Memorial Day weekend opens up the traditional summer travel season, and what better way to kick it off than with a trip to wine country! We’ve got some ideas on how to make the most of your extra long weekend.
HONOR THE HOLIDAY
To observe the holiday, spend some time over Memorial Day honoring those who served in the U.S. military. The Napa American Legion Post 113 will be having a service on Monday at the Napa Veterans Park which would be a great way to pay respects to the fallen soldiers.
EXPERIENCE LIVE MUSIC
We can’t talk about this weekend’s music scene without mentioning the annual BottleRock festival, bringing three days of food, booze, and music to Napa. This year’s headliners include a wide range of artists including Imagine Dragons and Mumford & Sons, along with food personalities such as Andrew Zimmern and Padma Lakshmi. If you can’t make it this year, be sure to check out local bands in smaller venues; Sebastiani Vineyards will be hosting the Jami Jamison Band as part of their Friday Night Music Series in Sonoma and LiveWire will take the stage at Lincourt Vineyards in Solvang.
SAMPLE THE NEWEST WINE RELEASES
Over 130 wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley will be opening their doors for a weekend of special events and tastings at one of wine country’s longest-running celebrations, appropriately named Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country. Take advantage of this chance to sample newly released white wines, rosés, and Pinot Noir from the acclaimed 2017 vintage, sample 2018s in barrel and discover small producers not typically open to the public.
SNACK ON INCREDIBLE BITES
Springtime brings along farmers markets and https://www.foleyfoodandwinesociety.com/Magazine/News-and-Articles/5-Spring-Vegetables-and-How-to-Use-Them – stop by the Napa or Calistoga Certified Farmers Markets on Saturday morning to pick up local fruits and veggies for the week. If you’d prefer someone else to do the cooking, check out the Taste of Santa Barbara tour for an intimate food walking tour of the mid-State Street area of downtown Santa Barbara that provides an up close and personal look into the local food scene.
CELEBRATE THE FINER THINGS
Experience the essence of fleaing in France at the Chateau Sonoma French Flea, where attendees are welcome to enjoy a weekend full of antiques and joie de vivre complete with French fare, rose, French 75’s, and a barrel organist. Further down the coast, street painters will transform Santa Barbara’s Mission plaza using pastels on pavement to create 150 vibrant and colorful, large scale images as part of the Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival.
