After a very warm and dry January, we finally are getting some rain in Sonoma County. Usually during this brief rainy season, us Northern Californians tend to hibernate a bit. So while there have been a few events going on, I haven’t really been to to much of them. Maybe because of the economy, maybe the rain, maybe nothing has really caught my eye.
Whatever my reasoning, there are a few things I am looking forward to as we move onto early Spring (it always feels as if Spring starts early here).
This past Wednesday I visited Napa for a presentation given by Paul Mabray of Vintank, a new Wine Marketing Think Tank. Here he discussed their introductory project, a social media report about the state of the online wine industry. I am looking forward to seeing the study when it comes out at the end of the month (okay, this may not be a physical event YET, but it is social media — so it is an event in my eyes).
Mr. Healdsburg is one of the best annual events in our little town. The event is at the Raven Theater on Saturday February 28th (yes, one week from today).
Start Time: 8pm, doors 7pm
Adults: $25 advance, $30 door – 21 and older only!
Guys from all ages, occupations and popularity participate in a beauty pageant to win the title of Mr. Healdsburg. It is a great event that the whole town gets a little kooky for. Be warned – the bars tend to have huge crowds of people after the show! This year will also be the first that my friend, Samantha Vega, DJ at 101.7 The Fox, will be hosting.
Barn Diva, an amazing restaurant and cocktail lounge just started up Healdsburg’s only dance scene. Every Friday night (if everyone is behaved) they will be pushing back the tables and playing some great music. Perfect place to dance, eat some late night food and enjoy great drink specials with your friends. When it gets a bit warmer and dryer, they have a gorgeous back patio that will provide more room to play.
Here is a shot of the bar taken from last week’s event. As you can see, my Twisted rubber chicken is always around.
Now onto the event that in my eyes seems to trumpet over all — Yes it is the Annual Barrel Tasting weekend here in Healdsburg. For two, count them, TWO whole weekends in March, visitor’s and locals alike will be able to visit all the wineries in Dry Creek, Alexander Valley and the Russian River valley and try samples of wine, straight out of the barrels.
This give wineries the advantage of selling their wines before they are even released. Though the wine fairly ever tastes the same six months later — It is a great way to get to know the people who make the wine and have some fun.
Okay, before this post gets too long and you get bored with me (like that is even a possibility) I will say that this event is March 7-8 & 14-15 from 11 am – 4 pm each day. The price is $20 PER weekend.
Online tickets will be sold January 23 through March 1 for $20 per person. At the door, the price will be $30 per person.
Since this is one of my favorite events — Be on the lookout for a few more postings before, possibly during and definitely after the event.
I will also be visiting San Fransisco for two social media events at the end of March — The Wine 2.0 and Web 2.0 Expo’s are ironically (or intentionally) planned at the same time.
This year I now get to look forward to an entire week of eating and drinking at some of my favorite Sonoma County restaurants… Okay, if you read my tweets you may be asking yourself, “Why is this week any different, Shana eats out all of the time?” Well, this week, local restaurants will be offering special pre-fixe menus, showcasing the best they have to offer with a focus on local and sustainable ingredients.
