A DEEP, DELICIOUS DIVE: One would never want to pair the word "urgency" with "getaway," if only because the first term has an act-fast element while the second encourages us to slow down, de-stress, and de-everything. And yet what often happens, while on a getaway or a short trip or even an overnight, is a cuisine-obsessed traveler can be overtaken by the urgent feeling that wines and foodstuffs must be tried, pronto, all of them, lest they depart the town and not really grok to what the gourmand goings-on are, exactly. This is where two-day, winery-spotlight, food-yummy festivals come in so handily. Not every village or city or vineyard has 'em, but when they do, locals and visitors alike are will get a solid and thorough overview of what's happening at the location's stoves and barrels. And what's happening on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22 should give anyone devoted to getting better acquainted with Calistoga's cuisine scene a vaster sense of what's afoot. It's the...
CALISTOGA FOOD AND WINE EVENT, a two-day gathering of the gourmet-iest, grape-loveliest sort. Friday is all about a Winemaker Dinner at Fairwinds Estate, while Solage, An Auberge Resort, will set the stage for a Grand Tasting on Saturday. Prepare to mingle among "the region's top chefs" as well as "award-winning wineries" while looking upon only-in-Calistoga vistas. The wines on Friday will hail from a number of regional wine-perfecting places (think Kenefick Ranch, Fairwinds Estate, and Canard Vineyard). At Solage on Saturday you'll stroll about the lawn-and-barn area while choosing among samples from over 40 local wines (oh yes, and nibbling at swanky bites, too). Tickets, as well as a Solage stayover package themed to the haute happening? You'll find all of your feast-ready info here.
