One fantastic way to enhance a wine country vacation is to plan your trip around a wine festival. Wine regions around the world have festivals designed to feature the local wines and wineries and, of course, draw in the tourists. As just one example, Sonoma County in California has a series of festivals that run throughout the year.

Grape to Glass takes place on the weekend of August 15-17, 2008 in the Russian River Valley and has some of the more unique wine festival events around. The Winery Poker Run, Sip ‘N’ Cinema, and Hog in the Fog BBQ are all capped off with the Wings, Wine, and Wine-down. A complete weekend package is $500 but you can also pick and choose your event to, as the festival says, “live like a local.”

The Sonoma Wine Country Weekend is held on Labor Day weekend and is a showcase of the best local wines and food. Over 200 wineries and chefs participate, creating a series of lunches and dinners plus the featured events: Taste of Sonoma and the Harvest Wine Auction. Tickets start at $75 for the Winemaker Lunches and go up from there.

The Sonoma County Harvest Fair takes place October 3-5, 2008 and is billed as the “largest regional wine competition in the United States.” Over 1000 wines are submitted for judging by an international panel and the winners can shout their achievements from the highest rooftops. The festival is augmented by local food competitions, wine industry seminars, and even a grape stomping competition.

Pinot on the River is a weekend festival taking place October 24-26, 2008 and, as the name suggests, is all about Pinot Noir and takes place in the Russian River Valley. The festival includes a kickoff dinner on Friday, tastings and seminars on Saturday, and an “artisanal” tasting on Sunday. The full weekend of events costs $750 per person, not including lodging.

Immediately following the Pinot on the River festival, Sonoma Vineyard Walks is a five-day guided vacation that features an active tour of Sonoma County. Participants are limited to 20 people and will have the opportunity to walk and talk with winemakers and grapegrowers in seven different wine regions of the county. The cost per person is $1900 and includes almost everything once you get there.

Whatever festival you choose, you are sure to have a great time in Sonoma County!