I’m bursting at the seams to share two annual events that will not only fill your belly and wet your whistle, they’ll also give you bragging rights for years to come. You’ll want to permanently place both events on your calendar. Barrel Tasting and Restaurant Week.

Isn’t humblebrag an odd word? It’s one of those words the more you say it the more it makes you giggle, especially after a couple glasses of wine. The act of humblebragging dates back as far as ancient Greece – the epitome of an indulgent era. Leading up until recently, it’s been taboo. Lately though, it’s found a favorable place on social media.
Photo by Courtney Paige
Take Instagram for instance, boasting has become the norm with lots of pretty food photos. Friends and strangers post professional style photos of the latest hot spots. The caption need not say ‘wish you were here’. Because yep, we wish. Welp, wish no more!

Dream of living a few nights like the influencers on social media? Throw out your ‘everything in moderation’ mentality and indulge in two of Sonoma County’s most gratifying and affordable events of the year. There comes a time when you can’t help but boast about Sonoma County’s geographical area. This is one of those moments. Spring is just around the corner swirling sweet nothings about the upcoming festivities, and the first week of March is the kickoff.

If you’re a foodie and/or a wino…errr….wine aficionado, then these two events are not to be missed. There’s lots of land to cover in Sonoma County. It’s a challenge to navigate and pin down choices without spinning your wheels. Truth is, Barrel Tasting and Restaurant Week are the perfect reason to don your LBD (little black dress), get social IRL (in real life) and wiggle your way out of your comfort zone.

Barrel tasting kicks off wine season during the first two weekends in March. Here’s the link for the deet’s. http://bit.ly/SoCoBarrellTasting Hot tip, remember, if tickets are sold out, passes are available for purchase at any participating winery. Take note, no food pairing during barrel tasting at the wineries. Pack a picnic, or be sure to make reservations at participating restaurant week venues listed here: Sonoma Insider

Sonoma Insider has a helpful legend to sort restaurant options by category including region, city and cuisine for over 130 Sonoma County restaurants. http://bit.ly/restaurantweekchoices
Barrel tasting and restaurant week are the perfect pair, like two love birds. Sip and swirl by day, and savor bits and bites at night. By the end of the evening you’ll humblebrag to your friends and family about how exhausted you are from overeating and drinking at barrel tasting and restaurant week. Enjoy!
Humblebrag: to make a disguised boast or brag, for example: He’s humblebragging about how tired he is from his world travels. bit.ly/humblebragdefinition.
Blog post created while listening to: Doobie Brothers ‘Listen to the Music’ Bottle Shock movie soundtrack. http://bit.ly/bottleshockalbum
~ Courtney Paige