Category Archives: Event

Charity, Event, Food, news, People, Sonoma County Vintners, Wine, Winery

2025 Sonoma County Barrel Auction Raises Over $328,000!

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Exciting news on the SoCoBA fundraising front! $328,000 in proceeds will assist in creating marketing programs and initiatives that support the Sonoma County wine trade and community. Presented by American AgCredit and hosted at the Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate on Friday, May 2, 2025. The auction featured 59 unique barrel lots ranging from 5 to 20 cases from 63 participating Sonoma County vintners. 

Honorees this year included:

The SoCoBA events kicked off with a tasting preview event on May 1 at Bacchus Landing, which offered trade buyers the opportunity to speak with the vintners, taste barrel samples and learn more about the auction lots before the live auction the following day. More epic auction info available HERE!

Save the date: SoCoBA planned for April 30 – May 1, 2026!

Photo credit Richard Wood!
Event, Food, Garden, Sommelier, Tasting, Varietal, Video, Vlog, Wine, Winery

Pink Sonoma rosé Festival ~ Sunday, May 4th!

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Time to THINK PINK! Having fun chatting about the joys of tasting pink wines with my pal Gary Saperstein of Out In The Vineyard, who will be hosting the 5th Annual Pink Sonoma Rosé Festival at Viansa Winery in Sonoma from 12-3 PM this Sunday, May 4th!

Gary and I discuss the great Pour+Explore Rosé & Aromatic White Wine tasting that I co-hosted with SCV in April, as well as the fabulous pink Pet Nat produced by Breaking Bread Winery and a sensational pink gem from Anaba Wines that will be featured at this upcoming event.

Get your TICKETS to the Pink Sonoma Rosé Festival!

Awards, Competition, Event, Judging, Sommelier, Varietal, Wine

Feeling Pink? Time to Enter THE Rosé Competition 2025!

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THE Rosé Competition 2025 will be taking place on May 31st in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for its 12th edition!

Featuring world-renowned judges who are professionals in the wine industry. They include chefs, sommeliers, retailers, writers and educators

  •         * Winning medals can help boost sales and brand awareness.
  •         * Give your brand pride, prestige and bragging rights.
  •         * Gain recognition with consumers, distributors and retailers.
  •         * Wines awarded medals receive a beautiful Medal/Ribbon to display.
  •         * Digital medals are provided for promotions, online marketing, and social media.
  •       * Medals help you sell more wine

REGISTER HERE! The fee is $70.00 per wine entered.  Both International and domestic rosé wines are invited to participate: Including sparkling, dry, and sweet wine categories. (We require four bottles of each wine entered, two for the competition, one to promote your wine at our annual “Fifty Shades of Pink” fundraising event and one signed bottle for our charity auction.)  CHEERS! Chris & Shari

Event, Food, People, Sommelier, Sonoma County Vintners, Tasting, Varietal, Video, Vlog, Wine, Winery

Tastes of Imagery On THE VARIETAL SHOW

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More tasty talk about Aromatic Whites and Rosé Wine Delights and the exciting Pour+Explore wine event that my special guest Jamie Benziger of Imagery Estate Winery, Sonoma County Vintners and myself will be part of next Thursday, April 17 from 5:30-7:30 PM at Balletto Vineyards near Santa Rosa.

Get your TICKETS for this celebratory SCV-style kickoff to Spring and Summer wines being poured by 30 + wineries that I helped hand select to participate. SEE YOU THERE!~Chris

Event, Food, People, Sommelier, Sonoma County Vintners, Tasting, Varietal, Video, Vlog, Wine, Winery

Marimar Estate & Spanish White Wines On THE VARIETAL SHOW!

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THE VARIETAL SHOW gets in depth with Cristina Torres of Marimar Estate to discuss their fantastic Spanish varietals that will be featured at Pour+Explore Rosés & Aromatic Whites, being hosted by myself and Sonoma County Vintners, next Thursday, April 17 from 5:30-7:30 PM at Balletto Vineyards.

Join us for this celebratory SCV-style kickoff to Spring and summer wines being poured by 30 + wineries I helped hand selected to be part of this amazing event! Get your TICKETS while you can.

Art, Event, Festivals, Food, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Wine

Getting A Bump At Puerto Rico Wine & Food Festival!

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In case you missed this IG post, it was the final hurrah at Puerto Rico Wine & Food Festival that happened April 3-6! Our joyous version of a caviar orgy at the Bubbles & Brilliance: A Champagne & Caviar Experience with my dear pals star Chef Todd English, my fellow Somms team, and the small group of our wonderful guests, who stayed around to taste more caviar with us at this magnificent seminar before the Grand Tasting happened in the historic section of San Juan . . . and yes, that’s me standing on a chair above everyone and we ate the whole can of caviar after Chef Todd popped it open. (Never doubt Chef’s McGyver skills!)

Event, Food, Sommelier, Sonoma County Vintners, Tasting, Varietal, Video, Vlog, Wine, Winery

Balletto Vineyards On THE VARIETAL SHOW!

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Sneak peek of our next Pour + Explore Rosés & Aromatic Whites tasting produced by the Sonoma County Vintners and me on Thursday, April 17, 5:30-7:30pm at Balletto Vineyards, along with 35 other all-star wineries!

Enjoy this fun discussion with the superstar winemaking duo Anthony Beckman & Andre Swart of Balletto Vineyards and the world-class grapes used to make the Rose, Pinot Gris & Gewurztraminer that the winery will be pouring at this fabulous event focused on Aromatic Whites & Rose Delights!

Get your TICKETS now! $65.00 per person, plus tax and a small service fee. See you there, Chris & SCV

Event, Festivals, Film, Food, People, Travels, Video

THE VARIETAL SHOW AT SIFF With Chef Yoshinori Ishii

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Talking fine Japanese cuisine on THE VARIETAL SHOW with superstar Two-Star Michelin awarded Chef Yoshinori Ishii of Auberge Tokito in Tokyo, whose documentaries “Tokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary Maverick” and “Tanagokoro” showed at the 2025 Sonoma International Film Festival!

Event, Food, Garden, People, Sommelier, Sonoma County Vintners, Tasting, Varietal, Wine, Winery

Pour+Explore Rosés & Aromatic Whites on April 17th!

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Join Sonoma County Vintners and Sawyer Somm for this exclusive wine tasting event at Balletto Vineyards, featuring a special selection of Rosés & Aromatic Whites from over 30 wineries across Sonoma County! The evening festivities will be hosted in The Reserve Room, surrounded by estate vineyards, gorgeous views of the Backyard Gardens and stunning West County sunsets.

Celebrate springtime with a walk-around tasting of a curated selection of wines from each vintner, and enjoy light bites of cheeses and charcuterie. TICKETS available now!

Featured Sonoma County producers include Balletto Vineyards, Banshee Wines, Benziger Family Winery, Bricoleur Vineyards, Chalk Hill Estate, Chenoweth Vineyards, Comstock Wines, DaVero Farms & Winery, Davis Bynum, Dry Creek Vineyard, Ferrari-Carano, Foley Sonoma, GC Lurton Vineyards, Hamel Family Wines, Imagery Estate Winery, Inman Family Wines, Knights Bridge Winery, Kokomo Wines, Lasseter Family Winery, Laurel Glen Vineyard, MacLaren, Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery, Mascarin Family Wines, Meadowcroft Wines, Medlock Ames, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Roth Estate, Senses Wines, Solo Nostro, The Setting Wines, Three Sticks Wines, Valette Wines, Zialena and more!

Event, Food, People, Sommelier, Sonoma County Vintners, Tasting, Varietal, Video, Vlog, Wine, Winery

Rochioli Rocks on THE VARIETAL SHOW!

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Speaking of PINOT, enjoy this fun interview with Tom and his daughter Rachael Rochioli, of Rochioli Vineyards, one of the great Sonoma County Vintners that will serving their amazing Pinot Noir selections at Pour & Explore on Thursday March 13 at Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor!!! Get your LAST MINUTE TICKETS while you still can!