West county gearing up for West of West Wine Festival

This weekend people will be migrating to west county for what has become a signature event – the West of West Wine Festival (WOW).

Organizers said that when they realized the festival was becoming a wine destination event rather than just a local tasting, they began to embellish it. This year there's a new Friday night kick off dinner gathering – the Whole Hog BBQ Bluegrass Party.

The pork fest will be at Martinelli Vineyard and the Blue Grass band will be Brough Brothers. The hog will be paired with cool climate syrahs, pinots and chardonnays.

Organizers also extended the festival with a vineyard tour on Sunday morning at Taylor Lane. Growers and winemakers will lead a group through a tasting of wines sourced from its vines.

The Grand Tastings on Saturday and Sunday remains the center piece of the festival and they're at The Barlow in Sebastopol. The Saturday tasting is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Both will offer pours of 40 different winemakers and growers located through the western region of Sonoma County. In addition to the wines will be a selection of artisan foods from local purveyors. The Grand Tasting is $125 per person.

WOW Festivities run from Friday through Sunday; visit www.westsonomacoast.com for event details. The All Access Weekend Pass is $595. The Barlow is located at 6770 McKinley St., #120.