Jun 25, 2008

Wine walk strolls into downtown San Mateo

Event will close 3rd Avenue

By Tim Simmers / Bay Area News Group

San Mateo's 13th annual Downtown Wine Walk is on tap for Friday, as the downtown turns itself into a wine garden with the closing of 3rd Avenue.

More than 5,000 people are expected for what has become the premier summer event in San Mateo.

Slated for 5:30-9 p.m., the event includes 18 small wineries pouring a variety of wines.

It also highlights open retail stores - many of them serving wine - and sample food from many downtown restaurants.

Attendees can freely walk with their glass of wine in hand throughout blocks of the core downtown.

"The walk is back in the wine walk," said Kelly Mitter, president of the Downtown San Mateo Association, which puts on the event with other sponsors.

The Wine Walk allowed strolling and drinking on the sidewalks in recent years, but pulled back on that last year. But attendance slipped, so the strolling and drinking concept was brought back.

It's the first time 3rd Avenue - the downtown's core - will be closed to accommodate wine drinkers. The street will be shut down from El Camino Real to B Street.

"This is a tasting event, and we want people to be free to walk around," Mitter said.

Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 the day of the event. Ticket holders get a wine glass, a wristband and tasting tickets, which are their passport to sample wines throughout the downtown.

Tickets are available in advance at the Downtown San Mateo Association; Talbot's Cyclery; Borel Private Bank and Trust; Trag's market and the San Mateo Public Library. They are also available on the day of the event at 3rd Avenue and Ellsworth Street across from Walgreens. For more information, go to www.winewalk.org.

Some of the featured wineries include Guglielmo Winery of Morgan Hill, Ventana Vineyards of Monterey, Naumann Vineyards of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sterling Albert Winery of Concord.

There will be entertainment on two stages, including local Top 40 sensation and family band Duran, Duran, Duran, Duran, led by Taqueria La Cumbre owner Ed Duran. Other acts include Island Dream; The San Franz rock and pop cover band; and David Elias & The CasualTees.

The fundraiser expects to generate $100,000 in revenue, half of which goes to funding Downtown San Mateo Association events throughout the year.