Both Memorial Day weekend and the St. Anna Greek Food and Wine Festival in Roseville have officially marked the start of summer for me two years running. It’s never too early to mark your calendar for 2018 and plan to spend a day kicking off your summer, Greek-style.
When I think Greek festival, I think amazing, authentic Greek food – of course, custom and culture, too, but if I’m being honest, the food is top of mind for me. From Moussaka, to spanakopita, and a plethora of salads in between, you have to come hungry and try a little of everything.
But even better than the food this year was the special sampling of five imported Greek wines from vines throughout Greece. Didn’t know Greece was a wine producer, did ya? Well, Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, but Greek wine is not widely available here in the U.S. Well, until now that is, thanks to a local importer, Shaji Mathew, who is introducing Greek wines to festival-goers across the region. Now in their second year serving up the Greek Festival in Roseville, his imports are catching on and selling out by the glass.
Shaji and his wife, Vijna, have a belief in sharing the wines “from people who want to swim against the current,” Shaji says. They travel throughout the world to visit wineries and to meet winemakers, mostly those who produce 30,000 bottles or less from Greece, France, Spain, Italy, and Argentina, with plans for introducing some Mexican wines soon.
“I travel to meet the winemakers, get an understanding what the wines are about, to know what they’re doing in their vineyards, so I know what to expect in the wine. Authenticity is key. These wines are not mass produced and there’s a story behind each one.”
With each taste, I was instantly transported to the islands of Crete and Evia, with their blue waters and white rooftops. The white and light red blends were refreshing for a hot summer day: Pop Art, a dry white blend of Athiri and Malagousia varietals from Lykos Winery reflected subtle stone fruit flavors, and my fruit-forward favorite, a Grenache Rouge by Idaia Winery, was very pleasing to the palate.
All the vineyards Shaji works with grow their grapes sustainably, and many also practice organic and bio-dynamic farming. He brings the fruits of that meticulous labor here through his website Terra Vigna, wine club and at festivals, re-distributing throughout the U.S. (where possible), for all to try.
Visit Terra Vigna’s website to learn more about Greek wines, or consider visiting one of these two upcoming festivals to experiences the wines first-hand:
San Jose Greek Festival: June 2, 3 & 4
Reno Greek Festival: August 18, 19, 20
And, cheers! Or, in Greek, ΥΓΕΙΑ (phonetic pronunciation: Yamas)!
California Honey Festival – The Direction of Sunbeams
by Laurel Harrison
“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.” – Henry David Thoreau
When I was in junior high, my mom started keeping bees on our farm. This meant that each year our pantry was stocked with thick, golden honey from our own backyard. To this day, I have a giant mason jar of my mom’s honey in my pantry, zealously hoarded and treasured. This familiar connection to beekeeping made me all the more excited to attend the California Honey Festival in Woodland, CA. Put on by the Honey and Pollination Center at UC Davis, the California Honey Festival was a celebration of all things honey and bee – a weekend of education, fundraising, and all-over honey appreciation.
That Friday, I had the opportunity to attend the VIBee Opening Night Reception for the festival. The event included an open mead bar done by Strad Meadery, honey-themed food from Morgan’s on Main, and a Burning Man-esque bee art car. I had a wonderful time seeing honey represented in such a variety of culinary ways!
The Honey Festival itself was held on Saturday morning, with Woodland’s Main St. shut down to accommodate the vendors and crowds. There were food trucks, craft vendors, educational sessions, kids’ crafts, and more booths on bees than I could count. The festival was packed, with something for everyone who attended.
My personal highlights included the mead speakeasy, honey tastings, and a section devoted to bee-friendly gardening. Because bees are such a vital part of our culinary ecosystem, we would be remiss to not recognize their importance in our foodie musings. All of the delicious tidbits we enjoy, both as a part of our job and on our own time, would not be possible without the hard-working honey bee.
I was so happy to see the community come together to educate and celebrate bees and the honey they produce. I look forward to attending this event for many years to come, and I can only hope it grows more and more successful as it continues.
At the beginning of this piece, I included one of my favorite quotes by Henry David Thoreau – “The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.” For me, honey is a little jar of all those directed sunbeams – an amalgamation of the agricultural bounty that surrounds us here in Sacramento. Through their dedication to the honey bee, the California Honey Festival managed to direct their sunbeams onto the bee world and the local community, shining a light on bee education, production, and preservation. The result was a wonderful, honey-sweet weekend.
Beervana: Achieved
A wise person once said, “Beervana isn’t a place. It’s a state of mind, a sense of pure bliss and knowledge. It also happens to be held on the 5th St. Bridge.”
We here at SacFoodies had a great time getting to know more about local breweries and brewers in the month leading up to Sac Beer Week and Capitol Beer Fest, and on Sunday, March 12, we pulled into the final stop on “The Road to Beervana.” We slathered on our sunscreen, grabbed our tickets and made our way CBF!
Laurel: “I had a SUPERB time at Capitol Beer Fest. I was really excited to try a few of my favorite breweries, enjoy the warm weather, and explore new beers with the other SacFoodies. The fact that I could do this all within 10 minutes of my house was a huge plus for me, and my wallet!”
Favorite Beer: 21st Amendment – Blood Orange Brew Free! Or Die IPA
“I like blood orange in most beers (Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose is also a favorite) because it’s refreshing and adds a nice tanginess. This IPA was refreshing but maintained its hoppiness, and I really enjoyed it.”
Favorite Food Truck: Bacon Mania
“To be fair, this was the only food truck I tried, BUT it was after careful consideration of all menus. We had the Bacon Mac n’ Cheese Loaded Fries – the perfect pre-beer food.”
Cheyenne: “Capitol Beer Fest was a blast! We’ve been excited about attending Capitol Beer Fest since we got our tickets in January, so going into it I wondered if I had built it up too much in my mind. Once we got there, though, it was just as fun as I imagined it would be! I’m not a huge beer drinker, so I was very happy that there were so many cider options. I had a great time!”
Favorite Cider: 2 Towns Ciderhouse– Made Marion
“I loved this cider so much! I’m very into ciders that stray away from the classic apple flavor, so this was a great experience. It is made from marionberries, which are basically an ultra-classy member of the blackberry family. It was light and crisp, and the sweetness came through without being overpowering.”
Favorite Food Truck: Bacon Mania
“As Laurel said, we only tried one food spot after a decent amount of menu research. I think that even if we had tried multiple places this still would have been my favorite. Bacon, mac n’ cheese, AND french fries! What’s not to love? This dish was seriously delicious and very filling. We could not finish the order between the two of us and it kept us going throughout the whole event!”
The food trucks were delish, the beer was blissful, and there were even cider options for the non-beer enthusiasts in the group. What more could you ask for?
This year’s Capitol Beer Fest hosted 120 craft brewers and saw a crowd of over 6,500 people. The funds from this event benefited the Runnin’ for Rhett Youth Fitness Program, and will allow over 5,770 children to participate in the program. We love drinking great beer, but nothing beats drinking great beer for a good cause. We absolutely plan on returning to CBF next year, and we hope we see you there!
Valentine's Day in Sacramento
By Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt
Valentine’s Day is almost here. We know that everyone can use a little bit of help with the planning process sometimes, so we have gathered Valentine’s weekend events and restaurant specials that are sure to please!
Valentine’s Day Weekend Events:
Port, Wine and Chocolate Lover’s Weekend
Port, Wine and Chocolate? You can’t go wrong there! Old Sugar Mill is giving you access to all three with their Lover’s Weekend. Thirteen wineries are in one location offering tastings from the barrels – of wine and chocolate. A cigar lounge, live music and demonstrations, including a “Bottle Your Own Port” activity round out the event. This is a unique event that will certainly add some fun to your Valentine’s Day weekend.
Cost: $29.50 in advance, $40 the day of, and $10 for any Designated Driver; $125 for the Bon Temps Package for groups of 6 or more. (purchase tickets)
February 11, 2017 – February 12, 2017
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Old Sugar Mill
35265 Willow Avenue
Clarksburg, CA 95612
Valentine’s Day Wine Tour
Odds are you are going to get some sort of chocolate this Valentine’s Day and nothing pairs better with chocolate than wine! Grab your heart shaped box and hop on the Valentine’s Day Wine Tour presented by Cain Event Planning. This all-day tour includes transportation to participating Amador County wineries Karmere, Dobra Zemjla and Helwig Winery, drink service during travel, lunch and of course wine tastings. It is a great way to spend the day with your loved one.
Cost: $59 for a single ticket and $110 for a couple’s ticket (purchase tickets)
February 11, 2017
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Butterfield Station
9636 Butterfield Road
Rancho Cordova, CA 95827
American Whiskey with the Bourbon Babes
Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co. offers an alternative option for Valentine’s Day weekend. Join The Bourbon Babes at Cocktail Academy and learn everything there is to know about American Whiskey.
Cost: $75
February 11, 2017
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Co.
1630 S St
Sacramento, CA 95811
SacFoodies Weekend Picks
by Brandon Smith
“Fall into Friday” – First Friday Oak Park
All the wonderful colors of fall will soon be covering the streets of Oak Park and what better place to take it all in than the Oak Park Broadway Corridor on First Friday.
First Friday is an exciting community-oriented event that celebrates all that Oak Park has to offer and transforms the Broadway Corridor into an evening full of shopping, dining, art installations and festive community celebrations.
Come celebrate the fall season with warm seasonal drinks from local coffeehouses, a pop-up park for kids and adults, food trucks featuring seasonal fall items, special sales at retail locations, live music and art activations from some of Sacramento’s top designers, artisans and muralists.
First Friday in Oak Park spans the Broadway Corridor from 37th Street to Alhambra, and is presented by the Oak Park Business Association and Unseen Heroes.
First Friday Oak Park
October 7, 2016
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Broadway between 37th Street and Alhambra Blvd.
Oktoberfest presented by Sacramento Turn Verein
Couldn’t make it to Munich this year? Need an excuse to break out your lederhosen? Don’t worry! The Sacramento Turn Verein has you covered with their annual Oktoberfest celebration.
The Turn Verein in East Sac will be pouring authentic German beers and wine in their outdoor Biergarten and serving delicious German food while live music from three different bands and dancers transport you to Theresienwiese.
The festivities begin today, Friday, October 7, at 6:00 p.m. and go until Saturday, October 8 at 12:00 a.m.
Sacramento Turn Verein
3349 J St, Sacramento, CA 95816
Deschutes Brewery Street Pub
Deschutes Brewery is back for another visit to the Farm-to-Fork Capitol on Saturday, October 8. Street Pub is a family friendly one-stop shop to try a variety of Deschutes beers with over 60 taps featured – from Black Butte XXVIII all the way to year-round favorites like Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Fresh Squeezed IPA. Deschutes will be pairing their beers with culinary creations from Deschutes Executive Chef, Jeff Usinowicz and a few local chefs as well. Street Pub will also feature local, live music from River City Radio (2-3:30pm), Brass Magic (4-5:30pm), Humble Wolf (6-7:30pm), & IDEATEAM (8-10pm).
And if an amazing selection of beers, delicious food and live music wasn’t enough to sell you on attending, what if I told you 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Runnin’ for Rhett?
Entry to the event is free and tokens good for one 16 oz. beer will be sold for $6. VIP tickets will also be available for purchase upon entry.
Deschutes Brewery Street Pub
October 8, 2016
1806 Capitol Ave.
Sacramento, CA
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- …
- 12
- Next Page »