It's a perfect time in the wine country with warming temperatures, vines starting the new year's growth, wildflowers, and lots of exciting events to tempt you.
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| Vines in April |
Wine-related events
March
2-4 and 9-11 Wine Road Barrel Tasting
This is an annual winery open house on Friday through Sunday the first two weekends of March. Over 100 wineries in Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys participate. It's a very popular, and very crowded, event that can get a little crazy about mid-afternoon on Saturday.
16-17 Pigs and Pinot
Celebrity chefs and sommeliers at Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen. Pork and Pinot Noir go together like pizza and beer! This event sells out.
17-18 Savor Sonoma
An open house for Sonoma Valley. About 20 wineries between the town of Sonoma and Santa Rosa offering barrel tasting, new releases, wine sales, food and wine pairings, etc.
April
1 Easter Sunday
Many wineries are closed.
6-8 Signature Sonoma Valley
The second year for this affair. You can buy tickets to many individual events hosted by owners, winemakers, and grape growers from 30 wineries with dinners, tastings, and parties. It can get expensive if you attend several of these, but it's a very unique event.
7 Pick of the Vine
A wine and beer benefit tasting at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park, 6-9 pm.
14 Taste of Olivet
Winery open house along Olivet Road in the Russian River Valley.
28-29 Passport to Dry Creek Valley
About 45 wineries open their doors with food, wine, music, and vineyard tours--usually hosted by the winemakers. A bit pricey, but it's a great event.
May
12 Garagiste Wine Festival
A chance to try hard-to-find micro-winery offerings.
18-19 Esprit du Rhone
New event by the folks that bring you the March Barrel Tasting affair.
June
9 North Coast Wine & Food Festival
A judging of North Coast AVA wines (Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Marin and Solano counties). This is the public tasting of the winners.
23-24 Experience Alexander Valley
What used to be known as Taste Alexander Valley open house is now a group of events at various wineries with each ticketed separately -- blending seminars, lunch in the vineyards, etc.
Non-wine events
March
5-11 Sonoma County Restaurant Week
Participating restaurants throughout the county offer fixed-price lunch and dinner menu specials.
23-25 Artisan Cheese Festival
Promoting the local cheese industry with chef demos, pairings, and a chance to talk with the cheese makers.
21-25 Sonoma International Film Festival
"A celebration of cinema, food, and wine."
April
7 Battle of the Brews
Food and beer tasting. A local fund-raiser. This year it's for victims of the October 2017 fires. As good a reason as there can be to drink beer!
14-15 Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival
Blessing of the fleet, seafood, wine & beer, music, and boat races.
21-22 Apple Blossom Festival
A parade, music, food, beer, wine, and, of course, apple cider. All in Sebastopol where the apple crop used to be bigger than the grape crop.
May
6 4-H ChickenQue
Chicken BBQ to support Sonoma County 4-H
19 Great Petaluma Chili Cook-off
Annual chili cook-off with salsa and beer tasting.
18-19 Cruisin' the Boulevard
Petaluma's salute to American Graffiti (much of the movie was filmed here).
20 Rose Parade
The 124th Rose Parade and Festival in Santa Rosa.
24-26 Healdsburg Future Farmers Fair
The highlight is the Twilight Parade on the first evening.
25-27 Bottle Rock
The Woodstock of Wine Country.
June
1-3 Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival
Some old, expensive, historic race cars on the track.
1-10 Healdsburg Jazz Festival
At various venues.
9 Beerfest
The biggest craft beer tasting in Sonoma County. According to website Eyewitness Travel this is one of the best beer festivals in the country.
9 Peggy Sue Car Show and Cruise
Downtown Santa Rosa car cruise. Rather than a static display of old cars you can see and smell them as they go by.
9 Johnson's Beach Party
Headlined by the Goo Goo Dolls; in Guerneville.
10 Russian River Blues Festival
Headliners include Robert Cray, Elvin Bishop, and Eric Burdon. Also at Johnson's Beach, Guerneville.
15-17 Country Summer
Billed as the area's largest country music festival.
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| Peggy Sue car cruise downtown Santa Rosa |
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