If you’ve come here for council about poultry and wine, I’ve got this: pick up one bottle of Pinot Noir and one Chardonnay, and make sure they’re made by our Sonoma and Napa County neighbors.
Now, get out—out of the crowded house, that is, and tool around wine country for a few hours this Thanksgiving weekend, if not to pick up a few gifts, then to just take in the autumn air and feel the glow from a sip of wine—or perhaps glögg—and leave others to jostle joylessly in aisles of retail.
Sonoma Valley
Can’t wait? Get a head start on the holiday at Three Sticks Wines #SonomaStrong Holiday Market, Sunday, Nov. 19, noon–4pm. Originally planned as a members-only event, #DestinationDurell was remade as a crafts and gift market and is open to the community for a $20 fee, which goes to CAWineStrong fire relief and gets you wine and a raffle ticket. Never mind those hashtags—you don’t need to be logged in to drop by at the old Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe, one of the last from the 1821–1846 Mexican Period and a visual-furnishings feast on the inside. Look for treats and trinkets from Wine Country Chocolates, Sethi Couture Jewelry, BRAM Cookware, Pottery by Nicole, Love Sonoma Boutique and more—maybe splurge on sumptuous Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for your holiday dinner, too. 725 Broadway, Sonoma.
Twenty-one members of the Heart of Sonoma Valley Winery Association—from Glen Ellen’s Madrone Estate to the Ledson “castle” near Oakmont—hold their annual Holiday Open House Nov. 25–26. Not all offer food pairings, but it’s a good deal for tasting at multiple wineries. $45 advance; $55 door. 11am–4pm. No-drinkie driver discount. heartofsonomavalley.com.
Dry Creek Valley
DaVero Farms & Winery’s day-after Thanksgiving celebration on Friday, Nov. 24, is a casual party welcoming all ages, and nice dogs on a leash, to meander around their extensive biodynamic garden and visit the popular pig pen. Gift ideas include estate olive oil and wine duos; eats made possible by Franchetti’s mobile wood-fired pizza ovens. $10 donation and proceeds from Pollo Rosso jug wine sales support UndocuFund, a nonprofit aiding fire-affected families not eligible for federal assistance. 11am–4pm.
Get your glögg on at West Wines’ Scandinavian Christmas-style open house, Nov. 24–26, and enjoy hot, spiced wine and cookies while perusing Swedish Christmas decorations and glassware.
1000 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg.
Alexander Valley
All six wineries participating in Black Friday Open House offer small bites with their Alexander Valley wines, plus a raffle, gifts and wine discounts. Nov. 24, 11am–4pm. $35; $40.
Napa Valley
The “Brightest Town in Napa Valley” actually requires tasting rooms to devote space to retail, so you know there’s shopping galore in Yountville. “Holidays in Yountville” turns on the lights Nov. 20.
