Mardi Boettcher's Blog

People have been coming to Mendocino County for years for the breathtaking views, award-winning wines, whale-watching, and wonderful food. During the holidays a kind of magical feeling descends over the County’s towns and villages. Mendocino County’s New England charm works overtime at this time of year, with Victorians twinkling with lights, a roaring fire in every fireplace, and a warm, small-town feeling of holiday cheer enveloping everyone.

Escape to Mendocino County where warm fires, friendly people and festive events await you. Plan your trip today at www.goMendo.com.

Come Celebrate!
Events this holiday season include:

A Taste of Redwood Valley – Holiday Wine Sale and Artisan Faire November 21st – 22nd A Taste of Redwood Valley invites old friends and new to join them for the 7th annual Holiday Wine Sale and Juried Artisan Faire. Live Music, one-of-a-kind art, friends, food, wine and Merriment

Festival of Trees – Gualala, CA November 27th- 28th Enjoy a Gualala Christmastime as it was in the 1850’s when it was a thriving mill town. Two “villages” will be decked out for the holidays and vendors dressed in period costume will be offering handmade crafts of the kind available during the 1850’s – quilting, weaving, knitting, felting, woodcraft, folk art, pottery, soap making, jewelry of metal and glass – accompanied with demonstrations of their skills.

Holiday Lights Parade – Fort Bragg, CA Saturday, December 5th Lighted parade with Christmas tree lighting, carolers, and Santa in downtown Fort Bragg. Free to all.

Ukiah’s Annual Small Town Christmas – Ukiah, CA Saturday, December 5th Celebrate this wonderful time of year with your family and friends at Small Town Christmas in Downtown Ukiah. Have a photo taken with Santa, enjoy local performers, and stop by our local shops. There will be live entertainment in the Alex R. Thomas Plaza followed by the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Skunk Train Christmas Train – Willits, CA Willits Depot: Dec. 5, 6, 12- 23

Fort Bragg: Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 A yuletide favorite of children and adults alike! Join Santa and his elves on a 90-minute magical ride through the light-strung trees of the redwood forest. Enjoy hot chocolate & homemade cookies while listening to strolling musicians and engaging storytellers. Pajamas welcome! Fares: $31 for adults and $24 for children (ages 3 to 11). For more information and reservations, call 1-866-45-SKUNK or visit www.skunktrain.com.

Annual Mendocino Coast Candlelight Inn Tour December 9th – 11th
The inns of Mendocino County’s ocean-side towns celebrate the holiday season with gorgeous and extravagant old-fashioned decorations and open-house hospitality. Benefits Mendocino Coast Children through Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Mendocino Unified School Enrichment (MUSE). One ticket includes all the days and light refreshments at the inns.

Annual Christmas Eve Celebration “The Festival of Nine Lessons” – Gualala, CA
Wednesday, December 24th Mendocino County’s version of a tradition that has been offered each year since 1919 at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, England, will feature the Anchor Bay Children’s Choir and other musicians. At the Gualala Arts Center in Gualala.

Save the Date:

Mendocino County Crab & Wine Days January 22nd – January 31st, 2010 Every January, Mendocino County in Northern California celebrates locally harvested Dungeness crab and locally grown and produced wines with a festival that delights foodies and oenophiles alike!

From gourmet, crab-themed dinners in four-star restaurants, to family-style cioppino feeds, a countywide Passport wine tasting, to the ever popular Crab-cake Cook Off featuring local Mendocino chefs, this festival has something for everyone!

Visitors will enjoy a multitude of dinners, events and lodging specials over the course of the ten days — so head to Mendocino County come January and enjoy good food, fine wines, and family-friendly fun!
Click here for a complete listing of festival events!

Visit www.goMendo.com

Ever wonder what Mendocino County is up to?

Discover www.gomendo.org  An Insider’s Guide to County Promotional Activities.

Check out the new and improved www.gomendo.org.  An in-county website designed to keep the community abreast of Visit Mendocino County activities and updates. 
 
Look at meeting agendas & minutes, quarterly reports on the marketing plan, communicate with staff, meet the current board of directors, check out the visitors guide and much more…
 
 goMendo.org site and learn about all that is happening to promote our county, communities and businesses.  Great things are happening and we want you to know about it!
 
Thanks to Scott Schneider
President & CEO
Visit Mendocino County, Inc.
T 707.964.9010 | F 866.836.7557 | E scott@gomendo.com

MENDOCINO WINEGRAPE
& WINE COMMISSION
Announces Election Results
and Search for New President
 
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Rich Schaefers
Chairman, Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission
(707) 462-6624
richs@beckstoffer.net
 
(Ukiah, CA, July 24, 2009)–Two new commissioners and three incumbents have been elected to the Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission (MWWC) Board of Directors: Incumbents Rich Schaefers of Beckstoffer Vineyards, Norma Gibson of Hillside Vineyards, and Peter Chevalier of Chevalier Vineyard Management remain for second terms representing producers.  Chris Nelson of Nelson Vineyards replaces departing Gary Smith of Smith Vineyards.  Tim Thornhill of Mendocino Wine Company replaces Arnaud Weyrich of Roederer Estate in the sole open vintner slot.  Commissioners serve two year terms and will begin their service at the August Board of Directors meeting.
 
The organization is also preparing to launch a search for a full time in-house president.  Paige Poulos, who served as president of the Commission from May 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009, under a management contract with Paige Poulos Communications, Inc., agreed with the decision as the best course of action for the organization and its constituents.  “The Commission needs a full time dedicated chief executive,” Poulos said.  “This is more true than ever in a market that continues to be challenging on every front.”  Board Chairman Rich Schaefers will execute the duties of the president in the interim, a dual role allowed in the by-laws.  “We very much appreciate the momentum we have gained in the past year with Poulos at the helm and plan to capitalize on the foundation that has been laid as we go forward,” Schaefers said.  The Strategic Task Force and the Executive Committee will work together to develop a new job description for the president based on the skills needed to execute the new strategic plan developed this year.
 
About Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission
The Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission is an alliance of 75 wineries and 343 winegrape growers based in Mendocino County, California.  The Commission, founded in 2006, is dedicated to sharing knowledge of the singular attributes of the winegrapes, wines and wine estates of Mendocino County with a diversity of audiences around the world. For more information, visit www.truemendocinowine.com.