With harvest wrapped up, many winemakers are taking a well-earned break. As the 28th annual Ahwahnee Vintners’ Holidays got underway this week, a number of Napa Valley makers were on hand to take part in the popular wine event in Yosemite National Park.

The two-and three-day sessions, which take place at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel, include a reception with the featured winemakers, and talks and tastings, and conclude with a six-course dinner, paired with the wines and served in the grand Ahwahnee dining room.

Evan Goldstein, president of Full Circle Wine Solutions, Inc., moderated the first session, which featured Rob McNeill from Mumm Napa Estates; Tom Rinaldi from Provenance Vineyards; George Bursick, winemaker at J Vineyards & Winery; and Ed Sbragia from Sbragia Family Vineyards.

Kristin Belair, winemaker at Honig Vineyards and Winery; Tom Hinde of Flowers Vineyard and Winery; K.R. Rombauer III of Rombauer Vineyards; and Cathy Corison of Corison Winery were on hand for the second session, Nov. 4 and 5. It was moderated by wine writer Michael Stepanovich.          

Coming up:

Nov. 8-10

Moderator: Gilles de Chambure, director of wine education at Meadowood

• “Rhone Varieties Successfully Migrate to the Sierra Foothills;” Lawrence “Buck” Cobb, Karly Winery;

• “Two Dimensional Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting – Two Appellations, Three Vintages, Ten Year Span, ”David Duncan, Silver Oak Cellars;

• “Four Decades of Wine Growing in the Santa Rita Hills –  A Tasting of Wines from our Certified Organic Estate Vineyards,” Richard Sanford, Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards

• “A Vertical Tasting of Twomey Cellars Merlot from 2002-2006,” Daniel Baron, Twomey Cellars

Nov. 11-12

Moderator: Gilles de Chambure, Meadowood

• “Chalk Hill Estate Clonal Seminar, ”Mark Lingenfelder, Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery;

• “What the Monks Knew – Place and Pinot,” David Graves, Saintsbury;

• “The Magic and Diversity of Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County,” Amphora Winery, Rick Hutchinson;

• “Blending Our Flagship Wine – Joseph Phelps Insignia,” Bill Phelps, Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Nov. 15-17

Moderator: Dan Berger, wine writer

• “The Night They Invented Champagne – Some Surprising Facts and Stories,” Eileen Crane, Domaine Carneros;

• “A Zinfandel Tour of California with the Fantastic 2008 Harvest,” Kent Rosenblum, Rosenblum Cellars;

• “Building Something from Nothing – Creating a Winery & Winery Brand”

Ross Halleck, Halleck Vineyard

• “Bear in Mind – Huge Bear Wines Explores the Best Sonoma County Has to Offer,” Tim Carl, Huge Bear Wines

Nov. 18-19

Moderator: Dan Berger

• “How Terroir Changes in Aging Cabernet Sauvignon” Stuart Smith, Smith-Madrone

• “Green Valley Chardonnay: Cool Climate Perfection,” Joy Sterling, Iron Horse Vineyards

• “The Wines of the Double L Vineyard,” Dan Lee, Morgan Winery

• “Winston Hill, Rutherford, Napa Valley – The Unique Wine from This Growing Area,” Rich Frank, Frank Family Vineyards