Wine and Mushroom Festival in Mendocino Nov. 5-13

Lovely chantrelles I picked last week -  and made into
mushroom tartlets and cream of mushroom soup

Last week was my first fruitful mushroom picking in many a year, guided by a couple of my friends who are expert.

But you don't have to be an expert or have friends who are in order to enjoy the glories of the mushroom season.

Enjoy the Mendocino Wine and Mushroom Festival which starts today and runs through next weekend. You can explore all the events on the festival web site here. Lots is happening - wine and food events, kayaking specials, mushroom hunting (some with horseback rides) and more.

My Top Pick of the Events

The foray with renowned mushroom expert and author David Aurora which takes place Saturday, Nov. 12. Click here for info.

Events that feature wineries with organic viticulture include:

-Anderson Valley


Handley Cellars
Nov. 5-6 and Nov 12-13: In Anderson Valley, Handley will be featuring food and wine pairings featuring mushroom dishes. They are of course famous for their estate grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wine.

Yorkville Cellars
Nov. 5: Yorkville Cellars will be featuring Mushrooms and Malbec.

-Ukiah/Hopland/Redwood Valley


SIP Mendocino
Nov. 10 (Thursday): The SIP Mendocino tasting room in Hopland will be serving local Pinots paired with mushroom appetizers. They usually carry a wide selection of organically grown wines including Barra, McFadden, and smaller labels.

Jeriko Winery
Nov. 5: Special food pairing with sausage-stuffed and rice-stuffed mushrooms. Details here.

Frey Wines
Nov. 10, 5 pm: Special dinner - details here.

-On the Coast


Fort Bragg/Willits
Nov. 5: The Skunk Train will be offering a special trip which includes a catered meal accompanied by the top 20 gold medal winning wines from the Mendocino Wine Competition.

Many of these are organically grown: Patianna's Sauvignon Blanc, Paul Dolan's Cabernet, Yorkville Cellars' Sweet Malbec, Barra's Cabernet, Testa's Black, Saracina's Old Soul Red, Terra Savia's Sparkling Wine and Masut's Pinot Noir.

See the video below for more details: