Jonathan Darrow, director of the 2026 edition of Winesong, joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on Calfornia Wine Country. This is his first time on the show, but his predecessor Jamie Peters was here last year before Winesong, on this episode.
KSXY15 is the Winesong discount code for listeners to California Wine Country and The Drive, to recieve a 15% discount on tickets here at the Winesong site.
Jonathan Darrow is the coordinator of the event, auction and tasting for Winesong. It takes place the weekend of September 11 and 12. It’s a beautiful drive past the redwoods and through Anderson Valley. The event is at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, right off Hwy 20.
Winesong is the primary fundraiser for the Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation. It was founded in 1985 to benefit Mendocino Hospital and evolved into its present status in 2019. Now their contributions can benefit the entire district. Whatever equipment they donate, belongs to the community. They provide benefits to the hospital and also to the Mendocino Coast Clinics.
Jon has brought four different wines which pertain to Winesong. First is Husch, which started in 1979 in Anderson Valley. This is the Husch 2024 Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc.
Winesong Live Music
As the name Winesong implies, there is live music at the event. There are six stages with performances of all kinds. You wander through a 20-acre park, where there are little hubs or stations here and there along the way. There is a Harvest Market with food, and the Dahlia Market. There will be 20,000 blooming Dahlias.
Friday is dedicated to Pinot Noir. Saturday is the Grand Tasting at the Botanical Gardens. They have deflated the admission price to the 2016 cost. Dan says the Pinot Noir tasting is not to be missed. There is an unbelievable number of great Pinot Noirs. They taste a Fathers and Daughters Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley. Anderson Valley is also becoming a hub for sparkling wines. There are wineries at Winesong from not only Mendocino County but also Napa, Sonoma and Lake as well as importers from Europe.
Mendocino Ridge AVA
The Mendocino Ridge AVA is the only one with non-contiguous borders. It includes any wineries in the area that are above 1200 feet above sea level. The next tasting is a 2016 Chardonnay from Napa. Someone will win a case of this wine at Winesong. They will celebrate their Legacy Vintners of the Year, including Golden Eye and Duckhorn. Winemaker Greg Graziano will also be represented with the St. Gregory Sparkling Wine at the beginning of the auction.
Jonathan has covered lots of different roles at Winesong and this year he has stepped into the director’s role. He started college as a theater major, then got a degree in Beverage Management at UNLV. His first job was working for a bar with 3300 beers and 1800 whiskies. He likes to see “the lightbulb go off” when people start to understand something. The more you know about things, the more you can appreciate it. Dan points out that in the US we start our wine education after age 21 which is late.