Yosemite Vintner’s – Toasts to 26 Flavorful years.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. – With legs stronger than those of any premium red varietal, Yosemite National Park’s Vintners’ Holidays series is set to mark its 26th year of presenting one of the most compelling rosters of wineries and wine available anywhere in the world.
As fall turns to winter, the acclaimed series allows consumers to experience great wine in an unparalleled setting – Yosemite’s beautiful and historic Ahwahnee, one of the most distinctive resort hotels in North America.
The series draws serious wine enthusiasts to taste the latest work of acclaimed California vintners – often featuring rare and limited release samples – while learning more about the genius behind the grapes. Long before fine wine was affordable and grape-growing regions were taking root across the country, the Vintners’ Holidays series was turning consumers into connoisseurs.
“Our event has earned a loyal audience during the last 25 years by pairing premium boutique wineries that are on the verge of public discovery with legendary, recognized industry names,” said Stewart Good, The Ahwahnee’s beverage manager and the man in charge of its extensive wine list.
Good has overseen the series since its inception in 1982. “The opportunity to personally interact with prominent vintners in the spectacular setting of Yosemite National Park and The Ahwahnee distinguishes the Vintners’ Holidays as an enduring, celebrated success,” Good said.
Each of the eight Vintners’ Holidays sessions planned for this November and early December will spotlight four California wineries. Each session includes four expert-led tasting seminars with panel discussions, a reception where guests can mingle with the vintners and nationally recognized wine authorities, and an elegant gourmet dinner.
Planning for the Vintners’ Holidays begins in March with Good’s selection of the wineries to be invited and wines to be featured. Last year, Good hit another homerun with Silver Oak Cellars’ stunning cabernet sauvignon, which drew a standing-room-only crowd to the tasting seminar at which it was featured.
This year Good has assembled another stellar lineup of 32 wineries, including return appearances by Silver Oak Cellars and Schrader Cellars, whose own opulent cabernets this year received outstanding scores of 97 from the Wine Spectator.
The highlight of each of the two- and three-day sessions is the five-course gala dinner served by tapered candlelight in the illustrious and majestic Ahwahnee Dining Room. About 240 guests are expected to attend each dinner, which features the finest wines of the featured vintners paired with elegant gourmet fare.
Unlike most food-and-wine events, the Vintners’ Holidays feature dishes are crafted to complement the wines, rather than wines chosen to go with the food.
“The entire program is wine-focused, and the cuisine will be just as innovative and outstanding as what Ahwahnee guests have come to know,” Good said. “We work with Executive Chef Percy Whatley and his staff to create menus that will best showcase the strengths of the featured wines.”
This year’s moderators will include Master Sommeliers Evan Goldstein and Gilles de Chambure and noted wine critic and writer Dan Berger.
Goldstein is vice president of global wine and brand education for Beam Wine Estates and author of Perfect Pairings: A Mater Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food. De Chambure is director of wine education at Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley, and formerly a senior wine educator with Robert Mondavi Winery. Berger is a nationally syndicated wine columnist and former reporter and wine columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
Tickets and package options
Wine enthusiasts can enhance their experience with a stay at The Ahwahnee or Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, both of which are offering packages in conjunction with the eight Vintners’ Holidays sessions. Two-night packages are available, but three- and five-night packages are recommended as some of the session begin before the check-in time.
The two- and three-night packages include accommodations for two plus admission for two to one session, which includes four tasting seminars, the “Meet the Winemakers Reception,” and the gala dinner. The five-night option for The Ahwahnee ups the offer to two sessions, including eight tasting seminars, two winemakers receptions, and two gala dinners.
Package prices (double occupancy, not including tax) at The Ahwahnee start at $942 for two nights, $1,306 for three nights, and $2,248 for five nights. Yosemite Lodge at the Falls rates start at $565 for two nights and $681 for three nights.
Yosemite park visitors are welcome, free of charge, at all Vintners’ Holidays tasting seminars, but attendance is limited by seating availability. Individuals may also purchase gala dinner tickets – inclusive of wine, tax, and gratuity – for $149 each.
A celebrated tradition should take place at a legendary site – and for Vintners’ Holidays, that legendary location is The Ahwahnee.
Opened in 1927, The Ahwahnee continues to be recognized for its historic integrity, renowned elegance, and grand architecture inspired by a magnificent Yosemite Valley setting. The AAA Four-Diamond hotel is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and has earned a Historic Hotels of America designation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Giant stone fireplaces, hand-stenciled beams, stained glass and rich tapestries decorate The Ahwahnee’s public spaces, and the hotel offers views of Half Dome, Glacier Point, Royal Arches and Yosemite Falls. The Ahwahnee was most recently recognized as the 26th most popular building in America in Institute of Architects. This recognition places the Ahwahnee among such notable structures as the Brooklyn Bridge, Washington Monument, and the White House.
Providing a distinctive setting for each gala dinner is The Ahwahnee Dining Room, which features granite pillars, sugar pine trestles, and 24-foot-tall windows presenting view of stunning natural surroundings.
Known for innovative cuisine and an extensive wine list, The Ahwahnee’s dining facilities also host the annual Bracebridge Dinner, an 18th century-themed Christmas dinner and pageant, and the Chefs’ Holidays series, an annual January-February event highlighting prominent guest chefs and culinary greats.
The nearby Yosemite Lodge at the Falls also welcomes Vintners’ Holidays guests. Located one mile west of The Ahwahnee, the Lodge is known for its views and close proximity to Yosemite Falls. Amenities include an on-site restaurant and bar, retail shop, tour activities desk, evening interpretive programs, seasonal pool, and bicycle rentals.
Both the Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls are managed and operated by Delaware North Companies, a leading global hospitality and food service provider, through its Parks & Resorts subsidiary.
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