As a wine commentator, there’s definitely a lot of news worth despairing about these days in the industry. Most industry trends aren’t headed in the right direction. But one bright spot, as far as I’m concerned, can be found in the rising popularity of white wine compared with red. So many of the world’s greatest grape varieties are white, so it’s quite encouraging to see wine drinkers branching out a bit.
In service of that kind of exploration, Anderson Valley Winegrowers have decided to put on a festival dedicated to the genre. This is something of a reboot of the valley’s traditional and long-running Alsace Varieties Festival.
Made up of mostly producers from Anderson Valley, but also peppered with visiting wineries from Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and France, it promises to offer hundreds of white wines for sampling during the event’s grand tasting on Saturday, February 14th, at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville.
The producers who will be pouring white wines of all kinds include: Aquiesce Winery, Baxter Winery, Brashley Vineyards, Brick & Mortar Wines, Copain Wines, Christopher Creek, Domaine Anderson, Domaine Dardagny, Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, Foursight Wines, Goldeneye Winery, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, Handley Cellars, Husch Vineyards, La Crema, Lake County Winegrowers, Lichen Estate, Lula Cellars, Lussier, Maggy Hawk Winery, Matanzas Creek Winery, Maisons Marques & Domaines, Matanzas Creek Winery, Meyer Family Cellars, Navarro Vineyards, One on the Hill, Ottavino Wines, Pennyroyal Farm, Read Holland Wines, Roederer Estate Winery, Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans, Scharffenberger Cellars, Seawolf Wines, Toulouse Winery, Twomey Cellars, Weatherborne Wine Corp., Wines of Germany, and Wines of Mexico.
The Grand Tasting will feature “gourmet local bites,” live music and an indoor lounge space, and a commemorative glass to take home.
If you want to stay in the valley, you can make some winery visits on Sunday following the grand tasting, as many wineries will have open houses, some with live music and food. More details can be found on the event website.
2026 Anderson Valley International White Wines Festival
Saturday, February 14, 2026
11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Mendocino County Fairgrounds
14400 CA-128
Boonville, CA 95415 (map)
Tickets for the event will run you $160 (or $185 for VIP entry an hour early). They should be purchased in advance online. Book your lodging ASAP if you want to stay overnight, as options are limited. Please don’t drink and drive.
