Food & Wine Festivals: Sip, Savor & Stroll

Here’s a sampling of food and wine festivals in our region:

AUTUMN FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL SEPT. 7-9

The 33nd Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival at Northstar California on September 7-9 is one of Northern California’s premier gourmet gatherings.

Attendees enjoy three days of events, including hands-on cooking demonstrations, beer and wine tastings, food and wine seminars, mixology classes, a backyard barbecue, wine and beer maker luncheons, a “farm-to-Tahoe” dinner on the mountain, a gourmet marketplace, and a kid’s zone.

Seminars for this year’s festival range from intimate tastings to large-scale, gastronomic celebrations in the Village at Northstar. The finale is the Grand Tasting, featuring food from the region’s finest restaurants, prepared by top local caterers and chefs, and paired with premium wines and craft beers.

Participating restaurants include Manzanita at the Ritz-Carlton, Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats, PlumpJack Café, and Sunnyside Restaurant, among others. The region’s wineries and craft breweries also participate. TahoeFoodandWine.com

Along with the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival, Tahoe-Truckee’s other culinary adventures include farmers markets, the Alpen Wine Festival at Squaw Valley, a Tahoe Fusion food trailer at Homewood, Guitar Strings vs. Chicken Wings at Squaw, and the Thunderbird Lodge’s winemaker dinners and lakeside food and wine fair.

SIERRA VINTNERS FALL REGIONAL WINE TRAIL, SEPT. 22
A premier wine tasting experience from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on scenic backroads in Placer and Nevada counties. The trail includes wineries that are relatively near one another, reducing the driving time. The wineries offer delicious food to go with their wines, live music and other activities. SierraVintners.com

GRAPE DAYS OF SUMMER JULY 21-22
Self-guided tour of wineries on the Placer County Wine Trail. PlacerWine.com

NEVADA CITY UNCORKED AUGUST 25
Nevada City Uncorked is a celebration of wine, food, and history, in downtown Nevada City. A sip and stroll, walk-about-town event from 1-4 p.m. that includes 17 venues featuring local wineries and food purveyors in the historic downtown. NevadaCityChamber.com

BARBERA FESTIVAL, SEPT. 15
An outdoor wine and food festival focusing on barbera wines. Enjoy nearly 70 wineries, top area restaurants and chefs, music and local artists at Terra d’Oro-Montevina Winery in Plymouth in Amador County. BarberaFestival.com

SAMPLE THE SIERRA, SEPT. 15
The 9th annual Sample the Sierra at Bijou Community Park in South Lake Tahoe brings together the region’s top chefs and restaurants with neighboring growers and farms to create delicious samples paired with the appropriate wine or craft brew.

Sample the Sierra also features a festival marketplace, “pop up” dinner, music, art and Sierra Chef’s Challenge, a cook off between three regional chefs cooking with local ingredients. The festival is a collaboration between Tahoe South, Tahoe Chamber, and El Dorado County. SampleTheSierra.com

BIG CRUSH HARVEST FESTIVAL OCT. 5-7
Visit over 40 Amador County wineries for creative food and wine pairings, music and harvest activities. AmadorWine.com

DOWNTOWN TRUCKEE WINE, WALK & SHOP, OCT. 6
Now in its 15th year, the Downtown Truckee Wine, Walk & Shop is one of the town’s leading annual events. It draws nearly 1,000 locals and visitors to sip wine and sample local food tastings while shopping in historic downtown Truckee.

Attendees sample wine at more than 30 locations and receive a commemorative wine glass, as well as five food tickets and a map to all participating venues.

In addition to being an ideal hub for outdoor recreation, this vibrant town offers a wealth of shopping, dining and historical venues. TruckeeWineWalk.com