Gourmands Gather in Mill Valley for a Scrumptious, Sunny Day at 37th Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting

On Sunday, June 3, much like the Golden State Warriors’ ageless nemesis, the Mill Valley Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting continued to amaze well into its fourth decade, largely behind the incredible community spirit and dedication of legions of organizers, volunteers, organizers, sponsors, restaurants, wineries, breweries, gourmet food makers and, of course, hundreds and hundreds of food and drink lovers (with an absolutely gorgeous day of weather thrown in for good measure).

Sponsored by Mill Valley Market since 1981, the event raised thousands of dollars for Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation, and the Mill Valley Chamber. The Michael White Band, featuring local legend Jimmy Dillon, provided the soundtrack for the afternoon, and 10 amazing local restaurants served up delicious food – from Flour Craft Bakery‘s lemon poundcake with fresh raspberries on skewers and Pizza Antica‘s chicken caesar piadini wraps to pulled pork sliders from Balboa Cafe, 600-plus burgers from El Paseo and Sol Food‘s prawn cocktail, among others.

All that deliciousness was washed down by a hard-to-fathom array of wine from 65-plus wineries, fine craft beers from 15 breweries, including some of the biggest craft beer names in the Bay Area, as well food from nearly 30 food purveyors.

The event also featured a pair of new ventures, including a silent auction from Kiddo! on the outdoor patio of our gracious hosts at the Depot Bookstore & Cafe. The event raised nearly $3,000, thanks to wine- and food-related donations from local vendors.

And in a long-sought move to vastly reduce the environmental footprint of a historic, complex event, the MV Chamber partnered with the City of Mill Valley, the Marin County Hazardous Waste JPA, North Bay Conservation Corps, Mill Valley Refuse, a dream Green Team of volunteers  and all event vendors to make the event as Zero Waste as possible.

Thanks to those partners, the event diverted 93 percent of its waste from the landfill via compost and recycling. To do so, participants were asked in advance to use compostable disposables compliant with Mill Valley Refuse’s strict rules for composting. In addition to underwriting the cost of the NBBC, the City purchased compostable party plates and forks, tasting spoons and cups in case a vendor needed compostable replacements.

“We all learned a lot this first year and we’re aiming for 100 percent at our upcoming Winterfest event,” says Susan Lopes, who coordinated the Zero Waste campaign.

In addition to all that, the event also featured complimentary valet bicycle parking, provided by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and sponsored by Tam Bikes on Miller Avenue.

SAVE THE DATE: The 38th Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting is set for Sunday, June 2, 2019. MORE INFO.

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