Winter Wineland – When Locals Claim Wine Country

100 wineries. One weekend. Winter Wineland.

$10 – $40

I know Sonoma Insiders, when I’m not taking on the mythical wine country blimp, I’m always telling you about things that are “only for locals” like the Dirty Bird*, the secret Indian restaurant that doesn’t charge corkage, and “friending” John Lasseter (first time I’ve ever been unfriended by an animated lamp. Sigh.)

My latest insider scoop is the Winter Wineland, put on by the cool folks at Wine Road (formerly Russian River Wine Road, but now much easier to remember.) WW features over 100 wineries pouring awesome wines and pairing it with great food. It all goes down January 17 and 18.

Tips from people in the know: eight new wineries this year, including a new coop tasting room in Geyserville called Terroir Artisan Wines (4 wines for the price of one address!). Right down the way is LOCALS and Route 128 Winery.  Geyserville is the new Healdsburg, which was the new Sonoma, which is mistakenly often called the new Napa. Got it?

Other ideas:

- start at smaller wineries for check-in. (I’ll be at Acorn to start – how about you?)

- get a designated driver or hire a van, limo or pedal cab.

- no kids or babies. 21 is the magic number in blackjack and Winter Wineland.

An exhaustive listing of wineries follows. First person to make a google map mashup for me gets my eternal gratitude and something special.

See you at Acorn!

* Hint: you can do the Dirty Bird even if you are married. Heck, seems like everyone doing it is married to someone, somewhere…

Winter Wineland Wineries 2009

• Acorn Winery
• Alderbrook Winery
• Alexander Valley Vineyards
• Amista Vineyards
• Amphora Winery
• Armida Winery
• Artiste
• Balletto
• Battaglini Estate Winery
• Bella Vineyards & Caves
• Raymond Burr Vineyards
• Camellia Cellars
• Carol Shelton Wines
• Chalk Hill Winery
• Chateau Felice Winery
• Christopher Creek Winery
• Clos du Bois
• Davis Family Vineyards
• De La Montanya
• De Loach Vineyards
• deLorimier
• Dry Creek Vineyard
• Dutton Estate / Sebastopol Vineyards
• Dutton-Goldfield Winery
• Everett Ridge Vineyards
• Family Wineries D.C.V.
• Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery
• Field Stone Winery
• Foppiano Vineyards
• Forchini Vineyards & Winery
• Francis Coppola’s Rosso & Bianco
• Frick Winery
• Fritz Underground Winery
• Gallo Family Vineyards
• Geyser Peak Winery
• Godwin
• Graton Ridge Cellars
• Hanna, Alexander Valley
• Hanna, Russian River
• Harvest Moon Estate
• Hawkes Winery
• Hobo Wine Company
• Holdredge Wines
• Hook and Ladder
• Hop Kiln Winery
• Inman Family Wines
• J. Rickards
• Johnson’s Alexander Valley Wines
• Kendall-Jackson Wine Center
• Kendall-Jackson Healdsburg
• Kokomo
• Korbel
• La Crema Tasting Room
• La Crema Winery
• Lake Sonoma Winery
• Limerick Lane Cellars
• Locals Tasting Room
• Longboard Vineyards
• Manzanita Creek
• Marimar Estate
• Martinelli Winery
• Martin Ray Winery
• Matrix Winery
• Mauriston
• Mazzocco Sonoma
• The Meeker Vineyard
• Michel-Schlumberger
• Mill Creek Vineyards
• Moshin Vineyards
• Mounts Family Winery
• Murphy-Goode
• Palmeri Wines
• Paradise Ridge Winery
• Pedroncelli Winery
• Pellegrini Family Vineyards
• Pena Ridge
• Peterson Winery
• Porter Creek Vineyards
• Preston of Dry Creek
• Quivira Vineyards
• Ridge Lytton Springs
• Robert Young
• Rodney Strong Vineyards
• Rosenblum Cellars
• Route 128 Winery
• Rued Winery
• Russian River Vineyards
• Sapphire Hill Winery
• Sausal Winery
• Selby Winery
• Sheldon Wines
• Siduri Wines
• Simi Winery
• Stephen & Walker
• Stryker Sonoma
• Stuhlmuller Vineyards
• Suncé Winery
• Taft Street Winery
• Talty Winery
• F. Teldeschi Winery
• Thumbprint Cellars
• Toad Hollow
• Topel Winery Tasting Room
• Trentadue Winery
• Trione
• Truett Hurst
• Unti Vineyards
• White Oak
• Wilson Winery
• Windsor Oaks Vineyards
• Woodenhead
• Zichichi Family Vineyard