Many of the wineries that we have traveled to since January 2007 offer Labor Day weekend events and entertainment. For this holiday weekend, Wine Trail Traveler partners’ events are listed below. Be sure to check with the wineries for any changes in their schedules. Enjoy browsing for a winery event that interests you.

Cheers! Kathy

Friday, September 3

Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Texas
Event: Tailgate Special Menu

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: Art Show by Ben Roeder

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Tapas Tour
Reservations Required

Laurello Vineyards, Ohio
Event: Concert- 4 Kings

Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Texas
Event: Tailgate Special Menu

Tarara Winery, Virginia
Event: Music on the Deck-Shane Gamble

Serpent Ridge Vineyard, Maryland
Event: First Friday Event: Music/Blue Moon Revue

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: Lexie Hayden on Guitar

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Event: Music/All 4 One

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: TGISunsets

Saturday, September 4

Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Event: Anniversary Weekend

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: The Grapes Crush

Laurello Vineyards, Ohio
Event: Concert- Uncharted Course

Tarara Winery, Virginia
Event: “Toast to the Tunes summer Concert Series” – The Wall and Frye Band

Vezer Family Vineyard, California
Event: The Wes/Benson Experience

The Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
4th Anniversary of Winery Opening

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Tapas Tour
Reservations Required

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: Bocce Blast!

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Event: Music/Dennis Ford

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: “Winemaker Walkabout”

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Event: Music/Blues Highway

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: FarmDoubt Rocks BOW!
Event: TGI Sunsets

Lorimar Winery, California
Event: Live@Lorimar/Joey Hambrick

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Wine Dinner
Reservations Required

Sunday, September 5

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: BOW’s Endless Summer/Tropical Labor Day Celebration

The Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Event: Anniversary Weekend

DelFosse Vineyards & Winery, Virginia
Event: Labor Day Weekend BBQ

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: Poor Ellen Smith

Tarara Winery, Virginia
Event: Music on the Deck-Steve McWilliams

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Event: Music/Tom Todd

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: “Winemaker Walkabout”
Event: Meet the Dog Star!

Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Texas
Event: Cooking Party with Visiting Chef

Monday, September 6

The Winery at LaGrange, VA
Event: Anniversary Weekend

DelFosse Winery, Virginia
Event: Labor Day Weekend BBQ

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: Gaylor & Katsu Performing

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: Winemaker’s Smoker

Tarara Winery, Virginia
Event: Music on the Deck-Josh Burgess

Are you ready to join the twitter wine tasting tomorrow, Sept 2? All you need is a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, access to Twitter and use hashtag #Cabernet. This event hosted by Rick Bakas, Director of Social Media at St. Supery Winery in Napa Valley is about tasting Cabernet Sauvignon and connecting with other likeminded people via in person or on Twitter. If you don’t already belong to Twitter it’s easy to start. Terry has written an extensive article, “World-wide Cabernet Sauvignon Twitter tasting event” about the September 2 Cabernet Day event.

To add to the Twitter wine tasting experience, invite a few friends over and ask them to bring along a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to share. Provide snacks or hors d’oeuvres and spend time enjoying friends, conversation and wine.

If you prefer, visit a winery and enjoy a tasting of the Cabernet Sauvignons available. Take some friends as well as a designated driver. If the winery doesn’t have Internet access take your own and tweet about the wines. Be sure to follow the hash tag #Cabernet to see what others are saying and to respond.

Wineries that produce Cabernet Sauvignon are also invited to join the fun. For more information about how wineries can participate in this online Cabernet event, read the blog at http://www.stsupery.com/blog/2010/06/7-ways-wineries-can-rock-cabernet-day-on-twitter/.

Hope to see you on Twitter using the hashtag #Cabernet tomorrow!

Cheers! Kathy

Thursday is the day I enjoy posting events at wineries for the coming weekend. Check the winery website sfor times and descriptions. Enjoy a visit to one of our WTT partners.

Cheers! Kathy

Lorimar Winery
August 28
Music/Naomi Balcombe Sax/Jazz
Lorimar WineryWebsite

Tesoro Winery
Temecula, California
August 27
Hot Summer Nights in Old Town – Valley Winds Big Band Swing
August 28
Clean Comedy Just for Fun(d) with Rocky Osborn
Tesoro Website

Orfila Vineyards and Winery
Escondido, California
August 28
Annual Grape Stomp
Orfila Website

Thornton Winery
Temecula, California
August 29
Dave Koz & Jonathan Butler special guest Sheila E.
Thornton Winery Website

Chateau Chantal
Traverse City, Michigan
Daily Tapas Tours
August 28
Wine Dinner
Chateau Chantal Website

Messina Hof Winery & Resort
Bryan, Texas
August 29
Wine Appreciation Class
Messina Hof Winery Website

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante
Geneva, Ohio
August 27
Music/ Larry Smith
August 28 Afternoon
Music/Ron Sluga
August 28 Evening
Music/Tom Todd
August 29-10
Music/Legacy
Ferrante Winery Website

Barrel Oak Winery
Delaplane, Virginia
August 29
The inimitable Steve Hudson on guitar
Barrel Oak Winery Website

Tarara Winery
Leesburg, Virginia
August 28
Tarara’s Toast to the Tunes
Summer Concert Series: The Reflex
Tarara Winery Website

Three Fox Vineyards
Delaplane, Virginia
August 28
Veraison Celebration
August 28
Reston Limo Public Wine Tour
Three Fox Vineyards Website

Below I have listed four wine festivals from across the country that will take place Labor Day Weekend. An array of wine events will take place Labor Day Weekend so be sure to check out what’s available in your area.

I will tweet more Labor Day wine festivals in the next few days. Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wineabout .

Cheers! Kathy

Millbrae Art & Wine Festival
Millbrae, California
September 4 and 5
Website Info: http://www.miramarevents.com/millbrae/

2010 Nauvoo Grape Festival
Nauvoo, Illinois
September 3-5
Website Info: http://www.nauvoograpefestival.com/
This year they are celebrating their 73^rd Grape Festival!

Jazz it Up Wine and Food Festival
at Allaire Village, New Jersey
September 4 and 5
Website Info: http://www.allairevillage.org/Event_Descriptions/Wine_Tasting.html

New Mexico Wine Festival at Bernalillo
Bernalillo, New Mexico
September 4,5 & 6
Website Info: http://www.newmexicowinefestival.com/
This is the 23^rd annual festival!

Winery events to think about attending this weekend are listed below.The events are from some of Wine Trail Traveler’s winery partners. Check the event details online.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Cheers! Kathy

Tesoro Winery, Temecula, California
Friday, August 20th – 7-10 p.m.
Hot Summer Nights in Old Town – Kenny Marquez
Info: Tesoro Winery

Thornton Winery, Temecula, California
Champagne Jazz Concert Series
Tickets
August 21; 7:00 pm? Bobby Caldwell
General Admission $60.00; Gourmet Supper Package 3 Course Meal $135.00
Information: Thornton Winery

Chateau Chantal,Traverse City, Michigan
Tapas Tours – everyday
Wine Dinner August 21
Time: ?Optional Winery Tour at 6:00pm; Dinner Seating at 6:30pm
Cost: ?$50 per person, plus tax and gratuity; Reservations are required I
nformation: Chateau Chantal

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment:
Aug. 20 Friday Just George
Aug 21 Saturday Afternoon David Young; Saturday Evening Mac & Leah
Aug 22 Sunday 4-Kings
Information: Ferrante Winery & Ristorante

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
August 21; 12:00 pm? Book Signing by Ellen Crosby, a local author
August 21; 6:00 pm? Demetrios & Curtis on Guitar
Information: Barrel Oak Winery

Pearmund Cellars, Virginia
August 22; 11:00 am to Noon ?In Vino Veritas Spiritus Preacher Kim J. Ciftci
August 22 Nat’l Honey Bee Awareness Day 11am – 6pm
Information: Pearmund Cellars

Tarara Winery, Leesburg, Virginia
August 21 ?Tarara’s Toast to the Tunes
Summer Concert Series: David Andrew Smith
Information: Tarara Winery

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
August 20th – 22nd ?Celebrate “La Trovatella” The release of our first ever estate Merlot!
Info: Three Fox Vineyards

Have you attended the Annual Virginia Wine Festival at Bull Run Park before? This year on September 18 and 19^th, the 35^th Annual Virginia Wine Festival will take place at Bull Run Park’s Special Events Center. This annual festival features the best of Virginia with about 50 Virginia wineries attending and offering samples of their wines.

During the weekend enjoy entertainers including Over the Rhine, guitarist John Jorgenson,  Robert Jospe with John D’earth & Royce Campbell and The Woodshedders.

Want to learn more about wine? This annual wine festival is the place to do it. Be sure to participate in the free seminars.  The seminars will include Becoming Wine Savvy in 45 Minutes and Discovering the Aromas and Tastes in Wine-Experiments You Can Do at Home. Dave McIntyre from the Washington Post and www.drinklocalwine.com will present Holding a Successful Home Wine Tasting Party.

In addition to all of this, visitors to the wine festival will be able to browse numerous artisan creations.

Bull Run Park, located in Centreville, Virginia is part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. The park offers a host of activities as well as special events. Activities include boating, hiking, camping, soccer fields and a waterpark. Anyone planning to attend the wine festival may want to make arrangements to spend a few days in the area and enjoy everything Bull Run Regional Park has to offer.

Tickets and more information are available at http://virginiawinefest.com.

Enjoy planning a trip to this Annual Virginia Wine Festival.

Cheers, Kathy

Laurello Vineyards is a delightfully, friendly winery to visit with friends and family. Food, music and wine all play a large part of the visitor’s experience.

The tasting room is also part of a bistro type facility with menu available. This summer they are offering a new appetizer, Lucy’s Caponata. The recipe includes eggplant, celery, olives, capers, tomatoes and onions served on toasted bread.

This weekend at the winery the pizza special is pizza topped with Italian sausage, homemade chunky tomato sauce, mozzarella and Romano cheeses.

Live music will be performed at 7pm – Friday night Light of Day Band and Saturday night All 4 One.

Laurello Vineyards is located in Harpersfield Township, Geneva, Ohio. A  Laurello review is available on the Wine Trail Traveler website.

Cheers! Kathy

Winery events this weekend from Wine Trail Traveler’s featured partner wineries are listed below. Be sure to check a winery website for changes and additional information.

Lorimar Winery  and Vineyards, Temecula Californi
John Foltz Key Board
August 14th, 28th; 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Live @ Lorimar Live @ Lorimar- offers an intimate and fun location for musical performances. Overlooking Main Street, Lorimar has a unique and ‘edgy’ feel perfect for innovative musicians. The venue offers an acoustic setting like no other, and is the perfect place to hear great music from some of Southern California’s best up and coming musicians.

Tesoro Winery, Temecula, California
Friday, August 13th – 7-10 p.m. Hot Summer Nights in Old Town – Swift Pony Join in the fun at our tasting room in Old Town on Front at Sixth Street for some great rock n roll — get your seat on our outdoor patio (one drink minimum per person 6:30 – 10 p.m.) — have a glass of wine and enjoy the concert!

Thornton Winery, Temecula, California
August 14th; 7:00 pm Gentlemen of the Night Meadows, Taylor and Lington General Admission $60.00; Gourmet Supper Package 3 Course Meal $135.00

Vezér Family Vineyards, Suisun Valley, California
Summer Concert Series at the Mankas Corner Gardens Tickets can be purchased right at the tasting Vezer Tasting Room at Mankas. $17.50 Tables service available from Vintage Cafe.
August 15th: The Rhythem Method

Chateau Chantal, Traverse City, Michigan
Daily: Jun 15th – end of August; 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Tapas Tour A Tapas Tour experience consists of a tour of the winery that winds through the vineyard and cellar as the winemaking process is explained from vine to wine. It concludes with our tapas-style exploration of wine and food pairing. We aim to satisfy your appetite for wine knowledge as well as for tapas! Please bring an eager palate, an inquisitive mind, and a light jacket to wear as we venture through the cool cellar.

Where: Chateau Chantal Vineyard~Winery~Inn Cost: $25 per person Reservations are required at least one day in advance, and may be made by calling (800) 969-4009 or booking through our online web store at www.chateauchantal.com

Jun 16th through September 4th; Wednesdays and Saturdays; 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wine Dinners at Chateau Chantal Our Wine Dinners are the perfect way to experience the best of Northern Michigan. Our delicious local wines are paired with a 6 course meal prepared by Chef Les Hagaman, owner of neighboring B&B, Tesoro Inn. Learn from our knowledgeable staff about food and wine pairings while enjoying this beautiful meal and making new friends. Please bring an eager palate, an inquisitive mind, and an empty stomach!
Where: Chateau Chantal?Time: Optional Winery Tour at 6:00pm; Dinner Seating at 6:30pm Cost: $50 per person, plus tax and gratuity Reservations are required at least one day in advance, and may be made by calling us at (800) 969-4009 or by booking online at www.chateauchantal.com

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Harpersfield Township, Ohio
Entertainment

Times for entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings from 6:30pm to 9:30pm-Sunday afternoons from 2:00pm to 5:00pm
08-13-10 Friday Ramon 08-14-10 Saturday Afternoon Dave Sterner 08-14-10 Saturday Evening Blues Highway 08-15-10 Sunday Dennis Ford

Messina Hof Winery and Resort, Bryan, Texas
August 13th – Lights, Camera, Murder! Murder Mystery Dinner at 6:30pm
August 14th – Grande Finale Vintner Dinner – Palm Bay Imports at 6:30pm
August 14th – 15th – Harvest Weekend #5 at 8:00am

Barrel Oak Winery, Delaplane Virginia
August 13th; 5;30 PM
The Steve Warner Trio will be playing at BOW BOW’s Patio Ticket: Free

Delfosse Vineyards and Winery, Faber, Virginia
August 15: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm French Crepe Day Come and celebrate another French Crepe Day. Select from a menu of 5 different crepes. Cost: $5/ crepe

Tarara Winery, Leesburg, Virginia

August 6th through October 1st; 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Friday Evenings at Tarara! Beginning on Friday August 6th, enjoy wine tasting and live music (4-8 PM) on our deck until 8 PM on Friday evenings through October 1st. Wines, cheeses, and salamis will be available for purchase at our deck bar. Come after work and enjoy a beautiful sunset, live music, and of course, Tarara wine!

August 14th Tarara’s Toast to the Tunes

Summer Concert Series: 2U

August 14th Paddle, Wine & Concerts Paddle the Potomac River to Tarara Vineyard. Once there, enjoy the Sounds of Summer Concert Series and an evening full of music performed by legendary musicians. Award-winning wine to taste is included and good food available for purchase…all enjoyed under the summer evening sky. Reservations Required info.

Three Fox Vineyards, Delaplane, Virginia

August 14th; 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Fauquier SPCA Fundraiser “Paws for Refreshments” We are pleased to host the Fauquier SPCA and their “Paws for Refreshment” event. They will have information on the wonderful work they do in the community to provide loving care to local animals and help them find permanent homes.

Enjoy visiting a winery for a tasting or an event this weekend!

Cheers! Kathy

The Wine & Art Festival is taking place in Traverse City, Michigan on August 21 from 3 to 10pm. This is an opportunity to taste wines produced at wineries on Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula in Michigan. This event also features more than 60 artists from the region and food from local restaurants. Information is available at http://traversecitywinefestival.com/. We discovered that the wineries on Leelanau and Old Mission vary from the small, boutique wineries to the large facilities. They all offer friendliness and quality wines to taste. While making plans to visit Traverse City for this festival, plan on staying a few extra days to visit the wineries and tasting rooms on these nearby peninsulas. For reviews of some of these wineries visit http://winetrailtraveler.com/michigan/michigan.php.

Vermont will be hosting its first Vermont Winery and Vineyard Open House Weekend on August 21/22. Participating wineries will vary in their activities, so it is suggested that visitors check ahead with the wineries. Website Info: http://www.vermontgrapeandwinecouncil.com/

Enjoy planning to visit a wine festival in Michigan or Vermont for the third weekend of August.

Cheers! Kathy

Enjoy a weekend event at one of these wineries this weekend! These events are from some of Wine Trail Traveler partners. If you aren’t near any of these wineries, be sure to check out the winery events in “your own backyard.” Have fun discovering new wines and meeting new friends.

Cheers, Kathy

California

Vezer Family Vineyard
Suisun Valley, CA
August 7, 2010
Summer Concert Series/The P-PL Band
Website: http://vezerfamilyvineyard.com/events/

Tesoro Winery
Temecula, CA
Event: Kenny Marquez Live! @ The Club House
August 7, 2010
Website: http://www.tesorowines.com/events.html

Thornton Winery
Temecula, CA
Event: Champagne Jazz Concert- Warren Hill and Acoustic Alchemy
August 7, 2010
http://cf.thorntonwine.com/tickets.php

Michigan

Chateau Chantal
Traverse City, Michigan
Tapas Tours – August- daily
Wine Dinner - August 7
Website: http://www.chateauchantal.com/event-calendar

Ohio

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante
Geneva, Ohio
August 7, Saturday Music – Mike Woytilla, Uncharted Course
August 8, Sunday Music – Back 9
Website: http://www.ferrantewinery.com/event.htm

Texas
Messina Hof Winery & Resort
Bryan, TX
Saturday, August 7 Murder at the Juice Joint Murder Mystery Dinner
Saturday – Sunday August 7-8, Harvest Weekend #4
Website: http://www.messinahof.com/events_calendar.php

Virginia

Barrel Oak Winery
Delaplane, VA
Events: TGISunsets Friday and Saturday
Sunday: In Vino Veritas: The Blessing of the Vineyard
Sunday: Music – Poor Ellen Smith
Website: http://www.barreloak.com/events/index/event_calendar

DelFosse Vineyards and Winery
Faber, VA
August 8, 2010
Event: Wine and Food Pairing
http://www.delfossewine.com/events.htm

Tarara Winery
Leesburg, VA
Date: August 7, 2010
Event: Toast to the Tunes Summer Concert Series/Shane Gamble
Website: http://www.tarara.com/

Three Fox Vineyards
Delaplane, VA
August 7: The Palio!(recreate the Palio di Siena Three Fox Style)
Sunday, August 8: “Winemaker Walkabout” Tour