Best Wine Country Festivals

Best Wine Country Festivals

Napa Valley Mustard Festival, Feb.-Mar. When Napa is at its least crowded, and wild mustard blooms in between the vines, locals celebrate wine, food, and art with exhibitions, auctions, dinners, and cooking competitions at venues throughout the valley. 707/944-1133; mustardfestival.org

Russian River Wine Road Barrel Tasting Weekends, Mar. For two weekends in March, more than a hundred Russian River wineries open their cellars to visitors who want to taste the wine in the barrels, getting a preview of what's to come. 707/433-4335; www.wineroad.com

Sonoma Jazz + Festival, late May Headlining jazz performers play in a 3,000-person tent in downtown Sonoma, while smaller music, food, and wine events take place around town. 866/468-8355; www.sonomajazz.org

Auction Napa Valley, early June The world's biggest charity wine auction is one Napa's glitziest nights. Dozens of events hosted by various wineries culminate in an opulent dinner and auction. 707/963-3388; www.napavintners.com

Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic, JulyDozens of colorful hot-air balloons are sent aloft in Windsor, bright and early on two consecutive mornings in July. Spectators gather in Keiser Community Park to enjoy the show. 707/837-1884; www.schabc.org

Sonoma County Harvest Fair, early Oct. This festival celebrates both the winemaking and agricultural sides of Sonoma County, with wine tastings, cooking demos, livestock shows, crafts, carnival rides, and local entertainers filling the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. 707/545-4203; www.harvestfair.org