OAKLAND WINE FESTIVAL IN THE NEWS
- Wine Industry Insight
- www.TrulyNapa.com/blog
- Wine Industry Network Advisor
- Evan Goldstein Tells KGO Listeners About The 2nd Annual Oakland Wine Festival
- East Bay Express
- Wine Industry Network Advisor
- Melody At Work!
- The Bay Area Reporter, Pocket Pride Guide
- San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, Food. Home. Wine.
- The San Francisco Bay View Newspaper
- Oakland’s First Wine Festival- Mercury News
- Wine Business
- Diablo Magazine
- Featuring Pride Mountain Wines
- Inside Scoop SF Gate
- East Bay Express
- Berkeley Side
- Wine Industry Advisor
- Dallas Post on Oakland Winemaker Awards: Theodora Lee
- Paradise Post
About the founder, Melody Fuller, OWF Founder:
Melody was named Best Westerner by Sunset Magazine for the innovative and creative work that she does in the wine world. Melody is also a prolific Bay Area food and wine writer, educator and proud Oakland native. The Oakland Wine Festival is the result of the desire to further acknowledge an overlooked – yet key – community of wine lovers who appreciate having world-class vintners and chefs within arm’s reach.
Fuller builds upon a history of educating the world about the truths of Oakland’s fascinating lore.
Also an independent professional wine, food and travel writer, Fuller is an author who writes white papers and articles and serves as the Food and Wine Editor for Alameda County Renew Magazine. She has traveled internationally to learn about food and wine. Melody also filmed a TV show for a local network at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival in 2014.
Fuller is an invited attendee of The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood Napa Valley.
Her most memorable wine experiences took place on the eve of her first Symposium while having dinner in St. Helena. Her “professor,” Mr. Robert M. Parker Jr., was dining nearby, and after a delightful conversation about the days to come, Fuller – accepting a light-hearted challenge from Mr. Parker – accurately blind guessed all four wines he and his companions were enjoying.
TICKETS RELEASED FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL OAKLAND WINE FESTIVAL
Oakland, California, March, 2, 2017 –The third annual Oakland Wine Festival tickets are now on sale. Full and half day packages are available as well as a la carte tickets. Featuring premium, reserve, library, high-end, hard-to-get and newly released wines, the Oakland Wine Festival presents a rare experience where our guests meet winemakers, enjoy their wines and learn about wine and food. This an intimate and primarily seated event will take place on July 15, 2017 at The Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel in Oakland.
“A key part of our mission is to build new relationships and deepen old relationships between winemakers, wineries, restaurants, wine aficionados, food lovers while bringing together seasoned and curious wine and food enthusiasts in Oakland and the Greater Bay Area,” states Fuller.
About the Oakland Wine Festival:
The Oakland Wine Festival is a high profile, educational, wine and food event featuring celebrated winemakers from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and around the world. The festival is collaboration between Founder, Melody Fuller, and some of her close friends in the Napa Valley and beyond.
Over 50 wineries have accepted the invitation by an impressive Honorary Steering Committee, composed of wine industry luminaries, to return to this annual event. Those leaders come from Chappellet Vineyards, Rombauer Vineyards, Silverado Vineyard’s, Sonoma-Loeb and Peju Winery.
Schedule of Events:
Another Oakland Wine Festival First!
THE JUDGEMENT OF OAKLANDTM
10:00am-12:00pm
California’s Original Double Blind Wine Tasting and Voting Including Consumers The Double Blind Wine Tasting is an innovative way to educate and surprise the expert or novice with over 100 elegantly bagged wines. This premier event opens the Third Annual Oakland Wine Festival. Taste side by side with winemakers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, media and other novices and experts.
Your opinion counts in the: 2017 JUDGEMENT OF OAKLANDTM
Intimate Winemaker Luncheon
1:00pm-3:00pm
You and five other food and wine enthusiasts will be seated at an intimate table, in a historic environment, within a beautiful oasis. The seventh person seated at your table is a well-known winemaker or sommelier and your new best friend. The winemaker will select four spectacular wines to pair with your four-course summer themed menu of delightful courses. You will have ample time to savor every bite and take in every sip in a relaxed and luxurious setting.
15 Year Retrospective Tasting Featuring: Silverado Vineyards Infamous: SOLO!!
3:30pm-5:00pm Join Founding Sponsor, Silverado Vineyards for a 15 Year Anniversary retrospective tasting of SOLO. This is a do not miss seated experience is led by Russ Weis.
Elegant Grand Tasting: Seated or Poolside
4:00pm-6:30pm
Join our Honorary Steering Committee Members: Russ Weis, Silverado Vineyards; KR Rombauer, III; Kelsey Baldwin, Sonoma-Loeb; Cyril Chappellet, Chappellet Vineyards; Herta Peju, Peju Winery and a host of other winemakers and wineries for a seated or poolside wine tastings and conversation!
Winemakers Supper Club and Tasting
7:30pm –
Winemakers, food and music! Enjoy this casual event and strike up a conversation about the day and night with amazing winemakers.
Dinner with the Winemaker
7:30pm
Enjoy a nice and relaxed 5 course dinner with the winemaker. These dinners will be held in beautiful rooms at the Claremont Club and Spa, A Fairmont Hotel.
Wine Society’s Benefactors Dinner with Silverado Vineyards
7:30pm
Join Russ Weis for a very special 5-course Dinner. This dinner is for the founding benefactors. SOLD OUT!
Wine Society’s Patrons Dinner with KR Rombauer, III
7:30pm
Join KR Rombauer for a lovely sunset Dinner. This dinner is for our loyal patrons. SOLD OUT!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The Wines of South Africa!!!
The Wines of South Africa is the international wine region highlighted for the 3rd Annual Oakland Wine Festival. We will present a full day of blind tastings, special presentations, Winemaker Luncheons, Seated Tastings, Standing/Poolside Tastings, a Private Reception and a glorious Winemaker Dinner featuring wines from South Africa.
Returning Sponsors and Partners: Sonoma Country Tourism and the Napa Valley Vintners Association will have special presentations as well!
- Numerous Event Calendars and Listings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE– Oakland, CA
TICKETS RELEASED FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL OAKLAND WINE FESTIVAL
Oakland, California, May 12, 2016 –The second annual Oakland Wine Festival tickets are now on sale. Full day packages and half day packages are available as well as a la carte tickets. Featuring premium, reserve, library, high-end, hard-to-get and newly released wines, the Oakland Wine Festival is formatted to allow our guests to meet winemakers, enjoy their wines and learn about wine and food in an intimate and primarily seated setting.
About The Oakland Wine Festival:
The Oakland Wine Festival is a high profile, educational, wine and food event featuring celebrated winemakers from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and around the world. The festival is collaboration between Founder, Melody Fuller, and some of her close friends in the Napa Valley and beyond.
Melody was named Best Westerner by Sunset Magazine for the innovative and creative work that she does in the wine world. Melody is also a prolific Bay Area food and wine writer, educator and proud Oakland native. The Oakland Wine Festival is the result of the desire to further acknowledge an overlooked – yet key – community of wine lovers who appreciate having world-class vintners and chefs within arm’s reach.
Fuller builds upon a history of educating the world about the truths of Oakland’s fascinating lore. Over 50 wineries and award-winning chef, James Syhabout have accepted the invitation of an impressive Honorary Steering Committee, composed of wine industry luminaries, to return to this annual event.
“A key part of our mission is to build new relationships and deepen old relationships between winemakers, wineries, restaurants, wine aficionados, food lovers while bringing together seasoned and curious wine and food enthusiasts in Oakland and the Greater Bay Area,” states Fuller.
Schedule of Events:
Another Oakland Wine Festival First!
THE JUDGEMENT OF OAKLANDTM
Brunch: Biscuits, Bacon & Bottles
9:00am-12:00pm
California’s First Double Blind Wine Tasting and Voting Including Consumers The Double Blind Wine Tasting is an innovative way to educate and surprise the expert or the novice with over 100 elegantly bagged wines. This premier event opens the Second Annual Oakland Wine Festival. Taste side by side with winemakers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, media and other novices and experts!
Your vote counts in the: 2016 JUDGEMENT OF OAKLANDTM
Join our sponsors, the Napa Valley Vintners Association and Sonoma Country Tourism for special presentations while you wait for lunch!
Intimate Winemaker Luncheon
1:00pm-3:00pm
You and seven other food and wine enthusiasts will be seated at an intimate table, in a historic environment, within a beautiful oasis. The ninth person seated at your table is a well known winemaker or sommelier and your new best friend! The winemaker will select four spectacular wines to pair with your four course summer themed menu of delightful courses. You will have ample time to savor every bite and take in every sip in a relaxed and luxurious setting.
Elegant Grand Tasting
4:00pm-6:30pm
Join our Honorary Steering Committee Members: KR Rombauer, III, Russ Weis, Silverado Vineyards; Trey Blankenship, Sonoma-Loeb; Cyril Chappellet, Chappellet Vineyards; Stu Smith, Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery; Elizabeth and Bob Van Dyk, Van Dyk Family Wines; and Deborah Eagle, Vintage Wine Estates and a host of other winemakers and wineries for a seated or poolside tasting and conversation!
Winemakers Supper Club and Tasting
7:00pm Until
Winemakers, food and music! Enjoy this casual event strike up a conversation about the day and night.
Dinner with the Winemaker
7:30pm Until
Enjoy a nice and relaxed 5 course dinner with the winemaker. These dinners will be held in beautiful rooms at the Sequoyah Country Club.
Wine Society’s Patrons Dinner with KR Rombauer, III
7:30pm-Until
Join KR Rombauer for a very special Poolside Dinner. This dinner is for patrons who join the Oakland Wine and Food Society at the Balthazar, Imperial or Jeroboam level before June 2, 2016.
Wine Society’s Benefactors Dinner with Silverado Vineyards
7:30pm-Until
Join Russ Weis for a very special Dinner with acclaimed Chef James Syhabout. This dinner is for the founding benefactors. SOLD OUT!
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Oakland Wine Festival Announces Napa Valley Vintners Support
Napa Valley Vintners and more than 50 wineries to participate in world-class educational and charitable event
3/15/16 – Oakland, CA- The Oakland Wine Festival today announced the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) and 50 of its member wineries are supporting the second annual event which will be held on July 16, 2016, at the Sequoyah Country Club.
The NVV signed on as a library level sponsor and will offer a unique Napa Valley educational experience during the festival. More than 50 Napa Valley wineries are participating in the day and evening programs.
Festival Founder Melody Fuller also announced today that the NVV plans to help host the first Oakland Wine Camp. An evening welcome reception and a seated wine tasting and presentation of the Napa Valley appellations will open the camp.
“The partnership and support of the NVV and its members is important for our consumers of fine wines,” said Melody Fuller. “The year-round work we do with vintners and consumers from all over the world include our monthly Oakland Wine Festival Kick Off Wine Tasting Classes, Dinners and Soirees which feature Napa Valley vintners who are also members of our Honorary Steering Committee.”
About the Oakland Wine Festival and the Oakland Wine and Food Society The Oakland Wine Festival is a high profile wine and food event featuring celebrated winemakers from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and beyond. This day and night brings the world’s finest wines and winemakers together for educational and charitable purposes.
The festival is a collaboration between Founder, Melody Fuller, a prolific Bay Area food and wine writer, Oakland native, and some of her close friends in the Napa Valley. The Oakland Wine Festival is the result of the desire to further acknowledge an overlooked – yet key – community of wine lovers who appreciate having world-class vintners within arm’s reach.
Fuller, in creating this fully seated, on both sides of the table, festival, builds upon the history of informing the world about the truths of Oakland’s fascinating lore. An impressive Honorary Steering Committee, composed of wine industry luminaries, help her shape this event.
“A key part of our mission is to build new relationships and deepen old relationships between winemakers, winery owners, and wine aficionados as well as the new and curious wine and food enthusiasts.” states Fuller.
The Oakland Wine and Food Society is a natural extension of the Oakland Wine Festival. The goals are synonymous. On July 16, 2016, the Oakland Wine and Food Society will benefit from the first ever charitable and educational Double Blind Wine Tasting for consumers, winemakers, sommeliers, trade and media. While the fully seated format is still the festivals trademark, this intimate festival is not one to sit still. The Double Blind Wine Tasting is an innovative way to educate and surprise the expert or the novice with over 100 elegantly bagged wines. This premier event will open the Second Annual Oakland Wine Festival.
The full schedule will be released shortly.
To learn more about the festival visit: www.OaklandWineFestival.com.
About the Napa Valley Vintners The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its more than 525 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home. Learn more at napavintners.com
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OAKLAND WINE FESTIVAL IN THE NEWS (Continued)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2015
Oakland, CA –The first annual Oakland Wine Festival will make its debut on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at the beautiful Mills College campus.
The Oakland Wine Festival is a high profile wine and food event that will feature celebrated winemakers from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, and Lodi as well as a highly curated selection of international wine regions. This day and night will also bring Oakland’s most celebrated culinary favorite chefs together to showcase their creative talents.
The festival is a collaboration between Melody Fuller, a prolific Bay Area food and wine writer, Oakland native, and some of her close friends in the Napa Valley. “The Oakland Wine Festival is the result of the desire to further acknowledge an overlooked – yet key – community of wine lovers who appreciate having world-class vintners and chefs within arm’s reach.” Fuller adds, “We couldn’t think of a more perfect way to showcase a treasure of wines and unbridled wine making talents.
Fuller, who is also an alumna of Mills College builds upon the history of educating the world about the truths of Oakland’s fascinating lore. With more than 120 wineries and 30 award-winning chefs participating, along with an impressive Honorary Steering Committee composed of wine industry luminaries, there promises to be plenty of “there” at the Oakland Wine Festival. “A key part of our mission is to build new relationships and deepen old relationships between winemakers, wineries, wine aficionados and curious wine enthusiasts from Oakland and the Greater Bay Area,” stated Fuller.
Tickets are available through select charity beneficiaries of the Oakland Wine Festival (to be announced soon) and currently by registering at https://oaklandwinefestival.com/.
The Festival will begin at 9am on July 18th with wine panels, seminars and master classes in the morning, followed by a unique offering of ‘Intimate Luncheons’ with winemakers at noon, followed by a seated ‘Elegant Baby Grand Wine Tasting’ from 2:30pm to 6:00pm. Exclusive winemaker dinners will commence at 8:00pm. More details will soon be available on the Festival website.
The Elegant Baby Grand Tasting represents one of the more unique aspects of the Festival. Every guest will have a series of eight, seated appointments with the winemaker or principal of the featured winery, thus turning the traditional walkabout tasting on its head. The Intimate Luncheons are also of note, as every participating winemaker will be seated with no more than seven guests for a four-course, wine-paired experience. These luncheons will be hosted at various locations and settings throughout the campus.
As part of the six-month countdown and celebration of Oakland’s first major wine and food event of this nature, the Festival kicks off in January 2015 with a series of monthly wine tasting classes and soirees at some of Oakland’s favorite venues. “The Oakland Wine Festival is committed to staying engaged with the Oakland community and has worked to collaborate with other businesses who want to share in this wonderful event,” explains Fuller. Ticket information about these events can be found at www.oaklandwinefestival.com.
Pre-Festival Events:
- January 27, 2015, Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery at The Bay Grape
- February 24, 2015, Rombauer Vineyards at Pican Restaurant
- March 24, 2015, Silverado Vineyards at Parliament
- April 21, 2015, Opus One Winery at Waterfront Hotel
- May 5, 2015, Pride Mountain Vineyards at La Furia Chalaca
- June 16, 2015, Spring Mountain Vineyard at Waterfront Hotel
The Oakland Wine Festival’s Honorary Steering Committee is composed of winemakers and industry leaders, including K.R. Rombauer from Rombauer Winery; Russ Weiss from Silverado Vineyards; Sally Johnson-Blum and Jessica Baker from Pride Mountain Winery; Celia Welch of Welch Consulting; Michael Silacci from Opus One; Valli Ferrell from Spring Mountain Vineyard; Stu Smith from Smith-Madrone Winery and Debra Eagle, formerly of Hestan Winery.
The Oakland Wine Festival is also about place. Founded in 1852, Mills College is a lush 135-acre oasis at the foot of the Oakland hills in the San Francisco Bay Area. Classrooms in the 26,000-square-foot Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building and historic lecture halls will be the venues for the Festival’s myriad events. The evening winemaker dinners will be presented in the four-story Victorian Mills Hall, a state and national historic landmark built in 1871.
The Founding Sponsor is the Piedmont Grocery Company. Other sponsors include East Bay Restaurant Supply, Farmer Joe’s Market, Waterfront Hotel, Alameda County Renew Magazine and Cuisine Noir Magazine. Whole Foods Market is a Private Reserve Founding Sponsor. The Wine Spectator is the media Founding Sponsor.
Tickets for the Oakland Wine Festival are currently available through the charitable benefiting partners through March 15, 2015. Live links will be shared in the coming weeks. A very limited number of tickets for the Oakland Wine Festival will be available after March 15, 2015 by contacting www.oaklandwinefestival.com. The public is invited to sign up for the mailing list on the website for ticket availability.
For media inquiries regarding the Oakland Wine Festival and interviews, please contact Melody Fuller.