By Julie Fadda Images by Cameron Neilson How about a place where you can try new wines, meet the winemakers and see some of your favor- ite bands? San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival, which took place this August 10-12, is where it hap- pens. Since its inception in 2008, it’s billed itself as a music, art, food and wine festival – and this year it added beer to the list. music lineup in 2012 featured such iconic artists as Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Stevie Wonder, Metallica The scene covers Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field and and Norah Jones. This was a great year for us to its surrounding meadows, with a stage in each area step up the wine lineup to an equally iconic scale. featuring all kinds of music and other entertainment We also offered wine on tap from Free Flow Wines, (the eye candy alone is fantastic). The area devoted pouring five of its kegged wines through an antique to wine is called “Wine Lands.” Its atmosphere is in- schoolhouse sink that we bought at salvage.” Both viting, with comfortable seating and cocktail tables Johnson and the folks at Hess Collection are also where people can hang out. “It isn’t just Wine Lands impressed by the festival’s greening efforts. “There’s – it’s ‘discovery’ lands,” says Julie Johnson, owner/ no waste. That’s where we are as a winery, so it’s winemaker at Tres Sabores, who took part for the wonderful to see,” says Johnson. first time in 2011. “We had so much fun. It was amaz- ing. Also the exposure was wonderful. People were And the wine selection is as eclectic as the music. really digging finding new wines and meeting the “I give a lot of credit to Peter Eastlake for push- people who make them. They’d say, ‘This is your ing wineries to pour unique, fun wines,” adds Hess’ wine? You’re the winemaker? Wow!’ David Shabelman. Our best seller last year, for ex- ample, was Artezin Petite Sirah, something a bit out “There’s good food, too,” she continues. “It’s truly of the mainstream for many people.” something you’d want to enjoy your wine with.” There are more than fifty local food vendors from “I poured our Artezin Charbono, which is really a the greater Bay Area to complement wines offered bit obscure,” says Randle Johnson, winemaker for by around thirty wineries. Top that with more than Artezin Wines. “For a while, I was engaging as we seventy bands as well as DJs and comedians. often do at more traditional pourings, but then the people’s enthusiasm grabbed me and I found myself “Wine Lands has grown significantly since the first saying something like, ‘Charbono is an oddball/ weirdo varietal.’ And that’s all it took. My pouring station had people lined up to taste the ‘weirdo’ year and has really become core to the festival wine! It was great fun.” “We poured ¿Por Qué No?, experience,” says its organizer, Peter Eastlake. “The a wine that’s perfect for that atmosphere a unique 4
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