production library selections. Fans of crab and wine can enjoy a winter vacation to the Mendocino Crab Feast. Join the festivities with a ten-day extravaganza of events dedicated to one of our favorite crustaceans, Mr. Crabby! Shrug off those winter blues and indulge in fine seafood, wine, beer, and more. Enjoy family-style crab and cioppino feeds, gourmet crab-themed dinners, crab and wine pairings, whale watching and crab fishing adventures. There is even a Wine Competition showcasing the area’s sparkling liquid assets and the ever popular Crab Cake Cook-Off that highlights the talents of our county’s chefs.

Special Tastings

Enjoy special tastings at the Santa Cruz Mountains Passport Celebration Day (Jan. 18), when 40 participating wineries throughout the region open their doors to visitors. The Temecula Valley Barrel Tasting Event (Jan. 25-26) offers a self-guided taste and tour to sample barrel and tank wine samples, as well as new releases. The Zinfandel Experience (Jan. 30-Feb. 1) is a three-day wine and food fest in San Francisco that presents wine seminars, an auction and dinner and a grand tasting of California’s distinctive Zinfandel wine.

Sweet Treats

Sweet treats abound at two February events: the Lodi Wine and Chocolate Weekend (Feb. 7-9), and the Madera Wine Trail Wine and Chocolate Weekend (Feb. 8-9), held at multiple wineries. The Presidents’ Wine Weekend (Feb. 15-16) in Calaveras County presents wine experiences and special events in the Gold Rush town of Murphys.

Acumen in the Napa Valley now offers Wine and Chocolate Tasting Thursdays Acumen in the Napa Valley now offers Wine and Chocolate Tasting Thursdays through Sundays in partnership with Napa’s Annette’s Chocolates. Learn about chocolate production while sampling three PEAK Cabernet Sauvignons paired with six chocolate selections. Reservations must be made online or by phone 72 hours in advance.

A chance to get away for lots of wine tasting, food pairings and hands on experiences is certainly beckoning The Traveling Locavores to California Wine Country!