Last weekend I attended my favorite wine event by the San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association, the Fall Wine Cornucopia at Chukchansi Park, Fresno. It's the closest wine event to home and at a reasonable price.
As you enter the park, you are given a glass to roam free in wine playground. With over 25 wineries present, and unlimited servings, where to begin? I begin tasting the white wines as I've seen in other events. In between your tasting, there are restaurants giving food samples, great to slow down the effects of alcohol. :) While sipping your wine, you can view local artists work of images of the valley, wine production and nature.
Do you remember the I Love Lucy episode where they are stomping on grapes? Well, you can do a reenactment of the scene at the event. Large tubs are available for you to stomp on grapes and a kiddy pool to rinse your feet and get back to the drinking...I mean, tasting, of course.
The winery employees present are all knowledgeable on their wines. If you like their wines, you may sign up for their newsletters or take brochures describing their great wines so you can purchase them at a later time. Also, as you leave the park some wines are available for purchase.
Our all around favorite is the Quady Winery, which specializes in dessert wines. They offer an excellent Orange Muscat, Electra, refreshing and great for a summer gathering. For more information check out their Facebook page or website.
Hopefully I've encouraged you to attend next year's event on Saturday, October 27, 2012. Mark your calendars!
