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Taste of Sonoma draws second sellout
John Weimer of Phoenix, Ariz., negotiates a crowded tent during the 2011 Sonoma Wine Country Taste of Sonoma on Saturday.
KENT PORTER/The Press DemocratPublished: Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 6:24 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 6:24 p.m.
The limousines, weaving through Sonoma County's hillsides ribbed with vineyards, were a sign that Saturday's Taste of Sonoma at Mac Murray Ranch has come of age, drawing a sell-out crowd of 2,500 for the second year in a row.
“A lot of wineries represented here you can't find in Chicago,” said Sue Hnizdor, who bought a $150 ticket on the Internet and flew out for the event. “The high-end wines, that's what I like.”
The weather at 88 degrees was pitch perfect, and the blue grass music coupled with the whimsical bubble machine near the sparkling wine set the tone - Wine Country casual.
The Taste of Sonoma is the signature event of the three-day Sonoma Wine Country Weekend.
People elbowed their way to booths offering a delectable array of foods. Highlights included the beef sliders with Blue Cheese, caramelized onions and balsamic ketchup from Park Avenue Catering in Santa Rosa and Shrimp Ceviche from Jack & Tony's Restaurant & Whiskey Bar in Santa Rosa.
For those who wanted to explore winemaking, a mini-seminar offered guests a tasting of pinot noir grapes, then pinot noir juice and finally feremented pinot noir.
Folia Grace of San Francisco said she liked the simplicity of it, as well as the lively commentary.
“They explained that the yeast has a party in the grapes and at some point it runs out of sugar and the party is over,” she said. “That's when they take the juice out of the fermenter to age it.”
Not far from the seminar was an enclave of microbrews,w where Cydne Sapperstein of Reno, Nev. opted for a beer after sipping and spitting through about 25 chardonnays. “My palate gets a little confused with all the wine,” she joked.
Sapperstein was tasting the Russian River Brewing Company's Blonde Ale called “Sanctification.”
Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner of the brewery, said, “This is the first time we're pouring here and we're really excited to be here. Beer in the heart of Wine Country, right?”
As for wine lovers, they found their way to the white tents, with each focusing on a region - Sonoma, Russian River, Alexander Valley or Dry Creek Valley.
Craig Smith of Walnut Creek targeted Dry Creek Valley zinfandel. “The Taste is the easiest way to find all the wines in one region,” he said.
Organizer Maureen Cottingham, co-executive director of the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, said “People are telling their friends and bringing their friends.” She added that wineries “helped us market the event through their customer base across the country, across the world.”
The Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Cline Cellars in Sonoma, with the live auction beginning at 2:30 p.m. Cline Cellars is at 24737 Arnold Dr.
For more information, call (800) 939-7666.
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