A great event, hosted by the Russian River Wine Road, that showcases over 100 wineries in Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley who pour not only bottled wines but the same varietals that are still in barrels. A great way to taste new varietals, the difference between vintages in the same varietal, and differences in winemaking styles between wineries.

Highly recommended, I’ve gone for several years to exercise my palate and taste for winemaking trends. Normally Saturday is quite lively with Sunday the quieter day as those who partied too hard Saturday night not making the second of FOUR days of tasting (or SIX if you count two Fridays!)

UPDATE: We again had a blast seeing the vintage varietal differences across many different winemaking styles. Rain on both Sundays kept some indoors but we enjoyed the quieter crowds on those days. A noticeable trend at many wineries was the strong emphasis on their wine clubs. To keep their customers intrigued, these wineries are making very small vineyard designate lots only for wine club members. How fun to be able to taste the differences between vineyards across the same vintage!