East Bay Vintners Alliance Presents the Sixth Annual “Passport to East Bay Wines” Local Wineries open their doors to the public for tastings, entertainment for once-a-year weekend event March 15-16 Once a year, the urban winemakers of the East Bay, open their doors to the public for a “Passport to the East Bay Wines” weekend... Read More
East Bay Vintners Alliance Presents the Sixth Annual “Passport to East Bay Wines”
Local Wineries open their doors to the public for tastings, entertainment for once-a-year weekend event March 15-16
Once a year, the urban winemakers of the East Bay, open their doors to the public for a “Passport to the East Bay Wines” weekend that features wine tasting, food pairings, entertainment, exclusive barrel tastings and general merriment at the local East Bay wineries that comprise urban wine country.
The East Bay Vintners Alliance (EBVA), whose members include wineries in Oakland, Alameda, Castro Valley and Berkeley, hosts the sixth annual event from Saturday, March 15 – Sunday March 16 from noon to 5:00 p.m. both days.
“It’s the ultimate ‘don’t miss’ locovore weekend, when our urban winemakers hold open house to welcome visitors to explore and discover the incredible array of high-quality and unique varietals produced right here in the midst of the Bay Area,” said Fred Dick, president of the EBVA. “Our members, who source grapes from premier vineyards from Northern to Central California, are rapidly becoming known for their innovative blends along with mainstream favorites.”
Passport visitors can taste dozens of locally made wines from more than 20 professional East Bay winemakers, ranging from single varietals such as Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, and Viognier, to unusual blends and even mead (wine made from honey). The vineyards from which EVBA winemakers source grapes are as far north as Mendocino County to the local Oakland hills, and as far south as Paso Robles.
Passport also provides visitors with the opportunity to visit wineries that are not normally open to the public or are normally available by appointment only. The wineries are housed in an array of urban settings from former airplane hangars to repurposed warehouses.
Participating wineries include Aubin Cellars, Carica Wines, Cerutti Cellars, Campovida, Chouinard Cellars, Dashe Cellars, Eno, Ehrenberg Cellars, Irish Monkey, JC Cellars, Lusu, Mead, Paradox, Periscope Cellars, R & B Cellars, Rockwall Wine Company, Rosenblum Cellars, Stage Left Cellars, Two Mile, Urban Legend and Urbano Cellars.
Tickets are priced at $40 for one day and $65 for two days. Tickets may be purchased online. To encourage responsible drinking, designated drivers pay only $10.