10th Annual Crab & Wine Festival 2009
Mendocino County Celebrates Local Bounty at Annual Festival

MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA -- (November 19th, 2008) -- Early next year, Mendocino County will celebrate locally harvested Dungeness crab and locally grown and produced wines with a festival that is sure to delight foodies and oenophiles alike! There will be a multitude of dinners, events and lodging specials to take advantage of over the course of the weekend -- hosted by the Mendocino County Clinics, innkeepers, restaurants and more -- so head to Mendocino County this January and enjoy good food, fine wines, and family-friendly fun!

Here’s a taste of what’s on the menu:

10th Annual Crab and Wine Days – January 23rd and 24th, 2009
Mendocino Coast Clinics – Fort Bragg, CA
www.mendocinocoastclinics.org, events@mccinc.org, or 707-961-3463.
Mendocino Coast Clinics hosts the 10th Annual Crab & Wine Days, held at Pentecost Hall in Fort Bragg, where spectacular ocean bluffs and majestic redwood forests create an idyllic setting.
• Cioppino Dinner: Friday, January 23rd, Family-style dinner features steaming bowls of Cioppino, fresh salad & lots of hot bread for dipping! Music and raffle prizes! $30.00. Two seatings: 5:30 and 7:00 p.m.
• Crab Cake Cook-Off and Wine Tasting Competition: Saturday, January 24th. The premiere event of the Festival! Mendocino County Chefs and Wineries serve up their best to celebrity judges – and the public gets to sample each of the entries as well! Vote for the coveted Peoples’ Choice Award! Live & Silent Auction! $65.00. Noon – 3 p.m.

Coastal Living recently named Mendocino’s Crab & Wine Days as one of the Top 10 Seafood and Wine events in the world!

Proceeds from the Cioppino Dinner, the Crab Cake Cook-Off, and the Wine Tasting Competition fund uncompensated care for those in need. Mendocino Coast Clinics, a non-profit, board-governed community health center, provides medical, dental, perinatal and behavioral health care to all Mendocino Coast residents & visitors, regardless of their ability to pay.

Other Crab & Wine Festival events are being hosted by the following venues:

Mendo Bistro - Fort Bragg, CA
www.mendobistro.com, 707-964-4974
• 3-course crab themed dinners: $40/person throughout the festival (January 19th – 26th)
• Crab cooking class on January 25th. Noon start, $45 per person, $75 per couple.
• 10th anniversary celebration on January 26th! Local wineries will pour delectable Mendocino Wine, musical performances, and of course, great food! 5pm - ??

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Crab & Wine Festival 2009, Page 2 of 2

Little River Inn – Little River, CA
www.littleriverinn.com, (800) 466-5683
• Old-fashioned Crab Feed Monday, January 19th and Monday, January 26th
• Winemaker dinner on Friday, January 30th
• Special “Crab Rate” offered weekdays (Sunday – Thursday) during the festival (January 4th through January 29th). Flat rate of $175 per night plus tax for any room! Savings range from 40% off the seasonal rate for our most luxurious units to 15% off the seasonal rate for ground level ocean view rooms with Jacuzzi tubs.
• “Crab Cruise” add-on to any room reservation – experience crabbing for yourself!

Fensalden Inn – Albion, CA
www.fensalden.com, (800) 959-3850
• Annual Crab Feed on Saturday, January 24th. Wine pouring from a local Anderson Valley winery beginning at 5pm. Dinner on the sun porch follows. Open only to guest staying at the Inn (16 seats available). Cost is $35 per person.

Dennen’s Victorian Farmhouse – Mendocino, CA
www.victorianfarmhouse.com, (800) 264-4723
• Tenth Annual Navarro Vineyards Crabalicious event on Saturday, January 24th. Navarro wines will be served, along with premium crab hors d’oeuvres. The wine and crab tasting are no extra charge to guests, and each guest room will also be stocked with festival goodies and wine as well. The complimentary gourmet breakfast delivered to your room each morning also contains crab. Navarro event takes place from 5:30pm to 7 p.m. Also available to non-guests for $15 per person.

Albion River Inn – Albion, CA
www.albionriverinn.com, (800) 479-7944)
• 2009 Winemaker Dinner on Thursday, January 29th. Enjoy a sumptuous five-course crab inspired menu paired with a medley of fine wines from Albion River Inn's award-winning list (recipient of Wine Spectators' Award of Excellence for 15 straight years straight!) 6:30 p.m. seating. Live piano jazz with vocals. $135 per person (tax and tip included).

Brewery Gulch Inn – Mendocino, CA
www.brewerygulchinn.com, (800) 578-4454
Crab package includes two nights lodging (January 30th & 31st), a Friday evening wine hour with a light dinner buffet, a five-course crab dinner on Saturday featuring Yorkville Cellar wines, and a gourmet breakfast each morning. $792 and up per couple (taxes and gratuities included). Five-course dinner without lodging: $125 per person.

For more information and a complete listing of all events, or for information on where to stay during your upcoming trip to Mendocino County, please call 866-STAY-MENDO or visit www.gomendo.com.

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