Olive Fare
Now that the grape harvest is over, winter visitors seek out Wine Country’s other bite-sized edible treasure during the Seventh Annual Olive Festival. Beginning the first weekend of December, the Olive Festival is a three-month culinary feast that concludes with an odyssey of grand finale events, held at various venues throughout Sonoma Valley, on the weekend of February 16th and 17th. Enjoy artisan breads and cheeses, fine wine and succulent Sonoma Valley olives. Many activities takes place at locales along Sonoma Plaza [Highway 12 at Napa Street]. Nearby, The Olive Press [24724 Arnold Drive, (707) 939-8900], has a working press with a tasting room and gift shop devoted to all things olive. Cooking demonstrations from Sonoma Valley’s finest chefs and winemaker dinners makes this food festival especially popular among foodies and gourmands. Call (707) 996-1090 or visit www.sonomavalley.com for details on these and other Olive Festival events. FYI: In the quaint Sonoma Valley village of Kenwood is  VJB Vineyards, a boutique family winery. In addition to creating dynamic wines of intense depth, VJB also procures some of the finest gourmet sauces, tapénades, and pestos in all of Wine Country. The provisions are perfectly selected to pair with the the family’s award-winning wines. During the Olive Festival, VJB is offering 20% discounts on all wine purchases, excluding library wines. Find VJB Vineyards at 9077 Sonoma Highway; (707) 833-2300; www.vjbcellars.com.
Winery Buzz
One of the best boutique wineries in Napa Valley is Cliff Lede Vineyards. Located just off the Silverado Trail on the Yountville Cross Road, this excellent winery gives new meaning to the signature phrase “bottled poetry,” with outstanding selections of limited-production still and sparkling wines sourced from the valley’s best vineyards. The perfect time to discover this stellar producer is Saturday, December 1st, during their new release party. During the festivities, guest will be able to sample the winery’s 2005 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon, which is sourced from the legendary Stags Leap Wine Appellation. While there, relax on the property’s sun-drenched porch area and stroll through the beautifully landscaped grounds to admire the winery’s contemporary sculptures from owner Cliff Lede’s personal collection, or visit the rotating exhibits from both up-and-coming and established artists at The Gallery. Cost is $25 per person, $10 for wine club members. For more information, call (707) 944-8642 or go to www.cliffledevineyards.com.
Tis the Season
Join Merryvale winemaker, Sean Foster, for an intimate dinner in the winery’s historic Cask Room, Saturday, December 1st. This special “Seasons of the Napa Valley” dinner party offers guests a precious opportunity to experience Wine Country at its finest. Normally, the cavernous Cask Room is open only for private parties of 50 or more, but this weekend, it’s open to all! Gourmet seasonal cuisine prepared by Tra Vigne, paired with award-winning wine from Merryvale, is more than worth the price of admission. Reception is at 7 p.m., dinner at 8. Cost is $125 per person, all inclusive. To attend, call 1-800- 326-6069 or visit www.merryvale.com. FYI: These popular dinners do sell out, so make your plans today!
All That Jazz
New York Voices is the Grammy award-winning vocal ensemble renowned for their excellence in jazz and the art of group singing. Like the great groups that have come before, such as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Singers Unlimited, Manhattan Transfer and Take 6, they have learned from the best and taken the art form to new levels. Their interests are rooted in jazz, but often Brazilian, R&B, classical and pop influences are included with equal creativity and authenticity. New York Voices has travel the globe with their elegant music, befriending people everywhere they go. They have appeared on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Blue Note (Japan and New York City), The Austria Opera House, The Zurich Opera House and the list goes on. They have been seen at the many jazz festivals including the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland, The Monterey Jazz Festival, the New Orleans Jazz Festival and Blue Heritage Festival. Now you can see them too! On Saturday, December 2nd, at 3 p.m., at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville. Tickets are $50 per adult. To purchase, go online to www.napavalleysymphony.org or call (707) 226-8742. FYI: Receive 2 complimentary tickets with a paid adult.
Trendy Tables
At the end of a long day of laborious wine tasting, I like to decompress at one of Napa Valley’s best under-the-radar restaurants. One step inside Cuvee Napa enchants with its captivating romantic beauty bewitching even the most cosmopolitan of patrons. Executive Chef Octavio Barrera and host Aaron Diaz have meticulously created a destination restaurant where guests can bask in the charms of Cuvee Napa’s visual aesthetics while delighting in its exquisite cuisine. Cuvee Napa’s decor and ambiance are the restaurant’s main appeal, but the menu is laced with undeniable treasures that caters to all tastes and appetites. This trendsetting establishment is the perfect place to gather for cocktails and appetizers, with drink options including a full wine list, including selections by the glass, and a large variety of exotic cocktails. Its spacious outdoor patio is filled with lively younger patrons, while indoors guests can relax and enjoy the creative design, attentive staff, and close to perfection Wine Country cuisine. Defining style rather than following it, Cuvee Napa is the ideal mix of trendy atmosphere, hip crowds and upscale quality dining; www.cuveenapa.com, 1650 Soscol Avenue, Napa; (707) 224-2330. FYI: On Wednesday evenings, Cuvee Napa offers “3 for $30,” where diners can enjoy three courses for $30 with no corkage fee. Happy Hour is from 4 to 7 p.m every Monday through Friday, and live music is performed every Thursday.