Chardonnay Symposium on the Central Coast

Are those light whites some of your favorite sips? Mark mid-May on the calendar.

A SPRING IN YOUR SIP: Most of us are seeking to put a spring in our step, come the warmer days of May. But putting a spring in your sip is something else altogether, though the idea is clear enough. Springtime, and its soon-to-follow BFF summer, are all about lighter libations, the sorts of beverages that are best enjoyed with the temperature pushes upward and the setting is somewhere outdoors. The annual International Chardonnay Symposium in Pismo Beach and Avila Beach is timed quite well to this notion, arriving, as it does, just a couple of weeks ahead of Memorial Day Weekend. Chard fans, as a rule, are feeling rather jazzed about all of those outdoor soirees on the horizon, and the chance to taste some truly high quality labels, and meet experts on taste-worthy topic, is too delicious to pass up. If this sippable light white is your jam pretty much from May through September, best make a date to be in SLO on...

THURSDAY, MAY 12 THROUGH SATURDAY, MAY 14: "Chardonnay producers from around the world" will make for both Pismo and Avila, as well as Edna Valley, for "an in-depth exploration of the world's favorite grape and its impact on viticulture, tastemakers and the market." A sommelier challenge, involving 20 wine experts, will involve a double-blind tasting, and a day of tech discussion, followed by a barbecue, is also on the docket. Comparative tastings, an oyster-yummy gala, a discussion voted to the nooks and crannies of oak's role in fine chardonnay, and a look at various regional tastes of California dot the events calendar. As for vintners ready to show and socialize? Alpha Omega out of St. Helena, Foxen of Santa Maria Valley, and nearby Harmony Cellars are a few of the many (many x 10) wineries on board. Want to dig deeper into all the participants? You'll want to start here.

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