What's Your Favorite Wine?

Break out the Merlot — September has been proclaimed California Wine Month by Gov. Jerry Brown, according to Wine Institute and California Association of Winegrape Growers officials.

This September will mark the seventh year the California government has recognized the wine industry and its connection to the Golden State with its many wineries, grape growers, vintners and more.

On Wednesday, Brown officially proclaimed next month as California Wine month, which includes a month of events across the state. In the Bay Area on Labor Day weekend, or Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, the Taste of Sonoma event at MacMurray Ranch will feature more than 170 wineries and 60 chefs, along with seminars, cooking demonstrations and vineyard tours.

The 30th Annual Harvest Wine Celebration offers complimentary shuttle buses to more than 40 Livermore Valley wineries during Labor Day weekend. On Sept. 16, Pinotfest Monterey will be a beach party and charity auction with live music, food and wine from several Monterey area wineries.

According to the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers, California has more than 4,600 grape growers and accounts for about 90 percent of wine production in the United States.

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