Date: Sunday, October 23, 2011, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

It takes a lot of beer to make good wine

-Winemakers proverb 

Yes, we are a wine site.  But many wine drinkers also enjoy beer.  Last Saturday evening we held our first tasting of these outstanding Bavarian brews.   Since we still have some on hand with two weeks to go in the month, we decided to hold another fest on Sunday afternoon, when it is easier to get around and the Niners have a bye. It also happens to be my birthday, sad to say.

Instead of any birthday presents, we are asking for a minimum donation of $10 with the proceeds going to support the Food Bank.

Included in the price are ample servings of eight different Bavarian Oktoberfest biers, such as Paulaner, Erlinger and Ayinger, together with several American craft brews produced on the occasion of this German festival by Sudwerk and Sam Adams.   There will also be serving three types of sausages with German potato salad. 

The Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810 to celebrate the October 12th marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. The citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities which were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates. The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a horse race. The royal party drew about 40,000 guests—a major rager, by ordinary standards, but only a small fraction of the 7 million people at Oktoberfest in more recent years. A good time, and copious amounts of beer, were apparently had by all that first year. The horse race was eventually dropped, but a state state agricultural show that grew up around the festivities is still held.