During harvest season, wine is literally in the air. Follow the scent to Napa and Sonoma, now through early October, to celebrate the season's bounty with grape stomps, parties, and as much juice as you can handle.
Grape Stomps
Peju's annual grape stomp competition will kick off harvest season on August 19th.
(Courtesy of Peju Province Winery)
We've all seen that episode of I Love Lucy. Now's your chance to get your feet dirty.
Harvest season kicks off with Peju Province Winery's (466 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford) annual grape stomp competition on August 19th (starting at 10:30am). It's a full day of stomping, costume contests, and prizes. Here's an idea: Dress in 1920s garb and go as The Grape Gatsby. The $175 ticket includes a farm-to-table lunch. // Mike Grgich grew up stomping grapes in Croatia. At Grgich Hills (1829 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford), he's keeping the memory alive. Now through October 29th, you can go to town all day (10am to 3:30pm, $40/person). Once you've smashed your grapes into juice, stamp your feet on a white, souvenir T-shirt and toast the moment. Kids and non-drinkers can stomp for just $25. // Schweiger Vineyards (4015 Spring Mountain Rd., St. Helena) will host two harvest stomps, on September 28th and October 6th. Here you even get to hand-pick your cabernet grapes from the vineyard before your juicy tap dance. The experience ($225/person) rounds out with a wine lunch on the terrace overlooking the vines. // Gather up to 10 of your most athletic friends to compete in one of the country's largest grape stomps, at Castello di Amorosa (4045 St. Helena Hwy., Calistoga) on September 22nd (6:30-10pm). You'll also be treated to a Wine Country barbecue, live music and educational-harvest demonstrations ($125-$145 depending on whether or not you stomp).
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Work for Your Wine
Sonoma Valley Crush.
(Courtesy of bestinsonoma.com)
Stomping grapes is fun and kitschy, but making wine is real work. Get a glimpse of what really goes on during harvest with one of these hands-on experiences.
Starting August 21st, you can book the Hands on Harvest experience ($95/person) at Round Pond (875 Rutherford Rd., Rutherford). For 90 minutes, you'll journey into the vineyard to test the brix (sugar levels) of the grapes, then to the crush pad where you'll get elbow deep in juice while sorting grapes. You might even head to the cellar where you can assist with stirring the lees. Your hard work will be rewarded with a wine-and-food pairing on the rooftop terrace. // If you're keen on roads less traveled, head to the annual Sonoma Valley Crush (at 12 boutique wineries throughout Sonoma Valley), a three-day, immersive harvest experience September 8th through 10th. You'll winery hop for grape sampling in the vineyards, crush pad tours, and tastings, of course. At $35 for a one-day pass or $50 for the whole weekend, this is easily one of the best harvest deals around. // Get an extensive education at Trefethen (1160 Oak Knoll Ave., Napa), where the annual Harvest Boot Camp ($160/person, September 30th) includes picking grapes in the vineyard, a trip to the crush pad, a tour of the historic 1886 winery, barrel tastings, and an al fresco lunch. // With a $150 ticket to Baldacci Family Vineyards' (6236 Silverado Tr., Napa) "A Day of Baldacci Cab," on October 7th, you'll spend a couple hours in the morning working harvest in the cellar. Then, collect wages in the form of sparkling wine and pastries in their iconic red barn. Take an afternoon nap, or hit up another winery, before rejoining the staff for a four-course dinner and cabernet pairings at Yountville restaurant Brix.
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Festivals & Parties
Taste of Sonoma will take place on September 2nd.
(William Pruyn)
Prefer to party while others do the work? No one's judging.
Over Labor Day weekend, Taste of Sonoma will bring together the county's top winemakers, chefs, and growers for the ultimate wine-and-food celebration at Sonoma State University (1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park). Expect pours from more than 200 wineries and pairings by 60 chefs. General admission tickets start at $180 (or $150 for Visa Signature cardholders). For a little extra scratch, take part in an exclusive tasting with a sommelier or a blind-tasting challenge. // Napa Valley's oldest winery, Charles Krug (2800 Main St., St. Helena), will host its 66th annual Tastings on the Lawn on September 16th. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and your appetite for an Italian-themed celebration stuffed with wood-fired pizza, pasta, and meats hand-cured in Krug's salumeria. Live music will pair perfectly with new release wines. Tickets are $90 per person; leave the kids with grandma. // For 20 years, Kendall-Jackson (5007 Fulton Rd., Fulton) has put on the Heirloom Tomato Festival. This year, KJ is shaking it up with its inaugural Harvest Celebration on Sunday, October 1st. The famous tomatoes will still make an appearance, but the day will focus more on wine and food pairings, along with educational seminars (think cheesemaking and barrelmaking), outdoor painting, and live music. Your $125 ticket will benefit the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County. // Make it a weekend at the 43rd Annual Sonoma County Harvest Fair (at Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa), October 6th through 8th. Sample wines from more than 100 vintners, watch chef demonstrations, and engage in free seminars such as the popular Cheesy Beer School. The festival's main event, the World Championship Grape Stomp, attracts stompers from around the globe. Sign up with a buddy for the chance to split the $1,500 grand prize (costumes are encouraged). A three-day pass will run you $140, while a one-day tasting pass is $60.
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Stay + Dine
The new Las Alcobas Napa Valley opened this past May.
(Courtesy of Las Alcobas)
Drinking and driving is bad. Plus, a day of wine tasting is always made better with an overnight stay in Wine Country.
In Napa Valley:
The modern Andaz Napa (1450 First St., Napa) has the only rooftop bar in downtown Napa, and is expertly located—there's a wine tasting room on each side. Walk across the way to Cadet for happy hour, grab dinner at Eiko's Sushi, and finish the evening with live music next door at Jam Cellars. // After a major renovation, the historic, hacienda-style Rancho Caymus Inn (1140 Rutherford Rd., Rutherford) reopened in July 2017. Its proximity to Peju, Round Pond, and Grgich Hills make it a perfectly situated place to check in post harvest events. Wander a block to dinner at the beloved Rutherford Grill. // Check into the historic-farmhouse-turned-luxury-hotel Las Alcobas (1915 Main St., St. Helena), opened in May 2017. You don't even have to leave for dinner—Napa Valley's hottest new restaurant, Chris Cosentino's Acacia House, is right on site. // The 1940s roadside hotel Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa (1880 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga) has gotten a seriously cool update. Guests have access to cruiser bikes, an outdoor swimming pool, an indoor whirlpool fed by the property's mineral hot springs, and a spa that invites you to mix your own mud. Walk further down Calistoga's main drag and have your choice of eateries. We love Sam's Social Club, especially for brunch. //
In Sonoma:
Kenwood Inn & Spa (10400 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood) is a tranquil, Mediterranean-style retreat on nearly three acres, surrounded by vineyards, orchards, and oak trees. Make it back from Sonoma Valley Crush each day in time for the Magic Hour wine-and-food pairing, and don't leave without hitting the spa. A little over a mile away, the closest restaurant is Cafe Citti, a cozy and casual Italian eatery where you can carbo-load for the next day of wine tasting. // If you're partying at Taste of Sonoma, Kendall-Jackson, or the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, book a room at the charming Vintners Inn (4350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa). Dine at your choice of two on-site restaurants, John Ash & Co. or the River Vine Cafe, and hit up their daily happy hour in the lounge.
