The West of West Wine “WOW” Festival is an unparalleled opportunity to experience the extraordinary wine, food and culture of the West Sonoma Coast. The Grand Tasting offers a stellar line up of more than 40 producers and growers pouring some of their most coveted and hard-to-find gems, all pure expressions of the West Sonoma Coast.

WOW/CA – Aug 2, 3, 4th
Mark your calendar for the third annual West of West Wine Festival from August 2nd – 4th The event will be held in Sebastopol, just one hour north of San Francisco. The Festival begins with Welcome Dinners hosted by member wineries on Friday night, August 2nd. These dinners offer a rare opportunity to dine with winemakers in their home or winery. Saturday offers morning seminars, interviews and flight tastings, following by the first of two Grand Tastings on Saturday afternoon and the Whole Hog Feast Celebration in the evening. Finally we will return to the Grand Tasting tent on Sunday afternoon for a second opportunity to taste through the wines.

Schedule of events

Winemaker Welcome Dinners
7:00pm – 10:00pm

Banshee: An intimate dinner in our new tasting room in downtown Healdsburg featuring one of area’s top restaurants and an array of Pinots and Chardonnay from our collection

Failla: Join the Failla team for an “Al Fresco” Dinner located in the middle of our Olivet Road vineyard. Sit amongst the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines with friends while enjoying current releases and library wines of Failla, paired with a feast prepared by Chef Gary Penir.

Freeman: A global exploration of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. For the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aficionado, enjoy with an intimate dinner for 16 guests at the beautiful and architecturally acclaimed vineyard home of Ken and Akiko Freeman. This special dinner catered by Chef Christopher Greenwald will be paired with wines from the Freeman portfolio as well as a special sampling of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from world’s best known producers and famed regions.

HALLECK VINEYARD: Sip wines on the deck while gazing across Sonoma County to Mt. St. Helena in distant Napa County. The five-course gourmet dinner will be paired with a selection of Halleck Vineyard wines. The menu will be lovingly prepared and served by the Halleck sons.

Joseph Phelps: Enjoy an intimate celebration of Joseph Phelps 40th Anniversary and our second decade of Sonoma Coast winegrowing at our charming Guest Center in Freestone. Join host Bill Phelps for a multi-course dinner paired with a selection of Phelps finest bottlings.

Littorai: An intimate, elegant yet casual dinner and tasting at the Littorai estate winery property with proprietors Heidi and Ted Lemon.

WINE SEMINARS
The Barlow | Event Center | 6770 McKinley Ave | Sebastopol, CA
10:00 am – 2:30 pm

Diamonds in the Sky
10:00am – 11:30am
Explore the terroir of the West Sonoma Coast’s newly formed Fort Ross Seaview AVA.

Box Lunch at the Barlow
11:30am – 12:45pm

Syrah With a Unique Perspective
1:00pm – 2:30pm
An interactive blind tasting of Syrah from the West Sonoma Coast and other important regions around the world with a panel of leading experts on the variety. Panelists to be announced soon.

WOW GRAND TASTING
The Barlow | Event Center | 6770 McKinley Ave | Sebastopol, CA

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

An unparalleled opportunity to taste the wines of more than 40 producers and growers; many of them hard-to-find gems, all of them pure expressions of the West Sonoma Coast.

GRAND DINNER
The Barlow | Event Center | 6770 McKinley Ave | Sebastopol, CA
6:30pm – 10:00pm

Oyster and white wine reception followed by the Grand Dinner With James Beard finalist chef Steven Satterfield from Miller Union.

The festivities continue with a pre-dinner reception featuring white and rose wines from the West Sonoma Coast and local oysters from Hog Island Oyster Company. Afterwards, we will seat for a Grand Dinner highlighting local Sonoma bounty prepared by James Beard finalist Steven Satterfield from Miller Union in Atlanta. Dinner wines will consist of magnums of Pinot noir and Chardonnay supplied by each of the members of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners. Feel free to bring something from your cellar to share if you wish.

SEMINAR TICKET Vineyard Tours & Boxed Lunch
10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Select a vineyard tour from participating wineries for an open house, lunch and tasting in the West Sonoma Coast. Locations to be announced in May.

WOW GRAND TASTING
The Barlow | Event Center | 6770 McKinley Ave | Sebastopol, CA
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

A second opportunity to taste the wines of more than 40 producers and growers—many of them hard-to-find gems, all of them pure expressions of the West Sonoma Coast.