In Photos: McFadden Wine Club (and Public) Party

The 2013 McFadden Wine Club (and open to the public) Party was again a wonderful event at one of my favorite vineyards.  While the tasting room is open all the time, in Hopland, the vineyard is only open this one day of the year.

This was my second year attending - and this time I stuck around for the overnight camping followed by picnicking in the grass and swimming in the river (with a bunch of enthusiastic SF hipsters) on Sunday. 

What a great way to enjoy this beautiful spot - 200 acres of organic grapes. Many of McFadden's grapes go into famous fine wines - including Napa's. (For instance, the Chateau Montelena Riesling comes 100% from McFadden Vineyards.) But at such prices. If you want to find a way to indulge your organic hedonistic side while not breaking the bank, you can do no better than McFadden's:

Everyday White

• If you're looking for everyday wine, must trys include the 2011 Chardonnay (Double Gold winner in SF Chronicle Wine Competition) - currently $16 a bottle for wine club members. (The other Double Golds are way more than that.)

Dessert or Aperitif Wine

• For dessert or a sweet aperitif sipper, get your hands on their Late Harvest Riesling. (And be glad that there is still some left!)

Celebrate

• For bubbleheads, celebrate every day with Bruts - where else can you get local, organically grown top quality sparkling wine for $16-7 a bottle (wine club sale prices) or $25 list? (It ties with Roederer Estate in competitions). McFadden also now has a Reserve Brut, too.

Break your convenient-but-bad-voting-with-your-dollars addiction to TJ's and support great organic viticulture and vintners in California.

Join this wine club and consider it your "wine box" - like the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm box - only it's your wine farmer/maker.

And like McFadden on Facebook, Yelp and Trip Advisor to spread the news.

(And forgive the strange irregular white background in the photo display below - God only knows what Google's Blogger thinks it's doing.)

Tasting Room Manager and Wine Club Director John Cesano at the registration
table armed with a bunch of lottery goodies for the giveaway

The wine table...and when they say Welcome to the Farm, they mean it:
McFadden's really IS a farm complete with grass fed cattle, organic herbs, corn and other veggies.

A selection of McFadden's white wines
ranged from the original Pinot Gris to
their 2011 Chardonnay - which won
Double Gold at the SF Wine Competition

Fontaine McFadden, Guinnness' daughter, catered the
dinner. Fontaine runs StrongTableSF.com catering in SF,
a paleo food service serving 6 SF gyms.

Kelly McFarling and her band provided entertainment.

Proprietor (and New York native) Guinness McFadden celebrated his 75th birthday
in June; he's grown wine grapes organically here for 41 years,
settling in Potter Valley after returning from Vietnam.
To the crowd's delight, he blew his mess whistle to announce dinner.

Sipping the McFadden Brut before the main meal

Fontaine's spicy slaw

The 2011 Chardonnay

After dinner, dancing under the stars to the beat of DJ Hal Wagenet
(formerly in the band It's a Beautiful Day)
That's the Magruders (lady in the orange dress dancing with partner), who
raise grass fed beef and lamb, as well as a unique breed of pig
on their nearby 5,000 acre Potter Valley farm. You may see the Magruder
name on your next trip to Chez Panisse or Oliveto as they have long been a
staple supplier there and at Berkeley's Local Butcher Shop.

Here's what it's all about...