On August 10th, the 2013 Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival will unfold once again in the scenic hills of Southern Mendocino County. So come spend a relaxing Saturday in Yorkville while you enjoy award-winning wines made and grown here, delicious cuisine, live music, and a tempting silent auction. There will also be a grape stomp and plenty of other fun and games for all ages.
Meyer Family Cellars, host of the 2013 Yorkville Highland Wine Festival
You’ll find over 60 local wines available for tasting at the Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival. Whether this is your first time attending or not (this is the 11th anniversary) this is a great chance to learn about (or remind yourself how much you enjoy) wineries such as Bink Wines, Halcón Vineyards, Judson Hale Winery, Le Vin Estate Winery, Lone Oak Estate Winery, Maple Creek Winery, Marietta Cellars, Meyer Family Cellars, Route 128 Winery, Wattle Creek Winery, and Yorkville Cellars.
Wine Barrel Obstacle Race at the Yorkville Highland Wine Festival
Between 1:00 and 5:00 pm, the venue this year is the beautiful Meyer Family Cellars at 19750 Highway 128 (Mile Marker 34) between Yorkville and Boonville. Tickets for a full afternoon of fun are only $45 per person. Event tickets without the wine (for Designated Drivers and Kids 13-18) are available for $30. Kids that are 12 and under can come to the Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival for Free. To purchase tickets, please go here.
2012 Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival
If you want a sense of the scope of wines made here, these were some of our favorite wines last year: a Donnelly Ranch Chardonnay from Meyer Family Cellars, a Semillon and a Rosé (of Cabernet Franc) from Yorkville Cellars, a Walsh Ranch Pinot Noir from Jusdon Hale Winery, an Old Chatham Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and a Hawks Butte Vineyard Syrah from Bink Wines.
We also enjoyed several red blends last year: an “Old Vine Red” from Marietta Cellars (Syrah, Zinfandel, Carignane), a “Melange” (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah) from Bink Wines, and the “High Roller” from Yorkville Cellars which is a blend of Merlot, Malbec, Carignane, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lunch at the Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival
At the 2012 Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival, guests received an enormous serving of Paella with Bread and a Mixed Green Salad. Actually, there were two versions last year – a more traditional Paella with Chicken, Mussels, and Prawns, and a vegetarian version with plenty of Asparagus.
Hosted by the Yorkville Highlands Growers and Vintners Association, the 2013 Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival marks the 15th anniversary of Yorkville Highlands becoming an official wine growing appellation. The Yorkville Highlands AVA consists of approximately 40,000 acres straddling Highway 128, a picturesque road that winds past vineyards, sheep ranches and apple orchards before ultimately passing through a redwood forest on the way to the Pacific coast. The Association recently updated their helpful website.
Mendocino Hotel
If you want to come up for the Highlands Festival on August 10th and hang around Mendocino County a little longer, here’s something to consider (if you move quickly). With a confirmation of your Festival ticket purchase, you can get a discount equal to that purchase price on lodging at the Mendocino Hotel (45080 Main Street, Mendocino). So, two adults with tickets can potentially get a room for $90 off. To find out more, please contact the hotel at 800-548-0513 or 707-937-0511.
If you decide to hang around Mendocino County and are looking for ideas, please go here to see our recommendations for the adjacent Anderson Valley.