Burgundian-inspired wine event, now in 10th year, headlines Russian River Wine Weekend

La Paulée, a traditional Burgundian harvest celebration, is once again returning to the Russian River Valley on Aug. 2-3, when winemakers, chefs and enthusiasts of both will gather for a two-day celebration of wine and food.

A centuries-old celebration once reserved for French vigneron and their harvest crews, La Paulée was re-imagined in 1923 when the mayor of Meursault, in Burgundy’s Cô te d’Or, transformed it into a community “BYOB” feast.

La Paulée arrived stateside more than two decades ago, and extravagant iterations have been held in New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Stockholm, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

But Rod Berglund, longtime winemaker at Joseph Swan Winery in the Russian River Valley, felt those were missing the “convivial spirit” of the Burgundian original.

In 2014, with the support of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers, Berglund brought La Paulée to Sonoma County. In celebration of its 10th year, this year’s event will take place over two days, with a Sunset Soirée at Paradise Ridge Winery and La Paulée dinner.

The expanded celebration was the brainchild of Jesslyn Jackson, executive director of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers, who collaborated with winery and grower partners to bring her vision to life.

The event comes amid a multiyear slip in visitor traffic for many wineries, “so I purposely positioned the two of the main events during the evening to encourage visitation to our member wineries throughout the weekend,” said Jackson. “Our goal was to create events that really highlight the heart of the Russian River Valley — our world-class vineyards, beautiful wines and amazing farm-to-table dining.”

Special this year is the Paulée Dinner’s partnership with Secret Supper, an experiential dinner series that reveals its location to guests just 24 hours before the meal. All other details — the menu, chef, wine and guest list — remain a secret until they arrive at the table.

“Our hope is that the dinner introduces the Russian River Valley to Secret Supper’s network of consumers,” said Jackson. “It will create a unique twist to the evening. But we’ll still keep up with the tradition of family-style dining and the concept that wineries, growers and guests open their cellars to some unique and once-in-a-lifetime bottles.”

On Friday, Aug. 2, from 5:30 — 8:30 p.m., Russian River Valley Weekend will kick off with a Sunset Soirée at Paradise Ride Winery in Santa Rosa. Over 30 producers will be on site to pour their wines, including Davis Bynum, Emeritus Vineyards, Gary Farrell Vineyards Joseph Swan Vineyards, La Crema, Papapietro Perry and others. Food from local vendors and music by Hella Fitzgerald will also be on offer.

Tickets: $185 per person. For more information, visit russianrivervalleywineweekend.com.

On Saturday, Aug. 3, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Secret Supper Paulée Dinner will take place at an undisclosed location. Tickets are $325. For tickets and information, visit secretsupper.co.

For more information about all the weekend’s events, visit russianrivervalleywineweekend.com.

Additional upcoming wine events

Summer Celebration of Chinese-Owned Wineries

Saturday, July 27, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Chinese winemakers from Sonoma and Napa counties will be featured at this third annual event in Napa Valley, which includes a (bilingual) seminar on the basics of winegrowing and production. The event will conclude with a dinner prepared by Michelin Star chef Peter Huang.

Tickets from $68 per person. For tickets or information, visit bit.ly/3SbtvQw

Location: Empress M, 221 Silverado Trail, Napa; 707-927-5485

Wind to Wine Festival

Saturday, Aug. 10, noon to 4 p.m.

Celebrate the Petaluma-Gap AVA (appellation) at the annual Wind to Wine Festival, where over 25 wineries from this unique region will be pouring their wines. A seminar comparing Burgundy and Petaluma Gap wines will also be presented, in addition to another highlighting Gap’s Crow and Sangiacomo Roberts Road vineyards. Appetizers from the Girl + the Fig and live music by Clay Bell will round out the afternoon.

Tickets from $107. For tickets or more information, visit petalumagap.com.

Location: Gambonini Family Ranch, 7325 Old Lakeville Rd, #3, Petaluma.

12 t h A nnual L a Cosecha Grand Tasting

Saturday, Aug. 17, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Presented by the Mexican-American Vintners Association, the 12 annual La Cosecha Grand Tasting will feature wines from 16 vintners, along with small bites and live music. Participating wineries include Aldina Vineyards, Ceja Vineyards, Reynoso Family Vineyards and others.

Tickets from $210 ($82 for designated drivers). For more information, visit nsmava.org.

Location: di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, 5200 Sonoma Highway Napa, CA 94559

You can reach Staff Writer Sarah Doyle at 707-521-5478 or sarah.doyle@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Sarah on Instagram at @whiskymuse.