Winter for wine

<p>Acorn Winery in Healdsburg will be offering up chicken gumbo this weekend, and Zin Restaurant's housemade andouille sausage alongside the winery's Heritage Vines Zinfandel. Nearby Arista Winery will have the NFC and AFC Championship games on, the fireplace going, bowlfuls of chili and 2006 vintage pinot noir.</p><p>It's Winter Wineland time again, a beacon of warm and welcoming weekend activities at more than 100 local wineries during a season when there are not many other good reasons to leave the house. But wait, there's more.</p><p>"Because of the time of year," explains Russian River Wine Road executive director Beth Costa, "the winemakers are actually available, they have the time to really talk about their wines."</p><p>Encompassing Russian River Wine Road-member wineries throughout the Russian River, Dry Creek, Green and Alexander valleys, plus a number of tasting rooms based in downtown Healdsburg, a lot of thought and whimsy are put into the theme.</p><p>Bella Vineyards (9711 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg) transforms its wine cave into a "magical ice cave" and covers its trees in snowflakes. Paired with their zinfandels and syrahs is a giant steaming paella made by chef Gerard Nebesky, the better to warm oneself with.</p><p>De La Montanya Vineyards and Winery (999 Foreman Lane, Healdsburg) turns itself into a full-on lodge, where "ski bunnies and snow dudes" serve hearty homemade soup and newly released wines.</p><p>"The first two years, we've gotten snow trucked in to have a big pile of snow in front of the winery for the event," said Dennis De La Montanya, who opened his family winery and tasting room in 2003. "We do it for us -- my kids just have a ball with it and it creates that wow factor."</p><p>Last year, the winery couldn't secure snow. Instead, when temperatures dropped to 22 degrees in Healdsburg the night before Winter Wineland, De La Montanya turned on the sprinklers in his vineyards, with dramatic icicles the result. People loved it.</p><p>Throughout winter, he's noticed that bad weather doesn't seem to deter people from coming out.</p><p>"They're housebound, nothing to do," he said. " 'Let's go wine tasting.' "</p><p>At Dutton Estate Winery (8757 Green Valley Road, Sebastopol) they host a Mad Hatters Wine Party, with tea sandwiches and raspberry shortbread cookies. Frick Winery (23072 Walling Road, Geyserville) keeps a campfire going, inviting visitors to roast hot dogs and marshmallows.</p><p>Dutcher Crossing Winery (8533 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg) and Alderbrook (2306 Magnolia Drive, Healdsburg) are renowned for their roaring fireplaces.</p><p>No matter the winery, Winter Wineland is about food, wine and warmth, however it comes.</p><p>In its 16th year, the event attracts people from all over the United States, a total of about 5,500 through the two days, some 30 percent of whom come from out of state, Costa estimates, with huge groups traveling here each year from Florida, Texas and Colorado.</p><p>About 50 percent of attendees are from the greater Bay Area, with the balance making the trek up from Southern California.</p><p>"When the event first came out, we encouraged the wineries to focus on being educational," Costa said. "It's evolved into the wineries doing what they do best. Some will pour library releases, others barrel samples and a lot do food and wine pairing."</p><p>Costa encourages attendees to take the time to look at the event's program in advance (online at www.wineroad.com) so they can better plan where they'll go. With 100-plus options, even the most zealous wine aficionado can't do it all.</p><p>"It's cool to check out the new wineries," she added. "This year we have nine brand-new winery members. A lot of people know Carol Shelton Wines, but this is the first time she's participating."</p><p>Among the other newcomers are Christie Vineyards (51 Front St., Healdsburg), Kokomo Wines (4791 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg), Mounts Family Winery (3901 Wine Creek Road, Healdsburg), Woodenhead (5700 River Road, Forestville) and Matrix Winery (3291 Westside Road, Healdsburg), a new venture by the folks at Wilson Winery and Mazzocco Winery located at the former site of Rabbit Ridge.</p><p>Matrix's Sip Sip Lounge was designed by Shawn E. Hall Designs, the hotel/restaurant interior designer behind local hotspots Willi's Wine Bar, Willi's Seafood and Monti's Rotisserie.</p><p>This is the first big event, period, for new member Amista Vineyards (3320 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg). Their new winery was completed in August.</p><p>Amista co-owner Vicky Farrow has attended past Winter Winelands, enjoying the wines and hospitality of other wineries. She finds it a particularly fun time to be in Wine Country because it's not that busy.</p><p>Hosting for the first time, Amista will be pouring a vertical of their zinfandel -- a 2005 in bottle, 2006 in barrel and 2007 in barrel -- in their barnlike barrel room.</p><p>"It's cozy already," Farrow said. "It's a nice warm friendly barn and we'll have candles lit to add to the atmosphere."</p><p>More warmth will be found at Hawkes Tasting Room (6734 Highway 128, Healdsburg), another new member, where proprietor Stephen Hawkes will be showing off his vast teapot collection while serving homemade dim sum and tea, in addition to lots of wine.</p><p>It's also the only chance to visit some of the smaller wineries not usually open to the public, places like Gopfrich Winery (7462 W. Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg). A cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel and syrah producer, Gopfrich's wines, in fact, are only available at the winery.</p><p>"Of course if you want killer wine," Costa added, "Siduri (980 Airway Court, Suite C, Santa Rosa) is very hard to beat. The wine speaks for itself."</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Virginie Boone at 521-5440 or virginie.boone@</p><p>pressdemocrat.com.</p>