Apparently June is Wine Tasting Month in Marin

This month there are four amazing wine tasting events in Marin County.  It's too bad they didn't space them out over the summer.  I'm highly jealous of anyone who can make it to all of these great events.  There are two this weekend and another pair two weeks later.  So it is possible to make it to all of them.


This weekend is the 2012 Fairfax Festival.  On the hill above the festival in the Fairfax Pavilion is the EcoFest which features tasting organic foods and other environmentally friendly businesses.  They will also have organic beer and wine tasting.  There will be over 40 organic and biodynamic wineries pouring their wines as well as many organic breweries with their wares.  It looks like wines mostly hail from Sonoma, Mendocino, and Napa counties.  There is a 2 for 1 coupon for the wine and beer tasting on the page linked above.  I couldn't find a price for the event.  As always, the fire department will be selling beers as well.  Expect limited parking so walking, biking, busing, or taxi rides are highly recommended.  Plus there are sure to be sobriety check points.  Bring cash.

The Novato Festival of Art, Wine, and Music is also this weekend June 9th and 10th in downtown Novato.  There will be wine from 40-50 wineries and beer from Moylan's Brewery.  There will also be numerous bands on two stages.  I didn't see any info about prices but it looks like entrance is free, but you have to buy a souvenir wine glass and drink tickets.  Cash only.  This festival usually draws thousands of people over the weekend.  Expect crowds and limited parking so walking, biking, busing, or taxi rides are highly recommended.  Plus there are sure to be sobriety check points.

I think Novato and Fairfax have these two events on the same weekend to keep the crowds somewhat manageable.  Its the same weekend every year.

On June 23rd, there's the 8th Annual Marin Wine Celebration in Larkspur.  This features wine from Marin County's wineries and vineyards.  The hyperlink goes to my 3rd monthly column in the Marinscope Newspapers which is about the event and wine tastings in general.  You can order tickets to the celebration by clicking here.

Then on Sunday June 24th, the 31st Annual Mill Valley Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting is happening from 1-4pm at the plaza in downtown Mill Valley.  There will be 65 wineries, 15 breweries, 30 specialty food purveyors, and 10 local restaurants and chefs.  Oh and there will be Jazz.  Tickets are available for $40 on their website or $50 at the event if they aren't sold out.  Expect crowds and limited parking so walking, biking, busing, or taxi rides are highly recommended.  Plus there are sure to be sobriety check points.

All of the events look stellar.  Unfortunately I work weekends, but I'm definitely using a vacation day for the Marin Wine Celebration!  It's weekends like these that make my schedule tough, but then I remind myself that having four days off a week (while making the same amount of money and benefits as when I worked 5 days a week last year) is pretty damn sweet.

If you have never been to a wine tasting event let me give you a couple pointers. First off eat something before you get there. Never do any sort of drinking event on an empty stomach. The food that is there will not constitute a meal. Nobody wants to be like the person at Costco that scarfs down the whole plate of samples.

Some people will spit, but most people swallow. Spitting will enable you to actually taste many more wines. However, the majority of people who are spitting are there professionally (wine buyers and media) or are the DD. By the way, you can still get a buzz from spitting, especially if you don't eat.

Winemakers love to talk about their wine and to educate people about wine. Don't hesitate to ask them questions. The only stupid question is the one not asked.


Which events are you going to?


Which ones are you most looking forward to?


Do you know of any events that aren't on the weekend?