Travel package available September through December 2010

HEALDSBURG, CA, August 2010 —The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley™ and the new h2hotel in Healdsburg are offering aGreen Trail of Dry Creek Valley package for visitors who wish to explore the region’s certified organic and biodynamic wineries. Participating properties include Hawley Winery, Michel-Schlumberger, Montemaggiore, Preston of Dry Creek, Quivira Vineyards & Winery and Truett Hurst Winery. Beginning in September and available through December 2010, the visit begins upon check-in at the stylish h2hotel, a sustainable inn and little sister to Hotel Healdsburg, located just off the historic downtown square. Guests receive a two-night stay in a standard guest room; welcome bottle of Dry Creek Valley wine; picnic lunch for two from h2hotel spoonbar restaurant and bike loan for those who prefer two wheels to four.

“Dry Creek Valley has a deep history and tradition of diverse food production,” said Lou Preston, organic farmer and owner of Preston of Dry Creek, where he oversees a traditional polyculture with animals in the vineyard, vegetables, fruits and grain. “It is fitting that this valley has segued from prune purple to wine red to sustainable green. We want to be at the forefront of responsive and responsible farm systems, and welcome interaction and feedback from our visitors.”

Each of the participating wineries, along Dry Creek Valley’s meandering back country roads, will offer the Green Trail guests a complimentary wine tasting. Guests can also expect a lively discussion about how the winery became certified organic or biodynamic, how this affects the wine and why it is important to be green. At Michel-Schlumberger, organically farmed vineyards incorporate beehives, a beneficial insectary and wildlife sanctuary into the terroir. At Quivira, visitors experience a colorful 1-acre produce garden, a variety of farm animals and a Steelhead spawning stream, along with artisan wines. Truett-Hurst’s preserved creek side allows for sightings of Coho Salmon, Steelhead trout, otters and ducks. In addition, sheep, herbs, olives, beneficial insect habitat and heirloom fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed, all over a glass of Dry Creek Valley wine.

“The Green Trail further demonstrates our continued commitment to be conscientious land stewards of this bucolic valley,” said Cheryl Beeson, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley.™

The Green Trail package rates range from $460 midweek to $690 weekend for a standard room and is subject to availability. To book the package or learn more, visit http://www.h2hotel.com or call 877.342.2022.

Optional biodynamic spa add-on treatments are available at The Spa Hotel Healdsburg, http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com. The signature Meyer Lemon and Sage massage, facials or body treatments combine biodynamic and organically grown herbs and flowers with local ingredients.

Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley™

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley™ (WDCV) is an association of more than 60 wineries and 150 growers, of which most are family-owned and multi-generational, located in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California. WDCV is dedicated to advancing the recognition, enhancement and preservation of Dry Creek Valley as a premium winegrowing region. Dry Creek Valley is known for its signature varietal Zinfandel and the pristine and unspoiled beauty of the valley. http://www.wdcv.com

Vin du Lac Winery has been named Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest.

The Winery of the Year is selected by the editors of Wine Press Northwest and is based on a set of criteria, including longevity, quality, reputation, industry involvement, facilities and other considerations. A winery may win the award only once.

From Wine Press Northwest: “Chelan has been an inspiring place for me,” said Larry Lehmbecker, owner and winemaker for Vin du Lac. “For a lot of people, Chelan is special, and I’m one of those people. I just had to be here, so I looked for property for a decade. It’s possible some other place might have had that impact on me, but this was meant to be my place.”

On January 8th, 2010, 63 professional wine experts within the media, restaurant and hospitality, education, winemaking and retail wine industries tasted and evaluated a world-record breaking 4,913 entries – a number that maintains the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition’s status as the largest competition of American wines in the world.

For the fifth year in a row, Barnard Griffin’s Rosé of Sangiovese won gold.

This is one of our favorite rosé. It’s light and refreshing with beautiful strawberry flavors, yet has nice complexity, too. This is one to buy by the case.

The 19th annual ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) Festival is at the end of the month. It’s a multi-day event, but the highlight is the annual tasting, this year on Saturday, January 29th from 1-5pm.

If you love Zinfandel, this is the place to be. An estimated 250 wineries pouring at least two different Zins, sometime even barrel tastings. It’s huge, yet incredibly well run. (HINT: get yourself a hotel room in walking distance).

Tickets: $59 for non-members; $69 at the door.

It’s amazing, fun, and you will learn so much about Zinfandel. (You can read our reports for previous years in the travel section of our site.

As we reported earlier, Washington State’s Columbia Crest 2005 Columbia Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was named the best wine of the year by Wine Spectator — a spectacular achieve for a brand that is known for great wines costing around $10.

Another notable ranking from Washington, Barnard Griffin’s Riesling Columbia Valley 2008 ranked 66th. The magazine noted its “crisp acidity and distinctive floral note” in it’s review.

Congratulations to everyone in the Top 100.

Here’s a first for Washington State — one of its wines is now ranked #1 by Wine Spectator. Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($27) has been named the top wine in the world by the leading wine publication in the U.S.

“This wine belongs in the company of the world’s great Cabernets.”

Five-thousand cases of the wine were made and they’re all sold out.

It’s never too early to plan your trip to San Francisco for the amazing ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) annual wine tasting. The festival spans three days with many events, but it’s the tasting (this year on Saturday, January 30th) that most people attend. Over 200 Zinfandel producers pouring two or more different wines, some pouring barrel tastings.

We’re always on the lookout for new wine magazines, especially those that take a more interesting direction than Wine Spectator or Wine Advocate. Imbibe Magazine is a little gem published out of Portland, OR. The magazine writes about all kind of drinks (it’s “The Ultimate Drinks Magazine”) and is beautifully designed. The article of Scotland and Scotch tasting (Jan/Feb 09 issue) was one of the best written pieces we’ve read in a long time. Definitely worth a look (or a subscription).