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Greetings!
It's hard to believe one month is already down in to 2010! It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the Holidays.
However, much is still going on in Madera County: California's Gateway to Yosemite. Read on about new wines plus a favorite wine event, racing action in Madera County and deals and discounts going on throughout the county.
Sincerely,
Jarrod Lyman
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
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Local winemakers to debut new label
Authentic Wines of Conscience and Quality 
Local winesmiths Ray and Tammy Krause, owners of Westbrook Wine Farm in O'Neals, are adding a new label to their list of popular wines.
Actually, the label itself has been around for over 30 years according to Ray. Farview Farm Vineyard is a label they have held on to that allows them to produce wines other than the varieties under the Westbrook Wine Farm label. "It allows us the freedom to produce 'one-off' wines. Westbrook Wine Farm takes pride in the production of world class wines from Central California fruit. But the Farview label, that allows us to reach further," he said.
The first wine to be produced under the label is called Point Blanc. This wine is a co-fermented blend of three White Rhone varieties, a Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne, and the white juice form Grenache Noir. The wine is barrel fermented totally dry, and is described as crisp and food friendly. Only 48 cases will be produced.
The first sampling of Point Blanc during the Madera Wine Trail 2010 Wine and Chocolate Weekend taking place February 13 and 14. (Read on this newsletter for more on that event.)
"We'll be tasting barrel samples during the weekend," said Ray. "It will be offered as a pre-release during that event as well."
While the wine will be available for pick up during the next event in May, Ray anticipates that they may be sold out, so preorders are advised.
Westbrook Wine Farm is available for tasting by appointment only.
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Take your valentine on the Madera Wine Trail
Annual Wine Trail Weekend set for Feb. 13-14 
If you're looking for a fun trip for you and that special someone on Valentine's Day, then perhaps touring the Madera Wine Trail is just what you've been looking for.
The Madera Wine Trail is composed of 12 family owned and operated wineries in Madera County. While known as the Gateway to Yosemite, Madera County is also home to some amazing vintners who produce some of the most popular wines in all of California.
The wineries participating in the Wine and Chocolate Weekend are:
Birdstone Winery - 9400 Road 36, Madera
Chateau Lasgoity - 11219 Road 26, Madera
Ficklin Vineyards - 30246 Avenue 7 1/2, Madera
Idle Hour Winery - 41139 Highway 41, Oakhurst
Mariposa Wine Company - 20146 Road 21, Madera
Quady Winery - 13181 Road 24, Madera
San Joaquin Wine Company - 21801 Avenue 16, Madera
Westbrook Wine Farm - O'Neals (reservations only. 559-868-3499)
For more information, visit www.maderawinetrail.com.
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Deals and discounts galore
Check out these ways to save on your next vacation
Appellation California: On Saturday and Sunday, February 13th and 14th, we will be
celebrating with chocolates, artisan cheeses and mouth-watering
barbecue, and giving away free glasses of California champagne to Wine
Trail glassholders. Fasi Crest,
the award-winning Madera estate producing superb single-vineyard
Syrahs, will be featured in the Back Bar, with THREE VINTAGES
available! This winery has no tasting room so ApCAL is the ONLY place
to go for one of the best Syrahs in the Central Valley.
Also, Appellation California is offering a big
tour bus, a smaller shuttle and a luxurious limousine for you to choose
from, all with a catered gourmet luncheon, Wine Trail admission and a
goody bag of treats, so get your friends together and book your seats
today. Easy on-off Highway 99 and lots of parking make this your best
bet for an unforgettable Wine Trail weekend. Click the link above to book. Apple Blossom Inn: Enjoy the beauty and natural
splendors of Yosemite National Park for a two night stay at the award winning
Apple Blossom Inn. You'll be provided with deluxe accommodations, gourmet Candy
'Apple' breakfasts each morning, Yosemite National Park entrance fees (good for
seven days) and a country style picnic lunch packed in an insulated cooler
back-pack, including Sparkling Apple Cider and our homemade trail mix. After
hiking and picnicking at the various scenic sites of Yosemite, return to the
Apple Blossom for a relaxing evening in the spa under the stars overlooking the
Sierra Mountains. Two night packages including lodging
for two, breakfast each morning, a picnic lunch and Park entrance fees, start at
just $326 plus the applicable 11% room tax. Bass Lake Vacation Rentals: Enjoy a stay at a luxurious Vacation Rental on beautiful Bass Lake. Bass Lake Vacation Rentals currently has two packages covering numerous homes: Winter Get-Away: 3 nights for the price of 2 from now until March 21. (Excluding President's Day weekend) Sweethearts Weekend: February 12 - 15th. Will include box of chocolates, bottle of champagne or sparkling cider and two wine glasses.
Crab Cakes Restaurant:Normally closed on Sundays, Crab Cakes is breaking the rules for love, and is having a special evening for Valentines Day, offering dinner specials as well choices off their popular menu. They will also be serving specialty deserts from Sweet Dreams Cakery, and flowers from Sweet Dreams Wedding Flowers pre-set at your table for only $15.
Erna's Elderberry House:The popular Five-Star restaurant has three specials going on for Valentines Day: Valentine's Epicurean Dinner: Saturday: February 13 - 5:30 pm to 9 pm
The "Epicurean" is a 26 year tradition in the true spirit of Valentine, always a very special evening. The award winning kitchen staff at Erna's Elderberry House will prepare an exciting, innovative 6-course meal. Menu. Romantic Interlude: Sunday, February 14 - 5:30 to 8:30 pm
Valentines Day is a time for shedding our worries and cares and celebrating love for those held most deal. Menu. Valentines Sunday Brunch:For guests who look to celebrate the first blush of the morning. Menu. Holiday Inn Express: Join the Smart Club for no charge, and you will receive a free night's stay when you anytime you amass ten nights of stays, even non-consecutively.
Quady Winery: Bring your Valentine to Quady Winery for the 9th Annual art show Reveiller (Wake Up) in conjunction with Wine & Chocolate Weekend. Saturday & Sunday, February 13 and 14 from 10 am to 5 pm. Reveiller is a premier art show featuring photos, paintings, sculptures and tank installation art from over 30 local artists. Quady's Muscat wines will be paired with Chocolate Truffles. Advanced tickets are on sale now through February 11 at the winery for $20 a ticket. Call (559) 673-8068 or go online to order tickets at http://www.quadywinery.com/presalewt.html. All tickets will be held at will-call and must be picked up at Quady Winery the day of the event to receive your glass and wristband.
The Vineyard: This popular restaurant in Madera is helping to celebrate Valentines Day throughout the month. Their special includes a crispy fried artichoke appetizer, green salads, two choice top sirloin steaks, shrimp, 1/2 Dungeness Crab with fettuccine in wine and garlic sauce with house-made Tiramisu for desert for only $65. Zephyr Whitewater Expeditions:ZEPHYR is offering a 15% discount for all rafting trips on the Merced River for April. Recent storms have brought snowpack levels to at or above normal amounts, which is great news for the rafting season this year. If the storms continue, 2010 will be the best rafting season since 2006, with trips on the Merced River going well into August.
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Lincoln Exhibit coming to Oakhurst
Traveling exhibit details the President's life
Mark your calendar for the "Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America Learning Station Exhibition" provided by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, in collaboration with the American LIbrary Association and with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The exhibit will be on display at the King Vintage Museum in Oakhurst March 5 through April 1.
"The Abraham Lincoln: Self
Made in America Learning Station exhibit" will follow the journey taken
by Abraham Lincoln from frontier obscurity to our nation's presidency
and will be documented through a combination of images, objects and the
written word. There are seven Learning Stations
in the exhibit and each one show artifacts of his life as a Self Made
man - Father, Husband, Lawyer, Politician, Commander-in-Chief and much
more. In addition to the
Learning Stations, there is an eighth learning station created by the
Museum to tell the story of the Yosemite Grant and why Abraham Lincoln
is important to our area.
In addition there are special teaching trunks available during the exhibition for use by schools or civic organizations. Two teaching trunks will remain forever at the Museum as a valuable asset for use by teachers and their students. All who visit the exhibition will enjoy the rich history of our 16th President and the teaching trunks will give generations an opportunity to explore his life for years to come.
The
museum hours for the exhibition will be Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 6
p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. with the weekday mornings devoted to
school tours. The cost for admission to the museum is $3.00. School tour reservations are a must and space is still available.. Contact the museum at kingvintagemuseum@sti.net or call 559-658-6999 or 559-676-3370 for more information or to make reservations for school tours.
Why was the Oakhurst museum chosen? In the early 1860's influential Californians started visiting Yosemite National Park. They decided that they wanted this land of beauty to belong to the state of California. During
the Civil War, this group petitioned President Lincoln to grant the
Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to the state of California. In the middle of the Civil War, Lincoln took time on June 30, 1864 to sign the legislation, known as the "Yosemite Grant". Ultimately this land went back to the Federal Government, but the Yosemite Grant Act was seen as the beginning of the State of California Park System enjoyed today.
The entire community of Oakhurst will be celebrating this Exhibit with some "historic" events and everyone is invited to attend. The list of events follows:
January 31 "Gone with the Wind" at the Met Cinema hosted by Ladies Tea and Jousting Society. "Gone with the Wind" inspired costume contest with awards.
February 12 Abraham Lincoln Gala Birthday Celebration. Kickoff celebration hosted by the Museum and the Oakhurst Chamber.
February 14 Valentine Chocolate Extraordinaire Dinner at ECCO celebrating "The Lincoln Marriage" hosted by the Wild Wonderful Women.
March 5 Opening Night Preview of the "Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America Learning Station Exhibition" at the Museum by ticket only.
March 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28. 7 p.m. "Abraham Lincoln Assassination" Drama at the Golden Chain Theatre. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday.
March 12 Ragtime Festival at Fresno Flats Historic Village and Park 2 p.m. to 5 p.m..
March 13 Ragtime Festival at Golden Chain Theatre 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
March 19, 20, 21 "Civil War Living History" at Oakhurst Community Park. Produced by the National Civil War Association in conjunction with the Museum and the Chamber of Commerce. Friday, March 19 "Education Day" for Students.
March 21 3 p.m. Oakhurst Community Band Spring Concert: presents "Remembering Lincoln" at 2 p.m.
The
museum is a women's, men's and children's vintage clothing and
accessories collection dating back to 1790 including military uniforms
and war memorabilia. During the Abraham Lincoln
Exhibition the feature exhibit in the museum will be "Journey through
Life in the Nineteenth Century". The collection
will feature artifacts from the late 1700's through the 1900"s plus
some of the military and children's collection.
For more information about the events contact the museum kingvintagemuseum@sti.net or call 559-658-6999 or goto www.LincolnOakhurst.com. or www.kingvintagemuseum.org.
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