Fort Bragg, CA: Mendocino Clinic's 15th Annual Crab & Wine Days & Beer Festival

Mendocino County’s rugged coastline has been home to generations of fishermen who harvest the bounties of our cold, clear Pacific Ocean—and this includes delicious Dungeness crab. And, every January, Mendocino County celebrates this delightful crustacean and locally grown and produced wines and beers with a Festival that delights foodies, oenophiles, and beer lovers alike!

The highlight of the crab season is Mendocino County’s 10-day Crab, Wine & Beer Festival. Enjoy gourmet, crab-themed dinners, family-style crab and cioppino feeds, crab fishing adventures, a Wine Competition showcasing local wines that pair well with crab, and the ever popular Crab Cake Cook-off featuring Mendocino County chefs. Events take place throughout the County, from the inland valleys to the coast.

Discover gourmet restaurants, unique inns, picturesque villages, friendly wineries, majestic redwoods, and rugged seaside. With dozens of events and activities, enjoy the countywide tradition of coming together as a community and indulging in delicious local seafood.

The signature event of the festival, Mendocino Clinic's 15th Annual Crab & Wine Days Cioppino Feed and Crab Cake Cook-off and Wine Competition, a fundraiser for Mendocino Coast Clinics, will be January 24 and 25, 2013. With Dungeness Crab, Mendocino Wines & Brews, online sales for both the Cioppino Dinner & the Crab Cake Cook-Off and Wine Tasting Competition will be acknowledged by email.

Tomatoes, onions, garlic & seasonings are blended during a long simmer. Hundreds of pounds of fresh Dungeness crab, caught off the North coast and donated by Noyo Harbor's Caito Fisheries fills the giant Crab pot! MCC Staff serves our Cioppino Dinner family-style with tossed salad, Cafe Beaujolais bread for dipping, dessert, locally roasted Thanksgiving Coffee, bibs and lots of napkins! North Coast Brewing Company beer & Mendocino County wines are available in the no-host Crabby Bar.

Cioppino Dinner
WHEN: Friday, January 24, 2014
SEATINGS: 4:30, 6:00 & 8:00 p.m.
VENUE: Historic Pentecost Hall ~ 822 Stewart Street, Fort Bragg
TICKETS: $35/adult; $15/kids 12-6; Under 6 - free

Thousands of succulent crab cakes and wines from America's greenest wine region are the focus of this one of a kind winning combination. Sample hand-crafted crab cakes prepared by Mendocino chefs while sipping Mendocino wines. Participants vie for the Professional Judges' Awards bestowed by a prestigious panel of media headed by Jimmy Im from acclaimed Conde Nast Traveler & Freda Moon from the New York Times. Vote your favorite for the coveted Peoples' Choice Awards and see how you match up.

Crab Cake Cook-Off & Wine Tasting Competition
WHEN: Saturday, January 25, 2014
TIME: Noon - 3:00 p.m.
VENUE: In the Big White Tent
at the Corner of Main & Spruce Streets, Fort Bragg
TICKETS: $85/adult - General Admission
$125/adult Circle of Claws Reserved Seating

For more information about the Mendocino County’s 10-day Crab, Wine & Beer Festival visit Visit Mendocino's website or by calling 1.866.466.3636. For more information on the Mendocino Clinic's 15th Annual Crab & Wine Days Cioppino Feed and Crab Cake Cook-off and Wine Competition, visit Mendocino Coast Clinics website events page.