Visit Mendocino County announces the continuation of its 17th annual Crab, Wine and Beer Festival celebrating the region’s wintry bounty. Due to the crabbing delay in the region, the 2016 festival has been reimagined with a broader focus and will celebrate the wealth and variety of seafood found off the Mendocino Coast – everything BUT crab. Dozens of special events will be offered all week throughout the county, including three signature events to benefit Mendocino Coast Clinics, seafood dinners at gourmet restaurants, overnight packages at cozy inns, seafood and wine pairings at local wineries, and adventurous excursions at sea.
Signature events will include the festival’s first Gala Winemaker’s Dinner at Albion Schoolhouse on January 28, where an exclusive six-course dinner will be paired with wines by Graziano Family of Wines; the “Everything But Crab” Cioppino Feed on January 29, a longtime festival tradition where giant Cioppino pots brimming with seafood and shellfish are served family-style; and the “Anything But Crab” Cake Cook-Off & Wine Competition on January 30, where top Mendocino County chefs will compete to create the most delectable seafood cakes. All three signature events will benefit Mendocino Coast Clinics, a nonprofit health clinic that provides quality, patient-centered health care to more than half of Mendocino Coast residents.
Photo courtesy of Visit Mendocino County
Other festival highlights will include Wild Fish’s Winemaker Dinner on January 27 featuring colorful stories of crabbing adventures from Mendocino County local Scott Hockett; a winemaker dinner by the newest addition to the Anderson Valley culinary scene, Bewildered Pig, featuring Greenwood Ridge Vineyards on January 28; the Café Beaujolais winemaker dinner featuring Roederer Estate and Domaine Anderson, also on January 28; and crowd-favorite Barrel Tasting 101 on January 30 and 31, where participants enjoy complimentary tastings straight from the barrel at 17 area wineries.
For more information: www.visitmendocino.com.