The story of Festival del Sole, as its name suggests, starts in Italy in the 1990’s, where, arts entrepreneur and pianist Barrett Wissman and wife, cellist Nina Kotova, had often discussed organizing an event somewhere in the world where friends could make music together in a warm welcoming atmosphere.
In 2003, the Festival del Sole was born in Cortona in Tuscany, and incorporated a vast array of events including concerts, fine art exhibitions, culinary events, wine tastings, and literary events. In 2006, Barrett Wissman brought the Festival Del Sole to Napa Valley, which has now become Festival Napa Valley.
Over the years, the Festivals have attracted a stunning lineup of some of the world’s greatest musicians, artists, actors, chefs and personalities including Robert Redford, Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming, Sting, Thomas Keller, Antonio Pappano, Sophia Loren, Pinchas Zukerman, and many, many more.
Barrett Wissman has decided to bring back the style, artistic level, tradition and excitement of the Festival del Sole back to the wine country of Northern California in 2024, in partnership with the stunning acoustic and architectural gem, the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and its Executive Director Jacob Yarrow.
Program
Violinist Viktoria Mullova, cellist Nina Kotova, and pianist Olga Kern
Thurs, August 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Weill Hall
Violinist Pinchas Zukerman and the Zukerman Trio
Fri, August 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Weill Hall
Tenor Joseph Calleja
Sat, Aug 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Weill Hall
The Way of the Rain: Hope for Earth
Sun, Aug 4 at 6 p.m.
Weill Hall
Wine & Culinary Experiences
Curated by Vinous
Lunch & Wine Tasting
Thursday, August 1, 12:30 p.m.
Three Sticks Wines
143 West Spain, Sonoma, CA 95476
Tickets sales have ended for this lunch.
Vinous and the Festival Del Sole present a private lunch and wine tasting hosted by Three Sticks at its gorgeous winery taking us through their stunning offerings.
Three Sticks Wines owns, farms, and produces every grape and drop of wine that they make from their vineyards.
“We are autonomous. Having the freedom to grow as we design, and desire is precious. We have learned that growing into our collection of vineyards has given us the ability to shift and flex proactively with a dynamic environment and not just in response to it. A position that has led to many winemaking and farming triumphs that we are committed to expanding on.”
Capacity: 12
Lunch & Wine Tasting
Friday, August 2, 12:30 p.m.
Freeman Vineyard & Winery
1300 Montgomery Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Tickets sales have ended for this lunch.
Vinous and the Festival Del Sole present a private lunch and wine tasting hosted by Freeman Vineyard & Winery and their acclaimed winemaker Akiko Freeman.
Since 2001, Freeman has been one of the great pioneers of cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, charting a course to the western edges of California winegrowing, where the influence of the Pacific Ocean shapes the character of the wines. In doing so, the winery has helped to define a more balanced, sophisticated and thoughtful style of winemaking—a style that has been embraced by connoisseurs and collectors around the world.
Capacity: 12
Gala Dinner
Sunday, August 4, approx. 8:30 p.m. (following the event at Green Music Center)
Buena Vista Winery & Jean-Charles Boisset
18000 Old Winery Rd, Sonoma, CA 95476
We invite you to join the Festival Del Sole, Sibylle Szaggars Redford, and Robert Redford for a Gala dinner, auction, and celebration on August 4th hosted by Buena Vista Winery and Jean Charles Boisset. The event benefits The Way of the Rain, the non-profit founded Sibylle Szaggars Redford dedicated to the mission of developing, producing, and performing educational and artistic performances to promote public awareness and support for the protection of the Earth.
$500 per person.
Before there were vineyards in every valley north of San Francisco, before Napa and Sonoma were household names before there was a California wine world at all, there was Buena Vista. Founded in 1857, and spanning from Sonoma and into Napa, Buena Vista is California’s first premium winery, and its history is as colorful as it is proud. Today, the legend has been re-born under the vision of Jean-Charles Boisset.
The gala dinner will feature Buena Vista’s wines as well as a Bordeaux wine crafted by enologist Michel Rolland especially for The Way of the Rain.
Capacity: 80
Tickets on sale until August 2