From Free Smartphone Apps to Travel Deals, California Wine Month Presents Innovative Ways to Experience California Wine Country

SACRAMENTO, California (August, 2011) – Grape harvest is approaching, a time when a foodie’s fancy turns to thoughts of wine.To launch the harvest season in September, destinations across the Golden State are celebrating California Wine Month. From innovative wine immersion experiences and hot travel deals to cool events, it is an ideal time to visit wine country, when the air is buzzing with the creative energy of California’s artisan winegrowers and winemakers bringing in the grapes and beginning the process of crafting the next great vintage.

For full details on the deals below and more information on cool ways to experience wine country at a value go to www.visitcalifornia.com/winemonth

“California is the leading wine and food destination in the U.S., producing 90 percent of the wine and boasting nine of the top ten producing agricultural counties in America,” said Caroline Beteta, president & CEO of the California Travel & Tourism Commission. “These cool new ways to experience wine country help consumers get the most value out of their California Wine Month getaway. From the most serious oenophile to the beginning taster, California’s diverse wine regions have something for everyone.”

Wine Country Smartphone Apps and Other Digital Innovations

Digital divas will love that California wineries and wine associations are launching smartphone apps and other tools to help them explore California wine country in a new way. Recent wine region association apps include: Santa Barbara, Monterey, Lodi, Dry Creek (Sonoma), Santa Clara, Santa Cruz Mountains, Livermore Valley and Fairfield-Suisun Valley.

Ridge Vineyards, a pioneer of single-vineyard winemaking, has injected digital innovation into its guest experience at each of its winery estates in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sonoma wine country. Through the use of a free aerial simulation in the tasting room, guests are taken on an interactive journey through all of their estate vineyards. The tour shines light on the contributions of place in the wines guests taste through the exploration of elevation, soil type, vine age and varietal. Tastings start as low as CA$5 during California Wine Month.

For the Adventurous sippers

Gondola Tour of a Sonoma County Winery:

Visitors to Sonoma County can sip wine from the comfort of a gondola as they view the sprawling Trentadue Winery and estate. After the educational gondola tour, a gourmet family-style dinner is served with wine. www.trentadue.com/events/

Unique Wine Adventures with Calaveras Concierge in Gold Country: Calaveras County is not only home to valleys, peaks, caves, and rivers, but a vast array of wine adventures including:

“Calaveras Zip and Sip” Adventure featuring a zip line at Moaning Cavern, wine tour of Murphys with a picnic lunch at a winery and gourmet winery harvest dinner. www.calaverasconcierge.com/light-zip-and-sip/

Star for a Day at Millerosa” visitors can star in their own film “The Wild Bunch” at a local movie set ranch. The tour also includes a gourmet catered lunch and wine tasting (minimum 5-10 people, weekends only). www.millerosa.com/

See Sonoma Wine Country on a European-style Hiking Vacation:

Over 10 days trek from San Francisco to surrounding wine country taking in Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, Muir Woods National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales Bay, Jack London State Historic Park and Sonoma estate wineries. The trek includes six days of hiking from 6 to 12 miles each day. Take in a morning paddle with a naturalist guide on Tomales Bay, enjoy a privately catered dinner, and a day of walking between private winery estates for wine tastings. Each night stay in premier lodging, ranging from charming country inns to luxury boutique hotels, and have many opportunities for world class dining and spa treatments. Cost is CA$2,695 per person, double occupancy during September 2011. www.winecountrytrekking.com

Bike Tour: Taste and Roll in Oakland’s Urban Wine Country:

East Bay Winery Bike Tours is offering a special winery bike tour stopping at three or four wineries on a 10-plus mile route. Just use the coupon code “winemonth” when booking a September tour via phone or online, and get 15 percent off. Tour includes a guide, a picnic lunch and a ferry ride. www.eastbaywinerybiketours.com

For the Cultural Wine Connoisseur

Pair Wine with Music at Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa:

Music and wine lovers can find their groove with a new interactive tasting experience at the legendary Robert Mondavi winery for California Wine Month. Guests can pair wine with music. www.robertmondavi.com/rmw/at_the_winery/tour/20

Art and Wine at Sonoma’s Starlite Vineyards:

Geyserville’s premier boutique vineyard will offer an exclusive wine month art exhibit and concert, free with a CA$25 tasting. Call 707-431-9800 for more information. www.starlitevineyards.com

Digital Wine Country:

Santa Barbara County Wine Country app:

Tour wine country with a free hand-held tour guide. An iPhone smartphone application allows visitors to see information on locally wineries, from great wedding sites to dog-friendly vineyards. An Android app expected to be available by early September. http://bit.ly/l0vtjv

Monterey Wine Country app:

The county’s free smartphone application gives visitors the inside scoop on the best Monterey wines and wineries. Available for Blackberry, Android and Windows phone. www.MontereyWines.org/app.

Ridge Vineyards’ interactive tour:

At each of the winery’s estates in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sonoma County, a free aerial simulation in the tasting room takes guests on an interactive journey through all of Ridge’s vineyards. The tour shines light on each estate’s elevation, soil type, vine age and varietal. Tastings start as low as CA$5 during California Wine Month. www.ridgewine.com/visiting_wineries/

CALIFORNIA WINE EXPERIENCE TRAVEL PACKAGES

Air Canada Vacations:

Three nights in Sonoma Valley via San Francisco from CA $639 ex Toronto, per person, double occupancy

Spend three nights in Sonoma Valley, just over an hour’s drive from San Francisco. Taste wines from this North America’s premium wine country, learn how the wines from friendly vintners at winery cellar doors and take in the idyllic setting of rolling hills dotted with vineyards. September and October is harvest time when the air is thick with the perfume of crushed grapes, adding to the wine country experience.

Package includes:

Round-trip flights from Toronto (YYZ) to San Francisco (SFO)

Three nights’ accommodation at the Doubletree Hotel Sonoma, Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, or the Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa

Valid most dates in September and October

For more information on the packages, call 1-866-529-2079.

Prices reflect applicable reductions, are subject to change without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. Prices are in Canadian dollars; apply to new bookings only. Prices are per person based on double occupancy, unless otherwise stated, from Montréal – Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto – Pearson International Airport, in Economy class. Non-refundable. Limited quantity and subject to availability at time of booking. Taxes and applicable fees not included. Not applicable to group bookings. Flights operated by Air Canada. For applicable terms and conditions, consult the Air Canada Vacations brochures or www.aircanadavacations.com.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada’s largest full-service airline and the largest provider of scheduled passenger services in the Canadian market, the Canada-U.S. transborder market and in the international market to and from Canada. Together with its regional partner Jazz, Air Canada serves over 32 million customers annually and provides direct passenger service to over 170 destinations on five continents. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance™, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. For more information, visit: www.aircanada.com

WestJet Vacations:

Three nights in San Diego from CA$809 ex Toronto, per person, double occupancy. Limited quantities available.

Explore the various wineries in San Diego’s Wine Country! San Diego’s North County is among the finest varietal grape-growing regions in the western United States. This up and coming wine boasts a variety of vineyards, from larger wineries that feature guided tours and full gift shops, to small family-run farms.

Package includes:

Round-trip air from Toronto (YYZ) to San Diego(SAN)

Three nights accommodations at the four-star Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego

Valid departure dates: October 15, 22 and 29, 2011

Four nights in San Francisco from CA$779 ex Toronto, per person, double occupancy. Limited quantities available.

San Francisco is within an hour’s drive from the leading Napa and Sonoma wine regions of Northern California – an easy day trip from the Bay Area. One option is to hop aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train from San Francisco for an elegant, intimate journey to Napa Valley. Largely acclaimed for its diversified wine options, Napa Valley is one of the premier travel destinations in the world.

Package includes:

Round-trip air from Toronto (YYZ) to San Francisco (SFO)

Four nights accommodations at the four-star Handlery Union Square Hotel

Complimentary full American breakfast for up to 2 people

Valid departure dates: September 17, 25, October 17 and 20, 2011

Note that WestJet Vacations packages quoted must be booked between September 1 and 15, 2011 (11:59 p.m. MT). Service from Toronto to San Diego and San Francisco requires a connection in Calgary. Other departure cities and dates are available, but prices may be higher. Fares on other days may be higher. Price is round trip per guest, based on double occupancy. Transfers not included. Taxes and fees not included. Fuel surcharge still applies to Air Miles™ redemption bookings. Advance booking required. Non-refundable. Offer limited and subject to availability. Price is accurate at time of submission. New bookings only. Visit westjetvacations.com for details. Packages booked through Ontario travel agents are covered by TICO. Mailing address: 6085 Midfield Road, Toronto, ON L5P 1A2. TICO registration number: 50018683.

For more information on the above packages, contact your preferred travel agent, call 1-877-737-7001 or visit westjetvacations.com.

About WestJet

WestJet is Canada’s favourite airline, offering scheduled service throughout its 71-city North American and Caribbean network. Inducted into Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures Hall of Fame and named one of Canada’s best employers, WestJet pioneered low-cost flying in Canada. WestJet offers increased legroom, leather seats and live seatback television provided by Bell TV on its modern fleet of 96 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. With future confirmed deliveries for an additional 39 aircraft through 2018, WestJet strives to be one of the five most successful international airlines in the world.

About WestJet Vacations

WestJet Vacations provides guests with affordable, reliable and easy-to-book travel experiences to destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Leveraging WestJet’s fun and friendly image, extensive network and world-class guest experience, WestJet Vacations offers guests a personalized, once-in-a-lifetime vacation experience. For more information, visit www.westjetvacations.com.

CALIFORNIA WINE MONTH EVENTS

From special tastings and harvest tours, to wine education classes and wine and food festivals, California wine lovers have many event choices for day trips in their own back yard – or quick getaways a short distance from home.

If you’re near Northern California over Labor Day weekend, don’t miss Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, named one of the 10 Best Wine & Food Events in the U.S. (Celebrated Living).The event features more than 170 award winning wineries and 60 chefs showcasing their talents at Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch, as well as a wine auction, seminars, cooking demonstrations, vineyard tours and parties at other wineries.

On Sept. 17, CALIFORNIA WINE RUSH, a walk-around tasting showcasing top wines from more than a dozen California wine regions throughout the state, will take place in San Francisco in the Grand Hall of the historic Ferry Building during the lively Saturday farmer’s market.

Passionate about Pinot? Check out Pinotfest Monterey in Central California, a beach party and charity auction on Sept. 16 with live music, food and wine that showcases several wineries.

Savor the Central Coast 2011, presented by Sunset Magazine and the San Luis Obispo County Visitors and Conference Bureau, will feature a grand tasting with 200-plus wineries, wine seminars, winemaker dinners and other culinary adventures during this four-day experience Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

If you live in or are visiting L.A., Palm Springs or San Diego, check out the CRUSH: Temecula Valley 2nd Annual Wine & Culinary Showcase, a multi-winery harvest festival with wine, food and live music on September 10. As an added value, five participating wineries are offering passport savings anytime during the month.

If you’re a foodie, you won’t want to miss the Masters of Food & Wine Culinary Weekend in Carlsbad near San Diego, on Sept. 24. This fabulous weekend is where world-class chefs and sommeliers converge, featuring regional California wine and food and interactive workshops.

For more information on California Wine month events go to www.discovercaliforniawine.com/learn/september-winery-events. On that site you can also find more information on California wine varietals, a map of California wine country, information on regions as well as activities at individual wineries.

Background

The California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry – that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. According to CTTC, travel and tourism expenditures total $95.1 billion annually in California (18 percent of which is international), support jobs for 873,000 Californians and generate $6.1 billion in state and local tax revenues. For more information about CTTC and for a free California Visitor’s Guide, go to www.VisitCalifornia.com.

Established in 1934, Wine Institute is the association of more than 1,000 California wineries and wine-related businesses that initiate and advocate state, federal and international public policy to enhance the environment for the responsible production, consumption and enjoyment of wine. Wine Institute promotes the California Wine Month campaign with the California Association of Winegrape Growers to help contribute to the economic vitality of the state by showcasing its outstanding wine and food offerings.

For more information, see www.wineinstitute.org

August 30, 2011   Posted in: United States West