Winter/Spring 2024 Events & Updates from Anderson Valley

January 16th – After a crazy but late harvest in Fall 2023, winemakers recovered over the holidays and reflected on what is universally believed to have been a very good growing year. Several wineries in Anderson Valley were chosen by Wine & Spirits Magazine to be included in their annual Top 100 Wineries list; Domaine Anderson and Minus Tide along with wineries like Siduri and Williams Selyem who source grapes from the Valley.

Winery Events

Anderson Valley Winegrowers Annual Events:

• Tickets are now on sale for the White Wine Weekend on February 17-18, 2024,  weekend celebrating the white wine and sparkling from the region. https://avwines.com/white-wine-weekend/
• On February 24, 2024, join the winegrowers for the annual Pruning Contest. Sponsored by Bahco Pruning Tools, celebrate the craft of our vineyard teams. Email press@avwines.com for an invitation. 
• On March 27, 2024, join Anderson Valley producers for the annual Coast Trade Tasting at the Little River Inn. Thirty producers will pour from noon to three at this intimate trade event of less than 100 people. Email press@avwines.com for an invitation.
• The signature annual Pinot Noir Festival tickets are on sale NOW for the May 17-19, 2024 event. Best to buy early for limited events like Sunday’s Bubble Lounge and Saturday’s BBQ in the Vineyard. https://avwines.com/pinot-noir-festival/

Anderson Valley Wineries and Their Events

Brashley Vineyards – continues their popular Valley tradition of making house-made wood oven pizzas every Monday, when you can really use a hot pizza. Open to everyone, Chef Sean has an array of interesting pizza offerings to pair with Brashley’s outstanding Anderson Valley wines…..or the Riesling they make in the Finger Lakes just because the grapes are fantastic. www.brashleywines.com.

•  Brashley is also hosting the Friday night reception for all media and special guests attending White Wine Weekend on Friday, February 16 from 5-7 PM. Contact press@avwines.com to attend.
• New releases include a White Pinot Noir and a Riesling. Check the winery’s website for Pinot Noir Festival highlights and upcoming winemaker dinner. Meet Ashley Palm at Pebble Beach WIne Festival and Passion4Pinot in Palm Springs.

Pennyroyal Farm – The winery and creamery is in the process of hiring a new chef and will soon start up their own series of wine and food events. Follow the winery to hear more. www.pennyroyalfarms.com.

• Pennyroyal is releasing their new sparking reserve, the 2016 Almittey Brut, which has spent 5 years sur latte and is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Almittey is a fun word in local language Boontling that means “to burp loudly.”
• Pennyroyal will be part of the Mendocino Crab Cake cook-off on February 3rd and has just released an experimental lychee, or fresh goat cheese, that is blended with sirop de Pinot Noir. Currently a tasting room exclusive!

Domaine Anderson – Fresh off their award by Wine & Spirits Magazine as a Top 100 winery for 2023, winemaker Darrin Low presented Domaine Anderson wines at the San Francisco tasting late last year and will be in New York on February 15, 2024 for the East Coast Tasting. Darrin will also be pouring at Passion 4 Pinot in Palm Springs on February 3, 2024, and at World of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara on March 2, 2024.

www.domaineanderson.com.

• Domaine Anderson completely reimagined their label design and look as well as created a new, updated website.

Roederer Estate – Winemaker Arnaud Weyrich will join several other panelists in Palm Springs for a Passion4Pinot seminar “Bubbles, Bubbles and More Bubbles ” on February 2nd, 11 – 12:30 at the Rancho Mirage Westin. www.roedererestate.com

Scharffenberger Estate – the sparkling wine house launches a new label design as well as a revamped website. www.scharffenbergercellars.com.

Wentworth Vineyards – the winery is tracking progress in the barrel of its 2023 vintage of the remarkable Abel Vineyard, which Wentworth acquired in 2023. The site features special suitcase collections from Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits and has been a vineyard designate source for well-known Pinot producers Copain, Dupuis and LIOCO. 2023 also promises outstanding Nash Mill Vineyard designates Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as Wentworth’s classic AV Pinot Noir and an Anderson Valley Rose of Pinot Noir, a first for the winery.   www.wentworthvineyards.com

• Mark Wentworth will be pouring Wentworth Vineyards at Verve in New York  City on January 18, 2024. Details are being finalized so check the winery’s website.

Handley Cellars –  will be hosting a special Alsatian-inspired winemaker’s pairing dinner during White Wine Weekend. Saturday, Feb, 17, 2024, 5:30-8:30 pm, join Lulu Handley and winemaker Randy Ollum in Handley’s cellar for a dinner of oysters, onion tart, trout, sausage with sauerkraut and warm apple tart. www.handleycellars.com

Husch Vineyards – is celebrating all things seafood with a gift of the Husch Seafood Rub when you visit the tasting room on the weekends January 27-28 and February 3-4. 2024.  www.huschvineyards.com

• Visit the Husch tasting room on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, for a chocolate treat.
• Join Husch the week of April 22nd for an Eco-Tour focusing on the sustainable practices implemented in Husch’s vineyard farming.
• In May, Husch celebrates the Pinot Noir Festival (May 17-19) with the Pinot Collection Sale. On June 1st, Husch will be releasing the 2022 One Barrel of Pinot from the Ferrington Vineyard.

In March, Husch releases new vintages of their popular wines; 2022 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer and 2022 Pinot Noir.

Breggo is Back – Lichen Estates’ Doug Stewart recently reacquired his original winery, Breggo Cellars  from Cliff Lede in Napa Valley. Boontling for “sheep” or “ram”, Breggo was the most heavily awarded winery in Mendocino County before the 2008 market turndown. Coming back to the Anderson Valley and locating in the former Phillips Hill historic winery property, Breggo is doing it big for White Wine Weekend with a celebratory dinner that also brings back the talents of Bewildered Pig’s Janelle Weaver. Limited to 32 people on February 17th for 6:00 pm canapes and 7 pm dinner.  (update: the dinner sold out in hours but a waiting list is being compiled) $330.00 / Winemaker Dinner Sold out — please sign up for wait list by emailing info@lichenestate.com in case tickets become available. 

• Breggo’s tasting room opens in February and will feature wines from Anderson Valley that were in production  and will be finished by Doug Stewart to reflect his style of winemaking that made Breggo so popular when Doug first released award-winning wines in 2005.-2009. www.breggocellars.com

Donum Estate – Spring 2024 will mark the release of the final release of Donum’s Pinot Noir wines from Angel Camp Vineyard in Anderson Valley. These include 2021 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 2021 Angel Camp Pinot Noir and 2021 The Observer Pinot Noir. Donum Estate will continue to make wine from its estate vineyard named Bodega and also acquired the iconic Savoy Vineyard in 2023, which  is considered a marquee vineyard in the Valley, and will surely make stellar Pinot Noir from it in the future. www.thedonumestate.com

Regional Wine Happenings

Mendocino has an array of activities during the winter focusing on their bounty from the sea and the fruits of the vast agricultural industry, one of which is wine grapes.

Seafood & Sips – This January 26 through February 4, 2024 the annual Seafood & Sips Mendocino offers an inside look at the region’s ocean bounty with a local slant. Belly up for a round-up of epicurean adventures from family-style cioppino feeds to the signature Crab Cake Cook-Off paired with a cache of wines from Mendocino County’s top 12 AVAs. Back by popular demand, Hopland’s Sparking Wine & Oyster Celebration will pop all the corks as will a bevy of regional hotel properties offering package deals to round out a winter visit. The season never tasted so good!  www.visitmendocino.com/seafood-sips-2024/.

SIGNATURE EVENTS

• Sparkling Wine & Oyster Celebration
  • Saturday, January 27, 2024; 1:00 p.m., to 4:00 p.m.; Hopland, Calif., www.destinationhopland.com.
• Crab Cake Cook-Off & Wine Tasting Competition
  • The event benefits Mendocino Coast Clinics. Saturday, February 3, 2024; 11:00 a.m., to 3:00 p.m.; Fort Bragg, Calif., www.crabwinefestival.org.
• Cioppino Dinner
  • Friday, February 2, 2024; 5:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.; Little River, Calif.,www.littleriverinn.com/events.

County Wide Seafood Feasts

During the festival, chefs from Ukiah to Elk will roll out an enticing line-up of chowders, savory seafood soups, sushi, uni and oysters served every which way. From traditional fish stew at the new Good Bones Kitchen to a seafood tower for two at Left Coast Seafood Restaurant, the options for savoring the region’s stars of the sea are endless. Vue Kitchen in Gualala is another top option offering a sinful pasta pescatore with clams, tiger prawns and seasonal seafood simmered in a spicy vodka marinara sauce. A great way to savor the flavors right off the boat is a stroll through Fort Bragg’s Noyo Harbor where Princess Seafood, Noyo Fish Company and Sea Pal Cove feature sustainably wild-caught finds in a true working harbor setting.  Wrap the day with a traditional crabbing cruise, harbor boat tour or visit to the nearby International Sea Glass Museum. www.visitmendocino.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SeafoodandSips2024.pdf.