Celebrate the end of Spring at the delightful Taste of Howell Mountain, a Wine Tasting and Auction event in upper Napa Valley on Saturday, June 17th. This is one party you should definitely RSVP for because the festivities include premium wines from the Howell Mountain appellation along with gourmet food pairings, live entertainment, and both Silent and Live Auctions. We’re talking about wineries such as Aloft Wine, Arkenstone, Davis Estates, Dunn Vineyards, Lamborn Family Vineyards, Robert Craig Winery and Round Two Wines all pouring tastes in one location, at Charles Krug Winery (2800 Main Street, St. Helena).
Between noon and 3 pm at the 2017 Taste of Howell Mountain you’ll enjoy a Walk-Around Wine Tasting, Food Pairings, Prizes, a Silent Auction and Live Music from The Hummingbirdz. Then, from 3 pm to 5 pm you can sit and enjoy even more Howell Mountain wine and Dark Chocolate Brownies as you watch (and hopefully participate in) an active and festive Live Auction.
Vintner Bob Craig and Winemaker Stephen Tebb from Robert Craig Winery
Howell Mountain is well known for its incredible Cabernet Sauvignon and you’ll find many wines crafted from that varietal. But, there’s more to Howell Mountain than just Cabernet and in prior years we’ve particularly enjoyed the Arkenstone Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Notre Vin Rosé, O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery Merlot, Bravante Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Howell Mountain Vineyards Petit Verdot, Robert Craig Winery Zinfandel, and Retro Cellars Petite Sirah as well.
Tickets for this year’s event are $150 per person or $1750 for a table for ten. Proceeds from the event will help benefit the Howell Mountain Education Foundation. Last year, the Howell Mountain Vintners and Growers Association (HMVGA) and Taste of Howell Mountain donated over $70,000 to the Foundation. But, please move quickly because this event will definitely sell out so just click here.
2017 Taste of Howell Mountain – The Wineries
Piña Napa Valley
Over 40 premium wineries will showcase their wines at Taste of Howell Mountain including Black Sears, Bremer Family Winery, CADE Estate Winery, Charles Krug Winery, Cimarossa, Cresta Velia, Duckhorn Vineyards, Haber Family Vineyards, Hindsight Wines, Howell at the Moon Winery, La Jota Vineyard Co., Moone-Tsai Wines, Outpost Estate Winery, Paraduxx Wines, Piña Napa Valley, Red Thread Wines, Rudius Wines, SPENCE and Treebottom Wines as well as the wineries already mentioned above. To see the complete list of participating wineries and/or to purchase tickets, please go here.
2017 Taste of Howell Mountain – The Auctions
The Silent and Live Auctions at Taste of Howell Mountain will offer you a chance to bid on rare wines, winery experiences and unique excursion packages. We haven’t seen this year’s booklet yet, but here are some Live Auction items from prior years: 
- Artistic Talent in the Bottle and on Canvas – a package of a 3L bottle of Lamborn Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, six more bottles of 750ml Cabernet Sauvignon, and a giclee painting, all made by Heidi Peterson Barrett
- Wine Dinner and Sunset Cruise– a wine tasting and dinner during a Sunset Cruise along the San Francisco Bay hosted by Howell at the Moon, Notre Vin, O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery and Robert Craig Winery
- Progressive Dinner for 8 – an evening to remember when 8 people were hosted for a progressive dinner traveling between three different wineries: Aloft, CADE and Outpost
- A Giant’s Grand Slam – a package of 4 Club Level tickets for a Giants vs. Cardinals game, dinner for 4 at Momo’s, 9 bottles of Cresta Velia Cabernet Sauvignon and two autographed baseballs
- Have a Barrel of Dunn – the ability to own a barrel of Dunn Vineyards-sourced Cabernet Sauvignon and ultimately make about 23 cases of finished wine with Mike Dunn serving as the consulting winemaker
2017 Taste of Howell Mountain – The Food
To pair with Howell Mountain wines the food at this event reliably rises to the occasion as well. Winery Chefs caters again this year and they are making two different pizzas: Charred Corn Pizza with Heirloom Tomatoes and Chèvre, or House Made Sausage with Roasted Fennel and Smoked Mozzarella. At the Pit Station you’ll find Cocoa and Spice Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder Sliders. For those who are avoiding eating meat or gluten, they can rely on the Masa Cakes with Rancho Gordo Bean Purée, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Avocado Crema. During the Auction, Winery Chefs will provide Strawberries, Mini Dark Chocolate Brownies, House Made Granola and Spiced Nuts.
Howell Mountain got its name from the Isaac Howell family who moved to the area in 1846. While rivers and property lines frequently define the boundaries of an American Viticultural Area (AVA), the Howell Mountain appellation is officially based on a 1400 foot elevation contour line around the mountain. In other words, this AVA is literally a mountain top. At this altitude, the vineyards experience cooler daytime temperatures, warmer evening temperatures, rocky and porous soil conditions and rainfall that is nearly twice that of the valley below. All of this translates into deliciously rich complexity and flavor in your glass.
Charles Krug Winery Carriage House
The Taste of Howell Mountain event takes place at the historic Carriage House at Charles Krug Winery, and is brought to you by the Howell Mountain Vintners & Growers Association. Once again, we encourage you to purchase your tickets soon so you can come indulge in the wines made from grapes grown “Above the Fog” and have fun bidding on auction items. For more details on a VIP Table for Ten, please contact Sam Peters at sampeters_tohm@live.com or call 707-965-2665.
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