“Balance and Complexity: The Vineyard and Beyond” is the theme for the California Preservation Foundation 33rd annual statewide conference. They’ll present it in partnership with Napa County Landmarks April 23-26 in the Napa Valley.  

 The principal speaker is James Conaway, author of “The Far Side of Eden: New Money, Old Land and the Battle for Napa Valley,”” The Smithsonian: 150 Years of Adventure,” “Napa: The Story of an American Eden” and  “Vanishing America.” Conaway is also the editor at large for Preservation magazine.   

“Balance and Complexity” will bring together more than 500 educators, museum directors, Native American groups, architects, engineers, historians, authors, librarians, city and government staff and the public.

The three-day conference features more than 40 sessions and workshops to highlight Napa Valley’s agricultural, historic and cultural legacy and address the integration of green sustainability in a historical context.

For information, call the California Preservation Foundation at (415) 495-0349 or visit

www.californiapreservation.org.

The Meritage Association, an organization to identify and promote wines made from blends of the traditional Bordeaux varietals, celebrates its 20th next year and received an early birthday present.

The 200th member, Revolution Winery in Virginia, just joined, Julie Weinstock, Meritage chair, announced. The organization is growing rapidly, with two dozen joining the ranks in 2007.

To qualify as a Meritage wine, it must contain at least two of the following wines: reds (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and petite verdot) and whites  (sauvignon blanc and semillon).

Meritage, a combination of the words “merit” and “heritage” and is pronounced like “heritage,” was selected from among entries in an international contest. The organization is international itself, with members from numerous countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Mexico and Israel.

Submit items for Toast of the Valley to Sasha Paulsen, spaulsen@napanews.com