Three days. Two Hundred Wineries and Chefs.  One unforgettable Sonoma Experience.

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend.  
Labor Day Weekend, September 4-6, 2009

By combining the Sonoma County Showcase of Wine & Food with the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, food and wine lovers can revel in the style and sophistication of the popular TASTE of Sonoma event before spending an afternoon unlike any other at the 17th Annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction – all in one weekend! It’s an unprecedented partnership of two great events with one goal: Celebrating Sonoma’s incredible bounty of food, wine and fun while raising much needed funds for Sonoma's local charities.

Participants experience first-hand the diversity and world-class quality of the region’s artisanal wine and food and distinctive epicurean experiences. Two main events, Taste of Sonoma County at MacMurray Ranch on Saturday, September 5 and Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction at Cline Cellars on Sunday, September 6 are the signature attractions. More than 150 wineries and 60 chefs offer their wines and food for sampling at Showcase: TASTE of Sonoma, which also includes wine seminars, chef demonstrations, vineyard experiences and a top chef competition.

The always over-the-top Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, renowned for its irreverent themes and hilarious winemaker performances, continues the tradition with a Greco-Roman theme to raise funds for local charities. Winemaker lunches and dinners on Friday, September 4 and additional dinners on Saturday, September 5 offer a select group of ticket holders a more intimate Sonoma food and wine experience. 

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend is produced by the Sonoma County Vintners and the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Foundation, and proceeds benefit local charities. Beneficiaries for the 2009 event are local charities that benefit students, children, farm workers and people in need. For more information on this year’s beneficiaries of the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, click here.

About Sonoma County Vintners
Sonoma County Vintners is a non-profit organization committed to promoting the wines and wineries of Sonoma County. Since 1946, the association has focused on building awareness of its diverse appellations and the resulting distinctive wines.

With more than 145 members ranging in size from small, boutique wineries to large family-owned operations, Sonoma County Vintners comes together to educate, invite and entertain the public with our industry, our region and our lifestyle.  Through member collaboration, we develop strategic partnerships and create promotional programs to enhance the image of Sonoma County and its wines worldwide.

We host events ranging from informal winery tastings to the large-scale Sonoma Showcase held every summer. We also strive to increase Sonoma County’s presence internationally and maintain a comprehensive media relations program that attracts high-profile journalists. Working closely with other Sonoma County organizations like the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association and the Sonoma County Tourism Board, we aim to build the profile of Sonoma County as a premium grape-growing and wine-producing region.

Located just one hour north of San Francisco, Sonoma County provides wine lovers with an abundance of vineyards and wineries in a unique geographical setting.  The County fills 1,604 square miles with a varied landscape including a dramatic Pacific coastline, the winding Russian River and beautiful countryside blanketed with vineyards. 

For more information on the Sonoma County Vintners, visit www.sonomawine.com

About Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers
The Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance (SVVGA) comprises hundreds of member wineries and grape growers as well as associate members who work together to promote awareness of the Sonoma Valley and its extraordinary wines and grapes, its incomparable climate, and its richly diverse terrain and terroir.

The organization was formed in 1992 by merging the Sonoma Valley Vintners Association and the Sonoma Valley Grape Growers Association. Because it is a collaboration of vintners and growers, it is a unique organization that shares a mission to promote Sonoma Valley wines and grapes, support cooperation and collaboration among Valley vintners and growers, and develop community awareness of the industry and its contributions to the unique lifestyle in Sonoma Valley.

Specific purposes of the SVVGA are:

• To promote awareness in the marketplace of the superior quality of Sonoma Valley grapes and wines
• To raise community awareness and to protect the central importance of the grape and wine industry to the local economy and to the quality of life in Sonoma Valley
• To assure a healthy social and political environment conducive to grape growing and winemaking
• To strive to maximize the quality of Sonoma Valley grapes and wines

In 1993 the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers created a world-class charity wine event like no other – an event born to raise awareness and national exposure for Sonoma Valley wines, grapes, venues, the event sponsors and donors – an event created to be upscale and elegant, yet outrageously fun. The Auction quickly established itself as one of the top wine auctions in the United States.

Every year on Labor Day Weekend the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, an unparalleled main event live auction, continues to raise awareness for Sonoma Valley wines, grapes, venues, the event sponsors and donors. And most importantly, the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers very generously do whatever it takes, to raise what now totals millions of dollars for many worthy, local charitable organizations. After more than a decade, more than $8 million has been donated directly to Sonoma Valley charities. 

For more information on the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance, visit www.sonomavalleywine.com