By January, wine fun seems in short supply, especially after the fast-paced activities beginning with Thanksgiving and running through to the new year. But fear not, the Wine Road offers a winter wine festival filled with great wines, plenty of laughter, great photo ops and a whole lot of fun — it’s the 32nd annual Winter WINEland.
It’s a Three-Day Weekend
Winter WINEland happens on the third weekend in January. Perfectly placed, as Monday is the holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., giving most folks a three-day weekend. This year Winter WINEland is January 18th and 19th, with over half the wineries sharing complimentary tasting on Monday, January 20th for Winter WINEland ticket holders wearing wristbands and showing up with their wine glasses. That’s three days of January fun!
Never Long Enough
The holiday season flies by fast, and when it ends, it’s always a little depressing to put away the decorations. At Winter WINEland, you can spend the entire weekend soaking in a little bit more of the holiday décor. And, you can enjoy it without putting up or taking down the lights! Your only job for the entire weekend is to relax, enjoy, and soak in the fun.
Making Memories
The wineries along the Wine Road are so picturesque, making them perfect for great photo ops. If you like to take selfies with your friends as you taste through the day, you’re in luck during Winter WINEland. The wineries will have special locations or backdrops in their tasting rooms to help you capture memories from each stop. It’s always good to have photos to share on social media, showing your friends and family what they are missing. Photos also remind us of the great time we had, so we mark our calendars to do it again next year!
If holiday décor isn’t your thing, be sure to check out the decorations at David Coffaro Vineyard & Winery as they celebrate the NFL football season. If you’re a fan, you might even be able check on the scores.
Try Something New
With 70 wineries to select from, you’re bound to find a new one you’ve not been to before. You may also find new wine varietals or blends to try, and you just might fall in love with them. Last year, my stop at Idlewild Wines was all about something new. Idlewild specializes in Italian varietals, and during my visit I tasted varietals I’d never before tried, each memorable and worthy of a purchase.
At Mounts Family Winery, we tried a couple of their Rhône-varietal blends and fell in love with them. Idlewild and Mounts are just two of the many wineries producing and pouring Italian and Rhône varietals and blends. As you look through the list of participating wineries and the program, you’ll find many more “new to you” options that lure to you stop in and taste.
Meet the Owners and Winemakers
Winter WINEland is a weekend where the folks pouring the wines are often the owners, winemakers, or both. In addition to the tasting room staff, at some wineries you’ll get the chance to meet members of the winemaking team as they proudly pour the wines they helped produce.
Listing out all the wineries where you can have a chance to meet the folks that make the wine would be way too long, so I’ll just share a few locations:
- At Carol Shelton Wines, meet the owner and winemaker, Carol Shelton, the Queen of Zin. Carol’s infectious smile, award-winning wines, and willingness to share plenty of stories will tempt you to hang out for a while.
- Get to know owners Lana and David Mounts at Mounts Family Winery. David (third generation) is the winemaker and winegrower/farmer. Also meet some of the fourth generation of Mounts as they pour wine during the weekend.
- Matt Michael, the winemaker and partner at Baldassari Wines, will be on hand during the weekend to pour you his delicious wines at his downtown Windsor tasting room.
- At Peterson Winery, owner Fred Peterson and winemaker Jamie Peterson will be pouring wines along with members of their winemaking team. They promise to also have toasty heaters in their cellar to keep you warm as you sip their wines, which are some of the county’s best kept secrets.
- Chris Mengler, the owner and winemaker of Mengler Family Wines, will be spending the weekend greeting guests and pouring wine in his downtown Windsor tasting room.
These are just a few of the owners and winemakers who will be on hand to greet and meet you. So many of the Wine Road wineries are small and family owned and operated, giving you many opportunities all weekend long to get to know the people behind the wines.
Mysterious Wine Specials
Many of the wineries participating in Winter WINEland will be offering special pricing on some of their wines, including most of the wineries I’ve already mentioned. There are a couple unique offerings you might want to scope out during Winter WINEland.
Soda Rock Winery will be having a Mystery Case Sale. If you’ve tried Soda Rock wines, you already know that they are all delicious, so this Mystery Case Sale is a great chance to get excellent wines at a bargain price.
Sunce Winery & Vineyard will once again hold their annual mystery bottle sale. Here’s the scoop: Disguised in brown bags, these wines have scuffed labels or are the last of the vintage. The prices will be $25 for a bottle of red wine (value $45-90) and $15 for a bottle white wine (value $30-45). Sunce has been holding this sale since the 1990s, and people return year after year to purchase these mystery wines at bargain prices.
VIP Events
Twenty lucky people will be able to purchase tickets for two VIP events during the Winter WINEland weekend.
To kick off the weekend, on Friday night Gary Farrell Wines will be hosting an intimate VIP Happy Hour at their stunning location with breathtaking views of the Russian River Valley. They are renowned for their highly acclaimed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which you’ll be enjoying along with the view.
To ensure you start your wine tasting Saturday with a delicious meal, Williamson Wines will be hosting the VIP breakfast at their Epicurean Kitchen in downtown Healdsburg. Colin Curtis, Williamson Wines estate executive chef, will offer up a thoughtfully prepared and hearty farm-to-table breakfast showcasing Sonoma County’s seasonal bounty paired with their sparkling wine, Chardonnay and Rosé.
Remember, VIP tickets are limited to 20 people, so get yours as soon as possible. Last year the VIP experience quickly sold out!
Extra Day of Tasting & Fun
On Monday, over half of the participating wineries will continue to extend complimentary tastings to ticket holders who show up with their glasses and wristbands intact. This extra day gives you time to explore more wineries, and visit those you missed over the weekend.
Sunday-Only Tickets
If you can only break away for a day, the Wine Road will have Sunday-only tickets available at a reduced price over the full-weekend ticket price. Same great benefit and amount of fun, just compressed into one day. Sunday-only tickets are limited, and sell out quickly.
Ticket Time
Ready to buy your tickets?
Information about the weekend
List of Winter WINEland participating wineries
Winter WINEland detailed program
Link to purchase tickets
Holiday Wine Trail & Market
If you can’t wait until January to visit Sonoma County’s Wine Country, the Wine Road has another wine tasting event that includes shopping options for the holidays. The Holiday Wine Trail & Market will take place on December 7th from 11 – 4. The $40 one-day ticket will get you access to your choice of 30 wineries. Each winery will also have gift items for sale, so you can multi-task — wine tasting, restocking your cellar for the holidays, and holiday gift shopping, too. Check out the list of participating wineries, the wines they’ll be offering, and the gift selections they have available that day.
Several of the wineries will have multiple local artisans or food purveyors at their locations. ACTA Wine will host five artisans, Woodenhead Wine will be displaying the works of 11 local artists, giving you so many excellent gift options, and at Carol Shelton Wines, the staff and friends will be selling various handmade items.
Winter and Wine = Fun!
Don’t let the shorter days and occasional gray skies of winter give you the blues. Visit Sonoma County’s Wine Road and let the fun begin.
Happy Sipping!
- Posted in: Event
- Tagged in: ACTA Wine, Along the Wine Road, Amphora Winery, BACA WINES, Baldassari Wines, Banshee Winery, Carol Shelton, Carol Shelton Wines, David Coffaro Vineyard & Winery, Gary Farrell Winery, Hook & Ladder Winery, Idlewild Wines, Martorana Family Winery, Mengler Family Wines, Mounts Family Winery, Papapietro Perry Winery, Pedroncelli Winery, Peterson Winery, Soda Rock Winery, Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Sunce Winery, Williamson Wines, Wine Trails, Winter WINEland, Woodenhead Vintners,