Toasts Northern California’s Local Bounty of Land and Sea

Mendocino County Serves Up Delicious Fare at Internationally Recognized Annual Event, January 20-29
Every January, for the past thirteen years, Northern California’s Mendocino County has been celebrating locally harvested Dungeness crab and award-winning wines from “America’s Greenest Wine Region” with a festival that satiates the taste buds of foodies and oenophiles alike. From gourmet, crab-themed dinners in four-star restaurants, to family-style cioppino feeds, to the ever popular Crab Cake Cook-off featuring local Mendocino chefs, this festival has something for everyone! And to wash down the abundance of crab, local winemakers will be pouring at winemaker dinners throughout the county and also at the official Wine Tasting Competition, held in conjunction with the Crab Cake Cook-off. Visitors will enjoy a multitude of dinners, tastings, demonstrations, excursions, events and lodging specials over the course of the ten days – hosted by Visit Mendocino County, the Mendocino Coast Clinics, innkeepers, restaurants, wineries and more.

The 2012 festival takes place from Friday, January 20 through Sunday, January 29. Some special highlights not to be missed include:

• January 20-21 – Crab and Wine Days – in Fort Bragg: Two benefit events: Mendocino Coast Clinics hosts the two flagship events of the Crab & Wine Festival. Over the course of two days, visitors can take part in Crab & Wine Days. Held at Pentecost Hall in Fort Bragg, spectacular ocean bluffs and majestic redwood forests create an incredible backdrop for the festivities.
• January 20 - Cioppino Dinner: Family-style dinner, serving steaming bowls of fresh cioppino, hand-tossed salad, dessert, wine, beer, coffee and lots of homemade hot bread for dipping; $35 for adults and $15 for children, dinner served at 4:30, 6 and 8 p.m.
• January 21 - Crab Cake Cook-Off and Wine Tasting Competition: The premiere event of the Crab & Wine Festival! Held under a big tent set up just behind Pentecost Hall, this is where Mendocino County chefs and wineries compete for the coveted “Professional’s Choice” award (chosen by a panel of esteemed food, wine & travel editors) and the “People’s Choice” award (chosen by festival attendees); $75 for adults, from noon to 3 p.m.

Proceeds from the Cioppino Dinner, the Crab Cake Cook-Off and the Wine Tasting Competition benefit the Mendocino Coast Clinics, a non-profit, board-governed community health center that provides medical, dental, perinatal and behavioral health care to all Mendocino Coast residents and visitors, regardless of their ability to pay; www.mendocinocoastclinics.org or (707) 961-3463.

Here’s a taste of what else you can expect during the 10-day festival:

• Complimentary Crab Appetizers at many Mendocino County wineries (where wine tastings are still mostly free!)
• Crab Catching Excursions aboard local vessels
• Crab Tasting Menus at local restaurants
• Crab Tasting & Cooking Demonstrations
• Crab-themed Winemaker Dinners
• Discounts on Lodging at a host of charming inns, quaint B&Bs, luxury resorts, rental properties and historic hotels throughout Mendocino County

The above is just a sampling of the dozens of events that will take place during the 2012 Crab & Wine Festival in Mendocino County. For specific information about events surrounding the Crab & Wine Festival, visit www.visitmendocino.com and search for “crab.” Please note that new events are being added every week. For more information on Mendocino County, call 1-866-782-9636 (1-866-GO-MENDO), or visit www.visitmendocino.com.