Oysters, brisket, & pinot, oh mi!

This past weekend over a hundred Pinot Gris and Noir fans gathered at Kenwood’s Landmark Vineyards for their annual Spring Festival. This is the start of their Best of California event series, which showcases Bay Area food and Landmark’s wine every other month during spring and summer. Guests enjoyed an afternoon of BBQ, oysters, cornhole, horses, and of course, wine! Landmark’s next Best of California event, Pigs, Pizza and Pinot, will be July 25. landmarkwine.com

The sun was shining and the view was nice. Guests relax and celebrate the release of Landmark Vineyards 2014 Pinot Gris.

Guests play cornhole next to Landmark’s estate vineyards. Winemakers use these vineyards to experiment with varietals and to produce a wine club exclusive red blend.

Landmark was founded by Damaris Deere Ford, the great-great-granddaughter of John Deere (yes…tractors and plows!), in 1974. In 1993, legendary winemaker Helen Turley joined the winery, creating what Landmark is best known for today, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Landmark has since changed ownership, but, the Deere family legacy remains: their first Pinot Noir, released in 1995 and still being produced today, is named Grand Detour, after the town where John Deere founded his business.

The 2014 Pinot Gris complemented Hog Island Oyster Company’s Tomales Bay offerings.

Landmark’s property is just big enough that you can escape into their estate vineyards to explore and be back to refill your wine glass in a few steps. The majority of Landmark’s grapes are grown offsite in AVAs including Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Valley, Santa Maria Valley, and Santa Lucia Highlands.

Happy guests enjoy Pinot Gris and the sunshine in Landmark’s courtyard.

Sonoma’s Cochon Volant served up delicious beef brisket, potato salad, and arugula watermelon salad. It was so delicious we went back for seconds and is surely some of the best BBQ in Wine Country.

San Francisco based rocker Roem Baur (no relation to Rombauer wines, folks!) played originals and covers to the enjoyment of guests. He was on “The Voice.“

Every Saturday farmer Pat Prather brings his legendary Belgian draft horses to Landmark for free winery tours. These ladies were a delight to meet and took us throughout the property. Prather explained the details on grafting and the history of the property – well worth the trip and one of the most delightful winery tours in Sonoma Valley.

Pat Prather explains how grape flowers become grapes. The tour group oohed and awed, for many of us it was the first time had ever seen a tiny little grape burst through a flower.