'Secret Supper' To Mark 10th Annual Russian River Valley Wine Weekend

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Russian River Valley’s celebrated Paulée dinner, the Russian River Valley Winegrowers have announced an exciting weekend line-up of events and are partnering with Secret Supper to bring an element of mystery to the region's Paulée dinner.

Russian River Valley Wine Weekend is slated for Friday-Sunday, Aug. 2 –4, with an expanded experiential program bringing three full days of wine, culinary delights, tastings and adventure experiences unique to the area.

As part of the weekend experience, the organization’s annual Paulée Dinner will be presented by Secret Supper, a food and wine experiential team that creates unique dining experiences internationally. In the tradition of Secret Supper events, the location for the dinner remains a secret until 24 hours before the event. For guests who wish to prolong the anticipation, an optional shuttle service will be offered from a central location, with no information about the destination until arrival.

"In honor of our Paulée Dinner’s 10th anniversary, we wanted to create a unique and exciting weekend of events to thrill our returning guests and impress newcomers to the Russian River Valley region," said Jesslyn Jackson, executive director of Russian River Valley Winegrowers. "Secret Supper is an innovative organization creating unforgettable experiences to match our region’s incredible wines and personalities. We can’t wait to introduce this event to our community and welcome Secret Supper’s network of consumers to the valley."

The Paulée dinner is a family-style fine dining experience hosted by a dozen local winemakers and growers sharing unique cellar offerings surrounded by live acoustic music. The popular event is named for Burgundy’s famous tradition of La Paulée', a convivial fête in which growers from famous domaines of the region share food and wine with their guests.

In addition to the Paulée dinner, Russian River Valley Wine Weekend will include unique guest experiences on Friday and Sunday. Friday will kick off the weekend with a Sunset Soirée event and Sunday will conclude with a lunch to close out the events and wish growers well on the upcoming 2024 harvest season.

The full schedule for Russian River Valley Wine Weekend includes:

Friday, Aug. 2: Sunset Soirée Presented by San Francisco Magazine held at Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to mingle with up to 30 esteemed producers and growers while enjoying a selection of award-winning wines from the valley and small bites from Sonoma County-based food trucks and vendors. Bay Area band, Hella Fitzgerald will perform at a dedicated music lounge sponsored by Rodney Strong Vineyards. A unique “storyteller hour” is available as an add-on option for up to 50 guests. Legendary winegrowers and winemakers from Russian River Valley will pour special selections from their cellars while sharing historical and memorable moments from the Russian River Valley’s past 40 years. Tickets to Sunset Soirée start at $185.

Saturday, Aug. 3: – Paulée Dinner presented by Secret Supper, with location to be announced just prior to the event, will take place from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Tickets are $325 and are available through our partners at Secret Supper.

Sunday, Aug. 4: – Russian River Valley Récolte Lunch will be held at Hop Kiln Estate by Landmark Vineyards from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Up to six producers will host an intimate lunch amongst the hop kilns of the historic property beside the Russian River on Westside Road outside of Healdsburg. Tickets to the Récolte Lunch are $225.

"Our hope was to design a unique event itinerary for visitors that focused on showcasing our beautiful winery and grower properties throughout the weekend," Jackson said. "We are holding two of our three main events in the evening to encourage guests to visit our area’s unique wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms during the day. The wineries and vineyards of our valley are where guests get the true story of who we are in Russian River Valley."

Additional tickets and more information are available at the newly launched RussianRiverValleyWineWeekend.com. The site has a dedicated travel guide highlighting experiences offered by member wineries and growers.

For lodging, the organization encourages guests to consider the partner hotel, Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country, which has a special guest room rate for the weekend.

Participating growers and wineries throughout the weekend include:

Ancient Oak Cellars, Balletto Vineyards, Benovia Winery, Campana Ranch Winery, Cartograph Wines, Char Vale Vineyards and Winery, CHEV Wine, CIRQ, Croix Estate, Davis Bynum, DeLoach Vineyards, Domaine Della, Emeritus Vineyards, Freeman Winery & Vineyards, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, Hartford Family Winery, Innumero Wines, Joseph Jewell, Joseph Swan Vineyards, Kosta Browne, MacRostie Winery & Vineyards, Marchelle Wines, Marimar Estate, Martin Ray Vineyards & Winery, Merriam Vineyards, Notre Vue Estate, Papapietro Perry Winery, Paradise Ridge Winery, Patz & Hall, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Senses Wines, Taft Street Winery