Wine Workshops

Filed in archive Wine Events on August 18, 2007

If you live in California wine country, or are considering vacationing there, you might want to consider taking one of these workshops on how to make your own wine. I think this could also be a unique way to celebrate someone's birthday - get a bunch of friends together and make a special blend!

From the LA Times:

All are by appointment only. Reservations required.

The Blending Cellar, Mayo Family Winery Barrel Room, 13101 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen; (707) 849-4041, www.blendingcellar.com. Tasting and blending workshops offered daily. Wines are blended to order and shipped. $40 per bottle, six-bottle minimum per person.

COPIA, 500 1st St., Napa; (888) 512-6742, www.copia.org. Tasting and blending workshops on most Saturdays and Sundays; $60 nonmembers, $50 members.

Crushpad, 2573 3rd St., San Francisco; (415) 864-4232, www.crushpadwine.com. Custom crush program. Offers full barrels of most California varietals from numerous vineyards. Barrels $5,000 to $9,600 or more.

Forth Vineyards & Winery, 2335 W. Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg; (707) 473-0553, www.forthvineyards.com. Tasting and blending workshops, including lunch or dinner at the winery; proceeds donated to charity. Held multiple times a year; starting at $125.

Judd's Hill MicroCrush, Judd's Hill Winery, 2332 Silverado Trail, Napa; (866) 438-5833, www.napamicrocrush.com. Blending day camps, up to six people per barrel; $6,500.

Kings Hill Cellars, 3404 Kings Hill Road, Santa Rosa; (707) 538-0404, www.kingshillcellars.com. Custom winemaking and blending programs. Half or full barrels of several varietals. Membership $2,700 to $5,500.

Ravenswood Winery, 18701 Gehricke Road, Sonoma; (707) 933-2332, www.ravenswoodwine.com. Tasting and blending workshops; $50 per person, six-person minimum.

Sonoma Grapemasters, Owl Ridge Winery, 2064 Gravenstein Highway North, No. 120, Sebastopol; (415) 389-1183, www.sonomagrapemasters.com. Custom blending programs. Full barrels of several varietals, specializing in Pinot Noir. Barrels $7,500 to $9,000, split barrels also available.

Sonoma County Grape Camp, various Sonoma county wineries; (707) 522-5860, www.sonomagrapecamp.com. Annual three-day winemaking session sponsored by the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission. Sept. 24 to 26; $1,500 per person per couple ($1,700 for singles), includes two nights' lodging, meals and seminars.