It's the favourite time of winter for anyone who loves tearing apart sea bugs and dunking them in melted butter: the Mendocino Seafood & Sips Festivalwhich this yr takes place from January twenty fourth to February twenty fourth. 2.
The 10-day itinerary is as full as crab legs in a pot and features a sparkling wine and oyster feast, Dungeness crab chow, caviar tastings, Cioppino dinners, and weekend pairing specials at Mendocino wineries.
There may also be a crab cake cook-off and wine competition between local restaurants and wineries, in addition to a special screening of the wine country masterpiece “Sideways.”
Between all of the foodie stuff, there are many ways to benefit from the county's seaside attractions, from whale watching and fishing adventures to coastal hikes and art walks, based on tourism group Visit Mendocino County.
The list of events is posted at Visit Mendocino County (visitmendocino.com/seafood-and-sips-2025), but here's a sampling of what's happening:
January twenty fifth, 1-4 p.m.: Champagne and oyster celebration
The caves at Saracina Vineyards are the setting for this afternoon feast featuring freshly shucked oysters, paired wines and appetizers from Left Coast Seafood, The Golden Pig, Cafe Poppy and Boonville Distillery. Tickets are $125-$150 (save $18.75 with promo code MendoBubbles) and can be found at Destinationhopland.com.
January thirty first, 5:00 p.m. and seven:30 p.m.: Cioppino dinner
Two timed seating options can be found at this profit dinner for Club Cardinal, a nonprofit organization that helps raise money for top school sports in Mendocino. Held on the Little River Inn Restaurant, the events feature local Dungeness crab served family-style with baked bread for dipping, salad, dessert, coffee and “plenty of napkins.” Tickets are $75 on the door; Check availability by calling the inn at 707-937-5942.
February 1, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Crab Cake Cook-Off and Wine Tasting Contest
Unfortunately, all tickets for this popular event seem like sold out. However, get on the waitlist by emailing events@mccinc.org and check for updates, including special seating on the VIP Circle of Claws tables at crabwinefestival.org.
Jan 24 – Feb 3: Various events
Crab feedings at Mendocino clubs, auctions, raffles, weekend wine pairings (in a case of caviar), a screening of “Sideways” with wine tastings and more mark the complete course of the festival. An in depth list of events will be found at PDF linked at the underside des Festival landing page.
Originally published:
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