Feel like a bit of a road trip? Want to see what our neighbors to the north are up to? Consider heading to the 20th Annual Fall Hopland Passport Weekend, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Tickets are $45 if you purchase on line and $55 if you wait until the event to pony up. Click here to buy tickets on line. To buy tickets the day of the event, simply show up at one of the participating wineries.
There are sixteen wineries participating in the fete, each offering unique activities, from art installations and live music to special tours and delicious things to eat. Indeed, this year participants intentionally retooled the foods they offer, increasing both diversity and quality. You can see a full list of wineries, along with links to their Web sites, at the Passport Web site.
Highlights include:
- Cesar Toxqui Cellars: Pumpkin Soup with 2010 Chardonnay; chicken marinated in a special sauce, short ribs, grilled tri tip and a corn and black bean salad with 2010 Grenache; Dulce Paloma, a port-style wine, with chocolate cake.
- Terra Savia: Tomato & feta bruschetta; cannellini beans with Hubbard squash; Italian sausages; polenta with pesto bianco; olives baked with garlic & citrus; figs poached in Terra Savia Peti Verdot and drizzled with estate honey.
- Parducci Wine Cellars: Asian beef tacos with cucumber pickles.
- Jaxon Keys Winery: Roasted garlic pizza; Margarita pizza; cheese pizza with Parmigiano-Reggiano, chevre, mozzarella and a blend of Italian cheeses; veggie pizza with arugula mushrooms, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, zucchini, peppers garlic and cheve; Caesar salad with roasted nuts and cranberries.
- McFadden Vineyard: Grilled McFadden Farm grass-fed steak with olive oil, scallions and tomatoes; McFadden Farm wild rice and artichoke salad with tomatoes, water chestnuts, mushrooms and Italian dressing.
