November is the perfect time for wine and travel

As the seasons change and we prepare to set the clocks back an hour, it starts to feel more like the holiday season. Sometimes San Diegans find it hard to get into the holiday spirit because our November days are characterized by 70 degree days and sunny skies, but there is a place that is perfect for getting into the spirit of the season.

Not only is Napa Valley a wonderful destination for wine and food lovers alike, it is a perfect place to experience the changing season without the need to pull out your snow gear.

This November Napa Valley welcomes a great wine tasting event called Flavor! Napa Valley where the best of America’s wine and food capital will be showcased. If you’re looking for a pre-holiday getaway and a chance to relax with that special someone, book your travel arrangements now. The event is something that cannot be missed.

Taking place November 17 – 20, 2011, this four-day culinary exploration of tastings, cooking demos, dinners, and more.

One of the weekend highlights includes an event called “The Appellation Trail: Tasting Napa Valley” which is being hosted on Friday evening, November 18th, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the historic Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone in St. Helena, Napa Valley.

More than 120 wineries will offer their wines. Some of the best names in wine making will be there including Beringer Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars, Chiarello Family Vineyards, Crocker & Starr Wines, Etude, Grgich Hills Estate, The Hess Collection Winery, Michael Mondavi Family Estate, Mumm Napa Valley, Robert Mondavi Winery, St. Clement, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, Staglin Family Vineyard, Stags’ Leap Winery, and William Hill Estate.

In addition to the most sought after wines, guests will be treated to delectable treats from over thirty of Napa Valley’s best restaurants and artisanal food purveyors, including Ad Hoc, La Toque, Morimoto Napa, and The Restaurant at Meadowood.

Not only are the best brands and boutiques represented at this fantastic event, but many local and national food celebrities will be in attendance. Food Network chef, Restauranteur of the Year and local resident Tyler Florence will be there along with Richard Blais, the winner of “Top Chef All-Stars.” They will be doing demonstrations around a live fire grill where attendees can watch and enjoy the dishes prepared.

Local chef Dave Cruz from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc Restaurant in Yountville says that this event is going to be “an extraordinary way to experience the foods that are born from the same soils that produce the Napa Valley wines known around the world.”

Napa Valley is a world-renowned wine and food destination, and this event is something that any food or wine connoisseur will enjoy. The event makes a perfect destination to get away before the holiday madness begins. Tickets for “The Appellation Trail: Tasting Napa Valley” are only $150, and can be purchased online at www.FlavorNapaValley.com. Net proceeds from the event support programs and scholarships at The Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus in St. Helena.

Make it a complete weekend of food festivities by heading to www.flavornapavalley.com to find other events and local destinations to check out.