Gay Wine Weekend. (Photo courtesy Out in the Vineyard)
Pack your bags and get ready to grab a bottle. Hundreds of wine enthusiasts will travel to Sonoma Valley July 17-19 for the 15th annual Gay Wine Weekend.
Billed as the birthplace of wine in the state — which is responsible for around 80% of the nation’s supply and serves as the fourth largest wine producer in the world — Sonoma Valley is also celebrated for its food, arts and culture. The region’s official visitor’s bureau says it’s where “the fun flows as abundantly as the wine!”
“Stretching 17 miles through rolling vineyards, lush forests and stunning mountaintop vistas, Sonoma Valley will win you over with its breathtaking beauty, smalltown charm and warm hospitality,” its website reads. “Sonoma Valley is the ideal escape for travelers looking to slow down and enjoy the best of California’s food and wine scene.”
Gary Saperstein agrees. He founded Out in the Vineyard 18 years ago, an LGBTQ+ owned and operated travel company offering local itineraries “for the discerning gay traveler and our friends.”
“Our itineraries present the LGBTQ+ wine country lifestyle to our guests; from luxury hotels and exclusive winery tours to catered lunches and dining experiences in private estates provided by some of the finest restaurants and private chefs in wine country,” the company’s website advises. “… Join us as we bring together not just lovers of wine, but the love that exists within our LGBTQ+ community.”
A New York native with decades of experience in the hospitality industry, Saperstein relocated to Sonoma Valley in the early 2000s. He says outreach to LGBTQ+ residents and visitors was minimal at the time.
“As I was working in the industry in Sonoma, I started seeing the influx of not only LGBTQ+ tourism but also our community growing,” Saperstein explains. “What I wasn’t understanding is why the wineries weren’t talking to us; no one was marketing to the LGBTQ+ community.”
He formed Out in the Vineyard to change that, launching a Twilight T-Dance at a local winery in just a few weeks. Hundreds attended, setting the stage for the inaugural Gay Wine Weekend in Sonoma Valley just three years later.
Out in the Vineyard announced this year’s milestone celebration in March, calling it “one of the country’s most beloved LGBTQ+ wine and lifestyle events.” After several years away, they noted Gay Wine Weekend will turn 15 where it began in a special return to its roots.
“Returning to Sonoma Valley for our 15th anniversary feels incredibly meaningful,” Saperstein shared. “This is where Gay Wine Weekend was born. And celebrating this milestone in the place that inspired it — while welcoming longtime friends and first-time guests alike — makes this year especially meaningful.”
Festivities will begin with a VIP opening reception July 17 from 3-6 p.m., a wine and business expo at The Lodge at Sonoma. The hotel “offers a diverse menu of therapeutic spa services and treatments, inspired by the beauty and serenity of California’s wine country.”
Winemaker dinners will follow across multiple venues. Attendees can reserve meals at locations like the girl & the fig, “where rustic French country cuisine meets the vibrant spirit of Gay Wine Weekend,” a vegetarian/vegan experience at Spread Kitchen, an all-women experience at Beltane Ranch and more.
Winery tours will take place July 18. Enthusiasts can discover “the beauty and the flavor of the Russian River Valley” at La Crema Winery, known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and continue to Bricoleur Vineyards. The latter is “a stunning estate known for its farm-driven approach to hospitality.”
A trip to Gundlach Bundschu Winery, one of California’s oldest family-owned wineries located at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains, will offer “a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere” set against sweeping views. The tour will continue to Coplan Estate Winery, located against an intimate hillside.
Additional options include a tour through Sonoma Valley’s Kenwood region — visiting the Kunde Family Winery, Muscardini Cellars and Deerfield Ranch Winery — and an “Off the Beaten Path Wine Tour.” The latter trip will begin at Dunstan Wines and conclude at Three Sticks Wines “in the beautifully restored Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe just off Sonoma Plaza.”
The Twilight T-Dance will follow that evening at Cornerstone Sonoma. This year it will be held at a new location known for “its lush gardens, contemporary art installations and sweeping vineyard views.”
“Cornerstone Sonoma offers a spectacular new setting for this signature, memorable evening event,” Out in the Vineyard notes. “Guests will dance under the Sonoma sky, surrounded by rolling hills and world-class wine.”
The weekend will close July 19 with a drag queen brunch and wine auction emceed by entertainer Ruby Red Munro, a pool soiree and special Sunday evening concert with Mary Lambert. The celebrated singer is best known for “Same Love,” an LGBTQ+ rights anthem:
Gay Wine Weekend will also once again donate a portion of ticket sales — along with 100% of funds from the drag brunch and auction — to Face to Face. The regional nonprofit connects the local “community to the practical care and support that honors dignity for all.”
The annual weekend has raised over $700,000 across the years for the organization, Saperstein says, noting that Face to Face has helped the LGBTQ+ community since 1983.
“I love supporting them,” he explains. “They’ve meant so much to Sonoma County.”
LGBTQ+ residents and visitors have as well, a testament to the success of Gay Wine Weekend. Saperstein expects up to 700 people for this year’s 15th anniversary celebration and says whether it’s for Gay Wine Weekend or not, visiting wine country is an absolute must for LGBTQ+ and ally travelers.
“You can find community here, you’re accepted here and it has elements of just a really beautiful lifestyle,” he explains. “I feel really fortunate. I walk around Sonoma all day and I hear tourists saying, ‘oh, this is beautiful. I wish we lived here’ and I do. That’s pretty cool.”
He also suggests “making a week of it” by taking a trip to nearby LGBTQ+ destinations like San Francisco, just 45 minutes away. If you need help planning, Out in the Vineyard is ready to assist.
“With the way the world we’re living in is, and with all of its challenges that our community is facing, gathering together is so important and vital,” Saperstein stresses. “Our community needs to gather because when we get together, it gives us the strength to fight during the daytime. We want you to leave Big Gay Weekend and any of the events we throw feeling empowered.”
Big Gay Weekend returns to Sonoma Valley, California July 17-19 and tickets are now on sale. For more information, visit OutInTheVineyard.com.
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