First Annual Crab & Fennel Fest 2004

Fresh Dungeness crab, wild fennel and world-class wines from the Russian River Valley will be the focal points of the first annual Crab & Fennel Fest, Saturday, March 6, 2004, hosted by the growers and vintners of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers. This first annual fundraiser will be held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Finley Hall in tandem with the Russian River Wine Roads Barrel Tasting Weekend.

The native Dungeness crab comes from the fishing grounds of the Pacific Ocean only a short twenty miles from the heart of Russian River Valley wine country. March sees the beginning of the end of Dungeness season and also ushers in the first bright green aromatic shoots of wild common fennel that fringe almost every vineyard, garden and backyard in the Russian River Valley.

“This herb is so pervasive and invasive that many of our grape growers consider it more of a pain than a culinary ingredient!” said Saralee McClelland Kunde, past president of RRVW.

So, in true Russian River Valley style (and following the lead of our Burgundian cousins and their snails) we decided if we can't BEAT it, we'll EAT it! The soft, slightly anise flavor of "common" fennel is a perfect match for the sweetness of Dungeness crab and complements both pinot noir and pinot gris. Of course the marriage of crab and chardonnay is timeless. The evening festivities include cracking crab family-style, quaffing Russian River Valley wines and sharing in the culinary creations of local chefs who will bring out the best of the "pest" wild fennel.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit our web site at www.rrvw.org or call the RRVW office at 707/521-2534. To find out more about the Russian River Wine Roads Barrel Tasting Weekend their web site is www.wineroads.com.

About the RRVW