Harvest in Sonoma County means everything grapes: Grape picking, grape crushing, and grape stomping. This is everything that leads to winemaking, which makes everyone in Sonoma County happy. Each year we celebrate this time with the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, and this year was no different. This three day event from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 brought thousands of people from all over the country to celebrate local wine, craft beer, ciders, and delicious food from around Sonoma County. Food and wine entries are judged and the top tastes are given gold, silver, best of show, and best of class ratings. Hundreds of vendors line up with their best awarded food and wine to sample their products to the public.
For a five dollar entrance fee you can enjoy the market place which is filled with award winning wines at a discounted price. There, you can also enjoy food and wine demonstrations in between shopping for local craft items. Outside there are food truck vendors and beer on tap for the whole family to enjoy. Throughout the day there are events like the grape stomping competition, which features teams of two stomping it out with thirty pounds of grapes under their feet.
In the pavilion, special guests, the age of twenty-one or older, can enjoy wine and food tastings. This event ticket is called the Grand Tasting and for one payment of fifty- five dollars you gain entrance into the fair as well as the Grand Pavilion Tasting, which features hundreds of wineries, breweries, and restaurants. Once the Grand Tasting begins guests are able to sample and taste as much food and wine as they want. Each restaurant brings appetizer size samples of their award winning meals for everyone to taste. Local vendors such as Oliver’s, Emily’s Kitchen, Bear Republic Brewing Co., St. Francis Winery, Balletto Winery and hundreds more are featured as winners of the 2016 Sonoma County Harvest Fair. Its an event you won’t want to miss next year.