Fall Harvest Wine Journey Brings Tasting Trail to Fresno County
The Fall Harvest Fresno County Wine Journey returns Saturday November 8 and Sunday November 9, 2025 with tastings and events across the county from noon to 5 PM each day. Advance wristbands are $25 and at the door they are $30, the wristband covers tastings at all participating locations and is valid both days, making this a notable opportunity for local tourism and small business revenue while also raising public health and transportation concerns for residents.
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Fresno County will host a countywide wine and beverage tasting this weekend as the Fall Harvest Fresno County Wine Journey opens at multiple tasting rooms, breweries and a distillery on Saturday November 8 and Sunday November 9. Events run from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM each day and wristbands purchased in advance cost $25 while at the door wristbands are $30. Wristbands include tastings at all participating locations and are valid both days, with maps, participating times and ticketing information available on VisitFresnoCounty.org.
The event links more than a dozen wineries with two breweries and a distillery, showcasing local producers including Nonini Winery, Engelmann Cellars / Engelmann Brewing, Gibson Wine Company and Kings River Winery among others. Organizers say the full participating list and routing maps are posted online to help tasters plan visits and navigate rural tasting room locations.
For Fresno County the festival is a potential economic boost for agritourism, small business operators and hospitality workers during a shoulder season for tourism. Tasting events send visitor dollars into small towns and vineyard communities, supporting tasting room staff, local restaurants and hotels. The structure of a wristband valid for both days also encourages longer visits that can raise spending on food lodging and other services.
The public health implications are central to how the county and community experience the event. Concentrated alcohol tastings across dispersed rural roads can increase risks related to impaired driving and alcohol related injuries. Local health care providers and first responders may see a modest increase in alcohol related calls during event hours, and prevention measures such as visible outreach, safe ride options and coordination with law enforcement can reduce harm. Transportation gaps in rural parts of Fresno County make access to sober rides more challenging for residents and visitors without personal vehicles, an equity issue that affects lower income households and those who rely on public transit.
Public health planning could include partnerships between event organizers, county public health officials and community based groups to promote responsible consumption, multilingual information and accessible transportation options. Ensuring that economic benefits reach smaller and historically marginalized producers is also a policy concern, as is making events physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Residents planning to attend should consult the Visit Fresno County event page for the complete list of participating locations, maps and scheduled tasting times, and consider planning safe transportation and tasting strategies in advance. The wine journey highlights Fresno County agriculture and hospitality while underscoring the need for coordinated public health and transportation planning to keep communities safe and ensure economic benefits are shared broadly.
