Donum Estate's Summer Event Line Up

How did it turn into August already? That's the question we've been asking - somewhat frantically - here at the Donum Ranch. Veraison has spread across our vineyard, we're about two to three weeks ahead of last year, and the vintage is shaping up nicely.

Change has been the theme of the summer, both inside and  outside of our vineyard. For some details about the exciting additions to the Donum team and the Donum vineyards, we invite you to check out our Summer Newsletter here.

In addition to the ongoing changes, there has been an event explosion on our calendars. August and September are shaping up to be some of our busiest months, with our grand Pre-Release Open House and Sonoma County Vintners' Taste of Sonoma as the headliners. Because we don't want you to miss out on anything coming to your area, below is a highlight of the key  Donum events:

Donum Pre-Release Event
The Donum Estate, Sonoma, CA
August 25, 2012 - Saturday, one-day only
We'll be opening some of our 2010 Donum Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay, including a Special limited edition 10th Anniversary Pinot Noir. This casual, walk-around tasting is the in-house favorite for the Donum team. We have the pleasure of connecting one-on-one with our club and mailing list members, and they have the pleasure of accesssing special  pre-release, allocation only vintages. We'll have passed and buffet-style small bites from Ramekins Culinary in Sonoma, all designed to complement our Donum portfolio of wines. Email me at bgadke@thedonumestate.com for more details.

Taste of Sonoma
MacMurray Ranch, Healdsburg, Sonoma County
September 1, 2012 - 11am - 4pm
MacMurray Ranch, Healdsburg, Sonoma County 
We'll be celebrating the flavors of Sonoma County during this once-in-a-lifetime event for oenophiles and foodies alike.  Although the private winemakers' luncheon here at the Donum Ranch has already oversold, you can find us in the Reserve area at the Grand Tasting on Saturday and the live auction event on Sunday. You won't want to miss the Laube's 20 Favorite Producers Auction Lot, which includes our 2008 West Slope and 2009 East Slope Pinots. It's the only way to get your hands on either of these sold out, allocation only wines.
Event Info

23rd Annual Alpen Wine Festival
Squaw Valley, CA
Sunday, September 2; 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Enjoy spectacular wines and live music at The Village at Squaw Valley. For $40, friends can toast each other with vintages from more than 40 Northern California vineyards, served in a crystal souvenir wine glass, or peruse the silent auction room for great deals on wine, lodging packages and art. Proceeds benefit Can Do MS.
Event Info

Family Winemakers
Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion, San Francisco, CA
September 9 - 10, 2012
The most comprehensive event featuring renowned California wines and showcasing the state's small, family-owned wineries. We have loved being a part of this special association of boutique wine properties. This is one of our favorite tasting events and we hope we see you there.
Event Info

One event not on the calendar above, is the Winemaker Dinner we'll be co-hosting on Sept. 6th at Sante Restaurant at the luxurious Sonoma Mission Inn. We'll be joining another fabulous boutique property, Stone Edge Farms, and working with world-class Chef Andrew Cain to put together an amazing pairing menu. We'll post more details to our Donum Facebook Page over the coming weeks.

As spring transitions into fall, we'll also be gearing up for harvest. Harvest is, by far,  the most important event that will be taking place here at our 147-acre Carneros ranch - and at our Russian River and Anderson  Valley properties. Our vineyards are the heart of Donum; nothing, not even the high speed action of the Sonoma County Vintners' Live Auction, eclipses the energy and excitement that builds as we get closer and closer to bringing in our next vintage.  Anne is walking the vineyards almost daily now.

We hope we'll have the pleasure of seeing our Donum friends and family at some point in the coming months. To stay abreast of all the events we have this summer and fall, click on the link to see our event calendar.

For all other inquiries, don't  hesitate to visit our website here. You can also contact Brooke at bgadke@thedonumestate.com.