June 12, 2011
First Ever Gay Wine Weekend in Sonoma County
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 2 MIN.
SONOMA, CA - Sonoma County's "Gay Wine Weekend," takes place June 17 through June 19, 2011. The LGBT-oriented travel-and-event company Out in the Vineyard is hosting the first-ever Gay Wine Weekend 2011 during the heart of June's Gay Pride Month.
Celebrate this three-day festival with wine-tasting trips, a Twilight T-Dance to benefit Sonoma County AIDS Network, comedy performances, a brunch and wine auction and more.
Events for this three-day festival include:
MacArthur Place, Sonoma's Historic Country Inn will be the setting for this reception hosted by SKYY Vodka, Gloria Ferrer Sparkling Wine and Westwood Winery. Hors d'oeuvres will be served out in the beautiful Veranda setting of this prestigious Inn & Resort.
This event takes place Friday evening from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. and is exclusive to VIP All Access Pass Holders only.
Benefitting the Sonoma Community Center, Judy Tenuta, a two-time Grammy nominee and the first female stand-up comic to win Best Female Comedian at the American Comedy Awards will be headlining. Tenuta has hade regular appearances on "Late Night with David Letterman," "Larry King Live," "The View" and "Comics Unleashed."
Benefitting Face to Face, Sonoma County Aids Network, this 'signature event' of Gay Wine Weekend! Guests can dance the night-away on the grounds of the 150-acre private vineyard and estate under the stars at the beautiful Atwood Ranch in heart of Sonoma's Valley Of The Moon. VIP Reception begins at 5:00pm with the T-Dance beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Finish of Gay Wine Weekend with a brunch and wine auction at one of Sonoma County's premier restaurants, El Dorado Kitchen, located in the town square of Sonoma. 100% of the profits raised benefit Face to Face, Sonoma County AIDS Network. This event begins at 11:00 a.m.
A variety of ticketing options are still available, including the VIP All Access Pass, which costs $295 and includes:
� Exclusive VIP Reception at MacArthur Place Resort
� Twilight T-Dance VIP Reception, SKYY Martini & Oyster Bar
� Twilight T-Dance Benefiting Face to Face, Sonoma County AIDS Network
� Gay Comedy Night Benefitng Sonoma Community Center
� The Big Gay Brunch & Wine Auction Benefit for Face to Face
General admission tickets are $75.
Participating wineries - who will be pouring at the T-Dance - include Andelssa, Benziger, Eric Ross, Gloria Ferrer, Loxton, St. Francis, and several others. Several gourmet food trucks, including Uncle Charlie's Dim Sum, El Gitano Mexican, and Phat Wraps & Salads, will be on site as an additional feature of the "T-Dance."
For more information: Out in the Vineyard
For more information on year-round GLBT offerings throughout Sonoma County, visit www.sonomacounty.com.
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
