Heart of Sonoma Valley Barrel Tasting March 19 & 20
And it’s in my own back yard!!
March 19 and 20 is the Heart of Sonoma Valley Barrel Tasting, a two day event in which over 30 wineries open their doors and pour from the barrel.
Now here’s the thing, this is not a "Sonoma Valley" barrel tasting, but rather the "Heart of Sonoma Valley" barrel tasting weekend. The organization of wineries in and around the Glen Ellen and Kenwood area formed this little coalition and have really run with it. This will be the 15th annual tasting. So, don’t go to Ravenswood or Buena Vista or Schug Carneros Estate and expect them to be pouring from Barrel. Those guys are down valley. You want to be Up Valley on the 19th and 20th.
There are a few things that make this event lots of fun
-The two day event means you can linger and not feel rushed to get to the next winery
-The wineries make a particular effort to put out great food, often catered by local restaurants
-The Sonoma Valley excels at a number of varietals so everything from Chard to Pinot to Cab will be tasted out of barrel.
-Most wineries are offering significant discounts on something or other.
The Glen Ellen/Kenwood area has an eclectic collection of wineries from big (Kenwood and Çhateau St. Jean) to Small (Kaz, Mayo Family Winery, Loxton) To Specialists (Landmark for Chard, B.R. Cohn for Cab) to Co-op Tasting Rooms (Family Wineries of Sonoma Valley, The Wine Room).
Profits from the event help local schools. Over the years thousands of dollars have been raised for two small, underfunded, but outstanding grade schools in Kenwood and Glen Ellen. You’ll see parents from both schools volunteering.
Ok…now go have fun.
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