Popular Event to Feature Gourmet Food & Wine Pairings Created with Local Artisans
Healdsburg, CA, September 30, 2019—Wine Road, an association of wineries and lodgings in Northern Sonoma County, kicks off their annual event season with the 21st Annual Wine & Food Affair. The event, featuring two full days of tantalizing food and wine pairings along the Wine Road, takes place November 2nd and 3rd from 11am to 4pm each day.
Throughout the weekend, guests will have the opportunity to visit more than 80 participating wineries stretching across Sonoma County’s Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valleys. Each participating winery offers a taste of gourmet cuisine prepared by a local culinary artist paired with the wine of their choice.
“Wine and Food Affair is our premier event, and this year we asked our wineries to take their wine and food pairings to the next level,” said Beth Costa, Executive Director of Wine Road. “We wanted the event to better showcase the bounty that Sonoma County has to offer, so each winery was required to partner with a local artisan, farmer or producer in some way to create their recipe. We’ve never asked this of our wineries before, so we’re excited to see – and taste – the results of these collaborations.” Recipes from the event and events past can be found on the Wine Road’s online cookbook, so guests can replicate the pairings at home. Featured collaborations for this year’s event include:
The Left Bank Association, which includes wineries J. Rickards, Kelley & Young, Mercury, and Ramazzotti wineries, will be celebrating local producers by partnering with Bernier Farms in Geyserville. Each winery’s featured dish will be centered on select seasonal ingredients from Bernier Farms. In addition, Bernier Farms will have a small farmstand set up at each winery selling their produce. Dishes will include Sonoma Harvest Turkey Lettuce Wraps, Alexander Valley Banh Mi, Chili Verde, and Hearty Italian Beef Stew.
Wilson Artisan Wines will take guests “Around the World in 8 Wineries.” Featuring flavors from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Lebanon, France, the South Pacific and the good ‘ole USA, Wilson Artisan’s eight Wine Road member wineries will offer pairings of award winning wines with a world-tour of tastes from a combination of in-house chefs and talented local caterers. The eight participating wineries include: Wilson Winery, Mazzocco, Matrix Winery, Pezzi King Wines, Rockpile Vineyards, Soda Rock Winery, deLorimier, and their newest, Coyote Sonoma.
Eastside Hills Wineries have banded together for the 2019 Wine & Food Affair to create recipes that focus on “big and bold” wine and food pairings using local Sonoma County ingredients. Tour these 7 neighboring wineries to experience some of the most flavorful and rich pairings on the weekend that include: Crispy Skin Pork Belly On Harvest Apple Slaw at Christopher Creek Winery; Short Rib Osso Buco at Foppiano Winery; – Beef Tenderloin Pops with Mushroom, Parsley, Dijon Glaze and Baked Macaroni with 3 Cheeses at Vizlay Winery; Skirt Steak Crostini at Notre Vue Winery; Acorn Squash Tamale with Mole and shaved Caproncino Goat Cheese at ACORN Winery; Braised Keftedes (Lamb Meatballs) with Cabernet Franc Reduction Sauce at Merriam Vineyards; and Smoked Brisket with Homemade Tangy Bourbon BBQ Sauce at Mutt Lynch Winery.
Attendees have the option to purchase tickets for the weekend or Sunday only of the event, enjoying Sonoma County’s finest at their own pace. Advance tickets are on sale now online for the weekend ($95), Sunday only ($75), and Designated Driver ($35). Advance tickets must be purchased as no tickets are sold at the door for this event. Ticket sales end Monday, October 28th.
New! Add-On Events
Visitors can now add additional events to their weekend to extend their wine & food experience. A ticket to Wine & Food Affair is required to purchase tickets to these add on events, which include:
Somm Series at Roth Estate Winery: Saturday, November 2, 9:30 to 10:45 am
Join Wine Road for a Roth Estate Winery led Tasting Master Class, an educational pregame before the start of Wine & Food Affair. Whether a seasoned wine connoisseur or new to wine, this event will have something for everyone such as tips on wine tasting techniques, most effective language, and easy to digest food and wine pairing information that will continue to build appreciation for fine wines. – $60 per person / Limited to 30 guests
Winemaker Breakfast at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate: Sunday, November 3, 9:30-10:45 am
Join winemakers from Kendall-Jackson, Hook & Ladder Winery and Sanglier Cellars for a morning of Q&A along with breakfast before heading out to Wine & Food Affair. This is an open forum for guests to meet and chat with winemakers in a casual setting. This is not a wine tasting experience, simply breakfast and conversation. – $20 per person / Limited to 20 guests
ABOUT WINE ROAD NORTHERN SONOMA COUNTY:
Wine Road is the best source for discovering Northern Sonoma County’s exceptional wine country, which is famous for its renowned wine producers and cuisine, scenic beauty, and wine country lifestyle. The association hosts three celebrated wine events throughout the year, “Winter WINEland” in January; “Barrel Tasting” in March; and “Wine and Food Affair” in November. Made up of 200 wineries and 54 lodgings throughout the Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River valleys in Sonoma County, something is always going on along the Wine Road. To plan your next trip, please visit: www.wineroad.com. For additional information, or to request a free map, call 800.723.6336 or via e-mail at info@wineroad.com, or visit the Wine Road on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
