Taste of Mendocino – A Wonderful Opportunity in San Francisco

Taste of Mendocino 2013Need to plan your next getaway?   If you will be in or near San Francisco on Tuesday, June 11, you should go to the 2013 Taste of Mendocino event taking place between 5:00 and 7:00 pm at the Golden Gate Club (135 Fisher Loop, The Presidio, San Francisco). 

Come meet representatives from Mendocino County, a rural county of striking natural beauty, friendly small towns, and excellent wineries just 90 miles north of San Francsico.  On June 11th, spend a few hours sipping delicious wine and planning future trips while winemakers, brewmasters, farmers, chefs, innkeepers, and other local artisans share samples of their products and information about this area’s diverse offerings.   Admission to Taste of Mendocino is only $25 person, and during the event attendees can taste wine from over 35 wineries all under one roof.

You should go here now to purchase tickets in advance, as the price at the door will be $35 (cash only).

Paella

Gerard’s Paella, at the Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival

Come to Taste of Mendocino and learn about attractions and organizations such as the B. Bryan PreserveMendocino Art Center, Mendocino County Museum, Mendocino Theatre Company, Point Arena Lighthouse, the Skunk Train, and Ukiah Players Theatre.

Or, get information about events such as the Taste of Redwood Valley (June 14 – 16), Bite Hard Boonville Road Race (June 29), Ukiah’s Sundays in the Park (Summer), Mendocino Music Festival (July), Willits Frontier Days (July), Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival (August), WineSong (September), Paul Bunyan Days (September), Ukiah Country Pumpkinfest (October), Hopland Passport Wine Weekend (October), World Championship Abalone Cook-Off (October), the Wine and Mushroom Festival (November), Crab, Wine, and Beer Days (January), Mendocino Coast Whale Festivals (March), and the Boonville Beer Festival (May).

Taste of Mendicino – You Should Go For The Wine

Baxter Winery

Baxter Winery, pouring at the 2013 Taste of Mendocino

Mendocino County has over 16,400 acres planted to winegrapes and the 2012 crop resulted in 31,000 tons of white wine grapes and 40,000 tons of red wine grapes.  The primary white wine varietals grown in this area are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewurztraminer.  If you prefer red wines, the most prevalent red varietals grown in Mendocino County are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Merlot.  You can also find Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Carignane, Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah as some of the other more commonly planted varietals here.

Masut Vineyard and Winery

Masut Vineyard and Winery, pouring at the 2013 Taste of Mendocino

Taste of Mendocino presents impressive wine tasting oppportunities whether you are prescreening wineries for a future wine tasting trip in the region, or reminiscing about your last one.  Winery participants on June 11 will include high quality producers such as Baxter Winery, Bink Wines, Drew Family Cellars, Elke Vineyards,  Frati Horn Wines, Jeriko Estate, Judson Hale Winery, Kimmel Vineyards, Lula Cellars, Maple Creek Winery, Masut Vineyard and Winery, Meyer Family Cellars, Navarro Vineyards and Winery, Testa Vineyards, and Waits-Mast Family Cellars.

On top of that, representatives from Coro Mendocino will be at the event.   Coro Mendocino is a consortia producing ultra-premium wines showcasing the rich heritage and unique characteristics of the area.  Each year, these wines must be made entirely in Mendocino County, exclusively from Mendocino County fruit, judged worthy by a series of independent blind-tastings, and certified by the Mendocino Winegrowers Alliance before they can carry the Coro Mendocino mark and label.  The 2009 Coro Mendocino wineries included BARRA of Mendocino, Brutocao Cellars, Claudia Springs Winery, Fetzer Vineyards, Golden Vineyards, McFadden Vineyard, McNab Ridge Winery, Mendocino Vineyards, Parducci Wine Cellars and Philo Ridge Vineyards.

 

Taste of Mendocino – You Should Go For The Local Food Purveyors

Kemmy's Pies

Black Raspberry Vanilla Pie, from Kemmy’s Pies

Mendocino County may have plenty of world-class wineries, but it has more than just wine to offer.  The county also has 1953 acres planted to Pears, 265 acres planted to Apples, and 320 acres planted to Vegetables.  In addition, over 50,000 acres of land are certified Fish Friendly (Fish Friendly Farming is a certification program for agricultural properties managed to restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality). 

To learn more about the local food products and what Mendocino County residents do with them check out the other Taste of Mendocino participants such as:

  • Assaggiare Mendocino – Small business offering catering services, cooking classes, and consultant advice, providing samples of their award winning Crab Cakes.
  • Kemmy’s Pies – Bakery company selling pies in Mendocino, Humboldt, Lake, and Sonoma Counties.  Their latest creation is Abe’s Bacon Apple Shots (a Whiskey-Soaked Apple Pie with Crumb Topping, Salted Caramel, and Cinnamon-Sugar Coated Bacon).  
  • Living Light Culinary Institute – From Cherie Soria, a raw vegan cooking school offering classes ranging from one day to ten weeks.
  • Mendocino Organics – Community Supported Agricultural Farm who will have tastings of delicious pâté made from their Heart Arrow Ranch meats.
  • Ocean Harvest Sea Vegetable Company – Purveyor offering nine different varieties of wild-harvested, sun-dried seaweed.
  • Pennyroyal Farm – Creamery producing handcrafted cheese from goats and sheeps raised on their family farm.
Mendocino Village

Mendocino Village

If you are looking for more information about food and food sources in Mendocino County, you may also want to look around Taste of Mendocino for Sarah and Gowan.  These two women are behind Eat Mendocino, a year-long project based on their commitment to only eat food that is farmed and foraged in Mendocino County during 2013.

 

Taste of Mendocino – You Should Go For Local Information and Artisan Vendors

2012 Taste of Mendocino

2012 Taste of Mendocino

Taste of Mendocino is a truly fun and informative event.  In addition to learning about activities and events in the county, you can collect information, maps, and brochures to help you plan your next adventure.  Attendees can also explore lodging options, including B. Bryan Preserve (an animal preserve dedicated to the breeding and preservation of African hoof Stock which also offers guest lodging in on-site cottages) and Camp Navarro (a historic camp with 80 acres of privately owned property surrounded by woodlands and state forests).  Artisan vendors such as Sapothecary (a producer of handmade botanical soaps) will also be present.

If you are still thirsty, Taste of Mendocino will also include vendors such as Craft Distillers/Germain-Robin, Mendocino Brewing Company, and the Thanksgiving Coffee Company to help wrap up your evening.

Golfing at Little River Inn

Golfing at Little River Inn

Mendocino County includes winding roads, boutique wineries, hikes that truly make you feel you’ve gotten away from it all, coastal escapes, farms and vineyards, organic breweries, funky arts and crafts, and a very laid-back vibe.  By joining forces, the Visit Mendocino County and Mendocino WineGrowers, Inc. organizations are essentially bringing Mendocino County to you on June 11, so you can plan your next trip.

Taste of Mendocino logoEven if all you want to do is spend a few hours after work having a great time, it’s hard to think of a better solution than Taste of Mendocino 2013.  So, click here to purchase your ticket(s) for June 11.

(Earlier in the day, between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., Taste of Mendocino is open for qualified trade and media representatives such as wine buyers and distributors, sommeliers, meeting planners, travel planners, and media.  To see if you may qualify for a Trade or Media Pass, please click here )

 


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