What are you doing this Earth Day? Some celebrate by participating in a coastal or roadside cleanup, recycling after spring cleaning, or taking a hike. But us? We at Parker Sanpei & Associates celebrate by indulging, thanks to the Central Coast Vineyard Team and the Earth Day Food & Wine Festival.
The 6th annual Earth Day Food & Wine Festival spans the weekend of April 20-22 at locations across the Central Coast. The feature event is held on Saturday afternoon at SIP-Certified Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery with over 200 purveyors of award-winning, sustainably produced food and wine. Growers, vintners, and chefs come together to serve delicious, one-of-a-kind dishes made with locally-sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, olive oils, and more. Guests are invited to enjoy live music, a silent autction, unlimited samples of local cuisine and meet the farmers who grow great food and wine while nurturing a healthy environment.
While every minute of the Earth Day Food & Wine Festival will be scrumptious, these are the moments we’re looking forward to most (from the Earth Day Food & Wine Festival website):
Farm to Fork Dinner and Tour – Nestled in the hills of Paso Robles, among the oaks and vines that make the Adelaida region famous is where you can savor this year’s exclusive Farm to Fork dinner, wine pairing, and tour. Join Tablas Creek’s award-winning Winemaker Neil Collins and Founder Robert Haas as they welcome you to their haven with wine and introduce you to their sustainable and poly-cultural farming and winemaking practices. Famed Executive Chef and Owner of Artisan of Paso Robles, Chris Kobayashi is joined by his top farmers and food purveyors to serve you a tantalizing multi-course dinner you are sure to never forget. Tour the property and learn about Tablas’ sustainable growing practices and the steps they are taking now to ensure longevity for many more vintages to come. Make your way to the long family-style table to meet the local farmers who have specially grown the produce for your dinner, with each course individually paired with Tablas Creek wines. Seating is limited to preserve the intimate nature of this dinner. (Friday, April 20, 6-9pm)
Wild Flower Tour and Picnic Lunch – Join Ancient Peaks Winery for a guided Wildflower & Lunch Tour on the Santa Margarita Ranch. The Ranch’s location and climate make it ideal for wildflower viewing, as it is within miles to the famed lookouts along highway 58 and the Carrisa Plains in California Valley. This three hour tour takes you from the tasting room meeting spot in Santa Margarita throughout the SIP certified vineyard and ranch, where history, geography, geology and wildlife will be incorporated. We will stop at a premier spot to enjoy a picnic lunch. Your tour ends with wine tasting in the AP tasting room. Each tour is limited to 10 people. Reservations are required along with a 24 hour cancellation fee. (Saturday, April 21, 10:30am-3:30pm)
Farmer’s Brunch Sampler – Join us at Nature’s Touch Nursery & Harvest for a Farmer’s Sampler! Nature’s Touch all local sources and offers only certified organic and naturally grown food. Discover Nature’s Food, an eatery inside of Nature’s Touch with fresh fruit, creme brulee french toast, mini-quiches, coffee and tea. Grown by Nature’s Touch, Made by Nature’s Food. There will also be farming and gardening discussion and how to’s, sampling of other local products that are grown and produced locally, and 15c Wine Bar will also be here at Nature’s Touch to help with Paring of wines with this local brunch. For us, farm-to-table is an everyday choice! (Sunday, April 22, 10am-1pm)
For the full schedule of events over Earth Day Food & Wine Fest weekend, click here.
Of course, we wouldn’t miss the main event at one of our favorite sustainably-minded wineries, Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery. With eight generations of California farming behind them, they’ve been “green” since long before “green” was anything but a color. You’ll find us sipping their 2009 Train Wreck blend under the giant oak tree on the great lawn. Hope to see you there!
Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery
THE DISH by PSPR 