Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau Month Year
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Greetings!

The temperatures may be cooling off, but the fun is still just heating up! Read on for fun events and great deals.
 
Sincerely,
 
Jarrod Lyman
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
 
Madera Wine Trail gets in the holiday spirit
Take to the trail Nov 12 & 13
Madera Wine Trail

The Madera Vintners Association's family wineries are proud to present the Madera Wine Trail's "Holiday Spirit Weekend" on November 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Get into the holiday spirit as you taste the award-winning wines of the Madera Wine Trail!

With two new wineries on the Trail, this Wine Trail Weekend is sure to offer more wines and fun than ever before! Madera's warm climate and geographical features gives our winemakers the ability to craft wines that offer distinct flavors of unique varietals. Wine Trail visitors will have the opportunity to taste a variety of aperitif, table and dessert wines that are sure to satisfy any palate. On this special weekend, you will also enjoy live music, local art and holiday gift shopping.

 

 Participating Wineries:

 

Birdstone Winery

www.birdstonewinery.com    

Begin your 2011 Madera Wine Trail Holiday Spirit Weekend experience at Birdstone Winery.  Birdstone will showcase two newly-released wines alongside the existing flight of award- winning wines.  For lunch each day enjoy a delicious dish of Tortellini Alfredo, a garden-fresh salad with Italian vinaigrette, and baked garlic cheese bread - all prepared by Chef Michael Mazzoni.  Great food, art, music, award-winning wines and warm, friendly people make Birdstone Winery a necessary stop on your wine-trail adventure.

 

Chateau Lasgoity
 Please join us at Chateau Lasgoity Winery during the Holiday Spirit Wine Trail for fantastic newly-released wines, great food, art and craft exhibitors and live jazz music by Jim Schmidt of Cloud 99, all provided in a classy and peaceful environment.  

  

CRU Wine Company   

www.cruwinecompany.com 
Kick start the holidays at the CRU Wine Company by sampling from our portfolio of award-winning wines (CRU, Carmichael & Yosemite View.) Winemaker Ken Post will be pouring some of his new and exciting wines . . . He always seems to have tricks up his sleeve. We will also have specialty vendors from all over the Central Valley. We look forward to your visit on November 12th & 13th. Cheers from all of us at the CRU Wine Company!

 

Ficklin Vineyards

www.ficklin.com 

Ficklin Vineyards invites you to come for a visit, join friendly people and witness 65 years of valley wine-making history. Taste our extraordinary ports and our new table wines (Touriga, Verdelho, Branco Doce, and Touriga Rose) produced from Portuguese and Spanish grape varieties.

 

For this special weekend, Ficklin Vineyards adds to the usual winery charm with, lively music, delectable chocolates, fine small-lot cheeses, beautiful handcrafted jewelry, fragrant cigars, charming wild cats, and savory food provided by the local master Chuck's BBQ. We are here to make your November Wine Trail Weekend wonderful!

 

Idle Hour Winery   

www.idlehourwinery.com     

Enjoy the changing of the seasons on your way to Idle Hour Winery! Leaves are falling and the air is brisk!.Taste our award-winning wines and plan a picnic on the Fresno River at the Queen's Inn.  Meet the alpacas from Kt Lee Ranch Alpacas, who will be here showcasing their animals & alpaca wool products. Enjoy the day in the mountains with live music and local art. Or better yet, end your wine trail at Idle Hour Winery and book a room at the Queen's Inn Saturday evening, where you can hang out by the fire pits in the wine bar. Call 559-683-4354 to book your room today! 

 

Papagni Wines 

www.papagnivineyard.com 

Papagni Wines 2001 Alicante Bouschet and 2009 Malvasia Bianca are Silver Medal winners at both the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition and the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Join us on the Madera Wine Trail as we pour our award-winning wines along with a delectable array of gourmet cheeses and chocolates.  

 

With essences to please every palette, Papagni Wines 2001 Alicante Bouschet has a brooding intensity that showcases the flavors of blackberry/cherry compote and black peppercorn spice. The 2009 Malvasia Bianca has a refreshingly-sweet nose with notes of apricots, ripe honeydew melon and freshly- picked wildflowers.

 

Quady Winery  

www.quadywinery.com    

Walk through Quady Winery and delight in our aperitifs and Muscat wines.  Assistant Winemaker Darin Peterson will host a vertical STARBOARD/PORT tasting lounge. Joel Lopez of Perfect Blend Fine Cigars will be on hand to advise you on the right cigar to go with that special wine. For a synergistic experience, grab a glass of port, a cigar, a spot on one of the couches and enjoy the game.  Mattie's Mobile Wood Fired Pizza will be toasting up gourmet pizzas for a fantastic lunch. Blues and Rock by Howl'n Howard and BrotherWard.  Holiday treats and of course... Holiday Discounts! 

 

San Joaquin Wine Company 

www.sjwineco.com

Plan on making SJWC a stop on this November Wine Trail.  The holidays are fast approaching, and it is time to start thinking about ordering our 2-bottle wine gift boxes.  You can pick from any of our varietals. It is the ideal gift for family, friends, and business customers. For  shoppers, there will be jewelry, hats, purses, and tasty treats. Purchase a lunch, sip some wine and enjoy the sounds of Moody Press favorite, Rhythm Review Band. We look forward to seeing you.

  

Sumner Peck Ranch Winery   

www.sumnerpeckranch.com

Come join the fun at the newest winery on the Madera Wine Trail. Two miles north of the Friant/Willow intersection on the left side of the road you'll find our winery, a unique white building on a beautiful vineyard unlike anything you have seen before. The Peck family has been farming in the Central Valley for over 5 generations and a family winery has always been a dream of ours.  We can't wait for you to sample our wine and groove to some great music to celebrate our first Wine Trail Weekend!

 

Westbrook Wine Farm  

www.westbrookwinefarm.com,

 

   For serious wine lovers.

Exceptional wines, personal attention

and a beautiful day in the Sierra.

  By winery-confirmed appointment only.

Your hosts, Tammy and Ray Krause, Proprietors

559-868-3499 / westbrookwine@sti.net

 www.westbrookwinefarm.com

 

Free admission to Yosemite National Park
National Park Service to honor Veterans
El Capitan in winter - Photo by Nancy Robbins

If you're looking to take a trip to Yosemite National Park, the weekend of Veterans Day would be a good choice as the National Park Service will open the gates for free.

Admission to Yosemite, and all other national parks, will be free November 11-13 in honor of Veterans' Day, November 11.

The fall and winter months are a magical time to visit Yosemite, so this free weekend makes the perfect opportunity for a quick getaway.  
 
Excellence in Customer Service
Three businesses recognized for great service
Customer Service Award
Lisa Bacarisse (front), Mike Lagow (Back left) Sherri Smith (center) receive YSVB Excellence in Customer Service Awards from YSVB Board President Max Stauffer.

The Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau gave three "Excellence in Customer Service" awards during their monthly board meeting last week.  

 

The awards were given to Lisa Bacarisse of the Days Inn in Oakhurst, Mike Lagow of Sierra Oaks Auto Body in Oakhurst and Sherri Smith of Ravensbrook Bed and Breakfast in Coarsegold.

 

The trio was recognized after their actions that helped to make what started out as an extremely bad day for one visitor into a positive experience.

 

"We received communication from a visitor who had been in a car accident due to no fault of her own," explained YSVB CEO Dan Cunning. "The three of them worked together to help the customer and showed her what a friendly, helpful community we are."

 

The letter received by the bureau explained that the visitor was planning on heading home from a day in Yosemite with her daughter when the accident forced her to stay another night. She had stayed at Ravensbrook Bed and Breakfast the prior evening, but the property was full.  

 

"Sherri called around and found us the last available hotel room in town at The Days Inn. I had just called her for a referral, and she went way beyond referring and called all around for us to find this elusive room at the height of your travel season," said the customer.

 

At the Days Inn, Bacarisse held a room for the guests and arranged to have some pain medication delivered to the hotel. The next day, they allowed the guest and her daughter a late checkout despite high room demand to allow for enough time for the car to be repaired.

 

Lagow is credited with not only fixing the car in an extremely timely fashion, but also personally driving out to pick up the guest and her daughter, stopping at a convenience store so they could get some provisions and then following up with them when they got home.  

 

"Though they were closed for the day, Mike and Dolores drove out to Mariposa to pick us up, set us at ease ... and see us safely to Days Inn," she said.

 

The three received plaques honoring their dedication to customer service, presented by YSVB President Max Stauffer.

 

Pomegranate Festival this weekend
Madera is the Heart of Pomegranate Country
Pomegranate Princesses
Meet the Pomegranate Princesses at the first ever Madera Pomegranate Festival on Saturday, November 5.

The first Madera Pomegranate Festival is taking place this Saturday at Appellation California in Madera from 10 to 4.

Put on by the Madera Chamber of Commerce's Tourism Alliance Committee, the free event caps a week-long celebration that involved businesses throughout the community.

The Pomegranate Festival will include live music from Deja Blues, a food court with restaurants selling pomegranate-inspired dishes, vendors selling pomegranate products, a children's' activity area, pomegranate grenade launch, beer garden and more.

To learn more about the event, go to www.pomegranatefestival.com or www.facebook.com/pomegranatefestival.  In addition to the Madera Tourism Alliance, major sponsors are Stiebs and Stellar Distributing.  
 

Deals, discounts and fun events
Fun ways to stay and play for less

Bass Lake Event Center hosts Thanksgiving Buffet  

Chef Philip Petty and the Bass Lake Event Center staff are preparing a feast for you and your guests! Their extensive Thanksgiving Buffet menu includes all the traditional dishes that you and your guests enjoy. For pricing, full menu and reservations, visit their website.

 

Live Music at The Blue Heron  

The Blue Heron Lounge in Yosemite Lakes Park will be having two live bands free of charge this month. The first one is a fun 80's cover band who dresses and acts the part of "Max Headroom" on Saturday November 5th from 9pm-1:00am.  The second band will be here on black Friday, November 25, so after your day of shopping, come down and kick up your feet while "Executive Rockers" helps you party the night away from 9:00pm-1:00am.

 

Thanksgiving Dinner at The Branding Iron 

The Branding Iron Steakhouse and Saloon at Sierra Sky Ranch Resort offers a full Thanksgiving Day Dinner with all the trimmings from 1 pm to 7 pm on Thanksgiving. The dinner includes roast turkey with all the trimmings, baked glazed ham, mashed potatoes and gravy and much more for only $29 per person and $14 for kids ages 5-11. Call for your reservations. 559-658-2644

 

Century 21 Vacation Rentals offer Holiday specials   

Make the Holidays easy for mom. Treat her to a Bass Lake vacation! Private residences available, including lakefront, lake-view and lake-area vacation rentals; all at great rates. Holiday dinners available. For more information, call 559-642-2288.

  

Thanksgiving Buffet at Ducey's on the Lake 

Give your kitchen a break on Thanksgiving and let Ducey's on the Lake prepare your feast. The Thanksgiving Day Buffet runs from noon until 7 pm featuring a carving station with Roast Turkey or Prime Rib of Beef. The buffet includeslude salads, entrees, sides and deserts for only $32.95 for adults, $26.95 for seniors and $16.95 for kids ages 4-12. Reservations are required so call 559-642-3131 to reserve your spot today.

 

Ducey's on the Lake offers winter time deals 

Ducey's on the Lake is heating up the winter with cool deals throughout the season. Every Sunday and Monday Ducey's offers drink and food specials in our Bar & Grill, including $2 Pints of Bud Light. Call for more information or to reserve your seat (559)-642-3131

 

Golden Chain Theatre stages holiday play  

Golden Chain Theatre closes out their season with a Holiday play entitled 100 Elves by Dan Roberts. The play runs December 2-4. Friday and Saturday's performances are 7 pm with a matinee on Sunday at 2 pm. Adults are only $12, students aged 13-18 and active military are only $8 and seniors get in for $10. Children 12 and under are $6. For more information, call (559) 683-7112 or visit them online.

 

Hampton Inn in Madera offers gas cards 

The Hampton Inn in Madera is covering your gas. They will give a $10 gift card for gas with any overnight stay and for any type of room, throughout the entire month of November.

  

Hilmar Cheese hosts annual even

Hilmar Cheese Company hosts their Annual Holiday Open House Saturday - November 12, 2011. Meet California Farmstead cheese makers and gourmet food purveyors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and enjoy delicious complimentary gourmet food and sweet samples, cheese tasting and a variety of activities. Barbershop Quartet music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The full schedule includes:

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Our Famous Friday BBQ on Saturday $8.

11 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Photos with Santa and "Daisy" the Hilmar Cheese Jersey Spokes Cow. (Bring your camera).

11 a.m. and 1 p.m. - Holiday Cookie Decorating $3 per person to learn the "secrets" behind professionally decorated cookies

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Complimentary wine tasting for adults over 21 years of age.  

 

Oakhurst Giftworks to hold Open House

Oakhurst Giftworks is holding an open house Saturday November 12. Not only will you get a great chance to see all of their holiday merchandise, but you can receive 15% off all your purchases, great for Christmas shopping.  

 

Stay two nights at Sierra Sky Ranch, get another free 

Sierra Sky Ranch Resort is now offering their Winter Special on Thanksgiving Weekend. Stay Thursday and Friday night for $99 and get Saturday night Free. Based on double occupancy. Each additional person is $15 per night. Call 559-683-8040 for reservations.  


Paradise Springs offers steep discounts 

Paradise Springs Resort is offering huge discounts when you rent the entire resort. The whole facility can be yours for only  $5,500 plus tax (Sleeps 48 +) This includes 2 Nights at:

Villa (7 bedrooms, sleeps 20)

Lake House (3 bedrooms, sleeps 8)

Hansel & Gretel (3 bedrooms, sleeps 9)

Enchanted Cottage (1 bedroom, sleeps 5)

Bear Cottage (1 bedroom, sleeps 4)

Bella Pavilion (includes tables & chairs for 130

Emerald Garden, Meadow, & Gazebo

Additional $35.00 per RV/Tent

Only $59.78 plus tax per person per night when renting the entire resort!


Gift Certificates for The Pines Resort 

Give your friends and family the gift that keeps on giving with certificates from The Pines Resort at Bass Lake. Get a one night stay for two at a The Pines Resort Chalet for only $109 or for $129 including a $40 dinner voucher at Ducey's on the Lake. Or, purchase a one night stay for two in a Lakefront or Lakeside Suite at The Pines Resort for only $149 or $189 with a $60 dining voucher at Ducey's on the Lake.  

 

The Redwoods wants to put a Vacation under your tree 

The Redwoods in Yosemite is offering tremendous holiday deals, with 2 nights in a vacation rental home in Yosemite as low as $338. Gift certificates are available, with each one including free snowshoe rental, a welcome gift and discounts for Badger Pass Ski Resort, ice skating and dining. 

 

Membership dinner for Sierra Mono Indian Museum 

The Sierra Mono Indian Museum holds their annual Membership Dinner at the North Fork School on Saturday, November 12 from 3 - 6 pm. Membership is only $25 and includes dinner. Dinner only is $10. There will be a raffle with numerous great prizes, including a cord of wood to keep you warm this winner, $100 cash and a spectacular grand prize that is to be announced. For more information call 559-877-2115.

 

Murder Mystery Dinner at Yosemite Lakes Clubhouse Halloween might be over but the murder and mystery has stuck around at the Yosemite Lakes Clubhouse. Join us on Saturday December 3rd for our inaugural Murder Mystery dinner. The night will start off with a 3-course dinner followed by a fun night of mystery. Tickets are $55.00 per person and are limited. Please call 559-658-7466 Ext. 104 for reservations or more details.

 

 

About Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
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40637 Highway 41
Oakhurst, California 93644
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
559-683-4636