San Francisco is a gateway to the northern California wine countries.  Not just a place to call your home base when visiting, but a place where the wine countries periodically come to The City.  There are a few large wine events that come yearly to the City’s Fort Mason Center and these wine events highlight California wines.

Late January of each year, comes ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) an infamous experience where you can try the varied Zinfandels from across California.  Zinfandel can call California it’s home and headquarters. Zinfandels from across California are as diverse as it’s people and land.  Zinfandels from Amador County and Sierra Foothills can be lighter in color; vitreous and have bright red fruit; Zinfandels from Lodi are dark, thick, bold with spice and fruit. The Zinfandels in Napa and Sonoma can be like the highland (Foothills) Zinfandels or the lowland (Lodi) and the Zinfandels from central coast in particular Paso Robles also produces gorgeous and distinct Zinfandels.  And there is only one place to enjoy wines from 300 wineries—where else could you have the opportunity to try so many different Zinfandels?

In March of each year is Rhone Rangers; Rhone Rangers which highlights Rhone varietals from California, Washington, Oregon and New York; the majority of wineries pouring wine are from California.  While there are so very familiar varietals like Syrah, Petite Sirah; there are lyrical white Rhone varietals like Roussanne and Marsanne that are delicious food friendly and also wondrous stand-alone wines.  There are approximately 125 wineries attending the San Francisco Grand Tasting.  You will soon (re)discover a glorious Rhone varietal and winery.

In late June of each year is Pinot Days; Pinot Days highlights the glorious Pinot Noir grape from the U.S.  There were over 70 plus wineries at the 2008 Pinot Days event in San Francisco.  The haunting Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs are wonderful to compare with the cross county Pinot Noirs of Carneros.  At the grand tasting, course from wineries across California—Mendocino to the Central Coast.  There is no other grand tasting to be found in the United States like this grand tasting of U.S. Pinot Noirs.  Meet the winemakers and learn about their passion and the artistry and come find your favorite new winery and fall in love with Pinot Noir once more.

And in August of every year is the Family Winemakers of California grand tasting.  This tasting, closes out the year for the large format tasting at Ft. Mason.  Whatever ever your passion and varietal of choice—it will be here—everything from Albariño to Zinfandel.  This tasting has many small producers to some very well know wineries as well.  A great place to make a wine discovery that everyone back at home will appreciate.

Now, I would never say that going to one of these amazing wine events takes place of going to a wine country -- all of the California wine countries are unique and special and once there you are certain to be enchanted.  What I would encourage is to supplement your wine country visit with one of the above grand tastings.  Look at the websites as listed below to determine what might work with your travels to San Francisco and Northern California.  These wine events are large and many thousands of people attend and the beauty of coming to one of these events is the access and the nominal charge--ticket prices range from $50 and above (some people have said to me “that’s expensive!")—and I tell my friends what a bargain it is!  On closer inspection—where could you go to try all of the wines offered at each event?  Easy answer—nowhere. 

Family Winemakers of California - www.familywinemakers.org
Pinot Days - www.pinotdays.com
Rhone Rangers - www.rhonerangers.org
Zinfandel Advocates and Producers – www.zinfandel.org
Ft. Mason - www.fortmason.org