Last weekend hundreds of wine lovers attended Fenestra Winery’s Chocolate and Cabernet event. Fenestra Winery is located in the Livermore Valley, which is an easy 45 minute drive from most Bay Area locations. Fenestra winery was founded in 1976, and has helped lead the renaissance of the boutique winery explosion in this nearby wine region. In fact when Fenestra was established,  there were only five Livermore Valley wineries and now some 39 years later there are over fifty wineries. Yes, the Livermore Valley has again become how it was once known during the turn of the century: a premier wine country destination. 

Many of the attendees spent the entire afternoon sipping and tasting over 20 different wine offerings while sampling various small savory and sweet chocolate dishes. If you have not visited the Livermore Valley, you may want to plan a weekend or two to rediscover California’s original wine country. Make sure to visit Fenestra Winery when you do and if you like to picnic then Fenestra winery offers a relaxed and beautiful family-friendly environment. 

This Sunday “get your chocolate on” at the SF Chocolate Salon at Fort Mason Pavilion. The event is from 10 am to 6 pm and features⎯you guessed it!⎯ chocolate, and an assortment of fine wines. So give yourselves a treat by spending a part of your Sunday day off at the Ninth Annual San Francisco Chocolate Salon. 

Need a pick me up after a long day of work this coming Monday? Well make plans to attend the amazing IPOB (In Search of Balance) wine event to be held at the beautiful Metreon Complex in San Francisco. Thirty-three amazing wineries and delicious small bites from some of the best SF restaurants will be the stars of the show. SignatureWines.com has a limited amount of specially priced tickets for you. First come first serve, Go here to get these tickets while they last:

Last Friday night 2/20/2015 more than fifty-plus marquee wineries assembled and showcased well over 100 Petite Sirah wines in Alameda, California at the Rockwall winery. This well-attended event celebrated the deep-colored wine known for its bold round full-bodied structure and relatively high tannin levels that allow Petite Sirah to age so very well.  

A well-balanced Petite Sirah exhibits deep blackberry, blueberry, and plum-like fruit flavors as well as spice and licorice notes. This is a varietal that pairs extremely well with big hardy dishes such as beef, pork and other big game as well as braised and grilled meats. The evening was very well attended and all the laughter and happiness made the wine and food offerings that much more memorable. For information on upcoming events featuring Petite Sirah check back here, or visit:   http://www.psiloveyou.org.

Next weekend, take a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to enjoy the hospitality of Fenestra Winery’s Chocolate and Cabernet event. Fenestra winery is one of the very best places to enjoy a picnic with your friends and family. This event features savory and sweet chocolate dishes paired with Fenestra’s high quality wines. Recipes for various dishes will be offered and you can stock up on their wines for your future memorable meals. Save $5.00 dollars off the cost of admission by getting your tickets in advance at: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/limited-quantity-of-specially-priced-tickets-to-fenestra-winerys-chocolate-and-cabernet-weekend-tickets-15849261568?ref=ecal  

One of the many wonderful things about living here in Northern California, besides the spectacular winter weather, is an abundance of world-class wine and food events. This past Valentine’s Day weekend featured the Masters and Makers Wine event at a beautiful luxury resort: the Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa Valley.  The epicurean affair offered delights of healthy fresh farm-to-fork meals, prepared by experts and paired with the sumptuous fine wines for which Napa and Sonoma wineries are renowned. These offerings were further enhanced by the presence of interesting devotees with whom this weekend was shared. So be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s Masters and Makers Wine event because it is bound to gain popularity and prestige over the coming years.

Across the bay, On Valentine’s Day, the International San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition celebrated the many spectacular vintages and wineries found throughout Northern California, national wine regions and other nations. Of special mention was a small winery named Pezzi King that shared the coveted red wine Sweepstakes Wine Award with their 2012 Estate Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Row 14 Reserve, priced at $50.00. The award was shared with Sonoma-Cutrer’s 2012 Pinot Noir, Founders Reserve, Russian River Valley at $65.00. The wine region of the Livermore Valley continues to shine with Wente Vineyards leading the way. Wente Vineyards took a Best of Class award for their 2013 Livermore Valley Morning Fog Chardonnay. This wine exemplifies the harmonious balance of fruit, minerality, acid, terroir and time that testifies to the fine wine making artistry of Karl Wente. Enjoy this lovely wine for $15.00 or less. For a complete list of wine awards go to: http://winejudging.com/2015/01/09/announcing-the-2015-san-francisco-chronicle-wine-competition-sweepstake-winners/  

This Thursday, February 19, 2015, the 63rd annual Pacific Orchid Exposition Gala Benefit at Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion in San Francisco benefited one of the Bay Area's most well known horticultural institutions: the U.C Botanical Garden at Berkeley. The Gala Benefit gave attendees the first chance to browse and purchase gorgeous orchids before the show opened to the general public. In addition, delicious hors d’oeuvres were served along with tastings from California’s premier wineries. The Pacific Orchid show continues throughout this weekend. For more information, go here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/2015-pacific-orchid-exposition-the-thrill-of-discovery-thur-219-630-10-pm-fri-220-sun-222-10-5-pm-tickets-12481363093?ref=ebtn

Looking forward to this weekend, you might attend the Ninth Annual Dark and Delicious Petite Syrah wine event celebrates this varietal. This event features 52 renowned California wineries who will showcase their Petite Syrah wines.  Nine (9) different and delicious cuisines from local restaurants and celebrity chefs will be served to the lucky attendees. The event will be held at Rock Wall Winery in Alameda, California. Visit SignatureWines.com ’s special events calendar for a limited number of specially priced tickets for this event as well as other upcoming wine events. It is wise to act quickly if you want to save money and attend these food and wine events. Go here for more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9th-annual-dark-and-delicious-wine-event-tickets-15683312209?ref=ecal . Check back frequently at SignatureWines.com because we continue to add wonderful wine events every week. 

Okay, that title is a lie. Garlic is delicious with red wine. Tuscan cuisine wouldn't be the same without either Chianti or garlic-laden bolognese! But there is a time and a place, and I found the antithesis of that time and place this past weekend.

If you've ever driven through Gilroy, CA, you know that the city's motto should probably be one word, all capitalized: GARLIC. You see the signs for fresh garlic and garlic ice cream and garlic preserves and garlic braids, you feel like you've got garlic breath just from driving through on 101, you hear about the Garlic Festival every July.

It's a tragedy that I have had three summers in the Bay Area and this past weekend is the first time that I've been to the Festival that makes the city great. I grew up in Small-Town America, so I know how to deal with crowded town fairs in zillion-degree heat (hint: drink early, bring water, wear sunscreen and comfortable clothes). Add garlic fries and garlic bread and free garlic ice cream to that equation, and I am absolutely on board! Plus, I heard a rumor that they would have a wine tent, and honestly, that's a good enough reason to get me to show up anywhere. So on Saturday, my boyfriend and I showed up at my Gilroy-born friend's house at 9:30am to caravan to the festival, eat our fill of garlic-doused food, and have a built-in excuse to drink before noon.

The wine tent turned out to be the best decision of the day; not only was it not crowded when we arrived, but it was a shaded and mist-sprayer-rigged so we could get a respite from the 95 degree heat outside. There were about ten local wineries pouring samples and full glasses for attendees, almost all of which I had passed on my back-roads drive to the festival. I hadn't tasted most of the wineries' offerings prior to that day, so I made quick work of my drink tickets.

Lightheart Cellars gets a shout-out from me here; Sheldon and George poured the gorgeous Colombard of theirs, and they made a white sangria of it for us to taste as well! Both were perfect for the weather and the occasion, and I may have counted the strawberries and apples in my sangria cup as one of my servings of fruit for the day.

We like to have fun and we think you do, too. And what better way to create great memories than discovering great experiences to enjoy with friends, old and new?

For example, last weekend many of our SignatureWines.com VIP Cardholders exercised their invitations to attend the "Cars & Cabernet" event held at Grgich Hills Estate Winery in Napa, California. Grgich Hills Estate Winery became famous when its Chardonnay was selected the best white wine in the world at the "Paris Tasting" of 1976! Since then Grgich Hills has consistently produced world-class wines that are enjoyed the world over. 

SignatureWines.com VIP Cardholders enjoyed three preview tastings of Grgich Hills Carbernets in the Grgich Hills VIP lounge on a complimentary basis. Just one of the many perks and pleasures offered to our SignatureWines.com VIP cardholders. 


The weather was spectacular this past weekend, so in addition to enjoying great wines, it was a fine day for guests to examine many of the best luxury vehicles the world has to offer including the spectacular Mclaren pictured below. If you missed this event, don’t worry, but do keep your heads up for new events that are coming your way: This Saturday and Sunday spend the afternoon at Fenestra Winery's soup and wine event known as the "Souper Bowl"! There will be delicious wines to sample and an offering of delectable gourmet soups prepared by top local chefs. A brilliant way to wind up for the Super Bowl! Take home some of the best Livermore Valley wine values for your upcoming Super Bowl parties. Purchase your tickets in advance and receive a special gift from SignatureWines.com at the event by clicking on this link: http://fenestrasoupwine12612.eventbrite.com/?ref=ecal#