Wine, World Music And Song

Gundlach Bundschu’s Huichica Music Festival

Listening to live music while sipping chardonnay at your favorite winery is one of the pleasures of summer. But let’s face it: musical acts at most wineries fall into one of two safe categories: smooth jazz or rock by groups who were hot when Walkmans were trendy.
The Huichica Music Festival this June 1 and 2 at Gundlach Bundschu winery in Sonoma promises to break into new musical territory. There’s something cool about one of the oldest family-owned wineries in California — Gun Bun dates back to 1858 — creating a concert featuring the newest emerging artists from around the globe. The name Huichica (whee-CHEE-ka) comes from the clay loam soil that covers much of the Carneros wine region. The winery’s Rhineland vineyard in Carneros was known as Rancho Huichica when California was a province of Mexico.
Sixth generation winemaker Jeff Bundschu and Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats and the Shins, partnered to create the concert. The lineup sounds like a Putumayo CD come to life: Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, who blend African jazz and soukous dance music, will play for a Friday night barn dinner featuring a finger-licking, farm-fresh menu by Fremont Diner’s Chad Harris. On Saturday, sip Gundlach Bundschu’s Gewürztraminer 2011 (Sonoma Coast) or Mountain Cuvée Red Blend 2008 (Sonoma Valley) while listening to indie bands including Sea of Bees, Poor Moon (made up of two members from Fleet Foxes) and Papercuts.
With food trucks, hula-hooping, Bellwether Farms cheese tastings, and brief cave tours added to the mix, there’s no way to mistake Huichica for your ordinary summer winery concert.
To see the whole lineup and get tickets, visit www.huichicamusicfestival.com