Celebrate All Year Along the Wine Road

We love to celebrate. Anniversaries, birthdays, new jobs, new homes, we celebrate them all, and more. Now the Wine Road is inviting you to help celebrate their 50^th anniversary during 2026.

Let that sink in for a minute. In a world where so many things come and go quickly —favorite restaurants, best-fitting shoes, or best store in the mall — the Wine Road’s members have kept their association alive for 50 years and counting. That’s half a century of Wine Road maps, wine tasting and amazing events.

This is definitely something worth celebrating with a full year’s worth of special wine tasting events:

Tax Relief Tasting

From Sunday, April 12^th through Sunday, April 19^th, some wineries will be offering FREE wine tastings for Tax Relief Week. To participate in the free tastings, register online for $5 per person. When you visit a participating winery, show the registration on your phone and enjoy a complimentary tasting. Be sure to check the winery’s days and hours of operation as they vary from winery to winery.

Take a Selfie, Win a Prize

April is selfie month along the Wine Road. Member wineries will have Wine Road’s 50^th Anniversary sign available as a selfie station. Take a selfie with the sign, post it with the tag @thewineroad and add #WineRoad50. Doing this will enter you for a chance to win a $200 Wine Road credit that you can redeem for upcoming event tickets. Five winners will be selected in May. Good luck!

Wine Trail

There are four more Wine Trail Saturdays during the year, with each event offering tasting access to all the participating wineries for only $50 per person. Mark your calendars for these dates:

May 16 – Spring Wine Trail focuses on warm weather whites, rosés and sparkling wines.
July 11 – Summer Wine Trail showcases the wines that will help you celebrate summer.
September 12 – Harvest Wine Trail gets you out during the magical time of year, tasting great wines and soaking in the harvest sights, sounds and aromas.
December 5 – Holiday Wine Trail + Market is the perfect way to holiday shop while you sip. No stress, no mall, easy parking. What could be better?

Free Retro Tasting Day

As part of the Wine Road’s 50^th celebration, June 20^th is FREE wine tasting day at several wineries. Here’s how it rolls:

• Register online for $5 per person.
• Visit any of the participating wineries and enjoy!
• No reservations needed, just walk in and show your registration at winery when you arrive and the tasting fee is waived.
• One registration per taster is needed.

Celebrate 50 Years with a PARTY

After 50 years of doing a great job of connecting wine lovers with wineries, the Wine Road is celebrating with a big wine, food and live music party. Mark your calendars for the Wine Road’s 50^th Anniversary Grand Tasting on September 26^th.

Hosted at Foppiano Vineyards, one of the Wine Road’s founding members, this event promises 50 wineries pouring their finest, delicious food from renowned local chefs and restaurants and live music that will have you on your feet and dancing. There will also be a silent auction benefitting the Redwood Empire Food Bank and The Healdsburg Museum.

This not-to-be-missed party will be from 4 – 7 p.m. Tickets and more details will be available on August 1^st.

And There’s More!

As you peruse the Wine Road’s website, you’ll find even more reasons to come celebrate with the winery members this year. On the 50^th Anniversary page, there are also details about a Wine Road Tasting Pass for the month of August, which actually runs through September 19^th, and October as Picnic Month.

On the site’s home page find a link to Sip Into the Weekend, listing many wineries that are offering free tastings on Thursday and Friday, or 2 for 1 tastings on those days. Or check out the Calendar of Events and discover happenings like the French Garden Market on May 9^th at Dry Creek Vineyard, or Twomey Winery’s Summer Celebration on May 30^th. Winery events are added on an ongoing basis, so be sure to check out the calendar when making your Wine Country plans.

Celebrate All Year Long

The Wine Road invites you to come celebrate its 50^th with the member wineries and lodgings while you immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, aromas, tastes and joy you’ll discover along the Wine Road.

Happy Sipping!

Posted by Rebecca Germolus

Rebecca Germolus, co-owner of Maximum Value Marketing, loves Sonoma County and playing along the Wine Road. Rebecca daily immerses herself in wine country by providing cost-effective marketing and writing solutions to wineries and restaurants.

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