The 21st annual fall Hopland Passport wine weekend, on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21, from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm each day, offers something for everybody, whether a first time wine event goer or a veteran of many Hopland Passport wine weekends.
Hopland Passport tickets are available online through noon on Thursday, October 18 at just $45 each. Tickets are available at any of the participating winery tasting rooms during the weekend for $55 each. Recommendation: don’t procrastinate, save $10 per ticket, go online and buy them early.
To fully and safely enjoy your Hopland Passport experience, with roughly 150 wines being poured by the sixteen Hopland Passport wineries, it is a great idea to use both full days for tasting. Enjoy the food offered by each tasting room. Listen to music, take tours, absorb the information that pourers give you. After nosing and tasting a wine, use the dump buckets provided to empty your glass of wine left from tasting, and take notes of your favorite wines so you can purchase those wines during the weekend’s sale prices. You will have a much better time trying to taste dozens of wines than trying to drink dozens of wines. Many wineries offer larger discounts to wine club members, so if you enjoy several wines poured at one tasting room, consider joining their wine club and enjoying bigger savings both during Hopland Passport and beyond.
New attendees will find a remarkably enjoyable opportunity to enjoy wine tasting at sixteen participating Hopland area tasting rooms, along with terrific food pairings chosen to highlight the flavors of the wines being poured, with each tasting room putting a unique spin on the weekend’s festivities with vineyard and garden tours, fun themed events, live music, contests, and special event specific discounts. Quite simply, Hopland Passport is the best wine tasting event value anywhere.
Veteran attendees will find many of their favorite winery tasting rooms doing what they do best, but will also find two brand new Hopland Passport tasting rooms to visit this time around.
Rivino Winery is one of the two newcomers pouring this fall. Closer to Ukiah than Hopland, off Hwy 101 on Cox Schrader Road, Rivino is no stranger to events, having hosted a long running and well-attended weekly Friday Happy Hour wine and music gathering. Enjoy a Caddyshack themed Hopland Passport weekend in Rivino’s vineyard with live music by Nahara Ange and food inspired by the classic golf comedy. Be sure to taste the gold medal winning estate wines Rivino will be pouring.
The other new addition to the lineup of Hopland Passport winery tasting rooms is Naughty Boy Vineyards. Naughty Boy Vineyards pours from a new shop, WAA WAA, in downtown Hopland’s Vintage Marketplace building. WAA WAA is short for Wine, Art, and Antiques x 2, as delightful collectible affordable vintage goods and inspired artwork share a retail location with wine made from grapes grown by Potter Valley’s Naughty Boy Vineyards.
Naughty Boy will bring live music by Redbud to Hopland’s Vintage Marketplace, and will offer homemade Scottish Lox and other Hors d’Ouerves created to pair perfectly their wines. In addition to wine sales, antiques will be on sale at 30 percent off.
Sharing the Vintage Marketplace building in Hopland are three more winery tasting rooms, the McFadden Farm Stand & Tasting Room, Graziano Family of Wines, and Weibel Family Vineyards & Winery.
McFadden Farm Stand & Tasting Room, which I manage, will feature all the best from our own certified organic and biodiverse farm. We’ll grill up steaks from McFadden Farm’s own organic grass fed beef, seasoned with McFadden Farm organic herbs and herb blends, and a McFadden Farm wild rice salad, and offering the ingredients for sale so visitors can recreate the Passport offerings is what Guinness McFadden has been doing for years. This fall, there will be a big pot of farm fresh beans to go with all of the other great farm food.
Enjoy big discounts on everything in the Farm Stand & Tasting Room, with Guinness McFadden signing bottles of his award winning wines as they are purchased, including his double gold medal winning Sparkling Brut.
Graziano Family of Wines offers over thirty delicious reds, whites, roses and blends for you to enjoy, from Aglianico to Zinfandel, many at special Passport sale prices. Graziano will offer up imported meats and cheeses, homemade tapenade, and estate-grown olive oils to pair with their wines being poured.
Weibel welcomes back Fork Catering for a delectable array of appetizers including Grilled Tomatillo Cilantro Chicken Tacos, Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta, and Mini Grilled Cheese sandwiches with local artisan cheeses. Weibel will feature both their popular fruit and nut infused bubblies, as well as their handcrafted wines made from Redwood Valley grapes.
Three more winery tasting rooms are located in downtown Hopland, Cesar Toxqui Cellars, McNab Ridge Winery, and Brutocao Cellars.
Cesar Toxqui Cellars will be greeting guests on the porch with fruit infused cheeses and a wonderfully brisk new Chardonnay release. Once inside, you’ll enjoy delicious chicken curry, southern fried fish, homemade ceviche, and fried rice, and a new release 2007 Immigrant Zinfandel.
There will be barrel tasting at McNab Ranch Winery, with the opportunity to buy futures of their 2010 Cononiah Zinfandel. Be sure to try spicy Asian peanut pasta salad paired with McNab’s French Colombard. Traditional favorites, the spreads/dips and bottle painting by local artist Leslie Bartolomei, will return.
Brutocao promises a Wine Zombie Apocalypse: “serving some finger lickin’ good treats paired with award winning Estate Wines. Go out on a limb and be the best dressed zombie and win a prize. It will be a horrific good time with grape stomps, bocce ball and un-dead music by “Third Party”. Wines to die for!”
Just west of downtown Hopland, on Mountain House Road, you’ll find both Rack & Riddle and Terra Sávia.
Rack & Riddle is a custom sparkling wine house. Many of the area’s best bubblies are made at Rack & Riddle, including double gold medal winners for both McFadden and Terra Savia. Rack & Riddle also produces both sparkling and still wines of their own – all delicious. Enjoy them with Rack & Riddle’s lime & shrimp ceviche, warm tri-tip sliders, chips & guacamole.
Terra Sávia offers not just delicious wines and a terrific bubbly rouge, but fantastic olive oil. A tasting of Olivino’s quality olive oils will likely make you regret a lifetime’s use of a previously favored store brand. Always a great stop, enjoy wine, food, art, music, and olive oil.
Just south of downtown Hopland is Milano Family Winery. Enjoy Milano’s scrumptious smoked & marinated Tri-Tip, an abundance of fresh veggies and dips, as well as delicious, aged to perfection Cabot Creamery Cheeses. On Saturday, “Headband” will play rock & roll, blues, jazz. On Sunday, “Frankie J” will play. Don’t miss the clothing & craft vendors that always set up at Milano during Hopland Passport.
East of downtown Hopland, on Old River Road, you’ll find Campovida. No Hopland Passport wine weekend is complete without a tour of Campovida’s gardens, led by master gardener Ken Boek. Campovida is another amazing, only in Hopland, blend of wine, food, art, music, and heartfelt hospitality.
North of downtown Hopland, heading back toward Rivino on Hwy 101, Hopland Passport stops include Jeriko Estate, Saracina, Jaxon Keys, and Nelson Family Vineyards.
Jeriko Estate features biodynamically grown hand crafted Pinot Noir, and often serves up pork – which goes great with Pinot.
Saracina is deservedly famous for the Rhone varietal wines and Rhone inspired twists that winemaker Alex MacGregor brings to Saracina. Try a Chardonnay with a touch of Viognier, enjoy a Rhone red blend, tour real wine caves, enjoy the peaceful setting designed to make you relaxed and more open to all that the wines, food pairings, and music are trying to convey.
Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery offers a prohibition era themed weekend, “our Speakeasy will be open for business, serving bootleg wine to all who dare break the law of Prohibition. We will have barrels of wine, gallons of contraband brandy and vodka all for the asking. No G-Men to worry about! We’ve paid them to look the other way for the weekend. Live music on the deck, awesome food prepared by Taste of Perfection Catering, and all our wines flowing freely, experience the Prohibition era for yourself!”
Exactly half way between Hopland and Ukiah, Nelson Family Vineyards invites crowd pleaser Mendough’s Wood-Fired Pizza back. Enjoy Nelson’s estate wines, paired with delicious pizzas made with fresh and local ingredients including chevre and sun dried tomatoes, prosciutto and arugula, Gorgonzola and artichoke all atop the most incredible crust you’ve ever had. Nelson’s Ice Riesling is a perfect way to end your visit to Nelson, and your Hopland Passport wine weekend.
Coming to Hopland too late to officially participate in the fall Hopland Passport, Frey from Redwood Valley will be having a Grand Opening of their new tasting room in the Real Goods store at the Solar Living Institute in Hopland. This 17th Hopland tasting room may not be in the passport, but they will be offering up delicious food pairings to go with their sulfite free, vegan, wines.
In addition to Piazza de Campovida which opened in time for last spring’s Hopland Passport, this fall’s event will see the new Hopland Ale House opening; both spots will offer beer and food for sale during and after Passport hours. An 18th tasting room, SIP! Mendocino, will be open for tastings of Mendocino County wines from outside the area as well.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.DestinationHopland.com
Okay, if you’ve read this far, and I expect that few will, here’s your reward. If you simply leave a comment about any one of the wineries that will participate at this year’s fall Hopland Passport between now and noon on Friday, October 12, you will be entered into a random drawing for two tickets ($110 value) for Hopland Passport. If you want to double your drawing entries from one to two, make the comment about the tasting room I manage. I’ll add an announcement of the winner here, to this post and on the facebook page of Hopland Passport on or before Monday, October 15, 2012. Good luck!
Photo credits: If the photo looks great, it came from Diane Davis Photography. If the photo is okay, I yoinked from the winery’s website. If the photo is meh, then I took it.
October 3, 2012 at 4:12 PM
Jaxon Keys has a great outdoor seating area with a great view of the area. Definitely a place to go with the one you love.
The backyard at McFadden is a great place to gather with friends and enjoy some wine!
October 3, 2012 at 4:56 PM
Looking forward to some bocce at Brutocao- always a great group of people!!! We have been members there since probably the very first Passport- good times.
The wild rice and salad at McFadden are my favorite and last year they had some amazing case deals!
October 3, 2012 at 5:39 PM
Love that the Frey’s are getting involved this year at the Institute! We can’t wait to spend the day walking and riding around to all the vineyards. Living in Hopland year round also gives us the opportunity to take advantage of all the lovely produce from McFadden as well! It should be a blast! Thanks for the great write-up!
October 3, 2012 at 7:53 PM
I Cant wait to attend this year! I am so looking fwrd to tasting and relaxing at Jaxon Keys and all the rest of the fabulous wineries participating. Plan on making this a yearly tradition!
October 3, 2012 at 7:57 PM
Wow! I am sold on McFadden and the Hopland Passport just from this article. The beautiful photos, the wines, organic produce , and the skill of the writer to convey all! Sign me up!!!
October 3, 2012 at 10:37 PM
McFadden Farm Stand & Tasting Room. A beautiful addition to Hopland Passport or anywhere else fine wines are served. That said, I’d like to give a shout-out to Rivino for their badass logo.
By the way, John, have you noticed how much better your tasting room feels when you hear a Mike Jasper song echoing from the walls?
Please include a plane ticket with my winning passes. And set me up with a date.
Cheers,
Jasper
October 8, 2012 at 12:44 PM
It depends on which Jasper song we’re talking about, I always worry that “Nasty Bitch” will come up on shuffle.
October 4, 2012 at 10:25 AM
I loved the article, I have not gone to this event thus far and would love to attend. I love this beauiful area that we live in always new places and wineries to explore. I would love to check your winery McFadden Farm Stand🙂
Thank you Jodi
October 4, 2012 at 10:46 AM
I havent been in two years but trying to attend this year. So much fun!
October 10, 2012 at 1:45 PM
The pictures have whet my appetite for Passport Weekend! Can’t wait to get back to Jaxon Keys (the house at night is so beautiful). I had no idea McFadden also had a farmstand, the variety sounds delicious. This is a foodie and wino destination to be sure! Great blog!
October 10, 2012 at 3:05 PM
I love that Rivino Winery will be in the mix. New kids on the block indeed.
October 10, 2012 at 3:14 PM
Nelson family vineyard is my favorite place and wine. I usually don’t like white wine but there’s is always good!! Looking forward to this years passport!
October 10, 2012 at 4:53 PM
John,
Enjoyed your Passport log. My wife and I are traveling from Wisconsin to attend!!! Hoping you can pour us some McFadden Old Vine Zin!!! We’ll bring some Wisconsin cheese to share!
Best,
Drew Magnuson
October 12, 2012 at 12:29 AM
We had a Wisconsinite, Paul Rohr, stumble upon our tasting room the week of our Wine Club Dinner at the farm this year. He ended up joining our wine club, and he came to the dinner later that week with his mom and dog. He may be McFadden’s biggest fan; I hope you have as great a time on your visit. I’ve been to Bayfield for Apples and Warrens for cranberries. I have enjoyed cheese curds throughout Wisconsin, I look forward to enjoying your favorite cheese.
October 11, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Would love to attend Holland Passport. I recently became unemployed and need a little wine day fun.
Thank you for your consideration
October 11, 2012 at 10:55 AM
We very much enjoyed the porch and vibe of Jaxson Keys, while attending the passport in may. We will be back in a couple weeks and can’t wait for the “back yard BBQ” vibe that we got at the McFadden tasting room in Hopland. See you soon!!!!
October 12, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Hi, John here with a few notes:
Townley Anderson has won the pair of tickets. I’ll get you on the list. Check in anywhere with your ID and you’ll get your glasses, wristbands, and passports.
Rack & Riddle had to back out of participating. They do a lot of custom crush and this nice late harvest has many huge trucks coming to Rack & Riddle and the concern for safety with wine tasting crowds arriving at the same time as heavy machinery just forced them to back out this fall. We look forward to seeing them join the fun again in the spring next year on May 4 & 5, 2013 at the next Hopland Passport.
There is also some question about whether Frey will be able to pour legally, county day permit vs. state ABC permit issues, but I haven’t spoken to any principals and I’m just passing on something I heard from a knowledgeable source. If Frey ends up pouring with questionable legal status then they wouldn’t be the first to do so. It is also entirely possible that Frey is 100% good to go and the info I heard and shared is incorrect. I am sure Frey will pour in the spring next year and will be doing so officially with a page in the passport.
Kelly Hancock took this post and edited the hell out of it, with over 90 edits, so it could fit on one half page in the Ukiah Daily Journal yesterday, Thursday. Kelly is the features editor and really did Hopland a favor, running the piece early enough to help ticket sales. I am impressed that she was able to cut this piece in half, yet retain the core. Cutting what I write in half is easy; I am verbose and have the luxury of unlimited space in a blog post. Making those cuts, but honoring my desire to fairly represent each winery stop as special is harder; again, Kelly rocked it. I made note of some of the conventions used in Kelly’s edits and will incorporate them in future pieces I submit to the Ukiah Daily Journal.
I describe wine every day. I have a degree in marketing. My professional communications are delivered with the intent to sell. I use adjectives. I use lots of adjectives. Kelly removed most, if not all, of the adjectives that were in this piece for the newspaper version. That editing choice was my favorite choice. The piece didn’t need them.
Kinda cool getting schooled. While there was no intent on Kelly’s part to give me a lesson in English writing for a newspaper, I took her edited piece as an opportunity to learn. I write well. Well-ish anyway. That said, I am my own worst editor. Past posts make me cringe sometimes as I see the needed changes in pieces I rushed through and posted as-is.