Touring & Tasting's Editor in Chief, Wendy van Diver, highlights the Dry Creek Valley's annual Passport Weekend in this lively Tour Journal feature.
This event has been on my calendar (April 24–26) for months! Passport to Dry Creek Valley is a fabulous celebration of the region’s wines and epicurean bounty. It started back in 1990 and was one of California’s first annual event of its kind—a weekend full of festivities that pay homage to Dry Creek Valley’s families, farmers, and winemakers. This year, more than 45 wineries will participate, offering vineyard tours, barrel tastings, samples of limited production wines and new releases, gourmet food, and great entertainment.
Each winery chooses a unique theme, so each stop you make promises to be a very memorable experience. The event has become so popular that the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley have decided to add a kick-off day! On Friday, April 24, Prelude to Passport will feature several select vineyard tour lunches and intimate winemaker dinners hosted by several wineries and growers across Dry Creek Valley. If you’ve never been there, it’s a great time to visit.
Dry Creek Valley is located in Northern Sonoma County just outside of Healdsburg. Its grape growing and winemaking tradition began more than 140 years ago. Through the years, Dry Creek Valley hasbecome a name recognized worldwide for amazing wines. It has set the bar for Zinfandel and, with a climate similar to Bordeaux, it produces excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. And that’s only the beginning! The more tasting rooms you visit, the more you’ll realize the diversity of Dry Creek Valley. You’ll also come to appreciate the region’s dedication to creating and utilizing sustainable practices in its vineyards and wineries. In fact, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley are planning to be 100 percent Sustainable by 2019.
So, I’ll definitely be there for Passport to Dry Creek Valley in April. I just have to decide…on Friday, will it be a farm-to-table lunch at DaVero, a vineyard walk and lunch at Collier Falls, or something else? And for dinner, there’s a Great Gatsby style dinner at Geyser Peak Winery, a Nobel Awards Banquet at the home of West Wines’ owners, an intimate Heritage Room dinner at Pedroncelli Winery, or a candlelit wine cave dinner at Vineyard of Pasterick, and much more.
The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley are very smart to expand this event so we can expand our horizons! See more options and purchase tickets at drycreekvalley.org –W. van Diver