Labor Day destination – The 2009 Sonoma Country Wine Weekend

As summer comes to an end, Labor Day weekend is traditionally the final opportunity for you to enjoy festivals, theme parks and other events.

Labor Day weekend is also when the 2009 Sonoma Country Wine Weekend presented by Visa Signature is held. This three day event combines the TASTE of Sonoma with the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction.

During the event, wineries offer lunches and dinners, pairing their wines with food prepared by local chefs. Many of the tables have already been sold, so be sure to check for availability on the site of the Wine Weekend.

The TASTE of Sonoma is held at the MacMurray Ranch, where you’ll be able to sample wines from over 150 wineries and food from over 60 local chefs. The TASTE has been named one of the top 10 wine and food events in the country, so you can be sure this is one event you won’t want to miss.

If you know in advance that driving is a bad idea (and wine combined with your car usually is), then why not take advantage of shuttle transportation from various local hotels to the MacMurray Ranch, for just $15/$20, depending on where you need to be picked up. Information on how to book the shuttle, and its routes, can be found at the bottom of this page.

If you are not lucky enough to be able to make it down to Sonoma, then check out their online wine auction site – not only will you be able to bid on some amazing wine, your money will benefit various Sonoma County charities.

Top 10 wine spots, none in U.S.

I realize that, on the world stage, our homeland isn’t exactly the most popular place right now. Part of it stems from eight years of political buffoonery, and a healthy dose comes from traditional “old world” bias against the United States. Like most of us, I’ve learned to adjust for a touch of this when I read international news coverage. To a certain extent, I understand it … we’re more like France than we realize. But, it’s tough when our country doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

This is especially the case for wine.

In an article detailing the top 10 wine spots in the world, Forbes deemed none in the United States worthy of the list.

1. Castello Banfi, Tuscany, Italy: not an adventurous pick for the top spot
2. Montes, Colchagua Valley, Chile: trying to seem enlightened, succeeds
3. Ken Forrester, Stellenbosch, South Africa: see #2, with the same results
4. Fournier, Mendoza, Argentina: doubling up on South America in the top five? Trying too hard …
5. Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River, Australia: could call for the middle of the pack
6. Felton Road, Central Otago, New Zealand: again with the doubling up …
7. Bodegas Ysios, Rioja, Spain: classic location, should probably be higher
8. Quinta do Portal, Douro Valley, Portugal: this would have been more exciting at #3 or #4
9. Chateau Lynch-Bages, Bordeaux, France: obligatory, but at #9?
10. Peter Jakob Kuhn Oestrich, Rhein/Mosel, Germany: obviously added to the list out of a sense of obligation

And, where are we? No Sonoma? No Napa? Or, a break from the norm with Oregon?

The collection of wine destinations seems to a certain extent like a Little League awards banquet. No country is on the list twice, giving the impression that the reporter sought to dish out as many trophies as possible. The wide reach, of course, makes those absent even more evident.

As you can see, the list is more likely the result of a careful analysis of balancing out different regions and meeting reader expectations than it is a genuine reflection on the most interesting wine destinations in the world.

This is why I hate “listicles”: they have less to do with the content than they do with managing perception. Blech.