Winter Getaways in California Wine Country

January 5, 2020 by evebushman

SAN FRANCISCO — When temperatures plummet in other parts of the country, it’s time to warm up to a winter getaway in California wine country. Not only does the Golden State enjoy sunny skies and comparatively mild temperatures year ‘round, California’s distinctive wine regions offer a host of seasonal activities and events, from food festivals to barrel tastings. Here are just some of the activities and events happening in California wine regions this season.

Wine Tasting

For those who prefer hands-on pursuits, many California wineries offer wine-blending workshops, cooking classes that focus on seasonal ingredients and in-depth, educational tastings. See DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com to search for wineries by region, varietals and amenities.

For great wine tasting deals in Napa Valley, pick up the Winter in the Wineries Passport ($60), which includes tastings at 16 Calistoga wineries, or St. Helena’s Little Book of Big Experiences passport ($75), which offers enhanced wine experiences and curated pairings at 15 wineries throughout the season.

Annual Wine & Food Events

Some of California’s best wine and food events happen in the winter months. During California Restaurant Month in January, eateries across the state offer special rates on prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus. Restaurant Week promotions run in various cities throughout the month. This year, Sonoma County extends its Restaurant Week celebration from Feb. 21-March 1.

The Napa Truffle Festival (Jan. 17-20) includes mushroom foraging and truffle cultivation seminars, plus chef-led cooking demonstrations. Crab Feast Mendocino (Jan.24-Feb. 2) features all-you-can-eat crab feeds, a wine competition showcasing local producers and a Crab Cake Cook-off.

Fans of crab and wine enjoy the Mendocino Crab Feast. Photo: Visit Mendocino.

Tour northern Sonoma County during Winter Wineland (Jan. 18-19), when vintners pour samples of new releases and limited-production library selections.

Enjoy special tastings at the Santa Cruz Mountains Passport Celebration Day (Jan. 18), when more than 40 participating wineries throughout the region open their doors to visitors. The Temecula Valley Barrel Tasting Event (Jan. 25-26) offers a self-guided taste and tour to sample barrel and tank wine samples, as well as new releases. The Zinfandel Experience (Jan. 30-Feb. 1) is a three-day wine and food fest in San Francisco that presents wine seminars, an auction and dinner and a grand tasting—all centered around California’s distinctive Zinfandel wine.

The Zinfandel Experience in San Francisco features Zinfandels from all of California’s growing regions.

Sweet treats abound at two February events: the Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend (Feb. 7-9), and the Madera Wine Trail Wine & Chocolate Weekend (Feb. 8-9), held at multiple wineries. The Presidents’ Wine Weekend (Feb. 15-16) in Calaveras County presents wine experiences and special events throughout the weekend in the Gold Rush town of Murphys.

Good times, good friends are part of the Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend.

The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure (Feb. 15) in Sonoma gives tasters access to under-the-radar, micro-production wines from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, the Santa Cruz Mountains and more. Central Coast winemakers show off their blending expertise at BlendFest on the Coast in Paso Robles (Feb. 20-23), a tribute to the region’s rule-breaking wines. This year’s Anderson Valley Winter White Wine Festival (Feb. 22-23) highlights Riesling and other Alsace varietals with seminars, a grand tasting featuring local and international vintners and winery open house events.

Amador County wineries present educational seminars, food pairings and hard-to-find wines at Behind the Cellar Door (March 7). Taste barrel samples and meet the winemakers behind them at the WineRoad Barrel Tasting (March 6-8 and 13-15), a tasting tour of the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River valleys in Sonoma County. Sip some of Mendocino County’s finest wines in shops and galleries throughout Mendocino village while scouting the coastline for giant aquatic mammals at the Mendocino Whale Festival (March 7).

Wintertime Winery Activities

California wineries host special activities and tastings throughout the winter season.

North Coast

Acumen in the Napa Valley now offers Wine and Chocolate Tasting Thursdays through Sundays in partnership with Napa’s Annette’s Chocolates. Learn about chocolate production while sampling three PEAK Cabernet Sauvignons paired with six chocolate selections. Reservations must be made online or by phone 72 hours in advance.

Every Friday through April, Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena hosts a Winter Farmers Market featuring organic produce, beef, honey and other farm-grown goodies.

Head to V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena on Jan. 18 for a Coq Au Vin and Cabernet Pairing in the glow of the winery’s crackling fireplace. Steaming bowls of slow-cooked coq au vin with porcini-parmesan polenta are matched with Napa Valley Cabernets, including older vintages.

On President’s Day Weekend, Black Stallion Winery in Napa is celebrating with a wine and oysters event Feb. 15. No reservations needed.

For more fun winter experiences and events around the state, visit DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com.

Wine Institute is the public policy association of California wineries producing 80 percent of U.S. wine. As the nation’s number one state for wine and food tourism with 3,900 wineries, California attracts 24 million visitors to its wine regions each year.

Dates Announced for 2020 Oregon Truffle Festival in the Willamette Valley

May 22, 2019 by evebushman

PORTLAND, Ore. (PRWEB) – The Oregon Truffle Festival, a Willamette Valley-based nonprofit organization and North America’s premier truffle celebration, announces dates for early 2020. The festival’s two weekends, spanning January 23-26, 2020 and February 14-16, 2020, are supported by the Willamette Valley Visitors Association through its Regional Grant Awards. The new grant, awarded in early 2019, promotes regional messaging to drive tourism in winter months and supports the festival’s year-round goals of building Oregon’s native truffle industry.

With four native Oregon truffles and the successful cultivation of prized European truffles in the Willamette Valley, the region is North America’s contribution to the short list of world-class truffle and wine regions. This singular culinary bounty in Oregon wine country, coupled with the winter timing of the truffle season, presented a perfect opportunity for collaboration between the festival and the Valley’s regional marketing organization.

The 2020 Oregon Truffle Festival will open with the world’s premier truffle dog competition, the Joriad™ North American Truffle Dog Championship, wherein spectators cheer for teams of truffle dogs and their trainers as they race to search for hidden truffle-scented targets. Aspiring foragers from far and wide will have the opportunity of finding their own truffles by registering their dogs for the popular two-day Truffle Dog Training camp on January 24 and 25.

The January weekend in Eugene and surrounding counties promises decadent dinners, wine pairing luncheons, cooking classes, a fresh truffle marketplace, and much more. The full lineup of events and participating chefs, restaurants, wineries, and culinary artisans will be made available on the Oregon Truffle Festival’s website in the coming months.

The February weekend, with its especially romantic timing in 2020, highlights the shared terroir of Oregon wine and truffles. Taking place at some of the region’s most notable wineries, the north Willamette Valley weekend will include truffle hunts, indulgent winery luncheons, decadent winemaker dinners, and a truffle brunch. The weekend will close with a festival favorite, the Newberg Fresh Truffle Marketplace, which brings together regional wines, artisan foods, and fresh local truffles.

Tickets to weekend packages and à la carte events will be released in September 2019.

The Willamette Valley Visitors Association and the Oregon Truffle Festival share the dual goals of raising awareness for the region as a year-round travel destination and driving economic impact to all parts of the region. Every year, the festival takes place across several Willamette Valley counties, including Yamhill, Marion, Polk and Lane counties, across two weekends and welcomes domestic and global travelers seeking the ultimate truffle and wine experience.

The small grant awarded by the Willamette Valley Visitors’ Association further supports the Oregon Truffle Festival’s seasonal programming, offering many more opportunities to discover the allure of Willamette Valley wine and truffle country. More details on events and workshops will be posted on the Oregon Truffle Festival’s website and social media channels as they are scheduled.

This project has been funded in part by a grant from Willamette Valley Visitors Association in utilization of Travel Oregon Regional Cooperative Tourism Program funds.

ABOUT THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY
The Willamette Valley, Oregon’s leading wine region, has over two-thirds of the state’s wineries and vineyards and is home to more than 500 wineries. It is recognized as one of the premier Pinot noir producing areas in the world. Other cool-climate varieties such as Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewürztraminer are equally at home in the Willamette Valley. Around 150 miles long and up to 60 miles wide, it is Oregon’s largest AVA. Named for the river that flows through it, the Willamette Valley has the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards in Oregon. The region is also a hub for native Oregon truffles and cultivated European varieties, placing the Willamette Valley on the short list of world-renown wine and truffles regions.

ABOUT THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY VISITORS ASSOCIATION
The Willamette Valley Visitors Association is a private, non-profit organization that supports travel and tourism in the Willamette Valley – Oregon Wine Country. Comprised of six destination marketing organizations, the Willamette Valley Visitors Association works to maintain the Willamette Valley as Oregon’s premier wine destination, while highlighting the culture, heritage and natural resources of the region. For more information, please visit oregonwinecountry.org or call (866) 548-5018

ABOUT THE OREGON TRUFFLE FESTIVAL
The Oregon Truffle Festival is North America’s premier event for truffle appreciation and education. Held every winter in the Willamette Valley, it attracts thousands of culinary travelers, chefs, growers, dog trainers, scientists and journalists from all over the globe for a series of dynamic and participatory events. The festival was founded in 2006 by renowned mycologist Dr. Charles K. Lefevre, OTF General Manager, Leslie Scott, and is run in partnership with OTF Culinary Director Charles Ruff. Dr. Lefevre is also the founder of New World Truffieres, a company specializing in truffle cultivation. Now planning its 15th year, the Oregon Truffle Festival is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Follow the Oregon Truffle Festival on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates.

Morgan’s in the desert Announces Month-Long Alba White Truffle Celebration

November 19, 2015 by evebushman

LA QUINTA, Calif. – 2015 – La Quinta Resort & Club’s signature restaurant, Morgan’s in the desert, dials up the heat December 1-30, 2015. Pull up a seat for the Alba White Truffle Festival celebrating the highly prized tuber – and gastronomical object of desire for its famous aroma, taste and aphrodisiac qualities – with a three course menu showcasing the coveted “diamond of the culinary world.” $99.00, person, excluding tax and gratuity. www.morgansinthedesert.com; +1 760 564 7600. Resort reservations start at $199.00, exclusive of resort fee; www.laquintaresort.com.

White Alba Truffle Festival

Long a seasonal showpiece of top toques, nowhere is the trifola d’Alba more treasured than chef Schmidt’s kitchen at La Quinta. The Alba White Truffle Festival puts Italy’s prized gem front and center with a repast fit for a king.

The three-course prix-fixe includes a rich Celery Root Risotto with Shaved White Alba Truffles and Infused Sea Salt followed by savory Pan Roasted Pheasant coddled in a Roasted Golden Chanterelle and Tigernut Gnudi Nest (crafted from Buratta cheese and tiger nut flour to enhance the earthy, nutty flavor combination) foiled with a light Truffle Emulsion Foam and Shaved White Alba Truffles. Nirvana hits a high note with a delicate White Truffle Honey Epoisse Brulee Fired Almond Tart finished with Sea Salt Caramel Comice Pear Sorbet. Prix-fixe $99.00/person, excludes alcohol and gratuity. Dishes are available a la carte ($49.00; $55.00, $12.00 respectively), wine pairing $19.00/person.

Enjoy the Sophisticated, Earthy Luxury of Celestino Ristorante’s New Seasonal Mushroom & Truffle Menu (February 18th, 2015 – March 31st, 2015)

February 25, 2015 by evebushman

Enjoy the Sophisticated, Earthy Luxury of Celestino Ristorante’s New Seasonal Mushroom & Truffle Menu

Pasadena, CA – Truffles. To the untrained eye, this nondescript ingredient may resemble a lump of coal, but those in the know obsessively await the arrival of the coveted garnish. With his new Seasonal Mushroom & Truffle Menu, no one highlights the glory of the truffle better than Calogero Drago, Owner & Executive Chef of Celestino Ristorante in Pasadena. To true foodies, this one simple word ignites a plethora of sensual, luxurious memories that come only once a year – and that time is NOW (through the end of March 2015)!

“Mushrooms add a deep, earthy flavor to anything you put them in, which makes them perfect for hearty winter dishes” says Drago. “Mushrooms and pasta work so beautifully together!”

The Seasonal Mushroom & Truffle Menu at Celestino Ristorante kicks off with morels. Most commonly found in their dried form, morel mushrooms are only available fresh for just a very brief period each year. The rich, meaty flavor and texture of these fresh honeycombed ‘shrooms are portrayed with a rather simplistic elegance in dishes such as Tagliolini with Fresh Morel Mushrooms and Pecorino Cheese. Make sure to savor the flavor of early spring in the Veal Scaloppini with Fresh Fava Beans & Fresh Morel Mushrooms, or delight in Chef Drago’s famed risotto with the Risotto with Baby Scallops and Fresh Morel Mushrooms.

Next up on the menu is the porcini mushroom, whose pungent forest-floor flavor is special because it only grows wild. Celestino Ristorante showcases this “wild child” in a myriad of dishes. Enjoy it simply grilled and tossed in house-made pappardelle or risotto, or indulge in more complex entrees like the tender Roasted Rack of Veal with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms, as well as Porcini Mushroom Soup with Black Truffle, a great pairing with another late-winter delicacy.

No, we have not forgotten the king of all mushrooms, the beloved truffle itself. Celestino Ristorante’s Seasonal Mushroom & Truffle Menu features five truffle options, including Veal Carpaccio with Fresh Shaved Truffle & Pecorino Cheese, Risotto with Fresh Shaved Truffle, Gnocchi Stuffed with Mushroom in a Truffle Cheese Sauce and Filet of Sole with Mixed Vegetables and Shaved Truffles. But the most luxurious option is Drago’s absolute favorite: Tortellini with Meat in a Saffron, Pecorino and Black Pepper Sauce with Fresh Truffle. “Truffles will go with just about anything, but this tortellini dish is my favorite,” Drago says.

For those who want to take luxury to an even higher level, Celestino Ristorante also has the incredibly rare white truffle on hand. Availability is very limited, so ask your server for the daily white truffle specials.

Ready to taste the best of the mushroom kingdom? Reserve your table at Celestino Ristorante before the end of March 2015. You won’t want to miss this – it is true poetry on the palate!

Celestino Ristorante is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and for dinner from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm Monday through Thursday, 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm Friday, 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm Saturday and 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm Sunday. The Seasonal Mushroom & Truffle Menu is available through the end of March. For information or reservations, please call 626.795.4006 or visit www.CelestinoPasadena.com.

For photos of Celestino Ristorante’s Seasonal Mushroom & Truffle Menu, please visit the Dropbox link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dgzg7iul0r7svw5/AADU3oXbTSVZcBN-lUyajeLKa?dl=0

Celestino Ristorante

141 South Lake Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91101

T: 626.795.4006