Healdsburg Crush

Healdsburg Crush is a harvest-season Sunday tasting that raises money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin. More than sixty producers set up for an open-air, walk-around afternoon at Bacchus Landing in Healdsburg, pouring Pinot Noir, sparkling wine and Chardonnay. A VIP ticket opens the gates an hour before general admission, for a quieter first pass at the tables. Proceeds go to the clubs' programs for young people across Sonoma and Marin counties.

Sixty-plus producers in one place, all focused on the cool-climate grapes Sonoma County is known for, make this a quick way to compare Pinot Noir and Chardonnay styles side by side, with sparkling to reset the palate. The timing helps: it falls in October, while harvest is under way in the vineyards around Healdsburg. Bacchus Landing gives the afternoon room to breathe outdoors, and every glass poured supports local kids. For a first visit to Sonoma wine country, few afternoons cover as much ground.