The time has come to break out your wine keys, decanters and wine glasses and raise a glass to the Golden State. It’s California Wine Month! Not that any of us really needs an excuse to enjoy a glass or two of great California wine, we have an entire month to celebrate the state’s vino. Organized by the Wine Institute, headquartered in San Francisco and serving as the public policy advocacy association of California wineries, California Wine Month marks the start of the annual grape harvest.
More than just a month dedicated to pulling and popping corks or twisting open the screw tops of California wines, this celebration is actually all about honoring the state’s signature agricultural product and all that vintners and growers bring to its economy, culture and lifestyle. Celebrated from September 1 through 30, 2015 marks the 11th annual National Wine Month – quite a feat!
If you’ve been considering visiting wine country, we can think of no better month to do so. There plenty of wineries and wine-based businesses throughout California that are hosting or participating in special tastings, festivals, wine immersion experiences, tours, concerts and more. Visit DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com for a list of the many wine-focused events you can experience all across California. Some of the highlights include CRUSH in Temecula at Wiens Family Cellars, SIP Temecula and the Kathryn Hall Release Party held at Hall Napa Valley during which the winery’s flagship cabernet sauvignon will be released.
For those of you who operate wine bars, restaurants with a wine menu or bars that have wine available, this is the perfect month to get creative with wine promotions. Wine cocktails such as the French 75, Golden Bellini, Red Berry Sangria, Apple & Pink Julep and Cherry Jam can all be built exclusively with California wines (yes, California produces their own sparkling wines, such as those from Domaine Chandon). Each of those recipes is available in our extensive database. Consider creating a menu of special wine cocktails for California Wine Month. Other promotions can involve discounts on California wines by the glass, bottles of California wines and simply bringing in some fantastic California wines for guests to taste. Southern Wine & Spirits and Coastal-Pacific Wine & Spirits have fantastic California wine portfolios from which to make your selections and place your orders. Come up with creative food pairings and you’ve hit a home run.
Cheers!